The Billings ovulation method is based on the cervical mucus sign, the main fertility sign if you desire to have children. Because the cervical mucus significantly changes its quality before ovulation, so that with proper interpretation and sex you can get pregnant more easily and quickly in the most fertile period.
How does the cervical mucus change in the cycle?
The cervical mucus is formed in the crypts of the cervix. It is one of a woman’s most significant body secretions, as it can perform four different tasks.
1. Protection of sperm from the acidic vaginal environment
2. Nourishment of Sperm
3. Transport of sperm from the vagina to the uterus
4. Filtering out abnormal, malformed sperm
Now, the cervical mucus can only perform these tasks if it changes its appearance and perceived texture over the course of the cycle. The changes are briefly summarized here, in phases.
Dry days – Cervical mucus shortly after menstruation
Shortly after menstruation, only a little cervical mucus is produced, which is usually not visible and the vagina feels dry. The sperm cannot survive in the acidic vaginal environment without cervical mucus. Nor are they supposed to, as ovulation is still far away.
Lumpy days – cervical mucus before ovulation
The cervical mucus is visible and has a lumpy to creamy/cloudy texture. Sperm can now survive in the vulva, but they have a slightly harder time getting into the uterus. It doesn’t swim as well in a viscous liquid.
Wet days – cervical mucus during ovulation
The cervical mucus is now transparent, the vaginal entrance feels wet. In most cases, you can pull the cervical mucus to long threads between your fingers. Now is the optimal time for sexual intercourse if you want to get pregnant. The mucus nourishes the sperm and they can swim very well in it. Because the water content in the mucus is high and through water it floats more easily than through a viscid lumpy fluid. On the picture left you can see a typical picture of the glasy, spinnable cervical mucus during ovulation.
Decreasing days – cervical mucus after ovulation
After ovulation, both the amount of cervical mucus and its quality decreases. This is also logical – why should sperm be able to survive in the vulva when they can no longer fertilize eggs at all.
Now a woman doesn’t have to fear that she can’t get pregnant if she feels a maximum moist sensation at the vagina and can barely observe mucus. No, dear women, it’s not like that. You could rather say that mucus is the fast food eating category for the sperm. While wet, glassy spinnable mucus of the best quality is something of a multiple course candlelight dinner. Every woman has her own best mucus quality to observe for herself. Importantly, the woman assesses her mucus by the sensation between her fingers, the sensation at the vagina and the appearance.
Determine Fertile Days with Billings ovulation method – But How?
I would now like to summarise the most important rules of Billings ovulation method for the desire to have children. Contentious rules, such as the “basic infertile pattern,“ which are not listed for extensive consultation.
Menstruation rule of the Billings ovulation method
The change in the cervical mucus sign does not make it clear whether ovulation has taken place. Bleeding could therefore be a possible intermenstrual bleeding. Furthermore, the woman can have a very forward-shifted ovulation, so that the time of the high-quality cervical mucus correlates with menstruation. In this case, the woman can distinguish poorly between menstruation and mucus. In general, menstruation does not protect against pregnancy.
During menstruation, the woman is always fertile according to the Billings ovulation method.
Dry days rule of Billings ovulation method
As already discussed, the sperm cannot survive in the acidic environment of the vagina without cervical mucus. For this reason, the following rule must be valid:
A woman is infertile according to the Billings ovulation method if she can’t observe cervical mucus and the vagina feels dry.
Visible mucus rule
The other way around, the woman must, of course, be fertile according to the Billings ovulation method, once she can see or feel cervical mucus, as the sperm in the cervical mucus can remain fertile.
A woman is fertile according to the billings ovulation method when cervical mucus appears visible or noticeable for the first time.
Cervical mucus peak – rule
The cervical mucus peak is the last day with the individual best mucus quality followed by 3 days of lower quality.
The fertile period ends according to the billings ovulation method on the morning of the 4th day after the mucus peak.
The Billings ovulation method assumes that ovulation occurred exactly when the cervical mucus sign has undergone a significant change. This is the case according to Billings, if after the last day of best cervical mucus quality – 3 days mucus of inferior quality can be observed.
Fertile days determination – cycle example of the Billings ovulation method
The Billings ovulation method has its very own symbolism. The woman sticks the corresponding sign into a cycle calendar, depending on what she observed. The signs are described in the illustration. However, I would like to briefly evaluate the cycle using the Billings ovulation method and determine the fertile and infertile days in the cycle.
The woman’s cycle begins with the first day of menstrual bleeding and ends a day before the next menstrual period. Your cycle is therefore 23 days long. The first 4 days the woman has the menstrual bleeding, so she has to accept fertility (F) here according to the Billings ovulation method. On the 5th and 6th Cycle Days, she doesn’t observe mucus and has a dry feeling, so she’s infertile these days. From the 7th to the 9th day of the cycle, she can observe how the cervical mucus is getting better and better. She can observe the last day with the best mucus quality on the 11th day of the cycle. This is followed by 3 days when she can observe mucus of lesser category. For this reason, the 11th Cycle Day is their cervical mucus peak. On the 15th day of the Cycle until the 23rd Cycle Day, the woman is infertile due to the mucus peak rule. Thus, there is a fertile period from the 7th to the 14th day of the Cycle, on which the woman can become pregnant. The days 9 to 11 are optimal for conception, as the woman was able to observe mucus of the highest quality level during this time.
Is the Billings ovulation method worthwhile, if you want to get pregnant?
The Billings ovulation method uses cervical mucus as a body sign for fertility. The cervical mucus is the only fertility sign that precedes ovulation somewhat. This means that the cervical mucus of the best quality is close to ovulation. Thus, the woman can make optimal use of the cervical mucus for the correct timing of sexual intercourse.
If you want to get pregnant, you have to have sex exactly when your cervical mucus is the best quality.
The effectiveness of the Billings ovulation method can be proven in studies. In a Study from Australia, the Billings ovulation method achieved a pregnancy rate of 63 percent, although over 60 percent of participating couples over 15 months did not get pregnant. Among over-38-year-olds, the pregnancy rate was still 50 percent. About 93 percent of the study’s participating couples are satisfied with the Billings ovulation method and would apply it again.
What do you have to consider when using the Billings ovulation method?
Please pay attention to the following points when using the Billings Ovulation Method
Billings ovulation method and medication?
The cervical mucus sign may be disturbed by medication (antibiotics) as well as disease (vaginal fungus). Likewise, cervical mucus may be affected immediately after hormonal contraception. In this case, the cervical mucus cannot be evaluated according to the rules of the Billings ovulation method.
Billings ovulation method after Contraceptive pills
After discontinuing pills or other hormonal contraceptives, the woman’s cycle can take up to six months to stabilize again. In rare cases, the influence of the pill and other contraceptives can still be seen after 12 months. As a rule, it takes 2 to 3 cycles for cervical mucus to show an evaluable course after hormonal contraception (Gnoth 2002).
Cervical mucus confusion
Often, women confuse cervical mucus with sperm after sex, as cervical mucus can have similar texture. For this reason, it is advisable to take the cervical mucus before sex and not afterwards. In addition, the cervical mucus can be altered on a beach holiday, as the vaginal wall is constantly flushed in the water. In general, when cleaning the vagina, it should be noted that Cosy sprays and similar artificial detergents can alter the cervical mucus.
Several cervical mucus peaks in the cycle
According to the book NFP Today (German Book: Natürliche Familienplanung heute), several cervical mucus peaks may occur in cycles. In this case, the Billings ovulation method comes to the wrong conclusions, as in the set of rules it starts only from one cervical mucus peak in the cycle.
Cycles without ovulation
It can also happen that there is no ovulation in a cycle. Especially in menopause and puberty, such monophasic cycles are not uncommon. In this case, too, the billings ovulation method comes to the wrong conclusions, as it assumes that the woman always ovulates.
Can ovulation be limited with the Billings ovulation method?
No, it is not possible to limit ovulation with the billings ovulation method, because you cannot determine ovulation based on the cervical mucus. It is only at the basal body temperature curve or ultrasound that ovulation can be limited beyond doubt.
Conclusion: The best for last
The Billings ovulation method is certainly a good way to get pregnant naturally. However, there are better and more effective methods. In contrast to the Billings ovulation method, ovulation can be precisely determined with the Symptothermal Method of ovulation except for a few, detecting pregnancy without pregnancy test, diagnosing luteal insufficiency, etc. How it all works and what you need for the optimal start in the Symptothermal Method, I explain to you in my Get Pregnant Starter Set. With the help of this Set, many women have already become pregnant.
Sending you fertile Greetings