Mucous discharge during pregnancy

Mucous discharge from pregnant women can be considered quite normal, but only if they are not associated with pain, discomfort, unusual color. Why in the vaginal detachable mucus appears and what it can indicate, we will tell in this article.

The mucus in the vaginal secretion does not appear by chance. It is produced by cervical epithelial cells. Normally, a certain amount of mucus is always present in the discharge, but it becomes noticeable only when this amount is exceeded for some reason.

Mucous secretions during pregnancy are produced by special glands, which are located in the neck, to protect the cervix itself from any negative impact. The amount of mucus is directly dependent on the prevailing hormonal levels. During pregnancy, the concentration and balance of hormones change, which is why mucus is then produced more, then less.

Abundant mucous secretions appear in each woman on the eve of ovulation, their task at this stage is to facilitate the passage of male germ cells from the vagina through the cervix into the fallopian tube, where they are waiting for the egg to be fertilized. The mucus at this time resembles discharge, similar snot or egg white - if you put them between your fingers, the mucus begins to drag.

After ovulation, regardless of whether fertilization took place, mucus becomes smaller, and after a couple of days there is no trace of it. The secretions become scarce and thick under the action of the hormone progesterone. For almost the entire first trimester, they remain the same.

From the 10th week of pregnancy, more estrogen begins to be produced, and the secretions become more fluid and abundant.

Closer to childbirth mucus content in the vaginal secretions may increase, and there is also a reason for this - ripening of the cervix.

Normal mucus clots in the discharge during pregnancy should not be. The only exceptions are fragments of the mucous plug, which departs shortly before the onset of labor, opening the way out of the cervical canal. Normal are considered to be homogeneous, light or translucent, slightly yellowish, odorless or have a weak fermented milk smell.

Having found mucus in secretions, a woman should pay attention not only to smell and quantity, but also to color. Pink tight mucus indicates problems with the cervix. Any shade of red and brown is a sign of presence in the blood discharge. Be sure to establish the true cause of its hit. Often, this is how the threat of termination of pregnancy at an early period or the threat of premature birth at a later date makes itself known.

Mucus yellow saturated yellow, green or mixed colors indicates the presence of an inflammatory process, most likely bacterial and purulent.Transparent mucous discharge with pronounced streaks of blood red or brown - pathology for any period of pregnancy, but not for the last weeks of her, when the cervix begins to open.

Mucus gray or dirty-brown hue usually indicates a neglected infectious process, the presence of genital infections, venereal disease. However, the first place in the diagnosis comes, of course, not the color, but the laboratory examination of a vaginal smear. Only this analysis is able to give an exact answer to the question of why unusual mucus appeared.

As already mentioned, mucus clots as such in the discharge in early pregnancy should not be normal. The discharges themselves, which will be considered normal, can contain a uniform, uniform mucous component.

At the very beginning of pregnancy, under the action of progesterone, a so-called mucus plug forms, which tightly clogs the entrance to the cervical canal that connects the vagina and the uterus, so that nothing comfortable or dangerous can enter the cozy space in which the baby develops. That is why at the initial stages of pregnancy, the allocation of more scarce and thicker than later.

If in the early stages there is abundant mucus interspersed with jelly-like patches, you should definitely visit a doctor and examine, in particular, the condition of the cervix. If the mucus also changes color and becomes bloody or pink, this may indicate a possible threat of miscarriage.

The only situation in which the appearance of mucus clots is fully justified is the discharge of mucus plug. This usually happens before childbirth, the output of the cork is considered to be the indisputable harbinger of a baby being born soon. A woman may pay attention to the discharge of a large lump of mucus, sometimes thickly riddled with blood brown streaks. This means that the cork has come off completely.

Admixtures of small mucus clots in the discharge for several days are a sign of the gradual discharge of the stopper from the cervical canal. The cervix softens, becomes shorter, the cervical canal expands. The cork can no longer be held between its walls and begins to leave its usual place.

As a rule, within a few days (hours) after such mucous discharge, labor begins. But sometimes the passage of the stopper flows for a pregnant woman completely unnoticed - if she departs with the waters or if she leaves the cervical canal already during labor.

If mucus is secreted in clots, it is necessary to consult a doctor anyway and for any period. Homogeneous mucous secretions are dangerous only if they are accompanied by back pain, lower abdomen, tingling and discomfort in the depths of the vagina, where the cervix is ​​located, as well as color change from white or transparent to any other.

You can avoid negative consequences for the health of mother and baby, Observing some precautions when mucous secretions appear:

• in the early stages - observe intimate hygiene, do not lift weights, be very careful during sex, so as not to injure the cervix;
• in late terms - if a cork discharge has started and the future mom found clots of mucus on the gasket, she should not take a bath from this moment, have sex to prevent infection from getting into the uterus, because the breath into it is now almost open.

At specialized thematic forums, future mothers often associate the appearance of mucus and intercourse preceding it. There is a grain of common sense in this - in most cases a few hours after sexual contact with ejaculation, mucus clots can actually go in, but they have nothing to do with the cervix. This dead sperm and seminal fluid are mixed with the usual vaginal secretions and go out.

The definition of a mucus plug is, oddly enough, a lot less questionable. It is difficult to confuse with anything else.

You will learn more about mucous secretions during pregnancy from the following video.