If you have spotting in place of your period, and you’ve recently had unprotected sex, it can also indicate pregnancy. If you’re on the pill, you may also experience spotting throughout your cycle.

Spotting: you might experience a small amount of blood between your period called spotting.

'It should be investigated as it could be something more serious higher up on the cervix or in the uterus.’īrown or red vaginal discharge could also be spotting or inter-menstrual bleeding: ‘This could be a brown staining, slightly unpleasant smelling discharge,’ says Dr Morton. ‘A typical reason is taking antibiotics, for something unrelated like earache or tonsillitis, which kills off healthy bacteria.’īrown or red vaginal discharge typically occurs during or immediately after your period, which is perfectly normal and usually nothing to worry.īut a prolonged blood stained discharge can be more of a worry, so if you have any concerns get it checked out. But if this yeast gets out of control, it can lead to unpleasant symptoms,’ says Dr Morton. ‘Thrush usually occurs when there’s an overgrowth of yeast that lives normally in your gut. You may also experience itching, soreness, burning and irritation. If your discharge has a thick, cottage cheese-like appearance, smells strongly, and is accompanied by itching or burning, it’s likely to be a yeast infection, otherwise known as thrush. The most important thing to be aware of is if there's a lot of watery loss, get checked out by your midwife or the hospital.’ 4. ‘As long as the discharge isn't smelly, itchy or blood stained then nothing needs to be done. ‘Most women will have an increased amount of vaginal discharge during pregnancy, particularly in the later stages,’ says Dr Morton. You can also experience discharge towards the end of your pregnancy as well. This is because the cervix and vaginal walls get softer, and discharge increases to help prevent any infections travelling up from the vagina to the womb. If you are pregnant you may notice a heavier, gummy or thick discharge. It may also be worth using fertility lubricant. 💡 If you're trying to get pregnant, it's wise to keep an eye on your discharge. This clear sticky fluid makes it easier for sperm to travel to the egg, which is also a great indicator for women who are wanting to conceive.

‘Two to three days before you start to ovulate, you will experience ovulation discharge, the texture being like raw egg white,’ says Dr Morton. When clear discharge becomes sticky or mucous-like, it’s a sign that you’re ovulating and your ovary is releasing a mature egg that will pass through the fallopian tube for fertilisation. It may be especially prevalent after exercise, as intra-abdominal pressure forces your vagina to expel a little more than it normally would – this is totally normal. Clear vaginal dischargeĬlear, watery vaginal discharge is commonplace any time of the month, and is never anything to worry about. ‘After you have ovulated and produced eggs, there will be a release of the hormone progesterone in the blood stream, and this is the reason for the white discharge,’ says Dr Morton. It may also be cream in colour, or occasionally a very pale yellow.

White discharge is totally normal, particularly towards the beginning and end of your menstrual cycle. Let’s take a look at the most common forms in more detail: 1.

Since ‘normal’ vaginal discharge varies so much, it can be tricky to know if something is up.

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