[Mantak_Chia,_Michael_Winn]_Taoist_Secrets_of_Love(BookFi.org)

Biological Facts About Female Sexuality 269
FERTILE MUCUS
Before ovulation, the glands lining the cervical canal start producing
a slippery, stretchy clear or translucent mucus which flows
down the cervical canal and into the vagina. There may be enough
for a woman to be well aware of it, or she may just notice a
slickness around the opening to her vagina. The molecular structure
of this mucus is like tunnels and ladders, giving sperm direction
and support in their journey toward the cervical canal.
Ten minutes after ejaculation into the vagina, some sperm can
be found in the fallopian tubes. Sperm also find their way into the
crypts lining the cervical canal where they are nourished by the
mucus and time-released out over a period of three to five days.
So, if a woman and a man have intercourse on Saturday night and
she has fertile mucus but doesn't ovulate till Tuesday, she could
get pregnant some time on Wednesday.
NONFERTILE MUCUS
During the rest of her cycle, a woman may notice periods of relative
wetness and dryness. The cervical mucus produced during the
nonfertile times varies in quantity and is usually white and sticky.
The molecular structure of this mucus is like a mesh or grid, preventing
most sperm from entering the cervix. Observation of the
mucus cycle aids many women in determining their fertile times.
MENSTRUATION
About two weeks after ovulation, if a woman has not gotten pregnant,
the lining of the uterus, which has been building up to make a
nest for a developing embryo, sloughs off and another period begins.
The menstrual cycle is measured as the time between one
period and the next, counting the first day of bleeding as Day 1.
Most women menstruate about once a month, although few women
have periods exactly every 28 days, which is denoted as the
"norm" or "ideal." Regular cycles can vary as much as from three
to seven weeks. Some women who have only two to three periods
a year are often unaware of any cycle.