how do you know you're ovulating?

[bluewonder]

I'm trying to conceive but not sure if I'm doing everything right.  Here is my info:

Overview:
I'm 34, normal weight, regular periods, healthy, not on any meds, never had a baby before, never miscarried before that I am aware of, and I've been off the pill since April 2009 (1 year)
That said, I have not been TTC since then...only since December 2009 (this is our 5th month, and we're pretty casual about it).

LH:
I've used LH strips for the past few months and deduced that I THINK I am ovulating around CD 20-21.  I then have about an 11-12 day luteal phase, making my period come on CD 32 or in & around that.

Mucus, cervix, charting:
I have tried to find EWCM and don't really know if I have it.  I can't tell how my cervix feels for the life of me.  Sometimes it feels higher, sometimes lower, but it never seems obviously squishy or open...so I just can't tell.  I have charted temps only one month and I seem to be in the low 97s pre-O and 97.7 thru early 98s post-O.  I don't have months of charts to compare yet since I tried it for the first time in March, then we were away in April so I didn't bother.

So what's my deal then? haha...
Well, this month I used internet cheapie LH strips from around CD16 or 17 through until today, which is CD 20, and I have not detected a surge.  In previous months I used the First Response kind and got darker results with those, but still was never 150% sure it was positive.  I used the smiley face brand once and never got the smiley faces.

I guess I just wanna know how you know for sure you ovulated?  Is the temperature-taking the best bet, for me?  How long can I just assume everything is fine?...can you get a checkup to make sure your'e ovulating and should i do that yet, or wait?

[ummansoor]

If you're trying to conceive.. Well you're suppose to count 12 days from the 1st day of you period.. Then you need to have intercourse for a whole 7 days... We only ovulate for 24 hours then that egg is gone.. I tried this technique given to me by my OBGYN, when I was trying to conceive of my 2nd child.. It worked ;o) She's 15 years old now.. but I'll never forget.. The best of luck to you and lots of baby dust.. Keep us posted

[bluewonder]

thanks so much guys!  I forgot I posted this and just posted again.
Still no temperature rise!  CD23!
But two more BD days in there...could help if i still ovulate, which I am hoping!

[BeeHappy76]

If you see a clear rise in temp that stays high in the 2nd half of the cycle, that usually means you are ov'ing. Sounds like you did see that last month. Usually you ov 1-2 days before you see the temp rise, so that might help you determine what day you ov'ed last cycle by counting backward.

I use the clearblue fertility monitor for LH, could never get the strips to work right. My cycles are irregular and ov happens varies between day 10 and 18 for me, so doing the LH test very important for me to time bd correctly. If your cycle is the same length each month, then you might be able to time bd by figuring out what day you ov on after a few cycles. They say that sperm can live up to 5 days, bur recently found out from my RE that it is unlikely to get pg if bd more than 48 hrs before ov. Your best chance to get preg is if you bd the day you see the LH surge and the 2 days after (day before and day of ov plus one more just in case). Or, as they recommend, every other day so it's never longer than 48 hrs... Good luck!

[happynifer]

what time are you using the LH strips? you want to test in the afternoon (at the same time) rather than first thing in the morning, since your surge typically happens then.
the clear blue monitor i found easier to use as well, but it is expensive
if you chart your temp for a few months ina row, you should get a pretty good feel for when you are ovulating.
of course you can do the entirely non-scientific way of BDing every other day your entire cycle so you are certain to hit that window :)
as far as mucous goes, i have gotten to the point (charting/TTC for more than 7 years) that i can just feel the difference without checking anymore...but that took a while to get the hang of.
if you haven't read the book  taking charge of your fertility , i highly recommend it.

[Risa615]

I had trouble too using strips, so I switch to Easyblue monitor I bought new on ebay for $99.  The strips are expensive, but what I learned is that I don't ovulate the same time each month.  Sometimes it is late, around cd 17 other times it is closer to cd 13.  the monitor takes the guessing out of it.  

As for mucus, pay attention to when you go to the bathroom and watch your discharge.  Sometimes can you wipe and notice is a little wet( they call this like egg whites) and that is pre ovulation. Once you see that is it thicker discharge, that is after ovulation.  

Risa

[wanabb]

I meant I can't help with your cervix sorry

[wanabb]

Hi the only real way to know if your ovulating is to test your progesterone (blood test) after suspected ovulation.  as far as opk's go I would use the clear blue with the smiley faces then you don't have to stare at it trying to decide if it's positive.  If you really only have a 11-12 day luteal phase that could be a big problem if your lining doesn't have enough time to thicken it will make it hard for and egg to implant.  Most doctor's like 12 months of ttc before being seen that being said you are over thirty so going to see your doc before then may not be a bad idea.  As for the mucus, I O and can't ever tell the difference in mucus but some women swear by it.  When we go for IUI my RE always says EWCM is there.  I can help you with position of your cervix I can't ever tell that either. good luck I hope some of that helped.