Discharge During Pregnancy: Why It Happens and What You Can Do About It
Posted on: 12 February 2019
Are you pregnant and experiencing a lot of heavy discharge? Most pregnant women will produce more discharge than they normally would when they are not pregnant. However, if you have some concerns about it, you should call your obstetrician to describe what the discharge looks like. You may need to go into the office for an examination just to make sure everything is fine.
What Can Cause It?
When you are pregnant, your cervix is softening to prepare for the birth of your baby, even if the birth is not going to happen for several more months. As the cervix starts softening, it is normal for you to start producing more discharge than you normally would. It is normally white and odorless. If it does have a bit of an odor to it, you should mention that at your next appointment with the obstetrician because then the obstetrician can check for any potential infections that would put you or your baby at risk.
Is It Normal to Have Blood in the Discharge?
You may notice some blood in your discharge at times when you go to use the bathroom. A small amount of blood mixed in with the discharge can occur if your cervix is slightly irritated. Some women will notice that they are experiencing some light bleeding mixed in with their discharge after being intimate with their partners. While it is not necessarily a cause for concern, you should still mention it to your obstetrician. If you begin bleeding heavily, you need to call the on-call obstetrician immediately because you may need to come into the hospital for an immediate examination.
How to Deal With the Discharge
If the obstetrician examines you and says that everything is fine, you may simply want to know how to deal with the heavy amount of discharge you are now dealing with. A simple way to increase your comfort is to wear a panty liner in your underwear to protect the underwear from getting too damp and damaged due to the heavy discharge. You can change the panty liner throughout the day to dispose of the extra discharge. You should not use any products that claim to help with reducing discharge because those products are not safe for pregnant women to use.
If you are suddenly producing a lot of heavy discharge while pregnant, you should tell your obstetrician and gynecology doctor about it. Many pregnant women do experience much heavier discharge, but it is still a good idea to speak with the obstetrician about any changes you are noticing.
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