5 Things You Need to Know About Cervical Mucus
kegg™ is an intuitive fertility tracker that measures changes in electrolyte levels of cervical fluid —the golden metric to pinpointing your fertile window within each menstrual cycle.
By using advanced sensing technology known as impedance with only 2 minutes a day of testing, kegg can help detect your fertile window up to 7 days in advance.
As a bonus, you can use kegg in conjunction with Kegel exercising to exercise your pelvic floor muscles before the test starts.
As a special Black Friday offer, we have partnered with kegg so you can save $76 on a kegg Fertility Tracker. Visit their website to claim the special offer! Also, SocialMama users can enjoy the special discount extended through December with the code “socialmama.”
Cervical Mucus is a key ingredient in what makes kegg work. Learn about the five most important things you need to know about cervical mucus and how it ties into fertility.
You’ve probably noticed vaginal discharge in your underwear before, and if you’ve ever wondered what exactly it is and why it’s there—don’t worry, we have you covered. The discharge you see is actually cervical mucus and it can give you a glimpse into the complex orchestration of your reproductive hormones that fluctuate throughout your cycle, specifically around your fertile window. Many women learn to track their cervical mucus to predict when they will be fertile in their cycle and when they will likely begin to bleed, signifying the start of their next cycle. There are many different methods for manually tracking cervical mucus, but it can take several months of practice. Don’t panic and keep reading for answers to some of your most burning cervical mucus questions
What is cervical mucus?
Cervical fluid is a mucus produced by the cervix, and is made up of mucus molecules, protein chains, minerals, and water. Cervical fluid has a unique electrolyte structure that changes throughout the menstrual cycle as a result of hormonal shifts. The consistency, quantity, and color can vary greatly throughout the cycle, and among women. However, in general, cervical mucus follows a trend that reflects what is happening hormonally in the body.
How does cervical mucus change through the cycle?
In the follicular phase, which occurs between the first day of your cycle and ovulation, cervical mucus slowly increases in abundance. After the period concludes, most women have very little cervical mucus, which ranges from sticky to creamy in texture. This mucus is not fertile, as sperm cannot survive in it for an extended period of time. As we near ovulation, the estrogen levels rise and the cervical mucus becomes more abundant. The consistency moves towards that of an egg-white or “wet” consistency, which is usually stretchy and clear. Don’t be alarmed if you have quite a bit of cervical mucus at this time! While some women experience enough to wear a panty-liner, others experience just the sensation of wetness. This fertile cervical mucus becomes more hospitable and nourishing to sperm as the egg follicle nears maturity. Typically, women experience the most fertile mucus 2-3 days prior to ovulation.
After the monumental moment (ovulation!), the ovary begins to produce progesterone. The release of progesterone results in thickening of the cervical mucus, which many women describe as tacky. The cervix remains closed, and this thickening of the mucus serves to help prevent any substances from entering the uterus.
The unique composition of fertile cervical mucus is able to sustain sperm, while other cervical mucus cannot. By learning your cervical mucus patterns, you can learn to predict when you are fertile and when you are not, empowering you to make fertility decisions for yourself.
Why is fertile cervical mucus important?
Without fertile cervical mucus, conception would be really challenging, as the egg needs to be fertilized within 12 to 24 hours after it is released. With fertile cervical mucus, sperm can survive for up to five days. This means intercourse that takes place in the days preceding ovulation can result in pregnancy, all thanks to the nourishing and sustaining qualities of fertile cervical mucus.
In addition, cervical mucus can help prevent abnormal sperm, or those with curved or otherwise atypical movement patterns, from effectively swimming to this prized egg. Not only does fertile cervical mucus aid in the survival of sperm, but it also helps to filter out those that will not serve our egg well.
How to track cervical mucus?
There are several methods for learning how to track your cervical mucus. On average, it takes 6 months or longer to confidently begin to chart your cervical mucus. Confounding variables, such as hormonal imbalances and limited cervical mucus make it even more challenging. Tracking cervical mucus requires careful daily monitoring. Plus, there are many other fluid patterns that are possible, and every woman experiences a unique pattern of mucus. Atypical fluid patterns can occur, especially if you are experiencing increased stress, taking hormonal birth control or various other medications, have hormonal imbalances (such as PCOS), are breastfeeding, or in perimenopause. Infections, such as bacterial vaginosis and yeast can also impact your cervical mucus. Be sure to see your doctor if you suspect an issue.
Sounds challenging. Any other options? Yes! kegg is a fertility tracking device which senses the electrolytes in the cervical mucus to help predict the fertile window. Instead of analyzing the quantity and consistency of the cervical mucus, kegg is able to predict the fertile window based on the unique trends of your cycle, associated with the hormonal shifts from estrogen dominance before ovulation to progesterone production post ovulation. kegg allows women to know their fertile window in advance without having to observe and track their cervical mucus on their own. In a sense, kegg “reads” the cervical mucus to determine which electrolytes are present, and uses the trends of your cycle to make its educated predictions. In the past months, we already had several successful pregnancies among our users. To learn more about kegg, please visit our website.
About the Author:
Andrea Bradwick is a speech language pathologist whose interest in fertility awareness methods and natural health and wellness continues to grow.
She is Community Manager at kegg and she split her days between creatively playing with her son and supporting women in their fertility journey with kegg.