Hi Kindara,
I am 1 week past ovulation and my cervical fluid isn't drying up. If anything, it seems much more creamy and much more of it too! Me and my husband are trying for baby number 2 and I have been off the pill for a little while. Could this have anything to do with excess cervical fluid or is it a sign I may be pregnant?
-Monica
Without knowing any other details about what else you may be tracking or how you confirmed your ovulation, a few things could be happening here:
According to the American Pregnancy Association, a change in vaginal discharge may be one of the first signs of pregnancy. Vaginal discharge that is thin, white, and milky during pregnancy is referred to as leukorrhea (1). Leukorrhea is normal and nearly every pregnant woman will experience it (2).
Cervical mucus (CM) increases during pregnancy due to the hormonal changes caused by conception and implantation. The CM is believed to provide additional protection for the developing fetus, and it will change throughout the pregnancy from sticky and thick to watery and thin (3).
Check out our Kindara App to chart your cycle:
If you are only tracking cervical mucus (CM), pinpointing ovulation may be difficult, especially if you have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or another hormonal or thyroid disorder (4). With PCOS specifically, you may experience less fertile CM and then go back to fertile CM before you actually ovulate, which is why tracking at least two daily observations is so important (4). Tracking your basal body temperature (BBT) daily is a good at-home method to confirm ovulation after it occurs (5). Check out this PCOS chart in Kindara for an example.
Some people never have any dry days at all, depending on your individual biology, your age, and even how hydrated you are. Additionally, fertile-quality CM post ovulation could be from the second, smaller surge of estrogen that happens, which sometimes causes wet CM. It could also be an indication that the corpus luteum has disintegrated, which normally happens before menstruation (4).
Depending on how long ago you stopped taking the hormonal birth control pill, that could also be affecting your cervical mucus pattern. Your body may need a few cycles to normalize after the synthetic hormones (4), and we’ve had users tell us that their menstrual cycles as long as a year to normalize.
If your CM pattern is consistent and doesn’t transition in any way (from a dry type to a wet type, it’s a good idea to see your healthcare provider. Unchanging CM could be a sign of various imbalances or potentially an infection (4).
Vaginal discharge can also be a sign that there is a problem. If you have any doubts or if it is foul smelling, bloody, itchy, or green/yellowish, you should contact your healthcare provider (2).
We hope this is helpful, but as always, if you have concerns about your health, speak with your healthcare provider.
