_edited.png)
Cervical Mucus is normal & healthy
Cervical mucus is part of your menstrual cycle. You may have heard it called discharge or vaginal discharge. In my work, I refer to it as cervical mucus (CM). Discharge works too, but the term vaginal discharge is misleading.
).png)
The mucus (the white/wet stuff) is coming from your cervix. The cervix is in-between your uterus and vaginal canal. It acts as a passageway.
During your menstrual cycle, you have different hormones that fluctuate at different times throughout the month. These hormones tell your cervix to produce different types of mucus. That's why you see changes throughout the month.
Let's look at real-life photos
these photos are from multiple women who are not on hormonal birth control
G mucus
G-type mucus is dry, or thick/pasty. You may feel nothing, or see a thick type of CM
%20copy_HEIC.png)
EL/ES mucus
As estrogen increases you’ll start to see your cervical mucus change into a more moist/wet substance. Then as estrogen peaks, you’ll see it change into a clear, lubricative, maybe egg yolk/snot-like texture
A healthy cycle will have all types of cervical mucus, your mucus may look a bit different from these photos though. All cycles have their own characteristics.
Your cycle starts on day one of your period and you will see blood. This is your menstrual phase
Right after your period ends you might not notice anything in your underwear (G). Then you might see a change to a lotion-like, more wet substance or feel (EL). This is the follicular phase.
When you ovulate your cervical mucus can be the texture of egg whites (ES). You can stretch it, it could be clear, slippery, and feel like lube. This is the ovulatory phase.
After you ovulate you might see very thick cervical mucus, or feel/see nothing at all in your underwear or when you wipe (back to G). This is the luteal phase.
See a medical professional if you ever notice these changes in your CM:
-
If you all of a sudden notice a strange smell that is different than it usually is
-
If the color of it changes and is not white, gray, white-ish - yellow-ish
-
If there is lots of blood (a very small amount of blood is considered normal)
-
If something feels off to you