Can be a roller coaster, to say the least, filled with new (and sometimes totally weird) physical developments. Your boobs alone can undergo, so you might be wondering how pregnancy affects everything else, including your vaginal.“Discharge can definitely change a little bit during pregnancy,” Christine Greves, M.D., a board-certified ob/gyn at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies, tells SELF. Here’s what you need to know about discharge, plus when it should raise a red flag.
Just to clarify, because there’s a lot of confusion around this: Discharge is generally a sign that your vagina is doing its job.If you were trying to conceive before getting, you might have kept close tabs on your discharge and how it changed during your menstrual cycle. Even if not, you’re probably still in the habit of at least glancing at the stuff that’s on your toilet paper when you wipe or in your underwear at the end of the day because, frankly, discharge is kind of fascinating.Some people think any discharge at all = no good, very bad vagina issues, but that’s not the case.
![White White](/uploads/1/2/4/2/124284441/176803862.gif)
Ok had sex 4 times per week in the last month. (4 days surrounding ovulation day). And normally im spot on with the day for my period. I know its only a day late but ive been getting a white sorta creamy discharge for the last 3 or so days (which i dont think normally happens at this time of the month). Jun 28, 2018 - Women's Health: Is it normal to have a white discharge before pregnancy? I took a pregnancy test on day 1 and 3 and both are negative.
Your vagina is a pretty sensitive place, and it works hard to keep itself well-lubricated, maintain the right pH balance, and fend off “bad” bacteria while fostering “good” bacteria, M.D., a minimally-invasive gynecologic surgeon at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, tells SELF.One of the ways your vagina does that is by cleaning itself with discharge. Your discharge comes from a combo of egg white-esque mucus made by your cervix (the low, narrow part of your uterus) and fluids from your vagina, Dr.
Shepherd explains. This helps clean things out down there. If you’re wondering if this means you don’t actually need to clean your vagina, you’re absolutely right!, because your vagina has this whole thing on lock. (You can use a mild, gentle soap on your vulva, if you like, but plain ol’ water should do the trick just fine.) Your discharge usually fluctuates to reflect your estrogen levels based on where you are in your menstrual cycle. Since your cycle changes during pregnancy, your discharge can, too.Let’s start with how the discharge situation goes down when you’re not pregnant. Your period marks the start of your, and obviously that involves some blood coming out of your vagina.
But you might also experience a bit of before your period really lets loose. This is completely normal and can happen when your period blood hasn’t ramped up to a full flow yet. The blood isn’t moving through your as quickly, so it’s exposed to oxygen for a longer amount of time, going from red to brown before it gets outside your body. (This little bit of blood could also make your normally light-colored discharge take on a pink-ish tinge, Dr. Shepherd says.)You could also experience brown discharge after your period instead of a lighter color.
Whatever color your discharge is, for three to four days after your period, it probably won’t look too slimy because you won’t be pumping out very much cervical mucus in this time, the says. That doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t experience any discharge at all, because your vagina will still clean itself, but you won’t have much mucus specifically.In the next three to five days, as you creep towards ovulation, your estrogen levels begin to rise to make your uterine lining grow in preparation for a potential pregnancy.
![Period one day late creamy white discharge Period one day late creamy white discharge](https://flo.health/media/629/download/Pregnancy.jpg?v=1)
You might see more discharge that looks white, yellow, or cloudy. It also will probably feel sticky if you touch it, the says.The closer you are to ovulation, the more your estrogen rises, and the clearer, thinner, and slipperier your discharge will become, the says. For three to four days before and during ovulation, your body is determined to help any sperm get to and fertilize an egg, hence that super-slick discharge—it makes it easier for the sperm to travel.After you ovulate, if you don’t get pregnant, your estrogen drops. Your discharge might get thicker and cloudier, and you may even have some “dry” days before your. (Or pink or brown discharge that heralds impending menstruation.) Then you get your period and the cycle starts all over again.One major exception to this series of events is if you’re on hormonal that suppresses ovulation. Since so much of the way your discharge changes is pegged to your ovulation, removing that factor will eliminate a lot of the fluctuations in your discharge.This is also totally different if you get pregnant.
When you’re pregnant, levels of estrogen in your body, Jonathan Schaffir, M.D., an ob/gyn at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells SELF. Your uterine lining needs to keep growing so it can basically be a 24/7 buffet to that growing fetus. Due to that heightened estrogen, you may notice that your discharge continues to be pretty wet, slippery, and milky white or clear. (Although, if that’s not the case for you, it doesn’t mean that you’re not pregnant or your pregnancy isn’t viable—every person’s body is different.)Pregnancy also causes an, which may boost the amount of discharge your body produces, Dr. Schaffir says.Once you get close to going into labor, you might see even more mucus in your discharge, culminating in the expulsion of your, which forms during pregnancy to block your cervix from any bacteria that could potentially enter your uterus. Several days before you give birth or right as labor starts, your body will start to push out your mucus plug in a phenomenon that’s sometimes called your “bloody show.” This can look like a bunch of clear, pink, or slightly bloody discharge, explains, and it’s a sign that labor is right around the corner.
While some changes in your discharge during pregnancy can be normal, certain ones should raise a red flag.If your discharge is really watery, you should call your doctor. This could be a sign that you’re leaking, the liquid that surrounds and protects a fetus in the womb, Dr. Amniotic fluid is what comes out when your water breaks, so depending on when this is happening, it might be expected (if you’re full-term) or might be happening too early (if you’re not). If your, it can lead to complications like infection and issues with the placenta or umbilical cord. (However, Dr. Greves adds, if you notice this watery discharge only tends to happen after you cough or sneeze, it’s pretty likely that it’s just —but you should still get it checked out, just in case.)You’ll also want to call your doctor if your discharge is bloody. Some light spotting during pregnancy can be and not a sign that anything’s wrong.
It could also be your bloody show. But since heavier could indicate problems like a cervical infection or, among others, you should talk to your doctor to make sure everything’s OK.Also, keep in mind that you can still get vaginal and when you’re pregnant, so any weird discharge changes could signal something funky in that arena. A, for example, can create a thick, chunky, cottage cheese-like discharge.
Can lead to fishy-smelling discharge that’s thin and gray or white. Sexually transmitted infections can cause different types of discharge, depending on the type, so the general rule is that any discharge that’s a different color than your usual discharge (like yellow or green), that smells strange, or that comes with other symptoms like itching and burning is worth bringing up with your doctor, Dr.
Shepherd says. They’ll be able to point you towards treatment if necessary, calm your worries if not, and generally make sure your vagina and pregnancy are as healthy as possible.Related:.
What exactly is vaginal discharge? Simply put, it’s a term that encompasses any non-period fluid that leaves your vagina, like vaginal lubrication, arousal fluid, day-old sperm, and cervical fluid.
Cervical fluid (aka cervical mucus) is one major component of vaginal discharge. Produced by the cells of your cervix, cervical fluid changes throughout your cycle from dry to wet, creamy to eggy, stretchy to sticky.Tracking your cervical in Clue will give you a better indication of what hormonal changes and events are happening in your body at any given point. Understanding your own patterns can help you to know when your estrogen is rising, when has occurred, and when you might be able to skip the. Getting to know your vaginal discharge and cervical fluid cycle can also help you recognize when something may be off—from an infection to a hormonal issue. Why we have cervical fluidFor a pregnancy to happen, you need an egg, sperm, and fertile cervical fluid.
Cervical fluid allows sperm to enter your uterus and reach your egg at ovulation.The is the passageway between your lower and upper reproductive tract. It has glands in and around it which produce fluid. The consistency, opacity, and volume of this fluid changes along with your reproductive hormones. At different times of your cycle, cervical fluid changes to make it difficult, or easy for sperm to swim past your cervix into your uterus (1). Cervical fluid also protects sperm from the acidic environment of your vagina, and contains antibodies which help keep out unhealthy bacteria and viruses (2, 3). How to find and feel your cervical fluidIf you want to get to know your cervical fluid, try looking and feeling for changes in the consistency (pasty, slippery), amount, and color of the fluid, along with the sensation at your vaginal opening (wet or dry).You can use your fingers to feel for fluid at the entryway to your vagina, or at your directly. Look for color and consistency.
Feel for things like thickness, wetness, slipperiness (like soap) and stretchiness of the fluid.Another way is to look for fluid on your toilet paper. Cervical fluid should be visible on the paper and look different than your other vaginal moisture. Some people find this is less confusing than collecting fluid with their fingers because touching the vulva/vagina directly can make it harder to decipher cervical fluid from general lubrication.If you want to get into it, you can also try dipping fluid-covered fingers into a glass of water.
Cervical fluid will either stay stuck to your fingers or will sink to the bottom of the glass in a little clump. Vaginal moisture, on the other hand, will dissolve in the water.It will take some trial and error to find a method that works best for you. Keep in mind that it’s possible to confuse the ejaculate fluid or arousal fluid for cervical fluid, even the day after sex. Changes in vaginial discharge: A timeline of cervical fluid across your cycle1. Beginning of your cycle:On day one of the cycle, the first day of your period, levels of both estrogen and progesterone are low. Since estrogen levels determine cervical fluid production, the cervix is not producing much fluid at all at this time (4).
You wouldn’t be able to notice anyway, since you have your period.2. Just after your period: absent, dryIn the days just after your period, estrogen is rising (estrogen is produced by the follicle growing in your ovary as it prepares to release an egg at ovulation). Most won’t notice any cervical fluid for a couple of days, though, until estrogen is higher.3. Leading up to ovulation: sticky, white, creamy, lotion-yAs estrogen levels rise, the cervix produces more fluid. At first, it might be thick and sticky or tacky, and become more wet and creamy, like a lotion. It may look whitish and cloudy, or even yellowish (especially if it’s dry on your underwear) (4). In a 28-day menstrual cycle, you may first notice this fluid around day 9 or 10 (1,4).4.
Around ovulation: eggy, wet, slippery, clear, stretchyAs ovulation approaches, much more cervical fluid is produced. Your vagina will likely start to feel much wetter, and fluid becomes more slippery as its water content rises. Over a couple of days, fluid becomes stretchier and clearer. As estrogen peaks, 1–2 days before ovulation, cervical fluid often resembles a raw eggwhite that you can stretch for inches between your thumb and finger (4,5).
The amount of vaginal discharge at this time is different for everyone, but it can be up to 10–20 times more than other points in the cycle (6). “Peak” cervical fluid is about 95% water by weight, and 5% solids (electrolytes, organic compounds, and soluble proteins) (7).
According to Google, people tend to call this type of cervical fluid 'ovulation discharge'.Note that the presence of fertile cervical fluid can’t confirm ovulation for sure. Ovulation tests and basal body temperature tracking is more reliable for confirming ovulation.5. Luteal phase: sticky, dryAs soon as ovulation is over, vaginal discharge changes once again. Even before you notice a visual change, cervical fluid will already have become more fibrous and difficult for sperm to pass through (1). In the day or two after ovulation (the beginning of the luteal phase), the amount of fluid decreases quickly. Progesterone, the dominant hormone in this phase, acts to inhibit the secretion of fluid from the cervix’s epithelial cells (1).
Fluid again may become sticky or tacky, or just dry and absent (1,4).This leads us back to menstruation, and the cycle begins again.Every body is unique—these changes may show up differently for you, or you may experience or interpret them in a different way. To swim or stick—why cervical fluid changesSo why does your cervical fluid change so much? Each change serves its own function. Cervical fluid creates a fertile window that’s up to six days long—much longer than just the 12-24 hours when an egg can be fertilized after ovulation. Sperm that enters the vagina before ovulation can be suspended in this fluid, allowing it to survive longer in the otherwise acidic vaginal environment (1).
Sperm can start to swim through creamy discharge from about day 9 of a 28-day cycle (1). When ovulation does occur, the stretchy egg-white fluid becomes the easiest fluid type for sperm to swim through (6). But swimming is never too easy—this fluid also acts to filter-in the “best” sperm. Slower swimmers get left behind, as do sperm with other motility or structural abnormalities (2,8).After ovulation when window of potential pregnancy has closed, cervical fluid becomes a barrier, preventing sperm from entering the upper reproductive tract. The progesterone produced by your ovary in your luteal phase acts similarly to the progestin in a progesterone-only birth control.
It turns cervical fluid sparse and dense with solids, with little water, making it difficult for sperm to get past the cervix (9). Signs of abnormal vaginal dischargeChanges in your cervical fluid pattern can signal a hormonal issue. This will usually be accompanied by changes in the length of your cycle and period. Discharge can also become abnormal if you have an infection. Signs of abnormal discharge include changes in:Consistency: unusually thin, or thick and more textured/chunkyColor: gray, green, yellow, or brownVolume: significant and unexpected in volumeSmell: fishy, metallic, or just differentIf you suspect you have abnormal discharge, learn what to do and why it occurs in. World Health Organisation.
WHO laboratory manual for the examination of human semen and sperm-cervical mucus interaction. Cambridge university press; 1999 May 13. Suarez SS, Pacey AA. Sperm transport in the female reproductive tract. Human Reproduction Update. 2006 Jan 1;12(1):23-37. Saltzman WM, Radomsky ML, Whaley KJ, Cone RA.
Antibody diffusion in human cervical mucus. Biophysical journal. 1994 Feb 1;66(2):508–15. Hatcher RA, Nelson AL, Trussell J, et al. Contraceptive Technology (21st edition).
New York:Ayer Company Publishers. 2018.
Bigelow JL, Dunson DB, Stanford JB, Ecochard R, Gnoth C, Colombo B. Mucus observations in the fertile window: a better predictor of conception than timing of intercourse.
Human Reproduction. 2004 Apr 1;19(4):889–92. Moghissi KS, Syner FN. Cyclic changes in the amount and sialic acid of cervical mucus. International Journal of Fertility. 1976 Nov 26;21:246–50.
Saltzman WM, Radomsky ML, Whaley KJ, Cone RA. Antibody diffusion in human cervical mucus. Biophysical journal. 1994 Feb 1;66(2):508–15.
Sakkas D, Ramalingam M, Garrido N, Barratt CL. Sperm selection in natural conception: what can we learn from Mother Nature to improve assisted reproduction outcomes? Human reproduction update.
2015 Nov 1;21(6):711–26. Borenstein R, Apelman Z, Lancet M, Ben-Hur H, Hegesh E, Chen M. The clinical significance of rheometric measurement of cervical mucus properties. Gynecologic and obstetric investigation.