How To Start Tracking Your Cycle
Tracking your cycle gives you tons of information about your body: your hormonal functioning, fertility, metabolism, thyroid and overall health. It’s easy and simple to work into your daily routine, whether you’re looking to get pregnant or not.
When you understand how your cycle works, you can begin to work with, and cultivate a deeper connection to, your body. This article explores the fundamentals of cycle tracking – welcome to the education you wish you’d got in school.
Fertility Markers
There are two main fertility markers to consider: Cervical Fluid (sometimes called Cervical Mucus) and Basal Body Temperature. Once you’re comfortable tracking these two, there are other markers that can be considered like LH (luteinizing hormone) levels and cervical positioning. In this introductory article, we’ll be focusing on Cervical Fluid and Basal Body Temperature.
Cervical Fluid
This is the “stuff” you might see in your underwear – what’s sometimes called “discharge.” To track your cervical fluid, wipe front to back with two clean fingers or a piece of toilet paper before you pee. Throughout your cycle, cervical fluid changes in abundance, colour, texture and consistency as a result of fluctuating levels of estrogen and progesterone. It’ll fall into three main categories:
Dry (not fertile): its texture and colour will appear cloudy or thick. It may feel dry, but keep in mind, the vagina is a mucus membrane. It will never feel completely dry, but there will be days without noticeable fluid. Think of “dry” as an absence of peak or non-peak.
Non-peak (fertile): it’ll feel creamy, clumpy, milky, tacky, opaque, and have a white/yellow colour. Non-peak cervical fluid usually resembles thin lotion or moisturizer.
Peak (Fertile): it’ll be clear or partly clear, stretchy, or slippery – it’ll stretch more than an inch and will often look like raw egg white or gel. In this phase, it’s usually abundant.
If you’re experiencing a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis, this can impact how your cervical fluid appears. If something seems off, reach out to your trusted healthcare provider.
In order to accurately note which type of cervical fluid you have, get into the habit of checking about three times a day. Keep in mind that gravity and pressure impact how cervical fluid leaves the body, so check after a workout, walk, or bowel movement.
Cervical fluid’s main job is to keep sperm alive in the body until ovulation. With peak and non peak cervical fluid, sperm can be kept alive for up to 5 days. You’ll typically see fertile cervical fluid (peak and non-peak) around and on ovulation, and dry cervical fluid for the remainder of the cycle.
Here’s an example of a fully tracked cycle. On the bottom row, you’ll note grey, light blue and dark blue blocks. The grey blocks indicate dry cervical fluid, the light blue represents non-peak and the dark blue is peak. In this cycle, the period was immediately followed by 5 days of dry cervical fluid, 2 days of non-peak, 4 days of peak, 1 day of non-peak. The remaining days were all dry. This is an example of a healthy cycle, where days of fertile cervical fluid are clustered on and around ovulation.
Basal Body Temperature
This is your resting body temperature. When tracking your cycle, take your temperature orally every morning as soon as you wake up – before you kiss your partner, drink water, get out of bed or do anything else. All you’ll need is a BBT thermometer and a trusted app to log your temp – our favourite is Read Your Body.
On average, your BBT is lower before ovulation and higher after ovulation, as a result of increased progesterone production. In the post ovulation luteal phase, your metabolic rate – how many calories you burn at rest – increases, which is why you might feel hungrier in the weeks before your period.
Once your temperature has spiked, it should stay relatively high for the remainder of your cycle. Towards the end, progesterone levels will drop and your temperature will too, usually right before or during your period.
Your BBT is also an important indicator of your thyroid health and metabolic functioning. Ideal temperatures range from 36.2 - 36.6 degrees celsius (97.16 - 98.77 fahrenheit) in the pre-ovulation period, and 36.6+ degrees celsius (or 97.88+ degrees fahrenheit) post-ovulation. You don’t always have to fall within these ranges, but low temperatures can be a sign of imbalances that need to be addressed.
In this diagram, you’ll notice a huge spike in their temperature in the middle of the graph. Combined with the cervical fluid, that tells us that they probably ovulated on cycle day 15 or 16.
Whether you’re hoping to get pregnant or looking for a new birth control method, cycle tracking is an effective, natural and low-cost option. Beyond fertility, it tells us so much about how our bodies are functioning, where we’re thriving and what needs more support.
It might be overwhelming to start, but just remember two key markers: cervical fluid and basal body temperature. Once you’re ready to learn more, check out our Cycle Tracking Workshop.
