When hormones, barrier methods and implants are not an option for family planning, learning to chart and read your body's cervical mucus can be an effective and rewarding way to manage your fertility. This method is reported by studies at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska to be 99.5 percent effective, and it can help a woman learn about her body and her gynecologic health.
What is Cervical Mucus?
Cervical mucus is a fluid produced by small glands near the cervix, or opening to a woman's uterus. This fluid changes throughout her cycle, from scant and sticky, to cloudy and thick, to slick and stringy. Each of these types of mucus is related to the hormonal shifts that naturally occur during the menstrual cycle as her body prepares for and achieves ovulation.
How Can Noting Cervical Mucus Help Manage Fertility?
The consistency and texture of cervical mucus changes in a distinct pattern that repeats itself in each menstrual cycle. By observing and recording the changes in cervical mucus, a woman can pinpoint ovulation and the corresponding fertile and infertile periods. Intercourse during the fertile periods leads to pregnancy; abstinence (or a barrier method of contraception) during the fertile periods avoids conception.
How Do I Use This Method?
When a woman is armed with some basic knowledge of her body's physiology, there is very little that's needed for it to be effective. A calendar or other chart to record the cervical mucus observations is all that's needed.
One of the most notable methods, the Billings Ovulation Method, instructs its users to note the sensation, presence, texture and color of cervical mucus as a woman goes about her day--and especially when she uses the toilet. Then, record the most fertile cervical mucus noticed for that day. The Billings Method suggests that a woman begin her observation on the first day of her cycle (the first day of her period) and record observations for approximately two weeks while abstaining from intercourse so that cervical mucus isn't confused or diluted by other bodily fluids from herself or a sexual partner. When signs of ovulation have passed and it's clear that the woman has reached an infertile window in her cycle, sexual activity can resume.
What are the Phases of Cervical Mucus?
Dry cervical mucus is indicative of an infertile period in a woman's cycle. It's not noticed on toilet paper or in undergarments or panty liners.
Sticky cervical mucus can be yellow, white, cloudy or clear. It doesn't stretch between fingers and may be gummy, crumbly or stiff. This can appear both before and after ovulation but is not indicative of a fertile window.
Cervical mucus that's watery is thin, clear and slippery. It may or may not stretchy between your fingers and is noticeable in undergarments or panty liners. Watery cervical mucus is considered fertile cervical mucus and occurs shortly before or during ovulation.
The most fertile cervical mucus is described as "egg white" cervical mucus because of its resemblance in texture and viscosity to raw egg whites. It stretches between thumb and forefinger and is most identified with peak ovulation days.
When Does This Method Not Work?
This method works for nearly all women to prevent or achieve pregnancy and to monitor gynecologic health. However, some fertility medications and hormonal pills, such as birth control pills, change the cervical mucus apart from ovulation. The method is unreliable in these circumstances.
