When is cervical mucus thickest

These tests check for the luteinizing hormone LH surge to help predict your most fertile days. A surge in LH initiates the start of ovulation. This may be a symptom of an infection. Look out for the following:. Let your doctor know if you notice any cervical mucus of an abnormal color or with a foul smell, or experience itching or redness.

Tracking cervical mucus can be an effective way to help predict ovulation. Make sure you track your mucus for at least one cycle prior to trying to conceive. An increase in vaginal discharge is normal during pregnancy. Here are nine possible causes for yellow discharge before your period, plus signs that you should see a doctor.

A wet mount vaginitis test is used to help diagnose vaginal infections or inflammation. Learn about symptoms of vaginitis, preparation for the test…. If you are pregnant and have green vaginal discharge, see your doctor. It may be an infection that could cause serious complications for your…. There could be a lot of reasons that your vulva, or vaginal lips, are itchy and swollen, but you have no discharge. A few causes could be an allergic….

Brown discharge after your period is usually not a cause for concern, but some accompanying symptoms could be a sign of a problem. Here's what you…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Guide to Cervical Mucus. Medically reviewed by Karen Gill, M.

Stages Checking Cervical mucus method Other methods Seeking help Takeaway We include products we think are useful for our readers.

What is cervical mucus? Read on to learn about cervical mucus and how it changes throughout your menstrual cycle. Changes to cervical mucus. Checking cervical mucus. Headaches, stomach pains, or sluggishness are not uncommon at the time of ovulation, but you might also feel fantastic. Each tube is lined with microscopic hair-like projections cilia that constantly move back and forth.

As the egg begins its several-day journey to the uterus, wavelike movements of the muscles in the tube peristalsis and the movements of the cilia help it along.

If sperm enter the vagina, pass through the cervix, and travel through the uterus into the fallopian tubes, the cilia propel the sperm toward the egg. If the egg and sperm meet, they may join. The fertilized egg then travels the rest of the way along the fallopian tube to the uterus.

The corpus luteum continues to make estrogen and also begins making progesterone. If a fertilized egg implants into the uterus, it sends a signal to the ovary to keep making progesterone, which will help sustain a pregnancy by keeping the uterine lining thick and nourishing.

If no pregnancy occurs, the corpus luteum is reabsorbed into the ovary after two weeks and the hormone levels drop; this is the trigger that causes menstruation. The egg disintegrates or flows out with the vaginal secretions. The kind of mucus or fluid produced by your cervix changes throughout the menstrual cycle in response to fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone. The cervical fluid is a kind of gatekeeper for the uterus. At ovulation, the cervical fluid becomes slippery and thin, like egg white.

The cervical fluid also nourishes the sperm and changes their structure to prepare them to fertilize an egg. Sperm can live up to five days in midcycle cervical fluid. After ovulation, as progesterone levels increase, cervical fluid thickens into a kind of plug that makes it difficult for sperm to enter the uterus. If you're trying to get pregnant, it's good to know when you're at your most fertile. One way to find out is to look for changes in your cervical mucus — the natural, healthy vaginal discharge that most women experience.

As your hormones change over the course of your menstrual cycle , the amount, colour and texture of your cervical mucus varies too. These photos will give you an idea of what to check for as you track your ovulation to find out your most fertile days. Everybody is different, and you may not see these exact variations in your own cervical mucus.

The main thing to look for is some kind of change mid-cycle. In the meantime, you'll improve your chance of conceiving by having sex every two days to three days throughout your cycle. You can check your cervical mucus by wiping with clean toilet paper, or by inserting a clean finger into your vagina and reaching upwards toward your cervix.

After your period, you'll probably have a few dry days, where you don't notice much cervical mucus. A few days after this, you may notice some wetness, which could be yellow, white or cloudy. This type of mucus can be a sign that your body is starting to get ready for ovulation. Because sperm can live inside you for up to a week, waiting for an egg to be released, it's worth having sex every two to three days during this phase. When you're at your most fertile, you may notice an increase in cervical mucus, and find that it becomes wetter and more slippery.

It looks and feels like raw egg whites and it can stretch about 5cm without breaking in the middle. This "egg white" cervical mucus is the most fertile, as it allows sperm to swim easily into the cervix. It's also a sign that you're about to ovulate. For the best chance of conceiving, have sex every two to three days during this fertile time.

Sperm can live for up to seven days inside you, waiting for an egg to be released. At other times in your cycle, you may notice cervical mucus that's not particularly wet or slippery. This creamy cervical mucus is considered non-fertile because it makes it more difficult for sperm to reach your egg.