Long cycles...

[Flick]

Last month I had a 34 day cycle and this month it was 36 days. Really really want second child and although we have been trying for 3 months only am worried that the long cycles might mean something isn't quite right. Any suggestions/advice/reassurance?

I have a 30 day cycle. I did read only yesterday that ovulation occurs 14 days before a woman's period, regardless of the length of her cycle, so maybe work on that basis...? Oh and ovulation doesn't always occur every cycle, so give it a bit longer. Good Luck.

I read that too, Mollipops. Flick - I have always had long cycles and fairly irregular length at that too (34-40 ish) and know what you mean! When pregnant last time, I brought up the subject of long periods with my doctor worrying something not quite right but she said that it was more common than you would think long cycles alone was not an indicator of any problems. If you were suffering from very heavy periods accomp. with lots of pain then that would be worth getting checked over for, but long cycles are just one of those things, sorry.

After several months of trying and getting increasingly frustrated (made worse with a long cycles as it just gets your hopes up and means waiting even longer to find out if you have been successful or not) I asked for advice from other mumsnetters and was recommended the website ovusoft.com. It was brilliant advice - worked for me first time. I quickly realised that I had been going wrong thinking that I ovulated roughly somwhere in the middle of my cycle and was trying in the wrong zone - in fact it was much later (even as late oas day 28) - about 12 days from my period. The system is based on temp charts and mucal readings which is no new system but just explained in full with loads and loads of examples on file for you to look and and compare (for free) to get an idea of what is giong on. You don?ty have to do it for several months first to build up a picture as each month is different anyway. I know it is a little scientific but it really works. I stopped counting days and started watching my body signs and it made a big difference. As mollipops says, every cycle is different so don?t use one month as a guide and not every month automatically produces a healthy egg so try to stick with it. Good luck - I really empathise with you and hope that it al works out in the very near future for you.

Flick, my cycles have always been 30-34 days and as JayTree says, either Taking Charge of Your Fertility or the Ovusoft package can help you start charting your temp/cervical fluid. This will help you pinpoint when in general you ovulate each month. Rather than use the websites I went for a manual method and you can get a pack from Boots containing the right sort of thermometer for £12.99.
As Mollipops says, if all is well with you then you will be ovulating 14 days or so before your period starts. Long cycles in themselves are fine - they just annoy the medical profession, which still rigidly adopts the 28-day cycle as the basis for all its antenatal calculations!

My ds is only 6 months and stopped breastfeeding at the end of Dec so my body may still be trying to adjust, I guess. Still, its tough having to wait so long each month and as it was unplanned for ds1, that makes it harder.