Today's topic is...Thursday Techniques!!!! 12/2

[Ashelen]

Every Thursday we're going to focus on a technique that you've learned to deal with different challenges presented by the "pregnancy journey" (TTC to childbirth, and the newborn stage).

This Thursday our technique will be focusing on::

What technique helped you pinpoint your ovulation time the easiest? what did you do that helped you recognize the "O" day? BBT? OPK? CM monitoring?

Please share your best tips, tricks, hints, etc. Hopefully we can help our new TTCers (and maybe some who aren't so new!) learn tricks to discover when they're ovulating so they can maximize their chances of conception.


Personally, I always monitored my cervical mucus (CM) and when it becomes the consistency of egg whites (stretchy, clear) I knew it was time.

[ketona31479]

I think its by full moon and new moon. ( full moon for girl, new moon for a boy). I pretty sure its same way ttc too, by full moon and new moon.

[30something13]

With my first 4 I did nothing but felt when "O" was. My sex drive went up and my AF or aunt flow was like clock work every 28 days. I was always told that ovulation was 14 days after the first "CD" cycle day. Which now I have learned is not true for most woman and it also depends on how many days you have in a cycle.

Now with my last one now 5 months I had just had  "TR" tubal reversal and only one tube was able to be fixed and left. So I was told by my "RE" reproductive endocronologist to chart my "BBT" basal body temp each morning and take "OPK's" ovulation predictor kit. So after that I knew I had low progesterone casue my temps had a slow rise after ovulation and did not stay up for at least 12 days before coming down. I was put on progesterone suppliments and it fixed it. THe next month I got pregnant.

I did OPK's, CM cervical mucus, CP cervical position, (open soft and high means ovulation) then I used an instead cup right after sex, had sex with a pillow under my butt for 30 min after sex, took robitussin to thin cervical mucus to help the sperm swim faster 4 days prior to ovulation, and "BD" baby danced,(sex) no more then every other day, three times a week except for on the day of ovulation and the day after. Then started my suppliments the day after as well. I used this tracker on here as well as the site fertility friend site has a good one also.

Yep it may of been to much but it was worth it.

When you only have one tube you can not be sure which side you O from even if you have pains on one side and not the other. Only with "US" ultrasound can you know for sure. You also can ovulate from one side for more then one month in a row! It does not go back and forth so it is hit and miss. I had my TR on April 13th and had a 6 "WW' week wait to have sex or "BD" baby dance then got preggers in September and "MC' miscarried from only missing three days of my progesterone cuz it did not get mailed in time:( I got pregnant the very next month and now have my wonderful baby boy!

[cnhauk]

How do you go by the moon? Does it have to be a full moon, or does it depend on each person?

[ketona31479]

I married into a very old fashioned family, so i picked up a thing or two from them, I never understood how to track Cervical mucus or Even what Basal temp was. Never had the money to try an OPK. So I went by the Moon Phases. my first was concieved on a full moon. And now again I went by the moon, this is my second And I concieved on a full moon.

Btw I've heard that you can actually tell what gender the baby will be by the what phase the moon was in when you concieved. my first was a girl. hoping this time its a boy.

[cnhauk]

I am paying attention to my CM (cervical mucus) and charting my BBT (basal body temp) every morning. This is only the 2nd cycle for us trying, and the 1st cycle for me tuning in to my body and learning when I O (ovulate). I have decided not to resort to OPK for a least a few more months, if it doesn't happen for us (and maybe not at all, having heard some of your disappointments with them).

This discussion has been very fun! It is definitely helpful reading what worked the all the different ladies here, and now I have some ideas for TTC! I was almost planning on BD (baby dancing) every other day for the whole month, just in case I miss O, but that could get exhausting, and stressful. haha

Good Luck and SSBD (super sticky baby dust) to all!

[5n1]

With having 3 kids, I only had to actively "try" for one, which was my last...and the only way I knew was cervical mucous...it was egg white and stretchy, oh yeah and I would have pain in the side of my lower abdomen that was releasing the egg...

[Destani214]

I track my temps, check my cervical mucous and my cervix too! lol I did get preggers but miscarried on Nov 14th 2010 but I'm at it again and I O'd yesterday I could tell by the stretchy egg white cervical mucous and the high soft open cervix and my temp dipped and rose up high. SO here's to a BFP!

[wannabeamama6]

Lol. What got me all started was first finding out that you can only get pregnant when if you ovulate. And that we ovulate! :)

Now idk when I O. I've tried it all. And think now I pay have PCOS.

[NicoleW09]

Personally, Ovulation Predictor Kits never worked for me. EVER! It was so frustrating to the point that I was just making myself miserable. I started charting my Basal Body Temperature and my Cervical Mucus. Before I just relied on my CM, but it wasn't working right for me. I had a chemical pregnancy in Sept of 09 and that cycle I began charting my BBT and CM and found out I wasn't ovulating after that. I was diagnosed with PCOS after a hormone panel was ran on me. :( Anyways, after one round of clomid (I'm so blessed we got it on the first try!) and 14 months of TTC we conceived our little girl. I don't think I would have if it hadn't been for charting my BBT.

[Ashelen]

*bump

[chantal21]

I would check my cervical mucous and also just about every month I would get a pain on one side or the other when it was ovulation time. That is how I knew for sure. The pain was sometimes unbearable and I would have to lay down for 2-4 hours until I was okay again. But when hubby and I were trying a few years ago, that's when I knew for sure I could get preggo and we would take advantage of that time (even though it hurt) haha I know...Too Much Information!!! =P But hey, it worked like a charm!

[HeatherLF16]

I love these daily discussion topics Ivy =)

I am very lucky with TTC my first pregnancy (which sadly ended in miscarriage) I stopped taking the pill after 11 years on it with no breaks, and got pregnant the third week of that cycle (oops) I stopped and never even had a period after ended the birth control.  Doctors say my loss had nothing to do with the pill, but I can't help but wonder (all the hormones for so long and my body didn't have time to adjust).

I waited the three months recommended after my d&c and on the 4th month I bought an ovulation predictor kit... the cheapest one I could find because .... man... those things are expensive.  I got my positive and got very busy on those days (wink wink).  I got my positive with Franky two days before period was due.  So, of course I swear by ovualation predictor kits !!

[Heatherm4]

I would check my cervical mucous. What also helped me is that I could feel ovulation pains and another bonus was I figured out that my breasts would start to hurt the day of or after ovulation. My cycle was kinda all over the place so this really helped me!

I'm breastfeeding now and not sure when my cycle will return...I'm hoping it will resume that way again. If not, I'll be lost!!

[smjmekg]

First off, knowing that the average luteal phase (time between ovulation and the next period) was fourteen days helped me out. After birth control I had irregular cycles and I did chart my temperature for two months I think...

Ovulation predictor kits never worked for me, I never got a positive with them. After listening to my body and watching my cervical mucous I could guess which day I was ovulating on and was right every month. I also went off ovulation pain, I would feel it the day before I ovulated.

It took a few months to get used to every month and pin point ovulation, but I got it eventually!

[sepears1]

Alrighty so, my best way to pin pint ovulation day was by monitoring my cervical mucous. Ovulation Predictor Kits never worked for me, plus i have longer cycles, so i wasnt in the norm, and i dont have the patience to chart my temp every morning.

I found that monitoring my cervical mucous and how i felt each day was the only way i could find out when i ovulate. So i highly recommend this technique to any women trying to conceive! its free, easy, and i found it to be reliable, once you learn your body.

sarah

[Ashelen]

Also, please list what your abbreviations (CM, BBT, OPK) mean so that new members can understand it...even if it's been explained already please make sure and write out what it means in your post for easy reference. Thanks ladies!

-Ashe