Fertility Education Trust

guidelines to charting your fertility cycle, page 10 of 26

2. The Mucus Symptom

Unlike the temperature rise, the mucus symptom appears for several days before ovulation, as it is needed to keep sperm alive until the egg is released. This sequence of photos of mucus, taken up to the time of PEAK Day, gives an example of how the mucus changes and develops up to the time of ovulation, and what qualities you need to look for:

1: start of mucus symptom

Mucus.

2: increasing in amount

Mucus.

3: increasing and becoming clearer

Mucus.

4. clear like raw egg-white

Mucus.

the mucus symptom highlights the fertile phase

As seen from the photos, the build up and changes in the mucus symptom give warning of approaching ovulation. Therefore, all mucus appearing before ovulation is potentially fertile.

For those seeking to avoid pregnancy, it is vitally important to recognise the earliest appearance of mucus, so that intercourse can stop in time to avoid the fertile phase. Continuing with intercourse too far in the first part of the cycle is the most common cause of surprise pregnancy.