Hello! New to Mumsnet: Q about ovulating twice & prog. levels

[wendyredhead]

Hi everyone (TTC #2 for 6 mths and in the UK) I've had a read through some Qs & noticed it's possible to OV twice. I always OV on CD17 (I think!)but this month my temps dropped after 3 days & I got more EWCM on CD20 then they shot up next day. My progesterone level was only 20 taken on CD20. Does this mean I didn't actually OV on CD17 & my body retried a few days later? Or does a UK level of 20 mean I did ovulate? I'm trying to find out if I have low progesterone & last cycle it was 27 on 7DPO which seems better. (My luteal phase is 10 days) Thanks for any help!

PS: forgot to add that my doctor said I needed a level of 30 to OV but I'm confused because I get OV pains every month, have regular periods, & get a good, obvious temp rise?? HELP!

PPS: ...sorry.... and I get +++OPKs. There, I've finished!

Hi wendyredhead... the level should be higher than 30 to indicate ovulation, and that should be about a week after ovulation... so if you ovulated on 17 and bloods taken on 20 then it might explain the low level. I think you should have your bloods taken again perhaps? Good luck

Ovulation does not occur twice in any given month. Ovulation can occur earlier, later or not at all in any given cycle. Even women with regular periods can have the occasional anovulatory cycle.

The standard test done to measure progesterone is a day 21 test. A level of 30 plus indicates ovulation has occured. The "signs" that you get can actually mislead.

If your progesterone was measured on day 20 that is a bit too early.

It may be that your progesterone is a bit low anyway and in this regard your luteinising hormone and follicle stimulation hormone levels should also be looked at. LH and FSH are measured early in a cycle - a day 3 test is standard in this regard.

Would not actually pay too much attention to temp charts as they can be misleading at best.

OPK's are themselves beset with problems - these measure LH. If you are one of many women who are producing higher than normal levels of LH the kit will read the excess. The kit also works on the misleading principle that a rise in LH is immediately followed by ovulation - not true as women can easily have more than one rise in LH every month.

I would have more blood tests done both earlier and later in the cycle.

Thanks Ready and Attila - very useful info from you - much obliged. It was my Doc who suggested CD20, even though I told him I OV late in my cycle - he said it had to be 7 days BEFORE my next period & as my LP is 10 days, that worked out at CD20. I'll speak to him - probably best for me to test for prog at 5DPO then as that's half way?

I'll mention those other tests Attila mentioned aswell as I don't think he really knows what he's doing - he said he wasn't really sure and had to do some research & I heard him flicking through a book as I was talking to him on the phone!!

Attila: ERROR: didn't mean to say "ovulate twice each month"!! (that's very rare - saw a woman on TV recently that this happened to & she gave birth to 2 daughters - not twins amazingly because her body ovulated twice).

What I meant was - tries to ovulate twice, ie. if it doesn't successfully OV then it might have a 2nd go a bit later on.

wendyredhead - Your GP seems to be using the standard rule of thumb that every woman has a 28 day cycle and ovulates on 14, a common misconception. I'd say half way between ovulation and menstruation is right though. More tests are needed I think before you start to worry.

I would say that temperature charts can be a useful tool. The trick is not to rely on them as proof of anything. But if you have clear and steady patterns over a few cycles, then it would be a fair assumption that you were ovulating. Good luck

Well guess what?! Now I KNOW I'm ovulating even with a Prog level of 20 on 3DPO because I just got a BFP++++ at 11DPO (usually have 10 day luteal phase)!!!!

Can't wait to tell my doctor because he said I probably didn't ovulate this month!!!!! HEE HEE HEE

Just goes to prove that what the medics say ain't always right - you should trust what your body is telling you and mine was telling me I definitely ovulated!

YAY!! well done you! big congrats come to the march thread (i'm on a recuiting drive today )

THANKS PIPSQUEEKE! AM IN BIG TIME SHOCK HERE. I WILL JOIN YOU ON THE MARCH THREAD WHATEVER THAT IS - you might have to explain or I'll see if I can find it (newbie you know).

And I only just joined your site a couple of days ago aswell - thought I'd be spending months on this bit before doing this!

sorry chick march antinatal thread. we can all moan and gos about things together! we're a friednly bunch.

Cheers! See you there....scary!