How do you know when you ovulate?

[shelley72]

without temping, peeing on sticks etc? no sign of pg despite dtd albeit not that often at ' fertile' time. We do already have dcs, and were leaving this to fate but its just not happening. so is there anyway of telling? Cycle is standard 28 days but I spot for a few days before (sorry for tmi ). Am I calculating dates wrong? I am happy with what I have that goes without saying but feel bit sad that that's it. Don't mean to sound ungrateful, I know I'm lucky..

[bonzo77]

You can't.

[shelley72]

Didn't think so . So if using sticks, when do you start? From day 1 of your cycle? Are they the easiest most reliable method?

[Jalopeno]

Around ovulation time your cervical mucous should increase and become stretchy like egg whites.

I would buy a pack of cheap ovulation sticks and use them for a cycle to give you an idea of when you are ovulating. You may be ovulating too late in your cycle. Start the sticks the day after your period ends.

Best of luck.

[wrighty2010]

Hi, I read a post on another website from a natural fertility expert on how to tell when you are fertile, its quite interesting, its all about recognising your bodies signs. I will attach the link at the end of the post, hope this helps, good luck! xxxx forum.prideangel.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=537

[JellyCurls]

I am very irregular so when ttc last baby i bought a £6 fertility microscope. You put saliva on the lens each morning before you eat or drink and look at it once dry. As you approach ovulation your salts in your saliva increase so saliva starts forming fern patterns (quite pretty). Much cheaper than OPK sticks and gives you advance warning you getting more fertile. We hit button first month using it

[Whatiswitnit]

You can't really know for definite without temperature charting or having a blood test to check progesterone levels however many women find that when they've ovulated their cervix closes and their cervical mucus dries up, becoming slightly open and wetter again just before their period.

[Whatiswitnit]

ps - sorry I should also have said that if you check your cervix once every day you should notice it change from firm and closed to soft and open as you approach ovulation/become more fertile, together with an increase in cervical fluid/mucous which gets wetter, stretchier and more copious (it's perfect for sperm to swim and survive several days in).

Once you've ovulated, cervix closes and mucous becomes thicker and dryer or creamier (as it prepares to seal cervix for pregnancy).

[bonzo77]

Sorry about glib comment! Seriously, for me the best things were cheap ov sticks from amazon used 2x a day from day 8 and checking cm to try to predict ovulation, and temping to confirm it. I did have CBFM but got fed up with it.