Monitoring cervical fluid is an inexpensive way to increase your chances of uniting a sperm with an egg at precisely the right time. Your cervical fluid is discharged through the vagina and changes within 24 hours of ovulation when estrogen levels are raised. When you ovulate, your body releases an egg. The egg only lives for about one day, so it's important to fertilize it while you can. Prime time for a sperm to unite with an egg is immediately before or at the time of ovulation. Your cervical fluid should change to a clear, egg white discharge that can be strung between two fingers. Some people can look at what has been discharged from the body, but some need to extract it directly from the vagina. Sometimes the presence of semen in the vagina can make it hard to assess your fluid. One way to tell what you're looking at is that semen can't be strung across two fingers. Kegal (KAY-gull) exercises can be done 12 hours after intercourse to expel excess semen. Most experts recommend monitoring cervical fluid along with charting your basal temperature to predict ovulation.
