How long after ewcm starts are you usually fertile?

[insidevoice]

I have no degree of normalcy for me to fall back on. I haven't started charting yet because my cycle just returned.  I planned to have a few months to work on it as DH is working away for a while.  

DH was injured while working and will be coming home for a respite soon.  Soon, as in Friday.  

I have not been tracking temps, but have been tracking CM this month as it is the first time in a long time I have had normal CM to check.  It started to become sticky yesterday, and creamy today.  My cervix has also moved from being low/firm to a little higher (but not really high- kind of mid level- and a little softer.   My LMP started 3/3 - 3/4 but I don't have any normal length of cycle to go on there. 

 I guess I'm looking for anecdotal tales from people who are better charters than I am- what tends to be the correlation for you between development of EWCM and ovulation?  How many days prior to O do you usually notice EWCM? 

Apologies for babbling, I'm excited.  

[lillianava]

Count 10-14day from the first day of you period is usually with your body will ovulate.  Ive had alot of irregulars but this seems to hold true for most woman.

[insidevoice]

That's pretty much what I've been going on as well.  I think this is going to be a 'whatevering it' time. 

I

[jeninejessica]

Please please PLEASE don't use day counting as an avoidance method if you do not know your cycles and do not wish to get pregnant. Day 10-14 actually is not generally an avergae ovulation day. I would probably place it between 14-16 for an "average" cycle, but you'll find many many women who have longer ones. That only works if you have standard 28ish day cycles.

As far as EWCF-- as soon as you get it, you need to consider yourself fertile. There's no day counting, it IS fertile. EW often starts about a week prior to ovulating, but there is no rule to it. You can get it for weeks, or even not at all and still be fertile.

Anything other than your basic infertile pattern (which for most people is dry, is no cervical fluid), needs to be considered fertile. Which means that technically that sticky and that creamy are both fertile as well.

Have you read TCOYF? It's a wonderful resource.

[insidevoice]

I've not read TCOYF- I have a copy on the way through the library.  I tend to have incredibly irregular cycles- 30- 120 days, as a result of other health complications, so average counting/lmp based expectations are pretty well out the window for me as well. 

If we needed to avoid at this time, I would insist on a barrier method as I know that trying to pinpoint O without temp-based charting isn't going to happen.  As it stands though, DH and I would like to add another child to the family (yep, clearly I've lost all hope of sanity!) so we will not TTA at this time.  I think part of me is just hoping that there's a possibility that the stars could all line up and I could have a Christmas baby.  With PCOS and adenomyosis I know it's not terribly likely, but I am wistfully thinking- maybe.... 

However, since he had to take care of a couple things this weekend, he won't be home until the beginning of next week, and I'm going to guess that there will be little/no possibility, so my stars won't line up just yet.