Do not be subjective to vaginal infections during pregnancy

When pregnancy begins, hormones in the body skyrocket making pregnant women more susceptible to a variety of vaginal infections during pregnancy. Below are some common bacterial infections, along with how to treat them if you're pregnant with bacterial vaginosis.

How is vaginal discharge related to vaginal infections during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, the mother's body will change in many different directions. One of these changes will lead to an increase in vaginal discharge. If your vaginal discharge is clear or white and has no smell, this is normal caused by pregnancy hormones.

However, if the vaginal discharge is too high, it means that your vagina is infected. This happens when the natural balance of bacteria that live in the vagina is disrupted.

There are four types of vaginal infections (from common to rare) that can affect pregnant women: bacterial vaginosis (BV), yeast infections, group B Strep (GBS), and Trichomonas infection.

The good news for pregnant women is that vaginal infections are easily treated, if diagnosed in time. However, you need to be able to differentiate between normal vaginal fluids and vaginal discharge that shows signs of infection.

What should pregnant women do if they have one of the following 4 types of vaginal infections?

The four types of vaginal infections have different symptoms, effects, treatment, and prevention methods. What kind of infection are you likely to have?

Vaginal bacterial infections

About one in five pregnant women will experience an infection that causes itching and discomfort in the genital area. Vaginal bacteria happen when hormones in the mother's body change, leading to the overgrowth of bacteria that naturally live in the vagina.

If not treated early, symptoms will persist and can lead to a premature birth or a low weight baby. Even in women who are not pregnant, vaginal bacteria can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, which can cause infertility or damage the fallopian tubes.

Vaginal bacteria can be diagnosed simply by the doctor taking a cotton swab, applying a little bit of your secretion to a plastic pad and transferring it for analysis.

 Signs and symptoms include:

Vaginal discharge thin, milky white;

Pain when urinating;

Itching around the vagina;

Treatment:

If you are in the first 3 months of pregnancy, your doctor may ask you to wait until the next 3 months for treatment. The most commonly used antibiotics are metronidazole or clindamycin.

Prevention tips:

Wearing wet swimsuits or underwear soaked in sweat will help you create an environment for bacteria to grow. Therefore, you should use cotton underwear after you swim or work to both comfort you and prevent vaginal infections;

Sleeping without underwear helps to reduce the risk of infection;

Wipe your vulva from front to back after you use the bathroom to keep bacteria from spreading from your anus to your vagina;

Limit your use of shower oils as they can worsen the infection.

Vaginal yeast infection

When you feel that your lower abdomen is very itchy and burning sensations, it means your vagina is suffering from a yeast infection, a natural fungus that lives in the vagina is overgrown. During pregnancy, the mother's body increases estrogen levels and progesterone creates the environment in which yeasts can thrive.

Other causes of yeast infections include taking antibiotics and having sex. This can disrupt the natural pH of a woman's vagina.

Your doctor can diagnose a yeast infection by removing vaginal discharge and testing it.

Signs and symptoms:

Red and itchy vagina, sometimes with a feeling of vaginal dryness;

Redness of the skin, enlarged vagina and labia;

A thick, white or yellow vaginal discharge may or may not be odorless. If it does, the smell will be like toast;

Painful or unpleasant sensations during sex;

Feeling pain when urinating.

Treatment:

Your doctor may recommend a vaginal cream or cream, or an oral antifungal like fluconazole (Diflucan®).

Prevention tips:

Wear cotton underwear, allow air to circulate and absorb vaginal fluids;

Sleep without underwear to reduce your risk of infection;

Drink at least eight glasses of water a day to get rid of toxins;

Urinate regularly to help eliminate bacterial infections;

Eat foods rich in carbohydrates and grains instead of refined sugars to help reduce environmental factors conducive to infection;

Eat yogurt regularly as lactobacillus naturally present in yogurt, is a probiotic that promotes digestion and prevents vaginal infections.

Strep group B and trichomoniasis (GBS)

According to research, about 20% to 25% of healthy women have GBS bacteria living in their bodies, usually in the digestive tract, rectum or vagina.

Usually, doctors will check for GBS between weeks 35 and 37 of your pregnancy. Although many healthy people have GBS living in their bodies, some individuals get more serious infections from GBS while others do not.

Signs and symptoms:

GBS infection can cause a urinary tract infection (UTI) in some people, but in some cases there are no symptoms at all. Symptoms of a urinary tract infection include pain or burning when urinating, cloudy urine, and persistent urination.

Treatment:

If the test is positive for GBS, you will need antibiotic treatment during labor so you don't pass the infection on to your baby. Without antibiotics, infants are at risk for early-onset GBS, fever, difficulty eating and drowsiness.

Prevention tips:

Unfortunately, there is currently no way to prevent GBS infection.

Trichomoniasis

With estimates by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with about 7.4 million new cases each year, Trichomonas vaginitis is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. most and treatable.

The disease is caused by the parasites Trichomonas vaginalis through sex and usually live in the vagina.

Signs and symptoms:

Vaginal discharge yellowish green, foamy, foul-smelling;

Itching, burning, and possible irritation during sex.

Treatment:

Your doctor may prescribe oral antibiotics such as metronidazole and tinidazole.

Prevention tips:

You and your partner need to perform relevant tests to get the right treatment. Besides, you should only have sex with only 1 person to reduce the risk of infection with Trichomonas.

In addition, using a condom can help prevent infection during sex.

Most cases of bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy have measures to prevent or treat. However, to ensure the safety of pregnancy and effective treatment, you should create safe sex, create a daily routine of personal hygiene, as well as visit your obstetrician and gynecologist regularly.

You can see more:

Don't be afraid to talk to him about bacterial vaginosis

Get tested for vaginal infections

How does pregnancy affect your vagina?