If you are a first-time mom and observe changes in your discharge, such as a sweet smelly discharge or discharge more frequently, you may get a little worried.
This thing may be completely new for you. But just like everything in pregnancy, your vaginal discharge also changes at different stages of pregnancy, so to help you here, we will discuss different forms of discharge during early pregnancy and what it means.
Sweet, Smelly Discharge In Early Pregnancy: What Does It Indicate?
All vaginas secrete vaginal discharge, and all vaginas have different consistency, color, and odor. Everyone has a different odor, and mostly, they know the odor of their healthy discharge. Discharge scent can change in response to sex, pregnancy workouts, diet, and medications.
However, if you observe that your vaginal odor has completely changed and smells sweet or maybe fishy, it indicates that something is off with your body.
What Is The Normal Smell And Color Of Vaginal Discharge?
To understand better if a sweet smell from vaginal discharge is normal, we have to look at the color, texture, and odor of normal vaginal discharge. Some of the normal scents of vaginal discharge are.
Tangy
It has a sour bread-like smell and is produced when lactobacillus produces lactic acid. This smell is normal and may feel a little strong after sex.
Sweet
A sweet beer-like smell is also completely normal, and it is also because of excessive lactic acid production. It is mostly short-term.
Metallic Smell
It smells like a metal coin, most probably of Cooper, and it is common after periods or vagina bleeding. It can also be of semen because the semen can change the pH of the female vagina.
Sweaty Smell
A scent similar to your body odor or sweat indicates that you are stressed, and your sweat glands work too much.
Ammonia
Vagina smells like ammonia when it is not cleaned properly and has urine on it. Our body excretes ammonia in the urine. When retained in the vagina, it can cause a foul smell which can easily be reduced by properly cleaning the vagina.
Is A Sweet Smell Discharge During Pregnancy Normal?
Yes, in most of the cases, it is considered normal. Pregnancy is the time when the body decides to break all the rules and
things that never happened to you happened at that time.
The sweet-smelling vagina is not limited to pregnancy. It can smell sweet even if you are not pregnant. Unlike our body, the pH of the vagina is on the acidic side, and it is necessary to maintain the health of the vaginal tissues.
The pH of the vagina is between 3.8 to 4.5, and different bacteria maintain it. One of the healthy bacteria which maintain an acidic environment is known as lactobacillus. Lactobacillus produces lactic acid, which has a sweet and tangy aroma, so it is normal for your vagina to smell sweet, especially when there is excessive production for the protection of the vagina and maintenance of acidic pH.
Conditions In Which A Sweet Smelling Discharge Is Dangerous
In most cases, sweet discharge during pregnancy or in normal life is considered completely normal; however, if it is too frequent or has other symptoms, such as a burning sensation, it is a concerning thing. Some of the causes because of which the vagina can smell sweet and require immediate medical attention are
Yeast Infection
According to a survey, three out of four women suffer from vaginal yeast infection at some point. It mostly occurs when the vaginal ecosystem is disturbed. They shift in the bacterial colony and may alter the pH of the vagina, which results in an infection. You can get this infection at any point in life. However, it is really common if you are
- Pregnant
- Immunocompromised patient
- On Birth control pills
- Taking Antibiotics
Yeast Infections have a sweet beer-like smell, and discharge is in the form of milky white clumps. You will not only observe a change in the consistency of discharge but will be other associated symptoms as well, such as
- Burning during urination
- Pain during duration
- Weak urine stream
- Burning and swelling of the vulva, vagina, and surrounding regions.
These symptoms can vary from person to person. However, a thick white discharge in the form of clumps from the vagina and a sweet scent confirms that it is a yeast infection.
Amniotic Fluid
Another thing that smells sweet, excluding lactic acid and yeast infection, is amniotic fluid. Amniotic fluid is necessary for the baby's protection and the growth of different systems, such as the digestive and respiratory systems.
When you start to feel contractions during labor, your amniotic fluid breaks, pushing the baby into the vagina. Amniotic fluid breaks during contractions, but sometimes it can rupture before 37 weeks and is known as premature rupture of membranes. After this, you will observe a frequent vaginal discharge with a sweet smell.
If you feel the frequent discharge of water through your vagina and it is more than normal, immediately contact your healthcare provider.
FAQs
Can infection cause a sweet-smelling discharge?
Your discharge and urine can smell sweet in many disorders and infections. In addition to yeast infection, discharge can smell sweet from gestational diabetes, urinary tract infections, or liver disease. Remember that when there are some associated painful symptoms with a sweet smell, it is a problem; otherwise, it is completely normal.
Is jelly-like discharge normal in pregnancy?
Yes, it is completely normal; mostly, vaginal discharge is light yellow, white, and thin, but it becomes jelly-like and thick in pregnancy because of the mucus plug. Sometimes, it may also have a red, pink, or brownish hue, and it's nothing to worry about.
Conclusion
Pregnancy is when everything about your body changes, and normal things may appear as red flags to you. In such a scenario, when your discharge starts smelling sweet, you may think your fetus is harmed. This is completely normal if it is not frequent and doesn't have other associated symptoms such as pain and irritation.
However, if it is painful or frequent, it may indicate an infection or leakage of amniotic fluid; in this case, immediately contact your healthcare provider.
