When to start tracking Ovulation?

[ashleyg]

I'm totally new to actively TTC. My daughter wasn't planned so I've never had to chart or track my cycles lol. If I'm planning on starting TTC in July, when should I start tracking my ovulation and my cycles?

 

[littlelily]

OOooh me too! Sorry I can't help with an answer but I'm sure one of the super helpful ladies on here can help!

I am coming off the pill at the end of the month and we will be ttc in March so plan to start temping etc in Feb just to make sure that I'm ovulating.

 

[ashleyg]

OOooh me too! Sorry I can't help with an answer but I'm sure one of the super helpful ladies on here can help!

I am coming off the pill at the end of the month and we will be ttc in March so plan to start temping etc in Feb just to make sure that I'm ovulating.

I'm hoping someone can help too lol

I'm currently breastfeeding and I got what I think was my period on Jan 4. So idk when I should start actively tracking things since this was my first PP period

 

[Ohbaby2015]

I've started tracking mine on an App called Ovia. I'm not trying until June but a friend recommended the app and I love it! I think it's helpful to get to know your cycles; however, this also leads to an increase in baby fever and thought like, "well maybe I should just get pregnant now since I'm in my fertile window!" I havent done temperatures yet but I just track my CM, periods and any other symptoms I have on the App. Good luck!

 

[Iveneverseen]

If you are planning on ttc in july i would now.

 

[ashleyg]

Thank you! I actually used Ovia to track my pregnancy with my daughter. So I'm excited to use it again!

 

[Iveneverseen]

What is Ovia?

I used to go by cervical mucus and position ect.
I don't track now but i still have an idea when i am ovulating, so it should be pretty easy when tracking for ttc later this year.

 

[skycastles]

I've started tracking mine on an App called Ovia. I'm not trying until June but a friend recommended the app and I love it! I think it's helpful to get to know your cycles; however, this also leads to an increase in baby fever and thought like, "well maybe I should just get pregnant now since I'm in my fertile window!" I havent done temperatures yet but I just track my CM, periods and any other symptoms I have on the App. Good luck!

Haha I feel exactly the same during my fertile window!

I've been tracking my cycles for over two years on a phone app too (My Cycles), way before i even thought about ttc. This is because my cycles are irregular, and it helps me estimate when I might be expecting AF. I track by CM and PMS symptoms tho. Measuring temp is too complicated for me and I prob won't do it unless I end up long term TTC. Maybe u can start casually tracking CM since that's the easiest? It's nice to know at least the time frame of the week of ovulation.

I'm also planning to TTC in July

 

[jumpingo]

if you are planning on starting in july, i would say start 3 or 4 months before that. my husband and i started in june last year and i ended up feeling like the first 3 or 4 months were basically "data collecting" to figure out when my fertile window was.

the other part is though, when you say "tracking ovulation and cycles" there are a TON of ways/degrees to do that: temping, CM, checking cervical position, OPKs, etc.

kinda depends how thorough you wanna get and which of those suits your lifestyle (temping is super cheap, but definitely a commitment) whereas OPKs will end up costing more (possibly) but you only have to do them for about a week each month. also what kind of person you are. i want to know for sure if i ovulated, which can only be confirmed by temping, but it's frustrating that temping doesn't really give you a "hey, you're about to ovulate! get going!" sign, so it's easier to miss you window only temping. i don't get enough CM to count on that as a clear enough sign, so that's why i added OPKs to temping. just gives a little heads up. i was super regular with 28 day periods and it still took a couple months of temping (and then adding OPKs from the 3rd month) to figure out our best timing. we ended up getting pregnant in cycle #5 (but it didn't go so well...).

as for my plan this time around, we are starting in march and i have been temping and charting other symptoms (including cm) since mid december. the week or so of AF is always hit or miss, and it's hard to be motivated since we aren't actively trying, but i'm trying to remind myself that temping now will help us get pregnant sooner once march rolls around!

oh, and for what it's worth, i use the Fertility Friend app on my phone and access it from my computer too.

 

[meg_bellamy]

I've tracked my cycles on and off for years so I know they are regular and know when I ovulate. I just use fertility friend

 

[MummyKP]

When you check your cm is it a matter of what's in your underwear or do you need to do more internal checks?

 

[ttc bubby no2]

Tracking basic information now can't hurt. It is a good idea to get familiar with all the different signs of fertility and it can take a while to get your head around it all. I would suggest leaving temping as an option for later as it can make you more stressed. If you don't have clear other signs or irregular cycles it might be useful to temp a few cycles.

 

[jumpingo]

When you check your cm is it a matter of what's in your underwear or do you need to do more internal checks?

i'm too squimish for internal checks with any regularity, so i just check my underwear and/or toilet paper.

Tracking basic information now can't hurt. It is a good idea to get familiar with all the different signs of fertility and it can take a while to get your head around it all. I would suggest leaving temping as an option for later as it can make you more stressed. If you don't have clear other signs or irregular cycles it might be useful to temp a few cycles.

i agree, temping can make you more stressed so maybe just chart other signs for now to see if there's any patterns and then use OPKs once you start actively ttc...

 

[skycastles]

For checking cm, I would just check what's on my underwear/toilet paper too.
It does get confusing sometimes, e.g. It's hard to differentiate between sticky and creamy on certain days when it's more of an in-between.. But after a few cycles the patterns develop, especially in the amount of cm if not the texture... For example (a little tmi), dry a few days after AF, sticky/creamy that increases in amt, eggwhite, dry, sticky, AF. So I can anticipate the general time frame/week I ovulate of course it helps that i more often than not have obvious EWCM.. But it took me a few cycles of tracking to make sure. Some irregular cycles still have me seeing it twice or not at all.

 

[ashleyg]

Thanks everyone! I'll give tracking a try lol

 

[icegurl470]

We're wtt until our first 1ys old and done nursing which will be soon! Anyway, I've always had a regular 30 day cycle and can predict the arrival of my period to the time of day (seriously). Therefore, I just planned on trying around the middle (15th) day of my cycle. Out of curiosity, however, I bought a ovulation test kit that came with 7 tests. Started testing on the 13th day of my cycle and didn't get a positive result until the 18th day of my cycle. According to the kit, actually ovulation occurs within 24 - 36 hrs of positive result. So, apparently I ovulate a little late in my cycle, like the 19th or 20th day? Who knew. My first was 5 days late, so maybe she was actually right on time! lol

 

[jumpingo]

We're wtt until our first 1ys old and done nursing which will be soon! Anyway, I've always had a regular 30 day cycle and can predict the arrival of my period to the time of day (seriously). Therefore, I just planned on trying around the middle (15th) day of my cycle. Out of curiosity, however, I bought a ovulation test kit that came with 7 tests. Started testing on the 13th day of my cycle and didn't get a positive result until the 18th day of my cycle. According to the kit, actually ovulation occurs within 24 - 36 hrs of positive result. So, apparently I ovulate a little late in my cycle, like the 19th or 20th day? Who knew. My first was 5 days late, so maybe she was actually right on time! lol

exactly! even if your cycles are regular, if your luteal phase is not the average 14 (and from reading on here, it seems most peoples' are not 14!), there's a chance you could be missing you fertile window.