Dumb TTC Question

freeatlast2014 · January 2012

When we were "trying" with JT - we just did "it" a lot. What do you do when you "try"? I'm not right now per se, but just wondering. How do I know if I'm ovulating?

Such a beginner question - don't laugh at me!

RouensDream · January 2012

You can buy ovulation predictor things that tell you when you are ovulating. I bought a bunch of those a few years back. It is basically like a pregnancy test. Other people chart their cycles by taking their vaginal temperature. I never tried that because it seemed to complicated. It probably isn't as hard as I thought it was... But POAS is pretty much a no brainer. So I went with that.

SweetHurricane · January 2012

It is important to know when you ovulate. Most women do not ovulate on the 14th cycle day like they say you do. (Your cycle begins that day you start bleeding for your period) Like PP said, there are many ways to do this the most popular on TB is either OPKs or charting/temping.

I could never deal with temping (you have to take your vaginal temp EVERY day before you even step out of bed). I ended up buying a fertility monitor (Clear Blue - $150) because I had some HSA money to burn. You turn it on every day and it tells you if it wants you to POAS or not. Then it tests your levels and tells you if you're fertile or not. It gives you two "peak" days and that it when you ovulate. I plugged the info into fertilityfriend.com (which is usually used for temping) to track my ovulations and when we had sex. With DD we got pregnant on the third cycle (second using the monitor) and with #2 we got pregnant on the first try.

There are also cheaper OPKs. Clear Blue makes disposble ovulation tests. OR you can get cheapies on Amazon (made by Wondfo). They are VERY cheap, but they do work. They are the same people that make the pregnancy tests I recommened on here.

Mom2Mack1 · January 2012

Glad you asked this question. We've been TTC since August and I've been researching thinking about using the ovulation tests but I was nervous about ordering them. We never used them with #1, got preggo on the first try.

Thanks for the information! I think I'm going to order the tests.

broccolitree · January 2012

Not vaginal temp... any temp, as long as you take it at the same time and location. You could do all armpit if you want. Your thermometer has to go to hundredths preferably, but at least tenths of a degree. You can also chart based on cevical mucus or cervical position.

If you're curious about it I recommend looking up the book Taking Charge Of Your Fertility, which gives you a more thorough overview. Personally, I really liked this because it was neat to see the trends over time. Mm, sciencey.

Plaza81 · January 2012

I used something like this one...

https://www.early-pregnancy-tests.com/saliva-ovulation-test.html

You test your saliva, and if you have a fern pattern on the microscope it means you're ovulating. Unlimited uses. Super easy...just test your spit in the morning before you brush your teeth. It definitely worked for us, and was recommended to us by a ton of friends that all used it to get pregnant.

SweetHurricane · January 2012

broccolitree:
Not vaginal temp... any temp, as long as you take it at the same time and location. You could do all armpit if you want. Your thermometer has to go to hundredths preferably, but at least tenths of a degree. You can also chart based on cevical mucus or cervical position.

If you're curious about it I recommend looking up the book Taking Charge Of Your Fertility, which gives you a more thorough overview. Personally, I really liked this because it was neat to see the trends over time. Mm, sciencey.

I sucked at testing my CM. It was the same. Every. Fricken. Day. Fertility Friend was like, What is your monitor talking about? You're not ovulating!!... clearly I was or I wouldn't be pregnant, lol.

broccolitree · January 2012

yeah, my CM changed pretty consistently. As soon as I heard egg white cervical mucus in that context I was like, OHHH!

Like I said though, I really enjoyed the over time statistics aspect of charting. Like, to the extent that I've thought about charting again even though we're a hard no on TTC until 2013 at the earliest, maybe ever. It's just super cool to me that my body is a little chilly early in the month, then dips, then goes up, then drops if I'm not KU. That was why I decided to finally take a PG test when I had Joaquin... my temp didn't drop back down past the early in the month line when it should have.

I will say though that if you use an electric blanket it can jack with your results the month you start/stop using it. The overall trending will be the same but you'll see a dramatic jump when you start using it or drop when you stop.

SweetHurricane · January 2012

Mine is "creamy" 21 days a month, no joke. If I hadn't gotten pregnant that third month, I was planning on giving up even checking it.

You could always chart to avoid. The Duggars supposedly (I say supposedly because she's ALWAYS KU) do that in place of hormonal BC.

broccolitree · January 2012

That's the thing. If you're on hormonal BC it doesn't work properly, and I'm not confident enough to use it as our primary method.

ffejsGirl · January 2012

I just started doing the OPKs as well. I got the Wondfo cheapies on Ebay. My last three "cycles" have been 88, 72 & 47 days (sweet huh?) The Wondfo caught my LH surge on my last cycle even though the expensive digital said negative. At least I'm pretty sure I did, because I had the start of my period in accordance with the positive OPK. I bought 100 of them for like $12, super cheap! I would say this would be an easy way to start figuring out when you ovulate. Although not as cheap as getting to know yourself really well

We also just got lucky with our first two. This time I'm just trying to figure out what the hell is going on with my jacked up 3 years of pregnancy and breastfeeding body.

bethyla · January 2012

ffejsGirl:

I just started doing the OPKs as well. I got the Wondfo cheapies on Ebay. My last three "cycles" have been 88, 72 & 47 days (sweet huh?) The Wondfo caught my LH surge on my last cycle even though the expensive digital said negative. At least I'm pretty sure I did, because I had the start of my period in accordance with the positive OPK. I bought 100 of them for like $12, super cheap! I would say this would be an easy way to start figuring out when you ovulate. Although not as cheap as getting to know yourself really well

We also just got lucky with our first two. This time I'm just trying to figure out what the hell is going on with my jacked up 3 years of pregnancy and breastfeeding body.

So, do you have to test everyday with the wondfo strips?

RouensDream · January 2012

broccolitree:
Not vaginal temp... any temp, as long as you take it at the same time and location. You could do all armpit if you want. Your thermometer has to go to hundredths preferably, but at least tenths of a degree. You can also chart based on cevical mucus or cervical position.

If you're curious about it I recommend looking up the book Taking Charge Of Your Fertility, which gives you a more thorough overview. Personally, I really liked this because it was neat to see the trends over time. Mm, sciencey.

Well that takes all the fun out of it, if you just take your temp under your arm!

ffejsGirl · January 2012

bethyla:
ffejsGirl:

I just started doing the OPKs as well. I got the Wondfo cheapies on Ebay. My last three "cycles" have been 88, 72 & 47 days (sweet huh?) The Wondfo caught my LH surge on my last cycle even though the expensive digital said negative. At least I'm pretty sure I did, because I had the start of my period in accordance with the positive OPK. I bought 100 of them for like $12, super cheap! I would say this would be an easy way to start figuring out when you ovulate. Although not as cheap as getting to know yourself really well

We also just got lucky with our first two. This time I'm just trying to figure out what the hell is going on with my jacked up 3 years of pregnancy and breastfeeding body.

So, do you have to test everyday with the wondfo strips?

I started the day after my period ended, because hell I had 100 of them Also like I said I'm really irregular, so no idea when I'll ovulate. I imagine if you had a more regular cycle you could test just in a certain window from like day 10-20 or even less if you knew more precisely. Again I'm a newb here so take all this with a grain of salt.

bethyla · January 2012

ffejsGirl:
bethyla:
ffejsGirl:

I just started doing the OPKs as well. I got the Wondfo cheapies on Ebay. My last three "cycles" have been 88, 72 & 47 days (sweet huh?) The Wondfo caught my LH surge on my last cycle even though the expensive digital said negative. At least I'm pretty sure I did, because I had the start of my period in accordance with the positive OPK. I bought 100 of them for like $12, super cheap! I would say this would be an easy way to start figuring out when you ovulate. Although not as cheap as getting to know yourself really well

We also just got lucky with our first two. This time I'm just trying to figure out what the hell is going on with my jacked up 3 years of pregnancy and breastfeeding body.

So, do you have to test everyday with the wondfo strips?

I started the day after my period ended, because hell I had 100 of them Also like I said I'm really irregular, so no idea when I'll ovulate. I imagine if you had a more regular cycle you could test just in a certain window from like day 10-20 or even less if you knew more precisely. Again I'm a newb here so take all this with a grain of salt.

Thanks! I'm really irregular too, so I was just wondering what you did.

jcole32444 · January 2012

A change in discharge is usually a good sign I believe. Correct me if I am wrong but I think if you are ovulating it is thick and creamy/gooy? There was a pic on ttc board months back.

I usually get weird cramps. But I am sure it is different for everyone. And as a general rule about two weeks before you expect your period.

MarSamWhitney · January 2012

jcole32444:

A change in discharge is usually a good sign I believe. Correct me if I am wrong but I think if you are ovulating it is thick and creamy/gooy? There was a pic on ttc board months back.

I usually get weird cramps. But I am sure it is different for everyone. And as a general rule about two weeks before you expect your period.

This is what I always thought too. I also get the weird cramps. Doctor had always told me 10-14 days after the first day of my period. I am VERY regular. It still took ages for me to get KU though, so who the heck knows.

I like the idea of charting- it sounds very cool. I have no idea why the idea of a thermometor in my vag weirds me out though. Glad to see you can do arm pit too!

freeatlast2014 · January 2012

I know way too much about your mucus - but then again I did ask!! This was very informative. I did buy a fertility testing kit type thing that when we are ready I'll use up. I never noticed a change in my mucus before. I'll be on the lookout. Thanks ladies!!

broccolitree · January 2012

MarSamWhitney:
I like the idea of charting- it sounds very cool. I have no idea why the idea of a thermometor in my vag weirds me out though. Glad to see you can do arm pit too!

You missed my point, you silly girls. You can take your temp ANYWHERE... mouth, butt, vag, ear, armpit, whereever, as long as it's a legit location to take a temp (like sticking it in between your toes or something won't work), and you do it in the same place every day. You don't want to take it in your butt one day and your mouth the next. Uh, for more reasons than one. lol.

Basically, you're not charting specific numbers, you're charting the trend. So, the slight differences in temp between locations (arm is lower than ear is lower than mouth is lower than butt, iirc) will make a difference in the way your graph looks.

And yeah, creamy is good, but egg white is better. and yeah, 'egg white' is like the gross snotty sticky part. File this under things you never wanted to know about broc #4256.

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