Chapter 7: Basic Charting and Chart Reading

Key Findings

• Mucus counts as Peak-type when it shows at least one of three traits: clear, stretchy or lubricative. A single trait, or any mix of them, qualifies.
• The Peak Day is the final day that Peak-type mucus appears. The couple writes "P" on the chart once the mucus has changed on a later day.
• Four basic stamps mark bleeding days, infertile dry days, mucus days, and dry days that are fertile within the three-day count after the Peak Day.
• The vaginal discharge recording system writes each observation as numbers and letters. The chapter says it is a means of recording and that higher numbers should not be used to judge fertility.
• Teachers read a chart day by day to find errors. Medical consultants read it globally, for cycle length, phase lengths, mucus intensity, continuous discharge and abnormal bleeding.