did we miss our chance this month?

[Allison]

Hopefully someone out there can give me hope. Dec 11, Dec 12 I had EWCM. Dh and I bd'd Dec 11. No EWCM Dec 13,14,15. Then yesterday Dec 16 more EWCM. We bd'd last night. My morning temps since my period have been around 97.5. This morning was 97.7 but I probably had only an hour of sleep before taking it. This afternoon around 2:00 for fun I took my temp and it was 98.8. I took my temp a few days ago during the day (after the earlier EWCM) and also last night and it was around 97.7 I think, so this afternoon's 98.8 temp makes me feel sure I ovulated. Also, my CM has been more sticky today. Given that my temp hadn't risen by this morning but had risen by this afternoon, how long ago could I have ovulated? Might last night's bd have been too late?? And dh had wanted to bd the night before but declined!!

Thanks for any info.

[stafl]

You can't really go by daytime waking temps at all, there are just too many variables. Best thing to do is wait and see what your waking temp is tomorrow morning. As long as you BD when there's ewcm, there's a chance of catching that eggie! Good luck!

[Sahara]

I've taken my temp at various times during the day before, and the only one that's worth anything is the basal temp I take first thing in the morning. It's totally normal for your temperature to rise over 1 degree over the course of the day. Sometimes I take my basal temp and just 20 minutes later it is .5 degrees higher, and all I've been doing is lying in bed nursing.
All this to say, I think it's hard to say whether or not you missed your window, I get ECWM off and on, the two things that are most diagnostic for me are temps and cervix position.

[Allison]

THanks Stafl and Sahara for sharing your knowledge and experience. I don't even know how accurate my morning temps are because I wake up a lot at night, rarely getting 3 hours in a row!

My temp this morning was 97.9, so I don't think I ovulated. I'm still getting a little EWCM today.

Sahara, could you please tell me precisely what your cervix is like before, during, and after ovulation. I know it supposed to be low/firm before, high/soft around ovulation time, and low/firm again after ovulation, but how long before ovulation does your cervix get high/soft and how soon after ovulation does it get low/firm?

THanks.

[stafl]

Allison, I know you asked Sahara, but I'm going to chime in and answer your question.
My cervical position (low or high) doesn't really tell me anything. But, before ovulation it is definitely much softer (almost spongy) and open. Right after, like immediately after ovulation, it gets hard and closed, then gets a bit softer and more open right before af.

[Sahara]

I have pretty much the same pattern as stafl, gradually softening up until the day of ovulation, then abruptly firm again. I haven't noticed a softening before menstruation, though. But it is REALLY obvious, the difference between soft and firm (and for me high and low as well). Often I will detect my thermal shift in the morning and have a high soft cervix and it will be low and firm by the afternoon.

[Allison]

Thanks again for your help.

This morning I had a temp of 98.4, which according to last month (my first month of temping) is a post-ovulatory temp. My cervix feels somewhat firmer but not too low and my CM is creamy/sticky, so I think I ovulated. And we bd'd a reasonable number of times in the last several days so cross your fingers for us!