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vaginal discharge.
ok i've read about how there are different times of the month when your vaginal discharge is different. right now mine is really thin and milky/creamy. i was wondering what this means? (i'm due for my period today if that means anything)
15/f
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Discharge is to help cleanse your vagina from bad bacteria (which is being secreted) and to help provide lubrication for sperm to successfully make it to your egg to fertilize it. Every woman has discharge.
Different Discharges:
Before ovulation- There will be a small amount of clear discharge.
Closer to ovulation- Discharge is moist/sticky and is white or lightly cream colored. There is some mucus but it isn't as stretchy as it will be during ovulation.
At ovulation- There will be a lot of discharge at this point. It will be like egg whites and is stretchy. You are most fertile here (high risk pregnancy) and sperm entering your body at this time will be able to survive slightly longer than normal. You will notice this discharge lasts for a couple of days and your internal temperature will raise slightly.
After ovulation- Discharge is sticky but not stretchy. Mostly clear and will dwindle back to the "before ovulation" state.
Also, vaginal infections, medications, and birth control can all change the appearance of your discharge.
Vaginal yeast infections can cause itching and burning, the white discharge may look similar to cottage cheese, there could be pain during sexual intercourse, and some swelling of the vulva. The discharge smells somewhat yeasty from what I've read but not always.
Yeast infections are caused by a disruption in the balance of good bacteria in the vagina. Sexual intercourse, antibiotics, using too much soap, tampon usage, and even wearing tight clothing can all cause a yeast infection to occur.
Sometimes women mis-diagnose themselves with a yeast infection when they really have something else wrong (such as a bacterial infection that can render the woman infertile and cause a lot of pain for the rest of their lives).
As a note about discharge, you can become pregnant at any point in your cycle, not just when you are ovulating. In short, you are equally as fertile throughout your whole cycle, but when you reach ovulation you are a bit more fertile than usual. This means you should ALWAYS be using some for of "protection" if engaging in sexual activities.
In addition to the ovulation information, you ovulate, roughly, halfway through your cycle if you have a normal cycle. If your periods come whenever then you cannot really even guess when you would be ovulating.
I hope I've helped you learn a bit more about your body!
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Normally, discharge is milky white or clear, and dries to a pale yellowish color. Your discharge is normal. I usually get heavier discharge a couple days before my period.
Also, around when women ovulate, the discharge becomes clear and has a mucus-like consistency, so it's normal for the consistency/color to change depending on where you are in your cycle. The only time you should be concerned is if your discharge is one of the following:
a) cottage cheese like consistency, accompanied by severe itching- this is a common sign of a yeast infection, which should be diagnosed and treated by a gynecologist.
b) yellow or greenish- with a bad odor, this is a sign of infection.
Here is a website with information on vaginal discharge:
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
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Unless your vaginal discharge is extremely unusually, there's really no reason to be concerned. There is a HUGE range of what's normal when it comes to vaginal discharge- from thick and yellow to like yours, milky and extremely fluid. It doesn't really 'mean' anything.
If you're ever seriously worried about what your body is doing, or you have questions regarding how it works and why it does things, the best person to ask is always your doctor.
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