[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]During the first part of your menstrual cycle, CM may not be present or it will be dry and thickish. The color may appear white. As you enter the follicular (pre-ovulatory) phase of your cycle, estrogen increases and you may experience "transitional" cervical mucus, marked by increased moisture, increased volume, a more stretchy texture, and a thinner feel. Transitional mucus will still be a bit tacky and hold its form to some degree. The color of transitional cervical mucus may be white, creamy, or yellowish, though it will still be mostly opaque. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Directly prior to ovulation, cervical mucus should be abundant. Fertile cervical mucus is characterized by a transparent appearance - and it may look and feel like raw egg white and stretch between your fingers without breaking (see fig 1). This stretchiness is called Spinnbarkeit and indicates that ovulation is likely imminent. Fertile CM will be thin, slippery (like lubricant), stretchy and translucent. Typically, fertile-quality cervical fluids will appear a few days prior to and during ovulation. Following ovulation, the quality of CM will change again due to sudden decrease in estrogen and increase of progesterone. You may experience transitional mucus, followed abruptly by an increasing dryness (non-fertile CM) through the rest of your luteal phase. Below is a table that provides an overview describing CM changes, what the changes mean, and when they occur.
