EWCM confusion

[tak1ngchances]

Hello lovely ladies. DH and I have just started TTC. I am not expecting it to be easy as I have endometriosis and also I get cystitis if I even look sideways at a willy.
But anyway, I have hope in my heart (and a book: What to Expect before you Expect you might be Expecting or something).
However I am in a state of great confusion over the whole cervical mucus thing. It doesn't happen to me like it says in the book. I am hoping that one of you wise ladies might be able to shed some light for me.
Basically my cycle is around 25 - 29 days. So far so good.
AF lasts around 5 - 6 days.
Between days 7 - 9, I get long stringy stretchy mucus (waaaay TMI but I have read some threads on here and I think you'll be ok reading this). This stretchy mucus business lasts about 3 or 4 days. I am thinking it's the famous egg-white stuff.
After that there is nothing.
My question is, when should DH and I be doing the deed? When the EWCM is there? Just after? Oh la la the confusion.

I know people say, oh just do SWI every two days. And much as I would love to do that, I would get cystitis after a week and then I'd be on antibiotics and all the rest. So I am trying to be a bit more...selective.

Sorry this is a bit long. Also this is my first post in this section so apologies for complete numpti-ness if this question has already been asked 60000 times.

I too get cystitis just by thinking about having some sexy time, however I have managed keep on top of it. This is how:
Drink plenty of water to keep yourself weeing and flushing it through.
Wee after sex. I know we should all be sitting there with our bums in the air to help things along but I have found no problems since TTC and leaving it for 10 minutes as far as cystitis goes.
Sit up when you wee, don't lean forward.
The only brand of cranberry juice with enough actual juice in it to do the job is Ocean Spray.

But the key for me is to have a bath at least once a week. Showers just don't cut the mustard. I have been having a bath in the morning after the night before and found that that is keeping things ticking over just fine.

Of course I expect this is all stuff you know and are already doing but it might help.

Hi there!

As far as Im aware EWCM is produced by increasing oestragen levels and is fertile CM because ovlation should be soon after. I chart my temps and CM on fertility friend and Ive noticed I can get EWCM up to a week sometimes before ovulation but I dont tend to dry up after it either, it goes kind of watery. The length of time between AF starting and ovulation can vary every month to but generally the luteal phase between ovulation and next AF is fairly consistent, through charting I know mine is 10-12 days, the average is 14 apparantly (but who is average eh). So if your cycle is 25-29 days and it was 14 then you could be ovulating between CD 11-15, after your EWCM. If you didnt swi then you would miss your egg, so its really hard to say when you should swi if you want to be selective, your luteal phase could be lshorter or longer to than 14 days.

Charting would be a good way to monitor and get to know your cycles, I also use cheapy OPKs that work for me and give me an idea that ov is imminent.

Good luck!

I reckon swi on days you have ewcm and perhaps a couple of days after. But to be certain I would recommend charting too on fertlility friend, the first month would be a bit useless as it tells you after you have ov but you should be able to see when you ov in relation to ewcm which will help further months.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

Pipbin I have tried everything to stave off cystitis. I have tried wash, wee, sex, wee, wash. I have tried different positions. I have tried abstaining from alcohol. I have downed gallons of Ocean Spray. I wear only cotton knickers (capacious ones). All to no avail. I am just "prone to cystitis". It's soooo annoying. But thank you for the hints, I am grateful.

I have never heard of this Fertility Friend thing Orangehead. I'll have a google and see what I can find.

I sort of wanted to just start TTC without charting and all the rest to see what happens. But I was getting the CM without really understanding what it meant.

Will keep you posted.

Fertility Friend is very useful, as Orangehead says... should be a good way for you to find out the best days for SWI if you can't just do it daily. I have found it good as DH works very long hours and so quite often we don't go to bed at the same time... I don't mind being woken for SWI on "key days" but might not like it very much if it was every night!

tak1ng - I'm no EWCM expert but, on the cystitis front I have been plagued since a teen .

The advice I was given by a dr was to use more lube - zestica and pre-seed are the main fertility friendly ones.

I have also been to the GP and I have low dosage antibiotics (not trimethoprim as baby unfriendly) and you take one tablet after DTD.

I haven't had a full blown episode for months by doing this.

HTH

Thanks Slightly. I have been on antibiotics since February, first of all a whopping dose and now a low one. I still have need to pee a lot and burning feeling though. Horrendous.
Which antibiotics did you get? I am on Ciprofloxacin

I also had cipro - tastes foul.

I didn't mention earlier, but I always make DP wash before DTD to reduce any contamination - he is quite obliging as he has witnessed my agony plus DTD loses it's romance when TTC anyway!

I used to use sweet cures powder which seemed to work quite well, but has contraceptive properties so no go at mo.

I do take daily probiotics which although I cannot attribute to reduced cystitis it does help with the (tmi) vaginal health - balancing the ph, thus assisting EWCM.

FX you get off the antibiotics soon and can just take them as precautionary. x

Slightly I am the same - I make DH have a good scrub ("did you wash UNDERNEATH the willy???"). He doesn't mind either but it does mean that spontaneity goes out the window somewhat.
I have found that showering together makes everything a bit more romantic...

Good call on the probiotics! I will give them a go.

I know this isn't v useful to you now, but I used to get terrible cystitis all the time, from when I was 18 onwards. I did all the stuff you're meant to do, cranberry juice, using only white toilet paper, had doctors offering all sorts of nasty interventions etc etc. And then, one day it stopped. After having it more or less constantly for 6 years! Still don't know why. They told me I was "just prone" to it too, but I guess your body just changes or something. I was the same with tonsilitus in my teens I used to get it all the time and then that stopped too.
So, sorry that doesn't really help you now, but don't think you'll have it for ever, cos you probably won't!

Oh, and yes to the probiotics (and no to the antibiotics unless really necessary. They told me to have one every time i had sex. Which I just don't like the sound of. Did they mean for life? Surely that can't be good for a person.)

I too am cursed with cystitis...I went to my doctor to get tabs one time and just refused to go till they did something about it. I had an ultrasound which showed my bladder doesn't empty properly but there is nothing to be done about it. The doc then put me on an antibiotic (cefradine) every night for about 6 months...no cystitis at all and now I only take a tablet after sex, not had any probs other then slight discomfort very occasionally for over three years now. And the doc said they are safe when trying to conceive/pregnant so am still using them now : - )

6 months! OK I've been in Cipro for 2 and that feels like a v long time. But the doc did say that chronic cystitis takes ages to clear.
Will ask about Cefradine as I don't think Cipro is compatible with TTC. Going back to see doc on 18th May so I'll ask him then
PS Am v encouraged to see stories of people who have the cystitis issue under control

My Mum always had problems with cystitis and did the same as others. She took a 6 month course of pretty heavy duty antibiotics, taken every evening and then a low dose taken every time after sex. It did work.

I had a few problems years ago with recurrent cystitis and tried every trick until I discovered that I have to bath, not shower to prevent it.

I know it sounds like a long time, but anything is better than getting cystitis over and over again, it really did rule my life...no sex on holiday etc..time off work practically weekly for years...so in the end 6 months wasn't that long and I couldn't be happier now, even if I have to take a tablet after sex for the rest of my life is is better than what life was like before : - )

Now if only a tablet could get me a baby... ; - )

I totally agree Shell. It's been ruling my life too. I'll take them for a year if I have to...right now am doing no alcohol, no caffeine, no fruit juice (except cranberry), no spicy food, no carbonated drinks, no tomatoe-y things.
I am craving a glass of red, or some champers. But I'll do anything to kick the cystitis!

Yeah, it was so rubbish knowing that if I allowed myself things that I loved to drink etc. I would do it knowing that I was going to get ill...and don't start me on the planning when to have sex! Just not fair that we have to suffer with things like that.