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Vaginal discharge. Every woman has it.
And it’s a good thing! This discharge serves as a signal for what’s going on in your body.
Your vaginal discharge may be an indication that you’re pregnant. One study found that 72.2% of pregnant women experienced vaginal discharge!
Alternatively, as observed in 55.6% of women in this study, it can also be a red flag that you have an infection.
So what about your luteal phase discharge? What is it telling you?
Read on to find out what is normal luteal phase discharge, the differences between luteal phase discharge and pregnancy discharge, and other potential reasons for discharge.
What is vaginal discharge?
Before we jump into luteal phase discharge, let’s cover some basics on vaginal discharge.
The glands in your cervix and vagina work together to make non-menstrual fluids that leave your vagina. These fluids make up vaginal discharge or leukorrhea.
The term “discharge” encompasses a few different fluids:
- Vaginal fluid
- Cervical mucus
- Dead cells from the cervix or vagina
- Sperm (sometimes, from intercourse)
Note: Cervical mucus and discharge are not the same.
Your discharge may be something you haven’t paid much attention to besides noticing it on your underwear. But the truth is that it is very important. Think of it like your vagina’s self-cleaning process.
And if you’re trying to conceive (TTC), discharge (cervical mucus, specifically) is a great tool. It can be used to track your fertility and predict ovulation.
Now, let’s move on to how your vaginal discharge changes throughout your menstrual cycle.
Vaginal discharge during your menstrual cycle
As we discussed above, cervical mucus (CM) is a constituent of vaginal discharge. So changes in your cervical mucus are reflected in your discharge.
And since your cervical mucus changes depending on your estrogen levels…
At the beginning of your cycle, estrogen levels are low. This means your CM and hence your vaginal discharge may be dry and sticky.
Towards your fertile window, estrogen starts to rise. Your CM becomes more liquidy and creamy. Your vaginal discharge starts increasing as well.
During ovulation, estrogen levels are high. This results in egg-white cervical mucus (EWCM). Vaginal discharge increases considerably and appears watery and slippery.
Post-ovulation, estrogen drops, leaving you with CM and vaginal discharge that’s dry and thick.
What does discharge look like during your luteal phase?
The luteal phase of your menstrual cycle is the phase after ovulation. Your body is preparing for a potential pregnancy here and if that doesn’t happen, Aunt Flow shows up instead. And one of the ways it preps is with your discharge.
So what does luteal phase discharge look like? As we learned above, decreasing estrogen levels and increasing progesterone levels cause your discharge to be thick, scanty, sticky, and whitish. This also prevents any more sperm from entering the uterus.
As you get closer to the end of your luteal phase and your period, you may find your discharge turns more brown or red. It’s totally normal to have this luteal phase discharge before your period.
Regular changes in your hormones cause your discharge to shift throughout your cycle. But that’s not the only reason you may see luteal phase discharge.
Luteal phase discharge vs. pregnancy discharge
The discharge you experience normally during your luteal phase is different from that in pregnancy.
Like we talked about earlier, if you’ve ovulated but there’s no pregnancy, your cervical mucus turns thick and scanty. This means your vaginal discharge does, too.
But if pregnancy does occur, then your discharge will look different.
Here’s a look at pregnancy discharge and implantation bleeding/discharge.
Pregnancy discharge
Pregnancy discharge will be thin, clear, or white in color, and either be odorless or have a mild odor. And, there will be more of it.
That’s due to two things:
- The boost of estrogen you get during pregnancy
- Greater blood flow to your uterus, cervix, and vagina
These shifts happen right after conception, even before your missed period.
If you pay attention, you’ll notice the clues your discharge leaves you. However, if you don’t see any of this discharge, it’s okay. It can be a great way to hint that you could be pregnant. But the only way to know for sure whether you’re pregnant is with a pregnancy test.
Implantation bleeding/discharge
You may experience some vaginal bleeding 1 to 2 weeks after conception, during the later part of your luteal phase. This is called implantation bleeding and is an early sign of pregnancy.
This coincides with implantation (6-12 DPO) and can be seen in 15-25% of people.
It may appear as pinkish or brownish “discharge” on your underwear. It should only be a few drops of blood that may stain your underwear or show up on toilet paper. And you can expect it to hang around for 1-2 days.
As long as the bleeding is light, there’s no need to worry. If you’re experiencing heavy bleeding after conception, call your doctor.
And if you don’t see this discharge? No need to worry. It doesn’t happen for everyone.
Learn more: Implantation bleeding Vs Periods | What Does Implantation Bleeding Look Like?
Pregnancy and implantation bleeding aren’t the only causes of luteal phase discharge. Let’s look at some others.
What are other causes of luteal phase discharge?
Your luteal phase discharge can signal something else is going on. Here’s a table to see some of the possible conditions, and read on for more details below.
- Hormonal birth control
Hormonal birth control pills typically have a set dose of hormones you take every day. This helps to regulate your hormone levels that naturally fluctuate from weeks 1 to 3 of your cycle.
Then you hit week 4. Instead of hormone pills, you get placebo pills that contain no hormones. This drop in hormones triggers bleeding called withdrawal bleeding, which is different from a regular period.
Sometimes this withdrawal bleeding can look and feel like a period. Other times it’s more like a brown discharge or spotting that occurs during the luteal phase.
- Sexual arousal
Another time you’ll also spot discharge is when you’re heating up for sex. This can happen at any time of your cycle.
Your body does this to create a natural lubricant. This discharge is clear, wet, and slippery.
Some people may find they have a pink, creamy discharge following sex. This isn’t necessarily a cause for alarm. It could simply be because you had sex around or during your period. Or if you find a more reddish discharge, it could also be a result of rougher sex.
If you frequently find that your discharge is bloody after sex, call your healthcare provider.
- Exercise
You may find after a workout session that you spot more vaginal discharge that’s clear and watery. This can also happen during any part of your cycle. Researchers aren’t quite sure why this happens, but they have a few ideas:
- Increased sweat
- Vulvar friction
- Increase in abdominal pressure
- Infections
Vaginal discharge isn’t always a good thing. Sometimes it can be a signal that something is amiss in your body, including the infections below.
This isn’t just in your luteal phase – this can happen at any time of your cycle.
- Yeast infection
A yeast infection happens when you have an overgrowth of the fungus Candida in the vagina. It shows up in the form of a cottage cheese-like discharge.
You’ll also experience vaginal symptoms such as:
- Itching
- Burning
- Rash
- Redness
- Swelling
- Pain during sex
- Pain while peeing
- Bacterial vaginosis (BV)
Just like your gut, your vagina has flora (microbiota) in it. And that flora can become imbalanced, leading to bacterial vaginosis. This discharge is grayish-white, has a fishy odor, and is typically thin.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
Vaginal discharge can indicate a sexually transmitted infection.
Gonorrhea. Green or yellowish and thin discharge. Often accompanied by pain while peeing and in the abdomen.
Chlamydia. Yellowish discharge that smells very strong. Often accompanied by pain during sex, while peeing, and in the abdomen. Some people experience no symptoms at all.
Trichomoniasis. Green or yellowish discharge with a fishy smell. Often accompanied by itching and burning.
How can I manage luteal phase discharge?
Normal vaginal discharge is not a bad thing! It’s a sign that your body is doing its job of keeping your vagina’s natural balance and protecting you from infections.
So there’s no need to manage if it looks, smells, and feels normal.
But, if things start to get excessive or your discharge seems abnormal, here are some things you can do:
- Wear cotton underwear.
- If there is excessive discharge, you can also wear a pad or pantyliner. Be sure to stay away from tampons and menstrual cups – you don’t want to insert anything into your vagina.
- Do not douche.
- Say “no” to vaginal wipes. They can alter your vagina’s delicate pH and make you even more susceptible to infections.
When should I be worried about my discharge?
If your discharge is mild, sticky, thick, and mostly odorless, there’s no need to worry. This is just
part of your body’s natural cycle.
It’s time to visit a local sexual health clinic when you experience:
- Change in quantity/volume
- Change in color
- Foul-smelling odor
- Other symptoms like itching, irritation, skin lesions, pain, etc.
- Bleeding or spotting outside of your period
In Review
- Normal vaginal discharge includes vaginal fluid, cervical mucus, dead cells from the cervix or vagina, and sperm.
- Your discharge will look different throughout your menstrual cycle due to hormone shifts.
- Discharge during the luteal phase is usually sticky, thick, and scanty. It should be odorless or mild. As you approach your period, your vaginal discharge may get more brown or red.
- Luteal phase discharge can also happen due to pregnancy, implantation bleeding, hormonal birth control, sexual arousal, exercise, and infections.
- If you’re pregnant, your vaginal discharge may increase in quantity and become thin, clear or white.
- Implantation bleeding is normal and may happen 6-12 days past ovulation. It usually appears pinkish or brownish.
- Hormonal birth control leads to withdrawal bleeding which can seem like a period.
- You’ll see increased vaginal discharge when your body is aroused and preparing for sex. This is to create a natural lubricant.
- Working out can also lead to more vaginal discharge.
- Lastly, vaginal discharge can be a sign of infection.
- A discharge that is like cottage cheese can mean a yeast infection.
- A discharge that is grayish-white and fishy smelling may mean bacterial vaginosis (BV).
- Gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis are all STIs that can cause your discharge to be yellowish or green and foul-smelling.
- Normal vaginal discharge is a good thing.
- To prevent abnormal discharge, stay away from douching, vaginal wipes, and strong or scented products.
- If you notice any change in color, consistency, or odor, call your doctor.
FAQs
This discharge is thick, scanty, sticky, and whitish.
The luteal phase happens before your period and that discharge is thick, sticky, and white. A few days before your period, your discharge may turn brown or red.
If pregnant, your discharge may increase in quantity – it may be thin, clear, or white, and either odorless or mild-smelling. However, note that this is not a reliable way of determining whether you’re pregnant. The only sure way to know is with a pregnancy test.
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- Increased vaginal discharge during pregnancy: prevalence, causes, and associated symptoms
- Prevalence, pattern and predictors of abnormal vaginal discharge among women attending health care institutions in Imo State, Nigeria
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- Vaginal discharge | NIH
- Is it normal to have vaginal discharge? | ACOG
- Vaginal Douching: Evidence for Risks or Benefits to Women’s Health | NIH
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