This 25 year old woman has never given birth and has no history of STIs. Each photo was taken at approximately 10:00 pm every day starting the first day of her menstrual cycle. For the duration of this project, she used condoms as her birth control method so as not to introduce semenal fluid into the photoshoot. She did not use tampons or mooncups during her menstruation either.
This cycle is of normal/average length for her, about 33 days. Her cycle’s follicular phase (variable number of days preovulation) lasts until about day 20 or 21. Her fertile phase lasts from days 13 to 21 with ovulation on day 20. Her luteal (postovulation) phase is 13 days long (12-16 days is the norm and is not variable in a normal cycle).
Above is a graph of her basal body temperature for this cycle. As you can see, after ovulation on about day 20, her temperature began to rise due to the heat-inducing hormone progesterone produced by the corpus luteum. This temperature shift signifies that ovulation has already occurred. Check out more information about the Fertility Awareness Method of birth control to learn more about cyclical temperature changes.
You may notice on the right side of some photos, some jagged looking skin, which is the remnants of her hymenal ring. Her os (opening in the cervix) is round because she has never given birth; the os becomes more of a slit after childbirth. On the sides of the photos, you can see her vaginal rugae, which are the ridges that make the elastic muscular canal of the vagina able to open/expand dramatically during arousal and childbirth.
She also tracked the depth/movement of her cervix in her vagina. These gradual shifts are not really distinguishable in the photos, but was a tangible change as the depth she needed to reach a finger inside to touch her own cervix varied slightly each day. She also noted the firmness of the cervix and openness of the os – again a change she was feeling with her finger.
Her uterus is tipped backward (retroflexed), so you may notice that the cervix is pointing upwards in some photos. This is an anatomical variation that is present in about 20-30% of the population, and is most often a genetic trait. It means that the body of the uterus lies more towards her back than over her bladder.
Day One
Blood – red , clotty and heavy flow
Cramps – mild
Breasts – de-swelling
Feeling – very sexual and tender
Day Two
Blood – Dark red, medium/light flow
Breasts – normal
Basal body temperature – 97.2 F (and remains between 97 F and 97.4 F until day 20)
Day Three
Blood – Brown and watery dark red, low flow
Day Four
Brown Spotting with some dark red flecks (note fresh blood at os)
Day Five
Light brown discharge; very low flow
Tender, heart-achey
Tired
Day Six
Very light brown discharge
Sticky cervical fluid when touched between fingers
Day Seven
Cervix in low closed position
Cervical fluid sticky
Day Eight
Cervix, low and closed/firm
Cervical fluid white and sticky
Day Nine
Cervix low and closed
Dry sensation
Day Ten
Cervix low and closed
Notice blood spot near os and brown clot near cervix (right). Possibly from vigorous intercourse earlier that day (not mittelschmerz as I am not ovulating yet)** Since posting this last idea that the blood may have been from intercourse, I have since been diagnosed with an endometrial polyp that occasionally causes bleeding mid-cycle, usually unrelated to intercourse. I am treating it with holistic measures and hope it clears up soon.
Day Eleven
Cervical fluid is creamy
Day Twelve
Cervical fluid white and wet, milky
Feeling particularly sexual
Day Thirteen
Copious watery cervical fluid
Cervix softening and moving upwards
Day Fourteen
White/clear watery cervical fluid, dripping
Day Fifteen
Cervical fluid changed to more eggwhite texture
Cervix is soft, open and high
Day Sixteen
Cervical fluid alternately wet and eggwhite consistency
Cervix soft and high
Day Seventeen
Cervical fluid is very gelatainous (here seen covering os) and streaked with whitish yellow
Sensitive, sensual breasts (not painfully tender)
Stringy Fluid when stretched between fingers (above)
Day Eighteen
Eggwhite fluid
Day Nineteen
More white-tinged eggwhite fluid
Very stretchy and strong Fluid (above)
Day Twenty
Mild back pain and cramp on left side (mittelschmerz)
Ovulation suspected!
Feeling very sexual
Cervical Fluid gelatinous and egg-white (right)
Day Twenty One
Drier/chunkier (like drying rubber cement) cervical fluid
Nipples very tender and painful
Day Twenty-Two
Tender nipples
Cervical position is mid and slightly open
Basal Body temperature beginning to rise, today 97.6 F
Day Twenty-Three
Very tender nipples
Dry feeling
Basal Body temperature 97.5 F
Day Twenty-Four
Very tender nipples
Dry feeling
Cervix feels hard and high again
Day Twenty-Five
Headache and tired
Dry/tacky
Day Twenty-Six
Breasts swelling
Tacky cervical fluid
Basal Body temperature now noticeably higher than preovulation by about 1 degree Farenheit. It is now 98.1 F and ranges from 98.1 F to 98.6 F for the rest of this of cycle
>
Day Twenty-Seven
Tender nipples, swollen breasts
Tacky cervical fluid
Day Twenty-Eight
Dry feeling
Day Twenty-Nine
Dry feeling
Day Thirty
Dry feeling
Breasts feel heavy
Day Thirty-One
Feeling bloated
Dry fluid (note fresh blood at os, sign of impending menses)
Feeling emotionally tender
Day Thirty-Two
Very light brown spotting
Cervix low and open
Feeling tired
Day Thirty-Three
Pink spotting
Lower back ache
Menses begins tomorrow upon waking, 13 days after ovulation (luteal phase)
Thank you!
Feel free to comment below. Please know that I ‘censor’ the comments, so you needn’t bother saying something mean, derogatory, pornographic, or sexist as posting such comments does not further the vision of my project or the health of the world.
Hi. Your website is really helpful. I am 35 and I am afraid I don’t know how to check my cervix. Can you give me any tips? I am trying to conceive, against the odds as I have low amh. I know my cervix is down, on a tilt at 4o’clock. Any advice would be helpful x
Kind regards kellie
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beautifulcervix Reply:
March 15th, 2012 at 7:28 pm
Scroll down on this page”
http://www.beautifulcervix.com/faq/
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hi. i used to think my cervix was too low cos my index finger could touch it.
thanks 4 sharing this.
do u think the position of the cervix can hinder pregnancy?
what’s should be its position 4 pregnancy to take place?
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Congratulations on such an educational and constructive project.
Please forgive my presence here, ladies. I don’t mean to intrude. I know this is a very private and personal area for you, but I assure you that my interests are pure and proprietary.
I was under the impression that the entire duration of menstruation consisted of a heavy then moderate blood and clots discharge which began and stopped quite suddenly. I was not aware of the white discharge which quickly becomes predominant and surprisingly, to me, appears to remain in greater or lesser amounts in the vicinity of the cervix permanently.
Thank you. I have learned a lot here which my wife has always chosen not to discuss with me, which is of course entirely her right. It is very much a taboo subject in our household and if it does come into conversataion in passing there always seems to be an air of “uncleanliness” about it. A great shame.
I feel men in general and certainly western society (can’t speak for the rest!) have much to learn and many changes to make for the better understanding of us all.
Thanks again.
John, NZ.
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Anna Reply:
March 29th, 2012 at 3:03 am
brave man
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This is truly a wonderful study of the cervix. I never realized how alive and active the cervix and entire uterus itself are. Lets take of our cervix out there ladies and make sure it’s always treated with tender, loving care.
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A woman is really the true image of Beauty in that am very surprised about how God created the womanhood this bring my mind to God’s soveriegnty and how awesome He fixed the woman part,I have learnt great lessons here,Thanks for sharing,God bless u
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Great Job!! I will share this was so well done! Thank you
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Unfortunately I’m too conditioned to say it was beautiful, my mind is so used to think down on our insides, but way to go with the idea of doing that and with the great, simple, natural wisdom that came with it! thank u!
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Thank you for such an informative and forward-thinking website! I must have missed the sex-ed class at school because I have always been ignorant of what everything is down there; it’s not easy to see and because it is so often a taboo subject it’s hard to discuss with anyone about what you can feel or have seen in badly illustrated books! Although your partner may have more access down there it seems to strange to ask them what you look like, it’s your personal area and yet quite often it’s the part of ourselves we know least about. Saying that your partner, while curious, may not feel they are entitled to look around in a non-sexual way! It’s a shame. Having contracted an STI a couple of years ago I recently realised I had become very disconnected, physcologically, from my vagina, basically developing a fear of it and therefore of part of myself. Having identified this (I had previously been very in tune with my body) I have now begun to get to know myself again and this site has been amazing. Cannot thank you enough and now off to buy a spectrum and learn even more about myself! As I am also planning to start a family in a couple of years this will continue to offer a great source of information and a way to see the beauty in ourselves. Have never posted in a forum before and can’t believe this sounds so cheesy but I really appreciate and admire the beautiful cervix project. Great forums, great attitude, looking forward to checking out your workshops…
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Jessica Reply:
April 30th, 2012 at 8:23 am
They don’t teach this stuff in sex-ed class.
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you did a wonderful job, I have so many questions that dont get answered .You just answered so many of them.
great job
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I am a nursing student searching for answers. You provide a helpful and informative link and I compliment you on that success.
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WOW, that is about all i can say as i have been checking mine for at least 3 yrs now and still can only slightly tell certain changes but now i have pictures of every day to help me process where in my cycle i am and what i am looking for.
Thank you sincerely i am truly in awe!!!
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It is surprising that this is not a standard part of sexual education for all girls. I feel so relieved to see that all my stages of cervical discharge are normal and healthy! Thank you!
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Pingback: Anonymous
Hi,
You have a commendable project. Please accept my kudos. I am a male, and am a bit mystified about how to help my girlfriend when she experiences the “emotional tenderness” towards the end of the month.
Thanks ahead of time, for any possible advice!
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Thank you for doing this project. I am 30 years old and just starting to chart, and I was having trouble telling what kind of cervical fluid is what (and checking my cervical position is a mystery!). Now I feel like I understand so much better. These photos are beautiful!
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Amazing project and very educational! I am a Registered Nurse, and had never seen a cervix (obviously not an OB nurse). The human body is truly amazing, and I really appreciate you sharing your research!
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This was posted for learning, not for you to spout your religious dogma.
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Tina Reply:
May 17th, 2012 at 9:01 pm
Hey, that’s not dogma, it’s just someone expressing themselves.
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Vicky Reply:
May 21st, 2012 at 3:31 pm
“God bless u, God Created, God’s sovereignty, He fixed the woman part”
on a site for education and information
sounds like preaching dogma to me
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Xs very much 4 the information.
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Nice Pics
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Thanks for posting this. It was pretty informative and interesting to see step-by-step what really goes on up there
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Even though the images was hard to look at lol…. It helped me see wat it looks like when Im ovalating … i just had a little boy on the 22nd of March… I remember in the beginning of July me and my lover was having sex and as he was putting his finger in my vagina… that sticky substance came out cause he started playing with it… but I thought it was nasty… I have a question was I fertile at that time to get pregnant?
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beautifulcervix Reply:
April 19th, 2012 at 6:45 pm
Probably….egg-white-like, stretchy, gooe-y cervical fluid is fertile fluid. If you were aroused, it can be hard to tell the difference, which is why women who regularly track their cycles check many times a day, not during arousal.
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Wow. Thanks a ton for sharing this. It’s incredible to think such a interesting and dynamic cycle is so close at hand, yet so disregarded that I never hear of it. All the women I’ve known treat their reproductive organs with the same disregard as what happens in a computer or a car… but damn it all this stuff is so interesting.
So Very Cool you did this, and So Very Cool you posted it! May the future bring increased awareness and attention to all things~
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I am so pleased I happened to find your website. As another man says (also from NZ) that he has learned a lot from you. It is truly a beautiful thing – the Cervix and the cycle.
However, I don’t believe you have done this purely for Woman’s sake. Men generally need to have more knowledge of their partners bodies and the emotional feelings that are part of it.
Thank you
Peter
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Kayla Michelle Reply:
April 26th, 2012 at 7:10 am
That was a little insulting, Females also need to know their bodies.
xx
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Ava Reply:
May 8th, 2012 at 11:37 pm
Hi
I think he meant that men are frequently much less educated on the female body so they “generally need to have more knowledge” given to them. Thats why he thinks that this was not done “purely for Woman’s sake”
I think you might have interpreted as though he was saying men should have MORE knowledge than woman (at all times)
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Nicole Reply:
May 9th, 2012 at 12:38 pm
just wanted to let you know, i don’t find this insulting – in fact i don’t see how it is insulting at all. i think it is marvelous that you are so interested in your partners body!
i hope you learn to appreciate each other entirely.
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Do u happen to have picturea of dilated cervixes
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beautifulcervix Reply:
April 19th, 2012 at 6:38 pm
I rely on volunteers, so no one has volunteered yet…I hope someone does soon!
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This is amazing! I too have recently starting to track my cervical mucus and cervix for signs of fertility. This is an excellent visual! Thank you so much!!!
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I recently got married and had much difficulty explaining to my husband what I experience during my cycle. Thank you for sharing. This information will be beneficial to both of us as I too was in the dark about all these changes that go on down there.
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Gosh. I’m so impressed.
Ever since I was a small boy, I was fascinated by Vaginas and I didn’t know why. It was like the locked box, the secret garden. And when I became old enough to ‘have access’, my mission was to look inside. But I have never yet had the opportunity. Thank you for your candor.
I have to ask. Is the white goo produced by your arousal/lubricant glands, or is there some other mechanism at play? Is it the same stuff that comes out during orgasm?
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beautifulcervix Reply:
May 2nd, 2012 at 5:17 pm
no, the goo present is cervical fluid. It comes from the cervix and changes cyclically, regardless of sexual arousal. sexual arousal fluid comes from the skene’s glands at the opening of the vagina.
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Nicole Reply:
May 9th, 2012 at 12:40 pm
now that is something i have wondered for a long time now! thank you!
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What Natasha said, thank you so much for these wonderful photos and explanations, I am relieved beyond belief! For the longest time I thought various fluids you mentioned above where weird and perhaps there was something wrong with me, but seeing how my uterus basically follows the same pattern you described, and knowing this is normal, is amazing. Thank you!
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Thank you for sharing this, it is awesome to have a photo reference along with terms. I am a doula and I will be sharing this page with many a woman!
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Oh my goshhh, This explains so much! Thank you <3
xxx
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This is amazing and really informative. I’m your age with same history. I can’t believe that normal and helpful ways of people checking their own health like this are so taboo – just shows how far we have to go with basic respect and commonsense really.
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this is the true temple of human life on earth !
thanks for sharing such intimate images.
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Thank you so much. We are trying to become pregnant for the second time and had to use clomid the first and are trying again. We had a miscarriage with our second two months ago. I have had to track cervical mucus and honestly didn’t know exactly what I was looking for. There simply was good pictues of it anywhere. This has been so helpful. Thank you.
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Wow! What an amazing idea! I have to say that the pictures really affected me, I found myself very tense in my groin area and I actually covered myself with my hand while scrolling through. I was sexually abused as a 10-12 year old girl and I don’t know if I have ever felt very connected to that area of my body since. Thank you for the pictures. J.
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Incredibly informative! I’ve been trying to learn to check my cervical position and stumbled onto this site. Great learning tool
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I’ve been searching for something like this for years. This is the best I’ve seen. My cycles go from 70 days to under 21. I just recently learned about Mittelschmerz and at 26 I spent many years thinking it was my appendix. I know so little about myself and my body and now I feel like I was introduced… Well not to mine but to one I’m assuming looks like mine. At first look I was a little weirded out but I continued looking. Then by halfway through I was pretty intrigued. Thank you!
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your pictures were amazing and beautiful they really help me understand how things work down there i used to be concer with how my discharge looked (like it was something wrong with me) but your resemble mines and knowing your history i know all is well with me! you are very brave too
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Please i’ll like to know these:after my wife period of menses white stuff always come out from her vaginal,so i was thinking if it may be are time of ovulatry.So please how can someone study/know time of ovulatry and why is the white stuff coming out.Thanks.Expecting your reply soon.
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Awesome project! Really neat to see what the inside of the lady parts look like. Always wondered about that but it’s not like you can really see up there without special equipment. I do have two questions though: how DID you get the pics and may teachers use these pics for anatomy and physiology/ nursing classes to show the changes that happen during a cycle? Thank you. Please keep up the awesome work.
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beautifulcervix Reply:
May 15th, 2012 at 1:46 pm
Please see the FAQ page:
http://www.beautifulcervix.com/faq/
My husband just used a point and shoot digital camera to take the photos.
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Amazing insight on our cycle, I always wondered with it looks like and that answered my question beautifully!
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hey kudos, I hav a problem my virgina is itching n I feel like scratching but am not smelling bad could I hav an infection?
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beautifulcervix Reply:
May 21st, 2012 at 2:52 pm
Yes, you could have an infection or slight imbalance. Best to get it checked out to rule out and STDs and to treat it if necessary.
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Yes Shocker our God is truly great for creating such a beautiful and complex system! This is an awesome miracle to see. Thanks for sharing!!!
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hi. tanks
nice
very good
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Thanks for the great researsh.My question goes thus; I want to know the time that a woman can get Pregnant
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Hi,
First of all Thanks for the information. This is very informative to my wife. She was so shy to know about cervix but this gave her enough information by not going any where or discuss with somebody.
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Hi,
If possible can you please post content on cervical cancer.
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I have an early childhood degree and my daughter is also a doula, this is a neat website because it is very hard to find any real photos, when looking for information on this subject.
thanks
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Thanks for such information, i would encourage all medically trained people to join this group and learn more.
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