If you’re trying to conceive naturally – or just want to finally understand what’s going on in your body – cycle charting is one of the most powerful tools available. Yet most of us were never taught how to do it.

As a fertility coach and women’s health professional, I work with women every day who feel confused, overwhelmed, or blindsided by their menstrual cycles. They’re often relying on apps, guessing their ovulation date, or simply feeling like their body is broken. Sound familiar?

The good news? Your body isn’t broken. You just haven’t been taught to read the signs it’s giving you – signs that show you exactly when you’re fertile and when you’re not.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through two of the most important signs of fertility – cervical mucus and basal body temperature (BBT) – so you can start to chart your cycle with confidence and take back control of your fertility.

Why Cycle Charting Matters

Your menstrual cycle isn’t random. It follows a hormone-driven pattern with distinct phases, and when you learn to observe and chart your fertile signs, you can begin to:

• Identify your fertile window with confidence
• Understand when (and if) you’re ovulating
• Improve your chances to conceive naturally
• Spot hormone imbalances or irregularities early
• Use the same signs for natural birth control

Cycle charting is a daily check-in with your body. And it doesn’t require fancy tech, just observation, consistency, and a bit of know-how.

Fertile Sign #1: Cervical Mucus

Cervical mucus is your body’s real-time indicator of fertility. It’s produced by the cervix in response to rising oestrogen levels before ovulation and plays a crucial role in helping sperm survive and travel.

Here’s what to look for:

• In the days after your period, cervical mucus is often dry or sticky (non-fertile).
• As ovulation approaches, it becomes creamy, then watery, and finally clear, stretchy and slippery – like raw egg whites (fertile).
• After ovulation, it returns to a drier, sticky texture as progesterone rises.

You’re most fertile in the days when your cervical mucus is clear, slippery, and stretches between your fingers. This type of mucus creates the ideal environment for sperm to survive and travel to the egg.

Pro tip: Even if you have irregular cycles, cervical mucus is a reliable sign of where you are in your cycle. This is why so many apps get it wrong – they predict based on averages, not real-time signs.

Fertile Sign #2: Basal Body Temperature (BBT)

BBT is your resting body temperature taken first thing in the morning after at least 4–6 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Here’s how it works:

• Before ovulation, your temperature is lower (typically 36.1–36.4°C).
• After ovulation, progesterone causes your BBT to rise by 0.2–0.5°C.
• Your temperature will stay elevated until your next period.

Ovulation usually occurs the day before the temperature shift. A sustained rise for three consecutive days – and higher than the previous six – confirms that ovulation has occurred.

Important note: BBT confirms ovulation after it has happened, so it’s most powerful when used together with cervical fluid observation to both predict and confirm your fertile window.

Other Fertile Signs to Track

While cervical fluid and BBT are the main two, many women also notice:

• Ovulation pain (mittelschmerz) – a cramp or twinge near one ovary
• Ovulation spotting – light spotting due to hormone shifts
• Breast tenderness or swollen labia – from rising oestrogen
• Cervical position changes – during your fertile window, the cervix becomes soft, high, open, and wet (remember: S.H.O.W.)

These additional signs can help confirm what your primary fertile signs are already showing. The more you pay attention, the more patterns you’ll begin to see.

What If Your Cycle Isn’t “Regular”?

Let’s bust a myth: you don’t need a 28-day cycle to chart successfully.

Whether your cycle is 24 days, 35 days, or varies each month, the process of ovulation and menstruation still happens in the same order, it just takes a different amount of time.

If you’re ovulating, you’ll get a period roughly 11–17 days later. So rather than guessing when to try based on a calendar, learn how to chart and listen to what your body is actually telling you.

The Role of a Fertility Coach

Working with a fertility coach isn’t about handing over control, it’s about learning how to take it back. I help women like you tune into your body’s natural rhythms, so you can stop relying on guesswork and start charting with clarity.

Whether your goal is to conceive naturally, manage a hormone imbalance, or understand your cycle for the first time in your life, the knowledge you gain from cycle charting will serve you for years to come.

Final Thoughts

It’s frustrating that most of us never learnt this in health class. But once you understand your fertile signs, and how to track them, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without this knowledge.

The more you practise, the more confident you’ll become. And whether your goal is to conceive, avoid pregnancy, or just understand your cycle, charting puts that power back in your hands.