Yea your cervix can slightly begin to open it just doesn't necessarily mean you are about to have the baby.

Well your mucus plug basically clogs up the top of your cervix so when your cervix starts to open you comes out so technically yea.

not exactly. you can lose your mucus plug at anytime during the pregnancy and it can regrow. but if your farther along, you could be dilating bt not because of losing your mucus plug