Sensational Sensations

Your cervical fluid tells you what you need to know in three ways: what it feels like when you wipe (“Sensation”), how far it stretches (“Consistency”), and what color it is (“Color”). I think most of us easily take note of Color and Consistency, but I want to remind you of the importance of Sensation.

First, a little review: Check Sensation when you are wiping with toilet paper. Pass the toilet paper over your vaginal opening and then over your perineum.Notice the sensation when you pass the tissue over your perineum – it will feel Dry (like nothing is helping it slide along), Smooth (like there is a little lotion on the tissue), or Lubricative (really slippery).

You can get a Dry or a Smooth sensation at various times, when there may or may not be cervical fluid that you can pick up and finger test. If there’s cervical fluid, you’re fertile that day; if there’s none all day, you’re not fertile that day.

But with a Lubricative sensation, you are fertile, regardless of whether you can pick up any cervical fluid. Peak-Type cervical fluid can give a Lubricative sensation, but be high enough in water content to soak into the tissue, so you can’t pick anything up. Or, it can give a Lubricative sensation without being stretchy, and without being clear in color (which is to say, it doesn’t always look like “eggwhite”.)

This is why it’s so important to check for Sensation. Not only does a Lubricative sensation mean you’re fertile, but it also tells you that you have Peak-Type mucus. Your Peak Day could be marked by a Lubricative sensation alone – there might be little or no cervical fluid to pick up.

There’s one other type of “sensation” I want to mention: the feeling of wetness, or of cervical fluid flowing out of you. Many women notice that they feel the wetness of cervical fluid throughout the day when they’re fertile, or feel the fluid descend at some point during the day, almost feeling like a little bit of menstrual flow. This “sensation” might be an important indicator for you of your fertile phase.

You should still check Sensation when you wipe, and note that on your chart, but by all means also note any sensation of wetness or flow as a secondary sign. It can be a very helpful one, just like mittleshmerz (ovulation pain), breast tenderness, mood changes or any other cyclical signs your body gives.

To completely grasp how to check your cervical fluid for Sensation, Color and Consistency, how to chart those observations, and how to confidently interpret them to know which days are fertile, come check out my online course right here!