Ovulation: Physical Signs?

[ModdedMummy]

Hi guys, possibly a TMI moment coming on so be warned!

Currently TTC, AF is very irregular at the best of times so identifying my 'peak' days is very tricky. I've been told/read online that there are physical signs of ovulation in progress such as bloating, cramping and (ahem...) changes in cervical mucus; when it becomes similar in consistency and sight to egg white, that is a sign that one is very fertile at that moment in time.

My OH is working away at the moment and won't be home until Tuesday. I'm (almost ridiculously) paranoid that if we miss this window, it'll be an eternity before I identify my next ovulation cycle.
I'm aware that testing kits would be the logical solution, but a combination of cost and the possible need to continually buy more is a royal pain!

I just wondered if any others out there could give advice/opinions/knowledge on the subject?

I bought some ovulation test strips VERY CHEAPLY from Amazon, they are fab! Nothing fancy but they do the trick. I also track my temperature which is the most accurate way I think... GOOD LUCK!

If your periods are very irregular you are far better off telling the GP of this problem sooner rather than later. Blood tests can be done to see what your hormone levels are like; thyroid problems or a condition called polycystic ovaries is often behind such issues. You need to determine the cause, you need a diagnosis first and foremost.

Things such as temp charting and using OPKs are of NO benefit at all if the menstrual cycle is irregular. If your periods are consistently irregular you are not likely to be ovulating regularly.

go on fertility friend and sign up for their free fertility awareness course. you can do it all in one go but they will email you daily lessons, very informative, that way if you do see your Gp you'll have more awareness of whats going on. You can buy big bundles of OPKs very cheaply on amazon, they come in packs of 30 and 50, so you can test daily for an extended period if you want to get an idea of what your LH is doing. If you start temping- buy a cheap BBT thermometer from amazon, you should get an idea of whether you actually ovulate or not. An LH surge doesn't guarantee you will actually ovulate.
The temp rise comes too late for you to BD but does give reassurance that its taking/has taken place.

Attila I've had recent blood tests to check all is well, there were no abnormalities and my GP hasn't really given me any advice since. Apparently, since there are no problems causing them, my sporadic periods are just "the normal" for me.

I do ovulate, as far as I can tell, every month. But tracking when I'm going to ovulate is a guessing game, because it's never the same time scale.
I can almost try and guess when I'm ovulating if I look at the physical signs. [I think] I get them in abundance :P

lolalotta I've never even checked Amazon, I have no idea why it never occurred to me! Could you possibly link me to a good stockist? At least that way I'll be able to write down when I'm definitely ovulating, and compare it to next month (if I don't get lucky before then!). Will get myself a BBT thermometer too. Might as well go the whole hog if it won't cost me too much!

On a happier note, CM is still the same, and the male counterpart is home early. Hurrah!

"Attila I've had recent blood tests to check all is well, there were no abnormalities and my GP hasn't really given me any advice since. Apparently, since there are no problems causing them, my sporadic periods are just "the normal" for me"

What blood tests were done and on which days?. They should have done a day 2 test to check and compare the LH level against that of your FSH level. If that was not done the test result is meaningless. Many GPs also are not completely up to speed on such issues; to tell you that its just "the normal" for you is basically admitting they have not idea at all and are therefore fobbing you off. Irregular periods are more often than not caused by hormonal imbalances.

modded my ovulation signs last month were cramps, a bit like AF cramps but not as painful and a bit further up. I know I ovulated as I'm on clomid and was doing OPK and was monitored throughout, so I was pretty sure that those cramps were ovulation. but I guess as with everything else, everyone is different so its all about knowing your own body.

Some people do just have irregular cycles and as long as your lh isn't always high, as often happens with pcos, opk sticks may help you. It's worth a try for a month anyway. I have irregular cycles after DS and they work for me though I do get several days of positives in a row.
I use these ones from amazon which I ran alongside the expensive digitals for a month and got the same results.
Good luck.

I found with OPKs the results were difficult to interpret. It's not for everyone but keeping track of your cervical changes is very easy and accurate. Insert two fingers and give your cervix a gentle squeeze. Remove fingers and seperate them. If its like egg white and the strand stretches between your fingers you're at your most fertile, you should ovulate on the last day of EWCM. If its watery of creamy you're possibly fertile, but not if it's sticky or dry. Also your cervix will be higher and softer when you're fertile.

I had a progesterone test (roughly guessed) a week before AF, then FSH and LH tests, and then a prolactin test because he was worried it might be PCOS.
But the only outcome was that I was fine, and it may be down to either stress, or I'm simply not mapping my periods out correctly (that kind of irritated me; I showed him charts and calendars that were bang-on!)

I think I just have weird cycles. I'm not entirely convinced though. I'll try the book & site out, if I'm still struggling in 6 months I'll take it from there.

I've still got what I think are ovulation cramps, didn't expect them to last this long! Best make the most of them :)