Trying to conceive and confussed

[Coffeebrew]

Firstly I apologise for TMI.
My husbsnd & I have been advised to try and conceive naturally after failed IVF (in vitro fertilization) that seemed to spark natural conception, all be it still ending in loss. My gyneocologist has said to get her help as soon as we get another natural positive test.

So, i have not only loaded an app onto my phone to try and track fertile days, but also was for the first time ever trying to track my cervical mucus changes. The app said i should ovulate between 4th-9th of this month if my cycle was to be 28 days & i definitely had a day or 2 around then, where i felt i was overly wet down there and leaking a bit, although i didn't see any particularly stretch eggwhite mucus. However, yesterday and today after going to the loo, i noticed some very clear almost watery, slightly sticky substance on the toilet paper, not a lot and I don't feel overly wet or see any stretchy eggwhite, but am now wondering if it's possible i am ovulating around day 32 instead of day 28, we last had sex several times last week, with sunday being the most recent so now 6 days ago. I am confussed because it's slippery when i wipe but not in the abundance i am lead to believe for ovulation.

Any thoughts?
TIA.

[Persipan]

That sounds really hard and I'm so sorry you're having such a tough time.

Have you tried using OPKs? And temping, as well? It sounds as though you're getting yourself really worried about mucus, which is probably just causing you loads of stress! I'd recommend going with something you can record and recognise a bit more easily, and then just gradually getting used to monitoring changes in cervical mucus alongside those, until you get a bit more used to it.

[Coffeebrew]

@Persipan thanks for your reply. I used Ovulation tests when we had IUI treatment right at the beginning of our fertility treatment before IVF, but despite using them it didn't work, so was wanting to try a more natural aproach, but as it's the first time I have thought to even look at my mucus i am anxious to know I guess if we had sex enough times to hit ovulation, or if I have ovulated late. So confusing.

[physicskate]

All you could do if you're ovulating now (instead of earlier) is Dtd. The only difference your ovulation date will make is when your period is actually due. Frustrating, but no one can tell you what your body is doing without more data (bbt, opk).

Totally your choice to take the relaxed approach, but it seems to be stressing you out (I never could do it because I'd get so frustrated not knowing exactly when af was due as my cycles are a little irregular).

[Coffeebrew]

Thanks @physicskate i guess for me it's more about if my body has decided for some reason to ovulate later this month, my cycle is usually 28 days but occasionally if anything (but can't think what this time) has set it off kilter slightly it can be a few days late at 32 then settle back again. So whist I am not all over the place like some with irregularity, i do sometimes get subtle changes and so naturally wondering if this is one of them. Guess i won't know until such a time as i do or don't bleed and on the mean time no harm in still trying.

[physicskate]

That's a completely sensible approach in my opinion! It's easier said than done to try not to stress about it...

[seven201]

I'm sort of in a similar boat. I think I ovulated 6 ish days ago but yesterday and a little today have had some egg white mucus after straining to do a poo. My temps and cheapie ov sticks don't indicate ovulation at the moment but did have extra sex last night just in case.

[Coffeebrew]

@seven201 as i understand it bowel movements can push on the cervix and cause a larger secession of mucus, if only this was possible every time one went to the loo, it might make detection easier lol.
It can't hurt to keep being intimate can it as you say, so fingers crossed all round. I fear i may have already ovulated, or missed it by a day, but i never know, might have been lucky, but worth trying still just in case. After all, i love my husband so it's not just about baby making, even though that's at the forefront at the moment.

[Coffeebrew]

Also, correct me if I am wrong, but people talk about egg white mucus and clear watery mucus, but to me, egg whites have a slight yellow, creamy coloured tinge to them, therefore is almost transparent, clear and wet the same thing or even the same stage?

[physicskate]

Sorry for the tmi, but could it be semen from Dtd the night before? That has a slight tinge after a bit 'inside'. Gross, I know!!

[Coffeebrew]

That could have been a real possibility last week and early this week, which oh gosh, makes it even harder to tell what was if any egg white and whats not. I extremely apologise for the TMI here, but several times over the weekend as the poster above mentioned, i had a bowel movement that caused excess mucus to form as a long stretchy piece that was ever so slightly yellow tinged and i had to wipe it away or it just dangled. Kind of laughable i know, but now i wonder if that might have been fertile CM with as you say a bit of sperm in it, oh boy, the mystery continues lol

[seven201]

Yep! I have no idea what is semen or mucus!
Egg white mucus is the stretchy one and supposedly the most fertile. The watery one is like a watered down version and I can't remember when it's meant to come in a cycle. If you google cervical mucus ttc there are lots of websites with descriptions, some even have photos!

[Coffeebrew]

Thanks everyone. The mystery continues. What i think is 3-4 days possibly past the start of ovulation (we were physical 3 days ago as well as several times 5 days prior and before that) I am having an abnormal runny nose that started yesterday and today, i blew my nose to some blood. I do sometimes get light left sided nose bleeds with hormonal changes, but i have never had such a runny nose and it's way to early for hay feever, plus no symptoms of that. Could it be a possible sign of very early pregnancy or is it just too early. I would not be due AF until the 24th, rather confused.
Any further thoughts?

TIA