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 look 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 is yet to have a child.

For years she has been very 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 was not surprising because the test was carried out too early. Just a few days after her missed period, we repeated the test again and it was positive.

If you are trying to conceive, watching your vaginal discharge around ovulation can give you some clues about your cycle and fertile days. But discharge alone cannot reliably confirm pregnancy. A pregnancy test is still the only way to know for sure.

Discharge after ovulation may mean many things. It could simply show that your period is just around the corner, that you have already ovulated, or sometimes that you have an infection.

If you are 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 you are pregnant or not, and other signs that may mean you could be pregnant.

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Cervical mucus after ovulation

Before explaining in detail 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 mature egg from your right or left ovary. If you are still in your reproductive age, ovulation happens in every menstrual cycle, unless you are pregnant, breastfeeding without periods yet, or have certain medical conditions.

For most ladies with a regular 28-day menstrual cycle, ovulation is most likely to happen around the middle of your cycle (about day 14). More accurately, ovulation usually occurs around 14 days before your next period. Cycles can vary a lot, so this is only a guide.

But all women are different. While some have a regular menstrual cycle, others don’t. Also, not all women have a 28-day cycle. Some could have a 26-day or 30-day menstrual cycle (or even shorter or longer).

Therefore, it becomes vital to understand the symptoms and signs of ovulation, instead of relying only on cycle dates.

Body changes you may experience before ovulation

1. 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 more watery, clear, slippery, or stretchy. Some women describe it as a long, slimy discharge, like raw egg white.

You may notice this discharge on your underwear, on tissue paper, or when you wipe. If you haven’t noticed it before, you can gently dip clean 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 ovulate or already ovulating.

If you want to read more about normal cervical mucus changes, you can also check the cervical mucus guide from Cleveland Clinic.

2. Cervical changes

It’s not unusual for some women to examine their cervix from time to time. In fact, some women use cervical position to track their fertile days, but it is not a very reliable way to detect pregnancy.

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

During ovulation, there are noticeable changes at the cervix. It becomes higher, softer and more open. Sometimes, it may be difficult to feel with your finger.

3. Other symptoms you may experience before or during ovulation

• Increased sense of smell and taste

• Increased libido

• Mild vaginal spotting

• Mild cramps on one side of the abdomen

• A slight rise in body temperature (if you are tracking basal body temperature)

You can also read more about ovulation signs on Mayo Clinic.

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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 notice changes when ovulation has already 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 the natural hormonal changes throughout the cycle.

The most important hormones that affect the breast are estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen typically rises just before ovulation. When this happens, it prepares your body to respond to progesterone.

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

Your breast may feel sore and tender, slightly bigger than usual and, in some cases, you may feel lumpiness that seems to come and go with your cycle.

If you notice increased breast size and pain in the second half of your cycle, it is likely you are in the post-ovulation period. However, the same symptom can also happen in early pregnancy, so it is not specific.

Cervical changes after ovulation

The cervix also undergoes changes when you are past ovulation. Post-ovulation, the cervix usually becomes firmer, more closed and lower in your vaginal canal.

Some women notice discomfort or pain when the cervix is accidentally hit during intercourse at this time. In other words, you can sometimes feel your cervix lower in the vaginal canal.

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Discharge after ovulation if not pregnant

Discharge after ovulation may vary depending on whether you are pregnant or not, and whether you have an infection.

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

Thick discharge after ovulation happens mainly because of the natural rise of progesterone in the later stages of the menstrual cycle. Progesterone causes discharge to feel more sticky, creamy or milky.

Provided it does not smell bad and there is no itching, burning, pain or unusual color (like green, grey or bright yellow), there is usually 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 vagina with little or no discharge, it is usually not a problem. It happens because of the progesterone drop, and it can be normal for you.

However, you should see a doctor or nurse if:

• Your discharge suddenly smells very bad or fishy

• The color is green, grey, or very yellow

• You have strong itching, burning, pain, or sores

• You have pelvic pain, fever, or bleeding that is not your normal period

ACOG explains more about what normal and abnormal discharge looks like.

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Discharge after ovulation if pregnant

If you are trying to conceive, it is understandable to monitor your vaginal discharge from time to time. As earlier mentioned, it can give you some idea of where you are in your cycle, but it cannot confirm pregnancy on its own.

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

Some women who become pregnant notice that, instead of becoming very dry before their next period, their discharge stays milky or slightly watery and may feel more than usual. This can happen because of rising estrogen and progesterone in early pregnancy.

However, many women do not notice any special change in discharge before a positive test, and some have similar creamy discharge whether pregnant or not. So increased discharge can be a possible clue, but it is not a sure sign.

Another point to note is the timing. Normally, just a few days to your next period you may experience a drop in the volume of your discharge. If your period is late and your discharge remains milky or more noticeable, you may suspect pregnancy and consider doing a test.

Other causes of excessive discharge

Having said that, there are other causes of excessive discharge before your period:

• Yeast infection (thrush):
  Discharge is often thick, white, and lumpy like cottage cheese. There is usually vaginal itching, redness, soreness, pain during sex, or burning when you pee.

• Bacterial vaginosis (BV):
  Discharge may be thin, grey or white, with a strong “fishy” smell, especially after sex. Itching may be mild or absent.

If you have any of these symptoms, it is better to see a doctor or health worker for examination and treatment. You can read more about yeast infection and BV from ACOG’s vaginitis FAQ.

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Other early signs that you may be pregnant

If you are pregnant, you will usually notice more than one symptom. Some of the common early pregnancy signs include:

Implantation bleeding and cramps

Implantation bleeding is a light, short-lived spotting that some women experience just before their expected period. In many women it happens about 6–12 days after ovulation.

This means, instead of only whitish discharge, you may notice a pink or brownish discharge if a small amount of blood mixes with your discharge.

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

If you are unsure, talk to your doctor or take a pregnancy test to confirm.

Breast pain and swelling

Swelling of the breast with pain normally happens in the menstrual cycle, especially after ovulation due to a spike in progesterone.

But as already mentioned, there is usually a drop in the level of progesterone just before your period. If your period is late and you still experience breast pain and fullness, it can be one of the signs of early pregnancy.

Other symptoms of early pregnancy may include

• Missed period

• Nausea or vomiting (“morning sickness”)

• Food cravings or food aversions

• Back pain or lower abdominal cramps

• Feeling very tired

• Passing urine more often

• Mood changes

These symptoms vary a lot from woman to woman. Some women feel many symptoms, others feel almost nothing in early pregnancy. You can read more on Mayo Clinic – early pregnancy symptoms.

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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 understandable, the drawback is that you may unnecessarily get anxious and unhappy if the test is negative but you are actually still early.

Taking a pregnancy test just a few days after ovulation is usually not reliable. This is because the hormone being tested (hCG) is still very low and may not yet be detected in the urine.

If you think you are pregnant, there is nothing stopping you from taking a test. If it is negative but your period has not yet come, do not be discouraged. Early “false negative” results are common.

Most guidelines advise that the best time to take a home pregnancy test is from the first day of a missed period, or about 10–14 days after ovulation, depending on your cycle and the sensitivity of the test. Waiting a few more days after a missed period makes the result even more accurate.

If your period is late, your test is negative, and you still feel pregnancy symptoms, repeat the test after a few days or see your doctor for a blood test or further advice. You can read more practical advice on when to test from the NHS or Cleveland Clinic.

Good luck!!!