Cervical fluid refers to the mucus made by your cervix throughout the course of your cycle, while cervical position is the position your cervix is in (high, medium, or low) during your cycle. You can track both in your Ovia app by heading to your calendar. 

How to check your cervical fluid

Your cervical fluid will change color and texture depending on where you are in your cycle. There are a few ways to check your cervical fluid to detect these changes.

• Wipe before you urinate, and notice the color and feel of the mucus on toilet paper — it may feel slippery, creamy, or dry.
• Insert a clean finger into your vagina and look at the color and texture of the cervical fluid
• Check the color and texture of the discharge on your underwear. This works best on white, cotton underwear.

There are certain factors that can affect your cervical fluid such as douching, having sex, infections, using lubricant, and taking certain medications.

What your cervical fluid means

Once you’ve checked your cervical fluid, you can tell whether you are approaching ovulation based on the color and texture of the mucus. Your cervical fluid will usually follow a predictable pattern throughout the course of a 28 day cycle.

• Days 1-4 days after your period: Dry with no noticeable cervical secretions.
• Days 4-8: Creamy and sticky, almost the same look as school glue
• Days 9-14: Clear, stretchy, wet, and slippery, the same look and feel as egg whites; this is the time just before and during ovulation, the best time to have sex or introduce sperm.
• Remainder of your cycle: Dry, with no visible cervical fluid until your period arrives.

Some things that may affect the pattern of your cervical fluid are if you are breastfeeding, approaching menopause, recently came off birth control or gave birth, or have hormonal conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Check with your healthcare provider if your cervical fluid does not follow this timeline or if you’d like help identifying each stage.

How to check your cervical position

Now that you’ve checked your cervical fluid and have a good understanding of what it means, you can also check your cervix position, another sign of ovulation. Depending on where you are in your cycle, your cervix will be low, medium, or high. Low means it is closer to your vaginal opening and you only need to insert a finger up to the first knuckle to feel it. Medium is right in the middle. And high is up and back far enough that you can insert a finger up to the second knuckle to reach it (or you may not be able to reach it).

You can also feel for the firmness or softness of your cervix. If your cervix is high and soft like an earlobe, you’re likely approaching ovulation. If it feels low and firm like the tip of your nose, it’s not your fertile time just yet. Follow these step-by-step instructions every time you check your cervix.

• Wash your hands
• Get in a comfortable position either by sitting on the toilet, squatting, or by putting one leg on the edge of the bathtub
• Use your index or middle finger to reach inside of your vagina in an upward motion
• Locate your cervix, which will feel like a firm, round dimple
• Record your cervical position as high, medium, or low in Ovia

Try to check your cervical position at the same time each day and be sure not to check immediately after sex. Over time you will get more comfortable checking your cervical fluid and position and you’ll be able to quickly identify signs of ovulation. 

Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team

Sources

Mayo Clinic Staff. “Cervical mucus method for natural family planning.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic. March 24, 2021. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cervical-mucus-method/about/pac-20393452.

“What’s the cervical mucus method of FAMs?” Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood. n.d. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/fertility-awareness/whats-cervical-mucus-method-fams.

“Cervical mucus method.” Cleveland Clinic. Cleveland Clinic. January 29, 2020. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21066-cervical-mucus-method.

Rachel Gurevich. “How to check your cervix and cervical position.” Verywell Family. Verywell Health. September 17, 2020. https://www.verywellfamily.com/how-to-check-your-cervix-and-cervical-position-1960299.

Here are the TTC acronyms you should know about

AF:

Aunt Flow. Your period.

Thanks for the invite, but my Aunt Flow’s in town. I’m gonna go home and treat her to some wine and reruns.

BBT:

Basal Body Temperature. BBT may spike right before ovulation, so many women track it to help them pinpoint their ovulation.

The very first thing I did this morning was grab my thermometer and take my BBT.

BCP:

Birth Control Pills.

In almost no time after I stopped taking BCP, I was pregnant.

BD:

Baby Dance. Sexual intercourse, usually done on the most fertile days of your cycle. (Can also mean baby dust, which is a phrase you use to wish someone good luck.)

My ovulation test is positive, which makes me want to dance – the BD, that is!

BFN/BFP:

Big Fat Negative/Big Fat Positive (on your pregnancy test).

Every time I buy a pregnancy test, I think about how it could be the one to show the BFP.

BOB:

Baby on the Brain!

I’m having a hard time shopping with BOB. All I can think about is tiny socks and pacifiers, which makes it impossible to keep track of my grocery list.

CD:

Cycle Day. A specific day in your menstrual cycle (or fertility treatment cycle). To track it, start by counting from the first day of your last menstrual cycle.

It varies each cycle, but normally I ovulate on CD 13, or 13 days after the first day of my period.

CM or CF:

Cervical Mucus or Cervical Fluid. Changes in cervical fluid indicate that a woman is at different stages of her cycle.

At the most fertile point of each cycle, my CM is clear and super stretchy.

CP:

Chemical pregnancy. A very early miscarriage.

My doctor recommended that I put off trying again until one cycle after my last CP.

DD:

Darling daughter. A daughter you already have.

DH, DD, and I go on vacation next week.

DH:

Dear husband.

I’m 42 and DH is 43.

DPO:

Days Past Ovulation, or Cycle Date Post Ovulation.

By 7DPO of the TWW, I’m already wondering if every little cramp is a sign of pregnancy.

DS:

Darling son.

It’s a challenge to care for DD and DS while also TTC.

ENDO:

Endometriosis. A chronic disease in which tissue that is supposed to grow in the uterus grows outside of it. Millions of women experience this condition and it can affect fertility.

After getting diagnosed with ENDO, I was able to find a huge and supportive online community of other women who had the same condition.

EWCM:

Egg White Cervical Mucus. When your cervical mucus looks like egg whites, it may mean that you’re at your most fertile point.

Nothing is as exciting as seeing EWCM when TTC!

FMU:

First Morning Urine. Most pregnancy tests require that women take them the very first time they pee in the morning. In the morning, urine typically has the highest concentration of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, or hCG, an early pregnancy hormone.

I tested with FMU and got a faint BFP.

FP:

Follicular Phase. The phase of the menstrual cycle when follicles mature in the ovary. This phase begins on day 1 of your period, and ends with ovulation.

I’m so excited to try and get pregnant, I just want my FP to be over!

hCG:

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. A hormone produced during early pregnancy that helps the baby grow.

I had a positive test, which means there was enough hCG in my urine to detect a pregnancy.

HPT:

Home Pregnancy Test. A pregnancy test that you can take at home. This morning my HPT showed a BFP – but I’m going to my doctor’s to take a blood test to confirm.

IUI:

Intrauterine Insemination. A specific kind of fertility treatment where sperm is placed directly into a woman’s uterus during ovulation.

After 2 years of TTC, we’ve decided to try IUI.

IVF:

In Vitro Fertilization. A procedure in which an egg is fertilized in a lab and then implanted.

We went through several rounds of IVF before getting a BFP.

LMP:

Last Menstrual Period. The first day of your last period.

I started my LMP on June 6th.

LPD:

Luteal Phase Defect. If the corpus luteum didn’t form properly, a luteal phase defect may occur, causing a short luteal phase. This can make it hard for a woman to get pregnant.

I’ve been really accurate with my charting, because I suspect I might have LPD and I want to have a lot of information to show my provider.

LSC:

Low Sperm Count. Commonly the cause of male infertility.

A semen analysis showed that my partner has an LSC.

M/C:

Miscarriage.

I got my first BFP a year ago, which ended in a really upsetting MC.

MF:

Male Factor Infertility.

To help with the MF issues, we found an infertility counselor who was covered by our insurance.

NTNP:

Not trying for pregnancy, not preventing pregnancy.

I just stopped taking BCP, so I guess that we’re NTNP.

O or OV:

Ovulation.

I O’ed on CD15 and BD on days 13 and 15.

OPK or OPT:

Ovulation Predictor Kit or Ovulation Predictor Test. These tests tell you when your body has a surge of luteinizing hormone (LH), which indicates the onset of ovulation.

I just got a positive OPK, which means BD as soon as possible!

PCO, PCOS, or PCOD:

Polycystic Ovaries, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Disease. A condition in which a woman’s levels of estrogen and progesterone are unbalanced. Women with PCOS develop cysts on their ovaries, and the condition can cause infertility.

My doctor thinks I have PCOS, so I’m waiting to hear back about my blood work.

POAS:

Pee On Stick. Taking a pregnancy test (peeing on a stick), usually at home.

I’m 7DPO and it’s so hard to wait to POAS!

RE:

Reproductive Endocrinologist. A type of fertility specialist.

I’m meeting with an RE tomorrow to go over my fertility test results.

SA:

Semen Analysis. This is a test that providers can use to determine the quality and quantity of a man’s sperm.

The results of his SA show he has low sperm count, low motility, and poor morphology.

SO:

 Significant other.

My SO and I have decided that next month we’ll start TTC.

TWW or 2WW: Two Week Wait. The time period between when you ovulate and can take a pregnancy test.

 just started my TWW and I need to find some ways to distract myself!

TTC:

Trying to Conceive.

I haven’t decided who I want to tell that we’re TTC.

U/S:

Ultrasound.

Our first U/S is scheduled for the end of the month.

Common fertility myths busted

If you want to get pregnant with less stress, it’s time to dispel these myths so you can focus on what really matters and move forward on your TTC journey with confidence – and facts.

1. “Infertility is the woman’s fault.”

This is incorrect. In a male and female partnership, the male’s sperm needs to reach the female’s egg in order for conception to occur, and if the male partner has a low sperm count or low sperm motility, the chances of conception are lower. For 1/3 of infertile couples, infertility comes from the male side, and for another 1/3 of couples, it’s either unidentifiable or both male and female infertility. For the last 1/3 of couples, infertility comes from the female side.

2. “More sex is better.”

Having intercourse every other day during the fertile window has shown to be almost equally as effective as having intercourse every day in the same time period. Although frequent sex is great and has positive health benefits, the most important factor in getting pregnant is properly timing intercourse during the fertile window. Enjoy trying to get pregnant, but there’s no need to stress about missing a day!

3. “I eat well, exercise, and keep a healthy lifestyle…I should have no problems getting pregnant.”

Although staying healthy is important while you’re trying to conceive, there may be inapparent fertility issues that go unnoticed until a couple is trying to achieve a pregnancy.

4. “Fertility problems don’t start until your thirties.”

It’s true that fertility starts to decline when people enter their mid-thirties and that women are at their fertile peak in their twenties, but there are many causes for early infertility that are not a consequence of age. If you are trying to conceive at an older age, it is very wise to closely track your physical data and ovulation cycles to maximize your chances of conceiving.

5. “I am so alone.”

Infertility is not uncommon. 6.1 million, or 10% of women (age 15-44) have difficulty getting or staying pregnant in the U.S. alone.

6. “Ovulation occurs on day 14 of your cycle.”

Most women do not have a 28-day cycle with ovulation occurring at day 14. It’s important to find out your body’s rhythm to time sex accurately and effectively.

7. “I can only get pregnant one day per cycle.”

The “fertile window” is a 6-day time period that ends on the day of ovulation. The best chance of conceiving is likely through intercourse on few days before ovulation and the actual day of ovulation.

If you hear these fertility myths – or any others – while you’re trying to conceive, it’s best to ignore the dubious info and instead follow the advice of a trusted medical professional. Besides, if you learn more about the facts of fertility and what’s actually going on with your own body, you’ll have a much better chance of getting pregnant. The human body is capable of amazing things – no myth needed.

Read more

• How often should I have sex during my fertile window?

Sources

• Mayo Clinic Staff. “Infertility – Definition.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, 7/2/2014. Web.
• Stanford JB, Dunson DB. “Effects of sexual intercourse patterns in time to pregnancy studies.” American Journal of Epidemiology. 165(9):1088-95. Web. 5/1/2007.
• Dunson DB, Baird DD, Colombo B. “Increased infertility with age in men and women.” Obstetrics & Gynecology. 103(1):51-6. Web. 1/4/2015.
• “FastStats – Infertility.” CDC.gov. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d. Web.
• Murcia-Lora, José María; Esparza-Encina, María Luisa. “The Fertile Window and Biomarkers: A Review and Analysis of Normal Ovulation Cycles.” Persona y Bioética. Vol. 15 Issue 2, p133-148. 16p. Web. July-December 2011.

Who should use fertility tracker?

• For those with regular cycles, tracking fertility can help make extremely accurate predictions about your fertile window. Depending on how regular your cycle is, you should be able to look at your basal body temperature, cervical fluid, and ovulation test results from previous cycles to project when your next fertile window will be.
• For those with irregular menstrual cycles, who often have a difficult time getting pregnant because they cannot accurately determine their fertile window, tracking can be even more helpful. Tracking basal body temperature, cervical fluid, and physical and emotional symptoms can give you insight into your fertile window and predict your ovulation and period dates to increase your chances of getting pregnant.

Read more

• Are my periods irregular?
• Tracking your basal body temperature

Sources

• Creinin MD, Keverline S, Meyn LA. “How regular is regular? An analysis of menstrual cycle regularity.” Contraception. 70(4):289-92. Web. 10/4/2015.
• Murcia-Lora, José María; Esparza-Encina, María Luisa. “The Fertile Window and Biomarkers: A Review and Analysis of Normal Ovulation Cycles.” Persona y Bioética. Vol. 15 Issue 2, p133-148. 16p. Web. July-December 2011.

If you’re here to track your postpartum health, tap here to read more about how to use Ovia for postpartum.

If you ever need to change your goal, just head to your profile and toggle to the one that’s the best fit for you. Here are some tips to help you get started as you familiarize yourself with your Ovia app.

Your Ovia guide

The parts of the Ovia app you don’t want to miss.

Receive personalized feedback and content

Entering your data into Ovia does more than just mark it on a calendar: it tells a story about your health. Ovia uses the data you log to improve your cycle projections, send you personalized feedback, and deliver relevant tips and content to your timeline. Logging your period, symptoms, mood, cervical fluid, sleep, activity, and more will help you learn about your health. Plus, if you’re trying to conceive or using Ovia to help avoid pregnancy, you’ll see fertile window projections.

To log some data, just click on the “+” icon at the top of your timeline to enter each day’s info. If you forget, you can always go back in your calendar to add data. You can even customize the tracking categories on your data log page by tapping the “Settings” icon.

Get to know your body with the timeline

Get to know Ovia by exploring your timeline every day! You’ll see a selection of articles, tips, fun facts, and information based on the data you log. Your timeline is completely personalized to you and based on your health profile, your data entry, and your current cycle stage, so make sure to take a look every day.

Explore hundreds of clinically-reviewed articles

In addition to the content delivered to your timeline every day, you can find hundreds of articles under your “more” menu. Browse through the relevant categories to learn something new. Ovia articles are written and reviewed by experts, and you can always find the sources referenced at the bottom of the article.

Ask questions and learn from others

Tap on the bubble icon in your bottom bar menu to open Community. This is a place for you to ask and answer questions anonymously with other Ovia members in a safe, supportive environment. To get the most relevant answers, target your questions to specific groups of people. For example, you could send your question about IVF only with other members who are around your age, in your state, and using assisted reproductive technology.

In the Community section, you’ll also see questions from MyQ, which is Ovia’s way of getting to know you a little better and updating your profile.

Navigate the app to discover even more!

Now that you’ve read most of your Ovia guide, take a look in the “more” menu to see all the other resources and tools available in your Ovia app (health charts, a Daily self-care checklist, and more). And if you haven’t already, make sure to take the health assessment to unlock new content and features.

There’s so much to do! Ready to get started? First thing’s first: let’s log some data.

What is a period?

Your period is the flow of blood and tissue that marks both the beginning and the end of a menstrual cycle. If no egg is fertilized during ovulation, you’ll get a period approximately two weeks afterward. This marks the beginning of a new cycle and provides another opportunity for an egg cell to meet a friendly, healthy sperm cell. Menstruation is triggered by the lack of the hormone progesterone, which spikes after ovulation to prepare the uterus for pregnancy but decreases once again if no fertilization occurs.

How long between periods?

The average time between cycles is 29 days and the average menstruation lasts between 3 and 7 days. These averages can deviate greatly from person to person. Even the same female may have fluctuations in her own cycle over time. In addition, those with irregular periods may notice a varying time span between periods, which can make it more difficult to accurately track ovulation.

Why does tracking my period help determine when I’m fertile?

Individuals who have predictable cycles can use their menstrual dates to better pinpoint when they’ll ovulate. If you’re tracking your period, you’ll be able to identify trends in your cycle that correlate with ovulation. Although it’s more difficult to estimate when your fertile window will occur if you have an irregular period, Ovia is still able to predict it as long as you’re regularly tracking your periods. Tracking one’s period can be incredibly helpful in best determining fertility and ovulation.

How to track your period with Ovia

If you’re a new Ovia user, the app automatically projects the dates and duration of your next periods based on the information you provide at signup about the average length of your period and how regular or irregular your cycle is. If you’re an existing user, Ovia enhances these projections with the daily data you enter, including trends and averages of your past periods.

Ovia makes a distinction on your fertility calendar between period data that you’ve actually logged (the red droplets) and period data that Ovia projected for you (the gray droplets). Look for the gray droplet icons to learn when you can expect your monthly visitor. Ovia projects your upcoming periods over the next 2-3 months, depending on your cycle length.

My predicted period dates are wrong. How do I fix this?

Ovia is powerful, but there’s no way to get every period exactly right, every time, for every person. Small shifts are normal, even in the same person’s menstrual cycle. Logging your actual period data each day is the best way to adjust Ovia’s calculations.

To fix an incorrectly predicted period (where Ovia thought you had your period, but you didn’t), follow these steps:

1. Go to the predicted period in the fertility calendar (you’ll see it as gray droplets)
2. Tap a day when Ovia predicted you had your period
3. On the data logging screen, tap “no period” and save to remove the period
4. Repeat step 3 for all incorrectly predicted days
5. Enter your correct period days and Ovia will adjust its predictions to be more accurate next time

If Ovia correctly predicted your upcoming period on a particular day, tap that day in your calendar and confirm that you got your period to turn the droplet symbol from gray (projected) to red (actual).

Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team