What is the difference between discharge and cervical mucus

Using this method along with the cervical mucus method increases your chances of successfully predicting ovulation. There are free online ovulation calendars. These can help predict your ovulation days. Your doctor can perform a physical exam and tests to check ovulation and make sure your hormone levels are normal.

You can also track ovulation at home using a digital ovulation predictor or test strips. These tests check for the luteinizing hormone LH surge to help predict your most fertile days.

A surge in LH initiates the start of ovulation. This may be a symptom of an infection. Look out for the following:. Let your doctor know if you notice any cervical mucus of an abnormal color or with a foul smell, or experience itching or redness.

Tracking cervical mucus can be an effective way to help predict ovulation. Make sure you track your mucus for at least one cycle prior to trying to conceive. An increase in vaginal discharge is normal during pregnancy. Here are nine possible causes for yellow discharge before your period, plus signs that you should see a doctor. A wet mount vaginitis test is used to help diagnose vaginal infections or inflammation.

Learn about symptoms of vaginitis, preparation for the test…. If you are pregnant and have green vaginal discharge, see your doctor. It may be an infection that could cause serious complications for your…. There could be a lot of reasons that your vulva, or vaginal lips, are itchy and swollen, but you have no discharge.

A few causes could be an allergic…. Brown discharge after your period is usually not a cause for concern, but some accompanying symptoms could be a sign of a problem. Here's what you…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Guide to Cervical Mucus. Medically reviewed by Karen Gill, M. At first, it might be thick and sticky or tacky, and become more wet and creamy, like a lotion.

In a day menstrual cycle, you may first notice this fluid around day 9 or 10 1,4. Around ovulation: eggy, wet, slippery, clear, stretchy. As ovulation approaches, much more cervical fluid is produced. Your vagina will likely start to feel much wetter, and fluid becomes more slippery as its water content rises. Over a couple of days, fluid becomes stretchier and clearer.

As estrogen peaks, 1—2 days before ovulation, cervical fluid often resembles a raw eggwhite that you can stretch for inches between your thumb and finger 4,5. The amount of vaginal discharge at this time is different for everyone, but it can be up to 10—20 times more than other points in the cycle 6.

According to Google, people tend to call this type of cervical fluid "ovulation discharge". Ovulation tests and basal body temperature tracking is more reliable for confirming ovulation. Luteal phase: sticky, dry. As soon as ovulation is over, vaginal discharge changes once again. Even before you notice a visual change, cervical fluid will already have become more fibrous and difficult for sperm to pass through 1.

In the day or two after ovulation the beginning of the luteal phase , the amount of fluid decreases quickly. Fluid again may become sticky or tacky, or just dry and absent 1,4. Every body is unique—these changes may show up differently for you, or you may experience or interpret them in a different way. So why does your cervical fluid change so much? Each change serves its own function.

Sperm that enters the vagina before ovulation can be suspended in this fluid, allowing it to survive longer in the otherwise acidic vaginal environment 1. Sperm can start to swim through creamy discharge from about day 9 of a day cycle 1.

When ovulation does occur, the stretchy egg-white fluid becomes the easiest fluid type for sperm to swim through 6. Slower swimmers get left behind, as do sperm with other motility or structural abnormalities 2,8.

After ovulation when the window of potential pregnancy has closed, cervical fluid becomes a barrier, preventing sperm from entering the upper reproductive tract. The progesterone produced by your ovary in your luteal phase acts similarly to the progestin in a progesterone-only birth control. It turns cervical fluid sparse and dense with solids, with little water, making it difficult for sperm to get past the cervix 9.

Changes in your cervical fluid pattern can signal a hormonal issue. This will usually be accompanied by changes in the length of your cycle and period. Discharge can also become abnormal if you have an infection. BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals.

We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. Fertility awareness-based methods of family planning. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Stanford JB, et al.

Timing intercourse to achieve pregnancy: Current evidence. Obstetrics and Gynecology 6 : 1,, Join now to personalize. Photo credit: iStock. What is cervical mucus? How to check cervical mucus Sticky cervical mucus Creamy cervical mucus Watery cervical mucus Egg white cervical mucus Cervical mucus after ovulation What can affect cervical mucus?

Learn more about getting pregnant. You can check your cervical mucus three ways: Wipe your vagina with clean white toilet paper before you pee, and notice any discharge. Insert a clean finger into your vagina and reach toward your cervix, then examine any mucus on your finger. Look at the vaginal discharge in your underwear. Photo credit: Sarah Hebenstreit for BabyCenter. Photo credit: Shutterstock. Where to go next How to get pregnant fast Top signs of pregnancy Vaginal discharge during pregnancy.

Sources BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. What's the cervical mucus method of FAMs?. Claudia Boyd-Barrett. Related Slideshows. Designing a nursery on a budget. Down syndrome birth photos: Nella's story. Featured video. How to get pregnant fast. Ovulation symptoms: How can I tell when I'm ovulating?