Is it normal for the baby to drop at 31 weeks? Do it mean that I'm going to have him early, or am I just going to have this hurtful pressure for the next 9 weeks?

I had the twins drop earlier than that and carried them till 37 week and finally had to be induced... So yeah it could happen... I lost my mucus plug at 32 weeks I think? I'm not sure now It's been almost a year ago... lol.

Okay, good. I was just worrying that he was trying to come before he was ready. I can deal with the discomfort as long as I know he's doing okay.

You should be fine. I would bring it up with your dr at your next appointment and see what s/he has to say. It's pretty normal though.

If this is your first baby, then it is very common for your baby to drop a lot earlier then your due date. Typically it is about one month before hand, but as Myth said, it can happen earlier and be normal. Some women don't drop until they are in labor. It just depends with each pregnancy, each baby, and each woman's body type. It is definitely something that you will want to discuss with your doctor. It could also be that your baby is getting lower, but hasn't dropped down all the way yet.(it could feel like baby is about to drop out on its head, but they are still fairly far up there. You will want to discuss it with your doctor, and if they feel that you have dropped down enough, they will do an exam to see what station the baby is at.) a lot of the times, they are dropping down, and it puts pressure on nerves and causes quite a bit of discomfort. I dropped down about 6 weeks before my first son was born, and about 2 weeks before my second son was born. I lost my mucus plug at 35 weeks, but the thing with that is that it can happen as early as 28 weeks, and not be an issue. It is not uncommon for it to come out(esp if it has been irritated from intercourse, an internal exam, etc) and then regenerate again. I have heard of some women having it fall out several times. I lost mine the first time at the beginning of my 35th week, and then I lost it again just days before I went into labor. So there's really no telling with these things. Just make sure you talk to your doctor. If the discomfort becomes more serious, or you start to have bloody show, or very close/steady contractions, seek medical advice immediately. However, I think that you should be just fine. Just keep an eye on it. Good luck to you hun.