Judging ov by cm and cp, not opks!

[VJONES1985]

Hi all. So I decided to get rid of opks this cycle as part of a more chilled out approach to ttc! Just need some guidance re cm and cp, please.

So, have had ewcm from cd13-16 so far and my cp is now very high and soft (cd16). Have dtd every day from cd13. Going by this, is there a way to estimate when ov happened/will happen? I'm guessing the cervix closes straight after ovulation? What about cm? Thanks.

EWCM tends to hang around for another day or so after ovulation, on the grounds that the ovum lives for approx 24 hours, so it's last chance saloon for the sperm.

Fwiw I conceived (via AI) on the basis of CM. I couldn't get on with OPKs. I was temping as well, but temping only confirms ovulation has happened after the fact, so it's fairly useless predictively. I was also checking CP but I can't really remember the details of that - I found it quite subjective iirc.

Good luck!

Oh, and I used to get EWCM from about 5 days before, but I think that varies a lot from one woman to the next.

Hiya. I see. So, it could have already happened. If so, I'm pretty happy with that as, since coming off the pill, I have ovulated around day 18. Fingers crossed it's happened slightly earlier this month!

What opks were you using?

I found the cheapies a total nightmare, but the clearblue opks where you can use FMU a god send.

I would get 5 days EWCM, then a dry day and a pos opk, then would ovulate the following day where my cm was very slippery.

If you are really going to just rely on on EWCM then I would make sure I started BDing on the first day I saw it and keep going for a few days after it totally dries up.

I was using IC ones and they gave me positives on two or three days in a row, usually cd16-18. My ewcm backed this up as well but I can't remember exactly when it began or ended. The opks themselves didn't stress me out, I just became obsessed with ttc to the point where I was utterly devastated each time my LP lasted only seven days. That could happen this time too (please no) but I'm trying to relax more about the whole process.

Did you use cb advanced digi opks? I thought they were fab but yes expensive. I've heard the cheap ones are unreliable.

No, I've never used clearblue ones because I don't think I could afford them. Don't you have to buy a 'reader' to put the sticks into?

It's basically about £18 a month initially, but once you get used to your cycle and when you ovulate you would use one pack over two cycles.

Well, I thought I was kind of used to my cycle but I guess I'm not because it could still change (have only been off pill four four months). Perhaps I'll bear it in mind for the future.

I got them from here;

www.amazon.co.uk/Clearblue-Digital-Ovulation-Test--Pack-Sticks/dp/B00BSNL7A0/ref=sr_1_68?s=drugstore&ie=UTF8&qid=1383334192&sr=1-68&keywords=clearblue+ovulation+test

I can totally understand your concern about TTC becoming a blimmin performance on the 'right days'. It could be worth using them for two months. If you OV the same time each month then you will have a good idea of when to bd and can tailor your love life for some extra steamy sessions around that time.

Thanks for the advice so far. I have another question - what does it mean if I have some more ewcm but my cervix is harder? I had ewcm a d a soft, high cp from cd13-16 inclusive. Yesterday (cd17) my ewcm had disappeared but my cervix was still quite high and soft. However, I've just noticed today that I've got some more ewcm even though my cervix is harder now. Is it possible to have a bit of ewcm after ovulation??

My CM goes straight back to thick and infertile pretty much overnight once ovulation has taken place. I find it hard to predict ovulation using CM but i can definitely tell when the egg has gone. Keep having regular sex until you get the change in CM is my advice.

After ovulation you should have a dry day, very often I then have some more EWCM after that. So yep, keep shagging till the EWCM is gone

Thank you ladies. Seems I'm in the camp that has ewcm, a dry day and then some more ewcm! We dtd every day over the four days I had ewcm and now will continue every two days, just in case.