N00b with a question about CM

[ozark]

Hi everyone! I'm new to TTC, but was quite active around MDC a couple of years ago. Hubby and I just started TTC baby #2 this cycle. Our first was a complete surprise, though we were silly and didn't think I could get pregnant for some ridiculous reason. I have been using FF to track my CM and cycle, but have not been temping. Today I am at CD 13, and was supposed to have O'd yesterday. My CM has been 'normal' this week leading up to yesterday. Hubby and I have DTD daily since Saturday, so that any egg will be properly sperminated.

Now to my question. Today my CM is completely different, it's like water today. Wet, completely clear and without any stickiness. Additional changes include a dull aching/fullness in my uterus, and twinges. Both are most likely just run of the mill stomach/digestive feelings but...

What I'm wondering is whether or not my CM is normal, and if it indicates ANYTHING.

[M.Q.]

Sounds like you O'd. CF can change pretty quickly from stretchy to not stretchy once O has occurred. Hopefully that's the case and that your little eggy met her match!

Best of luck TTC!
-MQ

[ozark]

Cool, thanks for the quick response, M.Q.! I know that talking about obsessing over this is preaching to the choir, but the curiosity is about to kill this cat!

[karmab]

what did you mean by 'normal' this week? as in egg white? do you check cp too? 'watery' is fertile cm. are you sure you arent about to o now, instead of o'd yesterday? it's not typical to have fertile cm after o.

[ozark]

Originally Posted by karmab

what did you mean by 'normal' this week? as in egg white? do you check cp too? 'watery' is fertile cm. are you sure you arent about to o now, instead of o'd yesterday? it's not typical to have fertile cm after o.

Well, what I meant my normal is that it went from creamy/lotiony to EWCM. Today it isn't watery/stretchy, but WATER like, which has me confused. I haven't been keeping up with a chart until this month, but I have been mentally keeping a note of how my CM usually goes. And after the egg white it generally just drops off. However, I'm not really sure of anything right now!

[sarahkristin]

I've read that many women can confuse semen for ewcm the day after you dtd. I have no science to back that up, but that's what I've read. Do you think this is possible?

[ozark]

It's very possible that I have confused the two. I've also read that, and I've tried to wait at least 12 hours before checking. I guess I will just have to wait and see what tomorrow and the following days are like.

[trekkingirl]

hey Ozark, welcome. Just saw that you are from Arkansas. I live in California but I just spent the last two weeks in Jonesboro visiting family. Arkansas is sooooooo beautiful. Although I was in Conway when that wild storm hit. That was the worst storm I have ever seen, oh and the tornados were exciting too. We had such a great time, I really loved it there.

[ozark]

Originally Posted by trekkingirl

hey Ozark, welcome. Just saw that you are from Arkansas. I live in California but I just spent the last two weeks in Jonesboro visiting family. Arkansas is sooooooo beautiful. Although I was in Conway when that wild storm hit. That was the worst storm I have ever seen, oh and the tornados were exciting too. We had such a great time, I really loved it there.

Hi Trekkingirl! I actually used to live in Jonesboro. I have a really good friend who lives in Lakewood, CA and she says she really misses the storms here. I have to say, that I am happy to travel, but don't ever want to move out of Arkansas.

Thanks for the welcome!

[karmab]

it is possible very possible to get thrown off by his contribution when it comes to checking cm. to try to decifer it, the tips are that semen usually has some color (and maybe scent) to it (although i have heard women here say their ew has some slight color to it, but i've never seen that) stretches a little bit but dries up and gets gummy after a while of stretching it, where egcm doesnt lose its stretch. there is a thing where they say in water, ewcm will ball up and sink and semen wont, so you can check that way. but if it were me (and i werent temping,) if it were wet in there, i'd just consider myself still fertile, just in case. watery cm is considered just about as fertile as ewcm.

for next cycle (if there is one, maybe you'll be lucky first time again) if you dont want to temp, you might think about getting some internet or dollar store opks and start checking them 4-5 days before you expect o. they will usually be + 1-2 days before you o, and that will give you some backup info if cm is tricky again.

good luck!

[JamieCatheryn]

My fertile CM is almost always like copious watery stuff. I get cramps the day I probably O, then within 24 hours CM returns to lotion/sticky.

The scale is usually like this from least to most fertile: dry, sticky, lotion, water, eggwhite. It usually progresses in that order over days/weeks then backwards over a day or two right after O.

[ozark]

Gosh thanks all you helpful ladies! After this month, I think I will just start temping, the only excuse to avoid it that I have is laziness. As for this month, we'll just DTD until AF comes or... is late. This is a wonderful forum, and I'm so glad that I received such a friendly welcome.

[karmab]

if you are pretty sure you know about when to expect your o, you can just temp for maybe 4-5 days before and then 3-4 days after, so only about a week or two out of the month. that's all the info you need. temping during af tells you nothing, so forget that. and temping after o, well, some people think it can give you clues to if you are pg, but really beautiful charts routinely turn up with a bfn, and ugly charts sometimes get bfps, so all it really does is add to the obsession. some ladies say they like to temp to see the fall at the end to know af is coming, so if you want that, you can add 2 or 3 days right before af is due to see if it drops.

checking cm/cp, temping for a week or maybe two, and a few well timed opks can give you a ton of information.

[trekkingirl]

wow Karmab your last post has got to be some of the better advice about TTC that I've seen. Well said.

[ozark]

Thanks Karmab. I will most DEFINITELY be following your advice next month, if there's a need.