This 25 year old woman has never given birth and has no history of STIs. Each photo was taken at approximately 10:00 pm every day starting the first day of her menstrual cycle. For the duration of this project, she used condoms as her birth control method so as not to introduce semenal fluid into the photoshoot. She did not use tampons or mooncups during her menstruation either.

This cycle is of normal/average length for her, about 33 days. Her cycle’s follicular phase (variable number of days preovulation) lasts until about day 20 or 21. Her fertile phase lasts from days 13 to 21 with ovulation on day 20. Her luteal (postovulation) phase is 13 days long (12-16 days is the norm and is not variable in a normal cycle).

This is a graph of her basal body temperature for this cycle. As you can see, after ovulation on about day 20, her temperature began to rise due to the heat-inducing hormone progesterone produced by the corpus luteum. This temperature shift signifies that ovulation has already occurred. The coverline would be drawn at 97.4 F. Check out more information about the Fertility Awareness Method of birth control to learn more about cyclical temperature changes.

You may notice on the right side of some photos, some jagged looking skin, which is the remnants of her hymenal ring. Her os (opening in the cervix) is round because she has never given birth; the os becomes more of a slit after childbirth. On the sides of the photos, you can see her vaginal rugae, which are the ridges that make the elastic muscular canal of the vagina able to open/expand dramatically during arousal and childbirth.

She also tracked the depth/movement of her cervix in her vagina. These gradual shifts are not really distinguishable in the photos, but was a tangible change as the depth she needed to reach a finger inside to touch her own cervix varied slightly each day. She also noted the firmness of the cervix and openness of the os – again a change she was feeling with her finger.

Her uterus is tipped backward (retroflexed), so you may notice that the cervix is pointing upwards in some photos. The body of the uterus lies more towards her back than over her bladder as it does in most women. Much scientific literature states that a retroflexed uterus is an anatomical variation that is present in about 20-30% of the population, and sometimes considered a genetic trait. Another perspective is that proper alignment of all the pelvic organs can help tonify a woman’s fertility, ease menstrual cramps, and allow the proper flow of blood, lymph, nerve & chi energy. Attention to posture, Mayan abdominal massage, and addressing underlying inflammation or injuries might help right the uterus into an anteverted position.









Day One

Blood – red , clotty and heavy flow

Cramps – mild

Breasts – de-swelling

Feeling – very sexual and tender













Day Two

Blood – Dark red, medium/light flow

Breasts – normal

Basal body temperature – 97.2 F (and remains between 97 F and 97.4 F until day 20)













Day Three

Blood – Brown and watery dark red, low flow













Day Four

Brown Spotting with some dark red flecks (note fresh blood at os)













Day Five

Light brown discharge; very low flow

Tender, heart-achey

Tired













Day Six

Very light brown discharge

Sticky cervical fluid when touched between fingers













Day Seven

Cervix in low closed position

Cervical fluid sticky













Day Eight

Cervix low and closed/firm

Cervical fluid white and sticky













Day Nine

Cervix low and closed

Dry sensation













Day Ten

Cervix low and closed

Notice blood spot near os and brown clot near cervix (right). This is not mid-cycle spotting as she is not ovulating yet. This woman has been diagnosed with an endometrial polyp that occasionally causes bleeding mid-cycle, usually unrelated to intercourse.













Day Eleven

Cervical fluid is creamy













Day Twelve

Cervical fluid white and wet, milky

Feeling particularly sexual













Day Thirteen

Copious watery cervical fluid

Cervix softening and moving upwards













Day Fourteen

White/clear watery cervical fluid, dripping













Day Fifteen

Cervical fluid changed to more eggwhite texture

Cervix is soft, open and high













Day Sixteen

Cervical fluid alternately wet and eggwhite consistency

Cervix soft and high













Day Seventeen

Cervical fluid is very gelatainous (here seen covering os) and streaked with whitish yellow

Sensitive, sensual breasts (not painfully tender)

Stringy Fluid when stretched between fingers (above)













Day Eighteen

Eggwhite fluid















Day Nineteen

More white-tinged eggwhite fluid

Very stretchy and strong Fluid (above)



















Day Twenty

Mild back pain and cramp on left side (mittelschmerz)

Ovulation suspected!

Feeling very sexual

Cervical Fluid gelatinous and egg-white (right)

Os very open













Day Twenty One

Drier/chunkier cervical fluid – drying up pattern

Nipples very tender and painful

Basal Body temperature beginning to rise, today 97.7 F, confirming ovulaiton













Day Twenty-Two

Tender nipples

Cervical position is middle













Day Twenty-Three

Very tender nipples

Dry feeling













Day Twenty-Four

Very tender nipples

Dry feeling

Cervix feels hard and high again













Day Twenty-Five

Headache and tired

Dry/tacky













Day Twenty-Six

Breasts swelling

Tacky cervical fluid

Basal Body temperature now very noticeably higher than preovulation by about 1 degree Farenheit. It is now 98.1 F and ranges from 98.1 F to 98.6 F for the rest of this of cycle













Day Twenty-Seven

Tender nipples, swollen breasts

Tacky cervical fluid













Day Twenty-Eight

Dry feeling













Day Twenty-Nine

Dry feeling













Day Thirty

Dry feeling

Breasts feel heavy













Day Thirty-One

Feeling bloated

Dry fluid (note fresh blood at os, sign of impending menses)

Feeling emotionally tender













Day Thirty-Two

Very light brown spotting

Cervix low and open

Feeling tired













Day Thirty-Three

Pink spotting

Lower back ache

Menses begins tomorrow upon waking, 13 days after ovulation (luteal phase)

Feel free to comment below. Please know that we ‘censor’ the comments, so you needn’t bother saying something mean, derogatory, pornographic, or sexist as posting such comments does not further the vision of this project or the health of the world.