Is ovulation without a period possible?

[CLKELL]

I was diagnosed with endometriosis 5 years ago but in mild stages, it then developed in to stage 4 deep infiltrating endo when we started TTC just under 3yrs ago. I became very poorly resulting in having to have two operations last year in Jan and June to drain two big endometriomas in both ovaries and remove my left Fallopian tube. I was put on prostap in between the ops which basically puts your body in to false menopause to keep everything down before the second op to remove the actual cysts (it was too risky to remove first go due to size). All was successful after second op but I went on to the combination pill straight after to get my body healed and also to get my head back together as was so traumatic! I’ve then tricycled the pill since last June, first two periods were bad then had one in Feb which was really manageable. I then had to have emergency surgery this June out of the blue due to my endo coming back and giving me an infection plus my right tube was wrapped around my ovary! They sorted it out and again was successful, they flushed my tube and after said it looked healthy and fine. We decided to stop my pill and start ttc again as I’m now 38 and with the endo it could take time if it happens at all. I also had an AMH test week after surgery and no surprise it was super low. I stopped my pill on 23rd June and got my breakthrough bleed 3 days later, again all good. Since then I’ve had nothing and I’m now on day 42. I had what I thought was ovulation week between around day 21-24, had ovary pains, hot flushes, nausea and just generally felt like I remembered it. I did an ovulation stick that looked positive on day 24 but then next day nothing which would indicate I ovulated when I thought?! Since then I’ve had really sore nipples and odd ovary pains but nothing major. I’ve also had mild period pains sporadically thinking I’m coming on but then not. My CM has been consistently EW in small amounts but getting it every other day or so. I did a pg test just now which would have been around 18dpo if I did indeed ovulate of course and it was negative. Last night and this morning I had a load of EW CM and just wondering could this be ovulation?! Could I ovulate without having my period? I’m so confused with what my body is doing

Unless you are pregnant you would get a period after ovulation. It seems to me like you had a surge of lutenising hormone but that you didn't ovulate (the ovulation stick only measures LH, not whether you ovulated or not). This can happen in cycles in fully healthy women so please don't stress about it yet.

After coming off hormonal contraception, it usually takes 3 months for your body to settle down, the length of time it takes for a follicle to fully mature. I'd suggest reading Taking Charge of your fertility by Toni Weschler, it's a great book for informing you on all the details of ovulation, your cycle and TTC. It will help ease your worries a bit!

Have you continued to do OPKs? I agree with the PP, the OPKs only pick up the surge of LH when your body tries to ovulate. It's definitely possible your body has been trying to ovulate since CD21 and hasn't quite managed it yet. The signs you're seeing now could also indicate your body is gearing up to try again.

On average your period will arrive 12-14 days after ovulation, if you've not conceived. So it's definitely plausible that you wouldn't have had your period yet if your body hasn't managed to successfully ovulate yet.

Fingers crossed for you. Keep DTD and hopefully it'll all fall into place.

@PlanBea and @Curiosity101
Thanks both for your responses, it’s so nice to hear from others! I didn’t continue to do OPKs after those two days as I didn’t have any left so need to get some more. I also want to try and not stress about it but I think I’m going to have to do them based on my history.
I know it’s going to take some time for my body to go back to normal again especially after the last 18 months, it’s been through a lot! I just worry about what’s going on inside and the endo coming back full pelt and attacking my already depleted ovaries. Will defo look at that book thank you

Hi @CLKELL - I'm in a very different position but think I can add to this a bit.

My story - I was having no period post pill, for 4.5 months or so (it looks like its started today, v exciting). I also looked like I wasnt ovulating in that time - both because any ovulation that doesnt result in conception should give you a period around 2 weeks after and also because I could see on OPKs that the LH was rising but then never getting to a peak, and my temperatures weren't staying high enough for it to be a real ovulation. In the 143 days with no period I had 3 times where my body would gear up to ovulate (inc in temps, inc in OPK lines, wetter CM) then fail to do so (in me I get sore nips after this!). I have been told that messed up cycles, no ovulation and absent periods can all be pretty normal up to 6 months post pill.

So it might be that your body just isnt there yet, like mine wasnt/isnt. Depending on your anxiety levels, I'd recommend combining temping and OPKs to give you the best indication of if you are ovulating. Fingers crossed for you

@TheDaydreamBelievers thanks for responding! Good to hear your experience and know I’m not the only one. I reckon you’re all right and my body is just adjusting and getting back to a pill free life! Just hope it comes back soon as I feel time is against me...I wasn’t going to track temps, not sure where to even start and I can be quite obsessive so don’t want to stress out more but do you think it’s something I should do?

It's your call @CLKELL - I think what works for me is to do it first thing (I put it on top of my phone for when the alarm goes), enter it into the app I have then just dont look at it again. I've been using 1 opk a day but found them more stressful so have had a few gaps too. I have then been doing a preggo test about every 2 weeks but that was mainly because I had no idea where I was in my cycle. If I can get a cycle back I'll check them less I think!

And where did you get the temp checks from?

@CLKELL - any basal thermometer under the tongue will do then lots of mumsnetters use apps like premom. I have a subscription to Natural Cycles which came with a thermometer!