Cervical Fluid - your key to fertility
Here’s something you may not have heard before: If you are currently planning your fertility journey, you are going to want to know more about your cervical fluid. It’s well know that seminal fluid is a key ingredient to baby making, but you’ve got some fluid that is darn important too! There are three factors that are needed when it comes to conception: the egg, the sperm, and the medium that the sperm will travel through in order to reach the fallopian tubes - that’s your cervical fluid.
Quality, quantity, and color of your cervical fluid will change throughout the month. These changes give you great insight about where you are in your cycle and tells you with great accuracy when you are ovulating and if you are in your fertile window. Once ovulation occurs, your egg is only viable for 24 hours. Timing is everything! If you know what to look for with cervical fluid, this can help you immensely in the timing for conception.
The most fertile quality cervical fluid is very similar in appearance to egg whites.
Each woman’s cycle is unique, so are the changes in her cervical fluid. The following example of cervical fluid changes that are typical, but not the rule. If you want to seriously use this fertility sign, it is important to track yours cervical fluid consistently.
Immediately following your period, you will most likely have a dry sensation near your vaginal opening. This is because cervical fluid quality is dependent upon estrogen. As you progress though your cycle and estrogen increases, so will your cervical fluid. Right before and during your period, estrogen is at its lowest levels, so cervical fluid is in a dry state. This is not ideal for baby making.
Following the dry period, most women will have a couple days where the cervical fluid will appear sticky. This will look different for each woman, some might appear dry and flakey on your underwear or it may feel like a sticky fluid that looks like paste. The important thing to note about this particular cervical fluid is that it is not wet. While the cervical fluid is observable, this is not the ideal consistency for conception. However, it is considered a fertile sign if occurring before ovulation.
The next observable cervical fluid will typically be creamy. As the name implies, this fluid is often white and for many women look very similar to hand lotion. This phase of cervical fluid is wet in nature and moving you closer towards optimal quality cervical fluid. This is considered a transitional type of secretion because it occurs between the sticky (dry) and most optimal fertile cervical fluid, eggwhite.
Eggwhite quality cervical fluid is the most fertile and typically, the easiest to identify because it looks very much like raw egg whites. A very interesting part about this cervical fluid is that it is stretchy. If you were to rub some between your fingertips, it will typically stretch at least 1 inch and should feel very slippery. This type of cervical fluid is ideal for sperm to swim in and helps take them right up to the fallopian tubes. When you find yourself with this type of cervical fluid, it’s go time.
Fun Fact: women in their 20s may have as many as four days of eggwhite fertile cervical fluid. However, as you go go into your late 30s, you may only have one or two days of fertile quality cervical fluid. That is where it comes in handy to know what these signs of fertility are so you can use them to your advantage.
After ovulation, your cervical fluid will quickly dry up again, like it was just following your period. And then the whole cycle starts all over again.
If pregnancy is your goal, the more fertile quality cervical fluid you have the better. It’s good to know that staying hydrated and drinking enough water throughout the day, will help. And things that dry out mucus membranes like antihistamines and allergy medications will dry your cervical fluid right up!
Your can learn to track your cervical fluid throughout your cycle and have more control and insight into your fertility.
