Updated 12-20-17
One of the greatest weapons in our swaying arsenal is something we make inside our own bodies completely with no effort whatsoever!!!
Cervical mucus, or CM, can help sway for a boy or for a girl, depending on its consistency. So let's talk about what CM really is.
Cervical mucus is simply the normal secretions of the cervix which change in volume and consistency throughout the menstrual cycle. It's made up of as much as 90% water. The water content varies during the menstrual cycle, so much so that CM can functions as either a barrier or a transport medium for sperm. Also present are electrolytes, organic components such as calcium, sodium, potassium, glucose, amino acids and soluble proteins, trace elements including zinc, copper, iron, mangenese and selenium, and various enzymes. Interestingly, the levels of trace elements may vary during different phases of the menstrual cycle. Please note, these ingredients are in CM naturally. You do not force electrolytes like calcium or sodium into your cervical mucus because you ate them, your body takes them from the foods you eat (whether or not you are swaying!)
After a menstrual period ends, the mucus is thick and acidic. This "infertile" mucus blocks spermatozoa from entering the uterus. Once ovulation approaches, "fertile" types of mucus are produced. Water content increases, the mucus becomes more alkaline, and under a microscope, the mucus shows a ferning pattern that is believed to help guide sperm through the cervix.
In all mammals who have placentas (aka Eutherian mammals), hundreds of millions, even billions of sperm are deposited in the vagina, but only a very few ever make it to the egg. Studies (in humans) have shown that anywhere from 35to nearly 100% of sperm leaks out of the female reproductive tract within 30 mintues of intercourse.
With those kind of percentages, it's a miracle that any sperm ever make it to the egg. That's where out beautiful mucus comes swooping in to save the day. As ovulation approaches, it becomes more and more welcoming to sperm and actually acts to help them along their way.
The traditional sway theories held that whenever mucus is very thin, alkaline, and beneficial to sperm survival (like egg whites, hence the name egg white cervical mucus EWCM), boys are more likely to be conceived, and when the mucus is thicker and drier, girls are more likely to be conceived. We don't know if that is true or not, but it is totally possible that even if this theory isn't true, that cervical mucus is one of several mechanisms that come into play as some form of natural gender selection. Even if it isn't in the ways we once believed, cervical mucus very well may be swaying for us and even if it doesn't, understanding it may help us to get pregnant more easily.
Using your CM you will be able to tell when you're infertile, when you are highly fertile, help you with timing methods, and it can also help you know if you're pregnant or not. All with the power of mucus! Here's how!
CM has two separate functions. Prior to ovulation, it's very thick, somewhat acidic, and is designed to keep sperm and other invaders out of the uterus. Around ovulation, it becomes very thin and more alkaline and welcoming to sperm. Shortly after ovulation (within a day) it becomes thick, acidic, and protective again.
1. Start checking your CM the first day after your period. (some of us, myself included, do indeed get EWCM very quickly after AF ends in some months) Develop an awareness of how your vagina feels throughout the day (you don't even need to touch it, just be aware of how it feels.) When you use the bathroom (at least three times a day) with clean hands, touch the outer lips of your vagina and get used to the feeling of the discharge. Take note when you wipe after going to the bathroom as to whether you are dry or if there is mucus present. Pay attention to your underwear as well - very fertile CM will tend to take a round shape while less fertile CM will be more in a rectangular or line pattern.
To check CM, separate the lips of your vagina and check your CM at the lowest part of the opening close to the perineum. You can use tissue if that works for you, or you can rub it between your fingers. You may even want to see if it stretches just for fun.
2. Most charts such as those on Fertility Friend have a location for making notes about your CM along with your temperature. Definitely use these! You will begin to see how temps and CM patterns are working together to show you where you are in your cycle and what your hormones are doing.
3. The follicular cycle in most women goes something like this - for a few days after menstruation, there is little to no mucus present (record "dry" on your chart.) Your panties and accompanying vaginal sensations will be dry. Some of us DO get EWCM right after AF ends, though!
Then, CM begins to develop in a "sticky" form (record "sticky" on your chart). Other words you may use to describe this sensation include "pasty, tacky, crumbly, gummy, springy" - it's kind of like rubber cement. May be white or yellowish in color. You may continue to feel dry or you may feel sticky.
Next, CM becomes "creamy". Other words used to describe this type of CM are "lotiony, milky, smooth." White or yellow in color. This is the kind of CM that is theoretically associated with greater odds of conceiving a baby girl. Your vaginal sensation will be wet, moist, gooey, even cold. You may be fertile while this CM is present so if you do not want to become pregnant, take precautions. You may notice a rectangular or line pattern on your underwear. (This is what you're looking for for a cutoff.)
The final and most fertile form of CM is EWCM (egg white cervical mucus). Very wet, slippery, and it may stretch between your fingers. There is usually a lot of it! You will feel a very wet vaginal sensation and you will notice a round pattern on your underwear. It is usually clear in color but it can be pink or red streaked if you have ovulatory spotting. You are VERY fertile when this CM is present so if you aren't TTC, take precautions. (This theorized to be what you want for conceiving a boy).
3. After your estrogen level has peaked and the egg has been released and the corpus luteum has begun to make progesterone (you are entering your luteal phase) your CM will change abruptly. Sometimes even within just a couple of hours you will see a difference; again, this is where charting is very handy because you can take note of how and when it changes in terms of what your temps are doing. You may have a few hours of creamy CM after ovulation but for many people, it just dries up without ever going to creamy. 48 hours after ovulation (your temperature will drop), you are safe to have unprotected sex.
You will probably stay dry (and you are safe to DTD unprotected) for the rest of your cycle but some women do notice a burst of EWCM 7 DPO that correlates with the secondary estrogen surge. Others notice EWCM or a watery sensation (not mucus-like) right before their period starts. You're not fertile and you are safe to DTD at this time usually but if you have any doubts that your ovulation may have been delayed, you need to take precautions if you do not want to attempt.
4. Semen, being sexually aroused, taking Robitussin/Mucinex, antibiotics and other herbal CM inhancers can make you produce more EWCM and earlier in your cycle. Having a vaginal infection, using Replens/RepHresh/Acijel or spermicide can make you think you are producing EWCM when you aren't. Taking antihistamines, Sudafed, cranberry, ibuprofin, and some other medicines and herbs can make your CM very dry. All these situations can make it very difficult to tract where you are in your cycle.
To get rid of semen, you can try using the Semen Emitting Technique http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-...que=#post10773 or learn to tell the difference - semen appears whitish and rubbery. It doesn't stretch like EWCM does and it dries on your fingers much more quickly.
5. If you have a very hard time collecting enough CM to learn the various types, you can try inserting a Diva cup for an hour. Some CM will collect in the Diva cup. (this is also a handy hint to check pH of CM if you are not getting much.
