Trouble figuring out when I ovulate?

Question

TTC for a month now. I know sometimes these things take a while, but I'm young and healthy and tried to follow what the test strip said on my OPK. When I was on the ring, my periods were about three days long. So I'm not sure how to figure this stuff out. My last pd began on 7/10 and lasted 3 days.

? # 1. I know you can predict ovulation online with the first day of your last period and such, but how should I go about calculating the length if I don't know when the next one should be (because I've been off bc for a month now)?

?#2. How can I trust the OPK's? Because the line was REALLY dark on 7/19 but online calculators say I would be really fertile on the 22nd. I'm not sure if I did this right.

?#3. If I was to conceive this past time when would be a good time to test? I'm expecting my pd by the 7th (hopefully it doesn't come=good news!!!)

I appreciate ANY advice. Thanks guys!

Answer 1

Congratulations on starting to try. I too was on the ring and my periods about 3 days. It took me about 3 months to figure out my cycle. My first month off the pill was the same as when I was on it and it started to change the next month.

1. I wouldn't recommend using the online calendars alone, they are good for reference - but can be inaccurate because everyone is different.

2.Trust the OPK's. They are very accurate - more so than an online calendar

3.Depending on the type of test you use you can test on Aug 2. I would try to hold out though. So women don't get positive tests until after their missed period.

Good Luck! baby dust to you!

Answer 2

If you will learn to properly track your BBT (and other fertility signs such as CM and CP), you can learn when it is that YOU ovulate.

Outside of any emperical measurements (i.e. BBT charts), the best you can do is ASSUME that you ovulate 14 days BEFORE you next expect AF to be due.  However, you've even got more of an issue than that because you can't be sure how long your cycles currently are because you just came off BC.  

So until you either chart BBT or learn how long YOUR cycles typically are, the only thing you can do is ASSUME that your cycles are 28 days long, that you ovulate 14 days before the start of your next period (which happens to be day 14 for women with 28 day periods).

If you really want to learn the science of baby-making and truely improve your odds of concieving, read the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility".  In addition to teaching you about BBT, it will teach you about CM, CP, and all sorts of other SCIENTIFIC based facts to help you concieve.

Answer 3

Ok, the online predictors just guess at when you might ovulate. They usually just count 14 days into your cycle and that is the time you might ovulate.

The ovulation strips pick up the LH surge that happens right before ovulation. These are more accurate than the online predictors.

Since you just came off of birth control and you really don't know how your body is going to come off of those I would wait until the 7th to test. If you get a negative give it another week and test again. When I came off birth control my periods were all messed up.

If you end up getting your period, look into charting your cycles. That will also give you a better idea when you ovulate. A good site is fertility friend.

Good Luck!