Irregular Periods - Help!

[LipstickGirl]

I have been keeping track of my periods for the last 6 months and they vary from 30 days this month to 23 last - is this irregular enough to be worried about my fertility? As it is I have no idea when I'm ovulating - I thought my fertile days were days 7 - 10 this month but of my cycle is 30 days is that totally wrong? I'd really appreciate any help - we've only just started trying but I have no idea about luteal phases etc and you girls all seem so knowledgeable!

Thank you in advance!

x

Mine vary by 7ish days too- but mine are 28-35ish. Have only been trying 3 months (in two week wait at mo and itching to test)- I think the issue with irregular periods is not worries about fertility so long as you are ovulating but its the timing intercourse to catch ovulation and maximise chances of conception. Buy Toni Wechshlers- Taking charge of your fertility(TCOYF) to learn the fertility awareness method (FAM). Sign up to fertility friend.com and get charting and you'll soon get the hang of it! Also family planning offer free NFP (Natural family planning lessons) see here:
www.fertilityuk.org/ukpractitionersearch.htm
Which is good to chat to an expert.

in fact the www.fertilityuk.org/ is also a good place to start as it is written by lead practitioners of NFP in the country- Jane Knight and Elizabeth Clubb and their book "fertility" is also a good read (I have both- had fertility for ages only brought TCOYF recently and found it much more helpful).

There apparently is a slight difference between NFP and FAM but I think the terms are interchangeable and its just people who use the method for contraception don't like "family planning in the name!)

Good luck- is quite straightforward once you get the hang of it- I have been using NFP/FAM for the last three years and I love it.

Mine are the same.
This month was 24 days.
Last month was 29.

Ooops P.S Good luck!

oh and as further explanation the reason the menstrual cycle ranges in length is almost always due to the timing of ovulation so the luteal phase (time between ovulation and next period) is usually fairly constant- average 14 days but can be between 12-16 days depending on the woman. So mine seems to average 12 days (less than 12 can be problematic apparently for implantation) but my ovulation day varies from min day 15 -day max 23 average day 20. So once you start tracking your cycles to include ovulation you can work out your average luteal phase and the day you ovulated.

Ovulation can also be delayed by stress, diet, exercise, even lack of sunlight- all sorts of annoying things!

Hope that helps.

Yes definitely get TCOYF, it's very enlightening and you'll feel much more in control if you understand what's going on. But variable cycles not a problem in themselves - mine are all over the place, between 26 and 43 days in the last year. I always ovulate eventually though. My mother was the same and she had no problem conceiving at all (there are 5 of us!).

Thanks so much for your replies, I think I'll be heading to Waterstones for some book shopping tomorrow!

It's so great to be able to get advice on here as I don't want to tell loads of people we're trying so can't speak to friends too much. Plus I've got endemetriosis so I'm just so worried about how hard it's going to be for me to get pregnant.

Just one more Q - if you get EWCM does that mean you've definitely ovulated or do you get that even if you haven't?!

generally last day of ewcm coincides with ovulation day but it is caused by oestrogen (i think don't quote me) and you can get it at other points in the cycle sometimes- even post ovulation. Is a good indicator though for ovulation- I used to get loads- now I am looking for it I get fuck all. Grrrr!