Pregnancy takes a toll on a woman’s body. The growing tiny person initiates a process similar to running a marathon every day. There are internal developments that are not visible with the naked eye.
Some changes are exquisite while some are excruciating, bizarre and even scary. In a woman’s body, the part that is most hit with enormous changes in the vagina in early pregnancy.
Little Miss V often indicates what’s going on down there through the different types of vaginal discharge we get.
Miss V uses the fluid and changes as her traffic lights; hence the need to regularly examine the nature of the vaginal discharge.
Sometimes if you take a peek at the vagina using a mirror, you might be pretty surprised. At times the labia, vagina, and cervix will be almost purple or hue.
This coloration is called the Chadwick sign. This sign is caused by increased blood flow to these lady parts. The increased flow of blood is attributed to the good old estrogen.
This change can be noticed as early as 6-8 weeks after conception and is often reckoned as a sign of early pregnancy.
The name
The vaginal coloration change was discovered by a French doctor called James Read Chadwick in 1836.
He noticed that the bluish discoloration of vagina occurs during the first trimester.
Is it visible during sex?
Without a mirror, the Chadwick sign is not visible to women unless they are excellent contortionists. If you are self-conscious, it is a good thing to tell your partner so that you are on the same page during sex.
Nevertheless, doctors can clearly observe Chadwick sign during vaginal examinations. The vagina and vulva are normally pink but it changes to dark purple or bluish tinge
Is it normal to have Chadwick Sign?
This is a pretty normal phenomenon for pregnant women. However, it is difficult to notice the change if you are not sure what your normal coloration of the pelvic region is.
Women with darker tissues around the pelvic region have a difficulty discerning the sign hence Chadwick’s sign may not be a reliable pregnancy sign.
If Chadwick sign appears later in the second or third trimester or when a women is not pregnant, then you should consult a doctor or test for vaginal infection and have it treated as soon as possible.
Is it an accurate sign of pregnancy?
The prenatal journey could be exciting or frightening when trying to put pregnancy puzzle signals together. Hence, do not go ahead of yourself.
Undergoing a pregnancy test is a sure way to know if you are pregnant or the periods are a few days late.
When to visit the doctor
Doctor visits and tests can be pricey hence; you may not want to splurge before you are sure if you are preggers.
If you have missed the periods by two days, you may take a pregnancy test at home.
This is because the increased level of hCG will likely be detected. If the home pregnancy test is positive, then you can visit the doctor as soon as possible. The early you get prenatal care; the better it is for the baby and you.
When do the Chadwick sign disappear?
It usually disappears at some point in the pregnancy, there isn’t a defined time, and sometimes it may be present after the delivery.
Even though it may look odd, the Chadwick sign isn’t anything alarmist. Rather it’s a green light to tell you that the pregnancy and hormones are getting well along.
Does it affect your sexual activity?
Having sex with Chadwick sign is totally okay. It’s totally okay to have sex if you’ve a positive Chadwick sign. It is not a big deal as long as your pregnancy is progressing well.
Conclusively, Chadwick sign causes things to look different down around Missy V. if you know, you want a pregnancy, get ready, and grab the mirror ladies. Isn’t pregnancy such a fete?