Vaginal Issues During Pregnancy

You try to take the physical changes of pregnancy in stride -- but even the most intrepid moms-to-be get anxious about what's happening south of the border. Most likely, though, these intimate adjustments are absolutely normal. "Pregnancy is meant to be a healthy time for your body," says Elizabeth G. Stewart, MD, coauthor of The V Book (Bantam). "You can expect a lot of little changes that are sometimes annoying, like skin tags, increased secretions, and itchiness. But they're not something to worry about." Calmer now? Here's the lowdown on what to expect down low.

Early in your pregnancy, everything from your body's blood volume to concentrations of hormones like estrogen is on the upswing, leading to some of the first subtle effects on your vaginal health.

Soon after you get pregnant, your body begins pumping out extra estrogen and progesterone, which trigger a heavier flow of vaginal secretions. Celeste Brophy, of Ottawa, Ontario, a mother of two, says that her pregnancy discharge was so abundant, "I actually had to change my underpants a couple of times on some days." Don't want to tote around extra undies? Wear a mini-pad to catch the flow.

During pregnancy, your body's blood volume rises by about 50 percent, with much of that fluid routed to your uterus to nurture your growing fetus. As a result, vaginal tissue becomes engorged with blood, leaving some women feeling a bit swollen and tender.

In happier news, the engorgement of your vagina and labia during pregnancy mimics what happens when you get aroused during sex, so you could end up feeling a tad turned on all the time. It's not a bad situation for your partner, either, says Robin Elise Weiss, author of The Joy of Pregnant Sex (Fair Winds Press). As the tissue in your vaginal walls fills with blood, your husband will get more stimulation during intercourse. <