Vaginal Discharge During Pregnancy

What is Vaginal Discharge? It is very common and important for the female reproductive system. It is a fluid that develops inside the vagina and cervix which carried out bacteria and dead cells. Vaginal discharge helps to prevent infection during pregnancy. The color (White, Yellow, Brown, or Green), smell, and amount of discharge can vary depending on the situation. Normally the vaginal discharge is milky white in color.

Is Vaginal Discharge During Pregnancy Normal?

Yes, vaginal discharge during pregnancy is a normal and healthy process to keep your vagina clean. This milky white fluid flows out of the vagina every day, it carries dead cells and bacteria.

The number of discharges increases when you are sexually aroused, breastfeeding, or ovulating. The color of this fluid may change depending on the menstrual cycle. For pregnant women smell of vaginal discharge is different.

However vaginal discharge is quite normal, but if you feel itching, or inflammation it can be a sign of vaginal infection. Itching and inflammation of the vagina are mainly associated with a yeast infection.

Early Pregnancy Discharge Signs & Symptoms

Vaginal discharge is a combination of mucus and dead cells inside the vagina. Early signs of pregnancy discharge are that you may feel the change in your discharge and it is watery and sticky, and discharge flow is heavy. The vaginal discharge could be a sign of pregnancy. This discharge changes its color, and amount of flow from time to time.

What Does Early Pregnancy Discharge Look Like?

Vaginal discharge during pregnancy is known as leucorrhea or leucorrhea. Leucorrhea is an odorless milky white discharge that occurs at the early stage of pregnancy. Most women have leucorrhea throughout their pregnancy. The amount of discharge may increase during the pregnancy because of a hormone known as estrogen.

Early pregnancy discharge looks thin, milky white, or creamy in color. Mainly it doesn’t produce any smell or maybe a very mild smell. This milky white discharge is not itchy at all. If you feel itching and inflammation during discharge visit your doctor.

What Causes Normal and Abnormal Vaginal Discharge?

There are many causes of normal and abnormal vaginal discharge. Pregnancy, ovulation, and menstrual cycle cause normal vaginal discharge. While stress, yeast infection, diabetes, etc. can cause you abnormal discharge.

Causes Of Normal Vaginal Discharge

1. Pregnancy Discharge- During pregnancy vaginal discharge is a very normal and healthy process. It helps to keep your vagina clean and prevents you from any kind of infection. Color and amount of discharge may change from time to time. Mainly you will have milky white vaginal discharge but sometimes the color may change into a yellow or brown vaginal discharge.
2. Ovulation- During ovulation, your womb (cervix) produces egg white mucus which helps sperm to find the egg for fertilization. This egg-white mucus creates a perfect environment for women to get fertilized. A milky white discharge 10-12 days before your menstrual cycle can be a sign of ovulation.
3. Menstrual Cycle- Irregular menopause can cause you a milky white vaginal discharge. This discharge occurs at the premenopausal stage.

Causes Of Abnormal Vaginal Discharge

Bacterial infection in the vagina can change the color, odor, and amount of vaginal discharge. If you see any unusual change in vaginal discharge visit your doctor. Other factors which may cause abnormal vaginal discharge includes.

• Yeast Infection
• Bacterial infection because by more than one sexual partner during pregnancy.
• Cervical Cancer
• Birth control pills
• Diabetes
• Pelvic infection

Vaginal Discharge During Pregnancy?

It is important to keep track of your discharge during pregnancy because the abnormal change in color and amount of discharge can lead to infection.

The color of discharge can be milky white, yellow discharge, or brown discharge. Vaginal discharge smell may vary from odorless to a strong bad smell.

White milky discharge or white creamy discharge is normal and healthy for the vagina. Bloody and brown color discharge is related to irregular menstrual cycles, or less often, cervical or endometrial cancer.

Frothy, yellow, or greenish vaginal discharge with a bad smell may occur because of trichomoniasis and it can cause pain and itching while urinating.

Milky Thick White Creamy Discharge During Pregnancy

White creamy discharge helps to protect the vagina from infection. It flushes out the bacteria along with dead cells inside the vagina. The amount of vaginal discharge may increase during pregnancy, ovulation, or when you are sexually aroused.

Change in estrogen hormone during ovulation can cause vaginal discharge. It also creates the perfect environment for conceiving.

Milky white discharge is also a sign of pregnancy. It might cause abdominal cramps which are mostly mistaken as menstrual cramps.

According to Dr. Trina Pagano on WebMD white milky discharge occurs because the walls of the vagina become thick during pregnancy. This white creamy discharge also occurs because the mucous membrane is more active during pregnancy.

Yellow Discharge During Pregnancy

Normally, vaginal discharge is milky white or creamy white in color and egg whites in texture. But sometimes mucus changes its color to yellow and produces bad odors, it may cause you little concern and you need to visit the doctor.

Yellow vaginal discharge can be a sign of infection. If you have thick mucus with a bad odor then your vaginal discharge is not normal. It may not be a serious problem but it still, needs medical attention.

This abnormal yellow vaginal discharge can lead to trichomoniasis infection. Trichomoniasis infection can be easily transferred to your sexual partner, so if you see any sign of trichomoniasis infection avoid sexual intercourse.

Brown Discharge During Pregnancy

Brown discharge during pregnancy or bloody discharge during pregnancy is one of the most abnormal forms of vaginal discharge. This is a sign of a serious health condition.

It is normal to have brown vaginal discharge for a woman at the end of her menstrual cycle. It happens because of some blood in the mucus. Blood in mucus can be a sign of infection and miscarriage. So consult with your doctor as soon as possible.

If a woman is suffering from postmenopausal then bloody vaginal discharge may be a sign of cancer in female organs or cervical cancer. So whenever you see a change in the color of your discharge into brown visit your gynecologist.

Green Vaginal Discharge During Pregnancy

Green yellowish vaginal discharge is also abnormal and is a sign of vaginal infection. It may occur because of a sexually transmitted infection trichomoniasis.

Discharge during pregnancy or early pregnancy discharge is not a serious problem but sometimes it can lead to serious infection. Vaginal discharge can be itchy, irritating, and mucus with a bad smell.

Mainly vaginal discharge is considered a healthy process during pregnancy because it flushes out all the bacteria and dead cells inside the vagina.

Bloody and yellow vaginal discharge is associated with infection. Whenever you see a change in color, odor, and amount of vaginal discharge visit your doctor.

Hope the above information helps you to understand vaginal discharge during pregnancy. If you like to give us any feedback please comment below.

You can also check:

• Natural Ways to Conceive a Baby Boy
• How to Reduce Ankles Swelling
• How to get rid of Heartburn in Pregnancy