Ovulating???

When I used these tests I freaked out, because I found the ovulation tested 4-5 days later than expected by their charts. Keep taking the tests until you find it.

when I got pregnant with my third child it was day 7 after my period... Drs. I hear say to have sex daily if you are ttc.

Hello! Your story sounds familiar to me. I bought the ovulation kit and tested for like two weeks, two months in a row and never got anything. My periods were very regular but could not get the kit to show ovulation. Well I had similar thoughts to yours and didn't really pursue it or worry about it. About 6 months later my period was a few days late and I thought I was going through early menopause - well I did a pregnancy test after almost a week and there it was, positive as can be! SO even though I couldn't detect ovulation, was 39 years old and we weren't trying, I managed to get lucky! My daughter as born in AUgust and I am 41 now, wondering if I could possibly get double lucky. I would disregard the ovulation predictor kit and just let nature take its course. If you can't get pregnant after about 6 months of relaxing about it rather than stressing, then I'd see the fertility dr. 35 is not old.

The calanders and the worksheet had never worked for caculating my ovulation cycle either. I just took it every day during the round about times until I hit it..

You may want to get one of the value packs and try to test daily.. (much easier than going to a fertility dr).

I'm going to second Melissa's suggestion - the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler (sp?) is a must-have! I learned so much from it that helped me understand my body's signals all through my cycle.

Are you trying to figure it out b/c you want to try and get pregnant again? or to know for other reasons? If to get pregnant again...

My Dr gave me this advice when we wanted to get pregnant... 9 days after your first day of your period - have adult relations (LOL) that day and every other day for 9 days... (My husband was estatic) - We did this two months in a row and was pregnant the second month. My friend did this and was pregnant the first time both times she tried this way :) It doesn't really answer your question... but might help depending. Good luck!

Check with your regular OB/GYN first. You're not that old!! Lots of women have babies at 35.
Perhaps you need a different kit or more detailed instructions from your doc. She might do some blood tests to check your hormone levels etc, but don't panic yet. Let your OB/GYN help you along and see what he/she recommends regarding fertility doctors. Your insurance will probably require you do that anyway. Good luck!

How long is your cycle, normally (from the first day of your period until the next one starts)? You may not actually be ovulating. It's entirely possible to have clockwork periods without ovulating - I did that from the time I was 26 until about 34. It can be due to stress, lack of sleep, diet, hormonal imbalance (really, one off and it stops working right) or just age.

Since you're 35, if you've been doing this for six months, see your ob/gyn. I don't know if insurance will cover treatment in your state (it does in MA).

There are good books out there. There's also babyhopes.com, which sells affordable ovulation tests in bulk - so you can get a bunch and do them for a whole cycle. I did this, the basal temperature, checking mucous, everything - but still had no indication of ovulation. Then again, averything could be FINE and it still might not happen.

Hi S.:
I know it's hard!
I too am in the same situation as you. I am 34 years old, I have an 18 month old son and we are trying as well and have done all the ovulation tests. I did fertility with my last pregnancy and had success. I definitely recommend talking with a specialist. I'm not at home right now so I can't give you the exact name of the medication I was taking but I will let you know when I return home.

Hi S.- That can be so confusing! I took a natural family planning class several years ago, which was really, really helpful!!(through the Cambridge Ctr for Adult Ed). Anyway- I do know that you ovulate anywhere from around 12-15 days after the first day of your period and this should fall about 14 days or so before the start of your next period...as other women have mentioned you will have a whitish/clearish discharge around that time...that was one thing our instructor actually said was really important to look for because it helped to know you were in the right time-

you can take your temperature for a couple of months and chart it...your temp rises after you have ovulated so if you are trackiing it for a couple of months you get a good sense of when this is..if you do a google search on natural family planning it will give you more info- good luck!

I didn't find out until about 5 months in that the tests work MUCH better if you use them at night, as opposed to pregnancy tests, which work better in the morning. You might still have to do one every day for a couple months (to figure out when to generally use them) but you'll get a much clearer line. Hopefully, though, you won't need them for that long : )

have you tried the expensive digital ovulation kit? the one where you pee on a stick and put it in the machine and it tells you the results? i had a hard time figuring out when i was ovulating because i have irregular periods and within the first month of using it, I got pregnant... they are like 250$ i think but so worth it if you are really trying and having no luck (im sure its cheaper that a fertility clinic visit though..) its definitely worth a shot... i think the one we used is a Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor. You can get them on Amazon a little cheaper than at the store.. let me know if you end up using it, id be interested to know if it worked as well for other people like it did for us... good luck!

Assuming you are trying to get pregnant... I tried using a few different ovulation kits while trying to get pregnant. First time it took 3 months to get pregnant and the kit didn't work for the 3rd month (pregnacy ended in a miscarriage). My second pregnancy (daughter now 2 y/o) took 4 months to get pregnant and again I didn't use the kit for the last month. With my last pregnacy (son 6 mo.) I didn't use any kits and got pregnant month #1. So... my advice and what seemed to work best for us... as soon as you are in the clear from your period, have sex every other day until you are sure you are past your ovulation (for at least 2 weeks). I beleive I ovulate earlier in my cycle, too. This worked best for us! Good luck!
36 y/o SAHM of 2 (2 y/o and 6 mo.)

Are you trying to get pregnant? One of my friends was told that those ovulation kits a sort of a waste of money. I certainly wasted a bit of money on them. Supposedly the "best" way to get pregnant is to have intercourse every other day for the whole cycle. From my own attempts what I remember learning is that ovulation is pretty regular in the number of days BEFORE your period that it occurs - on average around 12 days. However, everyone is a little different. A regular period is a good sign of fertility, but not a sure thing. Anyway, using the kits to find out if you are fertile or not is probably not very helpful. If you have tried in earnest to get pregnant for 6 months to a year and it has not worked you might want to see a reproductive endocrinologist. Your doctor can give you a referal - the length of time you have been trying and your age is sort of the determining factor from a medical perspective as to whether they will feel you should be refered or should just try at home some more.

Hi S.,
It is pretty easy for your doctor to test your LH levels. Why not just go and get tested--that would eliminate your confusion and give you some solid information. I have regular periods too and had trouble with the ovulation predictors at your age (I am 39 and have a 3.5 mo. girl through IVF)and it turned out my levels were not that high. Good luck!! E.

If you are getting your period, you likely are ovulating, but you may not be emitting enough hormones to sustain a pregnancy. You might want to check out the book, "Taking Charge of Your Fertility", which describes very clearly the menstrual cycle. I suggest you do basal body temp charting: buy a basal body thermometer, set up a chart, and take your temp every morning at the same time, before you get out of bed. When you see your temp spike up, that means you have ovulated; then you need to chart the number of days that it stays up. You need to maintain a minimum of 10 days of an elevated temp to sustain a pregnancy. This means that, even if you get your period every month, and it's at the same time every month, your ovulation can happen at different times during that period, and if it's happening too late in the cycle, it won't work. You need to chart this for at least three months to get an accurate feel for what your body is doing. Check out the book, chart your temp, and then take the info to your doc to see what can be done. Good luck!

So I take it you are not getting a positive ovulation indication from the tests? One place you may want to start is to chart your temperatures over a cycle to make sure that you are ovulating. If ovulation occurs you will see a rise (about .4-.8 degrees) just AFTER you ovulate (you need a basal thermometer - digital is easiest). One of the best signs of fertility is your cervical mucus. It usually gets stretchy and clear just before and right around the time you ovulate and then dries up quickly just after. Using these signs in conjunction with the ovulation tests will give you the best idea of when you ovulate.
I would recommend you read a book on Fertility Awareness (or Natural Family Planning). "Taking Charge of Your Fertility, 10th Anniversary Edition: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health" by Toni Weschler is very comprehensive and easy to understand. I know it's available at some libraries (and of course from Amazon).

Hope this helps. Best of luck to you.

A. C.

My experiance is that when you begin to ovulate, you see a discharge for lack of a better word and it goes from clear to cloudy and becomes thick. it's when your ovulating. the the time in the month when you feel like your having another period but only using panty sheild

J.

Hi S.,

I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend the book, 'Taking Charge of your Fertility'!!! It helped me know when I was ovulating and helped me to know when I was pregnant with our second child. It's a great book and the newest one out now also has a CD for your computer that will help you also to chart your body temps which will help you to determine when you are ovulating and the bodily signs to look for, ie. cervical fluid.
Do the kits just have you pee on them? Or do they include a basal thermometer?
Would be more than happy to talk to you some more about this if you'd like...

E. P.

I don't know how specific the online calendars get, but I would highly recommend the book "Taking CHarge of your Fertility" - I am blanking on the author (and I have lent my copy to a friend!) but it was very useful for me - I did the online calendars (days and temp only) for about a year with no results and after getting this book from my sister, I was pregnant in 2 months. It's a very interesting book and frankly, I wish they had taught me that stuff during 'sex-ed' in school instead of what they did teach as far as counting days, etc. Hope this is helpful - good luck!

hello-
i had a similar issue. as i'm sure you know, everyone's body works differently. so i found a 30 day ovulation kit. i don't remember where i got it but it cleared everything up for me. it wasn't expensive either because they were just paper strips and not the big plastic wand. best of luck to you!

Hello S.. I read a fantastic book called "Your Fertility Signals" by Merryl Winstein. My husband and I were married for almost 2 years before we had our first child, and I bought the book b/c I like you, couldn't figure out when I was ovulating. After reading the book, I learned that you are most fertile up to 4 days after the end of your period. I really learned a lot from the book, and I'm hoping this helps. Good luck!

Both right after your period and 10 days after would be early to me...i don't usually ovulate until 15 or so days after my period...so i would test a little bit later and see if that's where your at. Everyone is so different..i wouldn't be worried yet.
Your just a younger to me! I have a 3 year old and a 16 month old and i will be 40 in September!
Have done 5 rounds of invitro..so if you have any fertility questions feel free to PM me!
M.

Have you tried using a basal temp. You take your temp each morning before rising. It tells you by increase or decrease
when you are ovulating. After four years, I conceived my son by using this method. Prior to that, no luck. It only took a few months and I was pregnant!
He is now 22 and joined by 2 younger siblings, 20 and 17.
There were no ovulating kits that I know of back in the day
I was trying. This simple method of taking your temp is cheap
and can work! Check into it, if nothing else.

i went through a whole month of ovulation tests and found out that even though i get my period, i dont' acutally ovulate. my regular gynecologist gave me clomid to force ovulation and it worked like a charm!
good luck

Hi-first make sure that you are doing the tests correctly. You probably already know this, but day 1 of your cycle is the first day that you start to bleed. I remember being confused about that at first. The test instructions then tell you to start on a specific day depending on the length of your cycle. I know of people who ovulate earlier or later then the test instructions suggest. I recommend (although it is expensive) getting 2 sets of the tests and beginning on day 7 and testing every day until the tests run out ( that would make 14 tests). I have a friend who thought she wasn't ovulating and it turns out that she was, on day 17 of her cycle. When she just used one kit she didn't reach day 17.

You may or may not be ovulating. Even if you are, there are several hormone levels your gyn. can measure that will impact how fertile you are. These are LH, FSH, and progesterone. For me, it was my progesterone, and my dr. put me on Clomid. I think it helps you produce better follicles which in turn make more progesterone to support the pregnancy. That was 12 yrs ago. After 2 months on that medicine I was pregnant and carried to term..

Prior to this, i charted my bbt. It was always clear to see when i ovulated, and when my period was starting. The temps. were very accurate. i even knew when i conceived and also when i lost two early pregnancies just by seeing the temp. changes. There is alot of good information there if you chart your temp.

You can also keep track of your discharge. Using your pointer finger and thumb, stretch some between those fingers. The closer to ovulation you get, the clearer and stretchier it gets. When it becomes slippery like raw egg white, that's the ticket.

good luck.

I didn't read all the advice below, so maybe someone already said this. I wasn't sure when I ovulated, and we had been trying to get pregnant for a while, so my midwife said that I should buy more than one box of the ovulation tests, and start right after my period ended and keep going until I got a result. That way i would have a better idea of when I should start them the next time.

Hi, I had this problem after my son. It took me over a year to get pregnant with baby #2. I thought I was right on my ovulation days as well. The predictor kits and online calendar. It wasn't until I started taking my basal body temp and charting it that I realized I was almost a week off on ovulation. Once I starting charting, I got pregnant right away. There is a great website, fertilityfriend.com. It is free, but I paid for the extra info. They have a great chart where every day you can chart your temp and they will teach all about reading it to know when to conceive. This really is the only way you can know for sure if you are ovulating. I did see a fertility specialist and b.c I already have a son. They basically told me to go home and have more sex! Hope this helps!

You should read the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. In it you will learn how to figure out when you are ovulating, if at all.

Unless you use the ovulation kit every day for a whole month, you may end up missing it.

The book will give you other cues, and show you how you can take your temperature every morning to figure it out.

Good luck!!

Hi, I have been in your shoes and it's not pleasant! My ex-husband and I tried for over 5 years to get pregnant again after my son was born. We tried everything, every kind of ovulation charting there is known.

I actually had a problem where I would have really bad pains on my right side around the same time everymonth, about 1/2 way thru my cycle. After many years of suffering, I finally went to a Dr. She told me these painful days were the days I was ovulating. Apparently my ovaries were going thru the process of ovulation, but yet my body wasn't feeling it. I got treated and hadn't had the problem in a long time.

You should definitely speak to your OB/GYN first, you may have some endometriosis (scar tissue) that's preventing you from ovulating.

Anyway, long story short, after almost 6 years of mental anquish and emotional strain, we found out it was my husband who had the problem, not me.

Now I'm with another wonderful man, and we are expecting a child together, after only being together for a couple months. Our new bundle of joy is due to join us in this world on 8/5/08!

Best of Luck!
T.

Ovulation happens when mucous or discharge has elasticity. Between your two fingers it should stretch.

I had my kids at 39 and 42 and used the Clear Blue Fertility Monitor both times. For my first baby, it showed everything like clockwork and worked like a charm. The second time was a bit murky because I was still breastfeeding, but it was still very helpful. I found the drugstore kits useless. Although the Monitor is expensive, it was well worth it.

Good luck!

The kits I used said that you should count 14 days AFTER the first day of your period and start testing then. I tried that method, and the end result was my 2 yo daughter.

Not sure what's "yikes" about being 35. But get this book: "Taking Charge of Your Fertility." It guides you on how to pinpoint ovulation and best time for babymaking intercourse. I was kicking myself for not finding this book sooner.

i know it is 14 days after the first day of your period worked for me :) i even mentioned it to a friend that was trying for months with no results and presto baby!

I do know for sure that we ovulate 10 days from the the FIRST day of our period, and we do so for about 5 days.
I am trying right now for a 3rd baby and have been practicing that theory. Im on my 3rd month of trying wheras my 2 other children were conceived while I was on BC pills...go figure huh?
I would go to your obgyn and talk with them about it to be on the safe side.
Good Luck
S.

hi,

Your body ovulates fourteen days before you get your period. So look at your period, first day to first day. If it is a 28 day schedule, then you ovulate on day 14, if it is a 21 day schedule, you ovulate on day 7, if 35 day schedule, day 21. Try counting fourteen days backwards and then with next cycle, test around that time frame.

A. K

You should typically ovulate 14 days before your period.