Rookie question...

Stuuuaaart

Ok so I've only been trying for my second since January. I got pregnant immediately with my first so I don't have any experience with trying. I just got my period. I have been using a fertility app to predict fertile days. My cycle since going off the pill is 23-24 days. My question is even with my cycle being shorter than 28 days, the fertile days the app suggests should be correct, right?

emsmama15

Most fertility apps actually seem to base your fertile days on the completely untrue idea that all women ovulate on CD 14. So if it's around that timeframe, I wouldn't trust it. Your best bet is to chart, use the fertility friend app, use OPKs, and BBT to determine when you ovulate and when your fertile period is. In my experience, my luteal phase was always the constant, so even when I had a wonky extra long cycle, my LP was always 13 days. Hope that helps. Good luck.

BulgariHeart

^^ Yep. The app assumes that you ovulate on CD14, while you probably O earlier than that. It's best to start tracking your basal body temperature using fertility friend to pinpoint more accurately on what day you O and how long your luteal phase is. 

Stuuuaaart

I just ordered a basil thermometer and ovulation predictors. So from from I read, the predictors will let me know when I'm about to ovulate and the when my temp rises that means that ovulation has already occurred so then it's too late. It seems like the predictors will let me know about 12-36 hours before ovulation and this is the best time to conceive. Does that sound correct?

kindershlitz

Yes- opks are helpful to alert you the O is coming and your temp shift will let you know you did in fact O. I have found I have a short window on between opk+ and O. So try to BD regularly in your fertile window. Once you chart a couple months hopefully you'll see some patterns. Most users on this site use the Fertility Friend App

emsmama15

And I would start using the ovulation predictors early since you have a short cycle.  Probably the first month, start them once your period is finished.  I used the Wondfo OPKs and I could start to see the positive sort of fade in and then I started using them 2-3 times per day, often catching my surge in the afternoon and then ovulating sometime the next day.  The temp will just help you confirm that you did ovulate.  There are several people on this board and others who have positive OPKs several times a cycle and only through temping do they know when they ovulate.  Good luck!  Any other questions, please ask.  

OldNell

I agree that apps without data have limited usefulness. I have a pretty consistent 16-day luteal phase and sometimes I O as early as day 9 or 10. No app would figure that out without my temps and the opk data and using an app linked to average cycles would have me missing my window almost every month.

Stuuuaaart

Thank you ladies. I ordered the OPKs and the thermometer from amazon. They will be here today. I still have my period but I do plan to start charting and testing as soon as it's over. I agree I'm O very early, probably ky around 10 days. Thank you and I'll keep you posted!

hooligans4

@Stuuuaaart start temping as soon as you get bbt and when period is done start opk's. My periods were always 21-23 days and I would O on cd8-10. But usually 8. So it wAs just days after period ended. Once you temp for a few months you will start seeing a pattern. My last two pregnancies (unfortunately they ended in MC) I had sex only on cd9 for one and the other was cd 8 and 10. When I got pregnant with my son it was in the 5 days right after my period ended. He was a surprise honeymoon baby so I was not keeping track then. But I had my period the first half of the honeymoon and we didn't have sex again until after I got a positive test.
So with shorter cycles you should be Oing early on as long as you don't have a luteal phase problem. But temping will figure this all out for you.
Good luck.

KirstenAlecia

Temping is the best route if you can. I fail miserably at it. I will tell you that I have used those aps for years and always did the deed during our "fertile week" according to the app and never got pregnant in 3 years. Our one BFP came when i wasn't paying attention at all cause it was a month we were not trying to get PG.....so the app is not correct in its generic calculation.....only temping will tell you for sure