Ovulation....I'm Confused.

Not ovulating every month is common, I'm only 25 and when we started trying to get pregnant we found out that I don't ovulate every month more like every other month. Having a child or stress or any other major things like that can alter your cycle and your ovulation schedule. I would suggest charting your temps at least to find out if you are ovulating. If you take your temp every morning you can look at the patterns and find out whether or not you have ovulated. Taking Charge of your Fertility is a fantastic book and has software to narrate your results for you takes away a lot of the work. It's a lot cheaper than seeing a specialist right away. Plus you will have more info if you do have to see a specialist.

Buy the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" to learn how to predict your ovulation. Even if you don't use the Basal Temp. method, checking cervical fluid can be an enormous help. It will also help you learn to track your cycles to watch for patterns to make sure that you are ovulating. I used the book to determine that I wasn't ovulating regularly and was able to tell my doc more at my appointments because I knew what was going on. 3 kids later I still think it was the most valuable tool in helping me become a mom!

I conceived my daughters on the day after my period stopped and 3 days after my period stopped. So, you need to test from the last day of your period on.

N.

are you sure youre not already pregnant? try relaxing about the whole thing. as we get older our bodies go through changes, things happen that didn't before and things stop happening. sometimes stress plays a big factor in "things happening". so relax. taking warm soothing bathes espeacially before engageing helps.

Taking Charge of Your Fertility is a wonderful book which will help you to understand your cycle and determine if there really is a problem, or it's just a case of those sticks being wrong. all you need to do is take your temp every morning before you get up and chart it on the charts provided in the book. Pretty soon you'll see when the best time is for you and your husband to try and conceive. That's how my husband and I conceived within just a couple of months of starting trying. Good luck!

If you have a shorter cycle, you are probably ovulating sooner than you would think. Typically, the luteal phase (the time from when you ovulate to when you start your period) is consistent in length and it's the first part the can fluctuate. Most luteal phases are at least 12 days. So, with a 24 day cycle, you should be ovulating before day 12. If your luteal phase is shorter than that, it may not be giving your uterus enough time to build up a lining that can support a pregnancy.
I have used ovulation sticks and have found them to be very reliable, but fertility friend was also very helpful.

I ovulate the same time I have my period. It took me forever to figure that out.
Good Luck!

I was told by my obgyn that as you get older you do not ovulate every period. When I was 36 I got pregnant with my son first try. Then when my huband and I tried to get pregnant with my daughter a year later no go. The Dr. had me do the ovulation kit strips also and temp thing. Didnt work for me. So we went to the Clomed and vaginal ultrasound and shot if there were viable size eggs. Then it was home to have sex for the next five days in a row. Once he ejaculated I had to sit with my bottom elevated with a pillow for 10 minutes. It sure took the fun out of things. Twice we did that and still nothing. She told me the next step would be a fertility specialist. So I told my husband that if I was not pregnant by forty then we will only have one child. Sex was not enjoyable anymore it was taking its toll. She went into private practice and left the office I was with. After I took all the stress out of trying so hard I was pregnant on my own without the use of a thermometer, ovulation kits and all the rest of the stuff. Within three months I was pregnant and my daughter was born the week before I turned forty. Just dont try so hard and enjoy yourself and it should come naturally.

Taking Charge of your Fertility is worth reading! I see it's been mentioned several times already, but it's true!

Hi Mommy T.

have you ever considered/done Temperature measuring/charting? That worked for me for years to avoid pregnancy as well as to become pregnant within 1 month and 2 months respectively when I wanted. My cycle is also shorter, ovulation was usually right in the middle.
Maybe you worry to much, stress can also be a factor. If you need any advice on the temp-thing, send me a message.

Good luck!

Hi Mommy T
I ovulated on day 7 or 8 of my cycle when I got pregnant with my daughter at age 35. As we age our cycles change & yes sometimes you may not ovulate. It sounds like those sticks are not working for you so I would just stop using them. You have a lot of great advice already, but I would try having sex every other day starting at day 7. Good luck to you.

It took me TWO FULL YEARS to conceive our oldest son b/c I used those sticks. They always said negative during the expected time, so I finally bought several boxes and used one every day for a month...negative every single day. Guess what? A few weeks later I discovered I was 5 weeks pregnant! So I know I ovulated in there somewhere or else somebody will have to explain my 3 year old son to me!!!:)
I too thought I was not ovulating regularly since the sticks were always negative. When it came time to try for number 2 I just enjoyed my relationship with my husband and got pregnant in 1 cycle.
Spring is really not that long ago, try not to sweat it, and don't get into the habit of thinking your body is failing you or else it will. Maybe making the appointment with the fertility clinic will work for you, I had
to cancel mine b/c I found out I was pregnant 5 days before the appt.!!
Good luck and happy trying!!!!!

I don't know about the predictor sticks. I used an expensive monitor (clear blue fertility monitor) and when used correctly it works well.

I highly recommend the book "Taking Charge Of Your Fertility" which recommends taking your temperature each morning before you get out of bed. When your temperature jumps, you are ovulating.

You ovulate 14 days before your period, so probably around day 10 of your cycle if you are consistently 24 days. I hope this helps.

Good luck.

Ok...ovulation happens 14 days before your period. So, when you're looking for ovulation around day 10 on a 24 day cycle - if your cycle is very regular. Ignore any advice that is based on a 28 day cycle because it won't work for you! Good luck!

What helped me finally figure out my ovulation pattern was using fertilityfriend.com. I used the ovulation kits and I took my temp every morning and charted it on fertility friend. The website actually tells you when you've likely ovulated and your most fertile days. Good luck!

The only ovulation predictor that I felt confident using was this one: http://www.clearblueeasy.com/index.php?page=ourproducts&a...

I had a hard time w/the other ones.

Also, I started trying to conceive baby #1 at age 35. Like you, my cycles were short and it turned out that I had diminished ovarian reserve. Not to alarm you -- it may be normal for some women to have short cycles but in my case it was an indication of a problem. You may want to have a diagnostic cycle completed to learn more. If you decide to do that I would recommend going to an RE (reproductive endocrinologist, i.e. a fertility doctor) rather than your obgyn. I've seen so many women lose time dealing w/obgyns.

Good luck!

Some women don't ovulate every month. The only way to really confirm ovulation is by charting your temperature. If you check www.fertilityfriend.com there's a chart gallery that shows basal body temp (BBT) charts for all kinds - normal, anovulatory, long cycles, pregnancy etc. You can search by category. So yes, it can happen. If your cycle is short you're probably ovulating early since luteal phases are generally around 14 days for everyone. So this would put your ovulation on day 10.

Pick up a copy of Taking Charge of your Fertility by Toni Weschler if you haven't already. This is a great book that solved a great many mysteries for me.

I suggest going to your local library or book store to look for a copy of a book called "Taking Charge of Your Fertility: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health" by Toni Weschler. It explains our reproductive cycles and helps you to determine when and if you are actually ovulating. It has lots of info, & some may seem tedious, but it really helps you understand your body. It personally helped me when I was trying to conceive my second child, and also my sister and a few friends. I am not in anyway affiliated with the author or publisher, I just think this book is very helpful and it taught me a lot of things in my mid 30's that I never new. Good Luck!

I agree with the poster below and have similar problem: short luteal phase. I ovulate around day 18, but my period starts around day 25. When I'm trying to get pregnant, I'll use progesterone starting 3-5 days after ovultation (I use the pills, not the disgusting suppositories, and I get them from my midwife) I was 38 when I got pregnant with my daughter, 39 when I had her. Short luteal phase is extremely common as you get older. Easy to fix.
Also, strongly recommend the Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor. It is very accurate and lets you know precisely what's going on in your cycle. I'm already tracking my cycles in preparation for ttc baby #2 next summer. That way, when I see my midwife a couple of months before officially trying, we'll know where I'm at and what needs tweaking. I'll be 41 then, so it will be extremely important to see if I'm still ovulating, how the luteal phase is doing, etc. Compared to most ferility stuff you can do, it's super cheap and very helpful.

I found the book "Taking Charge of your Fertility" great. It explains very well the different components of a cycle and you can use the charts to plot your cycle. You measure your temperature and mucous and you can use the ovulation predictors. Lots of people don't ovulate exactly in the middle of their cycle, they are a bit earlier or later. And yes, sometimes we miss a cycle. The charting can give you a good idea over a few months as to what is going on. In my case, I tend to ovulate a little earlier than the middle and I don't have a regular cycle length - anywhere from 25-28 days. So I would start measuring with the predictor kit around day 7 and generally ovulated around day 11. Hope this works for you. Good luck.

Here's another vote for the Taking Charge of Your Fertility book! It is an eye-opening read!

Also, the ovulation kits (other than not being 100% effective) are made to pick up a specific hormone spike before your egg is released (your surge). It might be possible that you are either missing that small window that the test would read positive (sometimes you have to test 2x a day), or that you may be lacking the hormones needed for ovulation (and that is why you never see your surge). You should absolutely talk with your doctor about this. I had my child before 35 with no problem, and now that I'm over 35 (and after a long time trying), we've discovered that I was not ovulating every month because of low progesterone (they are called annovulatory cycles, where you do not ovulate, but you still bleed at the end of your cycle). It's a simple blood test 7 days after your surge, ask your doctor...

Also, taking your temperature at the same time each morning before you get out of bed can show you if you are having the thermal shift that indicates ovulation has occured. The how-to is all in the book.

Are you charting your cycles? It's important to do so, and reveals so much information about your body and your cycle. It will really help your doctor, too. (On a side note, I wanted to correct what another poster said...you ovulate 14 days BEFORE you get your period. You can't count from day 1 (first day of full flow), you have to chart and count backwards to establish a pattern. Some women's cycles are short - like yours - and some are extremely long - like mine at 36 + days! Counting from day 1 might not give you accurate results.)

Good luck, and seriously, get that book!

~M.

Hi,

In response to your question. Women ovulate about 10-15 days after their period. The first day of your period. You should also go to a bookstore and get the book, "the Midwife". The main character in the book is a woman who work with and OB/GYN during the depression, lost just about everything, but kept her family going because she was a midwife and taught women how their cycles worked. The book explains it well, and the story line is also good.

The most important thing is to relax. Let nature takes its course and enjoy this entimate time with your husband. You'll be expecting your next child before you know it.

The book already recommended is great. It is true that you may not ovulate some months, especially if you're on anti-inflammatory medicine (even the nasal spray!). Technically, if you really want the positive test, you should test twice a day, 12 hours apart. By the time you get the positive, it may be too late. Don't put all your hope on the ovulation test kit. The month I got pregnant last year, every test strip came back negative. When the pregnancy test was positive, I was like, but I didn't ovulate! They aren't 100%! Keep positive thoughts!
T.

Yes- it is true- when I was a gestational surrogate for some friends I had to go and get my blood taken every month and there were two months of that time that I didn't ovulate. I was surprised, too- I thought a woman just ovulated every month. Plus I have three children of my own and never had trouble getting pregnant- but I end up ovulating and getting pregnant- I was 32 years old at the time

Well, 28 day cycle is a guide and ovulation on the 14th day of that cycle is as well. I have a 28 day cycle but I have ovulated on the 11th day and i've ovulated on the 16th day. I've never used an ovulation kit but from those who have it seemed to be somewhat accurate. I have heard of people not ovulating every month. With age many things happen and change especially if you've had your period for a few decades and after having children. It all has to do with our hormones. Are you supposed to use the ovulation kit for one whole month to get a most accurate reading? I would keep checking it and perhaps you have yet to ovulate. Be blessed!

Mommy T,

Forgive me if I'm wrong as to when we "supposedly" ovulate, (it's been 8 years since I tried) but I believe it's 14 days after the first day of your last period. Anyway, I can tell you that my husband and I had sex on days 11, 13 and 15 after the first day of my last period, just in case I ovulated early or late...and viola', 9 months later my daughter was born!

In regards to your question as to whether we ovulate every month or not, I don't remember if that's true, but I do know that we can ovulate on either side. For instance, I have endometriosis, fibroids, and a cyst on my right ovary, which has resulted in extremely painful periods. I remember mentioning to my doctor that I would only have a few tolerable periods throughout the year. What he told me was that I was likely ovulating on the opposite (good) side... which was how I knew that I was ovulating.

Hope this helps:-)