Zita West’s Guide to Getting Pregnant - Zita WEST

Скачать книгу

on the bathroom tissue?

      • How do they look?

      • What colour are they?

      • What consistency are they?

      • How much is there?

      • How do they feel when you touch them?

      • Can you stretch them between your thumb and index finger?

       Exercise, and having a bowel movement, will push cervical secretions to the vaginal opening, making observation easier. You may even find that the best time to check is after a bowel movement.

       Position of the Cervix

      Just a quick word about this: Women are stressed enough trying to conceive without trying to find out what position their cervix is in – and trying to check this might also interfere with or obscure any cervical secretions you have got! I don’t believe that the position of your cervix is a useful enough indicator for women trying to have a baby.

      Keeping a record

      Always record your most fertile type of cervical secretions, even if you notice more than one type on any given day or even if it is scant. This is so that you won’t miss a potentially fertile day and so that you have a consistent record of your cervical secretions from cycle to cycle.

      Immediately after a period you may notice one or more dry days – when no secretions can be seen or felt (these days are not likely to be fertile). As soon as the secretions start, this means that the cervix is preparing to accept sperm and you are into the start of your fertile time. At first the secretions will feel slightly sticky and be white or creamy in colour, then they’ll gradually change to become cloudy and wetter, then more transparent and sometimes quite slippery and stretchy – the highly fertile sperm – friendly secretions. After ovulation the secretions change back to being thicker, more sticky and white again, then back to dry again in the run – up to your next period. As a quick ‘rule of thumb’, if you feel wet – have lots of sex!

      Factors that can influence your pattern of secretions

      Some factors that can influence the quality and quantity of cervical secretions that you produce may be a result of hormonal factors, while others may be related to lifestyle or medications you are taking. If any of these applies to your case, make a note. If you are using a fertility-awareness chart there is usually a special section where you can do this. This way you can see at a glance if there were any special circumstances that may have had a bearing on your cervical secretions.

      Factors that can have an impact on cervical secretion patterns include:

      • medications such as antihistamines and diuretics

      • fertility medication such as Clomid (ask your doctor)

      • tranquillizers

      • antibiotics

      • expectorants – as found in cough medicines

      • herbs (ask your doctor before taking herbs while trying to conceive)

      • vitamins such as vitamin C (over 1,000mg a day), as this may have an anti – histamine effect, reducing cervical secretions and making them more acidic

      • vaginal or sexually – transmitted infection (ask your doctor if you think this is a possibility)

      • delayed ovulation (can cause an interrupted pattern of secretions)

      • vaginal douching (not recommended)

      • being overweight

      • arousal fluid (can be mistaken for raw egg white cervical secretions)

      • semen residue (can be mistaken for raw egg white cervical secretions)

      • lubricants (not recommended when trying to conceive, as they can be hostile to sperm)

      • breastfeeding – high levels of prolactin suppress oestrogen secretion

      • decreased ovarian function – for example in the years approaching the menopause

      • after you’ve stopped taking the Pill – a normal cycle may not have had a chance to re – establish itself. (Remember, though, that it’s still a good idea to have regular sex even if you’ve just come off the Pill!)

      If you notice anything that concerns you about your cervical secretions, for example if they are smelly or causing you discomfort or itchiness, or if you are bleeding or spotting, see your doctor. Any infection must be treated (for more about routine tests for infections, see the Fertility Work – up chapter).

      If you have questions about how to observe and interpret your cervical secretions, or if you have specific concerns about your own experience, then it’s well worth finding a fertility awareness teacher (see Useful Contacts, page 358).

      No Raw Egg White Secretions

      If you do not see any cervical secretions that resemble raw egg white, the first thing to do is to check out how you are observing this, especially if you are new to it (see page 21). If you are sure you are checking properly, but your cycles are irregular, you may not be ovulating every time. If your cycles are regular, then your secretions may have been affected by one of the factors outlined above. As long as you are having sex every other day or so, then the absence of an obvious indication of imminent ovulation is not something you should worry about too much.

      Fertile Cervical Secretions after Ovulation

      Some women notice what seems like highly fertile cervical secretions (wetter, transparent and stretchy) around the time they are expecting their period. This is because towards the end of the cycle there are some hormonal fluctuations between oestrogen and progesterone. As the progesterone level falls (due to the degeneration of the corpus luteum), the secretions appear more oestrogen – dominant. These secretions, however, should not be interpreted as a sign of fertility.

      Predicting Ovulation

      Predicting ovulation is not a precise science, but familiarity with your cervical secretions makes it a whole lot easier. The general advice is always to have lots of sex, rather than limiting it to a specific time – but when the pressure is on to conceive, sex can lose some of its spontaneity, which makes knowing the most fertile time of your cycle useful.

      Try and keep some perspective about this, and don’t restrict sex to an exercise in conception – try and make sure you and your partner enjoy it for its own sake, too, and as a way to express your loving feelings for each other.

       Cervical Secretions and Semen

      If you find that you have more watery or raw egg white days than you would expect and that these often follow days or nights when you’ve had intercourse, then you may be mistaking seminal fluid for cervical secretions. They are quite similar, but remember that fertile cervical secretions are clear, stretchy and shiny. They can stretch a couple of inches without breaking. Semen may be more whitish and will break when pulled. Generally if you have had sex the night before, by lunchtime the following day there should be no trace of semen and you should be able to concentrate on your secretions.

      Many women continue to experience a degree of cervical secretion after ovulation (necessary to keep the vagina moist and healthy) because the corpus luteum produces small amounts of oestrogen along with larger amounts of progesterone. However, this is no indicator of fertility: once ovulation has occurred for a cycle, it won’t occur again until the next one.

      When

Скачать книгу