Is my cycle wonky or just in the realm of normal?

[laohaire]

I've started tracking my cycle (physical signs but not BBT, though I may start that soon) only fairly recently. In the 8 cycles I've tracked, the lengths have varied from 23 to 28 days. I'm not worried about variance per se, but does 23 days seem abnormally short? Also, how much variance is normal - is it usually just a day or two, or is five day variance still typical?

Also, some cycles seem to include no discernable fertility signs (I should start the BBT for that reason I guess). My last cycle had no noticeable CM or anything else that suggested I was fertile. The cycle before that, on the other hand, on day 11 I had tons of eggwhite, was majorly horny (lol), secreted pheremones during IC with DH, was extremely crazy sensitive to odors that I usually never even detected, felt just overall "strange" and had mittelschmerz around 2am that night.

Is that strange, to have such variation in cycles, not only in length but also intensity of fertility signs?

I am just tracking my fertility signs to learn more about myself, not as a means of birth control, btw. We use a barrier method (you could probably guess with this variance I'm not on anything hormonal).

[MoonStarFalling]

I would definitely start charting to figure out if you're actually ovulating every month or if you're having a short luteal phase during those short cycles. 23 days is pretty short.

[soccermama]

I had a 22 day cycle before - two periods in one month. Worried me a bit, but went to see my OB to make sure was all okay. She said that my ovulation cycle for that month could've been aborted for some reason and that's why it all happened. Prior to this, I was pretty much on target, so this all threw me for a loop. But 23 days is really short. I would definitely start charting. Good luck!

[laohaire]

Thanks for the input. I'll find my basal thermometer.

Which brings me to my next question. I'm having some insomnia. It's not predictable, but the upshot is that I never know when I'm going to wake up and whether I'm going to go back to sleep. Let's say I find myself awake at 4am (I normally would get up around 8:30am). Would I take it then?

What if I have poor sleep all night? Is charting my temps even going to be useful in that case? I'm aware of the guideline to take temp after at least 3 consecutive hours of sleep, preferably at the same time every day, but that seems tricky to me.

I have symptoms of adrenal fatigue and wonder if both the insomnia and the short cycles could be related. But hypothyroid (which is somewhat correlated with adrenal fatigue) leads to longer cycles, so I have no idea.

Anyway, thanks again for the input. I wish I'd been charting for, oh, 10 years - then I would know if this was new and strange or what.

[laohaire]

Oh, I forgot to mention. I read a short luteal phase is 10 days or less. I think my luteal phase is probably around 13 days which I think is quite normal.

So what's the other half of the cycle called? The time between Day 1 and ovulation seems to be short for me. Is that problematic - or only if it's the luteal phase that's short?

Since I'm not temping, my estimation of ovulation is not entirely accurate, but going by CM (plus other symptoms, though I know they aren't as accurate), it seems I usually ovulate around day 10 to 13, and it does vary from month to month.

ETA: That is - IF I'm ovulating at all...

[mamacatsbaby]

Day 1 of menstruation to ovulation is the estrogenic or follicular phase. Yeah, a short one can be an issue, concerns about miscarriage I know and I think egg quality. I'm sure you're on the google-fu by now though .

[evjolin]

i'm not pregnant, so i'm no expert :-)

but i have the same issues as you do--VERY irregular cycle, and long to boot. 28-51 days, usually around 35-40. anyhow, also wake up alot during the night, so bought the thermometer but haven't bothered to chart because i don't feel it will be accurate.

bought the fertiscope thing on amazon, and that is realllly easy to see if you are ferning or not. supposedly 98% accurate in letting you know that you are about to ovulate. so i plan on using that my next cycle to begin TTC.

hope that helps and good luck!!