The type or texture of your cervical mucus will depend on what stage of your menstrual cycle you're in. Your mucus generally starts as dry or pasty before moving to a creamier texture. As ovulation nears, your discharge will become wet, stretchy and slippery.
Discharge usually thickens or tapers off rapidly after ovulation, and the next week or so may be relatively dry with little or no discharge. The 1-2 days before a period begins are typically the driest of the cycle.
As you near ovulation (the point about midway through your cycle, when an egg is released from the ovary into the fallopian tube), you're apt to see more mucus. It tends to be thin, slick, and wet.
Estrogen levels in the blood vary during the month and follow a common pattern to each menstrual cycle. For women who are not on hormonal birth control, levels are lowest in the days just before and after the start of menstrual bleeding. This low level sometimes can contribute to vulvar and vaginal dryness.
Your natural lubrication levels are often lower during your period. Throughout the phases of your cycle, oestrogen levels change, and when you're menstruating they drop. Oestrogen helps to create natural lubrication, keeping your vagina moist and maintaining the thickness of your vaginal lining.
There is a lot of cervical fluid during the days right before ovulation (5). Your vagina will likely start to feel much wetter. There is more cervical fluid during this time and this is typically very slippery (5). This is caused by estrogen peaking one to two days before ovulation (5).
Can you be dry in early pregnancy? Pregnancy can affect your hormones, which in turn can affect how moist or dry your vagina is. In pregnancy, there is a decrease in the hormone called estrogen, which may cause vaginal dryness. Also, your libido may change during pregnancy, which can affect vaginal lubrication.
Low estrogen and vaginal dryness can happen at other times. Estrogen levels can fall after childbirth, with breastfeeding, during cancer treatment, or with anti-estrogen drugs. Then there are non-hormonal factors. Cold and allergy medications and some antidepressants can dry out vaginal tissue.
During pregnancy, increased pelvic blood flow also leads to an increased amount of discharge. This means there's no direct link between cervical fluid and pregnancy, and changes in discharge aren't a reliable way to detect pregnancy. The only way to confirm your pregnancy is to take a test.
What does it look like? Healthy vaginal discharge during pregnancy is called leukorrhea. It is similar to everyday discharge, meaning that it is thin, clear or milky white, and smells only mildly or not at all.
Pregnancy can affect your hormones, which in turn can affect how moist or dry your vagina is. In pregnancy, there is a decrease in the hormone called estrogen, which may cause vaginal dryness. Also, your libido may change during pregnancy, which can affect vaginal lubrication.
According to Dr. Bhuyan, the most common cause of vaginal dryness is a drop in estrogen levels. Estrogen is a hormone that helps keep your vagina tissue healthy and lubricated, per the Mayo Clinic, and reduced levels commonly occur when a woman goes through menopause, breastfeeding, or childbirth.
Pregnancy-specific symptoms
“The key difference between the two, however, is that with pregnancy, your period doesn't occur.” Nausea and vomiting are symptoms that can accompany pregnancy and are often not experienced with PMS. “The nausea in early pregnancy often resolves after the 12th week of gestation,“ Giles said.
Discharge before a period tends to be cloudy or white, due to the increased presence of progesterone, a hormone involved in both the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. In other phases of the cycle, when the body has higher levels of estrogen, vaginal discharge tends to be clear and watery.
A week or two before your period starts, you may notice bloating, headaches, mood swings, or other physical and emotional changes. These monthly symptoms are known as premenstrual syndrome, or PMS. About 85% of women experience some degree of PMS.
Watery Discharge Before Period
Sometimes, it may be slightly yellow, white, or clear. In some cases, watery discharge before a period can be thinner or thicker. Before getting her period, a woman's discharge may look pink or brown. This is expected, and it is called “spotting.”
Right after your period, you usually have 3-4 days without mucus and discharge. These are called “dry days,” and they may be safe days if your cycle is long. Before ovulation is about to happen, your body makes more mucus as an egg starts to ripen.
Just before ovulation, your cervical mucus will turn clear and slippery. This consistency makes it easy for sperm to swim up to meet an egg at ovulation. If you want to get pregnant, this type of discharge tells you it's time for sex. Some people chart their cervical mucus to tell them where they are in their cycle.
White vaginal discharge, cramping and a missed period are all signs of pregnancy, although they can also be symptoms of a late period or other conditions. Stomach pain and cramping during pregnancy usually feel different to pain and cramps you experience during your period.