Cervical Mucus and Fertility

Monitoring cervical mucus is one of the methods of natural family planning. Also it allows you to make some conclusions about the state of your sexual health. There is one more advantage of this procedure: you pay more attention to your vaginal fluids are earlier note some changes that might be symptoms of an infection or some other disorder.

First the connection between the texture of cervical mucus throughout the cycle and fertile days was revealed by Australian neurologist John Billings. He revealed that the texture and the volume of the mucus that is secreted by the cervix alters shortly before ovulation. This helps to predict the most fertile days.

Cervical mucus should be examined daily. Collect a sample of your cervical mucus and examine its volume, color and texture. How can you do that?

How to collect a sample of cervical mucus?

1. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap, in order to prevent the transmission of germs
2. Insert your finger into the vagina and collect some sample of mucus
3. Analyze the mucus paying attention to the color, volume and texture of the mucus
4. If you don't want to insert finger into the vagina, you can wipe the sex lips with toilet paper. However, in this case you are likely to confuse simple wetness with vaginal fluids.

How does cervical mucus change during the cycle?

Before ovulation
During the first few days following periods you will find almost no fluids in your vagina, because in this period cervical mucus is very thick and it prevents the sperm from getting into the cervix. You will experience vaginal dryness and your lingerie will remain dry throughout the day. In this period you are very unlikely to get pregnant.

Approaching Ovulation
In this period you will collect samples of sticky mucus of white or cream color. The mucus is not stretchy and it easily breaks between your fingers. After some times it will become greater in volume and will stretch between your fingers. In this period you can get pregnant, but the chances are quite low.

Ovulation
In this period you will realize that the volume of cervical mucus has increased greatly. The mucus becomes very thin and clear. The mucus stretches between your fingers - a few inches before it breaks. Such cervical mucus reminds of raw egg white. The wettest day of this period is the last day when the chance of getting pregnant is high. In abundant and sticky cervical mucus sperm can survive for up to 72 hours.

After ovulation
After ovulation the mucus again becomes sticky and you again experience dryness around the vulva. In this period you are very unlikely to get pregnant.

Shortly before the periods
Shortly before the periods the mucus becomes watery or there is no mucus at all. In this period a woman is absolutely infertile.

Some women use monitoring of cervical mucus as a natural method of family planing. However, reliability of this method is very law. 15 women from 100 who use this method get pregnant during a year. If you want to use natural contraception, combine monitoring cervical mucus with charting basal body temperature. This method is very reliable provided you follow the rules very thoroughly.