Ovulation Confusion

Carazona5

Hi everyone,
I'm just a little confused... I know a sign of ovulation is EWCM, so I've been looking out for it.... The last month and this month also, it seems to happen three times during my cycle. A few days after AF, then again about 10 days or so later and then again a few days before AF. I'm assuming the middle one is ovulation time but why so much?!? It's confusing and kind of annoying to see it right before AF when it's also a sign of early pregnancy. kind of a tease. Is this normal, and how do I know which time it's actually ovulation?
Also once I see it, is that the day OF ovulation or is it after that??
I have a lot to learn I guess.

jilligan14

Do you temp and use OPKs as well? I find those methods to be more informative than EWCM. Personally, I notice EWCM pretty much all cycle long but that's probably due to me having PCOS (and wacky estrogen levels). If you chart and use OPKs, you'll start seeing patterns and can learn to trust the EWCM that happens closer to those times. I think I read somewhere that your last fertile day is the last day you see EWCM but you can still see it after ovulation because your body keeps producing some estrogen. I don't think CM of any kind is a sign of early pregnancy. Hope this helps!!

Carazona5

I've read and heard from pregnant people that CM is an early sign but a lot of early pregnancy signs mimic approaching AF signs so there's that...

No I haven't charted or temped yet. Only had one month of TTC so far and early June will be my second try but I looked into charting and temping and was just overwhelmed and confused I probably need to tho.

jilligan14

Go check out Fertility Friend. It is super easy and they calculate your O date for you based on all the info you enter (temp, OPK, CM, etc.). They also have some great tutorials that are easy and fun to read (I signed up for the option where they email you a little bit at a time and I read them right before bed). You can buy a basal thermometer at a drug store or online. Everyone on here recommended a Mabis and I just got mine from Amazon. Temping is the best way to track your cycle and to know what's going on (such as if you're ovulating regularly). But remember that it only tells you when you've ovulated after you've ovulated, meaning that you need to track a few cycles to find a pattern. If you want to know when you are about to ovulate, you want to use OPKs. It can all be overwhelming at first but the sooner you start tracking everything, the sooner you can start to see patterns and time intercourse better. I wish I had started all of this way earlier!

emsmama15

I have to agree with @jilligan14.  I think CM tracking is great as an adjunct to temping and using OPKs.  If you're only going to do one thing, you really should temp.  That is the ONLY thing that will tell you if you actually did ovulate and when.  The problem with that is that even if you have a regular ovulation time, it will only confirm after O, so you need to do it for a few months to get the answer.  Using OPKs will help you pinpoint your ovulation.  Like Jill, I also have EWCM several times a cycle (maybe because I also have PCOS?) so I could never predict anything just using that.  

Good luck!  Do the Fertility Friend tutorials (super helpful) and ask here if you have temping/charting questions.  A lot of us have done it for a LONG time.  

Carazona5

Ok thanks everyone! I didn't realize this would all take so long I'm just overwhelmed I guess. I will research the thermometer and look on Fertility friend again!

emsmama15

If you're not ready for all the charting stuff and feel like it would overwhelm you, don't do it!  It's not worth it if it will add to your stress level.  If you're willing to just keep trying the way you have been, do that!!  I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed you'd want to go "all in" and I should have just answered your question - I don't know the answer, but I'd guess that the middle one would be associated with your ovulation time.  I don't know how it correlates with when you actually ovulate, but I would think that if you just have lots of sex when you have EWCM, that would be your best bet.    

This can get to be a long road (for example, see my signature) and you need to do what's right for you to not be overwhelmed and frustrated - especially when you're just getting started. 

jilligan14

I also wanted to add that one of the benefits to entering your info on Fertility Friend is that you can copy your chart and post it here whenever you get confused (as I did this last cycle!). Everyone has so much experience and it's great to get everyone's input and opinion. I recently switched to Fertility Friend (I was doing paper charts before then) and boy, it has changed my world! But I agree with @emsmama15 and just taking things one step at a time. Do just a little bit here and there and eventually it will all become second nature (I automatically reach for my thermometer every morning, even when it's not necessary for me to take it). Good luck and don't forget to have fun too (my H LOVES it when I'm in the fertile window :-)

Carazona5

Thank you so much for all the info!! I guess it's just overwhelming how long it can take because I already feel like I'm late to the game and it stresses me out but I guess I'm not the only one! And charting and all of that is something I should probably get to it sounds like, if I'm worried about time as it is.

I'll look into it today, And i found one of those thermometers on Amazon, thanks everyone!!

Also just a side question - people keep mentioning their signature but I'm not seeing that on the phone app. Is that something for the computer or web version only?

hooligans4

You cannot see sigis on mobile, just if you log onto a desktop

Carazona5

Ok thanks