So where do I start?

lisjay · May 25th, 2008, 09:57 PM

Hey there, new to froum, me and my partner are wanting to have a baby, we have been together for 3 years now, and i have been off the pill for about a year and a half, we dont really get a chance to do alot of bedroom things due to us living with parents. We have got one of those ovulation test before but when tested came back negative everytime. so i guess we may have had dates wrong. i usually go 28 days between. Does anyone have any advise should we see a doctor and discuss this, or is it a matter of dates being right and away you go? Any response will be good. thanks lisjayv

**sportychick** · May 26th, 2008, 08:41 AM

lisjay, the best thing to do would be to temp for a while. That will help you get an indication when you usually ovulate, and then you can use OPK's for the week around ovulation to help pinpoint it more accurately. The length of your cycle on its own doesn't give a clear indication of when you ovulate, because you may have a long or short luteal phase (the part of your cycle after you ovulate) and therefore ovulate before or after the halfway through your cycle mark. There is heaps of info on this site about temping and charting - have a good read, get yourelf a thermometer and have a go.

lisjay · May 26th, 2008, 07:39 PM

thats alot for the info, whats the temp thing called? just so i can go buy one, and also would you happen to know the days of ovulation rough guide? thanks

**sportychick** · May 27th, 2008, 08:25 AM

you need a basal body thermometer, also called "ovulation thermometer" and can get one at a pharmacy. Fertility friend has an online chart that you can use to record your temps and it also has a good online tutorial to teach you all about charting and stuff. Ovulation is SUPPOSED to be about 14 days before your period, but the problem is that women's luteal phase (the time after you ovulate and before your period) varies greatly from woman to woman. So for a "normal" 28 day cycle, you "should" O on day 14, but if you have a short LP, you may O on day 18, or if you have irregular cycles, it could change from month to month. Your LP will always be about the same length, but the time before you ovulate can change from month to month in women with irregular cycles. That's why it's a good idea to temp/chart so that you get a clear picture of when you normally O, so you can time BD properly. I'm sure there will be a "sticky" somewhere in the forus that goes into this in more detail, or you could also do a search through the articls on the main BellyBelly site for more info.