Do you have to lose your plug to dilate?

[maggie111]

I've been feeling very odd twinges in my cervix and a lot of pressure. I'm sure some of this is down to the baby further engaging, but he's been "engaged" for weeks now.

I haven't lost a smidgen of my mucous plug yet, and I hear of women who are 1-2 cm dilated for weeks. I wondered if I could be dilated without losing my plug?

.... And is it just me who is worried where and when the plug decides to fall out??

 

[pebbie1]

I never ever saw anything of my plug when I had my daughter. Think it might've just come out during labour? So no, you don't have to loose it first

 

[xxyjadexx]

I lost mine while being induced, think I was 3cm at the time

 

[lj2245]

I didn't see any plug at all when I had my son. I didn't get admitted until 5cm so definitely didn't lose it before then. Maybe it came out when they broke my waters?

This time I've lost tiny bits over the last 4 weeks but I've heard it grows back lol.

 

[littleone2010]

I didn't see any plug or waters breaking and I went in to hospital at 4cms with contractions every few minutes. From my experience ou don't need to lose either to dilate xxx

 

[rotts05]

With my first i went in to hospital at 8cm and never noticed my plug. With my last one i was 3cm dilated at 40 weeks and never noticed my plug, my waters went at 40+4 and again got to hospital at 8cm and never saw any evidence of my plug.
Some people seem to have an obvious show but plenty don't.

 

[snuggles82]

I had been dialating since 33 weeks and at 37 weeks I was 2cm. so yes sometimes you dialate very slowly. My water broke at 37 weeks and 4 days. That's when I lost my plug, after labor had already started.

 

[maggie111]

Thanks so much for the reassurance everybody!!!!