Should I worry about discharge in late pregnancy?
When it comes to the discharge in late pregnancy, you should not have too many worries. A dark discharge may be the "bloody show," which is a sign that labor is close. Contact your midwife, doctor or physician anytime you have concerns about a discharge. It's very common for a pregnant woman to experience an increase in vaginal discharge towards the 37th week of pregnancy. An increase in discharge before this time that is odd in color or smell merits a call to your practitioner for advice and or a check up if you think that there is a problem.
Serious and Not So Serious Causes for Late Pregnancy Discharge
One of the more concerning times of uncharacteristic discharge in a pregnancy is in the first trimester. If there is a dark discharge or blood in the discharge, you may want to keep an eye on what it looks like and if it smell. If the discharge has a bad smell, it is usually a sign of an infection. The color brown may also be a concern because that is often a sign of old blood. If you have any symptoms that concern you, always ask a doctor, nurse or midwife for advice and tell her the details.
A dark discharge in late pregnancy is a sign of the bloody show, which is an indicator that the birth of your baby is coming soon. Some of the fluid is normal leukorrhea that a woman's body produces even when she isn't pregnant. The difference now is that your body is producing more of this natural discharge. This is because your body has formed a mucous plug in the birth canal to help protect your a baby's home inside of your uterus. As the time for delivery draws near, this mucous plug begins to dissolve in preparation for the birth and may lead to increased discharge.
Anytime you have questions or concerns about a discharge or symptom when you're pregnant, you should contact the proper professional. It's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to a baby. A little information may help keep you from freaking out too much. The bottom line is that you are going to have more vaginal discharge than normal. You just need to educate yourself so that you know what to expect in the months to come. Around 37 weeks, it's common to start to loose the mucus plug in the birth canal. This is a common discharge in late pregnancy.
Discharge during pregnancy should be monitored for the safety of the unborn baby. Take note of any weird colors or smells in the discharge that you notice. An infection is something that needs to be treated with concern, especially if the doctor recommends that you come in to see her at her office. Always do what's best for an unborn baby because this is the time that development is a key for survival.
