Discharge in pregnancy increases, and that alone sends a lot of people looking for an explanation. The useful thing this page can do is separate the three quite different situations that all arrive as the same complaint.
The short answer: more discharge is normal — thin, clear or milky-white, mild-smelling, no itching. That is leucorrhoea, driven by oestrogen, and it is protective. Thick white discharge with itching or soreness is thrush, which is treatable but not self-treated in pregnancy. A watery loss that keeps coming may be amniotic fluid — use the pad test below, and ring the same day if you are under 37 weeks. Green, grey, frothy or foul-smelling discharge, or any blood, needs a call.
Telling the three apart
| Normal | Infection | Waters | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Look | Thin, clear or milky-white | Thick white, or green, yellow, grey, frothy | Clear or straw-coloured, watery |
| Smell | Mild or none | Strong, fishy, or unpleasant | Not urine; sometimes slightly sweet |
| Feel | No itching or soreness | Itching, burning, soreness, stinging on passing urine | No irritation, but a sensation of leaking |
| Amount | Steady, increases over pregnancy | Variable | Gush, or a trickle that keeps coming |
| What to do | Nothing | Ring — do not buy treatment first | Pad test, then ring the same day |
The pad test
- Empty your bladder.
- Put on a clean, dry pad — not a liner.
- Lie down for 30 minutes. Amniotic fluid pools behind the presenting part when you are horizontal.
- Stand up. A gush on standing, and continued leaking afterwards, points to waters. Discharge does not do this, and urine does not keep coming.
- Keep the pad. Whoever assesses you will want to see the colour.
Call the same day if: you think your waters may have broken and you are under 37 weeks; the fluid is green, brown or blood-stained at any stage; you have a fever alongside any fluid loss; or you notice bleeding. Even at term, waters breaking is reported rather than waited on, because the timing affects what happens next.
Do not douche, and do not use tampons at any point in pregnancy. Douching disrupts the vaginal flora that protect against ascending infection — it makes the problem it is used for more likely. Wash with water, skip scented products, and wear cotton underwear.
Vaginal discharge in pregnancy — at a glance
Increased oestrogen and blood flow raise discharge throughout pregnancy: normal leucorrhoea is thin, clear or milky-white, mild-smelling, without itching or soreness, and it is protective rather than a problem. Three distinct situations present as the same complaint. Thick white discharge with itching, soreness or burning is thrush, which is commoner in pregnancy and treatable — but oral antifungals are avoided and pessaries are used on advice, so it is a call rather than a purchase. Green, yellow, grey or frothy discharge, a strong or fishy smell, or any blood needs assessing. And a watery loss that keeps coming may be amniotic fluid: empty the bladder, wear a dry pad, lie down for 30 minutes and stand up — a gush on standing with continued leaking points to waters, and suspected waters under 37 weeks, or fluid that is green, brown or blood-stained at any stage, is a same-day call. Douching and tampons are avoided throughout, since disrupting the vaginal flora makes ascending infection more likely rather than less.
Inside Baby Novum: discharge sits in the daily symptom check-in with everything else, so a change has a date attached to it. "It changed four days ago" is a considerably more useful thing to say on the phone than "recently". Encrypted on the device, no account, no server copy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much discharge is normal in pregnancy?
More than before, and increasing as pregnancy goes on. It is called leucorrhoea: thin, clear or milky-white, with a mild smell or none, and no itching or soreness. Increased oestrogen and blood flow to the area drive it, and it is doing a job — it helps keep the vagina's bacterial balance and protect against infection ascending. Wearing a panty liner is fine; a tampon is not.
What does thrush look like in pregnancy?
Thick, white, often described as cottage-cheese-like, with itching, soreness or burning, sometimes stinging when passing urine. Thrush is more common in pregnancy. It is treatable — but ask before buying: oral antifungal tablets are avoided in pregnancy, and the pessary and cream forms are used with an applicator only on advice. Do not self-treat repeatedly without being assessed.
How do I know if my waters have broken?
The pad test. Empty your bladder, put on a clean pad, and lie down for 30 minutes. Then stand up. Amniotic fluid pools while lying down and gushes when you stand, and it keeps coming afterwards; discharge and urine do not behave that way. Amniotic fluid is usually clear or straw-coloured and does not smell of urine. Any suspected waters before 37 weeks is a same-day call, as is fluid that is green, brown or blood-stained at any stage.
Which discharge changes need a call?
Green, yellow, grey or frothy discharge; a strong or fishy smell; itching, soreness or burning; any blood; and watery loss that keeps coming. In the third trimester, blood-streaked jelly-like mucus is usually the mucus plug and is normal near term, but it is still worth mentioning if you are under 37 weeks.
What should I avoid doing?
Do not douche — it disrupts the bacterial balance and makes infection more likely, not less. Avoid scented soaps, bubble baths, vaginal deodorants and scented liners. Wash with water only. Wear cotton underwear, and do not use tampons at any point in pregnancy.