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General help needed on cycles please

Hi all,

I though I'd understood cycles, for a 28 day cycle, cd1 af starts, around cd14 you ovulate and then 2 weeks later you repeat it all.

Since coming here though I've been so confused!

When exactly is it possible to concieve in your cycle? I'm on cd12 and have sex daily since af stopped, I've been using cb ov sticks but no smiley face yet, say for example (this won't be the case) we stopped bding now until af was due, is there any chance I could be pregnant?

From what I've read it sounds like you're fertile for a couple of days befre you ovulate and then on the same day then potentially the day after (depending on egg shelf life!), does that mean sex on any other day won't result in anything?

Help please! image

K xxx

Replies

  • Hello again Mrs KP.

    Yes your right, from what i have read you are fertile 2-3 days before ovulation (maybe longer). This is because the sperm can live for a few days so if you bd before ov you still have a chance of getting pregnant. There is a website called when sperm meets egg and its gives you some more info about this and how you should bd every other night until you get a positive on the OV tests then do it 3 days on the trot, miss a night then once more. If you type that into google you should be able to find website.
  • Hun - sorry if I've confused u...

    This might help...

    When am I most fertile?

    The answer to this question is somewhat tricky. The general answer is that most women are fertile for only a few days per cycle. However, there are several factors to consider:

    The woman's egg can only live up to 24 hours. Two or more eggs may be released over a maximum of 24 hours. So, in a vacuum, a woman is only fertile for about a day or two. But the man's sperm can live up to 5 days, so the combined fertility of the two individuals is about a week.
    For a couple trying to get pregnant, the woman's fertile phase is as long as she has fertile quality cervical fluid, up through ovulation. That might be several days, or as few as one.

    Can a woman get pregnant during her period?

    The answer lies in the wording of the question. More precisely, it is essentially impossible for a woman to get pregnant during her period, but on rare occasions it is possible for a woman to get pregnant from intercourse during her period. Since sperm can live for five days, a couple could have sex near the end of the woman's period, and the sperm could then live long enough to fertilize an egg several days later, if the woman had a very early ovulation. (Conception is more likely in these cases if intercourse occurs at the end of a 6- or 7-day menstruation.) It's also possible that women who think they got pregnant from intercourse during their period were actually having sex during ovulatory spotting.

    How long can a human egg survive?

    Most ova probably survive about six to twelve hours after ovulation. However, for the purposes of contraception, you must count on a 24-hour survival period, plus an additional 24 hours in case there is a multiple ovulation.

    The length of the luteal phase determines the time of ovulation within your menstrual cycle. Ovulation can be delayed by a number of factors, such as stress, increased activity or medication, but the length of the luteal phase is usually constant. Taking this into account, you can calculate the time of ovulation within your cycle by subtracting the length of your luteal phase from the length of your cycle. For example, if your cycle is 28 days long and your luteal phase is 12 days long, the ovulation will occur on day 16 of your cycle (28-12=16).

    If you are not sure about the length of your luteal phase, you can assume it is 14 days (the average length for most women).

    xxx
  • That's really useful thanks, I think my understanding of the luteal phase was confused so I think I understand now!

    Sorry to be asking so many questions, I've been waiting to start trying since we got married in Dec last year - you'd think I would have made sure I understood this beforehand!!

    I also think we will start bding every other day as you suggested in my other post, and then every day when I get my smiley.

    By the way - how long can you get your smiley for? How long is the lh surge, is it easy to miss despite daily testing?

    K xx
  • One you get your smiley there is not need to test anymore - You'll spend a fortune otherwise! The peak of the LH surge usually lasts 12 to 24 hours, so test about the same time each day (mid-afternoon is ideal) to ensure they catch it.

    Don't worry if you don't see it though I'm sure all is fine!

    Have you thought about tracking your BBT? xx
  • Sorry I wasn't suggesting I kept using the ov sticks after a smiley I was more trying to ascertain how easy it was to miss it image

    How much effort is charting temp? How does it work?

    Thanks for all your help so far x
  • I'm a real advocate for chart temping, think its really easy and for me is fairly accurate.

    You need a digital Basal Body Thermometer... about ??3 and a chart with temps on - you can download these online for free or plot it online - I prefer doing it myself.

    All you do is every morning around the same time is take your temperature, you need to have had at least 4 hours sleep. Once you have taken you temp just jot it down and that's it!

    You'll see that the first half of the month you temps will be lower than the 2nd half of the month...

    The change on the is your ovulation and comes from the effect of the release of progesterone from the ovary. In most women, this release of progesterone produces a rise in temperature of around 0.4 - 0.5 degrees C. Your temperature should remain risen throughout pregnancy.

    xx

  • That sounds quite easy, cheaper than ov sticks too! I've spent ??40 on them this month lol although that will last me until next month.

    If I do need them next month then I might try temping as well.

    For now I'll stick with the sticks, think I'll give us a night off tonight though, I'm shattered image

    k xx
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