Bacterial Vaginosis During Pregnancy

All that one needs to do is to ask any woman for one to find out just how joyful an episode being pregnant is in a woman's life. Nonetheless, masked beneath the surface of joy, there are many risks that can happen during pregnancy and some of these concerns has to do with the health of the woman. One of the risks that can happen to a woman during pregnancy is a condition known as bacterial vaginosis.

What Is Bacterial Vaginosis?

Bacterial vaginosis is a kind of bacterial infection that affects the vagina. The condition is one of the most common types of vaginal infection. While the condition is commonly associated with sexually transmitted diseases, the truth is that bacterial vaginosis is not a kind of sexually transmitted disease. Instead, the condition is caused by an imbalance in the number if microorganism in the vagina. In this aspect, one should not confuse bacterial vaginosis from yeast infection such as candidiasis. which is not cause by bacteria.

Signs of Bacterial Vaginosis During Pregnancy

Before a woman gets pregnant, one should have noticed that if one's menstruation is normal and regular, the blood that comes out is odorless. Of course, once a woman gets pregnant, she will no longer have her menstrual flow. However, if a woman is affected by bacterial vaginosis, there is a discharge of white substance from the vagina with an offensive fishy smell. Because a pregnant woman may engage in sex with her partner if the pregnancy is still in its early stages, one will notice that the white discharge commonly occurs after sexual intercourse. This whitish discharge then coats the walls of the vagina. However, unlike other situations involving vaginal discharge, the condition is not associated with pain or irritation.

In a pregnant woman, it is really bad if one will catch bacterial vaginosis. While the condition is not known to cause any health risk to the growing fetus in the woman's womb, the condition can bring a lot of discomfort to the woman. If bacterial vaginosis is not treated immediately, there is the risk that a woman may become more susceptible to various sexually transmitted diseases, which, in the context of one's pregnancy, is truly a situation one would rather have none of.

Moreover, despite the fact that bacterial vaginosis does not pose any immediate risk to the fetus, this does not mean that the fetus is safe from risks brought about by bacterial vaginosis. This is because if the condition is left untreated, bacteria may accumulate and may travel upward into the bloodstream, thus putting the fetus' life in peril.

Treatments for Bacterial Vaginosis

The good news for pregnant women who may be suffering from bacterial vaginosis is that the condition can be treated with antibiotics especially clindamycin. This may come in the oral form, cream form, or the gel form. Women should know however that taking antibiotics during pregnancy needs a close monitoring of the doctor to ensure that the medication will not endanger the baby inside. Also, despite this, there is a chance that the condition may recur despite successfully treating it.