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Monitoring Vaginal Mucus - That's Stretching it
Time to Make Love
Monitoring your cervical mucus is a very effective method of awakening fertility awareness. This method helps you to pinpoint ovulation without any charts or special equipment. By taking a few simple steps, you'll know, straight away, if it's time to make love with your partner.
The Stretch Test
To monitor your cervical mucus, insert your clean finger into the vaginal canal as far as is comfortable for you and wipe the area around your cervix. Remove your finger, which should be coated with a sample of your mucus. Evaluate the amount of the sample and its appearance. Stretch the mucus between your thumb and index finger to test the consistency.
If there is little or no mucus, this is the period before ovulation and the chances of becoming pregnant are low.
When ovulation is approaching, the mucus is moist, sticky, and white or cream-colored. The stretch test shows mucus that breaks with ease; you won't be able to stretch it beyond 1 cm. before it breaks. As you stretch the mucus it grows cloudy. There is some chance of pregnancy during this time when ovulation is drawing near.
At ovulation, the mucus begins to resemble egg whites. More mucus is produced at this time and its appearance will be thin and clear. The finger stretch test shows the mucus can stretch quite far, even several centimeters, before breaking, though the mucus may not break at all.
During this time, the amount of mucus will continue to increase until you experience what is known as a mucus peak. This is the final day of your most fertile period, when chances of conception are high. The quality of your cervical mucus at this time increases sperm survival rates. Sperm can survive in this type of cervical mucus for up to 72 hours; a much longer time span than at during any other part of your cycle.
As ovulation ends, you will note a marked change in the appearance of your cervical mucus. It becomes sticky once again, and does not stretch during the finger test. You will note a feeling of dryness around your vulva.
Keep in mind that if you are engaging in intercourse around the time of cervical mucus monitoring, it can be very easy to confuse sperm with your own mucus, though the two may have very different results during the finger stretch test and the appearance and amount of the secretions will also be affected.
Certain medical conditions and medications may alter the natural state of your cervical mucus and it's a good idea to bear this in mind as you monitor for changes, too. Read more on cervical mucus
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For help monitoring your cervical mucus, find out more about the fertile focus ovulation microscope.
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