Lack of CM - difficulty observing? - update

[simpsongal]

Has anyone else had trouble monitoring or identifying CM?  I'm not completely dry, but I don't think I've had a good amount during my cycle to really observe it.  KWIM?  Last cycle I had one instance, and I don't think there was any egg white.

I've heard it can take a few cycles for CM to return after BCP.

Does anyone have any advice?  Am I looking for too much or is a scant amount the norm?  It's really frustrating b/c everything seems to say that CM is the best fertility sign.

ETA: I thought it was watery yesterday - I entered the data on FF and the program changed to say it's a definite fertility day (rather tha maybe).  I changed the entry back to "N/A" because I just didn't feel confident in the observation.

Update: approximately 2 hours after drinking a very strong cup of green tea (feeling nauseous afterwards) I got EWCM.  Thanks y'all!!

[Cheesecake]

How longhave you been monitoring? Thing is, what's what with CM is different for everybody, some have a lot, some don't, some have it dripping out, some need to reach in to figure it out. As long as you check the same way every time and you've been checking it for a few cycles, you'll figure out what's going on with you and what's the most watery or most eggwhitey you ever get.

[vmars]

You really can't miss it and ewcm is even harder to miss at least for me. It's always long and stretches and I can always observe my cm in my underwear. Google it and you will find pics of what it will look like lol. Usually mine starts off a little bit and then increases until I ovulate. Also you can get cm on the pill but its not fertile.

[pooh8402]

What TR said. I have to check internally too.

Although I have to ask: are you taking any antihistamines, allergy meds? I've noticed when I take my allergy meds my CM dries up, so I avoid taking between AF and O.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using proboards

[simpsongal]

No meds, I've been off BCP since November.   I've only been monitoring since January. 

Hope this isn't TMI:  I only had one instance last cycle where there was an obvious mucus but it was cloudy, elasticy, and sort of held its shape (stretched a bit though).

[vmars]

Feb 14, 2013 19:05:20 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

No meds, I've been off BCP since November.   I've only been monitoring since January. 

Hope this isn't TMI:  I only had one instance last cycle where there was an obvious mucus but it was cloudy, elasticy, and sort of held its shape (stretched a bit though).

that sounds like you had some - doesn't matter the color - just the stetchiness of it!

[VillainV]

I also check internally, usually when I check my cervical position/texture. It's the easiest way to do it. Also, maybe TMI, but sometimes seminal fluid and vaginal arousal fluid can be confused for CM, so if your'e having a lot of sex it can get confusing.

[Cheesecake]

Also, If you drink 2 cups of strong (long steeped ) green tea before O, you'll have a little more to much much more CM. Also makes it much easier to recognize.

Sent from my phone, please disregard typos!

[simpsongal]

....off to brew some green tea I'm scheduled to O soon (next 1 or 2 days) , though I haven't gotten a positive OPK yet.

The CM I observed last cycle wasn't like egg white though, it was more like partially dry rubber cement. I hope this isn't too TMI - we're all going through this right?

Thanks for the tea tip!

[katieb4tom]

I am pretty sure that the FF e-book refers to the sticky CM as potentially having a paste-like quality. I know for me, the EW is truly like an egg white. I have a lot of trouble discerning 'wet'. I almost feel like there should be something between dry and sticky. I'd hate to put forward 'moist' as an option :/

[Deleted]

Yeah I would classify partially dry rubber cement as sticky and not egg white. EWCM is more stretchy and less viscous.

[midwest07]

I have been off BCP for 7 months, and it probably took a few months for me to really be able to observe much of a change throughout my cycle. I don't know if it really helps, but I do drink 2 cups of green tea during the time period up to O, and that seems to have corresponded with an increase in observable signs.

I think you have read TCOYF, or at least you have referenced you were going to? She talks about it almost being more important how you feel, rather than what it looks like or how it is when you touch it. That is, if you feel like it's slippery "down there"/gushing out when you stand up, etc, then that's what you are looking for. Especially if it's really watery, to me, that is hard to actually observe by touch. Anyway, if you haven't read these parts of the book about observing CM, that might be helpful to you.

[Jalapeñomel]

I've been TTC for a long while, and I still don't know about my CM. It's confusing, changes all the time, and I don't really know what I'm looking for.

[simpsongal]

I'll go back and check those parts of TCOYF again. Aside from observable signs (even internal checking) it doesn't really feel the way it should either

I'm going to drink some green tea.