Cervical mucus changes through your cycle as oestrogen and progesterone rise and fall. After your period it is dry or sticky, then becomes creamy, then watery, and just before ovulation it turns clear, slippery and stretchy, like raw egg white. That egg-white mucus marks your most fertile days. After ovulation, progesterone makes it thick or dry again.
The stages of cervical mucus
| Stage | What it looks and feels like | Fertility |
|---|---|---|
| Dry | Little or no mucus, a dry feeling | Low |
| Sticky | Thick, tacky, breaks easily, white or yellowish | Low |
| Creamy | Smooth, like lotion, white | Rising |
| Watery | Thin, clear, wet feeling | High |
| Egg white | Clear, slippery, stretches between fingers | Highest |
Not everyone goes through every stage, and the number of days in each varies from cycle to cycle.
Why mucus changes
Rising oestrogen in the follicular phase makes the cervix produce more, thinner and clearer mucus. This type helps sperm survive and move towards the egg for up to five days. After ovulation, progesterone thickens the mucus so that sperm cannot pass easily. That is why egg-white mucus is followed by a quick change back to sticky or dry.
How to check your mucus
- Check at the same moments each day, for example when you go to the toilet.
- Wipe with clean toilet paper before urinating, or use clean fingers at the opening of the vagina.
- Note the sensation as well: dry, damp, wet or slippery.
- Stretch the mucus between two fingers to see whether it breaks or stretches.
- Log the most fertile type you saw that day.
The last day of egg-white or slippery mucus is often called the peak day. Ovulation usually happens within a day or two of it.
What can change your mucus
- Arousal fluid, semen and lubricants can look like fertile mucus.
- Hormonal contraception usually keeps mucus thick.
- Some medicines, such as antihistamines, can make it drier.
- Breastfeeding and perimenopause change the usual pattern.
- Infections can change colour, smell or texture.
See a healthcare professional if discharge is green, grey or yellow, smells strongly, or comes with itching, burning or pain.
Mucus alongside other signs
Mucus shows ovulation coming; basal body temperature confirms it afterwards; LH tests show the hormone surge in between. Using two or three signs together gives a clearer picture than any one alone. Our fertile window calculator gives you a calendar estimate to compare with.
Logging mucus in Bloom Private
Bloom Private lets you log cervical mucus as dry, sticky, creamy, watery or egg white, together with LH tests, temperature and cervical position. Over a few cycles you can see how many days of fertile mucus you usually have and when they start. Mucus observation in the app is not a contraceptive method.
Frequently Asked Questions
Clear, slippery and stretchy, like raw egg white. It usually appears in the days just before ovulation.
Ovulation usually happens within a day or two of the last day of egg-white or slippery mucus, often called the peak day.
If it is green, grey or yellow, smells strongly, or comes with itching, burning or pain.