Stupid question!

[Becca83]

Hi guys, I'm very new to all this and clearly don't know very much yet. I came off the pill on 2nd December, had a withdrawal and nothing since.

A week ago, I had a very positive opk with ewcm, cramping and pain on one side. Is it possible to have all of those symptoms and then not actually release an egg? I know a positive opk just shows that ov is about to happen, but wondered if the other symptoms increased the liklihood.

Thanks in advance, sorry if it's a really stupid question!

[loopylou1984]

Hi becca - I've been reliably informed that the only way to know for sure that ovulation happened is to track your temperature. If temp goes up and stays up then you'll know you ovulated a couple if days before the rise. Think the other symptoms are good indicators but not guarantees... Hope that helps! Xx

[Becca83]

That does help. Thanks very much. Suppose I should give temping another go then. Really can't get the hang of it.

[newbian]

Definitely temp. My cycles were normal for the first few months off BC but then got very irregular. With temping now I can be fairly certain when I'm ovulating.

I've seen people around here saying its possible to get a positive OPK but not actually ovulate. Personally that hasn't happened for me - I've consistently gotten my period two weeks after a positive. I would expect for any woman who doesn't have PCOS a rise in LH does mean ovulation is in process. Especially because it's impossible to know when you take the OPK if you are a day before O or two hours before (unless you pee on a stick 5 times a day).

[loopylou1984]

Hi both

It did happen to me! Out of the last 14 cycles I've had positive opks every one, however in October my af did not arrive on day 29 as expected but rather day 43. About 27 days after my positive opk so I def did not ovulate when the opks said.

Re temping, it must be done as soon as you wake up at the same time every day. I have taken to setting an alarm at the earliest time we get up and taking my temp.. Then going back to sleep if I don't actually need to be up then! It's worked the last to cycles! Xx

[australopithecus]

Can someone explain the temperature-ovulation thingiemabobbin to me please? I feel so stupid for not getting it?!

[M27J5M]

I came off the pill last year, only had spotting for 2 days 6 weeks after stopping, wasn't trying so wasn't tracking ovulation etc, didn't think I was even ovulating, we weren't as careful as we should have been, fast forward to now and I'm 30weeks pregnant!! Good luck

[newbian]

australopithecus if you take your temp each morning when you wake up - your basal body temp or BBT- normally you will see a small dip on the day of ovulation followed by several days of higher temperatures afterwards.

Here's a link that explains: infertility.about.com/od/tryingtoconceive101/ss/howtoBBTchart_4.htm

There is also normally a BBT drop a day or two in advance of a period, and a sustained high BBT in the case of conception.

I resisted temping when I started TTC but now I love it, has removed a lot of uncertainty!

[Becca83]

Oh wow M27J5M that does give me hope!

I'm going to take on board everyones advice about the temping and give it another bash. Does it matter that my room is freezing every morning? I have the pink babymad thermometer. Do you just stick it under your tongue and leave it there?

Thanks for all the info guys.

[loopylou1984]

If your room is the same temp every day then that's fine. You should still see temp shifts.
Yup, just pop it under tongue for 30 secs or so before you turn it on to warm it up as your room is chilly. Some people say that vaginal temps are more accurate... But I can't handle that first thing in the morning!! Xx

[australopithecus]

Not keen on sticking a thermometer up my nether regions first thing in the morning. Thanks for the advice though.