What is Cervical Mucus and How Does it Help Detect Ovulation & Pregnancy

If the term “cervical mucus” is foreign and has you perplexed, don’t worry—we’re here to help. 

Cervical Mucus Primer: What It is and What It Does 

Put simply, cervical mucus, or cervical fluid, is mucus produced by the cervix. However, this definition may beg a few more questions, including: 

• What’s a cervix?
• What’s mucus?
• How is the mucus produced?

Getting to the bottom of these three questions will not only help you become knowledgeable about your own reproductive anatomy, it will also help you use one of the most reliable and natural ovulation detection methods available—your cervical mucus. So, let’s explore the cervix and the development of this magical mucus. 

Female Reproductive Anatomy, Explained

The vagina is a complex and fascinating place, but what exactly are we talking about when we say “vagina”? The female reproductive region is made up of five main interrelated organs: the vulva, vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries.

Moving from outside to inside (and bottom to top), let’s explore these important organs and see where the cervix fits in:

• Vulva – The vulva is aptly also known as the external genitalia and is made up of both urinary and reproductive components. You’ve likely heard of the main features—the mons pubis, the labia (majora and minora), clitoris, urethra, and vaginal opening.
• Vagina – Technically, the vagina begins where the vulva ends, at the vaginal opening. The vagina is simply the muscular canal that connects the vaginal opening up to the uterus. It’s also called the birth canal.
• Cervix – Where the vagina connects with the uterus is the cervix (Ta-da! The cervix! We have arrived!). The cervix is essentially a fleshy, 1 to 2-inch, donut-shaped entrance between the vagina and the uterus.
• Uterus – The uterus is a hollow pear-shaped organ (aka the womb) that supports and nourishes the developing fetus. 
• Fallopian Tubes and Ovaries – Although the fallopian tubes and ovaries are both vital parts of the female reproductive system, we don’t need to get tangled up in their details at this time. Just know that eggs come down from the ovaries and are carried to the uterus through the fallopian tubes during the ovulation cycle.

The Hard-Working Cervix 

The cervix is the lower entrance to the uterus, but being a glorified doorway isn’t its real job. It has hefty responsibilities, including:

• Cleaning the vagina by creating vaginal discharge.
• Repositioning itself during different phases of the menstrual cycle to facilitate fertilization.
• Creating a mucus plug to keep bacteria out of the uterus and away from the fetus during pregnancy.

That’s a lot of work for a 1-inch fleshy donut!

While the cervix’s functions are important (and it’s a good idea to support its health with a pap smear every 3-5 years), when it comes to ovulation and fertility, its primary role is creating a fluid that facilitates sperm to arrive at the uterus, and, hopefully, the egg waiting inside. 

This fluid is called cervical mucus.

All About Cervical Mucus 

In general, mucus is a slippery, viscous substance produced by the body to protect and lubricate surfaces. Your gut, skin, nose, throat, and lungs all contain mucus. In the cervix, mucus does something else that’s pretty amazing—it changes throughout the menstrual cycle.

Estrogen, the primary sex hormone in women, is responsible for triggering these changes. During the menstrual cycle, your estrogen levels rise, then fall. This rise and fall signals the ovaries to release an egg, then signals the body to begin menstruation (if the egg isn’t fertilized). 

The fluctuations in estrogen are evident in these features of your cervical mucus:

• • Texture – Mucus can go from being thin and sticky to thick and creamy.
  • Volume – At certain times, you’ll notice more cervical mucus being produced. 
  • Color – Typically, cervical mucus is either white, yellow, or clear.

By understanding how texture, volume, and color correspond to estrogen levels, you can know exactly where you are in your reproductive cycle:

• Low estrogen levels – During your period, estrogen levels and cervical mucus is low. It’s sticky like paste and white or yellow in color.
• Rising estrogen levels – As your body gears up for ovulation, you’ll see an increase in cervical mucus. At first, it will appear sticky and thick, then become more wet and creamy, like lotion. It will either be white or yellow in color.
• High estrogen levels – Immediately before and during ovulation, you’ll see copious amounts of thin, clear, and stretchy cervical mucus. This is the easiest type of mucus for sperm to swim through, increasing your likelihood of conception. 

How Do You Use Cervical Mucus to Detect Ovulation? 

Because your cervical mucus corresponds to various phases of your menstrual cycle, you can monitor and record your cervical mucus to learn when you’re ovulating and increase your likelihood of getting pregnant. 

Here’s how.

Check Your Cervical Mucus 

You can find your cervical mucus in three ways:

• On your underwear – Check your underwear when going to the bathroom. 
• On toilet paper – After wiping, check the toilet paper.
• With your fingers – Using freshly-cleaned hands, use your pointer and middle finger to swipe across your vaginal opening.

Once you’ve located cervical mucus, you can rub it between your fingers and thumb to determine its texture. Ask yourself:

• How much is there?
• Is the texture thick, sticky, or slippery?
• Is the color white, clear, or creamy?

There is no right or wrong time of the day to check your cervical mucus. Rather, the trick is to check it every single day. Chart your results on a calendar, in an app, or in a notebook to learn the timing of your unique cycle. After practicing this cervical mucus monitoring for a few cycles, you’ll start to notice distinct patterns.

Decode Your Cervical Mucus 

Once you’ve located and analyzed your cervical mucus, you’re ready to fit this information into the bigger picture of what’s happening from Day 0 to Day 28 (more or less) of your reproductive cycle:

• Immediately following your period, you may have dry days and not notice any mucus. Here, your estrogen is at its lowest point.
• Your estrogen increases leading up to ovulation. Your body produces mucus that may be yellow, white, or cloudy during this building phase. The mucus may feel gluey or thick.
• Just before ovulation, the mucus becomes clear, watery, and slippery.
• During ovulation, fertile cervical mucus is at its most clear and stretchy, often compared to the consistency of raw egg whites.
• The raw egg white discharge after ovulation will decrease. This is because your estrogen levels will drop. Mucus may become thicker or disappear altogether.

How to Use Cervical Mucus to Increase Your Likelihood of Conception

Many women improve their chances of conception by using their cervical mucus changes to determine the best days to have sex. Tracking cervical mucus is a natural family planning technique called the Cervical Mucus Method. 

With the Cervical Mucus Method, you’ll want to start getting it on when you notice your mucus becoming clear, watery, and slippery, as this means you’re about to ovulate. Since sperm can live up to 5 days in your reproductive tract, having sex several times leading up to ovulation means you’ll increase the number of swimmers waiting to fertilize your lucky egg. 

Because many situations can impact your cervical mucus (diet, stress, birth control pills, and certain medications), backup options for confirming ovulation are:

• Basal body temperature tracking
• Urine test kits
• Blood tests

How Cervical Mucus Can Indicate Pregnancy 

If conception does occur, there will be another detectable change to the amount and texture of your cervical mucus. Because a boost in estrogen accompanies pregnancy, vaginal discharge after ovulation if pregnant will be thicker and heavier than pre-conception. 

This texture and consistency is important during early pregnancy, as it helps to create the mucus plug. This plug works to:

• Protect your growing fetus from bacteria
• Prevent vaginal infections

If you’re in tune with your cervical discharge, this change in amount and texture may be one of the first indications that you have a pea in your pod! In other cases, implantation bleeding may occur, but it’s important to note that not everyone will have implantation bleeding or notice changes in their cervical fluid, as every pregnancy is different.

Get Your First Peek with SneakPeek® 

From analyzing what your cervical mucus feels like to understanding what that means in terms of conception chances, knowing what’s happening inside your own body during your menstrual cycle is truly powerful. 

At SneakPeek, we know that knowledge is power. In fact, our sole mission is to arm you with the knowledge you need to have an informed and positive pregnancy. That’s why we created the SneakPeek At-Home Early Gender Blood Test—an easy-to-use DNA test that can tell you the gender of your forthcoming pea as early as 6 weeks into your pregnancy with clinically-proven over 99% accuracy¹. No wonder it’s the #1 OBGYN-recommended at-home gender test available, trusted by over 1 million moms.

You can learn a lot from your cervical mucus, but when it comes to learning the fetal sex of your baby, use SneakPeek Gender.

This post has been reviewed for accuracy by the following medical professional:

Dr. Heather Soper, Certified Nurse Midwife

Dr. Heather Soper brings over 15 years of experience in women's health and obstetrics to her role as the owner of The Genesis Resort for Birth. Complementing her clinical practice, she serves as an Assistant Professor of Nursing at James Madison University, where she educates nursing students with a focus on compassionate, patient-centered care. Her advanced training and dedication to midwifery are evident in her contribution to both academia and the wellness of expectant mothers.

Sources:

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4. Mayo Clinic. Vagina: What’s normal, what’s not. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/vagina/art-20046562#:~:text=The%20vagina%20is%20a%20muscular,a%20baby%20descends%20during%20childbirth.
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