Thought I would give you a beginners guided to your cycle incase it helps
The first day of your cycle (CD1) is the first day of your period.
Your cycle will usually be around 28-31 days but can be shorter/longer and can vary each month. You can use apps to track this as it’s easy to forget dates. Also good to use apps to track positive ovulation tests. Beyond that though apps are only guessing and you should take them with a pinch of salt.
Your cycle is split into 2 key parts with ovulation in the middle.
Pre-ovulation is the first half of your cycle. This will include your period and then a gradual build up to ovulation, where you will notice more and more discharge (“cervical mucus”) and this will become more clear and stretchy as you approach ovulation.
1-2 days before ovulation and up to 24 hours after ovulation is the best window to get pregnant. You can technically get pregnant by having sex up to 5 days before ovulation but that’s less likely.
For an average 28 day cycle you will be most fertile around days 12-15. But remember this is personal to you and it’s best to try work out what your dates are. It can vary every month.
You can work out when you’re ovulating using cheap test strips, you dip these in your pee a few times a day when you think ovulation is close and when they turn positive you know ovulation is about to happen. Ovulation usually happens 24 hours after a positive test.
After ovulation has actually happened, you have around 12-14 days until your period. This is called your luteal phase and for most people this is always the same length each month, so if you can pin down ovulation, you can learn exactly when to expect your period.
During the luteal phase you can experience a lot of ‘pregnancy’ symptoms
because the same hormone (progesterone) is high in both pregnancy and in the run up to your period. Having sore boobs etc doesn’t necessarily mean you’re pregnant, it could easily mean period is coming too.
You can start testing for pregnancy about 9 days after ovulation (9DPO) but if you can wait until more like 11-12DPO you will get more clarity.
If you want to be absolutely sure of exactly if and when you ovulated the only way to do that is with temperature charting, which is quite a faff and can make you a little obsessed so I don’t recommend initially.
For first 3-6 months of TTC, try to just have plenty of sex around the right time, use ovulation test strips, and log positive ovulation tests and period dates in an app to keep track. And try not to obsess. I think many of us can find it fun and exciting to really throw ourselves into it all, but when it doesn’t work straight away that can quickly turn to obsession and lots of stress. So try not to pay too much attention to the whole thing
Good luck!