he menstrual cycle is a perfect machine, but it can happen that something jams and that those who are not used to it ask themselves a thousand questions, perhaps even with a little fear. This is the case, for example, of losses during ovulation : are they normal? What should they be? Let’s see together.
The Menstrual Cycle: How It Works
Let’s do a little recap of how the menstrual cycle works : on average, the length of a cycle is 28 days, but many women can have variable lengths that always remain the same (for example, always 25-day cycles) or experience a different length each time. The first day of the cycle is when menstruation begins, which usually lasts about 5 days. After that, the pre-ovulatory phase begins , in which the body begins to produce hormones to produce one or more eggs, ready to be fertilized. Once ovulation has occurred, the luteal phase begins , which has an average length of 14 days and is fixed for each woman: the premenstrual period is the final period of the cycle, which leads to the new menstruation .
Read also:Thin endometrium: what it is and what it entails
Symptoms of ovulation
When trying for a baby or, on the contrary, when you want to avoid it, knowing the days of ovulation is essential. In the first case, to have targeted intercourse with a probability of success (it is estimated that they are fertile about three days before ovulation and one day after, for the lifespan of the spermatozoa and the egg), in the second to be aware of a possible delay (which in fact must always be counted with respect to ovulation , especially in the case of an irregular cycle). As you get closer to the peak , the hormones work and change the vaginal mucus. At the same time, it is likely to feel a stomach ache and discomfort in the breasts, perhaps in the nipples.
Read also:Cervical Mucus: How It Changes During the Month
What are the most common causes?
Discharge during ovulation could be a sign of a complication in the endometrium or ovarian cysts. Other causes may have organic and dysfunctional factors such as:
- Cancerous/precancerous forms: fibroids, polyps, cervical cancer;
- Thyroid dysfunction;
- Vaginitis/vaginosis;
- Ectopic cervix;
- Early menopause;
- Obesity, bulimia, anorexia and other eating disorders;
- Crash diets;
- Diabetes, hypercholesterolemia;
- Premenopausal period;
- Inadequate insertion of the contraceptive coil;
- Stress (cause of hormonal modulations).
Read also:Watery discharge, when it happens and what to know
Different types of discharge during ovulation
Among the different types of discharge there are the gelatinous ones, that is, as the day of ovulation approaches , the vaginal mucus becomes more and more abundant and more gelatinous: those who teach the Billings method , that is, natural methods for birth control, teach precisely how to recognize this type of mucus.
In essence, it is not a “cream”, but something thicker, similar to egg white (transparent or whitish). Ovulation mucus is easily recognized because, when held between the index finger and thumb, it “runs”.
But above all, the sensation is very important: it is the wet sensation that indicates imminent ovulation (at the moment of ovulation, in fact, the sensation becomes dry).
Therefore, if you find gelatinous mucus like the one described and feel a strong sensation of wetness, it means that ovulation is near.
In the days leading up to ovulation , mucus production increases in order to create a more welcoming environment for sperm and favorable for conception . During ovulation, therefore, you may have white and watery discharge because the cervical mucus becomes more abundant, light in color and slippery in consistency to help the sperm to ascend the cervix to fertilize the egg. After ovulation, the amount of mucus usually decreases. What makes cervical mucus more abundant and fluid is above all the action of estrogen that is produced by the follicle.
It may happen that the losses in conjunction with ovulation are blood : in this case, the reasons could be different. On the one hand, a hormonal issue , most of the time completely normal, perhaps influenced by something that has happened. Other times, it could be something that needs to be investigated (or that is already known). Generally speaking, polycystic ovary syndrome induces ovulatory bleeding, because the secretion of progesterone is prolonged, but endometriosis can also cause blood loss because the walls of the uterus break down more easily.
In other cases, it may be a shorter-than-expected follicular phase and luteal phase dysfunction (because not enough progesterone is produced , which has the purpose of thickening the endometrium ), or a sudden drop in estrogen before ovulation.
In general, therefore, ovulatory spotting is due to characteristics such as PCOS or endometriosis or hormonal problems. All situations to investigate with the doctor, especially if the bleeding occurs in each cycle or more than once .
If you have pink discharge during ovulation, it could be due to the implantation of the embryo, therefore a sign of the beginning of a pregnancy. Or it could be caused by the bursting of the follicle following the complete maturation of the egg, which can lead to a small loss of blood, which should not be particularly worrying.
Brown discharge is instead a vaginal secretion characterized by light blood loss, attributable to various causes, both pathological and non-pathological. In some cases, this symptom can signal an irregular lifestyle or a temporary problem that can be corrected with some simple measures. However, brown discharge can also be a warning sign of a pathological process or dysfunction that must be addressed from a medical point of view.
Spotting during ovulation is a good sign, because it indicates that the body is producing the mucus needed to “catch” the sperm. When spotting occurs during ovulation, it would be best to investigate with your doctor, even if a single episode could indicate a temporary hormonal imbalance.
What color is the discharge during ovulation?
During ovulation, mucus changes consistency due to the action of estrogen: it becomes very abundant, mixes with vaginal secretions, stagnates in the cervix and plays a very important role in fertilization. During this period, the mucus is whitish in color and is stringy and watery.
How long does ovulation bleeding last?
In general, ovulation spotting may begin a few days before ovulation and continue for 1-2 days after ovulation. Therefore, the period in which ovulation spotting may be observed may last from 3 to 5 days .
But every woman is unique and her ovulation experiences can vary .
Some women may not have ovulation bleeding at all, while others may notice more of it or for different periods of time.
