You’re not imagining it; it is common to have more vaginal discharge during pregnancy.
But is vaginal discharge a sign of pregnancy? The truth is that a change in the amount of vaginal discharge can be.
Most probably you have normal leucorrhea, a kind of vaginal discharge that doesn’t have an odor at all, or just a mild odor and has a milky consistency.
Most probably you have seen it before you got pregnant, but now there is more of it.
The change
The volume of the discharge increases because of the higher levels of estrogen and there is also an increased blood flow in the area of the vagina. Such a discharge is made of vaginal and cervical secretions, old cells from the vagina and the normal discharge.
Most probably you will see more discharge as labor draws nearer and it is also possible to see a change in it. During the early stages of pregnancy the secretions create a barrier at the entrance of the cervix that is called the mucus plug. As the cervix dilates the mucus plug is expelled and in this case you will see that the discharge is egg white like or something like the mucus of a runny nose.
When to get alarmed?
When it comes to vaginal discharge and pregnancy you should keep an eye out for thin and clear discharge that could turn out to be amniotic fluid. The truth is that it is quite difficult to tell and so if you have any suspicions you should make sure to contact your health care provider.
In case there is an increase of vaginal discharge and you aren’t in your 37th week yet, you should contact your caregiver immediately because it is possible that you are going through preterm labor. You should also contact your doctor if you think that you have an infection.
There is a lot more to know about vaginal discharge while being pregnant.
