The 'show' is a thick, jelly-like plug of mucus that begins to form in the cervix once a woman has conceived and pregnancy is underway.
It plays an important role as it blocks infection and disease from entering the uterus via the cervix. This protects both the growing baby as well as the woman and her uterus.
At the onset of labour, the show will come away from the cervix as it is dislodged by the contractions. It looks like a blood-streaked lump of mucus, and may be pink or brown in colour or even completely clear.
However, it is also entirely normal for a woman to lose this mucus plug during the last weeks of pregnancy. This is a sign that the body is preparing for labour.
Additionally, while some women are very aware of the show, others may not even realise they have lost this mucus plug as it can leave the body very slowly and present itself as a normal vaginal discharge.
If a woman has lost her mucus plug, either during or a few weeks before labour, she will not need to raise this with a doctor or midwife.
However, as with any aspect of pregnancy, if a woman does have a show that is accompanied with bleeding or the loss of clear fluid, this should be reported to a medical professional immediately.