Jelly-like discharge from the vagina in women during pregnancy, with or without odor, transparent, white, yellow, thick, brown

While expecting a baby, a woman secretes secretions from her vagina. Different periods of an interesting situation are characterized by their own indicators of the norm of color, smell and consistency of the rejected substance.

Discharge during pregnancy is a kind of indicator that shows how correctly the pregnancy is going and whether there are any deviations from the norm. If the expectant mother knows what secretion should be at different stages of gestation, she can promptly respond to the emergence of problems and contact a gynecologist to correct the situation.

Normal during pregnancy

In the first trimester of pregnancy, under the influence of the hormone progesterone, discharge from pregnant women is characterized by increased viscosity, quite abundant, transparent or whitish in color.

In the second trimester, the nature of the discharge is influenced by the hormone estrogen. Under its influence during this period, normal secretion looks like raw egg white. There is noticeably more of it.

Normally, the discharge does not cause irritation or itching of the external genitalia. They must have a uniform structure.

Before childbirth, discharge from the cervical canal looks like mucus. And there is more of it. At any stage of pregnancy, the secretion should have no odor.

Safe discharge in the second trimester

In the second period of pregnancy, a mucus plug on the cervix has already formed, and therefore mucous secretions in very large quantities will not be observed. At the same time, secretions in the fourth, fifth and sixth months are considered natural in the form of:

mucous discharge mixed with leucorrhoea;
clean transparent secretions;
leucorrhoea without odor and thick lumps;
light beige discharge without odor and thick lumps.

All safe secretions are determined by the presence of the hormones estrogen, progesterone and prolactin in the blood. At different periods, the quantity and percentage of such components relative to each other differs, but discharge during pregnancy without odor, blood impurities, green mucous formations and without symptoms of itching and burning is the norm.

Discharge in pregnant women at different times

At any stage of pregnancy, in the normal state of the body, mucus with the following characteristics is secreted from the vagina:

transparent, colorless;
abundant;
white.

In this case, the secretion should not foam, have an unpleasant odor, or cause itching.

First trimester

During this period of bearing a child, the substance discharged from the vagina is viscous, thick, viscous. When the secretion begins to be released abundantly, it becomes one of the first signs of pregnancy.

In the first month, during fetal implantation, small patches of blood may appear in the mucus. This should not be a cause for concern unless it is accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen.

After the fertilized egg is fixed in the uterus until the 12th week, the secretion becomes quite scarce and does not bother the pregnant woman.

Second trimester

In the second trimester, there is much more mucus. The consistency is comparable to the white of a raw egg. As the fetus develops, the volume of secretions increases. A slightly sour smell of secretion is considered normal.

Third trimester

During this period, light or white secretion, moderate or abundant, is acceptable. In each case, the volume of discharge depends on the physiology of the expectant mother.

A yellowish tint to the discharge may indicate leakage of amniotic fluid. This must be reported to your doctor immediately. And in some cases, this color of secretion indicates slight urinary incontinence, which is quite acceptable in the third trimester.

In later stages, the mucus may contain blood clots, which signal the removal of the plug and the approaching meeting with the baby.

What is considered normal and what does white discharge mean?

When vaginal secretions appear, pregnant women should remember some information about their condition so as not to worry ahead of time. During the first trimester, the fertilized egg is firmly attached to the uterine wall, and the placenta is almost completely formed. It connects the fetus with the mother’s body, thereby providing it with the required substances. It is at the border between the first and second trimesters that the female body begins to produce increased amounts of estrogen.

The second trimester is characterized by the development of the uterus and its preparation for constant growth in size. At the same time, the formation of milk ducts occurs, and renewed glandular tissue is built. The formation of a mucous plug begins in the uterine cervix. Its purpose is to protect the fetus from the negative effects of various factors. All these changes cause the appearance of vaginal secretion. Part of the way to ensure that normal discharge is observed is the absence of negative symptoms:

Characteristics of the main types of discharge

If you are able to correctly assess the color of discharge while waiting for a child, you can promptly notice the appearance of dangerous pathologies or harmless allergic reactions. In any case, a prompt response to the signals that the body gives will allow you to get rid of the problem faster and without complications.

White

Thick, numerous white vaginal discharge is the constant companion of the expectant mother almost from conception to childbirth. If they don't irritate your skin or have a repulsive odor, then everything is fine.

But if the leucorrhoea has a cheesy consistency, a nasty smell, and is accompanied by itching, burning and frequent painful urges to urinate, then we are talking about thrush.

This disease regularly darkens the lives of women, especially during pregnancy. Such an ailment must be treated, and the doctor will tell you how to do this.

Yellow

A yellow tint of mucus discharge in a pregnant woman may indicate:

Uncontrollable leakage of urine. This is a common occurrence during pregnancy.
A viscous secretion of deep yellow color is pus, which is formed due to staphylococcus or E. coli that has entered the vagina. Such dangerous bacteria must be combated with the help of treatment prescribed by the doctor.
Yellow secretion often indicates inflammation of the fallopian tubes or ovaries. In this case, high fever and pain in the lower abdomen are added to the mucus.
Sometimes a yellowish discharge combined with itching indicates an allergy to tight, synthetic underwear, washing powder or fragrances in panty liners.

Whatever the cause of the yellow discharge, it must be found out in order to eliminate the irritant or get rid of the disease.

Greens

In most cases, green discharge indicates sexually transmitted infections. This suspicion is confirmed by the bubbling nature of the secretion, as well as the presence of films with a fishy odor. In addition, the expectant mother suffers from itching and burning in the external genital area. In such a situation, a woman needs urgent treatment, which must be carried out under the supervision of a doctor.

A more harmless disease, but requiring treatment, “candidiasis” can also be accompanied by secretion with a greenish tint.

Brown

Brown discharge during pregnancy often indicates:

For cervical erosion. The disease is not dangerous for the child, but after childbirth you should not delay the treatment of such an illness, because it can develop into cancer.
Ectopic pregnancy. To exclude pathology, you need to do an ultrasound.
Detachment of the fertilized egg, which leads to miscarriage. In this situation, immediate medical attention is required.

If an expectant mother notices a secretion of this color, she should immediately tell the gynecologist about it.

Bloody

Bloody discharge during pregnancy often indicates:

About the sensitivity of the internal genital organs to mechanical damage resulting from sexual intercourse, examination by a doctor or transvaginal ultrasound. In this case, secretion should be limited to a small amount of blood, pass quickly and not be accompanied by nagging pain.
Frozen pregnancy. In this case, blood clots are released. Unfortunately, this dangerous condition is irreversible. The child can no longer be saved, and the woman needs urgent hospitalization and medical care.
Threat of miscarriage. In half of the cases, if you seek medical help in a timely manner, the child can be saved.
Hydatidiform drift. With this pathology, the placenta grows excessively and interferes with the baby’s development.

Bleeding during pregnancy is not just a cause for concern. This is a signal to immediately consult a doctor. And the sooner the expectant mother reacts to the current situation, the greater the chance of the child being born on time.

Why is it dangerous?

The main thing is to follow all medical recommendations

Leakage of amniotic fluid is quite dangerous in the 2-3 trimester of gestation. Because against the background of such a deviation, the risk of penetration of the infectious process and pathogenic microflora into the child or is subjected to mechanical impact significantly increases. The likelihood of fetal hypoxia, placental abruption, premature delivery or fetal distress syndrome increases.

Due to placental tissue abruption, dangerous bleeding may occur. In addition, water leakage can provoke cerebral hemorrhage in the first week of a newborn’s life, lead to infection of the mother or physical deformities of the baby due to uterine pressure.

Additional criteria for evaluating discharge

In addition to the color of the secretion, its smell, consistency and intensity can tell a lot. You just need to learn to understand what the body is communicating.

Smell

Discharge that is odorless or has a slightly sour aroma is considered normal. The sharp, repulsive aroma of discharge should alert the expectant mother. If the secretion smells like fish, sulfur, rot or pus, you should urgently tell your doctor about it in order to establish and eliminate the cause of the stench.

Usually the smell is accompanied by itching, irritation in the perineum, and the urge to frequent and painful urination. The color of the secretion becomes yellow, green or white, reminiscent of cottage cheese.

A sharp, overly sour aroma, uncharacteristic of a healthy body, may indicate thrush, STDs, vaginosis and other unpleasant pathologies.

If such symptoms appear, you should not look for answers on forums; you need to go to a gynecologist, who will make the correct diagnosis based on the tests taken and prescribe adequate treatment.

Intensity

It is customary to distinguish three types of intensity of vaginal discharge during pregnancy:

Few in number. If the nature of the discharge is liquid or the viscosity resembles raw egg white, then it is considered normal, regardless of color.
Average. Indicates the normal course of pregnancy with clear or whitish secretions.
Abundant. If there is a lot of secretion in volume, then only colorless secretion is considered normal (starting from the second trimester). After 36 weeks, numerous yellowish discharge is the discharge of amniotic fluid. If this happens at home, you need to immediately go to the maternity hospital and call an ambulance.

Consistency

The liquid consistency of the discharge characterizes a normal pregnancy (from the second trimester until birth).

A thick, viscous secretion accompanies the expectant mother for several weeks immediately after conception.

The appearance of pasty mucous discharge may be a sign of pathology. In this case, you need to pay attention to the presence of accompanying symptoms, such as itching or an unpleasant odor. They are the norm after recent intimacy. And yellowish mucous discharge in the later stages indicates the passage of the plug and the approaching birth.

How to detect leakage

Large leaks are quite easy to notice, but minor leaks are somewhat more difficult to diagnose. This will require specialized tests and laboratory research.

Usually, mothers with such suspicions are prescribed cytology of a smear taken from the posterior vault of the vagina. Such a laboratory procedure will help to determine for sure the presence of amniotic fluid in the discharge.
If the discharge is significant, a cough test and gynecological examination will be required.
If the diagnosis fails to detect any abnormalities, and the specialist doubts the condition of the pregnant woman, then additional procedures and studies such as amniocentesis may be prescribed. But this technique is considered unsafe and is carried out only in life-threatening conditions, since during its implementation there is a high risk of damage to the bladder membrane. The essence of this study is to introduce a coloring liquid into the water, while a tampon is inserted into the vagina. If traces of staining appear on it, then leakage is considered proven.

You need to contact a specialist who will examine the patient and prescribe tests that are not as dangerous as amniocentesis.

Test strips

Great way to check

This method will help you identify leaks at home yourself. Such diagnostic tools are available in almost every pharmacy and represent a litmus strip of paper. With the help of such strips, the level of acid-base balance of secretions is established. To do this, apply the strip to the vaginal wall, and then look at the result.

Normal pH levels are around 4.5-6. With amniotic leakage, the values will be slightly higher - 7.0-7.3. These changes will be indicated by a color change on the strip, which will need to be compared with the scale supplied with the test materials. With increased vaginal acidity, there is every reason to suspect leakage or infection of the genital structures. You can use tests to determine the acidity of aquarium water, which sometimes cost 2 times less than pharmacy test strips.

α-1-microglobulin test

This is a modern device with the highest diagnostic accuracy, which explains its high cost. Laboratory conditions are not required to test for α-1-microglobulin, but such a test is usually performed by an obstetrician-gynecologist in the treatment room. This test is designed to detect a specific marker - alpha-1-microglobullin, which is a placental substance and is present in the amniotic fluid.

To obtain samples, you need to insert a swab into the vagina, and then place it in a special diagnostic fluid, then a test strip is placed in this fluid. The presence or absence of amniotic leakage is determined by the number of lines that appear on it. Such testing produces accurate results in 97% of cases.

Nitrazine test

The most common are nitrazine tests to detect leakage. To use this type of testing, you need to apply a drop of vaginal fluid onto strips of paper soaked in nitrazine. This substance is much more sensitive than litmus paper. Such tests are even sold in the form of pads or tampons, which makes the procedure much easier.

Depending on the acidity of the released liquid, the indicator will change its color. If the pH exceeds 6 units, then this indicates rupture of the bladder membranes. Such testing is quite capable of producing unreliable, false-positive results. This sometimes happens due to penetration of blood into the sample or in the presence of an infectious lesion in the vagina, then tests will show increased acidity. Also, an increase in pH can be caused by the presence of seminal fluid, so after unprotected sexual intercourse, vaginal acidity levels will also be elevated.

Other methods

There are several ways to detect amniotic fluid leakage at home.

White fabric. You need to empty your bladder and wash your perineum. Then the pregnant woman needs to lie on a white cloth for about an hour. If in this position a wet spot forms on the bed, then you need to go to the gynecologist.
Dark fabric. A clean piece of black cotton fabric is placed on the linen like a pad. A woman needs to walk around a little with such a cloth. And then look at the results. If whitish discharge is found on the fabric. Then they are vaginal in nature, but if the cloth is wet, but there are no stains, then there is a suspicion of leakage.

You can also use a regular pharmacy leak test at home.

Reasons for deviations

If discharge uncharacteristic of normal pregnancy appears, it means that there is some kind of pathology in the body. The reasons for the appearance of deviations during gestation are:

Decreased immunity. If during pregnancy there is a discharge that resembles cottage cheese, or a secretion with a green/yellow tint and a repulsive odor, this may be a manifestation of candidiasis, STDs, pyelonephritis and other fungal or infectious diseases.
Allergy. Unusual discharge appears as a reaction to underwear, pads, and intimate hygiene products. It is enough to remove the irritant and the specific secretion will stop bothering you.
Diseases that occurred in a latent form became more active during pregnancy under the influence of hormones. For example, fibroids, polyps, erosion.
Threat of miscarriage. This is evidenced by bloody discharge with clots.

In most cases, problems during pregnancy can be avoided if you approach giving life to a future person with all seriousness.

Before conceiving a child, you need to visit a gynecologist and undergo the necessary tests so that during pregnancy some diseases do not become an unpleasant surprise.

Dangerous discharge in the second trimester

Pregnancy does not always go without complications. At some stages, a woman may notice a change in stool, the presence of nausea, itching, burning, and tearfulness. Sometimes such manifestations are symptoms of a normal development of events, and sometimes they are a manifestation of pathology. How can we identify dangerous sections from normal ones? Are there any evaluation criteria?

Dangerous secretions that can occur in the second trimester are due to:

change of hormonal stable background;
pregnancy pathologies, in particular fetal pathologies;
inflammatory processes;
irritations, damage to the tissues of the vagina, uterus, cervix;
infectious diseases of the reproductive and urinary systems;
chronic kidney diseases;
viral diseases;
placental abruption.

All of the above reasons pose a threat to the development and adequate growth of the fetus inside the womb. For example, infections of the genitals and birth canal cannot be stopped by a mucus plug. Absorption of infections inside the uterus is almost 99%. Against the background of such changes, the body of a pregnant woman reacts instantly, providing the first symptoms and changes.

The second trimester provides one significant advantage to a woman who monitors her condition: fetal movements are the first indicator of normal development. If there are any changes in activity, you should consult a doctor.

Harbingers of the birth of a baby

A couple of weeks before delivery, the uterus is rebuilt, the cervix begins to lengthen and prepare for dilation. On the eve of childbirth, the plug begins to come off, and sometimes amniotic fluid leaks.

In liquid, dirty yellow mucus, the presence of blood is acceptable. The color of the exiting plug should be red or red-brown, but not scarlet.

If the expectant mother notices that the plug or water has broken, she should immediately go to the maternity hospital. This means that meeting the baby is very close.