White discharge before a period is a common occurrence for many women, but is it also a sign of successful pregnancy? Let’s learn something new about the reasons for vaginal discharge during periods and pregnancy. Yeah, this article gives you a detailed view of the difference between periods and gestation.
Discharge before menstrual cycle
For sure, every woman would have noticed the white discharge during her periods after their puberty. White discharge before the menstrual cycle is usually a normal occurrence at the beginning and end of a period, which is white, cloudy, and thick consistency because of increased progesterone levels.
Other than the normal occurrence of vaginal discharge, women can also get white discharge due to these certain reasons. They are:
Reasons for white discharge before periods
Hormonal birth control pills or patches cause white discharge as they alter hormone levels, especially progesterone, which thickens the cervical mucus and increases the white discharge. Taking steps for birth control can enhance the vaginal discharge before menstruation.
Usage of antibiotics can increase the risk of common infection and make the white discharge look like cottage cheese with itching and a burning sensation. This is a dangerous sign indicating yeast infection, so immediate doctor consultation helps in identifying the risks and effective treatment.
Bacterial vaginosis occurs when the natural balance of bacteria in the vagina changes and women can sense a fishy odour in the discharge. In addition, the colour and consistency of the discharge also change and can look watery and thin.
Sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis are more likely to cause vaginal discharge. The discharge associated with sexually transmitted infections can have a fishy smell too, and sometimes, women might not experience any symptoms.
This list has the usual and some riskiest reasons for vaginal discharge before periods. However, there is an important reason for white discharge before periods, which is pregnancy.
Discharge before pregnancy
After sexual intercourse, women could possibly experience some of the early pregnancy signs with vaginal changes. The early gestation symptoms are a missed period, breast changes, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, frequent urination, light spotting, pink or light red discharge, and mood swings.
Some minor symptoms can also be accompanied by these changes in the body, they are backache, constipation, headaches, food cravings, heartburn, indigestion, itchy skin, and numbness in your hands.
Does white discharge indicate pregnancy?
Vaginal discharge before pregnancy is a special condition called leukorrhea. Yeah, thin, milky-white-coloured vaginal discharge indicates positive pregnancy, which can be with mild smell and even odourless sometimes.
This happens due to increased levels of estrogen, high blood flow to the pelvic area, stimulation of mucous membranes, and maintenance of vaginal health. The white discharge, leukorrhea helps to remove the dead cells from the vagina, protects the birth canal from infections, maintains a healthy pH, and supports bacterial balance in the vagina.
Many women experience vaginal discharge during pregnancy and they can notice white or pale-yellow sticky mucus. As stated earlier, increased hormones and blood flow to the vagina contribute to the excess vaginal discharge during the gestation period. However, vaginal discharge couldn’t be a reason for pregnancy.
Difference between white discharge and early pregnancy discharge
| Factors | Pre-period Discharge | Early pregnancy discharge |
|---|---|---|
|
Colour |
Thick and creamy texture
|
Thin and watery |
|
Consistency
|
Half white, white and cloudy
|
Slightly white or clear |
|
Odour
|
The mild or musky smell
|
Usually odourless |
|
Volume
|
Less amount
|
More abundant |
|
Associated Symptoms
|
Period symptoms like bloating, abdominal pain, breast tenderness, and cramping.
|
Vaginal discharge with early pregnancy signs like frequent urination, fatigue, and nausea. |
When to consult a doctor?
Changes in vaginal discharge are indeed an important thing to address immediately, so besides knowing the underlying reasons, women should consult the doctor to be aware of the early treatment.
When it comes to visiting a hospital, women need immediate consultation, if their vaginal discharge is:
- Unusual colours such as green, yellow, frothy, and bloody discharge.
- Strong odour, which can be fishy or unpleasant.
- Very thick consistency and increased vaginal discharge volume than usual.
- Discomfort and itchiness in the vaginal area.
- Abdominal pain, pelvic pain, and painful urination are some common reasons for immediate hospital visits.
Apart from these symptoms, women must visit the fertility hospital if they are experiencing any of the mentioned minor or major symptoms of early pregnancy.
Final thoughts
The hormonal fluctuations and time around ovulation can be a reason for vaginal changes that can indicate your pregnancy. Whatever the symptom is, consulting the doctors is very crucial to move towards the right pregnancy path. Therefore, fix an appointment to confirm your pregnancy after sperm insertion, embryo transfer, or sexual intercourse.
People also ask
When you notice changes in the white discharge consistency, colour, and patterns like pink or mixed light red discharge after a few days of intercourse, you can take a pregnancy test. In addition, you can observe early pregnancy signs along with the discharge.
Some of the early pregnancy signs are mild cramps, implantation bleeding or spotting, breast changes, fatigue, and a missed period. Women can consider a pregnancy test while they experiencing such symptoms.
Post-coital spotting is common after physical activity and during arousal, the vagina and cervix swell and become even more sensitive. This increases the chances of light bleeding after intercourse.
Whether it is pregnancy through natural or artificial methods, waiting for at least two weeks is very important for noticing the pregnancy symptoms. After these 14 days, women start experiencing slight changes in their body and feel dizzy, fatigue, vomiting, and other symptoms.
Yes, changes in discharge can be a dangerous sign based on the underlying reasons. Consistency, colour, and odour of the vaginal discharge indicate the changes and severity of infections. However, changes in the discharge before the menstrual cycle and pregnancy are not a huge matter to discuss unless and until it is odourless.
