Working out cycle when you've been on the pill.

[Wiggy29]

I've just come off the pill but am unsure about how I work out my ovulation dates. Can I do this based on dates from last cycle or will I have to wait until I have completed a 'natural' month to see how my cycle would fall?
08/03- came off pill
12/09- period started
16/03 period finished

If I were still on the pill, my period would be due 09/04. Is there an easy way to work it out? According to the online calculator on here it should be 22-25/3 as most fertile. To make sure, we've just dtd every couple of days and every day for past four.

Any ideas?

[Wiggy29]

That would be great,thank you (nothing like kindness from a stranger to make you smile). I checked out my pants yesterday (oh how lovely)&there was nothing yesterday but a small amount of discharge today. Not sure wot that means but I think from what's been said, I should start keeping a log so I know what's 'normal' for me as at the moment I feel like I'm stumbling in the dark. I've never really thought about this before but have a whole new level of respect for women who do this month in,month out and manage to keep their sanity.

[oikopolis]

Well Wiggy if you decide to try OPKs, let me know, i have quite a few left over from my very short adventure in TTC. just PM me your address and i'll pop them in an envelope for you.

you don't have to use them, and if they'll stress you out, rather avoid. keep an eye on cervical mucus instead. you'll get to know your body after a month or so (and maybe you'll be lucky before that long anyway!)

[Wiggy29]

Wow,that's a lot to take in but all really helpful. I can't decide whether to invest in those things now or wait& see how the first couple of months go?we're only a couple of weeks in&all ready feel a bit stressed & worried they'll add more pressure.that said, timing is an issue due to health issues I posted about previously so I can't afford to be too relaxed about the whole thing.

[oikopolis]

just for reference, people talk about CDs (cycle days) and DPOs (days post ovulation). So you'll have 28ish CDs and 14ish DPOs per cycle (if that makes sense!).

So... here's how you count it/refer to it:
-CD1 (cycle day 1) is the first day of your period.
-usually you ovulate around CD14 (cycle day 14).
-from then on, people usually talk about "DPO". usually, you'll start doing pregnancy tests from around 11DPO (11 days after ovulation), and a positive usually shows up no later than 15DPOish.
-when you period reappears (usually around 14DPO), a new cycle has started and you begin counting from CD1 again.

(i'm just including all this so you'll know what people are nattering on about on conception threads)

to work out your cycle...
i used temperature charting and OPKs (ovulation predictor kits -- like a pg test, except it tells you when you're about to ov). the combination was perfect... i was pregnant on my first month trying, after almost 15 yrs on the Pill.

check out fertilityfriend.com if you want to give charting a go. All it is, is you buy a fertility thermometer (you can get them in Boots... they give your temp accurate to 2 decimal places), and then every morning before you get out of bed, take your temperature and record it.

when your morning temp dips suddenly and then shoots back up a day later, that confirms you've ovulated. i used OPKs at the same time because the OPK gives you a 24-hour warning that ov is imminent. the temperature pattern will then confirm it. (knowing you're going to ov means you have time to get shagging during your most fertile period). fertilityfriend is useful to track and interpret your temperature pattern, you can also add OPK data and that helps get a more accurate picture of your cycle.

you can also use the cervical mucus method, but some women don't get the "egg-white mucus" that every talks about so it's not as useful to some. but i think many women have found that method really effective.

btw, your body will also give you little cues. i found that ovulation = ladybits noticeably engorged for a day or two, especially inner bits around vagina. that never happened while i was on the Pill, got quite a shock!

hth!

[TuesdayNightClub]

Count your cycles from the first day of your period and look out for ovulation signs (egg white mucus) to work out the length of you luteal phase (the bit between ovulation and the end of your cycle - should be roughly 14 days)

I was on the pill for ten years and it did take a few months for my cycles to settle. Now at 6 months after stopping the pill I feel like I have really got to grips with it.

Good luck!

[Happilymarried155]

From looking at your dates you are on day 13 at the moment so I would be having as much sex as possible over the next week!!

[Happilymarried155]

Sorry type error there it's meant to say days 8-20, that's days after your period. I tend to ovulate between days 14-16, but it has been 18 and 13!! If your dtd between days 8-20 every other day you won't miss you fertile time (unless your cycles are really long)
Look out for a clear, sticky, thick discharge (sorry tmi) this means you are at your most fertile-it's always best you if you have had sex proir to this tho as sperm can live for up to 5 days.
That's my understanding of it, I'm sure if I'm wrong someone will come along and correct me! Good luck :)

[Wiggy29]

Excuse the ignorance happilymarried155,but when are days 8-10? Is that 8-10 days after your period has finished?or started?or your period is due? Sorry- is it obvious I'm new to this?

[Happilymarried155]

Hi wiggy,
I had been on the pill for ten years do was also unsure of how long my cycles were and when I ovulated. I kept a record of my cycle for the first couple of months then used opk for a couple of months, they helped me notice the signs of ovulation (ie I noticed whenever I had my smiley face I also got a pain in my right side and got ewcm) I don't need to use the opk anymore as I can recognise my fertile signs without the opk!
Having said that, as stated above as long as you are dtd at least three times a week and every other day between days 8-10 you don't really need to monitor ovulation as you have no chance of missing you fertile time.
I only did it so I could get a better understanding of my cycles and now stick to the the eod method, although I am yet to have my BFP-I'm hoping it will arrI've soon! Good luck!!! X

[ValeriaS]

I think the best way to find out when you are most fertile is looking at your discharge. When it is egg white consistency, you are probably ovulating. It doesn't really matter when you'd have your withdrawal bleed on the pill. Anyways, don't get too bogged down on your ovulation days as sperm can live inside you for a week. just have regular sex!