Pregnancy discharge 3rd trimester

What to Expect, Fetal Development

Written by Stephanie Watson

What Is the Third Trimester?

The third trimester is the last phase of your pregnancy. It lasts from weeks 29 to 40, or months 7, 8, and 9. During this trimester, your baby grows, develops, and starts to change position to get ready for birth.

Now that you've reached the third trimester, you're in the home stretch of your pregnancy. You've only got a few more weeks to go, but this part of your pregnancy can be the most challenging.

New Fetal Development

In the third trimester, your baby keeps growing. By the end, a full-term baby usually is between 19 and 21 inches long and between 6 and 9 pounds.

Your baby begins to turn itself head-down to get ready for delivery. At week 36, the baby’s head should begin to move into your pelvic area, also called lightening. It will stay in this down-facing position for the last 2 weeks of your pregnancy.

Your baby develops in other important ways in the third trimester. During this phase, it’s able to:

Open its eyes and see
Hear
Suck on its thumb
Cry
Smile

Your baby’s brain continues to develop. Its lungs and kidneys mature. It gains muscle tone and about 16% body fat. The bones at the top of its skull are soft to ease delivery. Most babies have blue eyes at this stage, and they’ll stay that color until a few days or weeks after they’re born. It also has nails on its toes and reaching to the ends of its fingers. If it’s a boy, the testes have descended into the scrotum.

During the third trimester, the vernix caseosa, a protective coating, covers your fetus’ skin. Soft body hair called the lanugo falls out and is almost gone by the end of week 40.

Third Trimester Changes in Your Body

Abdominal achiness. As your baby grows, it takes up more room in your abdomen. This can cause you to have some aches and discomfort. You may find it hard to get comfortable when you’re in bed at night trying to go to sleep. You may even feel like it’s harder to take deep breaths.
Backache. The extra weight you've gained puts added pressure on your back, making it feel achy and sore. You might also feel discomfort in your pelvis and hips as your ligaments loosen to prepare for labor. To ease the pressure on your back, try to practice good posture. Sit up straight and use a chair that provides good back support. At night, sleep on your side with a pillow tucked between your legs. Wear low-heeled, comfortable shoes with good arch support. To ease back pain, use a heating pad. Ask your doctor whether it's OK for you to take acetaminophen.
Bleeding. Some light bleeding toward the end of your pregnancy might be a sign that labor is starting. But spotting may sometimes be a sign of a serious problem, including placenta previa (the placenta grows low and covers the cervix), placental abruption (separation of the placenta from the uterine wall), or preterm labor. Call your doctor as soon as you notice any bleeding.
Braxton-Hicks contractions. You might start to feel mild contractions, which are warm-ups to prepare your uterus for the real labor to come. Braxton-Hicks contractions often aren't as intense as real labor contractions, but they may feel a lot like labor and can eventually progress to it. One main difference is that real contractions gradually get closer and closer together -- and more intense. If you're red in the face and out of breath after your contractions, or they're coming regularly, call your doctor.
Breast enlargement and leaking. By the end of your pregnancy, your breasts will have grown by as much as 2 pounds. Make sure you're wearing a supportive bra so your back doesn't suffer. Close to your due date, you may start to see a yellowish fluid leaking from your nipples. This substance, called colostrum, will nourish your baby in the first few days after birth.
Vivid dreams. It’s common to have more vivid dreams or nightmares in your third trimester. This can disrupt your sleep. Your wild dreams are likely caused by changes in hormone levels from pregnancy.
Clumsiness. You may feel clumsy or out of balance during the third trimester. You may drop things. Part of the reason is that you’ve gained weight in your belly area. That makes it harder to balance your body.
Discharge. You might see more vaginal discharge during the third trimester. If the flow is heavy enough to soak through your panty liners, call your doctor. Close to your delivery date, you might see a thick, clear, or slightly blood-tinged discharge. This is your mucus plug, and it's a sign that your cervix has begun dilating in preparation for labor. If you experience a sudden rush of fluid, it may mean that your water has broken (although only about 8% of pregnant women have their water break before contractions begin). Call your doctor as soon as possible after your water breaks.
Fatigue. You might have been feeling energetic in your second trimester, but are weary now. Carrying extra weight, waking up several times during the night to go to the bathroom, and dealing with the anxiety of preparing for a baby can all take a toll on your energy level. Eat healthy food and get regular exercise to give yourself a boost. When you feel tired, try to take a nap, or at least sit down and relax for a few minutes. You need to reserve all your strength now for when your baby arrives and you're really not getting any sleep.
Frequent urination. Now that your baby is bigger, its head may be pressing down on your bladder. That extra pressure means you'll have to go to the bathroom more frequently -- including several times each night. You might also find that you're leaking urine when you cough, sneeze, laugh, or exercise. To relieve the pressure and prevent leakage, go to the bathroom whenever you feel the urge and urinate completely each time. Avoid drinking fluids right before bedtime to cut down on unwanted late-night bathroom visits. Wear a panty liner to absorb any leakage. Let your doctor know if you have any pain or burning with urination. These can be signs of a urinary tract infection.
Heartburn and constipation. They're caused by extra production of the hormone progesterone, which relaxes certain muscles -- including the muscles in your esophagus that normally keep food and acids down in your stomach, and the ones that move digested food through your intestines. To relieve heartburn, try eating more frequent, smaller meals throughout the day and avoid greasy, spicy, and acidic foods (like citrus fruits). For constipation, increase your fiber intake and drink extra fluids to keep things moving more smoothly. If your heartburn or constipation is really bothering you, talk to your doctor about what medications may be safe for you to take for symptom relief.
Hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are actually varicose veins -- swollen veins that form around the anus. These veins enlarge during pregnancy because extra blood is flowing through them and the weight of pregnancy increases the amount of pressure to the area. To relieve the itch and discomfort, try sitting in a warm tub or sitz bath. Ask your doctor whether you can also try an over-the-counter hemorrhoid ointment or stool softener.
Sciatica. Nerve pain that shoots from your lower back to your buttocks and down your leg is more likely in the third trimester. Sciatica may be caused by hormone changes during pregnancy, or because your baby’s growing body presses against the sciatic nerve. Sciatica pain may come and go or be constant. Yoga, massage, or physical therapy are ways to relieve the pain, but it usually goes away after your baby is born.
Shortness of breath. As your uterus expands, it rises up until it sits just under your rib cage, leaving less room for your lungs to expand. That added pressure on your lungs can make it more difficult to breathe. Exercising can help with shortness of breath. You can also try propping up your head and shoulders with pillows while you sleep.
Spider and varicose veins. Your circulation has increased to send extra blood to your growing baby. That excess blood flow can cause tiny red veins, known as spider veins, to appear on your skin. Spider veins may get worse in your third trimester, but they should fade once your baby is born. Pressure on your legs from your growing baby may also cause some surface veins in your legs to become swollen and blue or purple. These are called varicose veins. They should improve within a few months after you deliver. Although there's no way to avoid varicose veins, you can prevent them from getting worse by:
- Getting up and moving throughout the day
- Wearing support hose
- Propping up your legs whenever you have to sit for long periods.
Stretch marks. You may develop stretch marks on your breasts, butt, tummy, or thighs. Stretch marks are a type of scar that happens when your skin stretches during pregnancy. Not everyone gets them. If you do, they may be red, purple, pink, or brown in color.
Swelling. Your rings might be feeling tighter these days, and you may also notice that your ankles and face are looking bloated. Mild swelling is the result of excess fluid retention (edema). To reduce swelling, put your feet up on a stool or box whenever you sit for any length of time, and elevate your feet while you sleep. If you have sudden onset of swelling though, seek medical attention immediately as it may be a sign of preeclampsia, a dangerous pregnancy complication.
Weight gain. Aim for a weight gain of 1/2 pound to 1 pound a week during your third trimester. By the end of your pregnancy, you should have put on a total of about 25 to 35 pounds (your doctor may have recommended that you gain more or less weight if you started out your pregnancy underweight or overweight). The extra pounds you've put on are made up of the baby's weight, plus the placenta, amniotic fluid, increased blood and fluid volume, and added breast tissue. If your baby seems to be too small or too big based on the size of your belly, your doctor will do an ultrasound to check the baby’s growth.

Red Flag Symptoms

Any of these symptoms could be a sign that something is wrong with your pregnancy. Don't wait for your regular prenatal visit to talk about it. Call your doctor right away if you experience:

Severe abdominal pain or cramps
Severe nausea or vomiting
Bleeding
Severe dizziness
Pain or burning during urination
Rapid weight gain (more than 6.5 pounds per month) or too little weight gain

Third Trimester Tips for Twins

Expecting twins? You might want to add these things to your third trimester to-do list:

Go stroller shopping. Side-by-side or tandem? Take a few double strollers for a test drive to see which type feels best to you. Look for one that's easy to open and maneuver.
Get breastfeeding tips. Breastfeeding two babies is more of a challenge than one, but you can definitely do it. Ask your doctor ahead of time for tips.
Check your iron. Ask your doctor if you need to take iron supplements. As a mom-to-be of twins, you're four times more likely to have iron-deficiency anemia.
Know the signs of preeclampsia. Carrying twins doubles your risk of this serious condition. Tell your doctor right away if you have a headache, trouble seeing, or sudden weight gain.
Find a support group. Start looking for groups of moms of multiples in your area. You may appreciate exchanging tips and getting support from other moms in the same boat.
Create a schedule. Read up on how to get your twins on the same sleeping and eating schedule. Learning some tips now may save your sanity when you have two newborns.

Health & Pregnancy Guide

Getting Pregnant
First Trimester
Second Trimester
Third Trimester
Labor and Delivery
Pregnancy Complications
All Guide Topics

Vaginal discharge in the third trimester

Discharge. Not exactly the most pleasant word or idea to ever cross your mind, but it’s actually a useful way for your body to communicate with you as you approach your delivery date. It’s very important that you use panty liners rather than tampons to absorb the fluid, since tampons could cause Toxic Shock Syndrome or tears that lead to infection. The flow shouldn’t be very heavy until you go into labor, but here are some interpretations if your discharge is:

Whitish and mild-smelling

Standard leukorrhea, which is a fancy word for vaginal discharge. This is just a collection of normal secretions from the cervix and vagina, which you experience year-round. It is heavier during pregnancy due to an increase in estrogen and blood flow to the vagina.

Clear and odorless

This could be a sign that your amniotic fluid is leaking, which is a very serious concern since it is the supportive environment for your baby’s development. It’s important that you get into contact with your healthcare provider immediately if you think your amniotic sac has ruptured. The odorless nature of this discharge differentiates it from urine, with which it is commonly confused.

Heavy before week 37

This may be a sign of premature labor, so you should look out for other signs and symptoms, and consult your provider if concerned, or if the discharged is accompanied by other signs of premature labor, including cramps, back ache, or contractions, or if the discharge is blood-tinged.

Thick, clear, and bloody

This is probably part of your mucus plug, which is essentially a stopper for the opening of your cervix, and is one of the first indicators that you are going into labor.

A sudden rush of colorless, odorless fluid

Your water broke! You’ll probably be ready for this after frequent contractions, but only about 8% of women actually experience this before contractions start. If this happens, call your healthcare provider to check in and figure out your next step, which your healthcare provider will determine based on how far along you are.

Itching or burning

You should call your healthcare provider right away, as this could be a sign of infection.

So, yes, vaginal discharge is not the most pleasant thing in the world, but it is perfectly natural and you can keep it under control by making sure you’re clean and dry down there. Wear cotton underwear and comfortable pants. As tempting as it may be to make it smell better, it’s a good idea to stay away from sprays, scented panty liners, or other feminine hygiene products when pregnant.

Bloody showing/passing of the mucus plug when pregnant
White vaginal discharge when pregnant

Sources

Mayo Clinic Staff. “Fetal development: The third trimester.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, 7/11/2014. Web.
Susan Scott Ricci, Terri Kyle. Maternity and Pediatric Nursing. pp 337-339. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009. Web.

Third trimester of pregnancy (from 28 to 40 weeks)

At 30 weeks pregnant, you are ready to go on maternity leave. In the case of twins, prenatal leave is from 28 weeks. Active work, physical and mental overload during this period can provoke premature birth.

It's time to put on the bandage - it will help your baby stay in the right position and you in good shape after childbirth.

The child still needs a lot of nutrients, vitamins, mineral salts. Use your vacation to relax, but don't lie around all day. We hope that hiking in the fresh air has become a habit for you.

Do not forget to keep track of the ratio of drunk and excreted liquids. Accumulating in the body, the fluid disrupts the functioning of the kidneys, increases the load on the heart, which causes an increase in blood pressure. As a result, the child suffers: he lacks nutrients, oxygen.

A sharp headache, flashing flies before the eyes, convulsions are signs of eclampsia, a severe complication of pregnancy that poses a threat to the life of the mother and child. Urgently call the ambulance.

At this time, the uterus becomes very sensitive to the pushes and movements of the child, its muscles periodically tighten. It's like she's doing gymnastics. If this rarely happens and you do not feel pain, then everything is in order and there is no cause for concern. But if the uterus tenses often, pain appears - call an ambulance. If spotting appears, amniotic fluid is pouring out, do not wait for contractions - immediately to the hospital!

Sex life from 32-33 weeks is not recommended.

At 32 weeks, another scheduled ultrasound examination is scheduled to assess the correct functioning of the placenta, if necessary, the study of fetal heart sounds.

The last month is the most difficult. The load on the body has increased to the maximum. You are already tired of the long wait. Approximately two weeks before delivery, a mucous plug will come off the cervix, which is a lump, sometimes slightly stained with blood.

Do not forget to make up for the lack of calcium in the body - until the last day of intrauterine existence, the child intensively stores minerals. Eat fully and properly - the fetus eagerly takes everything valuable for the formation of the body. He needs protein now. Be sure to take a prenatal multivitamin. Rest during the day. Lie on your side, slightly raise your legs.

Many women suffer from constipation at this time. Only a rational diet will help. Eliminate grapes, fresh cabbage, peas and other legumes, fresh milk, muffins, sweets. Useful: curdled milk, fermented baked milk, kefir. Steamed dried fruits normalize bowel function well. Don't take laxatives. In the last trimester of pregnancy, they can provoke uterine contractions and cause premature birth.

Sometimes, if the fetus is very large, the navel turns outward. Don't be scared and don't try to push it back. After giving birth, everything will return to normal.

By the last weeks of pregnancy, the mammary glands are greatly enlarged. The appearance of colostrum is another harbinger of close childbirth. The bra should be tight, with wide straps, always cotton.

Be prepared for contractions to start at any moment. Trim your fingernails and toenails short, and shave your pubic hair. Prepare things for the newborn and for yourself. Show your husband or relatives where they lie. An exchange card, passport, insurance policy, birth certificate should always be with you.

Think that you have to help your child come into the world. Everything will be ok!

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 secretions 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:

With or without scent.
Depending on the color - transparent, white, cream, yellow, greenish, bloody.
By consistency - thick, liquid, cheesy.
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.

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 early menses. But in this case, a short duration is characteristic, a different shade (dark or scarlet), a slight mark on the linen.

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 is usually the case with menstruation. This rarely happens.

Characteristics of discharge in case of 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.

Also, miscarriage symptoms include:

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

The woman may experience 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.

The following factors increase the risk of miscarriage:

various diseases;
progesterone deficiency;
nervous and physical strain;
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.

What discharge during pregnancy is considered normal

This secretion does not pose a health risk:

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.

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.

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.

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.

Which discharge during pregnancy should be paid special attention to and should I consult a doctor?

Pregnancy is threatened by:

Severe pain in the perineum, bleeding, difficulty defecation, convulsions - these may be injuries to the vaginal mucosa.
Nausea, profuse vomiting, edema, headaches, cough, hypertension, bright red secretion are symptoms of hydatidiform mole (abnormal development of the embryo).
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.
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 contact 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.

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.