Though detecting ovulation day is no rocket science but it demands close attention. Women with 28 days menstruation cycle know that their ovulation day is on the 14th day from the next due date of their periods. Another fascinating and effective method is the cervical mucus method.
What is Cervical Mucus?
Cervical mucus is secreted by the glands found in and around the cervix. It is that gooey stuff that comes out of your vaginal as the discharge is the cervical mucus. Hormonal changes throughout a woman’s reproductive cycle change the amount and the consistency of the mucus.
What does Cervical Mucus Do?
It helps to prevent any foreign unwanted things from entering the uterus through the cervix and it also helps to nourish and transport sperms into the uterus. Cervical fluid can also help you to predict when you are ovulating. It is a weird but effective method to detect ovulation.
Detect Ovulation Through the Cervical Mucus Method
Your cervical mucus changes its color, amount, and texture during your menstrual cycle. Some women pay close attention to their mucus on an everyday basis while others don’t pay much attention to it. Whichever category you are in, if you wish to detect ovulation to plan or avoid pregnancy, it is important to pay close attention to your mucus.
Ways to Check Your Cervical Mucus
For checking your fertile days with the help of the mucus, you will have to get your hands dirty. To prepare your vagina for the check, clean it with a wet tissue or towel before making your way inside.
Also, wash your hands properly as you have to insert a finger inside the cervix and you surely don’t want to catch any infection by doing it with dirty hands. Reach inside your vagina to the depth when you find your mucus.
As soon as you generate the sample, give it a close look and visually inspect it. If the mucus is of egg white color, that indicates that you are highly fertile on that very day. And it is your regular day if the mucus is more watery.
What are you looking for in your Cervical Mucus?
Here is what you have to look for in the mucus to check if you are ovulating:
- Stretchy consistency
- Clear color but it may have a white or yellow tint
- Ph above 7 (if you may check)
- Possibly sweeter scent
Safe Days for Sex if following Cervical Mucus Method
Safe and unsafe days for sex depend upon person to person depending upon their menstrual cycle. Safe days are the ones when your slippery mucus goes away and it becomes cloudy and sticky again.
Even the dry days are safe when your cervix is not producing much of the mucus. Unsafe days start 2 or 3 days after the first sign of slippery mucus and last for about 3 days after slippery mucus peaks. The results of this method are 100% if you have studied correctly.
Cervical MucusChanges in your Cervical Mucus
In some condition, your cervical mucus changes involuntarily-
- Breastfeeding
- Surgery on cervix
- Douching
- Early menopause
- Using hormonal birth control pills
- Vaginitis
- STDs
Caution
- It is advisable to check it before intercourse and never after. You will be unable to obtain results if you check post intercourse as your arousal fluid and the semen will get mixed with the mucus.
- Always check your cervical mucus with clean hands to avoid infection. Whatever goes near to your vagina must be extra clean and sanitized.
- Never rely on the cervical mucus method for birth control unless you have been charting your mucus for at least 1 cycle.
