Tracking Cervical Fluid 101

Tracking your cervical fluid is one of those things that stars off as icky, and then ends up being quite normal. We, as women, are not given much rein over our own bodies and wanting an intimate understanding is often met with repulsion from ourselves and others. Let's change that. Knowing yourself is the top priority when it comes to trying to get pregnant, if you don't know these things you are at a disadvantage.

It's obviously possible to get pregnant without knowing and without tracking, but the more you know, ey. While nothing in this sense is 100% reliable in predicting ovulation (basal body temperature is probably your most reliable way to track, but it won't tell you when ovulation is incoming) it does add another layer to opks. Some people can even use only fluid observations to figure out when they're in their fertile week.

Now, cervical fluid has four basic states:

• Creamy
• Sticky
• Wet
• Egg White

It will be up to you to figure out which category yours comes under. Creamy and sticky fluids are indicative of not being in your fertile week, while wet and eggwhite are fertile. The following photo sums up, generally, how it would look, and I used it for reference quite often while trying to figure out what was what.

There can also be sort of "clumpy' fluid that looks a bit like toilet paper. which would come under the "gummy"/"sticky" column. Sometimes fluid can be used to detect early pregnancy, but like cervical position it's not actually reliable at all in that sense. There is a lot of room for error in cervical fluid tracking, and there's a lot of reasons why it could change, like dehydration and medications. It it, however, just one extra arrow to your quiver.

What will my cervical fluid look like during my cycle?

Your cycle will start with blood, it will progress into a sticky fluid or even creamy, and then wet, then your peak fertility day is often the eggwhite fluid. It will dry up after ovulation and stay that way until your period comes again, unless you have conceived then it will sometimes go creamy or a bit wet again.

Is this reliable?

Yes, and no. Tracking fluid doesn't work for everyone but these are the general rules. If you notice that you're not getting enough fluid – it should be enough to check just on your underwear, but sometimes you may need to check by your cervix – then you may need to rely on other methods, it may also be worth seeing a doctor to see if there is a reason behind it. If your cycle is regular, and you're getting your eggwhite fluid around the time of positive OPKs and so on, you can slowly start to drop tracking methods and go by fluid alone, as I'd say when fertile fluid coincides with other positive fertility signs you're good to go.

Is it for me?

Maybe. It can be a bit icky, and for some people that's not their thing. But it's just another layer of signs.