Vaginal leakage during 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 | Pregnancy Birth and Baby

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All women, whether they’re pregnant or not, 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 and it usually gets heavier just before your period.

Is it normal to have vaginal discharge in pregnancy?

Almost all women have more vaginal discharge in pregnancy. This is quite normal and happens for a few reasons. During pregnancy the cervix (neck of the womb) and vaginal walls get softer and discharge increases to help prevent any infections travelling up from the vagina to the womb. Increased levels of the hormones progesterone can also make you produce more fluid.

Increased discharge is a normal part of pregnancy, but it’s important to keep an eye on it and tell your doctor or midwife if it changes in any way.

How does vaginal discharge change during pregnancy?

Increased discharge can be a sign that you are pregnant — though many things can influence vaginal discharge so you can’t be sure this is the reason.

The amount of discharge may increase throughout the pregnancy. Towards the end, there may be so much you confuse it with urine.

Towards the end of pregnancy, the amount of discharge increases and can be confused with urine.

In the last week or so of pregnancy, your discharge may contain streaks of thick mucus and some blood. This is called a 'show' and happens when the mucus that has been present in your cervix during pregnancy comes away. It's a sign that the body is starting to prepare for birth, and you may have a few small 'shows' in the days before you go into labour.

When to see your midwife or doctor

You should tell your midwife or doctor if your vaginal discharge increases a lot in later pregnancy. If you have any vaginal bleeding in pregnancy, you should contact your midwife or doctor urgently, as it can sometimes be a sign of a more serious problem such as a miscarriage or a problem with the placenta.

Normal healthy discharge should:

be clear and white
not smell bad

Tell your midwife or doctor if:

the discharge is coloured (greenish or brownish)
there is blood in the discharge
it smells strange
you feel itchy or sore

If the discharge is coloured or smells strange, or if you feel itchy or sore, you may have a vaginal infection such as thrush, which your doctor can treat easily, or bacterial vaginosis. Do not try to treat it yourself — always talk to your doctor, pharmacist or midwife if you think you have an infection.

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

Sources:

Mater Mother’s Hospital (Pregnancy - information for women and families), NSW Health (Having a baby), Jean Hailes for Women’s Health (Hormonal health – clues made clear)

Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.

Last reviewed: November 2020

Vaginal thrush during pregnancy
Common discomforts during pregnancy

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Amniotic fluid - from A to Z

Everything in the body of a pregnant woman is arranged in order to safely bear and give birth to a child. For example, amniotic fluid is an amazing environment in which the baby lives all nine months of pregnancy and which helps him to be born softly and comfortably.

Water cycle

Where does amniotic fluid come from? Let's start with the fact that a child swims in the uterus for a reason: around him, like around an astronaut, there is a kind of spacesuit - special membranes, they are called: fetal membranes. Together with the placenta, they form a fetal bladder, which is filled with amniotic fluid. At the very beginning of pregnancy, it is the cells of the fetal bladder that produce amniotic fluid. In the later stages, amniotic fluid is additionally produced by the baby's kidneys. The baby first swallows water, they are absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, and then they leave the body with urine back into the fetal bladder. Approximately every three hours, the fluid in the sac is completely renewed. That is, "waste" waters come out, and new ones take their place - completely renewed. And this water cycle continues for 40 weeks.

Why water is needed

It would seem that man is a land creature, and he cannot breathe for a long time, and simply cannot be under water. So why is the baby in the water during pregnancy? It's very simple: for the development of a child at any stage of life, a harmonious environment is needed. And water is great for this. It softens the effect of the law of universal gravitation, too loud noises of our world do not reach through the water. And the amniotic fluid is always the same temperature, which means that the child will not overheat or become cold, even if the mother suffers from heat or, conversely, freezes from the cold. Together with the walls of the uterus and the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall, water reliably protects the child from bumps, pushes or excessive pressure, which are always present in our everyday life. Naturally, this does not mean that during pregnancy you can fall off a bicycle or go skiing, no, it is still dangerous. But there is no need to be afraid that, once again bending or turning the body, the woman will pinch something there and pass it on to the child.

But what about breathing, the baby will not choke in the water? Certainly. the child in the mother's stomach breathes, but not yet with lungs - oxygen is supplied to it through the placenta. And only after birth and the first cry, the lungs will straighten out and the baby will take their first real breath with them. In the meantime, he just periodically swallows amniotic fluid, but it cannot get into the lungs.

By the way, even in childbirth you can’t do without water - during contractions, the baby’s head presses on the cervix and helps it open up. But the waters located in the fetal bladder in front of the baby's head soften this pressure and the cervix opens more smoothly.

So everything is thought out in the body of a pregnant woman, and water is perfect for the life of a future baby.

Quantity and quality

With each ultrasound of the baby , the doctor also evaluates the amniotic fluid: their quantity, transparency, the presence of extraneous suspension.

Quantity. If there is less or more water than it should be within a certain period, then perhaps something is wrong in the woman's body. But fortunately, this is rare, but the conclusion "moderate oligohydramnios" after an ultrasound examination occurs all the time. The expectant mother always worries about this diagnosis, but it usually means that the amount of amniotic fluid has decreased slightly. If additional examinations (CTG, dopplerography) show that everything is in order with the baby, then there is nothing wrong with moderate oligohydramnios, perhaps this is such a feature of the course of pregnancy.

Quality. Normally, amniotic fluid is clear, like water. By the end of pregnancy, they sometimes become a little cloudy due to the fact that epidermal cells from the baby’s skin, particles of the original lubricant get into them - they give a small suspension in the waters, which can be seen on ultrasound. This is also a variation of the norm.

Final stage

All expectant mothers have heard about the fact that at some point in childbirth or right in front of them, amniotic fluid is poured out. And naturally, pregnant women have the same questions: how and when does this happen? what will i feel? what to do after the water breaks? Everything is simple here.

When the waters break. Ideally, the waters flow out during the first stage of labor, when the cervix is fully or almost fully dilated. The fetal bladder becomes thinner and breaks during contraction. Immediately after this, the contractions intensify significantly, and the birth of a child is just around the corner. But the waters can break even before the start of contractions, so to speak, "out of the blue." This moment is called premature outpouring of waters. If there are contractions, but the cervix is not yet ready, then such an outpouring of water is called early .

How the waters break. Amniotic fluid is poured out in different ways. They can, like in feature films - suddenly, in a public place, the expectant mother starts to have water flowing down her legs. Yes, this happens, but still, the drama of the situation in the cinema is somewhat exaggerated. Amniotic fluid does not always flow in a strong stream, very often not all waters come out, but only the so-called front , that is, those that are located in front of the baby's head, and they are usually 100-200 ml. The rest of the amniotic fluid - rear water - is poured out after the birth of the child.

So usually the expectant mother feels that her underwear has suddenly become very wet. or she thinks she has had involuntary urination. But there may be such an option: the fetal bladder did not burst completely, but only torn somewhere and the water leaves in small portions. Then the woman will only feel that the discharge has become more abundant and watery than before. This is called amniotic fluid leakage.

What to do after the water breaks. It does not matter whether there are contractions or not, a lot of water has broken or just a little bit - all this is a reason for to immediately go to the maternity hospital . There is nothing to be afraid of here: today it is believed that the safe waterless period is no longer 6 hours as before, but much longer. But, nevertheless, if the waters have poured out, the mother needs to be under the constant supervision of doctors.

Pregnancy fears

Expectant mothers are often worried, and various horror stories from the Internet and stories of good friends only increase anxiety. What usually worries a woman when it comes to amniotic fluid?

The fetal bladder will burst (tear) ahead of time, but I will not notice it. Usually this fear appears at the end of pregnancy, when the amount of vaginal discharge increases under the influence of hormones. Often there are so many of them and they are so plentiful that it seems to a woman that her water is leaking. In fact, water and discharge can be distinguished: the discharge is mucous, denser or thicker, leaving a characteristic white color or a dried spot on the linen. The amniotic fluid is still water, it is not viscous, does not stretch like discharge, and dries on the linen without a characteristic trace. But if doubts remain, is it water or just liquid vaginal discharge, you should not sit at home and be afraid. It is better to go to the doctor for a consultation - he will certainly see what it is. If the situation repeats, then you can buy a special test at the pharmacy that shows whether there is water leakage or not (it can be in the form of a regular strip, similar to a pregnancy test, or even in the form of a special pad).

In childbirth, all women have their fetal bladder pierced, and what if they do it to me?
The opening of the fetal bladder is very actively discussed and condemned on the Internet, and this is understandable: many women do not understand why they did it. Yes, this manipulation is indeed carried out often, but rumors that the fetal bladder is opened in maternity hospitals for everyone in a row are somewhat exaggerated. So why are they opening it anyway? Ideally, just to help mother and child.

- For example, if the contractions are weakened, then opening the amniotic sac can intensify them and then there is no need to prescribe stimulation with the help of oxytocin.

- Sometimes the fetal bladder does not have anterior waters, such a bladder is called flat. As a result, its membranes are stretched over the child's head, and the bubble not only does not help normal labor, but also delays it.

- Rarely, but it happens that the fetal membranes are so dense that even when the cervix is fully opened, the bubble itself does not open. If it is not opened, then the straining period is delayed, since such a fetal bladder interferes with the advancement of the baby's head. Previously, if the bladder was not opened, the child could be born in fetal membranes in a state of asphyxia. They said about such children: "Born in a shirt, he will be happy!" And happiness here is in one thing - they managed to get him out of this "shirt" alive.

After birth, the child no longer needs the aquatic environment. Now he has a different type of breathing, circulation, digestion. And a new, amazing and interesting life on land begins.

Memo for moms

Water can break both during contractions and without them ("out of the blue").
Amniotic fluid pours out in different ways: it can gush like a fountain, or it can leak imperceptibly.
It doesn’t matter if there are contractions or not, a lot of water has broken or just a little bit, you need to go to the hospital in any case.
If you are afraid that water is leaking, go to the doctor, he will see exactly what it is. You can buy a special test for water leakage.
Are you offered to open the fetal bladder? Do not worry - this is a completely painless manipulation.

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Discharge during pregnancy: leakage of amniotic fluid

expectant mothers may increase the amount of vaginal discharge and the first thought that arises in the head is the leakage of amniotic fluid.

Coming with a complaint to the doctor, we can immediately get a lot of possible diagnoses, from which the hair stands on end.

In order to protect yourself from unnecessary negativity during pregnancy and to be sure that everything is fine, we advise you to remember 5 important statements.

Don't panic

As pregnancy progresses, an increase in the amount of vaginal discharge is normal. If you want to check if this trend is a sign of amniotic fluid leakage, come to a personal appointment with a doctor. The quality of pharmacy tests is not guaranteed, and only a medical specialist should interpret their results.

Any antenatal clinic conducts laboratory tests for the presence of amniotic fluid in vaginal discharge - you can only trust them.

Trust analyzes, not instruments

Examination of the cervix using a speculum does not determine the prognosis of pregnancy.

The doctor's diagnosis of "leakage of amniotic fluid" based on examination with the help of a gynecological mirror is not always informative.

The mirror shows the doctor only the vaginal part of the cervix and the external os. The pharynx may be slightly ajar physiologically, especially in women who have given birth.

The presence of water in the secretions can be confirmed with certainty using laboratory analysis or ultrasound.

Discharge during pregnancy: brown, bloody, mucous

Ask for specific data and diagnoses during ultrasound

After the ultrasound examination, specific measurement results in millimeters should remain in your hands and in the card.

If the size of the cervix on ultrasound is more than 25 mm. - this is the norm. As pregnancy progresses, the cervix shortens and increases in diameter.

The cervical canal during pregnancy can be dilated up to 10 mm, and in some women even a little more. In case of water leakage, such methods of treatment as suturing, pessary and caps are prohibited.

Verbal diagnoses "the cervix is short", "tendency / threat to oligohydramnios / polyhydramnios", "the cervical canal is dilated" are not informative.

If amniotic fluid leakage is suspected, the height of their standing is measured - they find out the "amniotic index", or amniotic fluid index.

The resulting index is compared with graphs or tables of norms in accordance with the gestational age and specific diagnoses are made: oligohydramnios and polyhydramnios.

Take care when hospitalizing

If the presence of amniotic fluid in the discharge is confirmed, and oligohydramnios is detected by ultrasound, the woman is sent to the hospital and prescribed medication to prevent intrauterine infection of the fetus, amniotic membranes, and endometritis.

It is important to know that if you are prescribed tocolytics (drugs that have the ability to reduce the contractile activity of the pregnant uterus), then you can take them only from 23-24 weeks to 32 weeks of pregnancy (VIDEO), and the diagnosis of "uterine hypertonicity" in obstetrics is not exists.

Every infection needs a diagnosis

Doctors often scare women with an infection or inflammation in the vagina, which is indicated by an increase in the level of white blood cells in a smear, but they cannot name the specific type of infection.

Obstetrician-gynecologist E.P. Berezovskaya tells : “Leukocytosis in vaginal smears and blood is the norm of a pregnant woman and does not require treatment. An increased amount of discharge during pregnancy with a large number of white blood cells does not mean that the woman has "inflammation" or "infection". The same candidiasis (thrush) is a physiological phenomenon during pregnancy, it is observed in 80–90% of women, it does not make the cervix “loose”, it does not interfere with its opening during childbirth, it does not provoke cervical ruptures and requires treatment only if there is discomfort.

When amniotic fluid leaks, the danger is vaginal dysbacteriosis, as well as the presence of group B hemolytic streptococcus, which is dangerous for the newborn. Both of these infections must first be correctly diagnosed and then treated in a timely manner.

In modern obstetrics, there are enough methods to determine the presence of water in the secretions, the amount of amniotic fluid and the condition of the fetus.