Discharge During Pregnancy And What It Means
Discharge during pregnancy is something that many women will face. The type of discharge is important to consider. In most pregnancies, hormones, changes in the body and even sometimes pregnancy complications can cause discharge in pregnancy. If you are unsure about the amount of discharge, or are worried about this, then talk to your doctor about it. This is especially important if you are facing abdominal pain or discomfort or bleeding during pregnancy.
What’s Behind The Discharge?
There are many things that could be causing discharge during pregnancy. Learning as much as you can about pregnancy helps you to get the answers you need. First, consider the time in your pregnancy that this is happening. The stages of pregnancy often will have different types and amounts of discharge. For example, early pregnancy symptoms may be a slight discharge of bloody mucus which is likely due to implantation of the fertilized egg. This usually happens 10 to 14 days after fertilization happens and usually is a sign of pregnancy, not a complication at all. Many times, women will not even realize what it is because they do not realize they are pregnant!
Leukorrhea is a technical term that is used to describe this very normal, odorless or mild smelling discharge that happens before and during pregnancy. It is generally a milky color; after you become pregnant, this discharge will likely increase in amount for a few days. It is caused by the build up of hormones, namely estrogen, in your body as well as is triggered by the increased blood flow to your cervix and vagina at this time.
Later on during your pregnancy, you may also see a larger amount of discharge. This usually happens right before your baby is born. This discharge is called a mucus plug. The name describes just what this build up of mucus does for you. During your pregnancy, your cervical canal will fill with this mucus. These are cervical secretions, and completely normal. Their job is to plug the cervix and form a protective barrier from bacteria or other elements from getting in.
There are some situations that may be cause for more alarm. For example, if you have a discharge that is pink or red, then this may be pregnancy bleeding, which may be the result of a number of health risks to your child. If you have any abdominal pain during pregnancy, have pain on one side of your body, or you have cramping, you may want to seek out the help of your doctor to rule out any possible complications of pregnancy you may be having. It is common for many women to have slight cramps and bleeding during pregnancy, but anything more than this should be reported to your doctor as soon as possible.
If you have a high risk pregnancy, your doctor may advise you to contact him or her whenever there are situations which may warranty attention. A large amount of discharge from your body at any stage of pregnancy may be important to have your doctor look at. In most cases, it is nothing to worry about, but having it checked out may help you to rest easily.
Discharge during pregnancy may be a worrisome thing, but most people will do just fine and deliver healthy babies. If you find yourself with any type of additional pain or other symptoms of complication of pregnancy, then talk to your doctor sooner, rather than later, to determine what the complication can be. Your doctor can answer any of your specific questions and rule out any problems there may be.