Sex before ovulation and mucus question

[SugarBronc]

Hello All,

I am new here, and actually just came across these boards when googling my question. I really liked the various responses on the threads from this site so I decided to join.

I have 3 daughters and use NFP so I am pretty familiar with all that stuff. We are TTA right now, but pushed our limits a bit, and I tend to always wonder every month if I could be pregnant, even if I know it's impossible since we usually abstain during my fertile window. We DTD on CD 11 in the evening. I had had a fairly dry day aside from scant tacky/sticky mucus, and a bit of the really sticky/tacky mucus at my cervix. The following day (12) I still only noticed tacky mucus and not a lot of it. Today (CD 13), I am starting to have the mucus that's a bit more stretchy and actually coming out, causing me to feel wet. I'm on my 4th post-partum cycle so things aren't completely regular yet, but my cycle last month was 29 days. 

My question is in regards to whether or not I could get pregnant. If I ovulate on CD 15 or 16, is it possible the sperm from CD 11 could still be there even though I didn't have a lot of mucus and it was the very tacky/sticky kind on CD 11? I read about a lot of women on here getting pregnant from sex several days before O so I'm starting to get anxious about it. I'd be thrilled, but that's definitely not in our plans. I know sperm can live 5 days, but in optimal mucus. I definitely did not have optimal mucus at the time we had sex, but I wasn't completely dry. I'm just now starting to have the more fertile mucus in the middle of the day on CD 13. Sorry if I keep repeating myself, but I'm just trying to include all the details. Oh, and I guess I should mention that we are very fertile, meaning we got pregnant with one "try" with each of our daughters, only one of those times being a conscious "try." ;)

I appreciate your responses! Thank you so much!

[librarygirl]

I suppose it isn't impossible for you to get pregnant with that scenario but I use the Billings method and would have considered myself "safe" on your day 12, if you were just sticky. The sperm shouldn't be able to survive in that for very long so I think you are probably okay. Of course, it's impossible to know right now if you were fertile enough for it to get your pregnant but I would bet you're safe.

Best of luck to you and I hope it works out in the way you want it to!

[dogmom327]

Two days after we DTD I had a huge amount of CM (6th PP cycle, so wonky but still 6 days earlier than expected). Two days after that I had a positive ovulation test.

DD turns 3 in June 

[Frances69]

Best of luck to you and I hope it works out in the way you want it to!

[SugarBronc]

Thanks for the responses, ladies! I enjoy reading about other women's experiences with this. Still don't think I have O'ed (day 16 now) unless I do today, just increasing mucus, so I doubt it will happen. I'd be happy either way, though! 

[dejagerw]

I use the Sympto-Thermal method and any day prior to ovulation that has mucus is considered a fertile day. Not saying you're guaranteed to get pregnant, though. Good luck!!