Discharge After Ovulation: Thick or watery Cervical Mucus, Am I pregnant?

One common question I get from ladies is what should vaginal discharge after ovulation looks Like? Should it be watery or thick? Should it be whitish, yellowish or greenish?

While in the clinic on Monday, I met a young lady who was just 24 years old. She has been married for 3 years and yet to have a child.

For years she has been conscious of her body and when she noticed a different type of discharge after her ovulation, she rushed to the clinic to check if she was pregnant.

In the end, she got a negative pregnancy test result. But, this also was not accurate as the test was carried out too early. Just a few days to her next period, we repeated the test again and she was positive.

If you are trying to conceive, vaginal discharge after ovulation may be a quick and easy way to know you are pregnant. This eases your anxiety and relaxes your mind.

However, discharge after ovulation may mean many things. It could also signify your period is just around the corner or you have an infection

If you worried about how cervical mucus after ovulation should look like, I’ve put up this guide to help you.

This guide explains signs of ovulation, post-ovulation signs, what cervical mucus after ovulation looks like if pregnant or not, and signs that means that you could be pregnant.

Cervical mucus after ovulation

Before explaining in details what cervical mucus after ovulation feels like, it is important to understand the meaning of ovulation and its signs.

Ovulation is the release of a well-developed egg from your right or left ovaries. If you are still in your reproductive age, ovulation happens in every menstrual cycle.

For most ladies with a regular 28-day menstrual cycle, ovulation is most likely to happen on day 14 of your menstrual cycle.

But, All women are different. And while some have a regular menstrual cycle, others don’t. Also, not all women have a 28 days cycle. some could have a 26 or 30 days menstrual cycle

Therefore, it becomes vital to understand the symptoms and signs of ovulation

Here are body changes you will experience before ovulation

Watery and stretchy vaginal discharge

This is one of the commonest and easiest ways to tell you are just before your ovulation. Vaginal discharge looks so watery or stretchy. Some women describe it as a long slimy discharge.

Definitely, you most likely have noticed this type of discharge. If you haven’t, you can dip your fingers into the vaginal canal and examine it.

If it is watery, egg-like, or stretchy, that’s a sign that you are just about to ovulation or already ovulating.

Cervical changes

It’s not unusual to examine your cervix from time to time. In fact, though not always reliable, you could identify pregnancy though changes at the cervix

The cervix is a hollow shaped structure in the inside of your vaginal. It connects your vaginal canal to the body of the uterus.

During ovulation, there are noticeable changes at the cervix. It becomes high and soft. Sometimes, it may be difficult to feel.

Other symptoms you may experience before or during ovulation are an increased sense of smell and taste, increased libido, mild vaginal spotting, and cramps on one side of the abdomen.

How to know you are past ovulation

Just as it is possible to know when you are about to ovulate or ovulating, it is also possible to know when ovulation has occurred.

Here are some post ovulation signs

Breast changes

Most women can attest to changes that occur in their breast during the menstrual cycle. This change is mainly because of hormonal change that naturally happens throughout the menstrual cycle.

The most common hormones that affect the breast are estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen typically spikes up just before ovulation. When this happens it stimulates your body to increase progesterone receptors.

After ovulation, there is a spike in the levels of progesterone. This hormone causes changes in your breast resulting in breast pain.

Your breast feels sore and tender, slightly bigger than usual and in some cases you may even feel a lump inside your breast.

If you notice an increased breast size and pain, it is likely you are in the post-ovulation period

Cervical changes after ovulation

The cervix also undergoes changes when you are past your ovulation. Post ovulation, the cervix becomes hard and low in your vaginal canal.

Most women will notice pain when the cervix is mistakenly hit during intercourse. In other words, you can easily feel your cervix low in the vaginal canal.

Discharge after ovulation If not pregnant

Discharge after ovulation may vary depending on if you are pregnant or not, or if you have an infection down there.

For non-pregnant women without any vaginal infection, discharge after ovulation is thick and whitish in color. Discharge is not smelling and there are also no signs of pain, inflammation or vulvar sores.

Thick discharge after ovulation happens because of the natural spike of progesterone hormone in the later stages of the menstrual cycle.

Progesterone causes discharge to feel sticky. Some women describe it as milky or creamy like. Provided it does not smell, there is no reason to panic.

Just a few days or a week to your next period, there is a drop in the level of progesterone. This drop causes some women to experience a dry vaginal area just before their period.

So, if you get a dry vaginal with little or no discharge, its definitely not a problem. It happens because of progesterone drop.

Discharge after ovulation if pregnant

Of course, if you are trying to conceive, it is important you monitor your vaginal discharge from time to time. As earlier mentioned, it could be a quick way to know you could be pregnant.

After ovulation, there are multiple signs you may begin to experience. Your vaginal discharge will change too in volume and consistency.

After ovulation, if you are pregnant, you will notice your vaginal discharge feel excessive and watery. If you get this type of discharge, it is possible you are pregnant.

Another point to note is the timing. Just a few days to your next period you should experience some kind of drop in the volume of your discharge.

If it becomes excessive and watery within one week to your experienced period, that’s a sign that you could be pregnant.

Having said that, there are other causes of excessive discharge before your period. Most commonly is a yeast infection. If you have a yeast infection, you will notice other symptoms too such as vaginal itching, vulvar sore, painful intercourse, and pain when urinating.

Another possible reason for excessive discharge is Bacterial vaginosis. You may not feel itching down there but your discharge may be excessive with a foul-smelling odor.

Nevertheless, there are other signs of pregnancy you should be experiencing too. They include

Implantation bleeding and cramps

Implantation bleeding is a light shortlived spotting that you will experience just before your period. In most women, it happens 6-12 days after ovulation has occurred.

This means, instead of a whitish discharge, you could experience a pink or brownish discharge if blood mixes with your discharge.

So, a pinkish or brownish discharge after ovulation is a sign you could be pregnant. But there are other causes of brown or pink discharge, and in fact, not all women will have spotting as a sign of pregnancy.

Talk to your doctor or take a pregnancy test to confirm if you are pregnant

Breast pain and swelling

Swelling of the breast with pain normally happens in your menstrual cycle. That is, just after ovulation due to a spike in the levels of progesterone.

But as already mentioned, there is a drop in the level of progesterone just before your period. If you still experience breast pain and miss your next period date, it is likely you are pregnant.

Other symptoms of pregnancy are missed period, food cravings, back pain, lower abdominal cramps, increased appetite, dizziness, vomiting and nausea, and mood swing.

When to take a pregnancy test after ovulation?

As expected, most women will want to take a pregnancy test as early as possible. While this is encouraged, the drawback is that you may unnecessarily get anxious and unhappy.

Taking a pregnancy test just after ovulation is always not reliable. This is because the hormone being tested for is still rising in your body.

If you think you are pregnant, there is nothing stopping you from taking a test. If negative, do not be discouraged as false negative results are common during this time.

The most advisable time to take a pregnancy test is after a missed period. Or, if you are sure of your date, you can take a pregnancy test after a week of missing your period.

Good luck!!!