Cervical Mucus

What is cervical mucus?

Cervical mucus is a fluid your cervix makes. You can usually see your cervical mucus in your underwear when it comes out of your vagina. Hormones cause your cervical mucus to change in texture, volume and color throughout your menstrual cycle.

Your mucus is thick, white and dry before ovulation (when your ovary releases an egg). Just before ovulation, your cervical mucus will turn clear and slippery. This consistency makes it easy for sperm to swim up to meet an egg.

What can your cervical mucus tell you about your health?

Some people chart their cervical mucus to tell them where they are in their menstrual cycle. This can be helpful for either trying to get pregnant or trying to avoid getting pregnant.

Cervical mucus can tell you when you’re fertile (or most likely to conceive) because your mucus takes on a distinct look. It can also indicate when your chances of getting pregnant are less likely. When you use your cervical mucus in this way, it’s called the cervical mucus method of natural family planning.

The texture and color of your cervical mucus can also tell you if you have a health condition like an infection or irregular bleeding between periods.

What does cervical mucus do?

Cervical mucus, or cervical fluid, has two jobs, depending on where you are in your cycle. The first is to help sperm move through your cervix so it can fertilize an egg during ovulation. This is why it turns to an egg-white consistency (slippery and wet) before ovulation.

Think of your uterus as a swimming pool, your cervical mucus as water and sperm as a person trying to swim. If the water was thick or mud-like, there’s no way a person could swim through it to reach the other side of the pool. This is how hard it is for sperm to reach your fallopian tubes if your cervical mucus isn’t fertile. It’s easier for sperm to swim up your uterus to meet an egg for conception in thin, wet, egg-white mucus.

The second job is to prevent sperm or other substances from getting into your cervix. It’s like a protective barrier.

What are the four different types of cervical mucus?

Not every person will be the same, but your cervical mucus will resemble all or most of the following during your menstrual cycle:

• Dry or sticky, like paste. It can be white or light yellow.
• Creamy like yogurt. Smooth in texture and usually white.
• Wet, watery and clear.
• Slippery, stretchy and slimy. Resembles raw egg whites.

The type or texture of your cervical mucus will depend on what stage of your menstrual cycle you’re in. Your mucus generally starts as dry or pasty before moving to a creamier texture. As ovulation nears, your discharge will become wet, stretchy and slippery. The most common analogy for super fertile cervical mucus is looking and feeling like raw egg whites. If you see that texture, you’ll know you’re at your most fertile time. After ovulation, your cervical mucus goes back to being thick and dry.

How does cervical mucus change throughout my menstrual cycle?

The changes in cervical mucus happen because of hormones shifting throughout your menstrual cycle. Estrogen increases before ovulation and makes your cervix produce the fertile, egg-white mucus. It’s your body’s way of making it easy for sperm to reach the egg it’s about to release. After ovulation, estrogen levels drop, and progesterone levels rise. This rise in progesterone helps the fertilized egg implant into your uterus if you conceive. But this causes your cervical mucus to begin to dry up.

If you have a 28-day menstrual cycle, your cervical mucus will generally follow this pattern:

Keep in mind that this pattern is approximate, and you may not follow it exactly. The key takeaway is that your mucus changes throughout your cycle.

What does your discharge look like when you are ovulating?

When you ovulate, your cervical mucus changes from pasty or creamy to resembling stretchy, raw egg whites. This wet, slippery discharge makes it easier for sperm to swim up your vagina and into your uterus to meet an egg. If you have sex at this time, you increase your chances of getting pregnant.

How many days before ovulation do you get egg white mucus?

You get slippery, egg-white mucus for about three or four days. If your cycle is 28 days, the fertile cervical mucus occurs around days 10 to 14.

Where does cervical mucus come from?

Your cervix produces cervical mucus when estrogen rises. Your estrogen level begins low, then climbs to its peak at ovulation before dropping again. This is why you see the changes in your mucus instead of it being the same all the time.

What can cervical mucus look like?

Cervical mucus can be white, off-white or clear. It can also look:

• Sticky
• Creamy
• Pasty
• Watery
• Stretchy
• Slippery
• Slimy

At your most fertile time, your mucus is slippery or slimy. When you’re not fertile, the mucus will be thick or pasty. Your cervical mucus is generally odorless. If it’s foul-smelling, it could mean you have an infection.

At certain times, especially if implantation has occurred, your discharge might be tinged with pink or brown. If this happens regularly, talk to your healthcare provider as it could be spotting between periods or signs of a problem.

What can cause changes to cervical mucus?

Certain factors can play a role in the amount of cervical mucus you have or what it looks like. Things that can affect your cervical mucus are:

• Breastfeeding (chest feeding)
• Lubricants you use during sex
• Hormonal birth control
• Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
• Other vaginal infections like yeast infections or bacterial vaginosis
• Surgery on your cervix
• Medications
• Stress
• Foods you eat

What does abnormal cervical mucus look like?

If you check your cervical mucus and don’t believe you see the slippery, fertile cervical mucus, it could be a sign of ovulatory problems, infection or other health conditions. Other signs of irregular cervical mucus are discharge that is foul-smelling or a cheese-like texture.

Your healthcare provider will diagnose cervical mucus problems by performing a pelvic exam and discussing your health history and any medications you take. They’ll examine your cervix for signs of infection, scarring or other conditions that could impact vaginal discharge.

Are there ways to increase cervical mucus?

To naturally increase your cervical mucus, try drinking more water and eating more fruits and vegetables. Certain medications and vitamins are available that claim to increase cervical mucus. Before taking any supplements for cervical mucus production, talk to your healthcare provider. They’ll want to discuss any issues you’re having and rule out any problems.

How do I check my cervical mucus?

You can check your cervical mucus in a few different ways:

• Use your fingers. With clean hands, place a finger in your vagina. Remove your finger and look at the mucus. You may need to use another finger to see if it stretches.
• Check your underwear. Look at your underwear when you go the bathroom and note the discharge you see.
• Use toilet paper. Using toilet paper is probably the least reliable method to check cervical mucus, but it can still be helpful. After peeing and wiping, check your toilet paper for cervical mucus.

Pay attention to how your cervical mucus looks and feels. Is it sticky, creamy, watery or dry? If it’s dry or sticky, you’re probably not fertile yet. If it’s wet, slippery or slimy, you’re likely fertile.

How do I start charting cervical mucus to get pregnant?

Charting or tracking your cervical mucus is called the cervical mucus method of family planning. Here are some tips to get started:

• Get a calendar or use apps on your phone to keep track of changes in your cervical mucus.
• Track things like the amount, texture and color. For example, label days as pasty, creamy, wet or dry.
• Do this for at least two cycles to see if you notice a pattern.

Remember, you’re most fertile around the time your mucus becomes slippery and wet, like raw egg whites. Once you see this type of mucus, it’s time to have sex if you want to get pregnant.

If you need help recognizing patterns or think your cervical mucus never reaches a fertile stage, talk to your healthcare provider for guidance.

Does your cervical mucus change when you get pregnant?

Changes in your discharge can be a sign of early pregnancy, but everyone is different. Typically, your mucus dries up or thickens after ovulation. But some people notice their mucus is clumpy or stays wetter if they’re pregnant. Still, you shouldn’t use your cervical mucus to predict pregnancy. The best way to confirm a pregnancy is with a pregnancy test.

Do you smell sweeter when ovulating?

There aren’t any scientific studies that confirm your cervical mucus is sweeter when you ovulate. Everyone is different and you may notice your discharge smells a certain way at various points in your menstrual cycle. The scent of your discharge has more to do with bacteria and pH levels (a way to measure acidity), which can fluctuate.