Cervical mucus.
It can be a taboo topic, but it shouldn’t be. It is something incredible that our bodies produce and it does so much more than people realize.
When I was growing up, I had no idea why I had discharge that was heavier during part of my cycle than other times. Really, I thought it was kind of gross and annoying. My mom would ask that we prewashed our underwear and it was embarrassing. Why is it that we are embarrassed about normal bodily functions? I remember I was even embarrassed about my period, like it was a hush hush topic. I don’t want my daughter growing up feeling that way. I want her to know what is going on in her body, why cervical mucus fluctuates and to be able to identify if something is off.
I wish I had known seeing cervical mucus was just my body doing what it was supposed to. Little did I know, when I saw more cervical mucus, this was my fertile window and that I was only fertile for those 5-6 days and not for the entire cycle like I was led to believe. How crazy that most of us grow up thinking we could get pregnant on any given day in our cycle? That we think hormonal birth control is the only answer to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
I’m pretty excited to teach my daughter these things, to normalize what her body does so she never feels any shame or any type of embarrassment over something that is normal and natural.
So let’s get into it. The different types of cervical mucus and what it means.
Creamy
Lotion like, wet
Eggwhite
Slippery, Clear, Lubricative
Tacky
Pasty, gummy, does not stretch
The 3 types of cervical mucus listed above are the 3 main types of cervical mucus you will observe. Of course there is a mix between all of them and many other observations you may notice, but we will start here.
During your cycle, you will experience menstruation. Following menstruation, most women observe dry days. These dry days are due to low estrogen. Your mucus is thick and is plugging your cervical entrance ensuring sperm cannot enter and it protects your reproductive organs from foreign invaders.
At this point in your cycle, FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) has been released from the pituitary gland and has acted on your ovaries, your follicles are growing and one (or two in the case of twins) follicles are becoming dominant. As your follicles are growing, estrogen levels are increasing. As estrogen increases, the quality of your cervical mucus will change. It will go from thick, dense mucus (picture 3) which usually results in a dry sensation when you wipe because the mucus is up near your cervix to a more estrogenic mucus which is thinner.
Once you start to observe “wet” days, where when you wipe, you have a wet sensation and see this creamy type mucus(picture 1), you have entered your fertile window. This mucus will keep sperm alive for up to 5 days. Sperm will be stored in your cervical crypts or your fallopian tubes awaiting your egg to be released. This type of mucus may be present for several days then will change to a high fertility mucus, or peak fertility mucus (picture 2). This type of mucus resembles egg whites and it is peak fertility mucus because it easily transports sperm. Both the creamy and egg white type of mucus nourishes the sperm enabling them to survive and both create an optimal PH in your vagina for sperm survival. Your normal PH in your vagina is acidic which is not hospitable to sperm but during the time of your fertile window, with the fertile cervical mucus present, your vagina’s PH is more alkaline allowing for sperm survival.
Following ovulation, with the rise of progesterone, your cervical mucus will return to a thick, dense mucus.
Phew, that is a lot of information, especially if you have never paid attention to your cervical mucus before.
So, if you haven’t start by doing that. When you go to the bathroom, wipe, front to back, observe what sensation you feel then look at your toilet paper, what do you see? Can you pick it up? Does it stretch? Is it clear? This will help you identify if you are in your fertile window or not.
If you have any questions, feel free to feel a comment or send me an email and I’ll get back to you!
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