Clear Jelly-Like Discharge – Sign of Pregnancy?

Vaginal discharge changes throughout your cycle, and it can convey different meanings.

If you have been trying to conceive, and have experienced clear jelly-like discharge, you may be wondering “Is it a sign of pregnancy?”.

This article will answer that question and more!

In this article:

• Why Should You Track Your Vaginal Discharge?
• What Does Healthy Vaginal Discharge Look Like?
• What Does Unhealthy Vaginal Discharge Look Like?
• What Does Discharge Usually Look Like During Pregnancy?
• What Can Cause Clear Jelly-Like Discharge?
• What Does Clear Jelly-Like Discharge Mean in Pregnancy?
• The Take-Away: Is Clear Jelly-Like Discharge A Sign of Pregnancy?

 

Why Should You Track Your Vaginal Discharge?

Vaginal discharge can come in a variety of different colours and consistencies- each of which can indicate something about your reproductive health, and position in your menstrual cycle.

By tracking your vaginal discharge (called the cervical mucus method), you are able to tell what stage of your menstrual cycle you are in, including whether you are ovulating. This is particularly helpful if you are trying to conceive (TTC).

By paying attention to the characteristics of your vaginal discharge, you can also identify whether your vaginal discharge is healthy, or if you may be suffering from a vaginal infection.

What Does Healthy Vaginal Discharge Look Like?

Healthy vaginal discharge can appear in different colours and consistencies.

The colours of healthy vaginal discharge are as follows:

• Clear
• Milky white
• Off-white
• Cream

The consistency of healthy vaginal discharge could be:

• Gooey
• Wet
• Thick
• Pastey
• Sticky
• Stretchy
• Slippery

The amount of healthy vaginal discharge that you have can vary- depending on whether you are sexually active or using birth control.

Healthy vaginal discharge should have no odour, or a mild odour that is not unpleasant.

What Does Unhealthy Vaginal Discharge Look Like?

Unhealthy vaginal discharge can be easily recognised- with colour, odour and texture being key indicators.

Unhealthy vaginal discharge may…

• Smell fishy – A fishy odour is a sign of bacterial vaginosis.
• Be green, yellow or frothy in colour – This can be a sign of trichomoniasis.
• Be thick and white, like cottage cheese – This is often a sign of thrush, or a yeast infection.
• Be accompanied by pelvic pain or bleeding – This may be a sign of gonorrhoea or Chlamydia.
• Be accompanied by blisters or sores – This may be a sign of genital herpes.

If you are showing symptoms of any of the above vaginal infections, or if..

• Your vaginal discharge changes smell, colour in texture
• You bleed in between periods or after sex
• You feel itchy or sore
• You are producing much more discharge than usual
• You are experiencing painful urination
• You are experiencing pelvic pain

..then you should consult your doctor, who will perform a test to diagnose the issue and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

What Does Discharge Usually Look Like During Pregnancy?

Healthy early pregnancy discharge is usually thin, clear or milky white and should have no unpleasant odour.

In the early stages and later stages of pregnancy, you are likely to experience a type of vaginal discharge called “leukorrhea”.

Leukorrhea appears at several points of your menstrual cycle, and is often present throughout pregnancy too.

Leukorrhea is usually milky-white, thick and creamy with no unpleasant odour.

You may also find that the amount of vaginal discharge during pregnancy is much more than the amount of vaginal discharge you experienced before you were pregnant.

This is due to the sudden changes in hormones due to pregnancy.

What Can Cause Clear Watery Discharge?

Clear, watery discharge isn’t usually a sign of pregnancy, although it may be if you’ve recently missed one or more menstrual cycles.

In most situations, however, clear, watery discharge just signals a healthy vagina.

However, if it is out of the ordinary for you, it might be an indicator of something else.

If you’ve skipped at least one menstrual period and have watery discharge, it might be a good idea to take a pregnancy test.

In general, clear, watery discharge is common, and often does not have an underlying cause.

However, although this type of vaginal discharge is rather frequent and usually does not indicate any problems, it can in rare cases.

If you experience a terrible odour, itching, burning, or pain along with your discharge, you may have a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or another vaginal infection.

Clear, watery discharge may also indicate that you are nearing menopause or that you are sexually excited.

 

What Can Cause Clear Jelly-Like Discharge?

If you are experiencing clear Jelly-Like discharge, you may be wondering what it means.

The fact is, Clear Jelly-Like discharge can have several different causes.

Environmental Factors

Environmental factors, such as stress, anxiety, depression and poor general psychological health are linked to abnormal discharge and clear jelly like discharge.

Ovulation

If you have been tracking your cervical mucus, you might notice that you experience clear jelly-like discharge, or slippery and stretchy discharge, once every cycle.

This is due to ovulation.

The discharge experienced with ovulation, and during your fertile window, is known as egg white discharge– as has the consistency of egg whites.

Creamy discharge after ovulation is normal.

Medication

Medications, such as antibiotics and birth control pills, can affect the growth of bacteria in the vagina. This can cause clear, jelly-like discharge.

Disease and Infection

Certain diseases, infections or illnesses can cause clear, jelly-like discharge and impact the amount of vaginal discharge you are experiencing. These include STIs, diabetes and cancer.

Pregnancy

Clear, jelly-like discharge can be an early sign of pregnancy.

If you have recently had unprotected sex and you think you might be pregnant, you should take a pregnancy test. If it is too early to take a pregnancy test, you can look out for potential pregnancy symptoms to help to identify whether you are pregnant:

• Mood swings
• Implantation bleeding
• Implantation cramping
• Implantation dip
• Heightened sense of smell
• Nausea
• Fatigue

As mentioned above, ovulation can cause slippery, or jelly-like vaginal discharge.

Following ovulation, your vaginal discharge will usually change from wet to thin and dry. It is your estrogen levels dropping which is the cause of this.

If conception has taken place (i.e. you are pregnant), you may still experience jelly-like discharge following ovulation. This is due to the oestrogen and progesterone levels rising.

It’s typical for your discharge to remain thick and jelly-like in pregnancy, and it may be transparent or just a little bit white.

If you are breast feeding, you can read our article Can you get pregnant while breastfeeding?

What Does Clear Jelly-Like Discharge Mean in Pregnancy?

Your body increases blood flow to your pelvic region and your hormone levels spike while you are pregnant.

When you are pregnant, these changes stimulate your body’s mucous membranes, which results in an increase in vaginal discharge.

Your mucus plug will eventually form from the jelly-like discharge during pregnancy, this is crucial in preventing infection.

The mucus plug develops in the cervix to shield your unborn child from dangerous microorganisms.

It also aids in maintaining a balanced population of bacteria in the vagina.

The Take-Away: Is Clear Jelly-Like Discharge A Sign of Pregnancy?

Clear Jelly-Like discharge can be a sign of pregnancy, but it also has a variety of other causes.

In order to avoid disappointment, you should take a pregnancy test to accurately confirm whether or not you are pregnant.

If you have experienced a late period, negative pregnancy test & white discharge, you can read our article to find out why.