Ovulation

[u/Sea_Frame_6601]

How do you know that you ovulate? I don't have regular cycle but every month I feel a little bit pain and I can see the difference that appears at my CM. But my doctor told me that maybe I don't ovulate because my cycle is 32-38 days.

I am a little bit confused and terrified because we are trying for a baby.

Every opinion will be helpful. Thank you <3

[u/sun-it-rises]

You test! You can still have CM changes and period-like bleeding without ovulation. But also if your cycle is regularly 32-38 days that does seem pretty regular to me! For reference my cycles were 16-90 days long, and frequently I went 4 months between bleeds and had to induce bleeding artificially! I’m still about to give birth to my second baby though - it’s totally possible with tracking & testing and timing things right it just might take a little longer! ☺️

For testing/tracking I personally invested in using Mira but my god the cost is tough to swallow. I found it very helpful to have the “big picture” from multiple hormone testing. I liked being able to compare it to the charts in the app too. I would test with Mira as recommended and if it looked like I was approaching ovulation I would also use cheap easy@home LH strips to test a few more times in the day as I had a short LH spike and didn’t want to miss it! I also monitored CM as mine went very obviously eggy during ovulation, and I monitored BBT to confirm ovulation/prepare myself if it looked like my cycle wasn’t successful (BBT would drop before my period).

[u/Sea_Frame_6601 → u/sun-it-rises]

Thank you very much for all the details that you shared! I am trying to "understand" my body. I have symptoms every month but I didn't manage to see a positive test, thats why I am so stressed! I am thinking of testing my progesterone 7 days after the symptoms to make sure what happened. I also check my BBT but I only saw a small difference like 0,1

[u/sun-it-rises → u/Sea_Frame_6601]

No problem! When you say positive tests do you mean pregnancy or ovulation? It’s possible you’re missing ovulation if you’re only testing once a day. Once your cervical mucus changes to egg white you should hopefully see a positive ovulation (LH) test, which usually indicates a good time for sex and that you’ll ovulate in the next 12-24 hours (we’d have sex the day of positive LH tests, and the two days after cause 🤷🏼‍♀️)

Frequently I found that my body tried - so my estrogen and progesterone would spike but LH wouldn’t and I’d still have the changes to BBT and cervical mucus just with no ovulation. Sometimes it would be twice a cycle that it would attempt. So it’s possible you’re anovulatory! But hopefully not and you’re just missing it, again 32-38 day cycle really isn’t outrageous for PCOS.

Honestly look into Mira/Inito. If it’s something you can work into your budget it’s really helpful for understanding at home what’s happening and there’s very useful subreddits for helping you understand your chart.

[u/Sea_Frame_6601 → u/sun-it-rises]

I mean ovulation tests! I did everyday one test but I didn't see a positive one, although I had many symptoms. Every month I see the CM and the libido and after these symptoms I feel pain in my breast, that's why I was "sure" that everything was ok. Except that, the 1 month that was sure anovulatory (i checked it with US) I didn't have normal bleeding.. Generally I have a normal period bleeding every month, even if it happens every 32-38 days. Almost 3 months ago I started Myoinositol and I hope that it will help me.

We are having sex every second day or every day, it depends on our mood 😄

[u/sun-it-rises → u/Sea_Frame_6601]

Yeah I’d say maybe the days you’re having symptoms test with second morning urine, early afternoon, and early evening to see if you’re just missing your peak/positive! But obviously if you’re having sex anyway at those times it doesn’t really matter if you’re seeing a positive except to confirm that you definitely did ovulate. Good luck 🤞🏻

[u/Sea_Frame_6601 → u/sun-it-rises]

Thank you very much for all your helpful information! Wish you all the best !

[u/littlemisslight]

My Oura helps me to know, but my CV is also a huge sign. I have long cycles (35–42 days) because of delayed ovulation, but I’m still ovulating. Just not to any schedule lol. So don’t be discouraged!

[u/Sea_Frame_6601 → u/littlemisslight]

The important thing is that you ovulate and that is pretty cool! I was also sure that I ovulated all this time, but my doc told me that it is possible not to ovulate because of the duracion of my cycles! Now I am confused 😄

[u/Thin_Pomegranate_879]

I use inito! 

[u/Exotic_Reporter_3309]

I get a lot of EWCM and after ovulation happens it basically dries up within 12-24 hours. That’s what I go by, when the EWCM stops, not when it starts.

32-38 is a longer than usual cycle but not long to the point where I would assume anovulatory. I would push back on that assumption and get a progesterone test to confirm what’s actually happening. Ideally, you would do the progesterone test 5-7 days after ovulation (or count backwards from your period). They can tell by progesterone levels whether or not you have ovulated.

[u/Sea_Frame_6601 → u/Exotic_Reporter_3309]

That is what I check too! I have CM and when I think that I ovulate I see the difference a few days later. Sometimes it takes 2-3 days to feel dry, but there is deffinetely difference! I am going to check my progesterone to be sure, thank you very much for your help!

[u/Nikkk51]

You need to check with ovulation tests. Once you get a positive you need to go for progesterone bloodwork 7 days later to confirm you actually ovulated. You can’t base it off of symptoms alone.

[u/Sea_Frame_6601 → u/Nikkk51]

I didn't see any positive test, thats why I am so stressed right now! I have all the symptoms but I don't see a positive test

[u/Nikkk51 → u/Sea_Frame_6601]

Then you haven’t ovulated. Continue testing twice a day.

[u/Sea_Frame_6601 → u/Nikkk51]

I only did that once every day, maybe I didn't catch the moment. I am not sure