How can I monitor my cervical mucus?

Many women have never even heard about cervical mucus even though it is a simple way to gain insight into your fertility and get to know your body better. Actively dealing with your own cycle helps you to get constant feedback from your body. This also allows you to notice and act quickly if something is wrong. It has also been proven that optimal fertility protects a woman’s health in the long term.

The hormones that control the menstrual cycle also make the cervix produce mucus. This is the fluid that comes out of the vagina as ‘discharge’ during the cycle. The cervical mucus changes in color, texture and quantity during the cycle and most women can notice a marked change, especially around the time of their ovulation.

To correctly observe and determine your cervical mucus, it is important to carefully observe the discharge that can be detected at the vaginal entrance and look for changes. There are different categories, based on the NFP (Natural Family Planning) method, that you can use as a guide.
You can check the cervical mucus in 3 ways:

1. Wipe the vaginal entrance (before going to the toilet) with (preferably) white toilet paper or a paper towel. Check the color and texture of the mucus.
2. Look at the color and texture of the discharge in your underwear.
3. Insert your clean (!) fingers into your vagina and check the color and texture of the mucus on your fingers.

The best way to feel the consistency of the cervical mucus is to rub and ‘pull’ it between your thumb and index finger. Make a daily note of everything you notice: either handwritten in a chart or in an app.

In the course of the cycle, i.e. in the different phases of the cycle, the color & consistency of the cervical mucus changes. Through daily observation of these changes, you can easily tell whether you are currently fertile or not. It is also important to mention that not all women can detect all categories. Especially after using hormonal contraceptives, many women have problems detecting & determining their cervical mucus.

In the days before your period, the cervical mucus is usually rather firm, cloudy and creamy. A feeling of dryness is also possible.
During your period, the flow of blood covers the cervical mucus and you usually don’t notice it at all.

Highly fertile and the largest amount of mucus is usually noticed right before ovulation. It is clear (comparable to raw egg white) and feels slippery. It can be ‘spun’ into threads between your fingers. This period is the fertile phase: the time in the cycle when the likelihood of getting pregnant is highest.

After a few ‘slippery’ (& highly fertile) days, there is usually suddenly less mucus and it becomes rather cloudy and sticky again, followed by a few more days where a feeling of dryness can be perceived.

Many women notice increased discharge after implantation. The cervical mucus is then usually very clear (very similar to highly fertile cervical mucus). However, this can of course vary greatly from woman to woman.

If you consistently observe your cervical mucus, you should record everything that can be observed every day, either by hand in a chart or in an app, in order to keep a good overview.

In the breathe ilo app, it is possible to enter the quality of the cervical mucus simply by tapping on the symbol that matches your observation.

Spinnable cervical mucus is the term used to describe highly fertile cervical mucus, i.e. the consistency of the mucus that can be detected around ovulation. If you pull the cervical mucus between your fingers, it can be ‘spun’ into threads and is therefore called ‘spinnable’.

In the days before your period, the cervical mucus is usually rather firm, cloudy and creamy. Very close to your period, it can also turn into a brownish color, which can signal spotting.

Yellow discharge is usually a sign that there is an immune reaction going on in the body. This is often against certain pathogens that have ended up in the body. A build-up of leukocytes is produced by the body at the infected body part, resulting in a yellow secretion. If, in addition to the yellow color, symptoms such as a burning sensation when going to the toilet or a fishy smell are noticed, a doctor should be consulted. Yellowish cervical mucus that is noticed without other symptoms and only over a short period of time (a few days) is usually no cause for concern.

As the follicle grows and prepares for ovulation, the cervical mucus is usually cloudy, whitish or yellowish in colour and tends to be firm, creamy, viscous and non-spinnable. This cervical mucus, during the non-fertile phase of the cycle, prevents sperm from reaching the uterus by ‘blocking’ their way.