Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat’s Normal?Yeast InfectionBacterial VaginosisGonorrheaChlamydiaTrichomoniasisAmniotic Fluid Leak
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What’s Normal?
Yeast Infection
Bacterial Vaginosis
Gonorrhea
Chlamydia
Trichomoniasis
Amniotic Fluid Leak
Yellowdischarge during pregnancyisn’t always cause for concern. However, it can be a sign of an infection or a leak in theamnioticsac that protects a fetus in the womb. Yellow discharge is particularly concerning if paired with an unpleasant odor, pain, or itching.
Given the potential seriousness of both of these issues, it’s important to see your healthcare provider right away. They will perform a physical exam and take a sample of the discharge, as well asurine, to be tested.
The sooner you learn why you’re experiencing this, the sooner you can get the appropriate treatment, reducing the risk of possible complications.
This article looks at the possible causes ofyellow dischargeduring pregnancy, as well as what type of discharge is considered normal. It is intended to be informative, but not a replacement for the advice of a medical professional.
Verywell / Katie Kerpel
What Is Normal Discharge During Pregnancy?
During pregnancy it’s common to have an increase in vaginal discharge, known asleukorrhea. Normal vaginal discharge is typically odorless or has a mild smell and is often thin and clear. It may turn white or yellow after it’s exposed to air.
Discharge may increase in volume throughout the pregnancy, particularly in the third trimester. However, the amount and what it looks like can vary from person to person. Using a panty liner can protect your clothes.
Yellow discharge during pregnancy can sometimes be a sign of infection, particularly if there’s a foul smell or itching. Infections, when left untreated, may put a pregnancy at risk of miscarriage.It’s important to see your healthcare provider to check for infections or other issues if you notice yellow discharge.
What Does Normal Vaginal Discharge Look Like?
Vaginalyeast infections(vulvovaginal candidiasisor vaginal candidiasis) are pretty common in people with female reproductive organs. They’re more common during pregnancy because of changing levels of hormones.
Your body naturally grows a certain amount of the yeast fungus. It’s an important part of your gynecological ecosystem. When you have too much of it, it causes a yeast infection.
If you’re taking broad-spectrumantibioticsfor another ailment, you’re at higher risk of yeast infections since antibiotics can kill beneficial bacteria as well as harmful ones. That can throw your vaginal environment out of balance.
You’re also at-risk for future yeast infections if you had them before.
Symptoms of a Yeast Infection
Yeast infection symptoms include:
How Can a Yeast Infection Affect My Pregnancy?
Although a yeast infection can cause discomfort, it doesn’t pose a risk to your pregnancy. You can safely use an over-the-counter (OTC)vaginal creamor suppository, like Monistat, or a low dose of the anti-fungal pill called Diflucan (fluconazole) for an occasional yeast infection.
A single 150 milligram (mg) dose of Diflucan is considered safe for your child.
Can a Yeast Infection Cause Bleeding?
Symptoms of Bacterial Vaginosis
BV can be asymptomatic (not cause any symptoms). If you do have symptoms, they may include:
How Can BV Affect My Pregnancy?
BV can increase the risk of:
How to Recognize Bacterial Vaginosis
Gonorrheais an STI that can cause infections in the genitals, rectum, and throat. It’s a common infection, especially among young people ages 15–24. It’s a possible cause of yellow discharge during pregnancy.
Gonorrhea typically is treated with an injection of antibiotics. It’s becoming harder to treat, though, because drug-resistant strains are on the rise.
Because of that, it’s important to let your healthcare provider know if you still have symptoms a few days after treatment.
Symptoms of Gonorrhea
Symptoms can include some of the following:
How Can Gonorrhea Affect My Pregnancy?
If the infection is passed during delivery and isn’t treated, it could cause aneye infectionin your newborn.
“I’m Pregnant. Is This Headache Serious?”
Chlamydiais a common STI that primarily affects people ages 15 to 24. If left untreated, it can increase your risk of reproductive challenges, including damaged or blocked fallopian tubes,ectopic pregnancy(fertilized egg implanting and growing outside the womb), and infertility.
Symptoms of Chlamydia
Symptoms of chlamydia include:
How Can Chlamydia Affect My Pregnancy?
Chlamydia during pregnancy can put you at risk of:
Newborns who are exposed to chlamydia during delivery can develop eye andlung infections.
Chlamydia in Throat: Symptoms, Causes, Pictures
Symptoms of Trichomoniasis
Although most people report no symptoms from trichnomoniasis, you may have:
If you have a greenish-yellow discharge during pregnancy, see your healthcare provider right away.
How Can Trichomoniasis Affect My Pregnancy?
Trichomoniasis infection in pregnancy can increase the risk of:
On rare occasions, a newborn can acquire the infection during delivery.
Amniotic fluidis a clear and slightly yellow liquid that surrounds and cushions the fetus in the amniotic sac.
Membranes, or tissue, hold the fluid in the sac and usually don’t rupture until you’re in labor or within 24 hours of the start of labor.If you notice a yellowish fluid that either gushes or continuously trickles, it could be a sign that the membrane has ruptured.
Symptoms of Amniotic Fluid Leaks
If you have a sudden gush of fluid, that’s often a clear sign of a membrane rupture. However, if there is a small leak that releases fluid slowly, it can be harder to tell the difference between leaking amniotic fluid, urine, or vaginal discharge.
Symptoms of an amniotic fluid leak can include:
The main difference between urine and amniotic fluid is that urine will have a stronger smell. If you notice watery fluid and are unclear if it might be urine or amniotic fluid, put on a pad. If it’s urine, you should notice more of a urine smell on the pad over time.
Amniotic Fluid LeakNo odor or slightly sweet smellCan be a continuous trickleUrine LeakStandard urine smellOccurs periodically, such as during shift in movement or coughing
Amniotic Fluid LeakNo odor or slightly sweet smellCan be a continuous trickle
No odor or slightly sweet smell
Can be a continuous trickle
Urine LeakStandard urine smellOccurs periodically, such as during shift in movement or coughing
Standard urine smell
Occurs periodically, such as during shift in movement or coughing
How Can An Amniotic Fluid Leak Affect My Pregnancy?
If you are at least 37 weeks, it could be a sign that labor is about to begin. Your healthcare provider will want to monitor you to make sure you are progressing into labor. The longer it takes for labor to start, the greater the risk for infection, so your healthcare provider may want to induce labor through medications within hours.
If you are leaking amniotic fluid before 37 weeks, it is considered a pre-term premature rupture of membranes and can be more serious.
If you are between 34 and 37 weeks, your healthcare provider may recommend induction for early labor due to the risk of infection.
If it’s before 34 weeks, your healthcare provider may consider putting you on bed rest if there aren’t any signs of infection. They may prescribe antibiotics to help prevent infection as well as steroids to help the fetal lungs develop more quickly. You will be monitored closely at a hospital and tests may be done to check on the lung development. If the lungs have grown, induction may be recommended.
What Happens Each Week During Pregnancy?
Summary
Vaginal discharge during pregnancy is very common and can increase as the pregnancy progresses.
Some discharge is normal and healthy, but some types of discharge, including foul-smelling or yellow discharge during pregnancy can be a sign of infection.
A Word From VerywellThough an increased amount of vaginal discharge can be normal in pregnancy, itching, irritation, or foul odor is rarely normal. Even if you recognize the symptoms, it’s better to err on the side of caution and see your healthcare provider to evaluate for a condition that can cause risks to your pregnancy. Though infections like yeast or BV are usually not harmful to you, they can come with increased risk to the pregnancy.—RENITA WHITE, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell
Though an increased amount of vaginal discharge can be normal in pregnancy, itching, irritation, or foul odor is rarely normal. Even if you recognize the symptoms, it’s better to err on the side of caution and see your healthcare provider to evaluate for a condition that can cause risks to your pregnancy. Though infections like yeast or BV are usually not harmful to you, they can come with increased risk to the pregnancy.—RENITA WHITE, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Though an increased amount of vaginal discharge can be normal in pregnancy, itching, irritation, or foul odor is rarely normal. Even if you recognize the symptoms, it’s better to err on the side of caution and see your healthcare provider to evaluate for a condition that can cause risks to your pregnancy. Though infections like yeast or BV are usually not harmful to you, they can come with increased risk to the pregnancy.
—RENITA WHITE, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Vaginal itching and discharge—adult and adolescent.Giakoumelou S, Wheelhouse N, Cuschieri K, Entrican G, Howie SEM, Horne AW.The role of infection in miscarriage.Hum Reprod Update. 2016;22(1):116-133. doi:10.1093/humupd/dmv041U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office on Women’s Health.Vaginal yeast infections.Food and Drug Administration: FDA Drug Safety Communication.Use of long-term, high-dose Diflucan (fluconazole) during pregnancy may be associated with birth defects in infants.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Bacterial vaginosis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gonorrhea.National Eye Institute.Pink eye in newborns.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chlamydia.Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What infections can affect pregnancy?Taheri M, Ghasemikhah R.Clinical Manifestation and Epidemiological Finding ofTrichomonas vaginalisInfection in Unusual Areas of Body in Neonates: A Systematic Review.Iran J Public Health. 2022;51(6):1201-1209. doi:10.18502/ijph.v51i6.9652MedlinePlus.Premature rupture of membranes.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Vaginal itching and discharge—adult and adolescent.Giakoumelou S, Wheelhouse N, Cuschieri K, Entrican G, Howie SEM, Horne AW.The role of infection in miscarriage.Hum Reprod Update. 2016;22(1):116-133. doi:10.1093/humupd/dmv041U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office on Women’s Health.Vaginal yeast infections.Food and Drug Administration: FDA Drug Safety Communication.Use of long-term, high-dose Diflucan (fluconazole) during pregnancy may be associated with birth defects in infants.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Bacterial vaginosis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gonorrhea.National Eye Institute.Pink eye in newborns.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chlamydia.Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What infections can affect pregnancy?Taheri M, Ghasemikhah R.Clinical Manifestation and Epidemiological Finding ofTrichomonas vaginalisInfection in Unusual Areas of Body in Neonates: A Systematic Review.Iran J Public Health. 2022;51(6):1201-1209. doi:10.18502/ijph.v51i6.9652MedlinePlus.Premature rupture of membranes.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Vaginal itching and discharge—adult and adolescent.Giakoumelou S, Wheelhouse N, Cuschieri K, Entrican G, Howie SEM, Horne AW.The role of infection in miscarriage.Hum Reprod Update. 2016;22(1):116-133. doi:10.1093/humupd/dmv041U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office on Women’s Health.Vaginal yeast infections.Food and Drug Administration: FDA Drug Safety Communication.Use of long-term, high-dose Diflucan (fluconazole) during pregnancy may be associated with birth defects in infants.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Bacterial vaginosis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gonorrhea.National Eye Institute.Pink eye in newborns.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chlamydia.Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What infections can affect pregnancy?Taheri M, Ghasemikhah R.Clinical Manifestation and Epidemiological Finding ofTrichomonas vaginalisInfection in Unusual Areas of Body in Neonates: A Systematic Review.Iran J Public Health. 2022;51(6):1201-1209. doi:10.18502/ijph.v51i6.9652MedlinePlus.Premature rupture of membranes.
MedlinePlus.Vaginal itching and discharge—adult and adolescent.
Giakoumelou S, Wheelhouse N, Cuschieri K, Entrican G, Howie SEM, Horne AW.The role of infection in miscarriage.Hum Reprod Update. 2016;22(1):116-133. doi:10.1093/humupd/dmv041
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office on Women’s Health.Vaginal yeast infections.
Food and Drug Administration: FDA Drug Safety Communication.Use of long-term, high-dose Diflucan (fluconazole) during pregnancy may be associated with birth defects in infants.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Bacterial vaginosis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gonorrhea.
National Eye Institute.Pink eye in newborns.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chlamydia.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What infections can affect pregnancy?
Taheri M, Ghasemikhah R.Clinical Manifestation and Epidemiological Finding ofTrichomonas vaginalisInfection in Unusual Areas of Body in Neonates: A Systematic Review.Iran J Public Health. 2022;51(6):1201-1209. doi:10.18502/ijph.v51i6.9652
MedlinePlus.Premature rupture of membranes.
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