Ovulation

[NCfitnessgirl]

How many days before and after ovulation is the most fertile period?

[Tina]

I think it's 2-3 days before, and one day after.

[NCfitnessgirl]

I was thinking 3 and 3, but either way, I suck at this natural planning. :lol: This weekend, hubby asked how much longer till we have to stop. I said at least a week. Oops!! I think I ovulated on Friday. So, guess we'll see what happens in 2 more weeks. :innocent:

[Carrie]

Yep, I think it's 2-3 before and one after. Fingers crossed for you NCFitnessgirl!! :hi: It's a long 2 weeks to wait isn't it...lol

[fitnesschick]

well ... if you are charting your cervical mucus ... you are fertile from the time your cervical mucus shows up after your period (after your period you will have dry days with no mucus but it is possible to have no dry days either) until the fourth day after your cervical mucus peak :) which means you have to pay attention. fertile days depend on your own cycle and can be anywhere from 6-12 days. did you know that if conditions are right, sperm can live in your body from 3-5 days?! an egg needs to be fertilized within 12-24 hours so you would have 1 day after ovulation and even 5 days before depending how long the sperms live :)

[clsupnorth]

This is my 47th consecutive cycle of charting.... almost 4 years straight. Of keeping track of every bit of mucus, cervical size/shape/height, pain, twinge, ovulation predictor test, you name it. My failure at getting pregnant is by no means due to a lack of knowledge of fertile/infertile times.... :dry:

Alot of women don't have mucus production, or minimal, or it varies per month, or it will come and go even within the fertile window - so I've found that relying on cervical mucus as an indicator is only reliable if you've been keeping track of it for multiple cycles, and you know your pattern. Even then, it's iffy. You can be fertile and be totally dry.

Generally speaking, sperm lives 3-5 days, but the occasional woman has the perfect pH, hospitable environment, and copious amounts of cervical mucus that sperm can live 7+ days....

Ovulation predictor tests are great as they pinpoint ovulation much better. A positive means that you will ovulate within 24-48 hours. Like anything, it is best used in conjunction with other methods.

More and more evidence is showing that post-ovulation, the window for fertilization is pretty much closed after 12 hours. The egg may live up to 24, but it's 'ability' to accept sperm doesn't last long. The most effective route is to make sure there is sperm there waiting for it to pop out.

And if you are trying to avoid pregnancy, you need to consider a much wider berth around ovulation. Because by the time you 'notice' cervical mucus, there may have already been a couple days of fertile mucus that didn't come out. A positive ovulation test would be too late since sperm might already be in there. 7-10 days pre-ovulation would be best to avoid sex, along with 24 hours after.

How do you think you may have ovulated?

If your cycles are regular and average (28 days) then you can assume ovulation occurred 12-16 days before the start of your next period. Make sure you don't count 14 days from Day 1 - as a woman with a 40 day cycle will ovulate on something like day 24.

[MicheleSC]

I agree about a couple days before and maybe one day after - my cycles were longer and have previously not always been the same number of days - I didn't know exactly how long because I didn't chart for a long time, but I would get my period every other month or every two months, and because of that when I did start charting I would pay close attention to when my cervical mucous changed. If it was anything close to stretchy egg-whitish I just made sure we jumped on it every day until my temp went up. When I actually charted I didn't ovulate until day 25 and I kept thinking the next month it could be shorter/longer.

I hope it's going well for you.....

[3sweeties]

Charting your temperature along with checking your cervical mucus is a good way to pinpoint ovulation. I never had a regular cycle so charting help me know when I was fertile and also when my period would start.

[kattpl]

You should check out www.mymonthlycycles.com they have charts to help chart and predict your periods and ovulation...I have been using them for a few months and find it to be very helpful ....

KAth

[clsupnorth]

www.fertilityfriend.com is a good one, too.

[paramedic]

:lol: My husband is tired of trying as well. The first couple days he is all for it but than it becomes a job. I told him I'll remember this when I am too uncomfortable to have sex later on. :lol:

We have been trying since April, I know that isn't long but I have been off BC since Aug. My only problem is I haven't had a period yet. I know I will ovulate before I have one so we just keep trying. To help out I have taken 10 days of Provera. Tonight being my last.

[paramedic]

Originally posted by clsupnorth@Jun 8 2006, 12:31 AM
www.fertilityfriend.com is a good one, too.
Do you happen to know if or when you ovulate on Provera? I can't find the answer so we have been trying every day. My breasts have been so sore for the last 8 days??????

[clsupnorth]

Sorry paramedic, but trying since August still isn't a long time - not in my books, anyways! :dry: We've been trying for 6 years.... you can call me an expert in fertility charting. Just not in conceiving. :(

The best bet for you since you haven&#39;t had a period yet whereby you could start calculating ovulation, is to get some ovulation predictor tests. They will help you pinpoint if you are about to ovulate. Since your cycle is still regulating itself, you may not get any of the other ovulation signs such as cervical mucus, or cervix position/shape. But since OPT&#39;s are expensive, you may not want to do that. <as an aside - i get mine on ebay in like a pack of 50 for &#036;20 - same with the pregnancy tests. That way I can pee on a stick everyday and not go broke>

On the other hand, any chance you might already be pregnant and not know it? Have you tested?

[dare]

Does anyone have a simple "formula" that will roughly give you the best days you ovulate? (ie. counting so many days back from your period etc..) I have been reading so much about this and well, I&#39;m just plain confused&#33; I just don&#39;t understand how to calculate my ovulation days. :confused: I&#39;d like to half-assed figure it out before I have to go buy an ovulation test.

thanks.

[Tina]

I think you can count 14 days back from when you should start your next period. But my advice is that if you&#39;re just starting to try, just have fun for now :)

clsupnorth, I&#39;m sorry to hear you&#39;ve been trying for 6 years. wow.
See, sometimes you can do all the right things and still not get pregnant.

[MicheleSC]

Originally posted by dare@Jun 20 2006, 10:13 AM
Does anyone have a simple "formula" that will roughly give you the best days you ovulate? (ie. counting so many days back from your period etc..) I have been reading so much about this and well, I&#39;m just plain confused&#33; I just don&#39;t understand how to calculate my ovulation days. :confused: I&#39;d like to half-assed figure it out before I have to go buy an ovulation test.

thanks.
If you have a 28 day cycle, ovulation is usually 12-14 days after the first day of your period. That&#39;s if you have 28 days between periods. I have 40 days between periods and ovulate on day 25-26. The only way to know for sure is to take note of your cycles and temps. Even if you have a 28 day cycle, you could still ovulate before day 12 or after day 14...

Ovulation kits can tell you when you are about to ovulate, but from what I understand you can have a surge that would indicate that ovulation is coming, but you can be stressed out about something and not ovulate.

Have you been taking your temperature and charting?

[clsupnorth]

Originally posted by dare@Jun 20 2006, 09:13 AM
Does anyone have a simple "formula" that will roughly give you the best days you ovulate?
Yes. A woman&#39;s luteal phase (the period of time between ovulation and the onset of menstruation) is almost ALWAYS between 12-16 days. Count the days after ovulation as &#39;dpo&#39; (days post ovulation). This means with a luteal phase of 14 days, you would get your period after 14 dpo, technically on 15 dpo. Make sense? No - ok, I&#39;ll elaborate.

Even though a luteal phase averages 12-16 days between women, it is almost always the same # of days per woman. My luteal phase is reliably 15 days. If my cycle fluctuates, or is longer one month or shorter another, it is because the period BEFORE ovulation has changed in length - but the luteal phase remains constant. This is why if your cycles are not regular, counting 14 days in from the beginning is useless - you will be ovulating differently each month.

Counting 12-14 days from the *start* of your period is not a reliable indicator unless your cycles are 28 days, like Michele pointed out. And since many, many women don&#39;t have 28 day cycles, counting that way does not work for them.

So...using the luteal phase info, you count backwards from the start of your period to pinpoint when you ovulated. Let&#39;s say a woman who has a 28 day cycle can estimate a luteal phase of 14 days. This means she probably ovulated on day 14 of her cycle. (28-14 dpo= day 14 of total cycle). If she is not sure at this point if her luteal phase is 14 days exactly (it could be 12-16), she should give a buffer zone of 2 days on either side. So ovulation could &#39;possibly&#39; have happened anywhere between day 12- day 16 of her cycle.

Let&#39;s say her cycles are 40 days. (40-14 dpo= day 26 of total cycle). In this case, with the buffer zone, she should estimate ovulation occurred between day 24 and 28 of her total cycle.

If you have irregular cycles, then counting days will not work for you. You would need to rely on other symptoms or tests.

Once you have a rough gauge of the day each month you probably ovulate (using dpo&#39;s as the counting method) then you can pinpoint with accuracy using ovulation predictor tests, starting 5 days before you expect ovulation. This will pinpoint it to within 12-24 hours.

Some women who are having fertility issues discover that their luteal phase is less than 12 days. Anything less than 12 days means you are unlikely to get pregnant. The luteal phase is that time period when the corpus luteum is producing progesterone temporarily until a &#39;supposed&#39; fertilized egg implants and starts producing its own. If the corpus luteum starts to break down too early, there isn&#39;t enough progesterone to sustain an implanted egg before it starts producing it&#39;s own, and the implantation fails. This problem will ONLY be discovered if you are tracking your cycles and know your own body.

*** end note ***
I have been to many doctors - and I have found that the majority of them have no idea what a luteal phase even is. Or when progesterone is highest in a cycle, when luteinizing hormone or FSH is released - important stuff like that. Once I found myself explaining to my doctor how the female hormonal cycle worked. This is why you cannot rely on someone telling you that you simply ovulate on day 14. They say that because they assume women have 28 day cycles and 90% of the time they don&#39;t know anything else.

Know your own body.

[theresak]

I can&#39;t help on the original question - but it seems to be fully covered anyway. I just wanna say I&#39;ll be keeping the good thoughts for those trying - hope the news is good soon&#33;&#33;

[dare]

Thanks Clsupnorth&#33; Wow, that&#39;s a lot of good info&#33;&#33; I&#39;m still a little confused though, as I used 2 online ovulation calculators (I know, probably not the best choice&#33; haha But I wanted to see what they said, for fun). According to those, I am to ovulate anywhere from the 26th to the 2nd of the month. Now, according to your &#39;formula&#39;, I believe my ovulation days would put me from the 16th-20th. (My cycles are averaged at 32 days......32-14=18. Right?) Now, according to that....I ovulate just as my period is ending. Can that be?

[MicheleSC]

Originally posted by dare@Jun 20 2006, 06:03 PM
Thanks Clsupnorth&#33; Wow, that&#39;s a lot of good info&#33;&#33; I&#39;m still a little confused though, as I used 2 online ovulation calculators (I know, probably not the best choice&#33; haha But I wanted to see what they said, for fun). According to those, I am to ovulate anywhere from the 26th to the 2nd of the month. Now, according to your &#39;formula&#39;, I believe my ovulation days would put me from the 16th-20th. (My cycles are averaged at 32 days......32-14=18. Right?) Now, according to that....I ovulate just as my period is ending. Can that be?
I&#39;m sure clsupnorth will have more to add, but this is why you have to track your cycles first and can&#39;t really use a general formula - your luteal phase could be longer than 14 days - I think max is usually 16-18 days, but I&#39;m not positive. I don&#39;t know how you could be ovulating that soon after your period if your cycles are 32 days unless your periods are very long. If you track your cycles for a time period and can figure out how long your luteal phase is, then you can make a formula from that to predict ovulation days without continuing to track every month.

[Tina]

Here is my experience though...The first time I had sex I got pregnant so I know what day it was..it was right after my period, and I know we didn&#39;t do it again that month...

Edit to add: I&#39;ve also been tracking my cycles since January, and I found that they alternate between 28 and 30 days, so one month it&#39;s 28 and the next it&#39;s 30. weird eh?

[clsupnorth]

Originally posted by Tina@Jun 20 2006, 09:55 PM
Here is my experience though...The first time I had sex I got pregnant so I know what day it was..it was right after my period, and I know we didn&#39;t do it again that month...

Edit to add: I&#39;ve also been tracking my cycles since January, and I found that they alternate between 28 and 30 days, so one month it&#39;s 28 and the next it&#39;s 30. weird eh?
That wasn&#39;t likely the day you ovulated, though, since if conditions inside are right, that sperm could have survived up to 5, possibly 7 days inside you. You may have had sex only once right after your period, but you may not have ovulated for another 4 days or so.

It&#39;s not unusual for cycles to alternate between 28 and 30 days. All through 2004 for some reason my cycles alternated between 28 and 31 days. And now they&#39;ve settled to a clockwork 28 days every month.

Dare - how long are your periods? If you calculate that ovulation should be day 18, and you say that lands on the end of your period, are you saying you are bleeding for 18 days? Better yet, just post when the first day of your last period was... we&#39;ll figure it out for you.

I&#39;ll suggest it again... www.fertilityfriend.com is a great free charting site.

[Tina]

I went to fertilityfriend, lots of info...they told me that I have 11 possible ovuation days this month and next month :huh:

It just seems like a lot :lol:

[dare]

Originally posted by clsupnorth+Jun 20 2006, 10:05 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (clsupnorth &#064; Jun 20 2006, 10:05 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Tina@Jun 20 2006, 09:55 PM
Here is my experience though...The first time I had sex I got pregnant so I know what day it was..it was right after my period, and I know we didn&#39;t do it again that month...

Edit to add: I&#39;ve also been tracking my cycles since January, and I found that they alternate between 28 and 30 days, so one month it&#39;s 28 and the next it&#39;s 30. weird eh?
That wasn&#39;t likely the day you ovulated, though, since if conditions inside are right, that sperm could have survived up to 5, possibly 7 days inside you. You may have had sex only once right after your period, but you may not have ovulated for another 4 days or so.

It&#39;s not unusual for cycles to alternate between 28 and 30 days. All through 2004 for some reason my cycles alternated between 28 and 31 days. And now they&#39;ve settled to a clockwork 28 days every month.

Dare - how long are your periods? If you calculate that ovulation should be day 18, and you say that lands on the end of your period, are you saying you are bleeding for 18 days? Better yet, just post when the first day of your last period was... we&#39;ll figure it out for you.

I&#39;ll suggest it again... www.fertilityfriend.com is a great free charting site. [/b][/quote]
:huh: oy&#33; There is so much info to take in&#33; :lol: Okay, so my periods usually last a week or so. The first day of my last period was June 11...and it just got finished around the 17th-18th.

Also, maybe I missed something.....how exactly do you chart your cycles? I&#39;ve only really start keeping track of my periods for the past few months. The average of those was 32 days. ...Don&#39;t know if that helps any?

Thank you for your help&#33;&#33; :baby:

After all this, I think I&#39;m going to just tell my hubby that we need to have sex every other day all month&#33; :laugh:

[Tina]

Originally posted by dare@Jun 21 2006, 10:02 AM


After all this, I think I&#39;m going to just tell my hubby that we need to have sex every other day all month&#33; :laugh:
I think that&#39;s the best plan if you&#39;re just starting out ;)

[clsupnorth]

Originally posted by Tina@Jun 21 2006, 12:19 AM
I went to fertilityfriend, lots of info...they told me that I have 11 possible ovuation days this month and next month :huh:

When you first use fertilityfriend.com, it is &#39;learning&#39; your cycle patterns, so it will overestimate your fertile days, just to be safe. After charting 3 cycles or so, then it will narrow it down to just 3 estimated days for ovulation.

Dare:
(32-14 dpo = 18 days) So counting from June 11, 18 days places you at June 28. With a buffer zone, that means ovulation is likely between June 26-30. And your period should come on July 12 or around about. Does that make sense?

And yes, the most fool-proof plan is to have sex every other day from the end of your period to a few days before your period. But seriously, who does that? ;)

[dare]

Originally posted by clsupnorth@Jun 21 2006, 01:45 PM
Dare:
(32-14 dpo = 18 days) So counting from June 11, 18 days places you at June 28. With a buffer zone, that means ovulation is likely between June 26-30. And your period should come on July 12 or around about. Does that make sense?


Ah yes, it now makes perfect sense. I was thinking about this again today, before I read your post, and realized where I had gotten confused. Instead of counting 18 days from the first day of my period, I was thinking that the "18" was to be the 18th of June&#33; So ya, that didn&#39;t make any sense to me.

It&#39;s all good now&#33;&#33; Thank you so much&#33; :)

[clsupnorth]

Originally posted by dare@Jun 21 2006, 04:05 PM
Ah yes, it now makes perfect sense. I was thinking about this again today, before I read your post, and realized where I had gotten confused. Instead of counting 18 days from the first day of my period, I was thinking that the "18" was to be the 18th of June&#33; So ya, that didn&#39;t make any sense to me.
I was wondering if you were thinking it meant the 18th of June&#33;
Glad it makes sense now. Keep track like that for awhile, but if you can learn to also chart any cervical mucus, or taking your temps, or using ovulation tests, it would make it more accurate.... since we are still assuming a 14 day luteal phase for you. Remember, yours might be 12 days. Or 16.

[dare]

One more question :) ....

I would assume then, that it would be nearly impossible to become pregnant at any other time of month other than when you ovulate? correct?

[Tina]

That&#39;s what they say, but it could still happen.

[H&G'sMom]

Originally posted by dare@Jun 26 2006, 10:27 AM
One more question :) ....

I would assume then, that it would be nearly impossible to become pregnant at any other time of month other than when you ovulate? correct?
That would be correct.... ovulation is required to get pregnant ;)
But remember, ovulation is a funny thing that is totally hormone dependant, and it could be a fluke that you ovulate on day 6 or 8 or 22 instead of the &#39;normal&#39; day 12 - 16 of your cycle. When I was trying to get pregnant, I found cycles where I ovulated on day 10 and others where it was on day 18.... unless you were charting and paying attention, you would never know exactly when.

[clsupnorth]

Originally posted by H&G&#39;sMom+Jun 26 2006, 03:01 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (H&G&#39;sMom @ Jun 26 2006, 03:01 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-dare@Jun 26 2006, 10:27 AM
One more question :) ....

I would assume then, that it would be nearly impossible to become pregnant at any other time of month other than when you ovulate? correct?
That would be correct.... ovulation is required to get pregnant ;)
But remember, ovulation is a funny thing that is totally hormone dependant, and it could be a fluke that you ovulate on day 6 or 8 or 22 instead of the &#39;normal&#39; day 12 - 16 of your cycle. When I was trying to get pregnant, I found cycles where I ovulated on day 10 and others where it was on day 18.... unless you were charting and paying attention, you would never know exactly when. [/b][/quote]
Exactly what she said. Also, because of cervical mucus and depending on the durability of the sperm, you could have a HUGE window of &#39;fertility&#39; surrounding ovulation.

Not only that, but my fertility doctor was telling me that he has had cases where women have ovulated twice in one month. So THAT&#39;S who&#39;s been hogging my eggs&#33;&#33;&#33; :mad:

[Tina]

Originally posted by clsupnorth+Jun 27 2006, 12:52 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (clsupnorth @ Jun 27 2006, 12:52 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>
Originally posted by H&G&#39;sMom@Jun 26 2006, 03:01 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-dare@Jun 26 2006, 10:27 AM
One more question :) ....

I would assume then, that it would be nearly impossible to become pregnant at any other time of month other than when you ovulate? correct?
That would be correct.... ovulation is required to get pregnant ;)
But remember, ovulation is a funny thing that is totally hormone dependant, and it could be a fluke that you ovulate on day 6 or 8 or 22 instead of the &#39;normal&#39; day 12 - 16 of your cycle. When I was trying to get pregnant, I found cycles where I ovulated on day 10 and others where it was on day 18.... unless you were charting and paying attention, you would never know exactly when.
Exactly what she said. Also, because of cervical mucus and depending on the durability of the sperm, you could have a HUGE window of &#39;fertility&#39; surrounding ovulation.

Not only that, but my fertility doctor was telling me that he has had cases where women have ovulated twice in one month. So THAT&#39;S who&#39;s been hogging my eggs&#33;&#33;&#33; :mad: [/b][/quote]
Because I got pregnant so easily I thought I was one of those woman who ovulated twice, but whenever I try to look it up the info says it&#39;s impossible..but I know I heard that somewhere from a doctor.

There are so many factors involved Dare, that&#39;s why I&#39;m saying for the first little while just have fun and don&#39;t worry about &#39;timing&#39; :)

[clsupnorth]

Originally posted by Tina@Jun 27 2006, 08:31 AM
Because I got pregnant so easily I thought I was one of those woman who ovulated twice, but whenever I try to look it up the info says it&#39;s impossible..but I know I heard that somewhere from a doctor.
That&#39;s what I thought too, so i questioned my specialist when he said that. He explained that yes, it is impossible to get more than one hormonal surge that produces ovulation each month - meaning that your body only gives the signal to ovulate one time, and one time only. However, if a woman is polycystic, normally only one of those cysts is mature enough to release an egg - but he says that in those polycystic women, one egg will release normally on time, and then the second egg released a few days later. He says it&#39;s a freak occurence, and they only discovered that because of ultrasound.

Weird.

[dare]

Is it possible to get your period & not ovulate?

[H&G'sMom]

Is it possible to get your period & not ovulate?

Yes.

[CraveMuscle]

:ditto:

isn't it b/c progesterone peaking controls the lining and its shedding and estrogen peaking controls ovulation/egg release?

[H&G'sMom]

:ditto:

isn't it b/c progesterone peaking controls the lining and its shedding and estrogen peaking controls ovulation/egg release?

Yep, it is the drop of progesterone that 'triggers' the lining to shed (causing your period), while you need to have good levels of both estrogen and progesterone to ovulate and/or get pregnant.

[dare]

So how will you ever know if you're ovulating or not?

[colo1278]

use an ovulation test kit. They are just like pregnnacy tests in that you pee on a little stick and wait for a result in the little window. Most tests come with a lot of them and tell you to start testing everyday from somewhere during the first week of your cycle. They test for Lh, Lutenizing Hormone, which tells your ovary to pop out an egg in about 24-48 hours... so once you get a positive Lh "surge" make sure you have some sex in the next two days.

You can also take your basal temp every morning (use a special basal thermomter). Your body's temp rises at ovulation, so after a few months of keeping track, you may be able to notice a pattern and can have sex a few days BEFORE the rise in temp. If you have sex after ovulation, it is probably too late. (same with the Lh method). This method is WAY harder, but can be just as effective.

[dare]

So, if one doesn't ovulate, what can be done so that you do?

[H&G'sMom]

So, if one doesn't ovulate, what can be done so that you do?

You can see a fertility specialist and they can work with you to induce ovualation. Usually it involves hormones or other fertility drugs. It can be done.

[colo1278]

I think it can be fixed sometimes with Clomid or progesterone. Clomid is a synthetic drug that stimulates the ovaries and progesterone is a naturally occuring hormone in your body. Depends on what your problem is. Sometimes just gaining a little body fat is all you need.

[dare]

Well, I took another preg. test this morning..... nothing :( Next go around I'm going to buy an ovulation test kit. How many of you have used this? When do I start using it? If the tests show that I am not ovulating, how soon should I go to the doctor?

[Carrie]

How long have you been TTC?

[strongchick]

Ovulation tests are like pregnancy tests...they are looking for changes in hormone levels. You can buy them at any drugstore.

if its a bodyfat issue, though, clomid won't work.

As for when to see your doc, it depends on how long you've been TTCing. Often, people are just unaware of their real cycles and are just having sex at the wrong time. Have you charted your morning temperatures? That's a way to track when you ovulate, and you may be ovulating but not actually having sex at the right time.

[dare]

Ovulation tests are like pregnancy tests...they are looking for changes in hormone levels. You can buy them at any drugstore.

if its a bodyfat issue, though, clomid won't work.

As for when to see your doc, it depends on how long you've been TTCing. Often, people are just unaware of their real cycles and are just having sex at the wrong time. Have you charted your morning temperatures? That's a way to track when you ovulate, and you may be ovulating but not actually having sex at the right time.

I don't think BF is an issue for me.

We've been TTC for a few months. I've been keeping track of my cycles, they have been pretty regular...except for the last 2 months for some reason...period has been coming 4-5 days later than usual.
To make sure we're hitting the right days, we've been having sex every other or at least every two days from the time my period ends to a few days before my next expected period. So from that, I can't see how we can be missing it...that's why I am wondering if I am even ovulating.

[strongchick]

Take your morning temperature every morning. Your temperature will go up about a degree the day you ovulate.

its explained in the book: taking charge of your fertility.

[colo1278]

keep in mind too that perfectly normal ovulating women have sex at the right time and everything was technically "correct" but still, no fertilization occurs. That is why fertility docs usually make you go through 12 months of trying before they will see you and try to find a problem.

I know it is frustrating but believe me, it will happen!!!! :)

[trinitylove]

i think it's hysterical that this is a sticky!

[dare]

i think it's hysterical that this is a sticky!

Why? It's important stuff!

[KatieB]

Why? It's important stuff!

Damn skippy - I had no idea about any of this lol. I tried fertilityfriend (first started putting in info a few months ago) and got some seriously weird results, so it helped me to read this thread.

My first was unplanned, so I never had to worry about all this...

I am definitely taking the "do it every other day and see what happens" route for now though ;).

Thanks ladies for all the information :D.

[Ananda]

I just wanted to say this is such a good sticky! There is a ton of info and since my husband and I are TTC for the first time, it is invaluable. I had no idea even where to start so this has helped a lot. Thanks for the info and wish me luck!!

[colo1278]

Well, I took another preg. test this morning..... nothing :( Next go around I'm going to buy an ovulation test kit. How many of you have used this? When do I start using it? If the tests show that I am not ovulating, how soon should I go to the doctor?
wanted to letcha know that these worked for us! we tried the ol' see what happens route for three months with no luck, then used ov test kits for two months and got pg on the 2nd month.

The directions are simple- you usually start peeing on the sticks a few days into your cycle.

[Ananda]

I was looking at those ovulation test kits today. Are they all that expensive? It was $43. for a 5 day pack. Is that normal? Do you know of anywhere to get them cheaper?

[Ananda]

Anyone?

*crickets chirping*

[fit'n'healthy]

Anyone?

*crickets chirping*

You can buy them online in bulk and they are a lot cheaper. check ebay.com, too. I'm going to order some from there. They don't come with the plastic outer covering, I dont' think, they are just the paper strip so I believe you pee in a cup and dip.

[Ananda]

Thanks, I'll look into it!

[colo1278]

mine weren't super cheap, but were not that bad either- max 20 bucks for one cycle. I got them at Walgreens, a pharmacy/drug store chain.

[HOEGH29]

I agree I am new to this thread and this sticky is very helpful... I am TTC and hope to have a baby soon.... Thanks for the great info!