Watery discharge before period is a common happening in both sexually active and inactive women, and usually occurs as a result of increased estrogen levels during this period in your menstrual cycle. If you have never had any kind of watery white discharge before period, chances are that you are scared and unsure of what it can possibly mean.
The good news is that this is not a reason of concern, especially if you cannot sense additional symptoms such as itching, swelling or redness of the vagina and/or vulva, painful intercourse, or burning during urination. The article below explains why you may occasionally experience watery discharge before or during period, and how you can address it.
There Are Hormonal Changes Occurring Before Period
The menstrual cycle is a complex system that usually involves a myriad of hormonal changes. From the day your period stops to the day your next period starts, you will be experiencing different types of discharge, with color, consistency and amount changing continually.
Normally, watery discharge before period occurs when you ovulate. Specific characteristics include clear to whitish color, a very slight musky odor, and watery, runny consistency that makes your vulva feel tacky and gives you a consistent feeling of wetness. Due to the amount of discharge increasing up to 30 times during ovulation, you may sometimes feel as if you have accidentally passed urine. Moreover, you might notice that your underpants have wet or yellowish spots.
As your period start date approaches, the discharge will gradually become whiter and thicker, its consistency thinning over the course of the next two or three weeks, until you start ovulating again.
Brown or Pink Watery Discharge After Period: Should You Be Concerned?
During the last two days of your period, you may notice that, instead of bright red, your menstruation is brownish or pinkish instead. This is usually a sign that your period will stop soon, as your vagina is expelling blood remnants along with your normal vaginal discharge, thus creating the brown or pink color on your tampon or toilet paper.
Pink or brown watery discharge after period may continue for one or two days until your vagina is completely clean again. At this point, the discharge will turn whitish and clumpy, blocking the access of sperm cells to your uterus.
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Smelly Watery Discharge After Period: A Sign of Infection?
As a rule of thumb, your vaginal discharge should never be smelly, regardless of its color or consistency. A slight musky odor may be noticed if there is too much discharge, but if the smell is strong and fishy, you may have an infection.
Most of the time, smelly discharge appears white, greenish, yellow and rarely grey, has a thick, pasty texture that feels very creamy when rubbed between your fingers, and may be accompanied by a number of symptoms such as itching, swelling, burning or pelvic pain. Whether you experience these symptoms or not, it’s always a good idea to take a few tests to ensure that everything’s alright down there. Your doctor will take a few vaginal swabs and send them to a laboratory for analysis. If any infection is detected, she will give you appropriate treatment to clear it, along with practical advice on avoiding vaginal infections in the future.
Hygiene Must-Knows: How to Address Watery Discharge Before and After Period?
When the amount of discharge increases to the point when you need to consistently wear and change panty liners, addressing the issue can be challenging. With a few hygiene and lifestyle tips, you should be able to manage this apparently uncontrollable flow and stay fresh at the same time.
1. Wash using just water every other day. Do not attempt to completely eradicate the discharge by using scented soaps and deodorants frequently, as this can worsen the problem and lead to infections.
2. Wear loose cotton underwear. Tight clothing doesn’t allow your skin to breathe, making you more susceptible to infections.
3. Avoid using tampons and panty liners to soak up the discharge. They alter your vagina’s pH and remove good bacteria from the bacterial flora, creating a breeding ground for germs to thrive in and infections to develop. Choose sanitary pads instead, and change them as frequently as possible.
4. Wipe from front to back to avoid getting any fecal matter close to or in your vagina. Use either unscented toilet paper or baby wet wipes.
5. Eat a balanced diet. Sugary foods can cause an overgrowth of Candida bodies, resulting in yeast infection.