Progesterone, the main hormone in the second half of the menstrual cycle, acts to decrease fluid secretion.
Higher levels of progesterone cause discharge to appear white. This type of discharge may last for up to 14 days. It may be thick and sticky, but there will be less than there was during ovulation.
After ovulation, estrogen levels drop and progesterone levels rise. This rise in progesterone helps the fertilized egg implant into your uterus if conception occurs. However, this causes your cervical mucus to begin to dry up.
Estrogen levels are rising quickly now and the cervix produces more fluid. At first, discharge may look thick and sticky. Then it may become more wet and creamy, like a lotion.
Yeast infection discharge is caused by an overgrowth of fungus in the vagina. Symptoms of yeast infection discharge include a thick, white, cottage cheese-like discharge, along with itching, redness, irritation and burning. Roughly 90 percent of women will have a yeast infection at some point in their life.
Vaginal dryness is a hormonal side effect of some birth control methods that contain the hormones estrogen or progesterone.
In the second half of the menstrual cycle, predominated by increased progesterone levels, the cervical mucus becomes scant in amount, thick and opaque[11].
Although progesterone has an important role in cervical softening and ripening, less clear is the biological mechanism. Multiple investigators liken cervical ripening to an inflammatory process [32–34], and progesterone's anti-inflammatory effects could modulate this process [35, 36].
It is normal to have vaginal discharge for several days after using this medicine. Talk with your doctor if you have concerns about any vaginal discharge. Store progesterone vaginal inserts or gel at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.
Progesterone levels begin to rise after ovulation through the end of the menstrual cycle. Symptoms of high progesterone are similar to premenstrual syndrome and can include anxiety and agitation, bloating, breast swelling and tenderness, depression, fatigue, and weight gain.
Any doctor or surgeon who treats you should know that you are using progesterone vaginal. It is normal to have vaginal discharge for several days after using this medicine. Talk with your doctor if you have concerns about any vaginal discharge.
Your most fertile cervical mucus
Just a few days before you ovulate, you may start to feel more wetness around your vaginal opening; you may even feel like water is flowing out of your vagina. Some — not all — people ovulate on day 14 of their cycle, and this kind of mucus shows up shortly before that day.
Clear and stretchy — This is “fertile” mucous and means you're ovulating. Clear and watery — This occurs at different times of your cycle and can be particularly heavy after exercising. Yellow or green — May indicate an infection, especially if it's thick or clumpy like cottage cheese or has a foul odor.
Watery or white vaginal discharge with intense itchiness
If your discharge is thin and watery, or thick and white (like cottage cheese), you may have thrush. This common fungal infection causes intense itchiness and soreness around your vagina. The discharge may smell slightly yeasty, but doesn't have a strong smell.
In clinical studies, vaginal progesterone has been shown to attenuate the rate of cervical shortening [47, 48], but its efficacy in preterm birth prevention is cervical-length dependent [48–51] with most benefit observed in high-risk pregnancies with a short cervix <25 mm [35].
An increase in vaginal discharge can be a sign of pregnancy. It is typically a thin clear, or milky white liquid.
Estrogen is a hormone that helps maintain the vagina's lubrication, elasticity, and thickness. Low levels of estrogen can cause thinning, drying, and inflammation of vaginal walls. This is called vaginal atrophy.
Higher estrogen levels can increase vaginal wetness by causing the Bartholin glands to produce more fluid. People on hormone treatments, such as those taking hormone replacement therapy, may notice an increase in vaginal wetness. Some people use vaginal estrogen to increase vaginal wetness.
Sticky cervical mucus
The consistency is thick and chunky, and the texture feels like paste or glue from a glue stick, making it hard for sperm to swim through. Sticky or tacky cervical mucus is the least fertile type, so your chances of getting pregnant are low.
In particular, vaginal discharge from fungal infections (yeast infection or vaginal candidiasis) is odorless, but usually exhibits in larger amounts, is thick, is white, has a cottage cheese appearance or will look like crusted milk in a woman's underwear, and is accompanied by symptoms of itching.
It plays an important role in brain function and is often called the “feel good hormone” because of its mood-enhancing and anti-depressant effects. Optimum levels of progesterone promote feelings of calm and well-being, while low levels can cause anxiety, irritability, and anger.
When your progesterone levels drop, your GABA levels drop as well. Low progesterone can lead to feelings of anxiety, sadness, or depression. The increase in progesterone during pregnancy is why so many women report feeling AMAZING during pregnancy.