Gynecologists explain: What is normal leucorrhea like?

Leucorrhea is the basis of women's health, and whether the leucorrhea is normal or not is very important. Normal leucorrhea has no color and no odor. It will undergo some changes before and after menstruation. Here is a detailed introduction to what normal leucorrhea is.

【Normal leucorrhea】

It is white, paste-like or egg white-like, sticky, small in amount, and has no fishy smell. It is called physiological leucorrhea. Generally, it increases slightly before menstruation, during ovulation, after menstruation or during pregnancy.

[How many types of normal leucorrhea are there?] 】

The amount and properties of normal leucorrhea (physiological leucorrhea) may change with the woman's age and changes in ovarian hormones.

1. Leucorrhea in newborns: The vaginal and cervical mucosa of the fetus proliferate due to the influence of estrogen secreted by the placenta. After birth, the estrogen level in the body drops sharply, so the newborn has more colorless or white sticky secretions on the vulva in the first 10 days.

2. Pubertal leucorrhea: With the onset of puberty, the ovarian follicles begin to develop. Under the influence of estrogen secreted by the follicles, girls often begin to have a small amount of mucous leucorrhea 1 to 2 years before menarche, which can last until the ovulatory menstrual cycle is established 1 to 2 years after menarche.

3. Leucorrhea during childbearing age: Within 2 to 3 days before ovulation of each menstrual cycle, women of childbearing age experience a gradual rise in estrogen levels, which causes an increase in mucus secreted by the glands in the cervical canal. At this time, thin, transparent, and sticky leucorrhea may appear. 2 to 3 days before menstruation, there is often more sticky leucorrhea due to pelvic congestion.

4. Leucorrhea during pregnancy: During pregnancy, especially from the 3rd to 4th month of pregnancy, due to the significant increase in estrogen and progesterone levels, the secretions of the vaginal wall and the mucus secreted by the cervical glands increase, and there is often more thick leucorrhea discharged.

5. Puerperal leucorrhea: In the first few days after delivery, there is a lot of blood discharged, which is called bloody lochia; followed by serous lochia; 2 to 3 weeks after delivery, the discharge begins as a mixture of degenerated decidual tissue, cervical mucus, vaginal epithelial cells and bacteria, which is white in color and called white lochia, also known as puerperal leucorrhea, which can last until 4 to 6 weeks after delivery or even later.

6. Leucorrhea caused by exogenous estrogen: The use of ethinyl estradiol or estrogen preparations to treat gynecological diseases such as amenorrhea or dysfunctional uterine bleeding can increase cervical and vaginal secretions and cause leucorrhea.