10 days of EWCM

[lilyflower1803]

Hi, I have really irregular periods. I have been charting since January, only once have I seen a clear BBT rise, lh strips up and down but never reaching more than a 0.45 on Premom which I know isn’t reliable (I have never had a positive OPK) and I do them daily, multiple times a day. The one time I saw a BBT rise, I only had OPKs of around 0.05!!

I have been tested for PCOS, my hormone tests are normal, had a laparoscopy in December, all clear.

I’m currently on day 10 of having EWCM daily, it’s like my body is trying to ovulate but nothing is happening! Has anyone experienced this/ has any idea what could be causing this. I know I have almost undetectable levels of testosterone, but lh, fsh, prolactin were all normal.

thank you for any advice! (We aren’t actively trying but not avoiding- just want to understand my cycles first!!) I thought bbt and opk would help me understand what’s going on, but I am none the wiser half a year later! Cycles can range from 25 days- 45 days on average.

The longest run of EWCM I've ever had is 12 days! I actually conceived that cycle, but on other cycles with long runs I haven't, so I don't think it means much as such. Basically when oestrogen is high you make ewcm so with PCOS sometimes you can have slightly higher levels of oestrogen so I guess that's the reason 🤷

However if you have charted several cycles now and only had one cycle with a sustained temperature rise, then likely this is the only cycle you ovulated (assuming you are charting and interpreting correctly). BBT done properly is much more reliable than OPKs so I wouldn't worry about OPK results too much. OPKs often don't work well with PCOS I've heard.
If you're not ovulating regularly I'd see about a referral.

Hi @lilyflower1803 - sounds like we are quite similar!! I also have long cycles but also really low testosterone and normal with the others, no PCOS shown from internal scan! But my cycles can be 30-40 days at the moment and I usually have 7 days of EWCM and I've given up on LH tests as they were never positive...however the good news is I have a 20 month old DS! Conceived him when I ovulated on CD30 so it is really possible, just BD loads whenever you have the EWCM and I would just rely on that for knowing ovulation is imminent than stressing yourself out with the tests. It's just a bit annoying planning to TTC when you don't know exactly when the EWCM is going to start - I'm just going into cycle #2 TTC#2
Hopefully this is some reassurance that absolutely possible to conceive still (and quickly - I was third cycle for DS)

Hi! We sound so similar!! I was worried I was a complete anomaly 🤣 thank you so much for the reassurance, it’s easy to slip into a negative mindset!

I find having irregular cycles like this so frustrating and have tried all sorts of prescriptions and herbal remedies to sort it out- to no avail!

I’m currently on 14 days of having EWCM!! Getting a bit fed up now 🤣 still no positive OPK but did have a darker one than usual on Monday afternoon so wonder if that was the end of a lh surge as it was lowish in the morning(CD 29), however I would have assumed I would have ovulated by now and I’m still experiencing EWCM! So probably not :(

very frustrating! Oh well going to remain positive! Baby dust to you 🥰

Thank you! I’m now on 14days of EWCM 🤣 I did have a bit of an lh ride Monday afternoon but I’m still experiencing EWCM although now my lh tests are back to baseline.

when you conceived did you know when you ovulated? I’ve heard EWCM dries up the day after ovulation!

annoyingly I can’t find my BBT thermometer this month, but was tracking fairly accurately minus some episodes of illness and did only confirm it once through BBT. I wonder if I might have a low level lh surge or it be very very rapid.

im thinking of going to the GP soon as its been half a year now.

@lilyflower1803 Yes I always assume ovulation is the penultimate day of EWCM (and I think that's right for me as I then get my period 14 days after that!)

I'm a bit unclear what you mean. Are you saying you have tracked multiple cycles with BBT and only once seen a sustained temperature rise? Maybe I've misunderstood! If that is what you are saying though, then assuming you are taking your temperature correctly and interpreting your chart correctly then you did not ovulate on those cycles without a sustained rise.

Also not sure if it's a typo in your post, but are you aware that it's the progesterone/oestrogen balance that BBT tracks, and nothing to do with LH? If you are ovulating you will see a temperature rise of at least 0.3°C in the luteal phase. Your temperature should climb from around 24-48 hours after ovulation and can take a few days to reach the higher level, but should then stay there until just before your period starts. Sorry if you already know all this - I just couldn't tell from your post ☺️

Hi yes that is what I mean, though on that specific cycle all my opk tests were negative. On other cycles I have had lh rises but no obvious bbt shift.

also yes I’m aware:) but as I am also doing opks I’m looking for my lh surge which is obviously triggered by high estrogen and I’m not really getting it.

no worries :) thank you for your help x

Just updating, I think I have FINALLY ovulated! Currently 4dpo- that felt like the longest time ever!