How Vaginal Discharge Can Change Before Your Period

Key takeaways:

• The vagina has natural secretions, so a discharge can be normal.
• The glands involved in secretions are influenced by the cyclic hormone levels of your menstrual cycle, and a natural vaginal discharge can change, especially right before your period when there may be menstrual blood mixed in.
• Any vaginal discharge has the potential to be abnormal, so just because it is occurring before your period does not mean all is well.

Your menstrual cycle is just that—a cycle: hormone changes repeat monthly in preparation for pregnancy. If pregnancy doesn’t occur, your hormones will diminish, and the lining of your uterus (womb) that was preparing for pregnancy falls away. You see this as tissue and blood that you call your period.

Even when birth control pills prevent pregnancy, the sequence is mimicked with estrogen and progesterone; when these hormones are artificially stopped after you take your last pill, your uterine lining falls away. Whether your cycles are naturally occurring or artificially controlled by birth control pills, sometimes blood can exit before you see your period.

Is it normal for vaginal discharge to change before your period?

Yes. The approach to a period is gradual, so it’s not uncommon—and quite normal—for some blood to tinge your vaginal discharge even before your period. This can give it a pink or slightly red color instead of the clear, filmy, milky white, or mucousy discharge you normally see.

How vaginal discharge changes right before your period

How you notice a vaginal discharge is subjective. You may begin your period after no noticeable change, or you may see a gradual pinkish or reddish discoloration of your discharge until your period is on.

Normal changes

As your normal cycle progresses, your vaginal discharge will thicken near ovulation, become more mucousy (slimy, stretchy), and then decrease in volume and viscosity (thickness) until you may notice a pink tinge that indicates your period is imminent.

Signs of abnormal discharge

Moisture and secretions of your vagina are normal, but infections can change your discharge in ways that indicate abnormal processes:

• Bloody discharge: unless it's the pink tinge noticed before your period, blood that discolors your normal discharge to pink, red, brown, or black indicates the presence of inflammation/infection of your vagina (vaginitis) or cervix (cervicitis). Inflammation causes microscopic bleeding of delicate tissues.
• A bloody discharge when there is a delay in your expected period: this indicates a hormone imbalance or even implantation bleeding if you have conceived.
• White, thick discharge: when accompanied by burning or itching, this indicates a yeast infection. Its discharge is often described as “cream cheese-like.”
• Gray or yellow discharge: this indicates possible bacterial vaginosis (BV), often accompanied by burning or a “fishy” odor. BV may or may not be due to a sexually transmitted infection (STI). It represents a change in the balance of bacteria in your vagina.
• Yellow or green discharge that is frothy or foamy: indicative of Trichomonas, which is an STI.
• Green, pus-like discharge: this indicates serious infection, which can be due to STIs, gonorrhea or Chlamydia. These often create a foul odor. A lost tampon or retained condom can serve as a site for bacterial growth, producing the same discharge.

Read our guide on vaginal discharge colors and vaginal discharge odors for more.

How vaginal discharge changes throughout the menstrual cycle

The menstrual cycle has multiple phases, as hormones are stimulated and rise, diminish, and prepare for repeating the same sequence unless pregnancy occurs.

Follicular phase

This is the first part of your cycle, also called the proliferative phase, which occurs when your estrogen rises. It actually begins during your period, which can be confusing because it’s the start of your cycle when what you see (your period) is traditionally considered its end.

When your uterus is ready to re-grow its lining for possible implantation of a fertilized egg, the rising estrogen is responsible for that. It also stimulates more mucus production from glands in your cervix. You might notice either an increase in volume or a thickening of the discharge, or both.

Ovulation phase

Mid-cycle (but anywhere between day 7 and day 21 of your cycle), right after your estrogen peaks, other hormones stimulate the release of a mature egg from an ovary, called ovulation. These hormone levels stimulate the mucus glands of your cervix. The mucus produced has a change in its chemistry to allow easier passage of sperm.

You may notice a more slimy, stringy, or stretchy consistency of your normal vaginal discharge, along with thickening and even a grayish discoloration. Some women describe a change to an “egg-white” consistency.

Luteal phase

Ovulation triggers your ovaries to produce progesterone, which helps mature the lining of your uterus to nurture an implanted fertilized egg. The remnant of your egg follicle (corpus luteum) remains to produce progesterone. It also changes the chemistry of your mucus so that it can be a barrier to infection.

Your discharge may be seen as sticky or even absent. You may feel your vagina seems drier.

Hormone withdrawal (pre-period) phase

When implantation doesn’t occur, your ovaries are signaled to stop producing estrogen and progesterone—the very support for the uterine lining. Without hormonal stimulation, the lining soon falls away, and menstruation occurs.

The introduction of blood and tissue into your vaginal discharge may be gradual or sudden. During what you see as your period, the ovaries are signaled to begin estrogen production again. Because there is an overlap of these phases, these changes may be gradual. The uterine tissue falling away starts even before you might find the need for a pad or tampon. Microscopic exit of blood and tissue can cause pink or light red vaginal discharge.

When to see a doctor about vaginal discharge changes before your period

You should see a doctor whenever you suspect an abnormal vaginal discharge, whether before your period or any other time.

You should see a doctor if:

• You notice any change in your vaginal discharge and your period is late.
• A vaginal discharge before your period is more than just pink or light red.
• A vaginal discharge is discolored red, brown, black, green, or yellow, or has a cream cheese-like consistency.
• There is an unpleasant odor.
• There are unpleasant symptoms, such as burning, itching, or pain.
• You have any type of discharge and experience irregular cycles (periods that are late, early, absent, or continuous).

You should go to the emergency room if you have any of the above and:

• You are pregnant or might be.
• You have a fever.
• You have painful intercourse, urination, or bowel movements.
• You have back, pelvic, or abdominal pain.
• You have nausea/vomiting.

Questions to ask your doctor about vaginal discharge changes before your period

To get the best care, ask the following questions:

• Is this normal or abnormal?
• How will you diagnose it and, if treatment is necessary, ensure treatment is successful?
• Should my partner be involved in the evaluation or any treatment?
• What if I’m pregnant?

Treatment options for abnormal discharge

Treatment depends on a correct diagnosis performed by a qualified provider.

At-home remedies

Because an infection is a likely cause, at-home remedies and self-treatment shouldn’t be performed. The only exception is BV in that an imbalance of vaginal bacteria might be correctable with lactobacillus suppositories or even yogurt in the vagina, although antibiotics are the treatment of choice.

Antifungals

Antifungal medication for yeast infections can be given via creams, suppositories, or even orally.

Antibiotics

For BV, antibiotics (with or without the at-home remedies) are considered the treatment of choice. For bacterial infections and STIs, antibiotics are mandatory.

Frequently asked questions: vaginal discharge before period

Typical questions arise with a vaginal discharge before a period:

Is it normal to have sticky discharge before your period?

Yes, but mostly at mid-cycle around ovulation. Progesterone in the second half of your cycle may cause a discharge to become scant or sticky.

What if you have watery discharge before your period?

Your discharge before your period can range from absent to wet, but should not be running out of the vagina. There may be a bladder or urinary tract infection.

Vaginal discharge before your period—in summary

A vaginal discharge before your period follows all the same rules as any vaginal discharge–if it’s abnormal, it requires medical evaluation. However, an imminent period can cause some microscopic blood to tinge your pre-period vaginal discharge.

General Medicine follows a strict editorial process, including using real experts to write our articles, vetted primary sources, fact-checking, a secondary medical review, and updates as necessary. This article was medically reviewed and fact checked by Dr. Lane Thaut, DO.

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