Cervical Mucus

If you have learned to use your body’s own natural markers to determine when you are ovulating, you will have discovered that tracing your cervical mucus patterns is an essential part of the process. This mucus changes consistency and quantity throughout your cycle, peaking around ovulation. Using the information you gain from tracking the mucus along with other markers tracked by the CrMS and NaProTECHNOLOGY can give you a clear picture of your cycles, and let you know with certainty when and if you are ovulating.

Although collecting your cervical mucus for examination may seem a little odd at first glance, it is simple and effective. You can collect it, after you’ve wahshed your hands of course, on toilet paper. The best way to determine what kind of cervical mucus you have is to stretch it between the thumb and index finger. Its stretchability and colour will change during your cycle.

At the beginning of the cycle, you will not have much cervical mucus, and what you do have will be sticky. It will break easily when you stretch your fingers apart, not stretching more than a centimetre. As ovulation approaches, it will become cloudier, and somewhat wet. It will stretch a little more during this period. It will peak right around ovulation, and begin to resemble egg whites. It will be extremely stretchy. Sperm can survive in this mucus for up to 3 to 5 days. As soon as you’ve ovulated, it will become once again sticky and dry. This is a typical cervical mucus pattern.

This pattern can be affected by many factors. One is age. You may have plentiful cervical mucus when younger, but it may decrease in your thirties, and in your forties you may not ovulate every cycle, and therefore not produce much cervical mucus. Also, if you are taking medications or are not drinking enough water, you may not produce as much cervical mucus around ovulation. If you are not a healthy weight, you may not produce as much. Overweight women may have decreased oestrogen which decreases cervical mucus. This will not be helped by oestrogen supplements. Underweight women may not ovulate every cycle. Birth control decreases the production of cervical mucus.

Because of the wide variety of reasons why you may not produce the correct quantity or quality of cervical mucus, your patterns should not be the only way you track your cycles. NaProTechnology will use this as well as other biomarkers, such as hormone levels, to get a complete idea of your cycles, and can not only help you with your family planning goals, but also diagnose problems and help you solve them.

Although cervical mucus is one excellent way in which you can tell what your body is doing, it is not the only one. NaPro Technology teaches you many others. If you are looking for other ways to track your cycle, please contact a NaProTechnology practitioner soon.

The Marguerite Bourgeoys Family Centre FertilityCare Programme has helped couples get pregnant from all across the GTA.