Written by Michele Drake
If cervical mucus is a new term for you, you’re probably cringing. But the truth is, it’s a normal bodily function, essential for contraception, and can tell you a lot about your hormonal health.
Cervical mucus (sometimes called cervical fluid), is a fluid made in the crypts of the cervix (the lowest part of the uterus, which opens into the vagina). This fluid plays a crucial role in helping sperm survive and find the egg during conception. It’s also essential for maintaining a healthy vagina pH and keeping the vagina clean and lubricated. Most fertility awareness based methods (FABMs) teach a protocol for checking cervical mucus as a fertile sign. FABM instructors can also help you learn what your cervical mucus is telling you about your hormones.
As a fertility awareness educator, I sometimes hear from folks who want to increase the amount of cervical mucus they see. If you don’t see much, you may be concerned about your ability to use a FABM for contraception or conception, and you may feel confused about your hormone patterns. If this describes you, your best bet is to check in with your instructor (or find one, if you don't have one). They can help you determine whether you are checking properly, and whether lack of cervical mucus is a problem. If it is, they might recommend one of the options below.
1. Mind your diet
2. Lifestyle Enhancements
3. Temporary Fixes
- Preseed is a lubricant pH matched to sperm (and fertile cervical fluid). Using it during intercourse can help you bypass the need for fertile cervical mucus if trying to become pregnant.
- Taking Mucinex for a few days around ovulation will increase all types of mucus in your body. For some folks, it’s enough to result in a pregnancy.
If neither of these are doing the trick for conception and you are ovulating regularly, IUI could be a good option for you.
When trying to increase cervical mucus, keep in mind some prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications can impact cervical mucus production. Unfortunately, this side effect isn’t often studied so much of the information we do have is anecdotal. But if you take allergy medications (specifically antihistamine) regularly, you may want to investigate the possibility of it impacting your cervical mucus production.
Lack of cervical mucus could also be a sign of hormonal imbalance or anovulation. Both are treatable! Props to you for using a body literacy practice allowing you such insight. The best thing to do would be to double check your observation technique is the correct one for your method. If you aren’t sure, consult an instructor.
Michele Drake is a Fertility Awareness Educator and advocate with a passion for supporting people with their birth control choices. After witnessing many friends struggle to find their ideal method for avoiding pregnancy, balance their hormones, or achieve pregnancy, she was inspired to empower people with knowledge about their own bodies so they may make informed choices about their health.
Michele offers one-on-one classes for natural birth control, conception, menstrual wellness, and achieving hormonal balance. She is also donation-based distance birth control doula support. You can find her through her website or over on Instagram.