Bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy: causes, symptoms, treatment. What is dangerous bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy and how to prevent it

Every year, every fifth expectant mother is diagnosed with a rather unpredictable diagnosis: bacterial vaginosis. Women complain of pathological discharge and are very surprised when gynecologists find this infection in them. Even more striking is the fact that bacterial vaginosis is the most common disease among pregnant women.

The fact is that under the influence of all those changes that occur in the female body during pregnancy, the bacterial balance in the vagina can be disturbed. Usually the “balance” of the microflora is maintained by lactic acid bacteria, but in pregnant women their number decreases. Immunity decreases, and harmful pathogenic microbes develop in the vagina, which cause bacterial vaginosis.

The risk is that this infection can be asymptomatic for years and only become apparent during pregnancy. And if you do not pay attention to the warning signs and do not take action, then the disease can lead to diseases of the pelvic organs and even to or to a miscarriage. However, until now the connection between such complications and vaginosis has not been fully confirmed by scientists. There have been cases when in women with vaginosis, pregnancy proceeded absolutely normally, and the disease eventually disappeared on its own.

Causes of bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy

Normally, the vagina is inhabited by 98% of lactobacilli. They control the balance of microflora and produce lactic acid, which maintains an acidic environment that is detrimental to most pathogenic pathogens. Under the influence of certain factors, the number of lactobacilli may decrease. In this case, the acidity of the microecological system of the vagina is disturbed. The reduction of lactobacilli causes the uncontrolled growth of a "minority" of harmful bacteria: gardnerella, bacteroids, mobilincus, peptococci, streptococci. This is how bacterial vaginosis occurs.

It is difficult to determine exactly what exactly affects the microflora. The decrease in the number of lactobacilli can be affected by both internal and external factors:

taking strong antibiotics, antimicrobial drugs, antifungal and hormonal agents;
hormonal disruptions after abortion, childbirth, puberty and menstrual irregularities;
the use of antimicrobial agents for intimate hygiene with triclosan, vaginal douching, as well as antiseptic solutions, soda;
the use of combined oral contraception and spirals;
the use of spermicides (they are part of vaginal suppositories and tablets);
allergic and endocrine diseases;
abrupt climate change, stress;
violation of the microbial balance of the intestine;
wearing synthetic tight underwear;
pregnancy, especially complicated;
disregard for basic hygiene rules.

What is dangerous vaginosis during pregnancy

During pregnancy, harmful microorganisms from the vagina can enter the internal genital area and infect the membranes and placenta. Such a "migration" leads to the development of severe complications: chorioamnionitis, inflammation and purulent fusion of the membranes, their rupture and early discharge of amniotic fluid. This provokes premature birth.

The infection can "spread" to the child, can cause prolonged hypoxia, disruption of the normal functioning of the placenta and its vessels. Then the child is born weakened, with low body weight, with pneumonia, diseases of the nervous system. In some cases, vaginosis causes a miscarriage.

After childbirth, especially caesarean section, problems may arise in the mother herself. Bacterial vaginosis gives a whole "bouquet" of complications: inflammation of the inner lining of the uterus, purulent infections of the mammary gland, poor healing of the suture, prolonged lochia. That is why vaginosis is very dangerous during pregnancy.

Bacterial vaginosis. Symptoms

According to statistics, about half of women with bacterial vaginosis are asymptomatic. This makes it difficult to timely detect the infection and treat it. You should be concerned if you notice any of the following symptoms:

sticky and viscous copious discharge of white, sometimes gray. If the disease continues for more than one month, the discharge may acquire a yellow and green tint;
a sour, fishy smell of discharge that intensifies after intercourse, in particular after contact with semen;
itching, mainly in the evening and at night, aggravated after sexual intercourse or after taking a hot bath;
pain when urinating;
pain during intercourse;
pain in the lower abdomen in the absence of any other inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs and uterine hypertonicity.

If you experience these symptoms, see your doctor immediately! Your gynecologist will take a swab to check for bacterial vaginosis or another infection, and then prescribe the appropriate treatment.

In some cases, pregnant women who have been diagnosed with vaginosis still give birth to a healthy baby. It happens that the disease in expectant mothers goes away on its own. But there is another side to the coin: vaginosis makes you more susceptible to sexually transmitted infections. You can "catch" the immunodeficiency virus, chlamydia, or gonorrhea.

How to treat bacterial vaginosis in pregnancy?

If your gynecologist diagnosed you with bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy, don't panic. You will likely be given a course of antibiotics that are safe to take while you are pregnant. It is important that you take the problem seriously and take medication even if some of the symptoms disappear. Go see your gynecologist every 3-4 months. Vaginosis is treatable, but the infection can reappear at any time. The fact is that drugs kill harmful microorganisms, but do not affect the increase in the number of lactobacilli.

Treatment of vaginosis in most cases begins from 20-22 weeks of pregnancy. More often, expectant mothers are recommended drugs "Metronidazole", "Trichopolum", "Klion", "Metrogil", "Clindamycin", "Tiberal" or "Ornidazole". According to doctors, these drugs do not affect the development of the fetus, but it is forbidden to use them in the first half of pregnancy. If the symptoms recur, and the tests did not show candidiasis or the presence of gardnerella, drugs are prescribed to restore the microflora: Acylact, Bifidin or Lactobacterin.

Treatment of a spouse or partner is not required - it does not affect the recovery of the expectant mother in any way. Watch your diet: your diet should be enriched with fermented milk products and coarse fibers.

To prevent vaginosis, follow a few simple rules. First, practice safe sex if you or your partner has sex with other people. Second, stop smoking, as it increases the risk of infection. Thirdly, do not use scented intimate hygiene products - they can cause an imbalance in the microflora of the vagina. Regularly undergo gynecological examinations and take tests to determine the state of the vaginal microflora. If you are planning a pregnancy, then be sure to cure all diseases that are sexually transmitted.

Especially for Nadezhda Zaitseva

Bacterial vaginosis occurs in every 2-3 pregnant women. This pathology is infectious non-inflammatory in nature. The disease must be treated even if there are no symptoms, as it can lead to unpleasant consequences during pregnancy.

What is bacterial vaginosis?

This disease is also called gardnerellosis or vaginal dysbacteriosis. With bacterial vaginosis, the microflora of the vagina is disturbed, namely, the number of beneficial lactic acid bacteria decreases. This state provides a favorable environment for the reproduction of pathogenic microbes - gardnerella and anaerobes.

With bacterial vaginosis, one or more types of microorganisms can develop - in total, more than 200 of them are isolated with such a disease. Such a variety does not always allow us to identify the exact type of bacteria.

You should know that in each case of bacterial vaginosis, the microflora is unique in composition, but gardnerella are almost always detected - the most common pathogenic microorganisms.

Causes of bacterial vaginosis in pregnant women

Bacterial vaginosis begins for a single reason - a change in the microflora. Many factors can cause this phenomenon:

drug therapy: most often a change in the microflora associated with the use of antibiotics, hormonal drugs, antifungal and antimicrobial agents;
hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy;
problems with the endocrine system;
antimicrobial intimate hygiene products containing triclosan;
wearing synthetic underwear (especially thongs);
vaginal douching (especially with soda or antiseptics);
non-compliance with intimate hygiene;
intestinal dysbacteriosis;
severe or chronic stress;
climate change;
the course of pregnancy with complications;
entry into the vagina of a foreign body;
new sexual partner;
inflammatory process in the reproductive system (currently or earlier);
high sexual activity;
unhealthy diet and bad habits.

Symptoms

The main symptom of bacterial vaginosis is a moderate (sometimes large) amount of vaginal discharge accompanied by an ammonia smell. It is usually characterized as the smell of rotten fish.

The first months the disease is manifested by liquid secretions of white or grayish color. On gynecological examination, the vaginal mucosa has a normal pink color. In rare cases, individual red dots can be found.

If bacterial vaginosis has been occurring for many months, then its symptoms become more pronounced:

discharges change in consistency: they can be cheesy or mucous;
the color of the discharge also changes, becoming yellow-green;
uniform distribution of secretions along the walls of the vagina: they are quite thick and sticky, they can foam;
secretions become much larger in volume: at a rate of 2-4 ml, their number can even increase 10 times;
bacterial vaginosis that has begun for a long time leads to burning, itching in the vagina, but these unpleasant sensations may be absent altogether or appear periodically;
pain may occur during intercourse;
sometimes the process of urination is upset (it becomes more frequent and becomes painful);
with bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy, pain in the lower abdomen may occur.

Diagnostics

To confirm bacterial vaginosis, three stages of diagnosis are sufficient:

Inspection. At this stage, vaginosis is suspected if there is a foul-smelling discharge. But in some cases they may be absent.
Smear. A microscopic (bacterioscopic) examination of a Gram-stained smear is carried out. The vaginosis specimen shows a predominance of epithelial cells over leukocytes, a decrease in the volume of Doderlein rods, and visualization of specific cells. They are called key - it is on them that pathogenic microbes are found.
Bakposev (cultural study) on Gardnerella vaginalis is not informative; in difficult cases, it is possible to carry out only a PCR analysis for gardnerella.
Acidity. This stage of diagnosis means determining the pH of the environment in the vagina. If the pH is greater than 4.5, then bacterial vaginosis occurs.

The main direction of treatment of the disease is a course of antibiotics. It is usually assigned only from the second trimester of pregnancy, since in the first months the fetus is especially susceptible to all kinds of medicines. Typically, bacterial vaginosis is treated with one of the following medications:

metronidazole (Klion or Trichopol tablets) - 250 mg 2 times a day for 7 days;
ornidazole (Tiberal) - 250 mg 2 times a day for 5 days.

Antibiotics may not completely kill opportunistic bacteria. It should be borne in mind that their presence (a small percentage) is the norm for every woman.

To recreate a normal vaginal environment, special vaginal capsules are prescribed (Vaginorm, Acilact, Lactobacterin, Laktozhinal, Bifikol or Bifidumbacterin, for example).

You need to know that you need to treat bacterial vaginosis only under the supervision of a doctor. In the course of timely therapy, it is important to restore the normal microflora of the vagina.

They also restore the intestinal microflora with the help of bifidus and lactobacilli.

When diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis, it must be remembered that the prescribed treatment must be continued to the end, even if there were no symptoms of the disease initially or they disappeared during therapy.

Pregnant women in the first trimester if necessary, prescribe drugs in the form of candles. Their advantage is in local action - the active components do not have a systemic effect on the body, as happens when taking medications orally.

For the treatment of bacterial vaginosis, not only drug therapy is important, it is important to pay attention to your diet. It is necessary to add fermented milk products to it. Sugar and products containing it will have to be abandoned for a while.

Sexual contact during treatment, the doctor usually prohibits or recommends barrier contraception (condoms).

The danger of untreated vaginosis for pregnant women

If bacterial vaginosis is not detected in a timely manner and correct therapy is not carried out, then there is a significant risk for both the mother and the fetus:

Inflammation of the fetal bladder (chorioamnionitis). The inflammatory process can lead to a micro-rupture or even a complete rupture of the bladder. This can result in miscarriage or premature birth.
When a microrupture appears in the fetal bladder, there is a risk of infection entering the amniotic fluid. This can lead to infection of the fetus. The consequences in this case are unpredictable - from the developmental delay of the fetus to the spread of sepsis and fetal death.
If a “crack” appears in the fetal bladder, then amniotic fluid may leak - this is detrimental to the unborn baby.
Against the background of undertreated dysbacteriosis, another inflammatory infection may develop.
If bacterial vaginosis is not completely cured, then complications may arise during childbirth, and it is impossible to predict their nature in advance (most often women who have refused treatment or have not gone through it completely and conscientiously suffer from postpartum metroendometritis).
Reduced immunity in vaginal dysbacteriosis makes the body more susceptible to many diseases. Even a common cold can result in severe complications.

Can you get pregnant with bacterial vaginosis?

Conception in the presence of bacterial vaginosis is a controversial issue. On the one hand, this disease changes the microflora of the vagina. Spermatozoa in it can die rapidly, so the possibility of conception is reduced.

On the other hand, there are many cases where such a disease did not prevent conception in the least. Thus, we can say that the possibility of conception with bacterial vaginosis is an individual matter.

It is important to know that bacterial vaginosis itself is not particularly dangerous, unlike the complications it causes. It can be various diseases, up to infertility.

It is possible to conceive with bacterial vaginosis, but you should not do this. It is best to treat the disease first, and then plan to replenish the family. Treatment during pregnancy is complicated by the fact that most drugs cannot be used in the first months. Meanwhile, the development of the disease can lead to various complications, including those of the fetus, if intrauterine infection occurs.

Every woman planning a pregnancy must first undergo a comprehensive examination, pass various tests, and cure existing diseases. Only this will be the key to a normal pregnancy.

Video about bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy

The obstetrician tells about the possible danger, the causes of development, diagnosis and treatment of the disease during pregnancy in this video:

Bacterial vaginosis is a fairly common disease. It is necessary to contact a specialist at the first symptoms, and the prescribed treatment should be completed to the end.

With the disappearance of lactobacilli, which performed protective functions, the body becomes more vulnerable, the balance of bacteria is disturbed.

In women, this disease is quite common, but its occurrence during pregnancy can be pretty dangerous moment., since the neglect of this disease can even lead to.

Reasons for the development of vaginosis

In fact, the causes of infection with vaginosis can be quite a lot. Consider the most famous:

intake and medications. This is the most common reason, since many medications help reduce the number of beneficial lactobacilli and disrupt the composition of the natural microflora of the vagina;
hormonal disbalance. Pregnancy is, in fact, a big hormonal failure for the whole organism, since during the formation of the fetus, many natural processes are disrupted and the body is rebuilt;
frequent use of intimate hygiene products. Frequent use of pads and tampons can adversely affect the microflora of the female genital organs;
the use of several types of contraceptives at once, as well as the use of spermicidal preparations;
inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system, as well as injuries, operations and injuries of any kind;
wearing tight and uncomfortable underwear made of “non-breathable” fabrics;
allergic, chronic and endocrine diseases;
improper diet, alcohol abuse and smoking;
stress and anxiety situations;
difficult course of pregnancy.

Diagnosis of the disease

Usually only a doctor can diagnose the disease. The woman herself to determine what kind of infection she has - impossible because there are quite a few of them.

Usually a woman experiences discomfort and observes some changes, after which she should consult a doctor. The doctor should examine the woman and take a vaginal swab for analysis and blood for general tests.

After carrying out all the tests, you can confidently confirm or refute the diagnosis of vaginosis, determine what character it is and find out the cause of this disease. Based on the results obtained, treatment is determined.

Symptoms

With vaginosis, from the very beginning changes in the nature of vaginal discharge. They become much more abundant and change color.

They can also become thicker in consistency. In a large number of women, bacterial vaginosis is accompanied by a discharge that has an unpleasant odor, which can bring additional discomfort.

Itching it can also manifest itself, and if the disease is not treated, then the itching can only intensify.

Pain during urination. If it hurts to go to the toilet, then this is a mandatory reason to visit a doctor. Since such pains can accompany a very large number of different diseases, and out of ignorance, many women begin to be treated with medicines for completely different diseases.

During pregnancy this self-diagnosis prohibited, since the health of the unborn baby is easy to seriously harm. With vaginosis, itching is quite rare.

Pain during intercourse. This is a serious sign of any disease of the reproductive system, a doctor's consultation is required!

Why is vaginosis dangerous during pregnancy?

Any infectious disease during pregnancy can be very dangerous for both mother and baby and carry many serious consequences.

With bacterial vaginosis, inflammation of the fetal bladder can occur, as a result of which either a crack or a rupture can form on it. If a gap occurs, then miscarriage may begin or occur.

And if a crack forms, then through it the infection can enter the amniotic fluid and infect the child. Infection can have a different character - from inhibition of fetal development, to the appearance of sepsis.

The presence of a crack characterizes the leakage of amniotic fluid during pregnancy. When this symptom is detected, see a doctor immediately!

Also, in the presence of vaginosis, childbirth itself can have consequences. This is usually manifested by complications of various kinds, the occurrence of more serious inflammatory infections.

Also, the presence of bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy can reduce immunity, and a woman can become infected with complex and serious diseases.

Treatment and prevention

The basis of treatment is the restoration of the normal microflora of the vagina and the growth of the number of lactic acid bacteria.

Of the medications, antifungal drugs from the group are usually prescribed. nitroimidazoles. The form of release of such medicines can be very different - tablets, suppositories, creams.

Such drugs are not used in the first trimester due to the risk of high fetal susceptibility to medications. Candles containing lactic acid bacteria can be used.

During treatment, it is forbidden to use many types of contraceptives, for example, you can not use oral or vaginal, but it is allowed to use barrier (condoms).

It is also important to be treated under the supervision of a doctor, because there is a high risk of destroying harmful pathogenic bacteria, but not restoring the acid balance in the vagina.

Then a woman can be cured of vaginosis, but become infected with other diseases of the reproductive system, for example.

To maintain treatment, it is important to eat a lot of dairy foods and give up an abundance of sugar.

Pregnancy after bacterial vaginosis

As a rule, antibiotics kill most opportunistic bacteria, leaving only a small percentage of them. It must be said right away that in the body of any woman there is a certain percentage of such bacteria, and this is considered the norm.

Only when their number is steadily growing and suppresses beneficial lactobacilli is it considered a disease. Therefore, complex treatment and prevention of vaginosis, as a rule, give results and you can get rid of the disease within a month or even earlier.

If vaginosis did not bring significant complications, such as infection of the fetus, rupture or crack in the fetal bladder, as well as infection with severe infections, then the woman is considered healthy and usually nothing threatens her health or the health of the unborn baby. Such a pregnancy can continue without the risk of complications, miscarriage or premature birth.

If vaginosis has led to any complications, then only a doctor can observe the clinical picture. Most of the complications are treated or controlled with medications, so it is important to consult a doctor at an early stage of the disease or when you are just beginning to suspect its presence.

And remember - any deviations or discomfort in your body during pregnancy can lead to serious consequences. It is important not to forget about disease prevention, body hygiene and regular check-ups with doctors. Your health has a lot to do with your baby's health!

Bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy is diagnosed in 20% of women. This disease is one of the most common in expectant mothers. This is explained by the fact that during the period of bearing a child, serious changes occur in the body. As a result, the bacterial balance in the vagina becomes abnormal.

Lactic acid bacteria are responsible for the balance of microflora. But from the moment of conception, their number gradually decreases. In parallel, due to the increased load on the body, the immune system weakens, the genital area of the pregnant woman is attacked by pathogenic bacteria.

Vaginosis during pregnancy: signs

Signs of bacterial vaginosis

In most cases, vaginosis does not manifest itself. A woman learns about her illness after taking tests. Among the most common symptoms of the disease, gynecologists distinguish:

profuse white or grayish vaginal discharge that has an unpleasant odor (often reminiscent of the smell of rotten fish);
secretion of foam from the genital tract;
violation of urination;
discomfort during intercourse;
itching and pain in the vaginal area.

The doctor can make a preliminary diagnosis immediately after examining the patient on the gynecological chair and listening to her complaints. However, it is impossible to confirm the presence of the disease without testing. To do this, smears are taken from the vagina, allowing you to study the composition of the microflora of the genital tract.

Treatment of bacterial vaginosis in the first, second and third trimester of pregnancy

Bacterial vaginosis in the first trimester is treated using the most gentle and safe medications. During this period, the laying of the internal organs of the fetus occurs, and any intervention can cause serious harm to the health of the unborn child. Some doctors generally believe that treatment can only begin in the second trimester - not earlier than the 20th week. Then the risks will be minimal, as the baby will become less susceptible to the effects of negative factors from the outside.

Treatment of bacterial vaginosis

The traditional treatment regimen for the disease includes two stages:

Taking antibiotics to destroy pathogenic microflora (both tablets and suppositories can be used);
Restoration of healthy microflora with the help of lactobacilli (Vapigel, all kinds of probiotics).

In general, treating bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy with vaginal antibacterials is not very good. It is still better to give preference to tablets.

Therapy of vaginosis is long. It is not uncommon for several weeks or even months to elapse from the time you stop treatment until you get good test results. The risk of recurrence remains high throughout pregnancy.

What can bacterial vaginosis lead to?

It is important that the treatment regimen for vaginosis is developed by an experienced and highly qualified doctor. Despite the fact that the disease itself is not dangerous for the fetus, other ailments can develop against it: mycoplasmosis, ureaplasmosis, staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus, etc. They can damage the integrity of the fetal bladder. Then the amniotic fluid begins to leak, the risk of infection of the baby increases significantly.

Bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy with timely treatment is not dangerous

Quite often, vaginosis impairs placental circulation, leading to intrauterine fetal hypoxia. Children born from mothers who had this disease may have low weight, dermatological pathologies, and disorders in the respiratory system.

Due to the fact that during dysbacteriosis pathogenic microorganisms resembling those that are normally present in the body of non-pregnant women actively multiply, the uterus may begin to contract, and its cervix may open slightly. Then doctors have to deal with premature births.

Very often, a woman carrying a child is exposed to serious pathologies, and all because her body is being rebuilt, it has to work for two, so the immune system is weakened. Often, women experience such diseases of the reproductive system, which, without proper treatment, can lead to miscarriage. One such disease is bacterial vaginosis. During pregnancy, it most often occurs and requires urgent treatment under the supervision of the attending physician. But what is this disease, how to treat it correctly, and what preventive measures to take?

What is vaginosis?

Vaginosis during pregnancy is a disease accompanied by disorders in the vagina with a rapid decrease in the number of lactic acid bacteria and a pronounced increase in opportunistic microflora. In rare cases, an inflammatory process appears. This is one of the most common ailments found in the fair sex in reproductive age. By chance, it can be diagnosed only in 30% of patients, in those who complain of whitish discharge - in 90% of cases, and in pregnant women - in 35%.

During pregnancy, or, as it is often called, dysbacteriosis, lactobacilli, which are responsible for the protective functions of the body, completely disappear, so the woman becomes vulnerable. During pregnancy, advanced forms can lead to fetal loss, so it is very important to detect the disease in time and start treatment.

The norm of bacteria in the vagina

In the vagina of every woman live special bacteria that protect the reproductive system from inflammation and other pathologies. The optimal number should be:

lactobacilli - 95%;
2.5-5% is conditionally pathogenic flora.

The number of pathogenic organisms is so large that it will not work to say exactly how many of them, each girl has her own set, but there are certain types that are present in everyone and they will definitely appear if dysbacteriosis begins. The main one of the bacteria is that it always manifests itself if vaginosis has begun during pregnancy. It is considered a kind of marker and almost all laboratory tests are based on it.

Classification of vaginosis

Before you understand the important issue for many women, how to treat vaginosis during pregnancy, you need to know exactly what severity of the disease are:

1 degree. It is determined if there is no microflora in the smear, but epithelial cells are present without changes and the possibility of becoming infected with other bacteria remains.
2 degree. In this case, the degree of Doderlein sticks decreases, and the gram-negative and positive flora increases, a slight increase in leukocytes is found in the blood.
3 degree. In this case, lactic acid bacteria are completely absent, the clinical picture of the disease is obvious.

Causes of vaginosis in pregnant women

When lactobacilli are normal, nothing threatens either the woman or her fetus. They monitor the balance of microflora and produce lactic acid, which maintains an optimal acid balance that is detrimental to most pathogenic microorganisms. But under the influence of certain factors, the number of beneficial bacteria can decrease, in which case there is a violation of the microecological system. A low level of lactobacilli leads to the uncontrolled growth of harmful bacteria: gardnerella, bacteroids, mobilincus, peptococci, mycoplasma, streptococci.

It is difficult to determine what exactly affects the microflora and causes vaginosis during pregnancy, but internal and external factors can influence the decrease in the number of lactobacilli:

taking antibiotics;
treatment with antimicrobial, hormonal and antifungal agents;
disruptions in the hormonal background after an abortion, labor or puberty;
vaginal douching;
the use of antimicrobial agents during intimate hygiene with triclosan;
use of oral contraceptives;

the use of spermicides, which are part of vaginal suppositories and tablets;
allergic or endocrine diseases;
climate change, stressful situations;
imbalance in the intestines;
wearing underwear made of synthetics;
pregnancy, especially with complications;
neglect of hygiene rules.

How does the ratio of bacteria change during pregnancy?

Lactobacilli help to break down glycogen, which is formed from the cells of the squamous epithelium of the vagina, which is necessary in order to build an invisible protective barrier. But these cells do not live long, and all because in the body of every lady the hormonal background is constantly changing and not always for the better.

At a time when a woman is carrying a baby, under the influence of corpus luteum hormones, the number of squamous epithelial cells increases significantly. As a result, it turns out that the store of glycogen is large enough, so the level of lactobacilli increases, and the degree decreases and, as a result, the pH becomes lower. The body tries to clean the birth canal on its own by the time labor begins and the baby gets acquainted with the healthy microflora, which will settle in his intestines.

At first glance, it seems that everything should be just perfect, but in most cases, too acidic environment leads to the fact that some forms of transient infections grow, including Candida fungi, mycoplasma, ureplasma, and eventually vaginosis begins to develop during pregnancy.

What happens with vaginosis?

Under the influence of one of the mechanisms, the amount of useful substances decreases. The degree of lactic acid quickly decreases, the pH rises and the pathogenic flora begins to multiply, primarily gardnerella, which further inhibits beneficial bacteria. It turns out a "vicious circle", as a result of which lactobacilli die in large numbers.

The rapid development of pathogenic microorganisms leads to the fact that a woman has unpleasant symptoms, indicating that vaginosis has appeared during pregnancy.

Symptoms in pregnant women

Not always in the early stages of the disease is manifested by severe symptoms, but if the disease progresses, then the following signs appear:

abundant leucorrhea of a slightly grayish hue, and if the ailment has not been treated for years, then the discharge can become greenish, frothy and viscous;
a characteristic fishy smell appears, it is especially heard during intercourse of partners;
there is pain during intercourse, burning;
discomfort in the lower abdomen does not allow you to live in peace, on examination, hypertonicity of the uterus is found;
unpleasant burning during urination, but this symptom is much less common.

After the first symptoms appear, you need to urgently seek advice from a gynecologist who will conduct an examination and be able to accurately diagnose.

Diagnostic methods for determining vaginosis

Most often, only a doctor can diagnose a pathology. On her own, no woman will be able to say what kind of infection is progressing in her body, since there are many varieties of bacteria that cause it. Most often, discomfort is simply felt in the lower abdomen and vagina, so you should seek the advice of a doctor. He, in turn, examines the woman, takes a smear for analysis and takes a blood sample in order to conduct additional studies and identify which infection provoked the development of the disease.

After carrying out all the necessary studies, it is possible to accurately confirm or refute the diagnosis, and only after that begin the treatment of vaginosis during pregnancy.

What is the danger of an ailment during the bearing of a baby?

Any infection can cause serious harm to the health of not only a woman, but also her unborn baby. During vaginosis, inflammation of the amniotic sac may occur, as a result of which a crack and even a rupture may appear on it. If this happens, then the woman may begin premature birth or spontaneous abortion. When a crack appears, the infection can enter the amniotic fluid, and as a result, the baby will become infected.

Such infection can lead to serious consequences: the development of the fetus will stop or sepsis will appear.

That is why it is important to detect bacterial vaginosis in time during pregnancy. Treatment should be started immediately after confirmation of the diagnosis and all recommendations should be strictly followed.

Treatment of vaginosis during pregnancy

If the patient has a confirmed diagnosis, then first of all the doctor recommends taking a course of antibiotics that are safe for a woman in her position.

It is very important to follow all the recommendations of the doctor, from the first to the last day, until all symptoms disappear. But it is worth remembering that the disappearance of symptoms may indicate that the infection has subsided, but as soon as the medication is stopped, they may reappear. And relapses are usually much more severe, and therapy affects them worse.

But even if the patient fully follows all the recommendations - take antibiotics, put suppositories from bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy, it is possible that the infection will appear again.

Nearly a third of women who receive treatment experience a recurrence of symptoms in the first three months after taking antibiotics. The relapse is due to the fact that taking such drugs killed most of not only pathogenic bacteria, but also beneficial ones. And so far no way has been found that could make beneficial bacteria multiply faster, so pathogenic microorganisms continue to multiply.

If a relapse occurs, then the woman is prescribed repeated therapy, while the drugs are selected individually, because everything possible must be done to protect the fetus. A gynecologist can accurately answer the main question of how to treat bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy, who knows exactly about all the diseases of a woman and will take all measures so as not to harm the health of the patient and her unborn baby.

How to restore the microflora?

After taking antibiotics, the microflora is disturbed, so it is very important to start taking biological products and use them intravaginally. Most often, doctors stop on such medicines:

To do this, you need to take 2 doses of the drug and dilute 5 ml of purified water, wet the swab and insert it intravaginally. The procedure is carried out twice a day. The course is up to 10 days.

But before starting this kind of therapy, it is better to ask the doctor for advice.

Prevention of vaginosis

To date, it has not been fully clarified what exactly causes dysbacteriosis in the female genital organs, so it is impossible to say exactly what preventive measures will give a positive result. But there are a few things you can do to slightly reduce your risk of getting bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy:

It is very important to adhere to the rules of safe sex, especially if you are not sure about your partner. It is not yet clear what role a woman's sexual life plays in the appearance of vaginosis, but statistics show that the pathology occurs more often in those patients who have several sexual partners at once.
It is important to quit smoking. There is an opinion that smoking leads to the fact that the risk of developing a pathology such as vaginosis in early pregnancy increases.

In no case should you douche and wash the vagina with a stream of water. Also, the doctor does not advise using sprays for intimate hygiene and soap for washing the genitals. All these means can upset the balance and lead to the development of pathogenic microflora.

Any diseases during pregnancy require a careful approach and careful treatment in order to prevent complications and harm the baby.