There can be a lot of confusion around different vaginal discharge, especially when you aren’t sure what to look for.
Normal Vaginal Discharge
Sometimes you might be concerned and go to a doctor over something that is normal.
While it’s always good to get things checked out, the stress that you can experience before you know for sure is never fun.
If you’ve been following these Instagram posts, you already know that it is normal to see some vaginal discharge in your underwear. There are a few days of clear, slippery fertile mucus on the days leading up to ovulation.
You may also see a little bit of white or light-yellow discharge with a slight salty odour; this is also normal vaginal discharge.
Abnormal Vaginal Discharge
If you don’t see fertile mucus, that doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t produce any.
It is possible to produce small amounts, meaning you might not notice it unless you are actively looking for it.
Vaginal discharge that does need further investigation includes:
- Itchy or bad smelling discharge: this may be a sign of infection and does need further investigation.
- Abnormal timing for fertile mucus: you might be seeing fertile mucus several times. This can be a sign of altered hormonal levels. You are having a longer follicular phase as your body tries to ovulate. If you see fertile mucus after ovulation, your progesterone levels are too low to dry up the fertile mucus.
Bleeding
You are probably more used to blood being the discharge that comes out of your vagina but there are also times where this is unusual. Keep that in mind for the following types of bleeds:
- Mid-cycle bleeding can be normal but can also be a sign of more serious conditions. It is important to know when you have ovulated in order to determine how significant the mid-cycle bleeding is. Whenever you are unsure you should seek further clarification from a health professional.
- Bleeding after sex can have many causes. Is a potential sign of poor lubrication but it may also be caused by underlying inflammation or infection.
- Premenstrual bleeding is normal to have some spots of bleeding in the day or two before your period starts. If you bleed for more than two days before your period, further investigation is needed.
Summary
Overall, the important thing is to be aware of what your body is doing. If you know what is normal for you, you will be more sensitive to any changes that occur.
When you aren’t sure, taking a quick look at this guide can help and if you have further concerns, seek further advice.
The sooner you start investigating things, the sooner you know if they are normal or if there may be something else going on for you.
