Question with cycle length affecting when you ovulate

[impatientlywaiting14]

Hi all
So this has probably been asked many times.
I come off of the pill (microgynon 30) Jan this year and had my first withdrawal bleed 4 days later then my natural period in Feb. This was a 28 day cycle. following my period in feb I used opks and got a positive on day 15 & 16 of my cycle. From Feb to March my cycle length was 27 days. I didn't use opks so not sure as to when i ovulated. This month it has been 29 days.

Does your cycle length affect when in your cycle you ovulate or could i still expect to ovulate around day 15 as my opks originally indicated?

I am definitely going to use opks this cycle but i would like to know, as i have been advised to dtd 6 days before expected ovulation so would like to know when to expect this!

Thanks in advance for any advice :)

You usually ovulate 12-16 days before your period starts, so yes, cycle length will affect when ovualtion occurs.

If you're unsure, it's best to have a wide window, so start early (just after period ends or 7 days before earliest expected ovulation date, whichever's earlier) and aim for every day until about 3 days after definite positive opk. The early start not only helps avoid missing the fertile window but also helps to promote good fresh sperm when you get there.

Hi eurochick

Thank-you for your reply ok so would it be safe to assume that if my cycle length is 27 days I would ovulate around a day sooner and if 29 days a day later than 15 days?
xx

Hi Jessplussomeonenew

Thanks very much for the advice, that makes a lot of sense it doesn't harm to start earlier than the 6 days. My only concern is we wont be able to manage every day leading up, its quite doubtful every 2 days as lately hubby is stressed from work and tired, so not in the mood much so a bit disheartening. I'm trying to maximize our chances of catching it without putting too much pressure on, almost impossible to balance. I'm worried that if we cant manage every other day at least leading up we will miss it :(

Just realised there was a crucial typo - I meant to say every other day!

Your cycles are very regular, so you should ovulate around the same days. If dtd every other day is not possible, then OPKs are your best bet. If you can identify your built up to a positive, the best days to dtd are the day before the positive and the day of the positive. They do say sperm is healthiest if he has ejaculated in the last 1-5 days. Sperm also lives inside you for up to 5 days or so, if the sperm is healthy. After your positive, you will ovulate between 12 and 48 hours, but the egg doesn't live for long and also sperm needs some time to swim up. That is why it's best to DTD regularly, but if you can't, at least try and DTD some time in the week before your positive and the day before/the day of your positive.