My fellow womenfolk would surely agree that even when we are not menstruating, we constantly leak a little bit and this ‘leak’ is called ‘White Discharge’.

Let us first see what white discharge is and what its purpose is in the female body.

Glands in the cervix produce clear mucus. These secretions may turn white or yellow when exposed to the air. This is normal and depends on the amount of estrogen circulating in our body. It is also normal for the walls of the vagina to release some secretions.

Vaginal discharge that suddenly differs in color, odor or consistency or significantly increases or decreases in amount, may indicate an underlying problem like an infection.Little discharge is medically considered as normal and is a sign of healthy reproductive system. However there are certain cases which lead to excess white discharge. Below are few that I came across:

–          Emotional stress

–          Ovulation (the production and release of an egg from your ovary in the middle of your menstrual cycle)

–          Pregnancy

–          Sexual excitement

–          Post pregnancy state of one’s reproductive system

–          Excessive use of contraceptive pills

–          Hormonal injections related to conception

Apparently, a change in hormone levels trigger excessive white discharge. Most of these conditions are temporary and get better with time, but until the reproductive system reaches normalcy, we constantly have to bear with ‘Excess Discharge’. An excess of anything, as we well know, hurts at times.

I faced a similar situation post my pregnancy for about one and a half years before my system could start functioning normally.

I faced lot of irritation due to:

–          A constant wet feeling

–          Foul smell

There was no way I could use sanitary pads every day to deal with this since technically speaking was not menstruating. I tried panty-liners but they added to rashes and irritation and hence was not useful in the long run.

One fine day, I came across ‘Menstrual Cups’. I had read at a lot of places that mastering the knack of inserting and removing the cup is an art that takes at least 1-2 menstrual cycles to learn. So to get a hang of the insertion/removal technique, I started wearing menstrual cups 10 days before my periods and was extremely surprised to find that the cup was taking care of the white discharge very efficiently.
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Even when I was not menstruating, I definitely was leaking and that leak was getting collected into the menstrual cup. I would wear the cup after my bath in the morning and would continue to wear it for the entire day and remove it in the evening once I was back home from work. I was saved from feeling dampness all day long in the office and my inners were saved from emitting awful smells. However, I preferred not keeping the cup inside me for more than 8-10 hours so that my vaginal muscles could relax at night but the relief I had all day long was beyond explicable. So, for all the women like me who are struggling with excess white discharge, I strongly recommend switching to Menstrual Cups to relieve you from facing the irritation of non-menstrual leaks.

Author: Anupriya

Anupriya has been an IT professional for 8 years now. Her Mantra for life is ‘Awareness is the key to wellness’. She is always eager to learn more and spread the knowledge. 

Editor: Divya Rosaline

Menstrupedia Comic Book helps young girls learn about menstruation easily in a fun way! Read it for FREE here

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