https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 24 Apr 2026 07:26:05 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-should-i-wait-to-check-cm-after-sex#post-691479 Thu, 04 Apr 2013 11:39:19 +0000 iluvpink 691479@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsCB: I have to agree with you. I find that even FF doesn't find my CM fertile at times, because it puts my O time way after EWCM or way before it. I don't get it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-should-i-wait-to-check-cm-after-sex#post-686037 Wed, 03 Apr 2013 08:16:48 +0000 illumina 686037@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I always had EWCM for a few days mid-cycle, however once we started TTC I couldn't see I had any at all. I just relied on opks and made sure we BD'd every couple days around mid-cycle. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-should-i-wait-to-check-cm-after-sex#post-685999 Wed, 03 Apr 2013 07:56:10 +0000 pui 685999@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs Checkers: No. Sticky and creamy CM means you are probably not fertile actually. This kind of CM is thick and is not ideal for sperm to swim through. Egg White CM (EWCM) usually shows up during ovulation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-should-i-wait-to-check-cm-after-sex#post-685744 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 23:19:14 +0000 Mrs Checkers 685744@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So if you have CM, does that mean you're ovulating? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-should-i-wait-to-check-cm-after-sex#post-685714 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 22:15:57 +0000 rattles 685714@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LovelyPlum: agreed on all counts :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-should-i-wait-to-check-cm-after-sex#post-685691 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 21:52:08 +0000 pui 685691@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Okay so I checked my CM just now (14 and a half hours after sex) and I got a very good sample from directly around my cervix. Sticky CM for sure. sooo I guess in conclusion, it's best to wait over half a day before checking CM, or make sure to check CM before BD. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-should-i-wait-to-check-cm-after-sex#post-685582 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 20:36:44 +0000 LovelyPlum 685582@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@rattles: we do too. Sometimes it is confusing, though, because I don't think Creighton accounts for lubricants. But after a few hours and a fee kegels, I'm usually confident in the difference. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-should-i-wait-to-check-cm-after-sex#post-685436 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:27:43 +0000 Pirouette 685436@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pui: I cant tell the difference! Ive read every trick, and i still feel unsure. We bd a lot, so I feel like I never can tell...I thought cm would be the easiest to track, but it turns out I find it the hardest! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-should-i-wait-to-check-cm-after-sex#post-685421 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:16:56 +0000 MrsH 685421@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I usually wait a couple days after BD to determine CM. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-should-i-wait-to-check-cm-after-sex#post-685409 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:10:48 +0000 NerdBee 685409@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>TCOYF says that CM the day after BDing is not reliable because of the presence of semen. </p> <p>Here are some excerpts from the book regarding the difference between CM and semen. Hope it helps! </p> <p>Make sure not to confuse semen with cervical fluid. They look and feel very similar. Semen will dry up very quickly upon your fingertips and is more rubbery is consistency. It may also tend to be foamy. Semen is little more white in color rather than clear like eggwhite fluid. To help you identify the difference, when urinating eggwhite cervical fluid will often hit the water and form into a ball while it sinks to the bottom .</p> <p>If you find that you have more watery or eggwhite days than you would expect and that these often follow days or nights that you had intercourse, then you may be mistaking seminal and cervical fluid. They are quite similar but you will find that fertile cervical fluid (eggwhite) is clear and stretchy and shiny. It will stretch a couple of inches without breaking. Semen may be more whitish and will break when pulled. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-should-i-wait-to-check-cm-after-sex#post-685304 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:00:15 +0000 ShootingStar 685304@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I never found CM to be all that helpful in determining fertile windows. When we would get close to when I would think it would be, we'd start BD-ing and I could never tell the two apart. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-should-i-wait-to-check-cm-after-sex#post-685296 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 17:53:41 +0000 Foodnerd81 685296@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I never could figure it out and just felt yucky about the whole thing, so I mostly relied on temping. But I was using charting pretty much just to confirm ovulation- we avoided unprotected sex before o while tta, then of course had a lot of it when ttc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-should-i-wait-to-check-cm-after-sex#post-685191 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 16:47:59 +0000 Grace 685191@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had the hardest time with this because i swear, there's still "stuff" the next day. But I did notice there was less if I did a bunch of kegels afterwards. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-should-i-wait-to-check-cm-after-sex#post-685181 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 16:42:38 +0000 rattles 685181@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I use the Creighton method which has specific instructions for this situation. I'm not an instructor, and I don't think you can really mix methods. That said, they instruct that after sex you use the bathroom, bear down, then do kegels. Wipe until everything is gone. After that, observe whatever you see on its merits. One way you can tell EWCM from arousal fluid is that while both are stretchy at first, only the former stays that way if you stretch it a few times. The latter stretches but becomes less stretchy and more sticky as you keep doing it. That doesn't quite answer your question, but hopefully it's at least sort of helpful! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-should-i-wait-to-check-cm-after-sex#post-685103 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 16:06:50 +0000 pui 685103@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PurplePumps: I hope we get some answers lol! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-should-i-wait-to-check-cm-after-sex#post-685040 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:46:37 +0000 PurplePumps 685040@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was just wondering the same thing myself yesterday! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-should-i-wait-to-check-cm-after-sex#post-685008 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:35:41 +0000 pui 685008@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've waited hours and hours after having sex to check CM and I am still worried it is skewing my samples. I always seem to feel a more moisture inside the whole day (like at least 12 hours) after sex. This makes it really hard to figure out my CM because I have sex often.</p> <p>(TMI alert) For example, I had sex this morning at 8:30am. I checked my CM (or whatever) just now and it feels very wet, slippery and can be stretched very far between fingers. I think this must be semen because I am on CD6 and I would assume this is way too early for EWCM.</p> <p>How long after sex can I check CM? What works for you? </p>