Cervical mucus is what we generally call vaginal discharge. When you know how to decipher its meaning, this mucus can give you useful information about your body, including telling you that you're in your fertile window or signaling possible infections.

Learn how to read the signs your body is sending you. In this article we tell you how cervical mucus changes throughout your menstrual cycle and reproductive life, what a normal vaginal discharge looks like at each stage, and how you can tell when something is wrong.

Cervical mucus - What it is and what roles it fulfills

Cervical mucus is that clear, gelatinous liquid that you most likely recognize as vaginal discharge.

The cervix is the connection point between your vagina and uterus, and it contains a lot of glands. These glands secrete mucus in response to hormonal changes in the body. Throughout a menstrual cycle, hormones in and around the cervix stimulate the glands to produce cervical mucus in varying amounts and textures.

The key role of these secretions is closely related to fertility and conception, but they perform many other functions. Cervical mucus is released into the vaginal canal and:

• It keeps the vagina lubricated and cleans the vagina of germs.

• It hosts the "good" bacteria in the vagina to maintain a healthy flora.

• It prevents infections, as it acts as a kind of barrier between the vagina and the external environment.

• During the fertile period, it filters and transports the seminal fluid, helping the sperm to fertilize the egg and reach the uterus.

• When it thickens (eg in response to birth control), it prevents semen and other bacteria or substances from reaching the cervix.

Cervical mucus changes naturally throughout the menstrual cycle, but also in response to inflammation and infection. So it's important to know what is and isn't normal to change in its color and texture to distinguish your body's natural rhythm from a possible condition.

Causes of changes in cervical mucus

Since hormones are what influence the secretion of mucus in the glands of the cervix, any hormonal change will be the main cause of any change in vaginal discharge.

Throughout reproductive life, a lot of hormonal fluctuations and, implicitly, changes in mucus occur in a woman's body. This is normal as long as there are no unusual colors or smells.

See below what are the main reasons why cervical mucus changes during the menstrual cycle, but also what other changes you can notice throughout your life.

Menstrual cycle

It is the main cause behind the change in vaginal discharge from month to month. The texture and shade of cervical mucus can change at every stage depending on hormonal fluctuations, from non-existent mucus to thin, watery secretions to creamy or egg white-like texture.

This is precisely why it is a very good indication to determine in which phase of the menstrual cycle you are. Many women who want to get pregnant keep track of these changes to estimate when they are ovulating and in their prime.

We told you more about all these hormonal changes and the phases of the menstrual cycle in our article on menstruation, where you can find everything you need to know about menstruation .

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Immediately after conception, cervical mucus thickens and may change color from clear to whitish or yellowish.

In the first trimester it is normal to notice yellow secretions in pregnancy. Towards the end, it can change into a rosy discharge, a sign that the pregnancy is nearing its term. Pink streaks in the cervical mucus in a pregnancy can signal the beginning of labor.

Infections

If you notice any unusual changes in your cervical mucus, it is very likely to be caused by an infection.

When the discharge becomes yellow or greenish in color, contains blood, or has an unpleasant odor, the cause could be a bacterial, fungal, or even a sexually transmitted disease. I told you everything you should know about sexually transmitted diseases in another blog article.

Make a gynecological consultation as soon as possible to determine the exact reason and treat the condition in the early stages to prevent complications.

Contraceptive methods

Hormonal contraceptive methods act on the hormonal level and cause fluctuations. This automatically means that it also influences how the glands of the cervix secrete mucus. Read HERE about contraceptive methods and how they work.

In general, methods of contraception such as birth control pills change the cervical mucus and thicken it to prevent sperm from reaching the uterus and fertilization.

Other factors

Menstrual cycle, infections, pregnancy and contraception are not the only causes behind cervical mucus changes. It can also change in response to other internal and external factors, including:

• Certain medicines: can influence the production of mucus in the cervical glands (antihistamines, for example, can dry up vaginal secretions)

• Feminine hygiene products and vaginal douches: can cause irritation of the vaginal mucosa or dryness, and can cause infections that also change vaginal secretions

• Sexual contact: the natural lubrication of the vagina can change the appearance of the mucus; also, if there are lesions following the contact, they can change the vaginal secretions

• Breastfeeding: Influences factors that indicate fertility, including body temperature and cervical mucus

• The lubricant used in a gynecological consultation: it can temporarily change the appearance of the cervical mucus.

How does cervical mucus change during the menstrual cycle?

It is normal for vaginal secretions to change during each phase of the menstrual cycle, as hormone levels also rise and fall. Below we tell you how vaginal mucus naturally changes over the course of a month.

Cervical mucus during the menstrual period

You will most likely not notice the mucus during your period because it will be covered by menstrual blood. If you follow and keep track of changes in vaginal secretions, there is no need to do it during your period. Instead, now is the time to monitor your menstrual blood: how long it lasts, how heavy it is, and what other symptoms you have.

Cervical mucus after menstruation

You've probably noticed some brown discharge after your period. These are normal, and most of the time do not contain cervical mucus. The days immediately after the end of menstruation are the "dryest", when the gelatinous secretions can be completely absent or can be dry and sticky.

Cervical mucus before ovulation

Before your ovaries release an egg, your cervical glands begin to secrete mucus. Discharges are watery or sticky during this time, and their color can vary from cloudy white to yellowish.

Cervical mucus immediately before ovulation

When you notice that the cervical mucus takes the form of a white, creamy discharge, it is a sign that ovulation is very close. Just before the egg is released, the body produces more estrogen and cervical secretions may become more slippery or watery.

Cervical mucus during ovulation

Cervical mucus at ovulation looks like an egg white. It is transparent, viscous and very wet. The texture and pH of the secretion during this period are ideal to support fertilization and the transport of sperm to the uterus.

Cervical mucus after ovulation

After ovulation, mucus production decreases and secretions thicken. They become stickier, cloudier, or disappear altogether for a few days. Premenstrual discharge remains dry until bleeding begins and the cycle resumes.

What should cervical mucus be like?

Depending on the period you are in and the degree of fertility, the mucus should be wetter or drier, watery or sticky, with clear or cloudy shades of transparent, white or yellowish. All these types of mucus are normal at specific times:

• Dry or sticky

• White and with a creamy texture

• Wet and watery

• Like an egg white, abundant

• Transparent and gelatinous

• Absent

• Yellowish in color (especially in pregnancy)

• Unnoticeable (during menstruation, when covered with menstrual blood)

As you can see, cervical mucus goes through a lot of changes in texture and shade that are completely normal. The only way to know that something is wrong is to know your body's natural changes.

How do you check cervical mucus?

Cervical mucus testing is NOT mandatory. But it's always helpful to know your body, even more so if you want a pregnancy. Vaginal discharge can be a good indicator of your fertile period and can help you find the days when you are most likely to get pregnant.

When checking your vaginal secretions, it is necessary to consider both the visual characteristics (appearance, color) as well as the texture and smell. So if you want to watch how your cervical mucus changes, you need to inspect it carefully.

You can analyze it visually by looking at the underwear or the toilet paper after urinating. Or you can observe it by inserting a finger into the vagina to collect secretions. The last situation may seem a little uncomfortable, but it becomes easy once you get used to it and form a habit. Follow these steps for a proper assessment:

• The first thing you should always do is wash your hands thoroughly and dry them.

• Choose a comfortable position, either standing or standing on top of the toilet with one leg raised.

• Carefully insert a finger into the vagina to collect secretions.

• Depending on how heavy the fluid is, you may be able to feel it without inserting your finger deeply, or you may need to get as close to the cervix as possible.

• Remove the finger and analyze the secretions. Look at the appearance and color first, then stick and peel your thumb from the mucus-covered one to assess the texture.

• Wash your hands when you're done.

• If you monitor your fertility with the help of cervical secretions, now is the time to write down your observations.

How do you know if something is wrong with your cervical mucus?

Any unusual changes in the mucus can signal to you that something is wrong. It may be an unusual change in general (eg: greenish color or foul smell), or it may be an unusual change for you (eg: very heavy discharge on days when it was usually non-existent).

Usually, the obvious signs that the cervical mucus is not normal are:

• Gray, yellow or green discharge

• Discharge accompanied by itching, stinging or burning

• Cheesy-textured secretions

• Mucus containing blood (outside of menstrual period)

• Unpleasant smell

• Redness, swelling or pain in the intimate area

As soon as you notice such a change, make a visit to the gynecologist to investigate the situation and receive the necessary treatment if necessary.

Cervical mucus and fertility

As we told you above, hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle directly affect the production and appearance of cervical mucus. During the ovulatory period, both the basal temperature and the secretion of the glands at the level of the cervix increase. So this is a good indicator of your fertility throughout the month:

• Mucus absent or invisible, dry: the period with the lowest degree of fertility.

• Sensation of wetness, but mucus is still invisible: low fertility.

• Thick white or yellowish secretions that are creamy and sticky in texture but not viscous enough to spread: average fertility.

• Transparent and abundant mucus, slippery and fine, which is elastic and stretches like egg white: the period of maximum fertility.

Along with basal body temperature and the calendar method, observing your mucus can help you calculate your fertile window (when you reach your peak fertility) and determine when you're most likely to get pregnant. If you want to know more about how the calendar method works and how effective it is, read our article HERE .

If you do NOT want to get pregnant, you should avoid unprotected sex and not rely on the low fertility rate estimated by observing the mucus. It is not an effective contraceptive method and has a very high failure rate. To protect yourself from an unwanted pregnancy, there are other more effective contraceptive methods, both hormonal (eg the contraceptive pill) and barrier methods (eg the condom).

Cervical mucus and pregnancy

Pregnancy is another important factor that intervenes in the production of cervical secretions and changes their appearance. After conception, it is normal for the cervical mucus to thicken. It is also possible that it becomes more abundant and takes on a yellowish color.

You may notice that the secretions become thicker, transparent and gummy even before the pregnancy test is positive. They may contain small amounts of blood 6-12 days after conception. It's called implantation bleeding and it's normal, as it's a sign that the fertilized egg has attached to the uterine lining.

In the latter part of the pregnancy, you may notice that the discharge contains traces or pink threads. It can be one of the signs that labor has started.

When you should see a doctor if you notice changes in your cervical mucus

As soon as you notice any unusual changes in your cervical mucus, you should discuss them with your doctor.

Outside of pregnancy, foul odor and greenish or gray colors may indicate an infection that requires medical attention. In pregnancy, unusual or bloody secretions can signal certain conditions; they too will need medical attention. Cervical mucus is a very good indicator of your reproductive health, so it's always a good idea to let your doctor know about any changes.

Also, if you notice that you never have fertile cervical mucus (meaning you don't have clear, gelatinous discharge like egg white), it may be a sign of a hormonal imbalance and affect your ability to get pregnant. Discuss this aspect with your gynecologist to prevent or treat possible fertility problems.