Pink vaginal discharge is a common occurrence stemming from a change in hormones such as ovulation or pregnancy. While pink discharge is normal and doesn’t necessarily indicate a serious health condition, there are times when you may need medical assistance in order to make sure that there’s nothing wrong down there. From breakthrough bleeding to implantation bleeding, there are many “normal” causes of pink vaginal discharge that don’t concern your health and well-being.
But distinguishing between what’s normal and what isn’t can be oftentimes very difficult. If this is the first time you experience vaginal spotting, you might find it quite alarming. The good news is that thousands of other women go through the same unpleasant experience frequently. Here’s what they’ve asked our expert:
1. A few days ago I have notices some pinkish liquid on my underwear, but by the end of the day it was no longer pink colored. I do know that every woman experiences vaginal discharge on a daily basis, but the sight of blood made me freak out. The discharge was pink tinged, pale, and slimy, much like usual. It wasn’t smelly, creamy or something, so I’m pretty sure I don’t have yeast infection. The last time I had sex was about two weeks ago, and my period is due in 8 days. I also feel some sort of cramping whenever I engage in physical activity (I take yoga classes twice per week). Other than that, everything seems relatively normal. What causes pink discharge? I’m in a monogamous relationship, so there’s no chance of an STD. Please advise – should I see my GP?
AllDischarge.com Expert Answers:
You say that you had sex about two weeks ago, and your period is due in 8 days. It makes me think that you have probably had sex during ovulation, so there’s a very good chance that you’re pregnant. Spotting is the very first sign of early pregnancy you may experience, and it usually happens as a result of the fertilized egg attaching to the inner wall of your uterus (medically known as endometrium). The egg may hook and crack tiny small vessels, causing a little bit of bleed to come out of your vagina. This is normal and shouldn’t be a cause of concern. It occurs about 12 to 6 days before your next period is due, and lasts from a few minutes to a couple of hours. Have you experienced other pregnancy symptoms, like breast tenderness? I recommend that you take a pregnancy test to see whether you are pregnant or the bleeding is stemming from a more serious condition.
It’s reassuring to know that the discharge is watery instead of thick and clumpy, and that it doesn’t bear any odor. If you had yeast infection, you would now experience milky, cottage cheese like discharge with odor, itching, swelling and redness of the vagina, burning during urination, and painful intercourse. Sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea, Chlamydia and trichomoniasis would have exhibited similar symptoms – but this isn’t your case.
Since the spotting was so light that it went away by the end of the day, it’s likely implantation spotting. However, signs vary from woman to woman, so you should see your GP as soon as possible and take an hCG test to see whether you are pregnant or not. If you’re not pregnant, have some vaginal swabs taken and analyzed for common STDs like those I previously mentioned. A Pap smear will help rule out the possibility of cervical cancer.
Read also:
5 Most Common Causes of Light Pink Discharge
Complete Guide to Pink Discharge Before Period: What Every Woman Should Know
2. I am seven weeks pregnant and I have never experienced spotting before. It’s rather embarrassing to talk about this, but over the past couple of days, I have noticed watery, stringy pink mucus discharge from vagina. There’s a lot of it in the morning when I wake up, and the amount tends to double if I exercise or if I engage in any sort of physical activity. It doesn’t have any odor, but feels very… “fleshy,” so to speak, when I rub it between my fingers. The color is reddish pink, and goes bright pink if I have sex with my fiance. I have stomach pain and mild cramping, similar to how my period feels. What does pink discharge mean? Is this normal?
AllDischarge.com Expert Answers:
From what you’ve told me, the blood loss you experience is no longer spotting – it’s bleeding! While a small amount of pink vaginal discharge is normal in early pregnancy, heavier bleeding can be a sign of miscarriage. It usually lasts for a couple of days and is accompanied by cramps and stomach pain (which you experience too) among other symptoms. The amount will naturally increase during physical activity. Its consistency may feel “fleshy” because you are probably eliminating parts of the conception from the uterus. At this point, you probably no longer experience pregnancy symptoms like breast tenderness or bloated tummy.
Call your doctor or go to a sexual health clinic or hospital right away to have an ultrasound test. If you have miscarried, chances are that your uterus hasn’t yet eliminated conception matter, so you’ll be bleeding for the next couple of days as well. If the amount of blood decreases suddenly, your body might have failed to eliminate the matter. As such, you may need to have a curette, which involves scrapping of your cervix with a small instrument to clean it up.
Visit your gyn/obs regularly for checkups. Keep in mind that miscarriage makes you prone to vaginal infections, so you should better take some preventive measures. Start taking multivitamin and probiotic supplements to support your body through this process. Rest a lot and don’t start working until you feel like it.
3. I’m a 20-something female and I have never experienced vaginal bleeding at other times than my period. Yesterday I noticed some blood stains on my underwear. They were pink brown and looked quite recent (the underwear was still damp). My period is due to start in 12 days, so it’s unlikely to be just the onset. However, I have been on birth control for some months already. I haven’t had sex over the last two weeks since I broke up with my boyfriend. Why is my discharge pink, and what’s with this bleeding?
AllDischarge.com Expert Answers:
Since there are about 12 days left until your period starts, you must be ovulating right now. Many women experience light bleeding during ovulation, so don’t be concerned – it’s not something to stress over. Spotting between periods is normal, and while some women notice brownish pink discharge on their underwear, others see it on the toilet paper.
When the egg is released from the ruptured follicle, it travels through the fallopian tube to the uterus, ready for fertilization. This can cause a number of symptoms including spotting, cramping, backache, stomach pain and breast tenderness, which are all referred to as the ovulatory syndrome. However, not all women experience them – you’re one of those who do.
Another possible cause of the pink mucus discharge are contraceptives. Most birth control pills cause light bleeding during the first months of use. You could still have a sexually transmitted disease despite not having had sex during the last two months. Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, trichomoniasis and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) might all cause spotting between periods.
My advice would be calling your doctor, describing your symptoms and making an appointment as soon as possible. If there’s no infection or other underlying condition causing your discharge to be slightly pink, then you’re healthy. If you have an infection, make sure to closely follow your doctor’s instructions as to how to take your medication in order to stave it off. Consider doing a Pap smear to see whether there is any risk of cervical cancer. Ultrasound screening might help identify a potential ectopic pregnancy, which can also cause light bleeding.
4. I have hit menopause about six months ago, but I started experiencing some sort of bright pink discharge since yesterday. It’s pretty reddish and looks like blood. Since I haven’t had my period for over six months now, what are some probable reasons for pink discharge? Do I have a vaginal infection? I haven’t had sex in a while, so I’m completely sure it’s not an STD. I don’t think it’s yeast infection either. What do you think I should do? Is this a matter of concern?
AllDischarge.com Expert Answers:
Vaginal bleeding after menopause doesn’t sound quite well to me, and I’m afraid that the underlying issue may actually be very serious. But before we dig deeper into them, we should take a look at non-life-threatening causes of pink discharge. One would be vaginitis – I’m not talking about sexually transmitted disease, I’m referring to yeast infection and bacterial vaginosis, which aren’t necessarily contracted by sexual contact. If this is what’s causing your discharge to be abnormal, then you should have experienced other symptoms as well, such as vaginal itching, swelling and redness, burning during urination, and pelvic pain. A bad smell coming from vagina is also common with both yeast infection and BV, and it may become stronger after sex.
Another relatively harmless cause of vaginal bleeding after menopause is hormonal imbalance. This isn’t extremely common, but if you have recently started to take any sort of hormonal medication, it may be the culprit. At the same time, the bleeding may happen due to having stopped taking birth control pills.
Most of the time, pink vaginal discharge after menopause is caused by a more serious condition such as pelvic inflammatory disease, cervical, uterine or ovarian cancer. At this point, having a Pap smear and blood samples taken is critical to identifying the exact cause of the discharge. Go to your doctor as fast as you can, and talk to her about the symptoms that you’re experiencing. Don’t be embarrassed – many postmenopausal women deal with occasional bleeding. The goal is identifying what’s causing it so you can address the issue before it’s too late.
5. Last week I gave birth to my beautiful, sweet daughter, but since then, I’ve been experiencing a lot of bleeding. My discharge is dark brown and creamy, and smells quite bad, similar to how my period smells. I’m afraid that there might be something wrong with me. I haven’t talked to my midwife yet, as I thought that the bleeding would go away on its own. But it didn’t! What should I do? Is this normal and common after delivery?
AllDischarge.com Expert Answers:
Congratulations for your beautiful child! As for your problem, it sounds very normal to me. Few days after delivery, you will experience heavy bleeding that might look very much like your period. When the placenta separates from the uterus, there are open blood vessels in the area where it was attached. They begin to bleed into the uterus, and hence you start experiencing vaginal bleeding. Normally, you will experience pinkish discharge along with the bleeding. This discharge is known as lochia, and it consists of blood, bacteria and tissue shed from the lining of the uterus.
During the first few days after delivery, there will be a fair amount of blood in your discharge, and hence the color will be bright red or pink. It may come out intermittently in small gushes or flow more evenly. You should start experiencing a little less discharge every day. It will be watery and pinkish by two to four days after you’ve given birth, or white and watery by ten days after delivery. The bleeding and discharge may continue even after a few weeks, so there’s nothing to be concerned about.
To manage lochia, start by using sanitary pads to absorb the liquid and prevent staining or wetting your clothes. Avoid tampons at all costs, because they increase the risk of infection – and since you’re very vulnerable after birth, they’re more likely to happen. Use the bathroom very often even if you don’t feel the urge to. Your bladder is less sensitive during the first days after you give birth, so you may not need the urge to urinate despite your bladder being full. You don’t want to get urinary tract infection, right? Moreover, a full bladder makes it difficult for the cervix to contract, so there will be more bleeding, lochia and after pain.
Make sure to have regular checkups done so you can be sure that there’s nothing wrong down there. Ask your gyn/obs about how to keep your genital area clean during the first six to eight weeks after delivery so you don’t get an infection!