When a baby drops during pregnancy it will feel like a sudden and noticeable movement.
The baby dropping will feel like a downward sudden movement.
You can know if you're dilating by getting checked out by a doctor and having a pelvic exam done to measure in centimeters.
The dilation is checked during a pelvic exam and measured in centimeters and when your 10 cm you're fully dilated and 0 cm means you're not dilated.
Also if you're 4 cm dilated you're in active stage of labor and if you're fully dilated then you are ready to start pushing the baby.
You can sometimes tell if you are dilated without being checked as early dilation during pregnancy will feel like menstrual cramps as your cervical changes cause pain and cramping that can be noticed and felt in the lower part of the uterus.
It's the same sensation and location as menstrual cramps come from and active labor tends to be felt in a larger area but can also be a similar sensation as cramping with more intensity.
To a certain degree you can dilate without losing your mucus plug although the mucus plug will still come out eventually.
All women who are pregnant have a mucus plug that protects the uterus from bacteria which will always fall out before the baby is delivered.
The mucus plug is a collection of mucus that forms in the cervical canal in early pregnancy.
Your mucus plug is what prevents bacteria or infection from entering your uterus and reaching your baby.
As your cervix prepares for labor, you will lose the mucus plug.
This is a normal and common symptom in late pregnancy.
You can grow your mucus plug back.
Once you lose your mucus plug especially if you lose the mucus plug too early the mucus plug can and will in most cases grow back and regenerate itself.
Also when you get pregnant again your body will develop a new mucus plug which helps to protect the new baby that is growing inside of you.
Normally you should never lose the mucus plug until you actually are ready to give birth but sometimes the mucus plug is lost before the birthing begins.
In some cases the mucus plug will grow back and the baby will be okay while other times the mucus plug may not grow back.
I lost my mucus plug too early during my 2nd pregnancy with my son and the mucus plug grew back and everything was okay.
When you lose your mucus plug a gel like substance should come out of your vagina with blood tinged or streaked with old brownish looking blood when the mucus plug dislodges.
The mucus plug is there to protect the unborn baby from the outside world and when the mucus plug dislodges and come out then labor is usually about to start and it could be within that day or a few weeks after loss of the mucus plug.
If you lose your mucus plug too early in pregnancy you should see your doctor because something is not right.