Types of discharge in pregnancy

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

Vaginal discharge during pregnancy: Color and meaning

Pregnancy causes changes in vaginal discharge, which can vary in color, texture, and volume. An increase in vaginal discharge is often one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. Some changes in color are also normal, while others may indicate infection or another problem.

Color is one of the most noticeable changes that can occur. Discharge can be:

clear or milky white
white and lumpy
green or yellow
gray
brown
pink
red

This article discusses vaginal discharge during pregnancy, including what the different colors of discharge mean and when to see a doctor.

It is normal to have discharge at various stages of the menstrual cycle and during pregnancy.

Healthy vaginal discharge, also called leukorrhea, is thin and clear or white and has only a mild odor.

The volume of discharge increases throughout pregnancy to reduce the risk of vaginal and uterine infections.

Discharge is at its most heavy in the final weeks of pregnancy, when it may contain pink mucus.

The mucus is typically sticky and jelly-like in consistency, and it indicates that the body is preparing for labor.

The various colors of vaginal discharge may indicate different health issues. These include:

Clear or milky white

This color suggests leukorrhea, which is usually a normal and healthy discharge, especially if it smells mild.

However, any changes in its quantity or consistency may suggest an issue. A woman who is pregnant but not yet at full term should see a doctor if she experiences an increase in clear discharge that leaks continuously or becomes thick and jelly-like.

These changes may suggest preterm labor.

White and lumpy

Vaginal discharge that is lumpy and either white or off-white, resembling cottage cheese, can indicate a yeast infection.

Yeast infections are common, and the body is particularly susceptible to them during pregnancy. Other symptoms include itching, burning, and painful urination or intercourse.

Green or yellow

Green or yellow vaginal discharge is not healthy and suggests a sexually transmitted infection (STI), such as chlamydia or trichomoniasis. Other possible symptoms include redness or irritation in the genitals. STIs sometimes do not cause any symptoms.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), STIs can cause complications during pregnancy that can affect both the woman and child. These complications sometimes do not present until years after the birth, but they can affect the nervous system and development of the child and cause infertility in the woman.

People may occasionally think that they have yellow discharge when they are merely leaking small amounts of urine.

Gray

Gray vaginal discharge may indicate a vaginal infection called bacterial vaginosis (BV), particularly if it also has a fishy smell that becomes stronger following intercourse.

BV is the result of a bacterial imbalance in the vagina. Douching and having multiple sexual partners are risk factors for BV, which is the most common vaginal infection during childbearing years.

Brown

Discharge is usually brown due to old blood leaving the body, which can be an early symptom of pregnancy. Brown discharge during pregnancy is not generally a cause for concern.

However, pregnant women who experience dark brown discharge should contact their doctor.

Pink

Pink discharge during pregnancy may or may not be normal. Discharge with a pink hue often occurs during early pregnancy or in the final weeks as the body prepares for labor. It can also occur before a miscarriage or during an ectopic pregnancy.

A study with 4,510 participants found that spotting and light episodes of bleeding during the first trimester, especially those persisting for just 1 to 2 days, did not correspond with a higher risk of miscarriage.

Other causes of light spotting during pregnancy include sexual intercourse and vaginal infections.

Red

Red vaginal discharge during pregnancy requires the immediate attention of a doctor, especially if the bleeding is heavy, contains clots, or occurs alongside cramping and abdominal pain.

These symptoms suggest miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. Approximately 10 to 15 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage, which people may also refer to as pregnancy loss.

Other causes of red discharge may be less serious, especially during the first trimester, when it may result from implantation or infection. Studies indicate that between 7 and 24 percent of women bleed during early pregnancy.

Bleeding later in pregnancy can indicate potentially serious issues or preterm labor, which will require immediate medical attention.

An increase in the volume of mild-smelling vaginal discharge during pregnancy is normal, but unusual colors and odors often indicate infection.

A doctor can prescribe antibiotics or other medications to treat infections in this area of the body.

Women can usually maintain vaginal health during pregnancy by doing the following:

Avoiding using tampons.
Avoiding douching.
Choosing unscented personal care products and feminine hygiene items, including unscented toilet paper and soaps.
Wearing panty liners to absorb excess discharge.
Wiping the genital region from front to back after passing urine or stool.
Drying the genitals thoroughly after showering or swimming.
Wearing underwear made from a breathable fabric.
Avoiding wearing tight jeans and nylon pantyhose, which increase the risk of infection.
Eating a healthful diet and avoiding too much sugar, which can encourage yeast infections.
Trying probiotic foods and supplements that are safe to consume during pregnancy, which may prevent bacterial imbalances in the vagina.

It is essential to discuss any unusual discharge with a doctor as this symptom may suggest an infection that requires treatment or an issue with the pregnancy. Without treatment, infections can lead to complications.

An increase in discharge during pregnancy is normal, but unusual discharge alongside strong odors or discomfort in the vagina or abdomen is often indicative of a health issue. This is also the case for discharge that is green, yellow, or gray.

Women should seek immediate medical care if they experience spotting or bleeding that is heavy, persists for more than a day, or occurs alongside pain or cramps.

Read this article in Spanish.

articles of the Oxford Medical clinic Kyiv

Contents:

What discharge during pregnancy is considered normal?
When should you see a doctor for discharge?
Discharge during early pregnancy
Discharge during late pregnancy
Discharge during pregnancy by color0005

During pregnancy, a woman's body undergoes a number of physiological changes - her body changes, adapts to carrying a baby and future childbirth. Changes can also occur with vaginal discharge. After conception, their number or color may become different, which often makes a woman worry. In order not to worry for no reason, but also not to miss a possible reason to see a doctor, you need to know which discharges are normal and which are not.

What discharge during pregnancy is considered normal?

The nature of the discharge at different stages of pregnancy may vary slightly. Standard variant are:

transparent or white discharge;
odor free;
not exceeding the usual volume;
not accompanied by itching, burning or other painful symptoms.

At the same time, in the first 2-4 weeks, the daily discharge may increase slightly and become thicker. It is also possible the appearance of light spotting within a few hours or a day, which occurs as a result of the implantation of the embryo to the uterine wall.

When should you see a doctor for discharge?

During pregnancy, a woman is advised to visit a gynecologist regularly for examinations and tests. First, consultations are prescribed once a month, and then once every 2 weeks. This allows you to carefully monitor the health of the pregnant woman and the development of the fetus. But, if discomfort appears, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible.

One of the alarming symptoms is the appearance of atypical discharge:

yellow, green, brown;
bloody;
thick;
too abundant;
slimy;
malodorous;
accompanied by itching, burning and other symptoms.

Such a change in the nature of the discharge may be associated with the development of an inflammatory or infectious disease, as well as complications of pregnancy. To find out the exact cause, you need to do tests, conduct an ultrasound and, if necessary, other studies.

Discharge during early pregnancy

When conception occurs, changes begin in the body. First of all, the synthesis of the hormone progesterone increases and blood flow to the pelvic organs increases. These processes are often accompanied by profuse vaginal discharge. They can be translucent, white or with a slight yellowish tint. There should be no unpleasant odor or skin irritation.

Shortly thereafter, progesterone levels decrease and estrogen levels rise. At this time, a mucous plug is formed that covers the cervix. Its formation can also cause increased secretion, but gradually it should decrease and become more liquid and transparent.

In addition, in the first weeks, the ovum attaches to the wall of the uterus, which can cause light brown discharge. As a rule, they are scarce and quickly stop - within a few hours or a day. If heavy bleeding has begun, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Approximately from 5 to 20 weeks, the discharge should be the same - transparent or whitish, in small volume, odorless.

Discharge in late pregnancy

From 20 to 40 weeks of pregnancy, the discharge is normally white, free of impurities and unpleasant odor.

In the last week before childbirth, the discharge may become thinner. If they are very abundant, leakage or discharge of amniotic fluid is possible, which requires a visit to a doctor.

Characterization of pregnancy discharge by color

Normal discharge should be colorless or white. A change in color and consistency may indicate the development of a disease or complications of pregnancy.

Bright or dark yellow discharge most often occurs when inflammation develops. Grey-green and green may result from infection. Thick white discharge speaks about it - as a rule, candidiasis manifests itself. Brown discharge may be due to slight bleeding.

Oxford Medical says it is important to consider not only the color of the discharge, but also its smell, volume and consistency. A sharp and unpleasant odor appears only with bacterial or fungal diseases, so it should by no means be ignored. Also, an alarming signal is a strong increase in the volume of secretions, a change in structure, foaminess and other deviations from the norm.

There can be many reasons for abnormal discharge. To find them out, you need to conduct examinations, and then, if necessary, treatment.

Bloody discharge during pregnancy

The appearance of bloody discharge at any stage of pregnancy is a reason to immediately consult a doctor.

The exception is small spotting in the first weeks (usually the date of the expected menstruation), which indicates the implantation of the embryo. At this point, capillaries and small vessels can be injured, which causes light bleeding. Normally, it is very weak, not accompanied by pain or other unpleasant symptoms.

Blood-streaked discharge may also occur on the eve of childbirth as a result of cervical dilatation. This is normal, but a doctor's consultation is required.

In other cases, both in the first and last trimester, any discharge from pale pink and brown to red is a dangerous symptom. The violation may be minor, but it is necessary to conduct an examination.

Bleeding can be caused by:

hormonal disorders;
cervical erosion;
cysts;
fibroids;
inflammatory and infectious diseases;
ectopic pregnancy;
miscarriage;
placental abruption;
threatened miscarriage or premature birth.

Regular follow-up with an experienced obstetrician-gynecologist and the implementation of all recommendations will help to avoid possible complications and concentrate on the most important thing - the joyful expectation of the baby and preparation for meeting him.

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 smell.
Depending on the color - transparent, white, cream, yellow, greenish, bloody.
By consistency - thick, liquid, curdled.
As a symptom for assessing the state of health - threatening, safe.

During ovulation, the egg leaves the ovary, its membrane is blown away, 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 secretions.

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 an early period. 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 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.

Which secretions during pregnancy are considered normal

This secretion does not pose a threat to health:

transparent;
whitish;
yellowish;
odorless;
mucous;
without itching, burning, redness of the genitals.

Clear liquid 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, signs of pregnancy are present, 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 fluid, 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?

The following indicates that pregnancy is at risk:

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.
Discharge 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 that although pregnancy is a normal state of health for a woman's body, diagnosis and treatment are 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.