What Your Cervical Fluid Means to You
We’re talking mucus here, people. Getting to know yours helps you predict when you ovulate so you can time intercourse to optimize your chances of conceiving. So get used to it: mucus, mucus, mucus.
Your cycle begins with your period, and immediately after your period your vagina will feel dry or very slightly moist. After a few days, with estrogen levels rising, your cervical fluid becomes sticky or rubbery and springy. After that comes your more fertile mucus, which is creamy, like hand lotion. Your vagina will feel wet and lubricated – and you will know you are about to ovulate.
Then comes your most fertile mucus,which looks like raw egg white and is slippery and very stretchy. It is usually clear, but can also be opaque, pink or blood tinged. It may also be very watery. In any case, your vagina will feel very wet and lubricated. This egg-white mucus sometimes creates a round moist patch on your underwear, though other forms of mucus tend to leave a more rectangular spot.
Your peak fertile day is the last day of the egg-white mucus. If you track your mucus over a couple cycles, you will learn how many days you have of the egg whites, and so you will know which day is the last – before it is too late!
Check your mucus at least three times a day, beginning the day after your period ends. It is convenient enough to do when you are going to the bathroom anyway (though you do need to do it when you are not sexually aroused). If you do not have much mucus, try doing Kegel exercises on the way to the bathroom to encourage it to flow.
Before you get down to business in the bathroom, use a tissue to wipe from front to back. Notice how the tissue moves –the more mucus you are making, the easier the tissue will glide. Now look at the mucus on the tissue. Touch it with a finger and see if you can stretch it up a ways. Take a look at any mucus on your underwear as well.
You should also look for mucus after you’ve had a bowel movement. That process tends to make mucus flow out, and you can look for it in the toilet bowl. Egg white cervical mucus forms will form a ball in the water, and be opaque like a marble.
Take note of what you observe on your BBT chart, if you are doing one, or make a chart just to track changes in your mucus. Over at least two cycles, watch for patterns to help you predict the last day of egg white mucus/ the day of ovulation. In the mean time, take the egg white mucus as a go sign when you are trying to conceive.
To find out more about how to time intercourse to have the best possible chance of conceiving, check out this Yinova Blog article.
Add Chinese Medicine to your Healthcare Routine
Our treatments are based on our founder Jill Blakeway’s book “Making Babies” and includes regular acupuncture & herbal medicine, combined with lifestyle & dietary advice. You can learn more about acupuncture and Chinese medicine to support your fertility here. If you’d like to schedule an appointment to meet with one of our experienced practitioners you can that by booking online or by reaching out to our front desk team.
Join Our Fertility Coaching & Support Group
Many of our patients are going through fertility journeys and we’re happy to be able to provide additional resources to help our community take their health in hand. We offer a Fertility Coaching & Support Group several time a year, you can learn more about that here. As part of the group, a portion of the syllabus is dedicated to educating participants on how to time sex and what your cervical mucus tells you about your fertility and health.
Learn What Fertility Type You Are
After decades of working with fertility patients & identifying key patterns, Dr. Jill Blakeway constructed The Five Fertility Types to help her patients understand the root causes of infertility & offer more tailored guidance. In her book, Making Babies, Jill simplifies the complex world of Chinese medicine & offers insight into each type. Learning more about your type allows you the space to focus on the advice most relevant to you & your situation. By identifying & understanding the subtle signs your body is providing, you can focus on your body’s needs as efficiently & effectively as possible. You can find your Fertility Type by reading Jill’s book, asking your practitioner, or by taking our Fertility Type quiz online!
