In our Blog we are going to discuss, Is Vaginal Discharge During Pregnancy is Normal? Vaginal discharge is a normal secretion of your body that is continuously produced by glands in your uterus, cervix, and vagina. It keeps the organ moist and lubricated which protects from infection. If you want to know more about the management of pregnancy, kindly visit our previous blog or go through our website ivfexpertguide
During pregnancy, you may notice many changes happening in your body. These are important to prepare your body for nurturing your baby and are caused by changing hormones. One such change is an increase in vaginal discharge, caused by an increase in a hormone called estrogen.
Table of Contents
Is Vaginal Discharge During Pregnancy is Normal?
Normal Vaginal Discharge
Normal vaginal discharge is odorless and watery. The amount of discharge is not constant, it may depend upon various factors like age, pregnancy sexual act, etc.
Features of normal vaginal discharge
Odor
It is generally odorless or has a mild smell. It is considered abnormal if it has an unpleasant odor and is strongly smelled.
Appearance
Normal discharge is generally whitish and colorless. It has a watery base that is thick and sticky.
Amount
About 4mL/day is normal secretion per day occurs. This may increase as per hormonal disbalance as sexual activity.
Abnormal Vaginal Discharge
Vaginal discharge can be abnormal if it undergoes the following changes and needs medical consultation.
Feature of Abnormal Discharge
- Color changes: As discussed above, normal discharge is clear or whitish. An excessively white discharge, curdy discharge, cheesy discharge, greenish discharge, yellowish discharge, brownish discharge, greyish discharge, or a cloudy discharge, etc are abnormal and indicate infection.
- Smell: Normal discharge is odorless or has a mild smell. However, a strong, unpleasant, foul, sour, or fishy smell is abnormal and indicates infection.
- Texture Changes: Although normal vaginal discharge consistency also changes throughout the menstrual cycle, there are certain changes in consistency that indicate infection. For example, a thick and curdy discharge indicates a fungal infection (candidiasis), and a yellowish-green, frothy, or purulent discharge with a bad smell indicates a parasitic infection (trichomoniasis).
- Accompanying changes: Symptoms like painful urination (dysuria) or painful intercourse (dyspareunia), vaginal itching, redness/irritation in and around the vagina, change in skin color of the genital area to blackish or reddish, etc are all indicative of infection and need medical attention.
- Amount: An increase in vaginal discharge may indicate infection especially when accompanied by color, texture, or smell changes and other accompanying changes as mentioned above.
Cause Of Abnormal Discharge
Hormonal Imbalance
Discharge during pregnancy and ovulation is normal. The amount of discharge also increases during this phase.
Bacterial infection or Infections
The imbalance of bacteria found in the vagina can cause infectious disease. It can easily cured with normal antibiotics. Discharge during this phase has a fishy odor and is sticky. It can also cause itching or pain during urination. Fungal infection can also cause abnormal discharge with a thick white curdy texture. It can be treated by taking antifungal medicine.
STDs/STIs
Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea and Trichomoniasis. All of them are easily treatable with proper antibiotics and even more easily preventable if both partners are monogamous.
Conclusion
During pregnancy vaginal discharge is normal, whether it is normal or abnormal depends upon various factors as we discussed in our blog. Discharge appearance predicts it. Colored discharge, any discharge with a foul or unpleasant smell, or any associated symptoms like itching, irritation, redness, vulval swelling, or fever is abnormal.