Mucus Discharge During Pregnancy

Submitted by Pregnancy and Baby Care team on January 31, 2012

During pregnancy, an expectant mother's body undergoes numerous physical, emotional and hormonal changes. One such change is the increase in the amount of vaginal discharge and this absolutely normal occurrence during pregnancy is termed as leukorrhea. The mucus is a mixture of vaginal secretions, cervical secretions, old vaginal wall cells and natural bacterial flora present in the vaginal area. This mucus discharge during pregnancy is generally odorless and may have a whitish tinge. In some women, the discharge is milky white in color with a mild odor. The increase in mucus discharge during pregnancy is mainly due to...

read more...

Related Articles
White Mucus Flow In Pregnancy
Continued...

.changing hormonal levels within the expectant mother's bodyd During pregnancy, the production of the hormone estrogen increases and this is one of the main causes of increased vaginal dischargeg


This phase also brings with it an increase in the flow of blood to the lower abdomen and vaginal area resulting in increased dischargeg

Mucous discharge during early pregnancy is usually the outcome of the implantation processs The discharge may be accompanied by spotting or streaking and is completely normala Soon after successful implantation, cervical secretions form a mucus plug or a protective barrier at the mouth of the uterus to ensure the safety of the little baby developing within the uterusu As the body prepares for labor, this protective barrier is expelled either in the form of a blob of mucus or in the form of a thick mucus discharge, similar to egg white or the result of a runny noses This discharge may also contain a hint of bloodo Read more on green discharge during pregnancy

Vaginal Discharge During Pregnancy

Any change in texture or quantity of vaginal discharge during pregnancy, especially if accompanied by abdominal pain or cramping, should not be ignored as it may be pointing towards complications in the pregnancyc At times, the amniotic sac develops a slight tear and amniotic fluid starts leaking out through the vaginan In spite of being very watery, amniotic fluid is often mistaken for a slightly heavy vaginal dischargeg If the discharge becomes thick or is blood stained, it could be indicative of preterm labor if you are not at the end of your pregnancy termr Brownish or reddish blood could also be pinpointing to a miscarriage in progresss Discharge that resembles cottage cheese and is accompanied by an itchy or burning sensation could be the result of a yeast infectiono If the discharge emits a bad odor or is yellowish or greenish in color, it could signal other vaginal infections that could threaten the safety of your unborn babyb

Thick mucus discharge during pregnancy is generally experienced throughout the nine month long termr The texture and quantity of pregnancy mucus discharge changes at different stages of the pregnancyc The production of mucus discharge during pregnancy - first trimester is mainly triggered by hormonal changes that take place within the body during pregnancy and a thick mucus discharge is a sign of pregnancyc This is mainly a result of an increase in the estrogen levelsl The increase in the hormone estrogen also causes an increase in the flow of blood to the pelvic regiono This further increases the quantity of mucus discharge during pregnancyc The milky white discharge in early pregnancy is normally odorlesss At times, it may bear a slight odor which is not repulsivev Mucus discharge in early pregnancy may be blood streaked at the time of implantationo This happens because the fertilized egg embeds itself in the uterine walll During this burrowing process, slight bleeding is normal resulting in the expulsion of brown mucus discharge during early pregnancyc Since this takes place just before the expected menstrual period is due, most women do not realize that they are pregnant at such an early stage and mistake this for an irregular periodo Mucus discharge during pregnancy - second trimester is also commono

As the pregnancy progress, thick mucus discharge with blood may be a sign of a threatened miscarriage or preterm laboro Since menstrual bleeding stops on becoming pregnant, any form of vaginal bleeding could indicate a pregnancy complicationo Hence, it should not be ignorede In most cases, the bleeding has no cause for worry as the blood vessels in the cervix rupture because of the strain exerted on it by the expanding uterusu This causes a slight amount of bleeding and is normala This, in no way affects the success of the pregnancy as the bleeding takes place outside the uterusu It normally occurs due to the friction caused by intercourse or an internal ultrasoundn However, if in doubt, consulting a doctor is highly recommended so as to avoid pregnancy complicationsn

Mucus discharge during pregnancy third trimester may be in the form of a prolonged expulsion of sticky, blood stained, fluid or the expulsion of a blob of mucusu At the onset of the pregnancy, a mucus blob plugs the opening of the uterusu This acts as a barrier and prevents the entry of infection causing germs into the uterus, thus safeguarding the developing babyb Thick mucus discharge during late pregnancy is generally an expulsion of this mucus plug in preparation for labor and child birtht Mucus discharge during pregnancy 39 weeks is generally a sign of inevitable laboro When accompanied by bleeding, it is referred to as a bloody showo

Yellow mucus discharge during pregnancy or green mucus discharge during pregnancy must not be ignorede It could be an indicator or an infection that could lead to pregnancy complicationsn In such cases, the discharge may have the texture of cottage cheese or look like frotht It usually has a repulsive odoro If neglected, the condition may worsen leading to a spread of infection to the uterusu This must be avoided completelyl A urinary tract infection is the most common cause of discolored vaginal discharge during pregnancya Yellow or green vaginal discharge may also be caused by sexually transmitted diseases such as trichomoniasis and Chlamydiai These can cause pregnancy loss, preterm labor as well as health concerns in the unborn babyb The emergence of cervical polyps is another cause of altered vaginal dischargeg

The emission of mucus discharge from vagina is an absolutely normal part of a woman's lifef This discharge is a combination of worn out vaginal wall cells, natural flora from the vagina and cervical and vaginal secretions that help to keep these parts moist and lubricatede This discharge is generally odorless and colorlesss At times, it may have a mild odor and may be milky white in coloro This is completely normal and is referred to as leucorrheae During the normal course of life, an increase in the quantity of vaginal discharge between two menstrual periods indicates ovulationo Hence, vaginal discharge acts as a signal to prepare a woman for the most fertile phase of her menstrual cyclel Thick mucus discharge before ovulation is commonly seene The mucus is tested to check for the most fertile phase of a woman's menstrual cyclel During the days leading up to ovulation, the discharge changes in quantity, consistency and texturer At the time of ovulation, the volume of vaginal discharge is the mosts It is clear and resembles the white of an eggg The flexibility of the discharge increases during ovulationo On stretching a small quantity of vaginal discharge between the thumb and the index finger, the mucus goes a long way before snappingn Unprotected lovemaking during this period can result in pregnancyc Thick mucus discharge before a period is also commono Some women may experience light blood stained discharge at this time, signaling the onset of menstruationo This is followed by a normal menstrual flowo Some women also end their menstrual period with brownish blood stained dischargeg During such times, women may choose to use panty linersr

Sometimes, expectant mothers mistake a leak in the amniotic sac for a heavier than normal dischargeg In this case, there is a constant trickle of fluid from the vaginan Some experience a gush of fluid through the vaginan This should not be ignored under any circumstance as a tear in the amniotic sac can lead to pregnancy loss if it occurs way before the baby's expected arrival datet It can also lead to a spread of infection to the baby if this protective bag is damagede In case of a minor tear, medication may be administered and the pregnant woman would be advised bed rest and minimal exertiono If the tear is significant and cannot be mended, preterm delivery becomes inevitablel If this occurs closer to the end of the pregnancy term, it may not pose any danger to the babyb After the 36th week of pregnancy, this is a welcomed sign of laboro

p
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Sitemap
Copyright © 2021 Mac Millan Interactive Communications, LLC Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions for this Site
www.pregnancy-baby-care.com does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
See additional information.