Cervical mucus (CM, the clear fluid that is produced by the cervix) does not remain the same throughout your menstrual cycle. It keeps changing its consistency, texture, and color depending on different stages of your cycle. As such, you can monitor it chart your fertile days if you are trying to conceive or using safe days as your preferred birth control method.
Just before your period, cervical fluid is usually dry and thick in texture. This also indicates your less fertile days. When this fluid changes to an egg white consistency, you are most likely fertile and can conceive easily.
Stages and fertility charting
These changes may help indicate when you are most fertile and when you are least likely to conceive. If you chart your discharge, you may be aware of the changes.
The consistency of this fluid changes throughout the menstrual cycle. The changes in consistency and texture are caused by estrogen hormone levels in the body.
Cycle stages, changes and fertility charting
| Stage | Characteristics | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Day 6 to 9 | Little or no certical mucus. Dry and sticky CM. | You're not fertile |
| Day 10 to 12 | Generally sticky and cloudy. | Semi-fertile |
| Day 13 to 15 | Egg white mucus, usually clear, stretchy and thin. | Very fertile |
| Day 16 to 21 | Gradually changes from cloudy to wet to thick and sticky. | Not fertile |
| Day 22 to 28 | Sticky CM gradually changing to dry. | Not fertile (approaching period) |
Cervical fluid goes by different names and terms such as CM (cervical mucus), fertile-quality cervical mucus, and egg white cervical mucus.
CM plays an important role in the process of trying to conceive as it nourishes and protects the male sperms, as they undertake the long, journey through a female reproductive system to meet an egg for fertilization.
As such, when you are familiar with the texture, look, and feel of your cervical mucus, it becomes easier for you to know when you are most fertile to try to have sex to get pregnant.
Cervical mucus can, therefore, be defined as the fluid secreted by your cervix, after being stimulated by the estrogen hormone. In the course of your monthly cycle, the amounts and quality of cervical mucus produced by the cervix will fluctuate.
You, must, therefore, take note of these changes to start predicting which days are the most fertile in your menstrual cycle.
What does it look like before period? (Pictures)
In a nutshell, your cervical fluid towards the end of your cycle should be either thick and sticky or just dry cervical mucus.
As mentioned above, the cervical mucus in your vagina will undergo numerous changes in the course of your cycle. Just before the start of your menses, the mucus will be very different, compared to when the cycle is ending.
But, this is not an indication that there is something wrong with you, or your reproductive health, as it is common for changes to occur during the month.
[/wpsm_box]Apart from the changes occurring each month, there will normally be a variation in the cervical mucus present in different women. Women may have varied:
- Symptoms
- Different cycle lengths – some women have irregular periods
- Fluid discharges
In many cases, girls may start getting their cervical mucus discharge way before they get their periods. As much as it is weird to think about it, you can easily be able to track your CM over a duration of a few months, which enables you to know when you are likely to get pregnant, and times when you are least likely to get pregnant.
What happens before period?
During the month, your body will consistently continue to produce this fluid. However, this will change prior to the start of your menses, as the production will decrease instantly.
The mucus levels will start to drop about five days before the start of your cycle. When you look at the cervical mucus pictures, you will see that it appears to be thick and creamy at this time. It is also a period where it happens to be less elastic.
What this means is that, if you were to get the CM in your fingers, you would not easily be able to stretch it. Additionally, its thickness, texture, and the clear color are all indications that your menstruation is about to start.
Is it normal?
Yes, it is normal depending on how many days before period you are getting the cervical mucus. Typically, you should assume that you are at your most fertile when there is a presence of watery, and lubricated cervical mucus, which can occur even one week before period.
There is a lower chance of becoming pregnant when you have creamy cervical mucus, because it tends to be thick, thereby making it harder for sperm to enter your cervix.
Sticky cervical mucus before period has been termed as being the least conducive for pregnancy, as it may have a pasty, chunky-like texture, which makes it hard for sperm to move easily.
In a month, you are at your highest fertility levels when you notice clear, egg white cervical mucus. It provides the best acidity for the sperm.
In addition, the high temperatures in your body ensure that the sperm is able to move much more easily when swimming towards your egg. In this particular period, you will easily be able to stretch the CM without breaking it, as it will be very elastic.
Can CM help you know you are pregnant?
Can you tell if you’re pregnant by checking cervical mucus? Your normal cervical mucus will change during pregnancy.
[wpsm_box type=”blue” float=”none” text_align=”center”] During pregnancy, your vaginal mucus becomes very much more slippery than usual. This could be an early sign of pregnancy as well. As your pregnancy progresses, this discharge will become a mucus plug and then dry up completely.[/wpsm_box]
Many women typically track the changes in their cervical mucus in the course of the cycle to help them determine the best time to get pregnant. As your ovulation approaches, the CM will start to change in response to the changes being caused by increased estrogen hormone.
Is egg white discharge before period a sign of pregnancy?
The vaginal secretions associated with conception tend to be milky white or thick white. In some instances, the secretion can also be slightly milky or clear and stretchy.
However, typical pregnancy-related secretion is rarely yellow or red, and you should, therefore, be on the lookout for such differences.
During the initial two trimesters, your vaginal discharge will appear as thick, white mucus, which can easily be noticed in your panties. The release is known as leucorrhea and is common in all pregnant women.
Leucorrhea always has a slight odor and is easily visible. Therefore, if you are worried about the discharge, you should wear a disposable underwear, panty liner, or a maxi pad.
You should not use tampons or douche your vagina after realizing that you are pregnant. The tampons available in the market are not sterile, and the last thing a soon-to-be mom wants to worry about is introducing an infection to their unborn fetus.
Before period vs. early pregnancy discharge
What is the difference between cervical mucus before period and that in early pregnancy? In a quick comparison, you should have very little cervical mucus just before your period starts. However, in early pregnancy, you should see an increase in your CM discharge.
In this particular period, the mucus will have an egg white look, and will also be very stretchy. But, after ovulation, the mucus will slowly begin to dry out. However, what really happens to the mucus when a woman is pregnant?
There are women who may start to notice changes in the mucus, while others are not able to do so. For others, the changes are not easily noticeable during the early pregnancy days.
Discharge when pregnant
During your early pregnancy days, you are likely to notice an increase in the amounts of your cervical discharge. The discharge during this period will be whitish in appearance.
Additionally, the high estrogen levels, which are produced when pregnant will make your cervical glands to begin secreting more fluids.
It is a factor that could become more noticeable as your pregnancy progresses along. Even though the increased CM discharge becomes more noticeable in the third trimester, there are women who start to notice it very early in their pregnancies as one of the first signs.
Am I pregnant? If you have just a few days to your period yet you are still getting cervical discharge, you could be pregnant.
2 days to 1 week before period starts
The consistency, texture and even thickness of your cervical mucus changes with days in your cycle. So, what does each mean?
1. Egg white
Clear, stretchy egg white cervical mucus before menses, or about two weeks before your menstruation begins is usually a sign of ovulation. It means that you are more fertile at this time and you can conceive easily.
Considered to be the most fertile type of cervical mucus, as it makes it easy for the male sperm to swim to your cervix. Additionally, the egg white cervical mucus has a higher acidity content, which is required to guarantee sperm longevity.
This kind of CM is considered to have an egg whites’ consistency, which can be stretched to about two inches without breaking when held between your fingers.
2. Stretchy mucus
When your cervical discharge is stretchy, clear, and has a slippery sensation, this is considered to be the peak of your cycle as well.
Once this stage has passed, your mucus will undergo a noticeable change, which will see it become sticky, cloudy, and tacky.
In some cases, the vaginal sensation may also be dry, which means that no mucus will have appeared at your vulva. As such, you only get to know the peak day from a retrospective aspect. During the periods when your discharge is stretchy, it means your fertility levels will be at an all-time high for three consecutive days.
3. Creamy, sticky CM
This type of CM tends to be very thick, and as such, it may prevent sperm from swimming into the cervix, where it is needed for fertilization purposes. In many cases, the CM will be creamy yellow or pearl white in color.
When felt between the fingertips, it tends to have the feel and texture of lotion being applied to the fingers. It means you are less fertile and your period is due. This is not the best time to try to become pregnant.
4. Dry cervical discharge
Prior to ovulation, many women may find that they have little or no discharge at all. It is common for the vagina to get dry during this period, and a woman may recognize an increase in the presence of clear and slippery secretions right after. However, it is something that differs from one woman to the next.
Dry cervical mucus before period means you are close to your next menstruation also.
5. Blood tinged fluid right before period
In many cases, the presence of blood tinged cervical discharge before period is not considered to be a bad thing, as it is not harmful in any way. At times, blood may get trapped in the cervix after the menses have come to an end.
The trapped blood will then be expelled from your body alongside the CM as your ovulation approaches. It is the reason why you are noticing the blood in the CM.
If you notice the blood tinged CM before your periods, but right after ovulation has taken place, it could have been caused by implantation bleeding.
Spotting after ovulation occurs when a fertilized egg is implanted in your uterine walls and may be present for at least two days. As such, the presence of a tinge of blood is deemed to be normal. However, you should see a physician if the flow becomes heavier, as it could be an indication that there is a serious underlying health condition.
Reasons for increased fluid right before period
When ovulation has occurred, or after an egg or ovum has been expelled from your ovaries, your cervix is likely to become dry for a few more days.
Afterward, mucus secretion starts all over again. When this occurs, the CM appears like a raw egg white, in that it is thick and very sticky. It will also have a fixed shape, meaning that it will remain still at all times, even if you attempt to stretch it.
But what causes increased cervical discharge right before period starts? An increased secretion of cervical mucus can mean you are pregnant. We expect the amount to reduce to dry cervical mucus before period.
- However, the presence of an increased amount of this mucus can mean that your estrogen hormone levels are high.
- This may be normal in women with irregular periods. However, for those with regular menses, you should expect this mucus to reduce to dryness just before your menstruation.
More information
When examining your CM, it will be important to know the following:
- Do not get a sample of your CM when you are aroused, when having sex, or right after intercourse. In case it becomes difficult for you to obtain a good sample, you should wait until you have had your bowel movements before attempting again.
- Some ladies, especially the ones that have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) will produce fertile CM a few times during the course of one menstrual cycle. In case you happen to have this condition, note that it will be quite difficult for you to keep track of your ovulation by relying on the CM.
- Use of certain drugs e.g. antihistamines could end up drying up your cervix, which may then lead to the production of infertile CM right before ovulation.
- You should visit your physician if you have been unable to notice the presence of consistent egg-white CM prior to According to Mayo Clinic, a hostile CM may lead to a woman becoming infertile.
- There are ladies who produce wet egg-white mucus prior to the start of their cycles. As such, do not confuse this kind of cervical ovulation with your normal
- After engaging in unprotected sex, you may end up confusing semen for CM. But, with time you can be in a position to tell the difference between the two very easily.
When to see a doctor
The consistency of your cervical mucus prior to menstruation will vary from time to time throughout the course of your monthly cycle. It will be thick and creamy at times, profusely watery in others, or have an egg-white consistency during other times.
If you are particularly keen and observant, it will be easier for you to know when you are fertile, and take advantage of it to try and conceive. For women who want to become pregnant, they should look for a CM that has an egg-white consistency.
In some cases, the reason why you may be unable to get pregnant is that you do not have enough CM. Having a CM that is too acidic or too thick will also make it harder for you to become pregnant. It is suggested that you make plans to visit a clinic if you notice the following abnormal qualities in your CM.
- Spotting or bloodstained CM before period
- Thick, cheesy, green, or yellow mucus
- A burning sensation when urinating or a vagina that is suddenly very itchy
- Bad smell
How to increase your egg white CM
When attempting to get pregnant, vaginal dryness can be seen as a disadvantage, as you need egg white cervical mucus for this to happen. You can use the following natural home remedies to increase your egg white CM.
1. Stay hydrated
Dehydration is the primary cause of dryness in your vagina, as water makes up ninety percent of the fertile CM discharge. For that reason, you need to make certain that you drink enough water on a daily basis to remain hydrated, but, also make certain that you do not take too much water as it may lead to a condition referred to as H20 intoxication.
A woman should take 2.2 liters (around nine cups) of water a day, while a man should take 3 liters (around 13 cups) of water each day, according to Mayo Clinic.
2. Fruit Juice
A natural fruit juice comes in handy in increasing the amounts of CM present in the vagina. Fruits e.g. pineapples and grapes will increase the pH levels, thereby creating a good environment for sperm nourishment and survival, as they journey towards your fallopian tube, where they will then be fertilized.
- Wash your pineapples and grapes, and then peel them, before slicing them into tiny pieces
- Put your slices in a blender, and then add a small amount of distilled water, before grinding the pieces into juice
- To sweeten the juice, add a small amount of honey
- You should take at least two cups of this juice each day
- If you are taking any medication, do not consume the grapefruit juice. Make sure you consult a physician first.
Resources
- American Pregnancy Association. (2017, February 3). Cervical mucus and your fertility: http://americanpregnancy.org/getting-pregnant/cervical-mucus/
- Courtney Pocock. (2017). Cervical mucus before period: https://www.medhealthdaily.com/cervical-mucus-before-period/
- Rachel Gurevich. (2017, July 18). Can you tell if you are pregnant by looking at your cervical discharge?: https://www.verywell.com/can-cervical-mucus-tell-you-if-youre-pregnant-1960286
- Baby Med personnel. (2016). Vaginal discharge: early signs and symptoms of pregnancy: http://www.babymed.com/vaginal-discharge-early-signs-and-symptoms-of-pregnancy
- Marquette University Personnel. (N.D). Monitoring your cervical mucus: http://nfp.marquette.edu/monitor_cervical_mucus.php