TMI photo: Tonsils "shedding" white stuff

So once or twice a year I always get a sore throat so bad I need to go to the doctor. They always tell me it's not strep it's just my tonsils shedding. That I can either have my tonsils removed or deal with it. One doctor picked out the shedding pieces for me one time and it felt better instantly. So now whenever I have it I sometimes pick. Sometime they come out easy and sometimes it bothers me to the point I gag and stop. Today I picked bc I'm 38.5 weeks pregnant and don't want it to get worse. I don't want it to cause a sore throat or hard for me to swallow. They were so easy to pick out and just kept coming and coming!!! I brushed my teeth and again looked and still saw a white thing on my tonsil and again 4 more came! What in the world are these things and why do I have so many!?