The Dirt on Pregnancy Weblog

When I knew that we would start trying to get pregnant, my friend that just had a baby, referred me to http://www.fertilityfriend.com/. In this site, you can track your fertility on a daily basis so you know when you ovulate and when to have sex if you are trying to inseminate. There are different ways to track your fertility. You can take your temperature, track your cervix position by feeling it every morning, use an ovulation prediction kit or my favorite, track your vaginal discharge. I always assumed that vaginal discharge was like snot: A team of white blood cells attacking and capturing foreign bodies to keep your insides clean. But, I was wrong. It is so much more. At the top of your vaginal canal is the cervix. The cervix acts as the gatekeeper to your uterus and is for most of the time, closed. To keep it protected, a thick layer of sticky mucus lies in front of it. This mucus will most likely kill off any sperm as well as other intruders into the vagina. The mucus has various stages in a period cycle and goes from sticky to creamy to watery to a stage that resembles an egg white. So, if you check your underwear at the end of the day, you should be able to tell what stage you are in. Gross, right? No way. When your secretion is watery, you are fertile. The watery mucus in front of your cervix is more inviting to sperm and will actually allow them to pass. But, are you ready for this? When you are most fertile, you will have the egg white discharge. This may seem a little confusing because it is thicker than the watery stage making it harder for the sperm to pass but actually, the substance is full of protein and some other stuff that helps the little spermies on their journey. Amazing, right?! Who would have ever thought all of that came from some gross discharge in your underwear?