# Confusion regarding Ovulation.....



## Garrett35 (Jul 11, 2013)

Hi everyone 

I am new to the site and joined today, have been trying to conceive since January 2013 (which in the grand scheme of things is not long i know) i am 35 and came off the pill in December last year....my question is this...i have purchased the digital clearblue ovulation kit and got a smiley face (lh Surge) on day 10 but have had a temp rise and mucus over the last two days (day 19-20).....which is the best time for us to have sex? Which is ovulation?? Please help.

x


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## LittleL77 (Jul 14, 2012)

In spite of everything I'm not really an 'expert' on ovulation as this was my problem when ttc.  I tried all sorts so can never really be sure what ended up working!!!

Everyone is different, but I noticed that my LH peak would coincide with the increase in mucus. This was to the point that I could eventually tell when my ov test would be positive by the increase in CM. Most of the literature says that the increase in CM marks the time to have sex as this is the most fertile fluid for sperm to survive and swim to meet the egg.  

In your case, the mucus and temp rise seem to have come far too long after the positive ov test on day 10. I'm not sure why this is. I could come up with a few 'maybe it is...' suggestions but this won't give you the answer you want for sure. I wouldn't want to get your hopes up...nor would I want to cause any unnecessary worry by speculating.

Personally I found the mucus the best indicator - but everyone is different and not everyone gets CM. Then there is the question of whether to aim to have sex in the days leading up to that (bit of guesswork); on the days of most CM; and/or whether to continue for a day or two after Frankly, that can get exhausting.    

What I will say is that it can take a few cycles to get used to your own patterns. I also bought internet cheapy Ov tests (OneStep from Amazon) and did these alongside the Clearblue Digis for a cycle to compare. Then I just did the cheapy tests and saved the Digis for when I wanted to confirm if a test was positive or not (nothing like a smiley face to confirm  ) The cheap tests work fine, but sometimes it is hard to decide if the test is dark enough to count as positive -hence where the Smilies come in. Also, if you want to do more than one test in a day around the time you expect ovulation, the cheap tests make that less of a financial burden and you can learn more about how things work for you.  

My cycles were never the same twice!!! Internet cheapies were a godsend!! For what it is worth - the cycle that I totally gave up on because it was about day 27 and my tests had been light/darker/lighter/darker but never positive until day 27 (!!??) - that was the cycle I ended up pregnant. Still not entirely sure exactly when turned out to be the right moment    

We did it on the day of most mucus and then the day after - we had also done it a couple of days before the positive (when test had been darkish but not positive but the day after it was light again)


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## Garrett35 (Jul 11, 2013)

Thank you so much for your reply its just nice to know your not on your own in all this!!!!

I have had a word with a friend in who works in a fertility clinic and she said that really the hormones don't lie so I think the temp change maybe because we are going through an English summer! I think I'll see how this month goes now as I've read so much and now I think I'm imagining half of the things that are happening!!! I feel like I'm having cramps today too.....tummy really rumbly........this is all very new to me! Do you ever get to grips with this stuff?


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## Cornishtwinkle (Oct 1, 2012)

It might be useful to take into account when your period started and count 14 days back from that. Most women have a 14 day luteal phase. You start to build a picture up after that. I'm using the duofertility system and noticed 2 temperature peaks this month but was told the first was more definitive by the fertility advisers. Good luck!


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## Garrett35 (Jul 11, 2013)

Thank you Cornish twinkle! I will see what happens this week


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## BroodyChick (Nov 30, 2009)

Hi Ladies
I have a similar question, been taking my temperature again this month and I seemed to have TWO spikes in temperature (??) - once from 36.08 to 36.47 (increase of 0.39!) from day 14 to 15 (bizarrely I bled for 10 days, so v soon after AF finished). Egg-white CM was noted two days AFTER this spike and my cervix seemed in a more open position then, too - after the temperature spike so I would have missed my window had I been ttc (?).

Then I had a SECOND temp spike from 36.48 on day 21 to 36.63 on day 22 (increase of 0.15 degrees) and it went up all the way to 37.00 on day 28.
Should I be confused by this, or is it obvious that my ovulation happened on day 14?
I also had some light (red) spotting yesterday (3 days before due on, nothing today...) and also 2 days before my last AF.

Any input appreciated, many thanks!

P.S. I didn't use ovu sticks on this cycle as I wasn't ttc, just monitoring for my FET cycle next month.


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## Cornishtwinkle (Oct 1, 2012)

Hi Ladies
Hi Broody - the day 14 temperature spike seems more likely as the day 21 could be affected by external factors and is not as significant a spike as one might expect. I think the spotting indicates the hormones aren't quite as stable as the experts would like to see. Last cycle for day 1-6 of my new cycle  (after 3 days of af) I had heightened temperatures (ie at the post ovulation levels) which also confused me. Things seem to have settled down now ! Your heightened temperature from day 21 to 28 are all normal, from what I know. Presumably your af is here now ? x


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## BroodyChick (Nov 30, 2009)

Yes it is, thank you CT 
It arrived on the day my MY DAYS app (iPhone) said it would!
I love that app, although I wouldn't use it as contraception. It's a really nifty way to record your temps, weight, blood flow, CM, ovulation and pregnancy.

A doctor once told me that my AF can arrive later as I have a retroverted uterus, which can prevent blood from coming out straightaway, so maybe that was the spotting.


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