...For Her ...Fertility Charting ...Cervical Fluid

As your cycle progress your cervical fluid and vaginal sensations will change. In particular in the days before ovulation it will become fertile to allow the sperm a chance to reach and fertilise the egg. The complete absence of cervical fluid is a strong indicator of infertility.

The pattern

How to test your fluid

After urination, separate your labia and check the quality of your cervical fluid at the lower opening with either clean toilet paper or your fingers. Again, does it feel dry, sticky, wet or lubricative?

If using toilet paper, touch the paper to feel your cervical fluid. Lift your finger off of the toilet paper to see if the fluid stretches, and if so, how far. If using your fingers, touch them together. Lift a finger off of the other to check the stretchiness of the fluid.

Observe the color of the cervical fluid. Is it opaque, cloudy, or clear?

Throughout the day, check your underwear when you use the bathroom. The most fertile quality cervical fluid (wet and stretchy) frequently leaves a symmetrical circle in your underwear, the less fertile sticky-quality fluid leaves a rectangular or linear mark.

During a bowel movement, pay close attention to your cervical fluid as the process may cause the eggwhite-quality fluid to flow out quickly.

You should check several times a day, look for vaginal sensation, colour, amount, and texture.

How to record

If you are using the Ovusoft Software simply enter your findings into the pull down tabs where you also record your temperature.

If you are using a manual chart enter your information in the boxes indicated.

Things which influence the reliability

If you are a woman who has little or no mucus this method is less reliable for you.

Your fluid can be obscurred by a number of things:

Planning for or avoiding pregnancy

Depending upon whether you are planning a pregnancy or avoiding one will dictate how you use cervical fluid.

If you are planning a pregnancy then clearly the best time for intercourse is when you have very wet, slippery, stretchy fluid. This is your most fertile time

If you are avoiding pregnancy, then you can clearly see when you are fertile by the amount and type of fluid you have. You will know with practice when your peak day is.

Peak day is the last day of quality cervical fluid. You will only know this in retrospect. Ovulation occurs close to this day.

After your peak day your fluid will change and generally the 3rd day after peak day you are infertile agian.

• work out your cycle length, e.g. 28 days, always use your shortest cycle
• subtract 20 days (28-20=8)
• day 8 is the last infertile day before ovulation
• check that your fluid is still dry (if in doubt use take care)

Your fertile phase begins at the first sign of wetness after menstruation, but it may also begin a day or two before wetness begins. Intercourse must be avoided on any wet day

Peak day - this is the last day of fertile quality fluid, you will only know this after the event. on the 3rd night following this recording you will be infertile agian. But do double check with your temperature (could be 4 nights)

It is considered safe to have sex after ovulation when mucus sharply decreases in volume and becomes cloudy and sticky again. It is considered even safer to have intercourse during the dry days that may follow before your period begins.