Cervical Mucus Method

Actual Cervical Mucus

The Power of Mucus

Description

• It is also known as the Billings Method.
• It predicts changes in cervical mucus during ovulation.
• Each month, before a woman's menses, the cervical mucus becomes thick and stretches when pulled between the thumb and forefinger.
• The normal stretchable amount of cervical mucus (also known as spinnbarkeit) is 8 to 10 cm.
• Just before ovulation, the cervical mucus becomes thin, watery, transparent, and copious.
• During the peak of ovulation, the cervical mucus becomes slippery and stretches at least 2.5 cm before the strand breaks.
• Breast tenderness and anterior tilt of the cervix also occur with ovulation.
• The fertile period consists of all the days that the cervical mucus is copious and the 3 days after the peak date.
• During these days, the woman and her partner should abstain from intercourse to avoid conception.

Advantages

• No drugs or devices are needed;
• It is free;
• It may be acceptable to members of religous groups that oppose birth control;
• It encourages couples to learn more about how female body functions;
• It encourages communication between partners;
• It can also be used to plan a pregnancy; and
• There are no contraindications.

Disadvantages

• It requires meticulous record keeping and an ability and willingness to monitor the woman's body changes;
• It restricts sexual spontaneity during the woman's fertile period;
• It requires extended periods of abstinence from intercourse;
• It is reliable only for woman with regular menses; and
• it may be unreliable during period of illness, infection, or stress.

Implications

• Remind the woman to check her cervical mucus every day to note changes in the consistency and amounts so that she can recognize the changes that signify ovulation.
• Advise them to avoid checking cervical mucus after intercourse, doing so is unreliable because seminal fluid has a watery, post-ovulatory consistency, which can be confused with ovulatory mucus.