Observing your cervical mucous can help you to identify the day that you ovulate and the period you are likely to be fertile.
You can do this in combination with taking your basal body temperature (BBT) or on it’s own.
It is important to record what you find, which you can do on paper – there are many forms available online that you can download and print. Or if you have a smartphone there are apps that you can use that tracking all of the details around your cycle (and even help identify your fertile period)
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- Start tracking as soon as your period has finished
- Start by noticing the vaginal sensations throughout the day, whether it feels wet, sticky or dry. This will change as you go through your cycle
- Check the cervical fluid throughout the day including the morning and night
- Remember that there will be other fluid or lubrication when you are sexually aroused, you will need to distinguish between the two. Semen also has a different feel to your cervical mucous. I recommend that you just start to be aware of the different sensations, don’t worry too much about it the more you do this, you will begin to notice the differences
- Check the cervical fluid when you go to the bathroom using your (clean) fingers or a tissue
- Feel the fluid between your fingers and think about whether it feels dry, sticky or slippery
- Open your fingers to look at the fluid and see if it stretches, and if so how far it stretches before breaking
- It is also a good idea to wear black underwear so that you can notice any fluid throughout the day
- At your most fertile time in your cycle, the cervical fluid can be described as an egg-white consistency and should be long and stretchy between your fingers
- Note down all the details of the fluid throughout the day including the amount, consistency and colour
It may take a while for you to get used to the different variations, as it’s something that we have not really been taught to do. Take your time and be patient with yourself – you’ll very easily start to notice the different aspects of your body’s natural functions as time goes on.
Remember to bring your notes with you to your acupuncture appointment, and we’ll go through the details together. If you have any questions feel free to get in touch with me via email.
If you’d like to know more information on these fertility signs I highly recommend the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler