Keeping track of your ovulation is not the only way to find out your most fertile days. Whether you want to have a baby and are looking for the right time to conceive or whether you want to avoid having a baby and are looking for the right time to have sex without getting pregnant, knowing about your body and your menstrual cycle is important. Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here
You should know when you ovulate and for how long you do and you should know about the events that take place during the entire cycle. There are of course kits to determine when you are ovulating and you can even have an ovulation calendar to help you track down the dates.
However, you can even keep track of your cervical mucus in order to know whether you are ovulating or when you are most fertile. Thus, charting your cervical mucus is a great idea. You will be able to know of your ovulation cycle and you will also know when the best time is for you to conceive.
Before charting cervical mucus, you should know what cervical mucus is and what its functions are. Inside the cervix, there are glands that produce this fluid. This fluid is very important because it aids the survival of the sperm in the body.
In this fluid, the sperm can live for about five days. It also works to remove or expel the abnormal or damaged sperm. A vagina is generally acidic in nature and this fluid provides alkalinity in order to protect the sperm. The sperm use this fluid as a medium to travel to the egg, which is present in the fallopian tube.
Your cervical mucus will change in color, consistency, and volume throughout your cycle. You should watch for these changes in order to be able to chart your cervical mucus. Here is a brief description of the changes of your cervical mucus through the cycle:
• Right after your period: Not present.
• Between menstruation and ovulation: creamy and tacky.
• During ovulation: Slippery. This is also called fertile mucus.
• Height of fertility: Stretchy.
• After ovulation: Dry.
As aforementioned very clearly, there is no cervical mucus right after your period. Thus, during this time there are little or no chances of conceiving. From then to near your ovulation dates, the mucus will be cloudy. It may be sticky in texture.
The amount of cervical mucus during this time is less. Just before ovulation begins, the mucus increases in volume and is sticky and moist. The consistency can be compared to hand lotion. It is cream colored. During ovulation, the volume of cervical fluid increases dramatically and the color and consistency are like egg whites.
After ovulation, it reduces in volume and goes dry again. Thus, it is during ovulation that you are most fertile and have the highest chances of conceiving. That is why the cervical mucus during this time is termed as fertile mucus.
There are also many factors that can affect cervical mucus such as sexual arousal, hormonal imbalance, vaginal infection, swimming in chlorinated pool, birth control pills, fertility drugs, anti-histamines, and other medications, etc.
Remember that the more you know about the cervical mucus, the better you will be able to identify your days of ovulation and thus, plan accordingly. Charting helps you figure things out easily without any confusion or mistakes. Thus, it is a good idea to chart your cervical mucus every month. Many women who chart their basal body temperatures also chart their cervical mucus changes. You can find charts free to download to help you with your charting.
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