Why does vaginal discharge increase after pregnancy? High hormone environment is the main reason

Women generally have more vaginal discharge after pregnancy. The following No. 5 website editor will show you why vaginal discharge increases after pregnancy. High hormone environment is the main reason.

Why does vaginal discharge increase after pregnancy?

High hormone environment

Women generally experience increased vaginal discharge after becoming pregnant. This is mainly because the body undergoes corresponding changes after pregnancy. In order to maintain the implantation and development of the egg, the corpus luteum of the ovary secretes a large amount of estrogen and progesterone. This phenomenon of always maintaining high estrogen and progesterone will cause a significant increase in vaginal discharge in pregnant women.

Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that leucorrhea during pregnancy is mostly caused by spleen deficiency and dysfunction of transportation and transformation after pregnancy, the flow of dampness and turbidity, or coldness in the uterus, stagnation of cold and dampness, which damages the Chong and Dai meridians, resulting in excessive leucorrhea. Treatment should be based on strengthening the spleen and consolidating the function of controlling the flow of dampness and turbidity.

Infection cannot be ruled out

Although the increase in leucorrhea due to the stimulation of hormones in the body after pregnancy is a physiological phenomenon and pregnant mothers do not need to worry too much, it cannot be ruled out that it may be caused by infection or inflammation. If in addition to excessive secretions, there are itching, odor, etc., you should see a doctor immediately.

What to do if you have leucorrhea during pregnancy

Wash with warm water

It is normal to have an increase in vaginal discharge during pregnancy, but a large amount of secretions can also be very annoying, and if hygiene is not done well, it is easy to get infected if you are not careful. Therefore, during pregnancy, you should wash the vulva with warm water every day. You can take a shower, or use a special basin and towel to wash it to prevent cross infection and keep the vulva clean and dry.

Don't always use pads

Some pregnant mothers with a lot of secretions will use sanitary pads to keep dry, but be aware that the material of sanitary pads is not very breathable, so it is best not to use them frequently, and if you do use them, you must change them frequently.

Change your underwear more often

If you have a lot of secretions during the day, you can prepare a few more pairs of underwear and change them more often. Although it is troublesome to wash, it will be safer than sanitary pads. The underwear must be made of cotton, as this material has good moisture absorption and breathability.

Panties should be bubble

In addition to changing underwear frequently, you should also pay attention to cleaning it. Change underwear frequently, and do not put washed underwear in a dark corner to dry, but should expose it to the sun. In addition, you can soak your underwear in hot water regularly to help kill bacteria.

Wiping after defecation

After each urination or defecation, wipe from front to back with a tissue to avoid bringing residue or dirt around the anus into the vagina. It is best to use unscented tissue.

Wear loose clothing

After pregnancy, don’t wear tight pants or jeans. It’s best to wear looser clothes on a daily basis. You should also change your underwear to those specially designed for pregnant women, which will help ensure smooth blood circulation in the body.

Scientific Nutrition

Don't use pregnancy as an excuse to eat too much. The more weight you gain during pregnancy, the better. If you are too fat, the fetus cannot absorb nutrients, and the pregnant mother will become obese, which will greatly increase the difficulty of delivery.

During pregnancy, you should eat more foods rich in protein, vitamins and minerals, such as lean meat, eggs, vegetables, fruits, etc. to strengthen your physical fitness. Drink more warm water and avoid eating raw, cold, spicy and other irritating foods. Avoid foods such as potato chips, barbecue and coffee.

Enhances immunity

After pregnancy, mothers should maintain moderate exercise as long as their physical condition allows. They can do some housework within their ability, or exercise, such as walking, health exercises, etc.; get enough sleep, do more things that make themselves happy, learn to adjust their mentality, maintain a good mental state, and avoid excessive excitement and impatience.

Regular prenatal check-ups

Even if you do not feel any discomfort, you should still have regular prenatal checkups to ensure good birth and upbringing to the greatest extent possible. If your leucorrhea is abnormal, especially in the later stages when there is a lot of it, it is best to go to the hospital for a check-up.

If it is an inflammatory infection, it is generally not recommended to treat vaginitis. You cannot use medicine in the early stage and the last month. Ask your doctor if you can use alkaline water for cleaning. You must strengthen personal hygiene care, clean the vulva every day, change underwear frequently, use boiling water when washing underwear, and expose it to the sun.

What are the changes in leucorrhea after pregnancy

Normal leucorrhea should be milky white or colorless and transparent, with a slight fishy smell or no smell. The amount and texture of leucorrhea are affected by the levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body, and vary periodically with the menstrual cycle, with varying amounts, textures, and consistency.

Generally, the amount of leucorrhea is small after the menstrual period, and before the ovulation period, the estrogen level in the body increases, which promotes the proliferation of epithelial cells in the cervical glands, increases the secretion of cervical mucus, and increases the sodium chloride content in the mucus, which can absorb more water, causing the leucorrhea to increase during the ovulation period. The discharge is thinner, clearer in color, and looks like egg white, and can be stretched into long threads.

After ovulation, estrogen levels gradually decrease, progesterone levels increase, the secretion of cervical mucus is inhibited, and the sodium chloride content in the mucus also decreases, making the leucorrhea thick, milky white, less ductile, and easy to break.

After pregnancy, the corpus luteum of the ovary secretes a large amount of estrogen and progesterone to maintain the implantation and development of the ovum. After 12 weeks, the placenta is formed, which gradually replaces the corpus luteum and continues to synthesize a large amount of estrogen and progesterone. Therefore, the pregnant woman's body always maintains a high estrogen and progesterone state.

Under the action of estrogen and progesterone, the vulvar tissue becomes soft and moist, the vaginal epithelium thickens, the blood vessels become congested, the exudate and exfoliated cells increase, the cervix becomes enlarged, soft, congested, and the glandular secretions are vigorous. The secretions of the cervical glands, vaginal exudate and exfoliated cells mix together to form leucorrhea, which is continuously discharged from the body, so the secretion volume will increase during pregnancy.

Once the lactobacilli in the vagina decrease or the acidic environment changes, the ecological environment in the vagina loses balance, changing the normal distribution of vaginal flora, destroying the normal mutual restraint relationship, resulting in flora imbalance, thus causing disease, and the properties of secretions will also change. If there is bacterial vaginitis, the leucorrhea will have a bad smell, such as fishy smell, and the color will be gray or yellow. If there is a fungal infection, the leucorrhea will have an abnormal smell and color, and may even appear tofu dregs or cheese-like. In addition, there will be a burning sensation in the vagina, redness and swelling of the vulva, itching, and sometimes pain when urinating.

What to do if brown leucorrhea occurs during pregnancy

1. If a pregnant mother finds brown secretions, she must rest in bed and try not to leave the bed. Also, she must avoid strenuous exercise. This phenomenon can usually be improved after two days of rest.

2. If pregnant mothers find brown secretions accompanied by severe abdominal pain, they should go to the hospital for treatment in time to find out the specific cause. Generally, if this happens in the early pregnancy, it may be a threatened abortion. If this secretion occurs in the late pregnancy, it may be a problem with the placenta.

3. If the secretion is caused by the embryo, the doctor will recommend treatment to preserve the fetus. Therefore, at this time, the pregnant mother must always understand the development of the embryo. Once the embryo is found to have stopped developing, the pregnancy must be terminated and the medication must be stopped. Blindly preserving the fetus will not only harm the pregnant mother's body, but may also cause heavy bleeding.

Therefore, if you find brown discharge during pregnancy, Bangma recommends that pregnant mothers go to the hospital for a comprehensive examination. Don't let a single negligence cause irreparable regrets. Ensuring the health of yourself and your baby during pregnancy is the primary task. As long as you are more careful in your daily life and do regular prenatal checkups, you can get more assured and safer protection.

Key points for preventing abnormal leucorrhea in early pregnancy

Although early pregnancy is very susceptible to inflammatory infections, as long as you pay more attention to some key points, you can still prevent it well. The methods are as follows:

1. Prepare your own special cleaning basin and special towel;

2. Gently wash the vulva with warm water every night;

3. Get into the habit of wiping from front to back with toilet paper after defecation;

4. Choose underwear that is made of cotton, or at least has a cotton bottom, that is soft and loose.