Vaginal discharge during pregnancy: is it normal?

Pregnant (or not), it’s important to pay attention to your vaginal discharge, commonly called white discharge. This discharge can indicate various things happening in your body. May takes a closer look at the different types of fluid discharge during pregnancy.

Is it normal to have white vaginal discharge during pregnancy?

Pregnancy leads to numerous gynecological changes, including a physiological increase in vaginal discharge due to hormonal changes. This discharge is therefore completely normal and not dirty. It’s part of the vagina’s self-cleaning system. In fact, the discharge, mixed with cervical mucus, cleans the vagina and protects it from “bad bacteria.” As a bonus, vaginal discharge also helps with lubrication!

Many pregnant women notice changes in their vaginal discharge. While some types of discharge are nothing to worry about, others warrant a medical consultation — here’s what you need to know.

What does white discharge look like during pregnancy? Does it have a smell?

Here’s an overview of what you might notice in your underwear during pregnancy.

✅ Everything is normal

• The discharge is white and watery.
• The discharge is translucent, stretchy, or even sticky.
• The discharge contains traces of blood (early in pregnancy).

🧑‍⚕️ It’s best to consult

• The discharge is white and lumpy.
• The discharge is green and foul-smelling.
• The discharge contains traces of blood (if not early in pregnancy).
• The discharge is yellow and associated with pelvic pain.
• The discharge is yellowish, off-white, or excessive.

Good to know: it’s helpful to change your underwear regularly to avoid feeling too damp due to vaginal secretions. Using panty liners is not recommended if they are scented. Regarding hygiene, it is not advised to wash the vagina all the time as this can disrupt the vaginal flora. Instead, opt for gentle intimate hygiene with a mild soap and you’ll be just fine!

Want to learn more? Feel free to download the May app, where you’ll find plenty of resources to support and guide you throughout your pregnancy.

Is white discharge during pregnancy a sign of complications?

As you’ve understood, vaginal discharge is generally completely normal during pregnancy — except when it has certain characteristics that require medical attention. Here’s why:

• The discharge is white and lumpy: this could indicate a yeast infection.
• The discharge is gray with a fishy smell: it could be gardnerella vaginalis. This is not a sexually transmitted infection (STI), but a bacterium associated with a disrupted vaginal flora and deserves particular attention.
• The discharge smells bad and is green in color: it could be an STI, trichomonas vaginalis.
• The discharge is abundant, yellowish, and/or off-white: this may simply indicate an imbalanced flora. Mycoplasmas are bacteria often found in the flora — not all are dangerous. A rebalancing (with probiotics) is often enough.
• The discharge contains blood traces (not early in pregnancy): this may be linked to an STI, such as chlamydia. This bacterium is often asymptomatic, making it harder to diagnose without a vaginal swab. That’s why screening is essential. If untreated, chlamydia can lead to complications — but a simple antibiotic treatment can resolve it.
• The discharge is yellow and accompanied by pelvic pain: this could indicate gonorrhea. This is an emergency — you should seek treatment quickly as your fallopian tubes may be at risk of infection.

The goal isn’t to worry you but to encourage you to consult a midwife or doctor as soon as possible so you can feel at ease and get rid of unpleasant symptoms if needed.

How can you tell the difference between normal and abnormal discharge during pregnancy?

To distinguish normal from abnormal white discharge during pregnancy, pay close attention to its color and appearance each day. Based on all the information shared above, you’ll be able to tell whether your discharge is normal or not.

Trust yourself and don’t hesitate to consult a healthcare professional if you have the slightest doubt about the appearance of your discharge — they’re there to help, and there are no “stupid” questions!

I’m pregnant and have watery discharge: could it be my water breaking?

It’s possible that this is amniotic fluid leakage. To identify it, this discharge is usually clear and odorless. In most cases, this watery discharge happens at term and corresponds to the rupture or leaking of the amniotic sac, which signals the start of labor.

❗If you notice this kind of discharge before 37 weeks of gestation, you should go to your maternity ward immediately.

Don’t hesitate to ask your midwife whether it is indeed your water breaking.

Do discharges vary depending on the stage of pregnancy?

Vaginal discharge during pregnancy varies greatly from one woman to another. So, it’s hard to make a blanket statement about how discharge changes depending on the stage of pregnancy — every pregnancy experience is unique (this is true for discharge and everything else).

That said, it’s common to see more abundant and watery white discharge towards the end of pregnancy.

When should I see a healthcare professional about white discharge?

We’re repeating it because it’s important: don’t hesitate to consult a healthcare professional if your white discharge seems abnormal, especially based on the signs we’ve described in this article.

White discharge — just like the rest of your body — changes during pregnancy, and that’s completely normal! Just pay attention to the signals your body sends during this special time, and get used to checking your underwear so you can seek help at the slightest concern ❣️.

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Photo: Envato