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Vaginal mucus, also called cervical mucus, may have different colors and consistency depending on the stage of the woman’s menstrual cycle, and thus the concentration of estrogen and progesterone. In addition, changes in the mucus structure can occur due to high levels of stress, inadequate diet or pregnancy. This secretion has many functions, during the fertile days it helps to get pregnant, and before the period protects the cervix from damage. Watching your mucus before your period is one of the natural methods of contraception.
Pre-period mucus – fertile and infertile
The monthly cycle is divided into three phases: pre-ovulation (follicular), ovulation (ovulation) and post-ovulation (luteal). Ovulation takes place approximately 13-15 days before the onset of menstruation, and the post-ovulation phase begins immediately afterwards. During the follicular phase, the level of estrogen in a woman’s body increases and the mucus becomes thin and clear, which promotes the transmission of sperm to the egg. The amount of cervical mucus in the following days increases to reach its highest level during ovulation. Very thin and clear, stringy mucus is the most likely to become pregnant.
In the next phase, from ovulation, the moment of the greatest amount of mucus, to menstruation, the mucus changes. Progesterone becomes the dominant hormone in a woman’s body. Before the period, there is a phase of the so-called absolute postovulatory infertility, then mucus appears, which, despite the different consistency, usually becomes denser and less transparent, which hinders the potential transmission of sperm to the egg and indicates the duration of infertile days. Pre-period mucus in medical terminology is called G-type mucus – from the substance that is responsible for its production, i.e. gestagen. The pre-period mucus, indicating the infertile phase, is thick, thick, opaque and non-stretchy, and may be jelly-like in consistency. Due to its structure, it can be considered a vaginal discharge or a symptom of infection, but it should be remembered that in the case of the disease there are also other symptoms, such as itching, redness and unpleasant smell of intimate parts.
If you suspect an infection, do not start your own treatment without consulting your doctor. The color of the discharge depends largely on the dominant sex hormones. If the body is functioning properly, you should have thick white or yellow mucus before your period, but a slightly pink or brown color is not a cause for concern as it is a sign of your period is approaching. Only the greenish color of the mucus indicates the possibility of infection or other lesions.
These types of symptoms are naturally troubling, so we often seek immediate answers. Many Polish women decide for a quick online consultation with a gynecologist, which can be arranged even on weekends and holidays. During the video consultation, the doctor will not be able to perform the examination, but he will be able to determine whether the symptoms require treatment, further diagnosis or maybe they will pass spontaneously.
Pre-period mucus and pregnancy
Another condition when mucus changes is pregnancy. At the beginning of pregnancy, the mucus that is typical of infertile days is usually thick and not stretchy, but with time it becomes watery and gives the impression of moisture. There are also cases where mucus is completely absent, which is called dry phase and should not be considered a symptom of vaginal dryness in all cases. P.pre-period mucus fertilization is easy to confuse with the so-called implantation bleeding, one of the first symptoms of pregnancy resulting from the implantation of an embryo. This type of bleeding may occur within the expected period, but it is much shorter and usually also pink or brown, and less often red.
Pre-period mucus and contraception
Observing mucus before your period is one of the natural methods of family planning, called the Billings methodwhich involves intercourse only during infertile days, which in theory should prevent unwanted pregnancies. According to studies from 2007, the effectiveness of this method after one year of use was 78%, and if all the recommendations of its creators were followed – 97%. However, you need to be extremely careful when using this method.
It should be remembered that the woman’s body, her fertility and the type of secretion mucus influenced by many factors, such as medications, strong emotions, climate or diet changes, and sperm can survive in her body for up to six days. If you have any doubts about your intimate health, consider purchasing a gynecological consultation. A visit to the gynecologist should be made regularly to detect any abnormalities in time.