White vaginal discharge signals chance of getting pregnant

You know that white discharge that the woman’s body releases? It is natural and occurs at specific times in your menstrual cycle.

White discharge appears more specifically in the fertile period, in the pre-menstruation phase and during menstruation – and is called mucus. The signals sent by white discharge are so accurate that some countries use mucus as a natural contraceptive method.

Australian doctors Dr. John and Dr Evelyn Billings developed the “ovulation method”, which consists of avoiding intercourse during the fertile periods – discovered only by the signs presented in the vaginal mucus – yes! For that white discharge.

After all, it is not possible to get pregnant if the sperm does not find an egg in the fallopian tube – something that only happens during the woman’s ovulation period.

Types and meanings of white discharge

Before you understand the different types of white discharge, it’s important to understand your menstrual cycle – which is not to be confused with menstruation. The menstrual cycle takes place over the course of an entire month and begins to be counted on the first day you menstruate.

The ideal and common time of a cycle is exactly 28 days, just like the phase of the moon. However, in some women the cycle may occur at a slightly longer or shorter time interval.

The menstrual cycle is divided into three phases and in each phase a woman’s body produces a different type of mucus. See below.

1 – White discharge from the non-fertile period

In the follicular phase, it is possible to observe a rather pasty mucus, without much consistency and elasticity, signaling a non-fertile moment. The phase occurs approximately on the 14th day after menstruation and is named after the follicle-stimulating hormone (HFS), which stimulates the growth of follicles in the ovary.

With each menstrual cycle, one of these follicles becomes active with the hormone HFS, which matures to later give rise to the egg.

While this is happening in the ovary, there in the uterus the inner layer begins to grow and thicken.

As they say, it “prepares the cradle” for a possible embryo, which happens thanks to the increase in the hormone estrogen. However, this hormone is not yet at its peak, as only a little bit of it is released in the follicular phase.

2 – White discharge that signals fertile period

The ovular phase signals the woman’s fertile period. In this period, the body signals this through a clear mucus, looking like egg whites.

This fluid is quite elastic and takes a while to burst when you place it between your fingers and pull them away from each other, as in the photo below.

During this period there is also another mucus, without consistency, which looks like water. When passing the finger in the vagina, it will be constantly humidified, almost lubricated.

Taking into account the survival of the sperm, there is a certain possibility of getting pregnant while the woman’s body is producing this mucus, but it is not yet the peak of fertility – this only occurs when the mucus starts to have the characteristics shown in the photo above.

In this phase, the follicle – which began to grow in the previous phase, the follicular one – develops completely and gives rise to the egg. The moment that identifies the end of the follicular phase and the beginning of the ovular phase is the release of luteinizing hormone (LH), which stimulates the rupture of the follicle and the release of the egg, which will be directed to the uterine tube.

Now estrogen is at its peak, being responsible for the increase in desire and the release of pheromone, which is exhaled by the pores and attracts the opposite sex, leaving you more involved and excited.

Despite the fertile period having more than one day in the emotional aspect – in which the woman has more libido and seduction, silky hair, flushed skin, enthusiasm, desire to have fun and flirt, in addition to other unique female signs – ovulation itself occurs within a 24-hour period.

After that, the egg begins to degenerate and it is no longer possible to fertilize it. However, I warn that, to avoid pregnancy, women should not focus only on prevention during the exact period of ovulation.

As the lifetime of the spermatozoon is a maximum of 72 hours (3 days), it can survive in the uterine tube – even if ejaculation in the vaginal canal occurs outside the fertile period – and then fertilize the egg, when the egg mature is released around the time of ovulation.

Therefore, the ideal is to take into account four or seven days of fertile period, for safety reasons. If you know the exact fertile day, prevent ejaculation in the vaginal canal three days before this date.

If your intention is to get pregnant, these are the ideal days. Even better would be if your partner manages to go a few days without ejaculating so that in the act he releases the greatest possible amount of sperm.

3 – White discharge from the luteal phase

After ovulation time, the follicle begins to disintegrate and release hormones, becoming what we call the corpus luteum, whose cells produce estrogen and high amounts of progesterone.

About two weeks after ovulation, progesterone levels drop and that thick layer of the uterus begins to peel off, starting menstruation, i.e. the beginning of a new cycle.

At the beginning of desquamation, new vaginal mucus will signal a premenstrual period. This mucus has a more opaque color and its texture is thick, resembling a moisturizing cream. If you put it between your fingers, there’s nothing elastic about it.

In addition to mucus signaling the period of your cycle, it also has the function of facilitating or hindering sperm locomotion. The thicker it is, the greater the difficulty for the sperm to move around, dying quickly.

How to evaluate your white vaginal discharge?

The best time to evaluate white vaginal discharge is in the morning. During the night – when the woman is sleeping and relaxed – the body works better and, with that, the hormones of the menstrual cycle are very active, as well as progesterone, which will cause the production of thick vaginal mucus.

Therefore, as soon as you wake up, insert your finger deep inside the vagina and try to wet it in the cervix (end of the vagina and beginning of the uterus). After that, evaluate.

Another way to evaluate is to dry the vulva with toilet paper after urinating.

See which of these assessment methods is easier for you, after all, some women have more mucus than others, making it easier or harder to perceive.

Some women do not have mucus

When the woman has a very short menstrual cycle, such as 25 days, for example, or when she menstruates for many days (for example, more than 7), it is not possible to observe the mucus.

In these cases, the last days of menstruation practically coincide with the fertile period, preventing observation, since the rest of menstruation is mixed with the appearance of mucus.

Is mucus different from vaginal discharge?

It is not wrong to refer to mucus as “vaginal discharge”, as this is also a type of fluid produced by the vagina. The correct name given to the discharge – the one that represents some dysfunction in the organism – is “leucorrhoea”.

The easiest way to differentiate vaginal mucus from leukorrhea is through the symptoms that appear along with the discharge, such as: strong smell, irritation, burning, redness or itching in the vagina or vulva.

The cause of discharge (leucorrhoea) is related to some gynecological disease or irritation. In addition, after menopause, women may also experience discharge, due to the atrophy of the uterus.

The vagina has acidic PH to defend itself against harmful agents that come from outside and enter the vagina during sex or even by improperly cleaning the vulva after urinating. With this vaginal acidity, bacteria cannot survive.

However, some bad habits, such as using body soap on the vulva, alter the PH and remove protection from the vagina, causing bacteria and fungi to proliferate more easily. This can generate infections or inflammations, which give rise to the production of secretion, which is leukorrhea – popularly known as vaginal discharge.

Diseases that cause vaginal discharge (leucorrhoea)

See below some examples of intimate diseases that generate the production of vaginal discharge:

Candidiasis

Candida is a natural fungus of the vaginal flora, but any disorder of the organism, such as excessive use of antibiotics, too much stress, diabetes, trauma, excess lubrication and alteration of the vaginal flora during pregnancy, can cause the proliferation of this fungus and generate the candidiasis. You can learn more about candidiasis and its treatment here.

Runoff type: it resembles sour cream, it is thick and whitish, which can also be compared to cottage cheese.

Gonorrhea or Chlamydia

Sexually transmitted disease (STD), caused by the bacteria “neisseria gonorrhoeae” and “chlamydia trachomatis”. Both cause infection of the cervix, causing vaginal discharge.

Runoff type: cloudy yellow and mucopurulent.

Trichomoniasis

It is also an STD caused by a protozoan called “trichomonas vaginalis”. It may remain asymptomatic for a long time.

Runoff type: when there is discharge, it is thin and yellowish or greenish.

bacterial vaginosis

This is the biggest cause of discharge, it occurs through an infection by any kind of alteration of the normal vaginal flora, resulting in the reduction of good bacteria in the vagina, which protect it from harmful bacteria.

In this case, the decrease in lactobacillus causes the acidity to decrease and the bacteria to proliferate more, so the tip is to use intimate soap with lactobacillus in the formula.

Runoff type: thin and greyish, with a very strong odor, often compared to the smell of “fish”.

Allergy

It can occur due to the use of lubricants, condoms, perfumes, spermicides, soaps, intimate hygiene products or sensual products and even the partner’s semen. All of this can cause an inflammation reaction, generating vaginal discharge.

Runoff type: white, looking like pus.

Other causes

Other less common causes of the appearance of discharge are: cervical cancer, genital herpes, HPV infection, lost condom in the vaginal canal or remains of poorly manufactured erotic products or small pieces of cotton from a tampon. All of this can lead to inflammation and infection, causing discharge.

How to identify discharge by color and appearance

Vaginal discharge happens due to some alteration in the vagina, either by bacteria, fungi, inflammation, infection or disease. Know how to identify the different types:

Brown

Rest of…