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Vaginal discharge - NHS

You will always have some vaginal discharge starting a year or 2 before puberty and ending after the menopause.

How much discharge you have changes from time to time. It usually gets heavier just before your period. When you're pregnant, it's normal to have more discharge than before.

Healthy vaginal discharge is usually thin, clear or milky white, and should not smell unpleasant.

Non-urgent advice: Call your midwife if you have vaginal discharge and:

• it smells unpleasant or strange
• it is green or yellow
• you feel itchy or sore around your vagina
• you have pain when you pee

Any of these could be symptoms of a vaginal infection.

Urgent advice: Urgent

Contact your midwife or doctor immediately if you have any vaginal bleeding while you're pregnant.

Is it normal to have vaginal discharge in pregnancy?

Yes. It is normal to have more vaginal discharge in pregnancy. This helps prevent any infections travelling up from the vagina to the womb.

Towards the end of pregnancy, the amount of discharge increases further. In the last week or so of pregnancy, it may contain streaks of sticky, jelly-like pink mucus.

This is called a "show", and happens when the mucus that's been present in your cervix during pregnancy comes away.

It's a sign that the body is starting to prepare for birth. You may have a few small "shows" in the days before you go into labour.

Read more about the signs that labour has begun.

Thrush in pregnancy

Thrush is an infection that can cause unusual vaginal discharge. if you get thrush when you're pregnant, it can easily be treated - talk to your midwife or doctor.

Thrush can cause:

• increased vaginal discharge which is usually white (like cottage cheese), and does not usually smell
• itching and irritation around the vagina

Always talk to your doctor, pharmacist or midwife if you think you have thrush, as there are some thrush medicines you should not use while you're pregnant.

You can help prevent thrush by wearing loose cotton underwear. You may find it helps to avoid perfumed soap or perfumed bath products.

Find out more about vaginal discharge.

Page last reviewed: 31 March 2021
Next review due: 31 March 2024

Pregnancy discharge | What are the discharge during pregnancy? | Blog

In the absence of menstruation, girls usually suspect that conception has occurred. However, during pregnancy, the female body may continue to secrete a secret of a different color and character. We recommend that you keep a close eye on everything that happens so as not to miss the development of adverse events. We will talk about how to recognize problem situations during pregnancy in the article.

What discharge can occur during conception

Many women note that immediately after the delay and in the later stages, the nature of the secretion changes. It can be:

1. With or without scent.
2. Depending on the color - transparent, white, cream, yellow, greenish, bloody.
3. By consistency - thick, liquid, cheesy.
4. As a symptom for assessing the state of health - threatening, safe.

During ovulation, the egg is released from the ovary, its membrane is deflated, a small amount of fluid is released - so it becomes ready for fertilization. At this time, the thick mucus that fills the cervical canal of the cervix becomes less viscous. This makes it easier for the spermatozoa to penetrate and move further into the tubes for fertilization. At this time, you may notice an abundance of clear mucous secretion. nine0003

After the fusion of the egg with the spermatozoon, movement into the uterus begins, which should end with implantation in the inner layer. During penetration, its slight detachment may occur - this causes damage to the blood vessels that abundantly penetrate the muscular layer of the uterus. You may see light brown discharge, which is common during pregnancy. The color is due to the fact that the blood has time to clot.

Sometimes the discharge is brightly colored and some women mistake it for a period that has started too early. But in this case, a short duration is characteristic, a different shade (dark or scarlet), a slight mark on the linen. nine0003

With some features of the structure of the female genital organs (for example, with a bicornuate uterus), after implantation of the embryo in one part, rejection of the endometrium may begin in the other, as usually occurs during menstruation. This rarely happens.

Characteristics of discharge in the event of a threatened miscarriage

Spontaneous abortion is the rejection of an embryo in the early stages after conception. If at the first signs of pregnancy, you notice spotting, there is a high probability that a miscarriage begins. nine0003

Also, miscarriage symptoms include:

• pulling or pressing on the lower abdomen, sacrum, lower back;
• the muscles of the uterus are tense.

The woman may feel cramps. This continues all the time or intermittently. From the vagina there are scarlet or brown discharge during pregnancy, which was previously confirmed. Sometimes the period may be still small, and the first signs did not have time to appear.

After 22 weeks, this phenomenon is called preterm labor. The child in this case is still weak, the organs are not sufficiently developed, and there is little chance of survival. nine0003

The following factors increase the risk of miscarriage:

• various diseases;
• progesterone deficiency;
• nervous and physical overexertion;
• pathologies in the genitals;
• fetal developmental defects.

To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor prescribes an ultrasound scan. If it shows that the fetal heart rate is disturbed, the tone of the uterus is increased, its size differs from normal for this period, hospitalization will be recommended to maintain pregnancy. nine0003

What discharge during pregnancy is considered normal

This secretion does not pose a threat to health:

• transparent;
• whitish;
• yellowish;
• odor free;
• mucous;
• without itching, burning, redness of the genitals.

Clear fluid on underwear is a symptom of ovulation. During pregnancy, the activity of ongoing processes in the body increases, so the amount of secretion secreted may increase. However, a violation of the norm is the leakage of amniotic fluid. You can determine the problem with the help of special diagnostic tests that the doctor will prescribe if he has suspicions. nine0003

White color, small amount, homogeneous structure should also not cause concern. The increased volume of fluid in this case is associated with increased hormonal activity.

One of the variants of the norm is mucous discharge, which smells of slight sourness. If there is no pain, discomfort, there is nothing to worry about.

Yellow discharge, there are signs of pregnancy, there is no unpleasant odor - you are all right. Some women had this color before conception, only they did not pay attention. Now there are more of them, therefore more noticeable. nine0003

Sometimes a woman observes that the laundry gets wet and there is a smell of urine. This may indicate incontinence due to the constant pressure of the growing uterus. In this case, it is recommended to go to the toilet more often, change underpants twice a day.

What discharge during pregnancy is considered a sign of infection?

White discharge during pregnancy with a cheesy texture is a symptom of thrush (candidiasis). In pregnant women, it is diagnosed quite often - the reason is a change in hormonal levels. The disease is accompanied by itching, redness of the vulva, a strong sour smell. Sometimes external manifestations are not detected, then treatment is not carried out. nine0003

Infection is indicated by pain, pain, skin irritation, ulcers, smell of rot or fish, gray or green color, frothy discharge, increased nervousness, large inguinal lymph nodes. The reason may lie in sexually transmitted infections. This includes syphilis, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, chlamydia and others. They are dangerous because they cause premature birth and fetal developmental defects.

What kind of discharge during pregnancy should I pay special attention to and should I consult a doctor? nine0005

The following indicates that pregnancy is at risk:

1. Severe pain in the perineum, bleeding, difficulty defecation, convulsions - these may be injuries to the vaginal mucosa.
2. Nausea, profuse vomiting, edema, headaches, cough, hypertension, bright red secretion are symptoms of hydatidiform mole (abnormal development of the embryo).
3. A drop in blood pressure, pallor, weakness, sweating, pulling sensations, bleeding during pregnancy against the background of a lack of growth of hCG in the blood - this is how ectopic attachment manifests itself. nine0010
4. Isolation of clots, sharp pain, vomiting, diarrhea may indicate a frozen fetus.

If you experience any of these symptoms, contact your doctor immediately.

It is also necessary to go to the clinic if you have been physically abused, had rough sex, had an accident, fell, hit. The likelihood that the situation will be resolved successfully is much higher if you do not delay the visit, listen to the symptoms and take good care of your health. nine0003

Remember, despite the fact that pregnancy is a normal state of health of the female body, the diagnosis and treatment tactics are still different, due to the many restrictions on manipulations and medications during pregnancy. That is why diagnosis and treatment during pregnancy should take place only under the supervision of a physician. By ignoring the symptoms or self-medicating, a pregnant woman risks not only her health, but also the health of her child.

Doctors of the Leleka maternity hospital manage pregnancies of any complexity, including those aggravated by infections, pathologies, and the threat of miscarriage. Our own diagnostic laboratory allows us to accurately and in the shortest possible time to obtain the results of the tests. Thanks to constant medical supervision throughout the entire period, the chances of a successful birth are greatly increased. nine0003

Trust the life and health of your child to Leleka doctors, and we will make sure that you are satisfied.

why they appear and what they are

Pregnancy is one of the most important and exciting periods in a woman's life. In order to properly take care of yourself and the baby growing in your stomach, expectant mothers need to know what kind of discharge occurs during childbearing. "Komsomolskaya Pravda" together with obstetrician-gynecologist of the highest category Alla Pashkova sorts out which of them are considered the norm, and which are the reason for visiting the antenatal clinic.

Why discharge occurs

Every woman has vaginal discharge. Their number, color and consistency depend on many factors: the phase of the cycle (for example, during the period of egg maturation and ovulation there are quite a lot of them, and immediately after menstruation there is practically none), the woman’s health (with genital tract infections, inflammation in the pelvic organs (discharge at the same time, they often change color, an unpleasant odor appears).The discharge is also affected by the woman's complexion (in thin women, the discharge is usually more abundant than in full ones), sexual activity, the use of vaginal deodorants and intimate hygiene products, wearing synthetic underwear and other factors And, of course, the nature of the discharge is affected by pregnancy.With its onset, a woman may notice that the discharge has become much more than usual (1).0003

“More abundant light discharge during pregnancy is the norm,” says Alla Pashkova, obstetrician-gynecologist of the highest category, candidate of medical sciences, author of a blog about women's health. - They are enhanced under the influence of the hormone progesterone, which begins to be actively produced in the body of a woman with the onset of pregnancy and creates favorable conditions for the implantation of the embryo and its further development. If there are no complaints about a change in the color of the discharge, itching, burning, swelling of the tissues of the perineum, an unpleasant odor, then you do not need to worry and take unnecessary tests, for example, bacterial culture, it is enough to limit yourself to a smear on the flora. Allocations of various kinds can appear during early pregnancy also due to infections and with the threat of miscarriage. nine0003

What are the types of discharge

Discharge during early pregnancy can be of different colors (white, yellow, green, bloody), consistency (thick, liquid, cheesy), may have a neutral or unpleasant odor . In some cases, they do not pose a danger, they are considered a variant of the norm, in others, on the contrary, they can become an alarm about the threat of termination of pregnancy and are a reason for urgent medical attention. Together with our expert Alla Pashkova, we will analyze in more detail what the discharge of a particular nature in the early stages of pregnancy may indicate. We note right away that any deviations from the norm are a reason for an urgent visit to a doctor. nine0003

Light discharge

Normal vaginal discharge in most women just has a light whitish tint. They have no smell, or it is slightly sour. There are few of them - up to 4 ml per day. In pregnant women, if the pregnancy is going well, the color and smell, as a rule, does not change, but the discharge may become more abundant due to the action of the hormone progesterone. This is normal, you should not be afraid.

Learn more

White discharge

White discharge can also be normal if the woman is not bothered by anything. But if the white discharge has acquired a curdled character, itching and burning have appeared in the vagina, then this picture most likely indicates the development of vaginal candidiasis (thrush). nine0003

- Vaginal candidiasis during pregnancy is very common - up to 90 percent of women suffer from it, - says Alla Pashkova. - This is facilitated by a change in the hormonal background, namely the absence of phases of the cycle and ovulation, and excessive secretion of progesterone. It is necessary to treat candidiasis if a woman has specific complaints: a change in the nature of the discharge, a sour smell, itching in the vagina. If Candida bacteria are found in a smear on the flora, while nothing bothers you, then you do not need to take any drugs. nine0003

Clear discharge

In non-pregnant women, such heavy discharge may occur in the middle of the cycle. This is a sign of ovulation. In pregnant women, clear discharge is the norm. The main thing is not to confuse them with amniotic fluid, especially in the third trimester of pregnancy. But for this there are special tests for the determination of amniotic fluid and the doctor will always help you figure it out.

Learn more

Mucus discharge

Mucus discharge from the vagina without pain or discomfort is normal in both pregnant and non-pregnant women. During pregnancy, they may be more due to hormonal changes in the body. nine0003

Learn more

Yellow discharge

Light yellow discharge may also be normal. Most likely, before pregnancy, you had discharge of the same color. But if you notice that the discharge has become darker, an unpleasant odor has appeared - this is a reason to consult a doctor. Such discharge may indicate the presence of an inflammatory process, indicate an infection. “I note that in 90 percent of cases, the cause of changes in vaginal discharge in women and the appearance of complaints (itching, burning, changes in color, smell and type of vaginal discharge) are candidiasis, bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis,” says Alla Valerievna. - For candidiasis, more often white or greenish curdled discharge, accompanied by severe itching and swelling of the tissues, for gardnerellosis ( bacterial vaginosis) - grayish watery discharge with the smell of fish, with trichomoniasis - abundant purulent - frothy leucorrhoea with an unpleasant odor, tissues of the vagina and cervix swell , the neck acquires a specific appearance (symptom of strawberries) - red, with grayish zones in the form of eyes on strawberries. nine0003

Learn more

Green discharge

Such discharge can never be a normal variant, it is often a sign of candidiasis. When such discharge occurs, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Learn more

Bleeding

Bleeding during pregnancy is a separate situation that always requires a woman's special attention and medical advice. In the early stages of bleeding during pregnancy is not uncommon. nine0003

“First trimester bleeding occurs in every fourth woman,” says Alla Pashkova. “About one in seven people have a spontaneous miscarriage. But in 80 percent of cases, even in the presence of blood discharge, as well as pain in the lower abdomen, the uterine pregnancy progresses almost to term and ends with the birth of a healthy child.

The main causes of bleeding in early pregnancy may be:

• threatened or incipient miscarriage due to chorionic detachment and retrochorial hematoma; nine0010
• implantation bleeding;
• ectopic pregnancy;
• non-developing or miscarriage. An accurate diagnosis will be made by the doctor based on the dynamics of the level of hCG in the blood, as well as ultrasound studies;
• spontaneous reduction (loss) of one of the embryos during multiple pregnancy;
• incomplete cystic drift - when, due to genetic disorders, the development of the embryo does not occur, and the chorionic villi grow in the form of bubbles filled with liquid. This pathology is very rare. nine0010

It is important to understand that bleeding during pregnancy is unpredictable and can change within hours (2). Therefore, in any case, blood discharge during pregnancy, no matter if it is scanty, spotty or abundant, pink with small streaks of blood, brown or scarlet, is ALWAYS a reason for an urgent internal examination by a doctor. Below we will talk about the possible causes of spotting of different colors. It should be noted that the division into colors is rather arbitrary, and the exact cause of the discharge by the brightness of their color, their intensity cannot be determined without additional examination. nine0003

Pink discharge

If you notice pinkish discharge or small streaks of blood on your underwear, this may indicate implantation bleeding, which is quite common.

- It occurs at the stage of implantation of the ovum. This is 6-7 days after conception or 21-22 days of the menstrual cycle, when there is no delay yet, explains Alla Pashkova. But such women are very, very few. But there is also a second stage of implantation bleeding - during the period of growth of the chorion, it often occurs at the time of an already existing delay in menstruation - 4-5 weeks from the last menstruation or 3 weeks after fertilization. This type of implantation bleeding occurs in many women - about a quarter of pregnant women. In addition, at 7-8 weeks, when a luteoplacental shift occurs and progesterone begins to be produced not by the corpus luteum of the ovary, but by the chorion, the progesterone level may drop, and the pregnant woman may experience bleeding. It's also not scary and safe. The main thing you should remember is that the peculiarity of implantation bleeding is that it is short-lived, scarce and usually takes only a few hours. But in any case, this is a reason to promptly consult a doctor to exclude a possible threat of termination of pregnancy. nine0003

Learn more

Brown discharge

Brown discharge can also be a sign of implantation bleeding, which we discussed above. If such discharges are observed at the time indicated above, there are very few of them, and they pass quickly, then most likely there is nothing to worry about.

But brown discharge can also be a very alarming signal.

— For example, with an ectopic pregnancy against the background of a positive pregnancy test, there may be spotting, usually minor, spotting, says Alla Pashkova. - On average, these symptoms appear with an ectopic pregnancy at 7 weeks. At the same time, pains are noted in the lower abdomen, more on one side, and pains can also appear during urination and defecation. It is urgent to consult a doctor to confirm or exclude an ectopic pregnancy. nine0003

Learn more

Scarlet discharge

Blood discharge, when it comes to blood clots, bright scarlet discharge, heavy bleeding, always scares a pregnant woman. Indeed, such secretions in most cases indicate a threat or a miscarriage that has begun due to detachment of the chorion and retrochorial hematoma (or subchorial, when blood accumulates between the chorionic membrane covering the embryo and the uterine wall). Up to 60 percent of hematomas in the 1st trimester are of this type. More often, subchorial hematomas are detected at the 8th week of pregnancy, on average, their volume is 1.5 ml of blood. With heavy bleeding, a woman is placed in a hospital, while ultrasound in the uterine cavity shows a live fetal egg with an embryo and a heartbeat, the pregnancy is prolonged and not interrupted, hemostatic hemostatic drugs are used. nine0003

“It is worth noting that every fourth or fifth pregnancy ends in a miscarriage in the first three months,” says Alla Pashkova. - At the same time, in 90-95 percent of cases, this situation does not repeat itself again, and a woman has every chance of becoming a mother. After a single miscarriage, there is no need to conduct an in-depth examination to identify its causes.

Popular Questions and Answers

Expectant mothers during pregnancy are concerned about the presence of discharge. Together with the gynecologist Alla Pashkova, we will analyze popular questions and answer them. nine0003

What does nipple discharge mean in early pregnancy?

Breast changes occur from the very beginning of pregnancy, but are not always felt by the expectant mother (3). There may be a discharge in the form of a liquid of a yellowish tint. Thus, the mammary glands prepare for lactation and reproduce colostrum. If the discharge is painful or mixed with blood, you should definitely consult a doctor.

Is it possible to determine pregnancy by discharge before the delay?

It is impossible to determine pregnancy only by discharge.

Learn more

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