I'm having sharp vaginal pain since afternoon it's been 5 to 6 times s

I'm having sharp vaginal pain since afternoon it's been 5 to 6 times since 2 pm is this early labour pain I had leg cramps but now it is relieved my mucus plug is out evening I felt like something is coming off so I went to bathroom and got mucus plug out should I visit labour ward or wait till morning

Go to the labour ward now. Do not wait until morning.

Here is why:

Mucus plug passing is a clear sign that your cervix is beginning to change - labour may be starting or imminent.
Recurring sharp vaginal pain 5-6 times in a few hours is consistent with early contractions.
Leg cramps that came and then resolved can accompany early labour.

Together, these three signs - repeated pain, mucus plug loss, and cramping - mean you need to be assessed by a midwife or doctor tonight.

What to do RIGHT NOW:

Call your labour ward / maternity unit and tell them exactly what you told me: sharp vaginal pain recurring since 2 PM, mucus plug out this evening.
Head in to be assessed - they will check your cervix, monitor contractions, and confirm whether you are in labour.
While you prepare to go, time your pains - note how many minutes apart they are and how long each one lasts.

Why you should NOT wait till morning:

Once the mucus plug passes, the protective barrier between your baby and the outside world is reduced, raising infection risk.
If labour is progressing, things can move faster than expected, especially if this is not your first baby.
Sharp pains that come and go in a pattern are contractions until proven otherwise.

Go in now. It is always better to be checked and sent home than to wait and deliver without support. Labour wards expect calls and visits like this - you will not be bothering anyone.

Is there anything else I can help you with while you get ready to go?

That pain last only for a minute

That is actually very important information - contractions that last about 1 minute are a strong sign of active labour, not just early niggles.

Here is what that means:

A typical contraction pattern in labour:

Lasts 45 seconds to 1 minute - yours match this exactly
Comes regularly, every few minutes
Gets stronger and closer together over time

Your pattern - pain lasting ~1 minute, happening 5-6 times since 2 PM, mucus plug out - this is consistent with labour starting.

The key question right now is: how far apart are the pains?

If they are 10 minutes apart or less - go to the labour ward immediately
If they are more than 10-15 minutes apart - call the labour ward now, describe your symptoms, and follow their advice

My advice remains the same: do not wait till morning.

The combination of:

Contractions lasting 1 minute ✓
Recurring since early afternoon ✓
Mucus plug passed ✓

...means you are very likely in early or active labour. A midwife needs to assess you tonight - they will check how dilated your cervix is and monitor your baby's heartbeat.

Please call your maternity unit right now and tell them everything. They will guide you on when exactly to come in. Do you know the number for your labour ward?

Since the time I passed mucus plug I don't have white discharge when I go to bathroom

This is actually reassuring in one sense - the mucus plug WAS that white discharge, and now that it has come out, it is normal for that discharge to stop.

However, there is one important thing to check:

Has your water broken?

Sometimes when the waters break, women notice:

A sudden gush of clear/pale fluid
OR a slow trickle of watery fluid (not thick like discharge)
It may feel warm
It does NOT stop when you clench your muscles (unlike urine)

Ask yourself:

Is your underwear or pad wetter than usual with a watery (not thick) fluid?
Did you feel a sudden "pop" or gush at any point?

Why this matters:

If your waters have broken AND you are having contractions lasting 1 minute - you need to go to the labour ward right now, no waiting.

If your waters have NOT broken yet, you still need to go in tonight, but call first and they will advise timing.

Bottom line:

The absence of white discharge after losing your mucus plug is normal. But please check for any watery fluid that is different from your usual discharge, and call your labour ward now regardless - tell them:

Sharp pains since 2 PM, lasting 1 minute each
Mucus plug passed this evening
White discharge has stopped
Whether you notice any watery fluid

They are the right people to guide you from here. Please call them now.

I discharged mucus plug with brown flake I discharged yesterday also like that but I don't know that it was blood I thought it was some dried poop residue is that blood should I go to hospital it is the size of a nail

Yes, that brown flake is most likely blood - and this is actually a normal and expected part of losing your mucus plug.

What is the "bloody show"?

When the mucus plug comes out, it often contains:

Pink, red, or brown streaks/flakes mixed in
This is called the "bloody show"
The brown colour means it is old blood (fresh blood is red/pink)
Old blood turns brown as it oxidises - so what you saw yesterday was likely the beginning of your mucus plug coming away

This is NORMAL and expected in the days or hours before labour.

However - given everything you have told me:

You now have ALL the classic signs that labour is beginning or already in progress:

✅ Contractions since 2 PM yesterday - lasting 1 minute each ✅ Mucus plug fully passed ✅ Bloody show (brown flakes - yesterday AND today) ✅ Leg cramps ✅ Discharge stopped after mucus plug

YES - go to the hospital NOW.

Not because the brown blood is dangerous on its own, but because the full picture - contractions + mucus plug + bloody show - means your body is in labour.

What to watch for that needs EMERGENCY attention immediately:

Bright red bleeding (like a period or heavier) - call emergency services
Baby's movements have reduced or stopped
Severe continuous pain that does not ease between contractions

How are your contractions now this morning? Are they still coming? Please go to the labour ward and get checked - you and your baby need to be monitored. Do not wait any longer.

No contractions yet like regularly but sometimes I feel cramps

This is actually very common - this is called latent (early) labour, and it can last hours to days before active labour begins.

What is happening right now:

Your body is in the latent phase of labour - your cervix is slowly softening, thinning, and beginning to dilate. During this phase:

Contractions are irregular - sometimes close, sometimes far apart
Cramps come and go without a set pattern
It can feel like period-like aches or back pain
This phase can last several hours to 1-2 days for first-time mothers, shorter for second pregnancies

One important question - how many weeks pregnant are you?

This matters a lot:

If you are 37 weeks or more - latent labour at this stage is normal and expected
If you are before 37 weeks - this could be preterm labour and you need to go in immediately regardless of contraction regularity

What to do right now:

Given that you have:

Bloody show with brown flakes ✓
Mucus plug passed ✓
Irregular cramps ✓
Yesterday's contractions lasting 1 minute ✓

You should still go to the labour ward or at minimum call them this morning. They may ask you to come in for a cervical check and to monitor baby's heartbeat (CTG trace). This is routine and important.

While you wait or prepare to go:

Note if baby is moving normally - kick counts matter
Time any cramps that come
Pack your hospital bag if not already done
Eat something light and drink water

How many weeks are you?

Find latest labour onset guidelines for your gestational age

I'd love to find the most relevant guidelines for you - but I need one key piece of information first!

How many weeks pregnant are you right now?

Asking for Preferences

How many weeks pregnant are you right now?

At 37-38 weeks you are at early term - your baby is fully developed and labour at this stage is completely normal. Let me pull the latest guidelines for you.

Searching sources...

Searching PubMed

spontaneous labour onset term pregnancy management

Searching the Web

NICE guidelines labour onset 37-38 weeks early term 2024 2025 signs management

Reading File

Finding Sources

Reading Web Page

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng207/chapter/recommendatio…

Finding Sources

Reading File

Here is a clear summary of the latest guidelines and textbook evidence specifically for your situation at 37-38 weeks:

What the Guidelines Say for You at 37-38 Weeks

Your gestational age: "Early Term"

At 37-38 weeks you are classified as early term (37+0 to 38+6 weeks). According to NICE (NG207) induction of labour data, about 17% of all spontaneous labours begin in this window (5.1% at 37 weeks + 12.1% at 38 weeks). This means spontaneous labour starting now is perfectly normal and expected.

What the Textbooks Say About Your Signs

From Textbook of Family Medicine (Creasy & Resnik's Maternal-Fetal Medicine, p. 362):

"With impending true labour, cervical effacement and early dilation may allow the passage of a blood-tinged mucous, termed 'bloody show'. Most women go into true labour within 3 days of a bloody show."

This is exactly what you have experienced - the brown flakes with your mucus plug are bloody show. The textbook confirms labour is imminent.

The Latent Phase - What is Happening to You Right Now

From the same source (p. 363-364):

"Contractions of active labour most often occur every 2-3 minutes, last about 1 minute, and have a mean of 40 mmHg in intensity."

Your contractions already last 1 minute - this matches active labour contraction duration. The irregularity you feel now is the latent phase, which is the normal pre-labour warm-up:

Phase	What Happens	Duration
Latent phase	Irregular cramps, cervix softening and thinning	Hours to ~20 hours (first baby) or less (second baby)
Active phase	Regular contractions every 2-3 min, cervix dilates 6-10 cm	Progresses faster
Second stage	Pushing and delivery	Minutes to 2 hours

NICE Guideline on When to Go In (Key Points for You)

Call your labour ward when contractions become regular (every 5-10 min) and last ~1 minute - you are close to this already
Go immediately if:
- Waters break (membranes rupture) - NICE NG207 recommends assessment within 24 hours even if no contractions yet, and induction offered if labour does not start within 24 hours at term
- Bleeding becomes heavy (bright red)
- Baby movements reduce
- Pain becomes continuous (does not ease between contractions)
Do not wait longer than today - given bloody show + mucus plug + 1-minute contractions since yesterday, you should be assessed at the labour ward today

Bottom Line for You Right Now

You have all three classic pre-labour signs that guidelines recognise as indicating imminent labour at 37-38 weeks:

Bloody show ✅
Mucus plug passed ✅
Contractions lasting 1 minute (even if still irregular) ✅

Please go to or call your labour ward today. The latent phase can progress to active labour quickly and unpredictably. A midwife will do a cervical assessment and CTG (baby heart rate monitoring) to tell you exactly where you are in the process. You are not wasting anyone's time - this is exactly the right moment to be seen.

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