How do I know for sure if I have ovulated? If I have ovulation cramps and EWCM does that mean that I have ovulated for sure? What are the tell-tale signs? Tiffany

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The only way to know for sure is to chart your temps every day. You can go to www.fertilityfriend.com to set up a free account to do this. Then get yourself a basal thermometer and start taking your temp at the same time each morning as soon as you wake up, and before getting out of bed. As you go through your cycle, you will see lower temps first, and then the day after ovulation occurs, your temp should go up a few tenths of a degree and then stay around that level. Charting will not tell you when you will ovulate...it tells you when you have ovulated. So this is not the way to time intercourse for just before you ovulate. If you want to do that as well, you would want to go with ovulation predictor tests or kits (OPK's). Start testing with them every day around the same time (afternoon is best), and when you see the two lines get the same shade or the test line darker, that means you should ovulate within the next 12-48 hours. So doing these tests will tell you when you should ovulate, and your temps will tell you when you did ovulate.

But it sounds like you're in the middle of a cycle now and wondering if you've ovulated. So if you haven't been doing the OPK's and the temping, then you can try to fall back on your cm and cp. If you're having ovulation cramps and EWCM now, then I would get off the computer and go attack your DH right now! EWCM is a sign that you may ovulate soon. Sometimes women get several days of EWCM before they ovulate, but sometimes only one or two days, or none. After ovulation, the cm tends to dry up pretty quickly, so you might notice dry, sticky, or creamy cm and that could tell you that you have ovulated if it follows EWCM or watery cm. As for your cp, your cervix should feel very high and maybe difficult to reach with your finger. If you can feel it, feel for the texture (soft or firm) and how open the opening feels. If it's soft and open, then you're probably still getting ready to ovulate. If it has become firm and closed, then you might have already ovulated. These are not going to be for sure signs like the OPK's and the temping, but they are good enough for right now for you.

For the future though, if you have another cycle after this one (If you're not PG, but I hope you will be ), do ALL of these things to help you pinpoint your ovulation. Start using fertility friend, chart your temps, take opk's starting on day 11, and check your cervix for fluid, position, and texture throughout your cycle and enter all the info into fertility friend. And read the book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility. That's got everything you'll need to learn how to know how your body works.

Good luck! I hope this helped! Let me know if you ever have any questions and I'll help you out.

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Hi Sweetie!! And remember: Having EWCM and O pains and a High CP and a psotive OPK doesn't guarantee an O. We can have them all and still not release an egg. Patience is the name of the game, right? Do the charting. And don't worry about whether it's a BBT thermometer or a regular one. I prefer regular ones since the BBT takes it to the 1/100th of a temp which serves to confuse more than help. Just get a digital one that will hold the temp in memory so that you can take it in a sleepy stupor and have it there to record when you're ready to really wake up.



Did you ever give Tricia your stats? We need those to obsess!

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Hi girls and thanks for your responses! I do keep track of every detail! The only problem is that I take my temps in the evening. Just after O, there was a spike and has been that way since then. It has been about 5 DPO and a temp spike. My CP is Med and hard/closed. My CM is lotion-y and a lot of it. I used an OPK starting at DPO 9 and got a + at CD 13. We BD that day and CD 15. I am already feeling "symptoms", but it's probably in my head!

Oh..I also used a OP test at 1 DPO and it was negative, but close to a positive, definately 2 lines. But still a negative.

Tiffany

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Ok Tiffany, I'm confused. You're using "DPO" and that means Days Past Ovulation. Did you mean you had a temp spike at CD5? Can we look at your chart?

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Hi D! I re-read it and it sounds like she is in the 2WW maybe around CD19, 5DPO??? Well as of yesterday anyway.

But yes, Tiffany, we're chart junkies! We're gonna have to kidnap that chart of yours and take a look! Don't worry, we'll give it back to ya!

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Hi girls, sorry, I don't use the popular sites for my use. I printed one off the net. I am on DPO 5 and CD 20. My temps have been up since DPO 1 or 2.
I wish I could give you my chart. If you have an email I will scan it and send it to you. I have been off the pill since April, so This should be the month!

Tiff

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What I meant to say was that I don't use Fertility friend, or other ones like that. I printed a BBT chart from Babyhopes.com and I update that everyday. I hope you girls can help me with my chart and any advice will help me!

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