Ovulation can be as late as days 19 or 20.

[Sarah W Baby Belly]

Hi everyone.

I just posted this in another thread and realised that it may be helpful to others who have been led to believe that ovulation can only occur 14 days before a period.

I started charting my temps after coming off the pill and I noticed that my system wasn't ready for a baby until eight months after I stopped it. I wanted to wait until I had at least ten high temperatures in a row each month before even trying as there was a risk of miscarriage if my body was still a hostile environment as a result of being on the pill.

Even then, my ovulation was quite late compared to what the books say. On the month that I conceived our baby my ovulation occured on day 19 or 20 of my cycle. (The 20th day was when I experienced the major temperature shift)

So what I am saying is, when the contraceptive pill is involved, give it plenty of time to get out of the system, and whether you were on the pill or not, if you haven't ovulated by day 14 or 15 it doesn't mean that you are not going to.

Hope this helps

 

[hayley]

Hi sarah

You seem to understand ovulation and the bodies symptoms. can I ask you a question?

I was watching for mucus change and using ovualtion test sticks this month. We usually just Bd when we feel like and hope for the best. I felt that way there wasn't too much pressure on either of us. I came off the pill last September so it should be out of my system by now. Anyway I ovulated this month on day 11 using ovualation sticks. I tested again on day 12 and still got a positive result. I knew before I started testing that I was ovulating because I always get a dull ache in one side. Now this is where i'm a little confussed.... if I ovulated on day 11 shouldn't my cycle be 25 days? 11 + 14 = 25? My cycle is more like 28 to 29 days. I'm hoping i didn't get a false read on my ovulation stick.

Does that make sense?

 

[Sarah W Baby Belly]

I have never actually used ovulation sticks, but I thought that the sticks alert you to when ovulation is on its way? I mean, if they told you when ovulation has actually occured then it would be too late to start the BD thing?

I'm not sure I am the best person to advise on the sticks, but if they are alerting you on the 11th day then I would assume that you ovulate a day or so later?

I really don't know how they work though. i prefer charting myself as I feel more in control with that method.

Also, that figure that you use of 14 isn't always true, because as I found out, the number of days between when I ovulated and came on AF wasn't 14. It started off at zero, and gradually made it to 10 days, eight months after I came off the pill. The number 14 is only a guideline. I should imagine that millions of women have a higher or lower number than that.

 

[Sarah W Baby Belly]

Just read my message above and it sounds a bit confusing.

What I mean is, we are given this figure of 14 days between ovulation and AF, but that is only in a perfect cyle. Most womens cycles are not perfect.

WE are supposed to have 14 high temperatures in a row before it drops again at aunt flo time, but I only had 10 days.

I ovulated on roughly day 19 or 20, then I had a ten day luteal phase (ten high temperatures) then I came on my period. I still managed to get pregnant with a strange cycle like that.

 

[Amanda]

I just wanted to agree with Sarah about the ovulation sticks. They do not show you when you are ovulating, but just before. The ones I bought (off Ebay) show one line for every day, then when you finally get the 2 lines, that means that ovulation will occur within 48 hours.
If you bear in mind that the average egg lives for between 12 and 24 hours, the best time to BD after you get 2 lines is between 24 and 48 hours after. That way you should have some little swimmers there waiting....

 

[Caz]

I'm not sure what book you are quoting from Sarah, but I'm using the 'Taking Charge of Your Fertility' book by Toni Weschler. In following the book you get know when you are ovulating, the length of your cycle(s), as a whole, and also your luteal phase by charting and checking different things going on with your body, one of them being your waking temperature.

One of the FAQ in the book is: 'Do women always ovulate on day 14 of their cycle?'

Answer: No! The day of ovulation can vary among women as well as within each individual woman. However, once a woman ovulates, the time between ovulation and her menstration is very consistent, almost always between 12 and 16 days (luteal phase). Within most INDIVIDUAL women, this length of time generally doesn't change by more than a day or two. In other words, if there is going to be variation in the cycle, it is the first preovulatory phase that may vary. The second (postovulatory) phase generally remains constant.

The book also gives a number of explanations for differing lengths of cycles.

With regard to the luteal phase the book suggests that a woman usually needs a luteal phase of at least 10 days for successful implantation. The books also states that you get your temperature rise typically within a day or so after ovulation.

I would highly recommend this book as I experience irregular cycles, from one month to the next, and it has helped me to understand when I am ovulating and the length my cycle is in any given month, which in turn allows me to know when to test for pregnancy.

I hope this helps those of you with queries relating to ovulation.

 

[Sarah W Baby Belly]

I have read the taking charge of your fertility book from cover to cover and it is wonderful.

When I say the things above I'm not really quoting from anything as such I'm just saying what happened to me.

I had to wait until eight months after stopping the pill before I got ten high temperatures in a row (the luteal phase)

Once I did get my ten day luteal phase, things remained constant after that for the next four months. Every month I ovulated on about day 19 or 20, then had ten high temperatures, then had aunt flo.

I'm not really saying that what I wrote was quoted from anything, just saying what happened with my particular body.

I used the 'taking charge' book as a starting point and learnt about my body from then on.

 

[hayley]

Hi Sarah

Thanks for the advise. Makes sense now!

Thanks for the reply

 

[Caz]

Oh, I see - its just that you wrote "my ovulation was quite late compared to what the books say", so I thought I would quote from the 'Taking Charge' book for others and yourself to see that ovulation can vary amongst women.

You're pregnant with your honeymoon baby - how lucky is that!

 

[Sarah W Baby Belly]

Hi Caz

Yes, we were extremely fortunate for it to happen on the honeymoon

We both feel very very blessed, as we know quite a few people who are struggling.

I send the best of luck and love to all still waiting for the baby dust.

 

[cristie_gce]

I have a question. How high does your temp have to rise to indicate a chance that you ovulated?? Yesterday I had EWCM, O pain and my CP was HSO. This morning my temp was 4 points higher. Is that shift enough to be O? Please respond.

Click here to view my chart.

http://www2.fertilityfriend.com/home/b171b

 

[Sarah W Baby Belly]

For some people it is a very big rise, for others it is very small.

The best way to identify it is to draw a graph every month and look out for a pattern of higher temperatures, even a small rise can do.

And yes a rise of 4 points can definitely signal ovulation.

Before I got pregnant my normal temp was around 36.0 and my ovulation temperature was around 36.4 and 36.5

Hope this helps