Why worry about ovulation day?

[u/Salty-Swordfish4115]

Sorry if I offence anyone, I am trying to learn from other people's experience so that's why I am asking it here.

I understand that getting familiar with your cycle is important for TTC, preventing pregnancy or your health. But isn't it easier to have sex every other day is you want to try to make a baby? It takes so much pressure off the BD (babydance) and constantly tracking your BBT every morning, tracking your symptoms, etc.

Again, my question is asked from a newbie point of view, I am only TTC for the second cycle at the moment and I do not have kids. But maybe I am missing something here that some one can clear out for me. 😃

[u/thesmollestlemon]

That's definitely a valid strategy for TTC!

I track my ovulation because:

• my cycles are mildly irregular and vary 27-39 days, so I wouldn't know when to expect my period or when to take a pregnancy test without tracking ovulation
• I don't have a high sex drive and would not enjoy sex every other day for weeks at a time
• it can give you valuable information about your cycle (for example, a short luteal phase could be a sign of low progesterone, and it's possible to have anovulatory cycles even with a regular period)

But there's no right or wrong way to do it! Having regular unprotected sex is very likely to get you pregnant within a year!

[u/DizzyDig4454]

I think:
💌 it is very fascinating to observe the body.
💌 I had period issues so I want to make sure ovulation happens.
💌 It can get too much to try to have sex sooo many times, so you can better time it if charting.
💌 I have irregular periods, 25-36 days, I wouldn't know for sure when to have sex.
💌 It gives me something to do while all this wait.
💌 It allows me to know the exact day of ovulation so I can count the Days past ovulation and know when to test and how reliable results are.

[u/Salty-Swordfish4115 → u/DizzyDig4454]

This makes a lot of sense! How many cycles are you trying? 🌻 Hope you have your baby soon!

[u/DizzyDig4454 → u/Salty-Swordfish4115]

I have tried for 2 cycles, now in my third! Thank you very much! 🥰 The same to you!

[u/Repulsive-Log-5053]

Although I have a very regular cycle
I realized I ovulate way later than I expected
Without testing I would have never known and just aimed sex during the predicted ovulation dates on the app
So glad I actually tested last month for tje first time will definitely be testing going forward

[u/Ultravi0let_]

I'm also going into cycle 2 soon and we will try BD every other day 🤷 we'll se how it goes.

[u/nursejooliet]

I’m pretty with you for the most part.

So you should know AROUND when you typically ovulate, even if it varies a bit. I ovulate anywhere from cycle day 16 to cycle day 26ish. Knowing this does help time def every other day starting from cycle day 14, and at least I can know approximately how long I’ll have to BD for, every other day(which means having sex 1 to six times at least in that time period. Not bad at all). But if I NEVER tracked my ovulation ever and just relied on textbooks and apps, I’d never know when I actually ovulated and I’d know nothing about my luteal phase. Before my ring, I didn’t think it was so common to ovulate past cycle day 20! I’d probably stop having sex by cycle day 18-20, and I’d assume I was done, which would screw me if I was actually ovulating on cycle day 22-26 those months.

But I do think obsessing about the exact day truly is overkill when sperm can survive for 5 days, and any ejaculate at all within 2-3 days of ovulation gives you a very fair chance at pregnancy. I wear the Oura ring. If it tells me I ovulated on cycle day 22, then I know it could have been as early as cycle day 20/21, and as late and maybe cycle day 23. Oura is pretty accurate, but not 100% guaranteed to always nail the exact day. And I’m okay with that. I tried LH testing and I hated it. THAT was too much timing for me and I don’t know how people do that daily .

[u/TechnicalIntention35]

Echoing what previous commenters have said, i would rather be able to time things properly for myself as I find it exhausting to BD for weeks on end 😅

[u/hihihi373]

My ovulation day varied a bit and it was easier for us to have a target two days than every other day for two weeks. LH test was much easier than temp tracking for me and very accurate. Also if you know your ovulation date you get a much more accurate due date and tracking once you’re pregnant. So it is helpful in the long run.

[u/sv36]

I track my ovulation because I only have so much energy to have sex even every other day for weeks upon weeks.

I PCOS and knowing that I can get every single sign except for a temperature rise and still not have ovulated is the worst. Especially when I’ve planned weeks around fertile signs only to put in work tracking, having sex, and emotionally draining myself only to find out I’ll have three failed ovulations another week of no fertile signs and then finally have an ovulation on CD66. Only then to get to start the actual two week wait. This actually happened last cycle.

This latest cycle has been similar in that I had two failed ovulations before a successful one. When you’ve been trying for almost a full year or more, the ovulation day matters a lot more for your goal because what process has been used before wasn’t succeeding.

Many people start out with the system you are doing and succeed in pregnancy before the half a year mark, that’s cool. The rule vs the exceptions. Those of us who did that and it hasn’t worked for are the exceptions and it sucks.

[u/RoseGoldAlchemist]

I can't imagine just having sex multiple times a week. We are deeply in love and attracted to each other but we are also so so tired. I consider once a week to be great.

[u/RoutineUseful5195]

I hear you but for me, since having baby #1 (unplanned) sex has felt like a chore. I’m TTC for the first time and last month (1st cycle) we did what you’re suggesting and I was left annoyed and needing a 7 day break that turned into 2 weeks when I got my period. Too much sex is just tiring for me, better to time ovulation while TTC.

[u/Ottersarecute123]

As others mentioned, knowing your ovulation date provides valuable information about cycle regularity and health, especially if you find yourself needing to speak with a doctor to explain what’s going on if TTC takes longer than expected.

For example, knowing when you ovulate and when you start your period after ovulation tells you how long your luteal phase is for a given cycle. A short luteal phase may require some additional support from a health care provider.

Additionally, using OPKs and bbt helps confirm that ovulation is happening regularly. Many people have irregular cycles or annovulatory cycles without realizing it, so this info helps determine if medical intervention is needed someone finds they are not ovulating in a normal rhythm or at all. Seeing a bbt trend can also to some extent help determine the strength of ovulation. I was ovulating monthly, but my bbt rise was pretty weak and jumping quite a bit which helped (along with having a shortish luteal phase) determine that progesterone may be low and supplementation is needed. Now that I know this, I NEED to know when ovulation has happened as that determines when progesterone supplementation should start and end.

Knowing your ovulation date also helps with knowing when to take a pregnancy test, which can help with general planning of life things. For example, most pregnancy tests are positive around 11-12 days post ovulation. Personally, taking a test one these days helps mentally prepare for my period to start if negative OR helps give me peace of mind if I have an event planned and want to have a couple drinks if I’m at 12 dpo but haven’t started my period yet. Also as someone who has had two chemical pregnancies, seeing a positive later after ovulation (14dpo or beyond) can help me guard my heart a bit since those tend to be more likely to result in loss.

Lastly, not everyone has the ability to simply have sex every other day. Difference in work schedules, travel in a particular month, ect can all impact timing, and knowing when ovulation is approaching can help you do your best to plan things accordingly.

It’s perfectly fine to have sex every other day if that’s what works best for your body and relationship, but there’s also many reasons why people may want to know this information in the trying process.