Recalculating cycle length?

[AnnaLaura]

Hello all,

I'm pretty confused about my cycle length. Hope someone can shed some light on this. And I hope I'm posting in the right place!

For years, I've had a steady 25-26 day cycle. I always O on the 11th-12th. I have many o signs (spotting, mittelschmerz, water retention) so I'm confident of that.

However, in the last year or so (and we have been ntnp for about 18 months) I've had several late periods, enough so I've tested. (It seems like as soon as I test, AF shows up within 24 hours. ) Now it's happened again. I'm on CD 33 and nothing. But I've felt like AF is coming for the last 10 days (cramps, tired, water retention that I just can't shake).

Looking back over the last year, I come up with a new cycle average of 28 days, and it's 31 days if I keep in a couple of outlier months. Should I start saying to myself that I now have a 28-29 day cycle instead of a 25-26 day cycle? O still seems to happen at about CD 11-12 but the luteal phase, I guess you'd say, is getting longer. Just kind of confused about how to determine if I'm late or not.

Thank you for reading all this!

 

[ellie27]

My cycles would vary from 26-33 days each month.

However if you have a 32 cycle one month it should be that you actually ovulated later and thats why your cycle is longer. Are you sure your ovulation day is not changing those times??

I would recommend taking your temperature to confirm when you have ovulated and/or using opks to predict ovulation. You could be pinpointing it wrongly....

Good luck!

 

[AnnaLaura]

My cycles would vary from 26-33 days each month.

However if you have a 32 cycle one month it should be that you actually ovulated later and thats why your cycle is longer. Are you sure your ovulation day is not changing those times??

I would recommend taking your temperature to confirm when you have ovulated and/or using opks to predict ovulation. You could be pinpointing it wrongly....

Good luck!

Thank you for the response! I do not formally chart, with temps, but I do write down what happens throughout the month in a day planner. I have been thinking of taking my temp. I have the charts ready to go.

I am getting worn out from wondering what's going on (and getting my hopes up) and the pregnancy tests here cost 18 euros! I could get three books for that and skip the disappointments!

 

[Smiler82]

Yes I agree, it would be good to do temps/opks to confirm ovulation. I think it's great you can know so much about your body just by paying attention to your symptoms but we do change as we get older! Despite always having irregular cycles, I used to be able to pinpoint when AF would arrive to within a day or two accuracy, just by paying attention to my body. Now I am older I have no clue. I chart my temps now so I know when I ov and when to expect AF. Maybe it is possible for the luteal phase to get longer but I've always read that this is the one stage of your cycle that should stay the same. So likely your ov date is moving around, and that's normal. If you chart you'll be able to see after a few months what is going on. Good luck and hope you get your bfp soon x

 

[AnnaLaura]

Yes I agree, it would be good to do temps/opks to confirm ovulation. I think it's great you can know so much about your body just by paying attention to your symptoms but we do change as we get older! Despite always having irregular cycles, I used to be able to pinpoint when AF would arrive to within a day or two accuracy, just by paying attention to my body. Now I am older I have no clue. I chart my temps now so I know when I ov and when to expect AF. Maybe it is possible for the luteal phase to get longer but I've always read that this is the one stage of your cycle that should stay the same. So likely your ov date is moving around, and that's normal. If you chart you'll be able to see after a few months what is going on. Good luck and hope you get your bfp soon x

Older...ha, I am that now. Well, I'll get out the charts I have and the thermometer. And wait for CD 1.

I have Katie Singer's Honoring Our Cycles: A Natural Family Planning Workbook that I bought because of the charts.

Good luck to you too!

 

[Smiler82]

Ha yeah sorry, didn't mean to offend!! Just meant things change over the course of our lives...

A friend lent me Taking Charge of your Fertility by Toni Weschler, there's lots of good info in there too. Not heard of Katie Singer but will look it up.

BTW you said you were on CD33 today, is that your longest cycle so far? I read somewhere that if you're not sure of dates then it's an idea to wait the length of the longest cycle you've had, then test one day after that length. If that makes sense. I know you've had a lot of disappointment this past year with -ves and don't want to be getting hopes up/spending more money on tests, but just a thought

 

[AnnaLaura]

Ha yeah sorry, didn't mean to offend!! Just meant things change over the course of our lives...

A friend lent me Taking Charge of your Fertility by Toni Weschler, there's lots of good info in there too. Not heard of Katie Singer but will look it up.

BTW you said you were on CD33 today, is that your longest cycle so far? I read somewhere that if you're not sure of dates then it's an idea to wait the length of the longest cycle you've had, then test one day after that length. If that makes sense. I know you've had a lot of disappointment this past year with -ves and don't want to be getting hopes up/spending more money on tests, but just a thought

Oh my, you absolutely did NOT offend!

I've thought about buying Weschler's book but haven't yet.

That does make sense. My longest this year was 36 days so I should wait for 5 more days to test. I'm frustrated too, because I've had pms for so long now.

If I did ov late, then my period wouldn't necessarily be late at this point, I understand. And even if I did ov late, pregnancy is still a possibility but too early to tell, although I kind of doubt it. I was just unsure whether or not I should continue to identify myself as having a 26 day cycle and calculate fertile windows based on that when it really isn't averaging out to 26 any more.

 

[Margerle]

I know exactly what you're going through. In the last year my cycles have changed quite a bit as well... though I am 37.

I've charted cm only for the greater majority of my "fertile career" ha! and could tell time by my cycles. Like you 25 OR 26 days... 10 OR 11 day luteal phase and 3 OR 4 days AF. Clockwork.

Recently though I've had several very long or longer than typical cycles which got me paying very close attention to what was going on. I do not take birth control pills and for other reasons, we do not use barrier methods of birth control, so charting is very important to my husband and I.

I highly recommend Toni's book. INVALUABLE!

Because of my wonky cycyles (you can click on my Chart link in my signature and see them) I started using opks and charting bbt. I initially wanted to make sure I was ovulating. It kinda sounds like to me that you are having a couple anovulatory cycles. I suspected that for myself during these weird cycles as my cm was no where near what it normally is during my typical cycles. (3-4 days of good ew-watery cm followed by an obvious dry spell).

So I started temping. I found my temps to be quite low and decided to get my thyroid checked. I am low on thyroid and am now on medications. I feel better, my cycles for last month and this month look much more typical and I'm having normal symptoms. As an aside, low thyroid can keep you from ovulating or delay ovulation.

I'm not saying this is what you have, but I highly recommend starting to temp your cycles, keep track of cm and read Toni's book.

 

[AnnaLaura]

Margerle, thank you for the reply. I got out my thermometer last night and was making sure the battery hasn't died or anything. The only problem is that I just noticed it's Celsius and I would really prefer Fahrenheit. I think I'll order a Fahrenheit one along with Toni's book today. I guess I'll be ready to go if AF ever shows up.

I already track cm and cp. That's another reason I am frustrated--neither of them look "typical" for me right before AF.

That's good advice about the thyroid, but I had a full thyroid and hormone workup in March and everything looked great. I also suspected my thyroid, but nothing. My gynecologist was pleased with my test results. Also, I went in for my annual exam this week and he gave me an trans-v ultrasound scan since I had had some spotting the week before. Nothing, everything looked good. Of course I'm very, very grateful for all good results!

I do suspect it's what Smiler said, that things just change as we get older.

Thank you all for helping me.