How Charting Cervical Mucus Can Help You Get Pregnant Faster

Knowing if your vaginal discharge is dry (in other words, if there is little or none), watery, or stretchy can give you important information about your fertility. For instance, tracking when you have dry discharge vs. fertile discharge can help you know when you are most likely to get pregnant.

There can also be other benefits to tracking your cycle, such as understanding what your discharge means and when you might need to see your health care provider. And of course, discharge changes when you are pregnant, too.

Fertility and ovulation apps will often have an area to log your cervical mucus (you'll especially want to look for any changes in your cervical mucus). But it's not always obvious what you're looking at. What do the different colors and textures of your discharge indicate about your cycle? And what does it mean if you have dry discharge rather than watery discharge? Keep reading to find out what vaginal discharge can tell you about your fertility.

How To Track Your Discharge

You can begin charting your discharge on day one of your period. If you're paper charting, during your period, you can mark your discharge on your chart with a B (for bleeding) or M (for menstruation).

If you’re spotting, that information is also important to mark on your chart. Spotting lightly on the day of your period can be normal, as is spotting on the last day of your period. Some people may also spot lightly around the time of ovulation.

However, sometimes spotting indicates a fertility problem, so you should let your health care provider know if you’re experiencing spotting at random times in your cycle.

Generally speaking, you’re not fertile when you're actively bleeding on your period, but don't assume you can't conceive if you have sex during your period.

Because sperm can live for up to seven days in the vagina, it is possible to get pregnant if you have unprotected sex during your cycle and ovulate soon after.

What Does Dry Discharge Mean?

Dry discharge typically means its not the fertile period in your cycle. If you're tracking your cervical mucus, mark the days you do not notice much cervical mucus as dry. Keep in mind that the word dry is a bit of an exaggeration. Unless you’re experiencing low hormonal levels (which can lead to severe vaginal dryness), dry doesn’t mean that you feel no lubrication,  just that you have much less compared to other times during your cycle.

When someone approaches ovulation, their cervical mucus typically becomes more abundant. Some people might wonder if they can have dry discharge if they conceive during ovulation, but typically there will still be cervical mucus present even with fertilization. Early pregnancy typically tends to come with increased discharge as well.

While dry discharge typically indicates a time of low fertility during the menstrual cycle, there can be other reasons for having dry discharge.

Sexual intercourse can be painful if you have vaginal dryness. You may wish to use a lubricant. If so, make sure it's a sperm-friendly lubricant if you're trying to conceive. Regular personal lubricants can hinder sperm motility and may even throw off the pH of your vagina. But sperm-friendly lubricant can help make sex more comfortable and may help keep sperm healthy and alive long enough to travel up into the cervix.

Dry Discharge vs. Fertile Discharge

Once your period is over, you will start to track what your cervical mucus looks and feels like. Tracking cervical mucus changes can give you a better idea of when you're ovulating and most fertile.

After you learn the basics of checking and understanding your vaginal discharge, this may be the easiest and certainly least expensive method of ovulation detection.

That said, checking for cervical mucus is not for everyone. If you're looking to conceive or are interested in avoiding pregnancy, talk to your health care provider about what options are best for you.

In addition, if you don't ever seem to get fertile cervical mucus—vaginal discharge that produces a noticeable wet feeling around the time of ovulation, at about mid-cycle—you should speak to your health care provider.

Sticky discharge

While tracking, use an S (for sticky) or SCM (for sticky cervical mucus) on the days you notice sticky cervical mucus. Sticky discharge is not considered fertile cervical mucus.

Creamy cervical mucus

Use a C (for creamy) or CCM (for creamy cervical mucus) on the days you notice creamy cervical mucus.

Creamy cervical discharge is not considered fertile. However, for some people, creamy cervical mucus might mean ovulation is coming soon. Thick, white discharge may be a symptom of a common vaginal infection, especially if you also have itching and burning. Contact your health care provider if you experience any of these symptoms.

Watery cervical mucus

Use W (for watery) or WCM (for watery cervical mucus) to indicate when your cervical mucus has a watery consistency. Watery cervical mucus typically indicates that ovulation is very near and you are considered fertile during this time.

Watery cervical mucus is more likely to be felt on your underwear. You are also more likely to notice a feeling of moisture or wetness on your vulva.

The wet feeling you get when you have watery cervical mucus is part of why some people feel a surge in their libido at this time of the month.

Egg white cervical mucus

Use E, EW (for egg white) or EWCM (for egg white cervical mucus) to indicate when your cervical mucus is the consistency of raw egg whites. Egg-white discharge indicates that you're at the most fertile phase of your cycle.

When you see egg-white consistency cervical mucus, it's recommended to have sex around this time if you want to conceive. Ovulation is usually right around the corner.

When Your Cervical Mucus Sends Confusing Signals

Cervical mucus changes are not an ideal ovulation detection method for everyone. For example, some people experience vaginal dryness for a variety of reasons and may not have visible cervical mucus changes.

Some people may also experience multiple instances of egg-white cervical mucus throughout their cycle. In this case, ovulation isn't necessarily going to happen soon. This is especially common in those with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

If you’re concerned about your cervical mucus or vaginal discharge—whether you're worried it's too little, too much, or seems unusual—be sure to talk to your health care provider.