White means purity; white means goodness; white means safety. However, for me, white is bad news now!
My period is approaching, but I have been bearing the brunt of white discharge, leaving me on pins and needles. What does this excessive white discharge indicate? Is white discharge before period sign of pregnancy?
White discharge is a natural part of your reproductive system, which many women encounter in early pregnancy. Usually, it’s thicker and creamier. But it doesn’t prove you’re pregnant. It can signify your impending period, bacterial vaginosis, yeast infection, STD, STI, or birth control side effects.
If you want to know more about white discharge before the period and pregnancy, continue reading.
If it’s passed your period, over a week, and you notice white discharge instead of period, it may signify you are pregnant.
Table of Content
What Is White Vaginal Discharge?
Are you undergoing a milky white discharge before period? What actually is this discharge?
Well, white release, aka leukorrhea, is the natural vaginal discharge, a part of your reproductive cycle. It consists of fluid, bacteria, and cells shedding from your vagina, keeping your vagina healthy.
The texture and color of vaginal discharge usually change throughout your menstrual cycle. It goes from dry to sticky to creamy to slippery. In fact, many women chart their vaginal discharge to track their fertility period – indeed, handy for family planning.
Now each consistency broadcasts particular news about your body – especially about your reproductive cycle.
- Cloudy white – the increased presence of progesterone.
- Clear and watery – the increased presence of estrogen.
- Wet, stretchy and slippery – impending ovulation.
- Egg white stretchy – most fertile.
- Thick and dry – Post ovulation.
Besides giving information about your cycle, the fluid also helps keep you lubricated and protect your vagina from bacteria.
However, not all discharge is healthy. Often your vaginal discharge indicates several health conditions.
Is White Discharge Before Period Sign of Pregnancy?
Is watery discharge before period sign of pregnancy? What about the white discharge week before period – is white discharge a sign of pregnancy?
Maybe and maybe not. A white discharge doesn’t always mean you’re pregnant; however, many face it in their early pregnancy. Several factors may also cause white discharge – hormonal pill, impending period, or illness. The best way to verify pregnancy is to test – especially if a period is missed.
If it’s passed your period, over a week, and you notice white discharge instead of period, it may signify you are pregnant. However, don’t get overboard; look for other signs of pregnancy, and if you still are confused, go for a test.
What Does Pregnancy Discharge Look Like?
White discharge during pregnancy is not something one in a million.
During pregnancy, your estrogen level increases immensely with an increased blood flow in your uterus and vagina. As a result, your body discharges more whitish fluid than usual, protecting your baby and body from external infections.
However, it looks the same; pregnancy discharge may vary a little. Watery or stretchy discharge may not mean you are pregnant. The same is true for dry discharge. They more likely indicate the different phases of your reproductive cycle.
Pregnancy discharge is often milky white, sticky, clear to cloudy, and sometimes whitish with a pinkish or yellowish hue. You will not have any foul, unpleasant, or strange smell from the discharge.
Sometimes, your vaginal discharge may come out with a large glob of mucus. Don’t worry; it’s normal. It saves your vaginal tract from bacterial infection.
However, it’s the amount that makes pregnancy discharge distinguishable. It increases a lot.
Though pregnancy discharge is normal, consult with your doctor as STi or yeast infection is common during pregnancy. Most crucially, if you notice green, gray, yellow, or foul-smelling discharge.
5 Causes of White Discharge Before Period
Is egg white discharge before period a sign of pregnancy? Nope, not necessarily. Several other reasons are there that you have white discharge.
Here is a quick look at the appearance of your vaginal discharge in different health conditions.
| Health Condition | Vaginal Discharge |
| Yeast Infection | Thick, lumpy, cotton cheese white discharge |
| Bacterial Vaginosis | Thin watery discharge with a fishy smell. |
| Bacterial STI – Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis | Increase white discharge with pelvic pain and painful vaginal intercourse and urination. |
| Parasite STI – Trichomoniasis | Green, yellow, and frothy with vaginal irritation |
Birth Control
Contraceptive pills, primarily those that contain estrogen, change your hormonal level immensely. It can lead to an increased white discharge.
It mainly occurs if you start taking pills or change your brands. Unless it shows any unusual symptoms, it’s not a crisis.
An Approaching Period
Is white cloudy discharge before period sign of pregnancy?
No. Instead, it can be a sign of your oncoming period. Vaginal discharge usually changes its color throughout your menstrual cycle. And a few days before your period, it often turns cloudy white – sometimes, with a yellow tinge. Many women even have no discharge before period – which is normal too.
Sexually Transmitted Infection and Diseases
STI or STD are other reasons you may have increased white discharge. Diseases like gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis change the color, consistency, and amount of your normal vaginal discharge.
Your discharge mostly looks white; however, often, it may turn frothy, yellow, green, or gray. Sometimes, you may notice an unpleasant smell.
Often several issues like pelvic pain, itching around the vagina, painful urination, painful penetrative vaginal sex, and bleeding between periods accompany these health conditions.
Bacterial Vaginosis
Bacterial Vaginosis may also cause unusual vaginal discharge. You may face this malice due to douching, having multiple sex partners, and using scented products around your vagina.
Usually, the discharge caused by BV is grayish-white, thin, and watery with a foul fishy smell. However, often it doesn’t show any symptoms.
Yeast Infection
You will hardly find any woman who never had a yeast infection in the vagina. Several things can cause this issue – antibiotics, uncontrolled diabetes, impaired immune system, birth control pill, etc.
Yeast infection causes your discharge to appear thick, white, and lumpy – like cottage cheese. Besides, you will have itching and burning in the vaginal area.
Healthy Discharge vs. Unhealthy Discharge
To be healthy, both for you and your partner, you must know when your white discharge is healthy and when not. So, here you go.
| Healthy Vaginal Discharge | Unhealthy Vaginal Discharge |
| Appears clear and white. | Yellow, greenish, or brownish. |
| No strong or unpleasant smell. | Foul and strong fishy smell. |
| Thick and sticky. | Unusual thin or thick with itching and burning. |
| Wet and slippery. | Cheesy and lumpy. |
| No pain during urination. | Pain during urination. |
| Small quantity, around 4 millimeters each day. | Increased in quantity. |
12 Signs of Early Pregnancy
As you know, the white discharge doesn’t confirm your pregnancy. However, 12 signs can also indicate you are pregnant. The signs may include-
- Spotting
- Cramps
- Sore, swollen, tingly, and tender breast with a darker nipple
- Raised basal body temperature, starting from ovulation
- Extreme weakness
- Frequent urination
- Constipation
- Mood swings
- Fainting and dizziness
- Morning sickness
- Backpain
- Headache
White Discharge: Before and After Period vs. Ovulation vs. Pregnancy
Vaginal discharge is a normal process of your respiratory system. It changes throughout your entire menstrual cycle and different phases of your bodily condition.
- Before Period: Your vaginal discharge is yellowish-white.
- After Period: You will notice a little brownish discharge before no discharge.
- Before Ovulation: You will have an increased milky white discharge.
- During Ovulation: You have a thin, stretchy, clear, watery white discharge.
- After Ovulation: It will be thick and sticky white.
- Pregnancy: You may notice a milky white, sticky, clear to cloudy discharge with a pinkish or yellowish hue.
- Perimenopausal: You have a white or clear, thick, mucus-like discharge.
- Menopausal: You may see a very tiny amount of off-colored discharge with a brownish tinge.
Other Types of Discharge and What They Mean?
With white discharge, you may notice vaginal discharge of other different colors.
Brown
Besides white discharge, brown discharge is the most common women encounter. You may find it alarming, but in most cases, it’s just your oxidized blood discharging before or after the menstrual cycle. It can be an ovulation spotting too.
However, if brown discharge accompanies itching, irritation, burning, or pain with a fishy smell, you may need to see a doctor. You may have this for an infection, bacterial vaginosis, PCOS, ovarian cyst, etc.
Green
Green discharge is always concerning news. However, green also means easily treatable. They occur due to yeast infection, sexually transmitted disease (STD), or bacterial vaginosis. Green discharge with these issues also causes painful urination, pelvic pain, itching, and irritation.
However, in severe cases, It turns from a normal STD to pelvic inflammatory disease that can lead to infertility if not treated in time. You may face other symptoms like chronic pelvic pain and abdominal pain, fever, nausea, vomiting, painful intercourse, etc.
Gray
Gray discharge is unhealthy discharge like green discharge. Bacterial vaginosis is the main culprit causing it. Other symptoms are foul smell, itching, irritation, and redness around the vaginal opening.
Other causes may include STI – Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, etc., and vaginal cancer. So, you must see a doctor if you notice gray discharge.
FAQs
Is white dry discharge before period sign of pregnancy?
No, the white dry discharge doesn’t indicate you are pregnant. Your discharge becomes cloudy clear, milky white, and sticky during pregnancy. Sometimes you may see a yellowish or pinkish tinge, which is normal.
A white dry discharge usually occurs after ovulation, when your ovary releases the eggs. It becomes dry and sticky, almost paste-like.
How many days before period does white discharge start?
You will notice white discharge around 3-5 days before your period. It happens due to the hormonal change in your body. Just after your periods, you may not have any noticeable discharge. However, you may notice a white, creamy, or clear discharge until ovulating.
Take Away
Is white discharge before period sign of pregnancy? Not necessarily.
White discharge is a regular occurrence in your reproductive cycle. The discharge usually changes throughout your menstrual cycle – white, creamy, clear, dry, thick, yellowish, etc.
White discharge is also common and normal during pregnancy; however, it doesn’t confirm you are pregnant. But, if you missed your period over a week and notice symptoms related to pregnancy – fainting, nausea, weakness, sudden changes in food preference, etc. that time you may go for a test.
On the other hand, white discharge may occur for several reasons – impending period, birth control pill, STI, BV, etc.
