Worried about discharge

[HelenLaBloodyAnnoyed]

Recently I've been having discharge that looks like snot, and quite a lot of of it. I've had lower back pain and I feel a bit tender under my belly button, particularly in the morning. It feels like how it aches if you've had to hold a wee in for a long time. I'm breastfeeding DS but he's 14 months now and dropping feeds so I thought that these were signs but period would return soon but no sign so far and now I'm worrying it's something more sinister. I haven't had sex for 2 years FWIW Any ideas?

Is it ovulation? I honestly don't know but I used to get snot discharge and pain when ovulating - I know you say no period so I don't know.

Just bumping this for you really

No idea but get yourself booked in for a check up! When's the last time you had a smear? Could be hormonal too but definitely get it checked out.

My last smear was just over a year ago. I'm concerned that maybe exP wasn't faithful and has passed something nasty on

Sexual health clinic so they could have a look and give smear at same time? Most places have a walk in bit. I had a baby a few months ago and I'm still getting the snot discharge from last trimester hence the hormonal comment. Was figuring as you're still breastfeeding could be this also.

Again I genuinely don't know but it seems unlikely it would be STD symptoms 2 years after you last had sex

You say recently, how long approximately is that? As others have said, snot-like discharge (or egg white, as it's usually described) is a sign of your body getting ready to ovulate. If you are breastfeeding and haven't had a period yet, I would suggest it's most likely that your body is preparing to ovulate for the first time since your pregnancy, but maybe isn't quite getting there yet due to unstable hormones so it's taking longer than normal and your symptoms are more noticeable. It's not unusual to have long gaps between periods after pregnancy and for your body to try and ovulate a couple of times before it succeeds, each time your symptoms will come back or just continue until you get there. I recently stopped taking a medication that stopped my periods for 18 months, and for the last 2-3 weeks I've had the same egg white discharge, sometimes a bit watery, I mentioned it at an appointment and my gp said it was normal as my body was adjusting to the changed hormones and may take longer to settle into a normal cycle. I never noticed the consistency of discharge before my medication, I was only young when I started having problems with my periods, but I've been assured it's normal for there to be changes whenever you have a big event that affects your cycle, even just stress, and pregnancy is a major change. If it doesn't settle then pop to your gp or local sexual health clinic for a check, but I would think unless there are any funny smells, weird colours etc that it's just a normal part of your body getting back up and running.

That makes sense. I first had it a couple of months ago but there's been a break inbetween so maybe they're failed attempts to get things up and running again? Definitely no funny smell or anything.

I would absolutely go to GP and ask for a swab. It is more likely you may develop (non-ST) infections when you are breastfeeding for a long time, temporarily similar to post-menopause. It happened to me, it was strep A and it took a course of antibiotics to get rid of it. If it’s like snot and you have pain it could be purulent; definitely get checked. It hasn’t come back for me since I quit bf.