Aa
Could be TMI - how to know about CM
OK, sorry if this is TMI.
How can you tell the difference between CM and your hubby's ejaculate? (ewww) I was trying to look at it this morning because I should be o'ing soon...and we bd'ed last night and we all know that lovely feeling of him being "with you" all day =)
How can you tell the difference between CM and your hubby's ejaculate? (ewww) I was trying to look at it this morning because I should be o'ing soon...and we bd'ed last night and we all know that lovely feeling of him being "with you" all day =)
Thanks! I am pretty sure it was clear and stretchy. I've been having a hard time reading my OPK's this time...and my symptoms aren't normal. I think it is time...we'll see after noon!
This is a great question and it comes up a lot. I cut and pasted the answer from the Health Pages. I put this info in there a while back since it gets asked often. I am going to try to get into the Health Pages soon and add all the other popular questions. There were some glitches in it a while back and I think they are resolved now.
If you find that you have more watery or eggwhite days than you would expect and that these often follow days or nights that you had intercourse, then you may be mistaking seminal and cervical fluid. They have similar properties because they share the same function: transporting and nourishing sperm. You will find, however, that fertile cervical fluid (eggwhite) is more clear and stretchy and shiny. It will stretch a couple of inches without breaking. Semen may be more whitish and is more likely to break when pulled.
If you are in doubt and it is near your fertile time, always record eggwhite cervical fluid, even if it may be obscured by seminal fluid. This way, you will not miss a potentially fertile time. Emitting semen immediately after intercourse by doing kegel exercises (which is sometimes recommended for people who are charting to avoid pregnancy so that cervical fluid is not obscured) is not recommended when you are trying to conceive. While most sperm reach their destination within your reproductive tract quite quickly after intercourse, you don't want to sacrifice your chances of conception to have a perfect chart.
Also, semen doesn't stretch nearly as far as cm when pinched between the thumb and forefinger. Semen breaks quickly and cm will stretch an inch or two.
Some women have success with the "water test". It is said if you drop a drop in a glass of water, semen will sink and cm will float. I haven't put it to the test yet :)
If you find that you have more watery or eggwhite days than you would expect and that these often follow days or nights that you had intercourse, then you may be mistaking seminal and cervical fluid. They have similar properties because they share the same function: transporting and nourishing sperm. You will find, however, that fertile cervical fluid (eggwhite) is more clear and stretchy and shiny. It will stretch a couple of inches without breaking. Semen may be more whitish and is more likely to break when pulled.
If you are in doubt and it is near your fertile time, always record eggwhite cervical fluid, even if it may be obscured by seminal fluid. This way, you will not miss a potentially fertile time. Emitting semen immediately after intercourse by doing kegel exercises (which is sometimes recommended for people who are charting to avoid pregnancy so that cervical fluid is not obscured) is not recommended when you are trying to conceive. While most sperm reach their destination within your reproductive tract quite quickly after intercourse, you don't want to sacrifice your chances of conception to have a perfect chart.
Also, semen doesn't stretch nearly as far as cm when pinched between the thumb and forefinger. Semen breaks quickly and cm will stretch an inch or two.
Some women have success with the "water test". It is said if you drop a drop in a glass of water, semen will sink and cm will float. I haven't put it to the test yet :)
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