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Your reproductive system is wonderfully complex, yet the signals it gives you can be quite
simple, helping you identify the fertile and infertile times in your cycle. You may have
noticed different types of discharge throughout your menstrual cycle. The sensation that this
discharge produces at the vaginal opening, called the ***, also changes. This is because
your *** produces different types of mucus in response to changing hormone levels.
Your cycle begins with menstrual bleeding, when the lining of your uterus, called the
endometrium, is shed. Following *** your *** becomes
blocked by a thick plug of mucus that prevents *** from entering the uterus. This means
that you are infertile. Many women feel dry at the *** during this time. Other women
notice a pattern of discharge that feels and looks the same day after day. The number of
days that you experience this unchanging pattern will determine the length of your cycle. In
an average cycle this pattern of infertility lasts for a few days. If your cycle is short
you may not experience any days of this infertile pattern. In a longer cycle you will have more.
Early in your cycle the pituitary gland in your brain begins to secrete a hormone called
Follicle Stimulating Hormone, or FSH. FSH stimulates the growth of a group of follicles
in your ovaries. Each follicle contains an egg and a bundle of surrounding cells that
secrete the hormone oestrogen. Oestrogen activates the *** to produce
the mucus essential for fertility. This is the start of the fertile phase. The fertile
phase, shown here using a baby symbol, begins a few days before ovulation. One type of mucus
produced by the *** dissolves the plug, which means *** can now enter the uterus.
Another type of mucus filters out damaged *** cells. Yet another type nourishes the
*** so they can live for up to five days in your reproductive system. It forms channels
which help the *** travel through your reproductive system to meet and fertilise the egg.
You become aware of your developing fertility by the changes in the mucus that you feel
and see at the ***. You will notice that you feel increasingly wet and then slippery,
and you may see mucus that becomes thinner and clearer. The last day of the slippery
feeling is called the Peak of fertility. It is very close to the time of ovulation.
As one follicle nears maturity, the pituitary gland is stimulated to release a surge of
another hormone, called Luteinizing Hormone, or LH. LH triggers ovulation: the release
of the egg from its follicle. The egg is swept up into the fallopian tube, ready to begin
its journey towards the uterus. If fertilisation doesn't occur the egg will die within a day
of ovulation. But if the egg meets any *** along the way, fertilisation can take place.
After ovulation the empty follicle is transformed into the Corpus Luteum. The Corpus Luteum
produces a hormone called progesterone. Progesterone prepares the endometrium in case there's a
fertilised egg ready to implant. It also causes the mucus to thicken, and the plug to begin
forming in the *** again. The day following the Peak you'll no longer feel wet or slippery
at the ***. By the end of three days after the Peak your fertility for this cycle is
over. About 2 weeks after ovulation a new cycle begins.
We can now see how essential cervical mucus is for fertility. Once you're familiar with
your patterns you'll be able to identify your fertile and infertile times. This knowledge
can help you to achieve or avoid pregnancy. It can also help you to safeguard your reproductive
health, as you'll be able to recognise changes which might need medical investigation. This
is knowledge that every woman ought to have.