Just wondering if any of you know the relationship between getting EWCM and when you ovulate? I generally get a noticable amount of EWCM around ovulation, but would like to know whether that means the egg was released yesterday, today, tomorrow, now, a few hours time??
Last month we BD'd right on ovulation day as well as the day after, but couldn't the two days prior to O, as I would have liked (we were flying home from Europe and I wasn't keen to join the mile high club - ha ha!!). This month we're BDing right through (much to DH's pleasure!), so was just wondering when I get EWCM what it means.
The cervix makes EWCM. It is triggered by the same hormones that allow the ovary to release the egg.
The cervix is usually closed tight and plugged by a thick mucous that is hostile to sperm. Just prior to ovulation the cervix opens up and creates a more alkaline mucous that is nourishing to the sperm and allows it to pass through. You are at your most fertile when you have a thin, clear stretchy mucous.
Once your secretions have changed back to an opaque colour or sticky consistency then ovulation has passed. Usually within 24 hours of your peak symptoms.
Research the Billings Method if you need more details.
Hello, the change to wet fertile type mucus (ie EWCM) signals that O is on it's way and it can be gradual or sudden. Your peak fertile time is considered to be the last day of this type of mucus before a return to the non fertile tacky type.
According to Francesca Naish, in her book, "Natural Fertility" p 61 - "[The last day of fertile type mucus] ...can coincide with ovulation within 1 day (85 per cent of women) or 2 (a further 10 per cent, making 95 per cent of women)....The peak symptom, the last day of fertile mucus, is only recognisable retrospectively, after a definite change to dry days or infertile mucus, which occurs as a result of the increase in progesterone."
So basically, when you see EWCM you know ovulation is likely to be in there somewhere but you can't really pin point it until after the mucus has changed. I think this is why a lot of the ladies in here use multiple methods, ie temping, maybe baby and OPKs to try to narrow it down, because no single observation is going to tell you with complete accuracy when you ovulate!
I hope that helps, I recommend Francesca's book (prob at your local library) even tho it's about natural contraception as it has the most in-depth info about CM observations, I've found it very useful!
:-)
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Timing of EWCM vs ovulation
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