The Wonders of Cervical Mucous

Hey beauties, I thought it was high time to write a short but sweet blog about cervical mucous and the wonders that it is…..being prompted to following a lively conversation after clinic with the beautiful Katy Henry – co owner of The Bridge Centre. Katy and I just LOVE all things woman and both of us work with women’s health and fertility.
Now you may still be labouring under the idea that CM is just a bit of an inconvenience – something that just dirties your panties and generally is just a bit gunky and horrid. You may even be using “feminine hygiene” products to mask it or synthetic panty liners to stop from getting onto your underwear. You may even still refer to it as “discharge”, a throwback to what your Mum might have called it!
But let’s hold back a second and think about this marvellous fluid which is emitted from our bodies….what’s its purpose, is it ok to have lots of it and how we can fall back in love with it and our bodies (and is this even possible???), our fertility and our cycles – cos they are all interrelated!
Well, I’m here to tell you all about it, its qualities and its purpose, so you can maybe start to see it in a different more loving way….let me assure you that it will be worth it, especially if you are struggling with fertility or would like to find a natural form of contraception – wow and WOW! Really?

Your short guide to cervial mucous (CM)

Ok, so here it is, your short guide to cervical mucous (CM) and all that it is.
So when we are pubescent, it tends to be of the more crumbly, whiter/creamy variety. It’s not really until we start to mature into womanhood that we can really start to see that it changes through our monthly cycles (your menstrual cycle).
If we start to pay closer attention to it, we might notice that directly after our bleed finishes there is little to none of it (phew I hear you say) – this is how it should be. As we move through week one to week two of the cycle, we’ll see an increase – it will range from the “crumbly white” to a thick creamy consistency. At this point it’s relatively acidic – and guess what – that’s exactly as it should be as at this point it’s acting as a barrier, preventing foreign bacteria from entering the vagina and stopping us picking up infections and the sort.
As we move through to week 2 and towards our fertile window, it starts to change; it becomes watery, egg white like and stringy – so that if we had some between thumb and forefinger we’ll find its kind of stretchy. This is great! We are moving into the fertile window – CM has become more fluid and stretchy which creates these channels for the sperm to swim up. It’s less hostile and more alkaline (so it doesn’t kill of the sperm before they have started their relatively long journey up towards the fallopian tubes and hopefully an egg). It might well feel more slippery, but still you might only notice it when you go to the lav and wipe. The quantity might increase, but don’t be expecting the Niagara Falls. It also provides nutrition (a healthy little snack) for the sperm, so that they can reach their target – THE EGG!( And still have some energy spare to crack the egg code).
Now you may find that you get this type of mucous for more than one day – great! So, be aware that it’s the LAST day of this type of mucous which is your most fertile day. So, just as we can use this for baby making, we can also use it as a monitor for NOT getting pregnant. If that’s what you are checking it for – there are lots of great fertility awareness practitioners out there – you just need to chart the cycle over a period of time so that you can be sure the times when you are NOT fertile. Chart well and research, research, research – don’t go off half-cocked so to speak. Be aware that douches, vaginal sprays, scented tampons, Clomid will all potentially change the nature of this beautiful fluid.
After your fertile window (usually day 11 to 15 in a regular cycle), you’ll notice it will start to dry up or feel somewhat sticky until we move towards week three and then menstruation.
CM or cervical fluid then tells us when we are fertile, it’s a great barometer of our hormonal health, since the changes that take place are driven by fluctuation in our reproductive hormones and it can tell us if there is infection – from the smell, texture and any soreness or itching in the vaginal/vulva area. Our bodies are AMAZING!!
If you’re struggling with fertility – this is THE most accurate way to assess whether you are ovulating or not – far better than “ovulation test kits”, which are a misnomer since they only indicate the luteinising hormones surge and NOT ovulation (if you are a PCOS sister – this can be crucial info as you will surge but not necessarily ovulate).
So ladies, it’s time to get down close and personal with your CM. It’s such a great way to help you understand your own body, your hormonal health and brings you into alignment with your womb energies. It brings you back into your body, your natural rhythm and let’s be honest, if you are calling in your baby; your baby NEEDS you to be fully understanding and comfortable with you, your whole self and your CM too.