29
fertile mucus showing all three of these characteristics.” 111 Furthermore, at peak fertility the
water content of the mucus is greater than 95%. 112 Scientists note that the production of cervical
mucus increases dramatically around the time of ovulation, 113 resulting in a virtual “cascade” of
the watery mucus optimal for sperm penetration and conception. 114 A woman can objectively
observe and qualify this mucus by stretching it between the thumb and index finger while
observing it at eye level. 115 In a very real sense, therefore, the most precise and obvious sign of a
woman’s fertility is one that is, literally, a clear window into the internal functions and processes
of human procreation.
Within a woman’s body, certain corresponding events signal an approach to ovulation in
preparation for conception. The fertile window observed through mucus signs coincides with
specific processes in the ovulation cycle, during which time a selected ovum develops within the
female ovary. 116 Once an ovum is released from the ovary, it travels through the fallopian tubes
toward the uterus, or womb. Connecting the uterus to the vagina is an organ called the cervix and
within the walls of the cervix are pockets or “crypts” where the cervical mucus is produced. 117
An internal examination also reveals changes in the cervical opening during the time of fertility.
111
Ibid.
D. F. Katz, D. A. Slade and S. T. Nakajima, “Analysis of Pre-Ovulatory Changes in Cervical Mucus
Hydration and Sperm Penetrability,” Advances in Contraception 13, no. 2-3 (1997): 143-151, accessed May 27,
2018, http:/dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1006543719401.
113
F. Martyn, F. M. McAuliffe, and M. Wingfield, “The Role of the Cervix in Fertility: Is it Time for a
Reappraisal?,” Human Reproduction 29, no. 10 (October 2014): 2092-2098, accessed May 27, 2018,
https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deu195.
114
Joel M. Evans and Robin Aronson, The Whole Pregnancy Handbook: An Obstetrician’s Guide to
Integrating Conventional and Alternative Medicine Before, During, and After Pregnancy (New York: Penguin
Group, 2005), 39.
115
Richard Fehring, Mary Lee Barron, and Mary Schneider, “Protocol for Determining Fertility While
Breastfeeding and Not in Cycles,” Fertility and Steril