Better Indicator: CM or Temp?

[ShwarmaQueen]

I'm perplexed as to which factor to depend on- My CM around day 14 was Egg White but I haven't experienced a temperature spike! This is my first month monitering the temp, so I'm a little confused which to go by.

[texaspeach]

temperature CONFIRMS ovulation has happened, cervical mucous PREDICTS that ovulation is about to happen (but you can have fertile mucous and not actually ovulate).

if you're trying to confirm o, go by temp. having ewcm is no guarantee that you've actually ovulated.

[ShwarmaQueen]

Thanks so much for the help!
So even if my CM is thin again I could still ovulate? How much of a difference in temp should I be expecting after O? I've read as little as .2, but that doesn't seem very telling!

[texaspeach]

With FAM it's a sustained rise of at least .2F above the previous 6 temps - the rise is often greater than that. With NFP, the rules are more complex and they go by a rise of at least .4F, but the rules on the strength of the shift determines when you're safe.

If you're TTA it's important to remember that if you have a temp that's .2 above your coverline (set .1 above the highest of the previous 6 temps), and your temp falls below that, you need to start your temp count over again, cause you need 3 temps above the coverline to be safe.

Yes, even if your cm thins out and turns to ew or watery, there may be times when you dry up but have not actually ovulated. If you don't ovulate the first time, usually you'll have another mucous patch and then ovulate (called a split peak). It's ok to just use mucous, but you have to be sure to keep an eye open for fertile mucous, and not DTD during your period. I'm sure there are other rules too, but I'm a bit brain dead right now and don't use a mucous only method

Of course, if you're TTC, then you'll want to DTD any time you see mucous

[ShwarmaQueen]

Thank you for info!

[kriket]

I heard ladies say that they ovulate the day they notice they are drying up. This month is the first time that I have seen my O and I also noticed that the EWCM was drying up then woke up to a temp spike. You can take a peek at my chart to see what I'm talking about. I have had 100+ day cycles so I only started temping again when I saw EWCM (for the 1st time BTW) but there is a clear rise.

[ShwarmaQueen]

This is so confusing! My cycle is completely whacky- I had a Mirena removed in November and since then my cycle has been 34 days long, except for the last cycle which was 51 days- so who knows what day to even start counting! I feel like I should be expecting my period based on the 34 day cycle pattern, but what if "catches up"? My temps are starting the last couple of days, but I haven't had EWCM since last weekend, when my temps were low. Ahh!!! I'm not TTC right now and since we had unprotected lovin' last weekend, I'm a little worried the signs were off and I could have ovulated then!

[texaspeach]

If you DTD while you had EWCM, there is a chance you ovulated then. If you did ovulate, it generally happens the last day of fertile mucous - a test would be accurate around 14 days after that (sometimes a test can show a pregnancy 10 days after and sometimes earlier, or it can take as long as 18 days or later)

basically you want to avoid DTD from the time your mucous shows up (all mucous is considered fertile - but creamy and sticky are considered less fertile than ewcm), until several days after your temp rises. that period of time is when you are able to conceive. After you have a temp shift, the egg is gone and you can't get pg. There's more to it than that, but that's the gist of it.


I just noticed you're local If you're interested in reading a book about charting - the houston public library has a bunch of copies of taking charge of your fertility, so if the kingwood library doesn't have it you can always get it from interlibrary loan. The other book I'd suggest, it is the bare bones of charting (the book is coloring book size) along with 12 pre-printed charts, is honoring our cycles by katie singer.

oh and sorry to go off topic, but did you get your name from shawarma king restaurant on hillcroft? never been there but I love me some shawarma

[ShwarmaQueen]

LOL...How funny, I never thought anyone would ever get my name!!!!!
That is exactly where it came from, I work near there (Galleria lawfirm) and I took a bunch of co-workers there who fell in love with it (like me). We eat there atleast once a week, so hence I earned the name, Shwarma Queen. YOu should definitely try it...a fine dining establishment (and so good for you too)!

Thanks for the info on the books, I think I'll go down to the Kingwood branch today.