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Period 2 Weeks Late White Discharge: Pregnant or Not? 7 Main Causes

By: Author Dr Akatakpo Dunn, MBBS, PG Dip Ultrasound, Prof Dip O&G (RCPI) Medical Director & Lead Obstetrician/Ultrasonologist, Verah Clinic & Maternity

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Question: Why is my period 2 weeks late with white discharge and abdominal cramps?

After sexual activity and without the use of a condom or birth control pill, a late period can be troubling. The truth is your period can be delayed for different reasons, and while you may first think about being pregnant, there are other causes of a late period.

If your period is two weeks late with increased white, milky or clear discharge, pregnancy is one of the common possibilities – but it is not the only cause.

Having said that, stress, excessive weight loss, strenuous workout plans, thyroid abnormalities, contraceptive pills, IUDs, ovarian disorders (polycystic ovary syndrome, PCOS), perimenopause and delayed ovulation can all cause your period to come later than expected.

If your period is late, it’s normal that you will want to take a pregnancy test. If you already did and tested negative for pregnancy, this guide explains the possible reasons. If you are yet to take a pregnancy test and you’ve had unprotected sex in this cycle, it’s important you take a test right away.

This article explains causes of a two-weeks-late period, when to worry, and early signs that show you’re pregnant.

Why is my period 2 weeks late?

Depending on your menstrual cycle, it’s not abnormal if your period comes every 21–35 days. Generally, a lot of girls and women will get their period after about 28 days has passed, and it’s okay if your menstrual cycle is a bit longer or shorter.

Here’s an email I received from Olivia (one of my readers):

Hi Dr. Dunn
I had unprotected sex with my boyfriend some weeks ago, and I think I am 14 days late on my period. I’m wondering if I’m pregnant because my breast hurts and I feel like vomiting all the time. Should I take another pregnancy test?

Sometimes, wrong calculation of your next period date may cause panic. If you are not sure about your next period, it’s important you begin to chart the first day of your period for the next few months.

However, if your menstrual cycle is usually regular and you’ve missed your period for about 2 weeks, here are the possible reasons.

1. Pregnancy

Pregnancy is the main reason a lot of women will miss their period for weeks and months. In fact, when you get pregnant, your period normally stops coming, and you will also start to experience pregnancy symptoms.

During early pregnancy, body hormones like estrogen and progesterone make changes to your body and also prevent your period from coming.

Surely, there is no reason to panic about pregnancy if you’ve not had sexual intercourse. But if you’ve had unprotected intercourse (or your contraception failed) some weeks back, a missed period is an early sign.

Other symptoms you may experience during early pregnancy (sometimes even before missing your period) are:

Implantation bleeding

Implantation bleeding is vaginal spotting that usually lasts for only a day or two. If you are pregnant and your period is already 2 weeks late, you are around 6 weeks pregnant, so any implantation bleeding would usually have occurred earlier (around the time your period was due). Mayo Clinic

Some women (up to about one-third in some studies) notice light spotting when the pregnancy first attaches to the womb, but many women never see any spotting at all. The bleeding is usually much lighter than a normal period and may be pink or brown rather than bright red.

Heavy bleeding, bright-red blood with clots, or strong cramps are not typical for implantation bleeding and should be checked by a doctor urgently, to rule out miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.

Increased clear vaginal discharge

Increased vaginal discharge before and after your missed period is one way you may suspect pregnancy.

Normally, before conceiving, it’s normal you will have whitish discharge from your vagina. This discharge is produced high up at your cervix, and it helps to keep your vagina clean and healthy.

After period, and just before the start of the next menstruation, some women feel vaginal dryness. This is due to a sudden drop in hormone levels (estrogen and progesterone) before period.

So, if you’ve already noticed heavier white or milky discharge before and after missing your period, it can be a sign of pregnancy, especially if it is not itchy or foul-smelling. However, discharge alone cannot confirm pregnancy. Yeast infection, bacterial vaginosis and sexually transmitted infections can also change your discharge (especially if there is bad smell, itching, burning, or yellow/green color).

Other common pregnancy symptoms are breast swelling and tenderness, body weakness, fatigue, increased frequency of urination, nausea, mood changes and vomiting. Mayo Clinic

What to do?

Most home pregnancy tests are accurate from the first day of your missed period, and their accuracy improves if you wait about a week after the missed period. So, if your period is already 2 weeks late, take a pregnancy test right away, ideally with your first morning urine. See more detail here:

If you are unsure about your next period date, and you test negative for pregnancy, you can wait another week and test again, or see your doctor for a blood test and examination.

If you have severe lower tummy pain, shoulder pain, feel faint, or have very heavy bleeding with clots and a late period, please go to the hospital urgently to rule out ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage.

2. Stress

Your occupation, night-life, sleepless nights, academic activities and emotional problems may slowly be affecting your health and, subsequently, delay your menstrual period from coming when due.

When you get stressed out, your body quickly produces cortisol hormones. This hormone acts to increase blood and oxygen flow to the brain, lungs, and heart.

If this happens for a long time, there is a negative impact on your reproductive system, resulting in a delayed ovulation and a late period. Severe stress or sudden illness can even make your period skip completely in that cycle.

If you’ve not had time for relaxation or you are experiencing emotional issues, it could also affect your body’s release of hypothalamic hormones that control your period.

Take some time off to relax, sleep well, eat properly, or talk to a health care professional or counsellor.

3. Exercise, weight gain or excessive weight loss

It’s normal that a lot of girls want to look good and stay healthy through routine physical exercise. If you over-work yourself or lose weight too fast, it may shut down regulatory mechanisms in your brain (called the hypothalamus and pituitary).

Usually, hormones from your brain travel down to your ovaries and control release of an egg during ovulation. Excessive weight loss, lack of night rest for a long time, being very underweight, being significantly overweight, and severe exercise negatively affect secretion of hormones from the hypothalamus and pituitary glands.

If this happens, and your ovulation is delayed or not happening at all, your period will be delayed too, or may stop for a while.

4. Thyroid abnormalities

At the front of your neck is a butterfly-shaped gland that controls your body metabolism, growth and also your menstrual period.

This gland, called the thyroid gland, produces hormones which can be excessive (hyperthyroidism) or less than normal (hypothyroidism).

Both too much and too little thyroid hormone can cause menstrual problems – including very light periods, heavy periods, irregular cycles or missed periods for weeks or months. Other symptoms of thyroid disease are:

  • Unintentional weight loss or weight gain

  • Less bleeding during period than usual or very heavy bleeding

  • Absent period for weeks or months

  • Body weakness

  • Dizziness

  • Restlessness or low mood

  • Feeling too hot or too cold

  • Increased or decreased appetite

If you notice several of these together with a late or very irregular period, ask your doctor for a thyroid check.

5. Birth control medications

There are different types of birth control pills in the market. The most common traditional combined pills are taken for about three weeks, and then you have a free week where you are not on medications and you see a withdrawal bleed.

If you are yet to see any bleeding while on birth control pills, it’s possible you are pregnant, or you are on extended-cycle or continuous hormonal methods (some newer pills, injections, implants, or hormonal IUDs) that can make your periods very light or stop completely for many months.

Some extended-cycle pills are designed so that you only bleed every three months, while others are designed to stop your periods altogether as long as you keep taking the pills correctly. This can be normal, but you should still read the information leaflet of your pill or talk to your doctor or pharmacist about what to expect.

Besides, it’s possible to be pregnant while on these medications. This commonly occurs if you are not taking medications as prescribed, you vomit soon after taking them, or you miss pills. If you are concerned, or you have pregnancy symptoms, take a pregnancy test as soon as possible.

6. Perimenopause

If your period is 2 weeks late and you are not pregnant, it could be due to pre-menopause (perimenopause) changes. As you grow older, your body, hormones, and uterus start preparing for menopause.

Menopause is a time that occurs naturally in a woman’s life when periods stop coming. Before this time, your body begins to change, and you notice your period becomes irregular – sometimes closer together, sometimes further apart, sometimes heavier or lighter. ACOG+1

Other perimenopause symptoms are vaginal dryness, body weakness, hot flashes, night sweats and decreased sexual urge.

Average age of menopause is around 51 years, and perimenopause often occurs in the 40s, though it can start a little earlier for some women. Talk to your doctor if you feel this way or if you notice any very heavy or unusual bleeding, because that should always be checked.

7. Polycystic ovaries (polycystic ovary syndrome – PCOS)

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormone condition where the ovaries make more “male-type” hormones (androgens) than usual. Women with PCOS often have irregular cycles, infrequent periods, or months without a period, and can also have acne, weight gain, or increased hair on the face or body. ACOG

If your period is not just 2 weeks late once, but often late or you skip months regularly, ask your doctor to check for PCOS and other hormone problems. PCOS is treatable, and early diagnosis can help protect your long-term fertility and reduce risks such as diabetes.

8. Postinor pill for emergency contraception

Taking levonorgestrel emergency contraception (Postinor and similar pills) can make your next period come a little earlier or later, and the flow may be lighter or heavier than usual. A delay of up to about one week is common after taking emergency contraception.

If your period is more than 7 days late after using Postinor, or you have pregnancy symptoms (breast tenderness, nausea, tiredness), do a pregnancy test and see your doctor.

9. Abortion

After a medical or surgical abortion, it can take about 4–8 weeks for your normal period to return. During this time you may have some spotting or brown discharge as the womb empties and hormones settle.

If your period has not come 8 weeks after an abortion, or you have persistent heavy bleeding, fever, strong abdominal pain or foul-smelling discharge, you should see a doctor urgently to rule out retained pregnancy tissue or infection.

If your period is repeatedly late, you are unsure if you are pregnant, or you simply feel something is not right with your body, do not ignore it. See your doctor or a gynecologist for a proper check-up and advice.