Bacterial vaginosis is one of the most frequent infections during pregnancy and usually happens due to hormonal changes that cause an imbalance in the vaginal bacteria, generating symptoms such as foul smelling smell and grayish discharge.
Although this infection does not affect the development of the baby, it can increase the risk of having a preterm birth or even the baby being born with low weight, for example. Thus, if any vaginal changes occur, it is very important to consult your obstetrician or gynecologist to see if there is any problem and start the most appropriate treatment.
Main symptoms
In most cases bacterial vaginosis does not cause any symptoms and therefore many women end up discovering the infection only during a routine examination in the gynecologist or obstetrician.
However, other women may have symptoms such as:
- Fetid smell, similar to rotten fish;
- White or grayish discharge;
- Burning to the urine;
- Redness and itching in the genital area.
These symptoms can also be confused with a candidiasis and therefore it is very important to make the diagnosis in the doctor, since both problems have different treatment. Check out the symptoms of candidiasis and how to treat those cases.
How to confirm the diagnosis
The doctor may arrive at the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis only through the evaluation of the symptoms presented by the pregnant woman, however, also an examination can be made to the discharge, to assess if there are bacteria.
How is the treatment done?
The treatment for bacterial vaginosis should always be guided by the obstetrician or gynecologist and is usually done when the pregnant woman has symptoms or presents a great risk of having a preterm birth, for example.
Thus, treatment can be done with the use of oral antibiotics such as Clindamycin or Metronizadol for 7 days or with the application of antibiotics in ointment for about 5 days. The treatment time should be respected as directed by your doctor, even if the symptoms disappear sooner.
What to do to avoid having vaginosis
Since vaginosis arises due to natural vaginal flora changes during pregnancy, there is no specific way to prevent the onset of this infection. However, some precautions that may help prevent its emergence appear to be:
- Use a condom if you have more than one sexual partner;
- Make proper intimate hygiene;
- Do not make vaginal douches without your doctor's advice.
In addition, women who smoke also appear to be at increased risk of vaginosis, so during pregnancy it is very important to avoid cigarette smoking, not only because of vaginosis, but to ensure a better development of the baby.
