How to Observe Cervical Mucus

 Have you ever been going about your daily routine, shopping, working, or making dinner, when all of a sudden you get an uncomfortable feeling of wetness down under. You know your not menstruating now — but what was that? You run to the bathroom and find its just that sticky white mucus that randomly seems to appear.


Stop! Pay attention! That mucus is not just a random fluke. It is a very accurate message your body is sending you to tell you when you are fertile.


And if you learn to interpret the different types and textures of mucus, you can be on your way to a birth control method that allows you to be one hundred precent in-sync with the natural rhythms of your body. No synthetic hormones. No plastic or rubber barriers. Just you, your partner, and your body.

How To Observe Cervical Mucus 

You can collect a sample of cervical mucus to observe  from the opening around your vagina with a piece of toilet paper or with you finger. Everyone will develop their own method with which they feel most comfortable.  Once you have some mucus on your fingers, press your thumb and index finger together and stretch the mucus.  Pay special attention to what the mucus does when it is stretched.

Infertile

You may find that you don’t have any mucus immediately after your period. No mucus means your are not fertile.  If you do have mucus during the days following you period, it will probably be sticky or come out as a blob. This mucus is usually thick, dense, sticky, flaky, and tacky.  It may be yellow, white, or opaque.  It will not stretch or move when pulled apart by your thumb and index finger. After ovulation, you will once again see a marked lessening of mucus, and if there is any mucus  at all, it will be again sticky and not stretchy.

Fertile

When you are fertile, your mucus will change to a more watery state and feel more slippery. You may also find that your fertile mucus is more abundant than infertile mucus.  This mucus is often described as wet, slippery, watery, thin, and fluid. It’s likely to be clear or have a cloudy or white color to it. Fertile mucus will even smell sweeter than less fertile mucus which may have a more vinegar scent.  The most important observation to make is the wetness/slippery observation in comparison to the infertile mucus.

Highly Fertile

When you are highly fertile, you are most likely to find what is commonly known as EWCM (egg-white cervical mucus) or spinn (short for spinnbarkeit which is german for spiderweb). EWCM is ‘stringy,' like a spiderweb. It may appear as a glob, or in smaller amounts in more watery mucus. It’s important to note that not all women experience this form of mucus, so don’t be alarmed if you don’t notice any EWCM.  If you were to stretch EWCM between your thumb and index finger, you may notice it stretches, unlike the infertile mucus which keeps its shape. This kind of mucus is ideal for sperm to swim through and creates an ideal environment for them to reach the egg.

Putting Cervical Mucus Observations Into Practice 

Interpreting the different textures of mucus might sound confusing, but when you put this knowledge into practice, it will quickly clarify itself. Keeping track of your observations on a chart will allow you to reference your finding to let you know when it is necessary to use a secondary method of contraception.


Observing your cervical mucus one way of monitoring your cycle and a component of the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) of contraception.  If you want to aid or avoid conception, cervical mucus observations are shown to be around 98.5% accurate in indicating the fertile and infertile times of your monthly cycle. Remember that your cervical mucus may be affected by external factors such as stress, medications, illness, dieting and travel.


It is advisable to consult a family planning specialist or a doctor if you have any more questions or concerns about cervical mucus observation.

Cervical Mucus In Different Fertility Awareness Methods 

The Billings Ovulation Method (BOM) is  based upon cervical mucus observations. John Billings who was recognized with a Papal knighthood and for whom the Pope sent condolences on his death, developed the method as a form of Natural Family Planning (NFP) in accordance with his religious faith as a practicing Catholic. However, Billings strove to raise awareness of the significance of cervical mucus to fertility to all people, regardless of their religion. Thomas Hilgers later created the Creighton Model Fertility Care System as a variation of the Billings method.



Cervical mucus observations are also one of the factors considered with the Sympto-Thermal method of fertility charting. Coupled with other observations such as LH hormone levels, cervix position and Basal Body Temperature (BBT) this method enables you to create cycle by cycle charts which clearly identify your unique date of ovulation and your fertility window.


If you would like to start observing and charting your cervical mucus, we suggest you implement  the Sympto-Thermal method of charting cervical mucus as well as other indecators . This method will give you 99% contraceptive reliability, and with contraceptive monitors like Cyclotest, achieving these outstandingly accurate results is simple. A few clicks of a button and the monitor will automatically produce a clear visual chart detailing your level of fertility. Check out our pages on the Sympto-Thermal method and Cyclotest for more information.

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