Is it normal for the vaginal microbiome to change? 

In short, yes. 

The vaginal microbiome is dynamic, and therefore often changes due to many different factors as well as pregnancy including: over your menstrual cycle, with age, following hormonal changes, as a result of diet and lifestyle changes, during an infection. 

Knowing that your vaginal microbiome can and does change is a really important part of the work that ScreenMe does. We combine your individual microbiome results with the expert knowledge of our intimate health practitioners — who help you to make the necessary changes to optimise and improve your vaginal health. This looks different for different people depending on their own results, goals, needs and concerns — as we recognise that there is no ‘one size fits all’. 

How does it change during pregnancy? 

In general, the vaginal microbiome changes in 2 main ways: 

A/ Reductions in bacterial diversity (number of different species present) 

• Particularly during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy.  
• Research has also shown this shift towards a Lactobacilli dominated microbiome, tends to be greater in those of African or Hispanic lineage. 

B/ Higher levels of Lactobacilli. 

• This is thought to be due to higher oestrogen levels providing more glycogen to become available in the lining. This glycogen acts as an energy source for Lactobacilli species, who are then able to flourish. 
• Studies have found that lower-risk pregnancies tend to display greater Lactobacilli presence, whereas higher-risk pregnancies tended to show lower Lactobacilli present. 

What happens post-partum? 

Post-partum, the vaginal microbiome then transitions back towards that more similar of a non-pregnant individual. This means that the microbiome tends to become more diverse, and Lactobacilli levels fall. Again, this is thought to be due to the reductions in oestrogen. 

Why is this important? 

Your own health 

• Vaginal microbiome influences both gestational and postnatal health so it is important to understand what is going on, as well as how you can optimise your vaginal health. 

Your child’s health

• The maternal microbiome is very likely to play a key role in establishing and the composition of the neonatal microbiome. 
• This appears to be particularly important if you are planning on delivering naturally. 

Preterm birth & spontaneous labour 

• Your vaginal microbiome has been shown to play a role in risk of preterm birth and spontaneous labour. In fact, we have written an entire blog dedicated to this topic — so check it out here! 
• In general, people with higher diversity and less stable vaginal microbiomes during pregnancy are at a greater risk of preterm birth. 
• For example, it is known that people with BV are also associated with preterm birth. Exact causation explanations and conclusions have not yet been made conclusively, showing that there is still much research to do within this complex subject. 

What you can do with ScreenMe’s help.

Intimate health is what we do. We combine testing with education, support, and care to truly allow you to optimise your intimate health. 

Our experts are on hand to help you with your intimate all the way through your life journey from start to finish. Our amazing experts recognise the key influences on the vaginal microbiome, and guide you through each change — whether it be pregnancy, fertility, infections, menopause, dryness, and more. They work to empower you with knowledge about your own body so that you can make the decisions that are right for you, and therefore improve your intimate health. 

Every person with a vagina should know what is going on in their vaginal microbiome — particularly as many issues which cause later problems are symptomless [such as presence of Ureaplasma, Mycoplasma, many STDs, PID, and more.] This is particularly important when it comes to fertility, and successfully carrying to term a healthy baby; which is why we work with many fertility specific practitioners.  

Therefore, think of your vaginal microbiome test as part of your yearly MOT — checking that all is well, and making any necessary adjustments as your body, needs, and goals change. If an annual MOT is good enough for our cars, then we deserve to give our own vaginas the same attention!

Jessica Hobbis