Pregnancy is a wonderful period for women wherein plenty of emotional, mental and physical changes occur. Lot of hormones comes into action and the womb and abdomen slowly grows in size giving room for the fetus. It is not uncommon for whitish vaginal discharge during pregnancy which is known as leukorrhea in medical terms.
Thin milk like fluid comes out of vagina during the first few weeks of pregnancy. Many women would notice this milky white discharge after they have missed the period and often this discharge continue throughout the pregnancy. The discharge becomes heavy during the final trimester of pregnancy and often women may start using panty liners.
For some women, vaginal discharge may contain strains of blood during the last term of pregnancy which is an early sign of labor. It is not good to use tampons during pregnancy since you are likely to invite infection through germs. Avoid vaginal douching totally during pregnancy since it can affect the growth of healthy bacteria inside. If you have any doubts about vaginal discharge during pregnancy you can always check with your doctor.
Symptoms Of Discharge During Pregnancy
The following symptoms are definitely a matter of concern during pregnancy :-
- Foul smelling vaginal discharge
- Strains of blood in vagina
- Yellow colored or greenish yellow vaginal discharge
- Persistent itchy feeling in vagina
- Abdominal cramps with vaginal bleeding
- If you experience any of the above symptoms you need to consult your doctor promptly. It can be vaginal infection which should be treated immediately to prevent complication.
- Candida infection is common during early stage of pregnancy which should be treated with prescription medications promptly.
If you observe any change in vaginal discharge you need to notify your doctor without any delay.
Read more on Positive Pregnancy Test
Discharge During Pregnancy Causes
Several factors can cause vaginal discharge during pregnancy.
1. Action Of Hormones
Once a woman becomes pregnant, her monthly periods would stop. As the fertilization takes place to form a zygote which gets implanted in the womb several changes may occur. Extra lining of the uterus would shed off resulting in red spots once in a while. Plenty of hormones are secreted creating changes in cervix area. The walls of the vagina and cervix become soft and it is quite common to get extra vaginal discharge.
2. Increased Discharge
As the stage of pregnancy grows into final trimester, the baby’s head may exert pressure on the vagina resulting in increased discharge.
3. Process Of Cleaning
To prevent any infection, the defense mechanism of the body would act producing plenty of hormones for keeping the vagina clean. These extra chemicals can cause increased discharge of whitish fluid from your vagina.