CM question

[OvenSeeksBun]

(Totally TMI) If you use the toilet, glance between your legs and see some whiteish gooey stuff dangling down, is it EWCM? Or could it be semen from hours ago still making its way out? It can stretch from my body to the toilet water, so a good 5-6 inches.

[Tear78]

I gave up trying to tell the difference between semen and EWCM. I would guess that what you have is EWCM, but they're really very similar. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful!

[OvenSeeksBun]

Thanks

It's so confusing! I think I remember reading that semen can't stretch, but I'm not sure now.

[MaerynPearl]

semen can stretch!

DFs looks JUST like EWCM even up to 24 hours after DTD (even now when I dont really get EWCM, since Im nearly 17 weeks pregnant)

FF says if you dont know, count it as EWCM to be safe.

[OvenSeeksBun]

That just confirms that it's probably semen

Oh well, I'll enter it as EWCM and see what happens.

[Tear78]

Originally Posted by OvenSeeksBun

That just confirms that it's probably semen

Oh well, I'll enter it as EWCM and see what happens.

If you're hoping it was EWCM for charting purposes, then it can be totally frustrating to try to narrow down O when you're not sure which is which. If you (like I) don't produce much ewcm, you could try preseed. You can order it online, it's fertility friendly, and definitely helps in that aspect.

[Blanca78]

I don't know, my guess would definitely be EWCM. In my experience semen liquifies not too long after DTD. I guess Mae's experience is different, but I had always heard it didn't keep its shape that long afterwards. Have you ever noticed that his stretched before?

[OvenSeeksBun]

Well, I've wondered about this in the past. I've never tried stretching it before though. Yesterday we basically DTD at around 5PM, and I noticed this "CM" at around 1:00AM. The problem is, since we had are TTC during my fertile window, there's ALWAYS a question of whether it's EWCM or semen, because both will likely be around at the same time. I haven't been temping this cycle, which leaves me little to go on besides past patterns. I'm on CD23 today, which would be a later-than-typical O-date for me.

Thanks for the insight ladies

[karmab]

wowza, that would be a lot of ewcm! my vote is for semen, but you are right, it could be both, you know, i mean, if you are dtd while you have ew, (as you should!) it gets hard to tell. i typically check for me 24 hrs after dtd, or for example, if we do it when we go to bed, i check the next night when i get ready for bed. if we do it in the am, i check the next day morning when i wake up.

[enigo]

Isn't EWCM supposed to be clear? ...and look well, like eggwhites?

[jeminijad]

Originally Posted by enigo

Isn't EWCM supposed to be clear? ...and look well, like eggwhites?

Mine is cloudy sometimes.

[Blanca78]

Originally Posted by jeminijad

Mine is cloudy sometimes.

Mine too--or at least kind of streaky.

Have you ever done the water test? EWCM supposedly balls up, while semen dissolves...

[~Adorkable~]

If you even want to know which one it is Do the water test. Drop it in a glass of water. If it globs together and sinks it's EWCM, if it breaks apart and dissolves it's semen. Also, semen will dry quickly on the tips of your fingers which EWCM won't dry as quickly

[MaerynPearl]

my ewcm can be anywhere from clear to white... as can DF semen... so even color doesnt work.

Though Im sure the water test would had I known about it lol

[OvenSeeksBun]

Man, I wish I knew about that water test yesterday!!! I was just sitting there staring at it, wishing I knew how to tell, LOL

[Stevi]

There's a third possibility... Your own arousal fluid.

I can usually tell semen from EWCM by it's feel. Semen is more watery, while EWCM feels like eggwhites, slippery and stretchy.

But, female arousal fluid... I can't tell it from EWCM.

[~Adorkable~]

Thankfull with arousal fluid, which I can't really tel the difference between either, it matters less. It is similar because to serves the same function(good reason to get worked up when ttc bding) and because it does not stick around long afterward.

[Jenne]

Great! I should have read this thread about 3 minutes ago! I just had a clump of what I *think* is EWCM...but we DTD yesterday...anyway...I haven't noticed that dh's contribution to the party is noticeable well after the fact...it is usually liquid by 20 minutes afterward...this mornings stuff was definitely stretchy...
between my thumb and index finger 2-3 inches and it didn't seem to dry...

Votes? EWCM or Dh???


I'm only on CD13 though! My earliest recorded O is CD17...but I started new TCM this month...sigh...guess we'll dtd today then too


Jenne

[Stevi]

Jenne... I've had EWCM for more than 4 days in the past. I vote EWCM!!!

[MaerynPearl]

I did notice something that other women have mentioned in the past this cycle...

while I DO see DFs semen after the fact, its only been months when we did not conceive or DTD well after ovulation that I could see it. The week we conceived I had a little bit of EWCM but never saw DFs contribution (as it was called and I loled cuz thats cute) until after ovulation was confirmed. Then it was the usual mass amounts of it for up to 24 hours after DTD.

Just an odd observation to mention.