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What is Dry Cervical Mucus?

Autumn Rivers
Autumn Rivers

Women trying to achieve pregnancy may see a lack of cervical mucus as a discouraging sign, since it is usually considered necessary to have at least some in order to get pregnant. Fortunately, dry cervical mucus can be a normal occurrence for most women at some point during their cycle, as no woman displays fertile mucus for the entire month. When it is not normal, the problem can often be fixed through various products, which makes having dry cervical mucus not as bad as many women assume.

Most women are not fertile during menstruation, which typically occurs for about five days each month. This means that having dry cervical mucus during this time, as well as for a few days leading up to it and afterward, is normal and healthy. Those who observe their cervical mucus every day in order to find out the best day for intercourse will likely notice a lack of it for about one to two weeks during their cycle. If they continue to notice a lack of cervical mucus for the rest of the cycle, however, they might need some help increasing it. This is because it is supposed to become copious during ovulation, about two weeks before menstruation begins.

Overweight women past their twenties may experience changes in cervical mucus.
Overweight women past their twenties may experience changes in cervical mucus.

There are various reasons that a woman might observe dry cervical mucus even during ovulation. One major factor is age, as women in their twenties tend to have more fertile mucus than those in their thirties or forties. This is why it is usually more difficult to get pregnant the older a woman gets. Some women naturally have low levels of estrogen, leading to cervical mucus dryness throughout their cycle, while others notice this result when taking certain medications, such as antihistamines. Additionally, being overweight or underweight can lead to changes in cervical mucus since this issue may create a hormone imbalance.

Staying hydrated with water may help prevent dry cervical mucus.
Staying hydrated with water may help prevent dry cervical mucus.

Fortunately, there are a few ways to combat constant dry cervical mucus. Some treatments are obvious, such as losing or gaining weight if that seems to be the issue. Discontinuing use of certain medications that are known to cause dryness can also help solve the problem, as can staying hydrated with plenty of water. For those who are not sure why they have a lack of cervical mucus, there are products that can help mimic fertile mucus so that pregnancy is possible. A water-based lubricant is one of the most popular ways to increase the ability for sperm to reach the cervix, and it is available without a prescription.

Discussion Comments

irontoenail

@Mor - I think it has a 97% effectiveness rate if it's done right, which isn't that bad compared to other methods. Of course, that's still a fair amount of risk.

I do know that a lot of religious women will follow this method because it doesn't use contraceptives, but it also doesn't block the transmission of diseases, so that's something to keep in mind also.

Mor

@bythewell - Actually if you're actively trying to not get pregnant, it's good to know about cervical mucus and what it looks like at different times of the month, because it can signal when you're entering a fertile period.

Some people use this as their only means of birth control actually (basically abstaining from vaginal sex during fertile times) and there are explanations on how to do it properly at the planned parenthood website.

But, I think it's important to note that, while it's pretty effective if you do it right, it's easy to get it wrong, since you're guessing and sperm can live for a few days after they get in there, so guess wrong and you could pay for it.

Personally, I wouldn't use it without some other method backing it up.

bythewell

I've never realized you could even know what your cervical mucus was like from day to day (or, to be honest, that there was such a thing as cervical mucus). It's amazing what you'll learn when your friend is trying to get pregnant and is researching all the different things that can go wrong with women and fertility.

At first I thought you actually had to check the cervix for the mucus (which sounds really painful) but apparently it is actually just the normal fluid that women have in their vagina. In case you were wondering.

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    • Overweight women past their twenties may experience changes in cervical mucus.
      By: Kokhanchikov
      Overweight women past their twenties may experience changes in cervical mucus.
    • Staying hydrated with water may help prevent dry cervical mucus.
      By: vgstudio
      Staying hydrated with water may help prevent dry cervical mucus.
    • Cervical mucus dries up within a few days prior to implantation or menstruation.
      By: joshya
      Cervical mucus dries up within a few days prior to implantation or menstruation.
    • Being underweight can lead to changes in cervical mucus.
      By: Sylvie Bouchard
      Being underweight can lead to changes in cervical mucus.
    • Taking guaifenesin, which is a cough expectorant, can be used to increase cervical mucus and improve the chances of conception.
      By: ognianmed
      Taking guaifenesin, which is a cough expectorant, can be used to increase cervical mucus and improve the chances of conception.