It is normal for a woman’s body to expel certain substances, but it is important to pay attention to the discharge during pregnancy to know if everything is ok.
Throughout women’s lives, it is normal for them to experience discharge. Normally, it appears when the girl begins the period of puberty. However, this should be a cause for attention, especially when it comes to discharge during pregnancy. There, certainly, attention must be redoubled.
This is because this type of secretion is the body’s way of communicating and saying what is happening inside. Through it, it is possible to know, for example, when a woman is ovulating or when she has an infection.
Because of this, it is important to pay attention to discharge during pregnancy. Because it can indicate risks to the health of the mother and child.
But, before we talk in depth about the topic, it is worth mentioning that there are two types of discharge: physiological and pathological.
Discharge during pregnancy
Physiological
In order to moisten and keep the organ clean, it works to prevent inflammation and hinder the emergence of infections. Therefore, physiological discharge is usually benign. In fact, it is transparent, milky, thick and has no smell.
As it is stimulated by the hormone estrogen, it is normal that during periods of high hormone production it is more constant. Therefore, discharge during pregnancy is likely to increase, especially in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy. Basically, because the woman is producing a lot of hormones and the blood flow in the region also increases.
In addition, the female organ starts to produce more natural secretions, to be deposited in the cervix. This, in fact, protects the fetus from any bacteria. The name of this phenomenon is mucous plug. When a woman expels this tampon, it means she is going into labor.
Therefore, the characteristics of this discharge are:
- Transparent or whitish, similar to egg white;
- Slightly thick, similar to mucus;
- Smelless;
- Absence of pain or irritation.
Pathological
However, pathological vaginal discharge may indicate a disease. Your mucus usually presents a color variation such as yellowish, greenish or brownish.
This type of discharge during pregnancy may indicate gynecological infections. Therefore, it can be a symptom of damage to the fetus, such as premature birth, miscarriage and infection.
Above all, some of the infections that can cause this are bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and candidiasis.
Therefore, the characteristics of this discharge are:
- Yellowish, greenish or dark discharge;
- Strong smell (smell of raw fish);
- Vaginal or abdominal pain;
- Itch;
- Burning when urinating;
- Sudden change in the characteristics or volume of discharge.
Treatment
In short, if the discharge shows any sign of pathology, the woman – pregnant or not – is advised; seek a doctor immediately. Because infections can cause many health complications if not treated properly.
And, of course, exams are necessary. Only in this way is it possible, in fact, to analyze this pathological secretion and diagnose the disease or complication that is causing it.
It is important to highlight, above all, that a pregnant woman cannot take medication on her own. Much less introducing objects into the canal with the aim of containing the mucus, such as the typical ointments for such infections, for example.
Any of these attitudes can cause harm to the baby and the mother. Furthermore, they increase the risk of infection or worsening the condition.
To understand more about your health during pregnancy, be sure to check out: Pregnant menstruating? – It may happen? It’s normal? Causes of bleeding.
Source: TuaSaude MdSaude CordVida
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