Vaginal duch as the name suggests is a cavity flush of the vagina. It is rinsed with the help of a Sterlite solution or water into the cavity to flush out the vaginal discharge. Sometimes it is scented or otherwise it is available over the counter. In some ways it can be referred to as a vaginal deodorant.
Many women like the idea of douching pregnancy as during this stage the amount of vaginal discharge can increase significantly. This can make a woman feel dirty and the idea of reducing the discharge with a beautiful scented product is all the more appealing.
The downside to it is that the vagina is itself a self-cleaning unit and it does not need to be cleaned in an artificial manner. Studies do confirm the fact that there are many disadvantages with douching be it pregnant or not. The biggest downside to it is that it goes on to disturb the mental and natural balance of the vagina. When such a situation happens women are more prone to infections by washing away the natural body secretions and in the process introducing new bacteria into the vagina. This bacterium can spread to the fallopian tubes, uterus or disrupt the mucus plug which most of the pregnant women tend to have.
Douches does poses a higher risk of Pelvic inflammatory disease which is an infection of one of the pelvic organs or bacterial vaginosis. This is a stage where a bacterial vaginal imbalance is noticed which can cause infections or problems associated with labour.
This does bring us to the question on how does the vagina clean? The fluids which are generated from the cervix or the vagina tend to carry old cells which have lined the vagina. This discharge tends to be on the minimum side in case of non-pregnant women and can be milky or clear. It is not going to smell bad unless you have an infection. Sexual arousal or hormonal levels does increase the amount of discharge which is the reason on why pregnant or breastfeeding moms naturally tend to have more amount of vaginal discharge.
It is important to consult your doctor if you have a significant amount of vaginal discharge when you are pregnant. You would not want the bacteria to pass on to your unborn child or to irritate the cervix paving way for any pre term labour. Discharge stained with blood could be a sign of early pregnancy or late term miscarriage or this could mean nothing at all. The only way to confirm these facts is to visit a doctor
You should also not experience any vaginal itching, burning or pain when you are pregnant. Douching is not going to fix this as any unusual chemical imbalance or problems become a cause of concern when you are pregnant as you would not want to transfer the infection to the new born baby. So consult your doctor as soon as you begin to experience these symptoms.
