ALL ABOUT CERVICAL FLUID

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Cervical Fluid is the mucus that is secreted from the cervix. It is

produced by the hormone estrogen in the first phase of a monthly cycle.

Cervical fluid is an essential element to conception due to its ability to

keep sperm alive for up to five days (in fertile quality fluid), protects it

from the acidity in the vagina and transports the sperm to the outer third

wall of the fallopian tube where fertilization takes place.

What Does Cervical Fluid Look Like?

Cervical Fluid will range in abundance, consistency, color and fertile

quality due to the increasing level of estrogen within the first phase of

your cycle. Typically the changes in fluid will fall into the following

pattern.

Dry or Light Moisture - INFERTILE

After menstruation for a period of 3 - 5 days you may experience no fluid at

all or a small amount of moisture. Color of any existing fluid is clear or

slightly white but will dry immediately on your fingertips. Overall

sensation is not wet at this time.

Sticky or Gummy - INFERTILE

Cervical Fluid then changes to feeling sticky for a period of 2 - 3 days.

When rubbed between your fingertips it may give a small amount of

resistance, feels slightly gummy or may even crumble. The color will range

from clear to white and although you may feel a small amount of moisture the

fluid is still dry and does not feel wet at this time.

Creamy, Milky, Lotion Like - FERTILE

Cervical fluid now becomes much more abundant and will feel wet from 2 - 4

days. It can appear either thick and creamy or like hand lotion and will

form peaks in your fingertips when pulled apart or can be thinner and look

milky. Color of the fluid is white or yellow and the overall vaginal

sensation is wet.

Eggwhite Cervical Fluid - VERY FERTILE

Cervical fluid now reaches its most fertile stage for 1 - 5 days. The fluid

will look and have the consistency of eggwhites. It is slippery to the

touch and if pulled between the fingertips will stretch 1 - 10 inches! The

color can be clear or iridescent and the overall sensation is extremely wet.

Dry, Moist or Sticky - INFERTILE

Cervical fluid will now change drastically due to the drop in estrogen and

the surge of progesterone following ovulation. It can be dry, watery, moist

or sticky and will remain in that stage until the end of your monthly

cycle - which is the day before your menstrual period begins. Any fluid at

all will dry up quickly upon your fingertips, can range from no color to

white and your overall vaginal sensation will be dry at this time.

Checking Your Cervical Fluid Internally

Checking your cervical fluid gives you essential information as to your

fertile and peak times during your monthly cycle. Start checking your

cervical fluid on the first day after your menstrual period and check it

multiple times during the day. Also be aware of the overall vaginal

sensation (wet or dry) you have had throughout the day without physically

checking.

Start with clean hands. You are checking a very sensitive part of your body

and do not want to risk the chance of infection.

Take notice of any fluid stains on your underwear. When you are extremely

fertile the cervical fluid is abundant and has a high content of water and

will leave a fluid stain in the form a circle. Less abundant non fertile

fluid is dryer and tends to form lines that are in more of a rectangular

shape.

Do a few kegel exercises (squeezing and releasing the vaginal muscles - the

same muscles you would use if you were to stop the flow of urination) this

will get the fluid flowing from the cervix.

Separate your vaginal lips with one hand and with the other hand slip you

middle finger inside the vagina and locate your cervix. We give more detail

on the position and its opening of the cervix and how it will change in

shape and in feel in the Cervical Position page. Press your finger against

the sides of the cervix applying a small amount of pressure (do not apply

pressure to the point of pain and make sure your nails are not rough and

that they are clean) do this three or for times around the cervix and at its

opening. Slowly draw your finger out of the vagina to inspect the fluid.

Rub your middle finger and thumb together and make a mental note on how it

feels. Does the fluid feel dry or wet? Is it abundant or stark? Is it

thick or thin? Does it feel sticky or creamy? Does it feel slippery like

eggwhites? Pull apart you middle finger and thumb, does the fluid make

little peaks? Does it Stretch? Does it gum up or crumble? Does the fluid

remain on your fingers or is it so thin that it falls from your fingertips?

What color is it? Clear, white or yellow? Does the fluid dry up on your

fingertips quickly?

Make sure not to confuse semen with cervical fluid. They look and feel very

similar. Semen will dry up very quickly upon your fingertips and is more

rubbery is consistency. It may also tend to be foamy. Semen is little more

white in color rather than clear like eggwhite fluid. To help you identify

the difference, when urinating eggwhite cervical fluid will often hit the

water and form into a ball while it sinks to the bottom .

Arousal fluid has also been confused with cervical fluid. Again, they look

and feel very similar. Arousal fluid like semen will dry up quickly upon

your fingertips and is water soluble. If confused as to what fluid is what,

take the fluid from your fingertips and dip it into a glass of water. If

its is cervical fluid it will form a ball and sink to the bottom, if its

arousal fluid it will dissolve.

We realize this sounds like a great deal of information to take in and may

seem like you are going to spend a lifetime in the bathroom! Don't get

discouraged! Once you have done it a few times you will find that checking

your cervical fluid is very easy and just takes an extra few seconds.

Remember, the information you will gain is a key tool in conceiving that

precious and much longed for baby.

Charting Your Cervical Fluid

Once you have an understanding of the different types of cervical fluid and

how to identify your most fertile times and peak days it can be used as a

key indicator in your journey to pregnancy achievement. Your cervical fluid

type and overall vaginal sensation (wet or dry) needs to be checked

throughout the day and logged on your fertility spreadsheet. This page

will explain how to chart your cervical fluid.

Charting During Your Period

Your first cycle day (the day that you begin your chart) is the first day of

your menstrual period and is not any day that you may have spotted prior.

This day may also be the last day on your chart for the previous month -

unless you have started your period sometime during the night or the first

thing in the morning and have not taken your waking temperature or logged

your indicators for the day. If this is the case, make sure you indicate

that you started you period on the last day of your previous chart.

Indicate in some way that you are menstruating whether it be with a yes,

check mark, an X, a circle or highlight. It is not necessary to check your

cervical fluid internally during your period, however if you have any

spotting after you menstruation has started indicate spotting on your chart.

During your period you are not fertile.

Charting Cervical Fluid After Your Period

The cervical fluid pages (Cervical Fluid, How To Check Your Cervical Fluid

and How To Identify Your Fertile Days) describe in detail the types of

cervical fluid throughout your cycle. It is important that log the type of

fluid for that day on your fertility spreadsheet. The WEB WOMB spreadsheet

uses the following letters for the different type of fluid. Describing your

fluid S (sticky) L (lotion like), M (milky), C (creamy), E (eggwhite or

other). Your overall vaginal sensation is charted as D (dry), M (moist), W

(wet).

After you period and prior to ovulation is when you are the most fertile.

Checking your cervical fluid will give you a good indication of when this is

so please pay very close attention to your cervical fluid during this time.

Cervical Fluid then changes to feeling sticky for a period of 2 - 3 days.

When rubbed between your fingertips it may give a small amount of

resistance, feels slightly gummy or may even crumble. The color will range

from clear to white and although you may feel a small amount of moisture the

fluid is still dry and does not feel wet at this time.

Taken from Webwomb.com

Hart