Ovulation Discharge

What is Ovulation Discharge?

The vaginal secretions during the ovulation phase of your menstrual cycle are called ovulation discharge. Understanding the changes in your vaginal discharge during various stages of your menstrual cycle can help you track your most fertile days and either plan your pregnancy or avoid pregnancy, as desired. Let us understand this in a little more detail.

Vaginal discharge is a normal body secretion which consists of watery secretions from vaginal glands and mucoid secretion from cervical glands (Cervical mucus). The cervical mucus changes its amount and consistency throughout a woman’s menstrual cycle due to cyclic changes in female hormones estrogen and progesterone. These two hormones prepare your body for pregnancy every month and if pregnancy does not happen, the prepared lining of the uterus is shed as menstrual blood. The physical, chemical, and cellular components of the discharge are dependent on these two hormones namely estrogen and progesterone.

Menstrual Cycle, Hormones and Change in discharge

To better understand the changes in vaginal secretion during the various phases of your menstrual cycle, let us understand the phases of the menstrual cycle and the correlation of changing hormones and vaginal secretion with the phases of the menstrual cycle.

• Menstrual phase (Period days): During your periods, the inner lining of your uterus sheds and flows out as menstrual blood. It consists of blood, mucus, and cells of the uterine lining. This phase lasts for 3-7 days.
  
• Follicular phase (Preovulation phase): This phase starts on the first day of your menses or periods and continues till ovulation (day 14 in an average 28 day cycle). This phase lasts for about 13-14 days. During this phase, estrogen levels slowly increase and cause the uterine lining to thicken. It also increases the water and electrolyte content of the discharge and decreases its protein content so the discharge from the vagina becomes mucoid, copious, and clear. In the initial few days, the discharge is scanty, mucoid, and sticky. With further estrogen rise, the discharge increases in amount and its texture slowly changes to clear and stretchy, just like an egg white. This clear and stretchy discharge occurs near ovulation time and is the best time for trial of pregnancy. Another hormone called Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) causes the growth of ovarian follicles. By day 14, one of the follicles matures into an egg ready for fertilization.
  
• Ovulation phase: The release of an egg from a follicle under the effect of a hormone called Luteinizing Hormone (LH) is called ovulation. This occurs around day 14 in an average 28 day cycle. The most fertile period for pregnancy is five days before ovulation to one day after ovulation (10th to 15th days). So these are the days that you can best plan your pregnancy or avoid intercourse/use condoms if you don’t want a pregnancy. This phase can be identified by a vaginal discharge which becomes copious, clear and stretchy under the effect of peak levels of estrogen hormone and is called the Ovulation Discharge
• Luteal phase: During this phase, the mature egg travels through the fallopian tubes and reaches the uterus. The levels of estrogen hormone start decreasing and progesterone hormone starts increasing to prepare the uterus for implantation and pregnancy. Progesterone decreases water and electrolytes in the discharge but increases the protein content. Due to these hormonal changes, the discharge becomes scanty, thick and tenacious and the uterine lining thickens to prepare for the implantation of the fertilized egg. If the egg is fertilized by sperm, it implants on the uterine wall and the individual becomes pregnant. If the egg is not fertilized, the hormonal levels fall and the uterine lining sheds as menstrual flow. This phase lasts from days 15 to 28.

Hormonal changes in menstrual cycle – The Crux

• Before ovulation: Estrogen is the dominant hormone in the first half of the menstrual cycle and peaks at ovulation. Under the effect of estrogen, the vaginal discharge becomes thinner, clearer and increases in amount.
• Ovulation: By the time of ovulation, it becomes abundant, clear and stretchy like egg white. This is called Ovulation Discharge. When the discharge is held between the first finger and the thumb it stretches like an elastic thread. Under laboratory settings, this test is called the Spinn Barkeit test. Vaginal discharge can be stretched up to 10 cm.
• After Ovulation: Progesterone is abundant in the second half of the cycle. Once ovulation happens, the dominant hormone changes to progesterone and the discharge now becomes scanty and thicker. Therefore it cannot withstand stretch and breaks.

Ovulation discharge – Bottomline

Ovulation discharge is the vaginal discharge around the time of ovulation. This time is usually at day 14 of a 28-day cycle or approximately 14 days after the start of the last periods.

The discharge is abundant in amount, clear and stretchy like an egg white. It can be easily identified by taking it on a finger or tissue paper and examining it.

How is ovulation discharge used to plan pregnancy?

In a normal female, the menstrual period varies from 28 to 35 days. It is important to remember that ovulation always occurs 14 days before the onset of periods or menstruation. It means that ovulation will occur on day 14 in a 28-day cycle and on day 21 in a 35-day cycle. You can calculate your ovulation day by watching the character of your discharge. Learning to recognize ovulation discharge can help you plan your pregnancy as the 5 days before the estimated time of ovulation are your most fertile days. Planning intercourse at this time can increase your chances of becoming pregnant. Avoid intercourse or use barrier methods like condoms if you do not want a pregnancy. This method is not exact but still gives a fair idea of your fertile days. Stay heathy!

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