ttc plan- what do you think?

[aprilv]

ds is now 19 mos old, still nursing, and we're ready to ttc. i plan to read some of the books mentioned on other threads, but a few questions for you obviously well educated mamas:

af came back in dec (the 25th), then jan (31st), then march (6th) and just now (may 19). so obviously it's pretty irregular. with ds, i knew exactly when i was ready using cm and timing. this last cycle, i thought i had 'fertile' cm several times, but obviously not as af didn't come until MUCH later. if af is back, i am ovulating, correct?

the plan i am thinking of is to dtd every other day and start testing for pregnancy in about a month to catch it right away. i am concerned about due dates being off, as being late runs in my family and i do not want to be induced if i can help it this time! i read (i think in shettles, but not sure) that it's better to dtd every other day so the sperm have a chance to 'refill'. dh loves this plan btw, haha.

1. does this sound reasonable?
2. do you think are we more likely to conceive a boy or a girl? we did shettles method successfully the 1st time, but obviously that hinges on timing which i don't think i can master this time. i am a little impatient right now! i tend to think girl- those leftover x's will just be waiting for the egg....
3. has anyone used ovualtion strips and what did you think of them? i was thinking i might buy a bunch and test every day, but that could get expensive with these irregular cycles.

thanks so much!

[nighten]

A good way to know for sure if you're ovulating is to chart your temps daily. Many things can delay ovulation (stress, lack of sleep, illness, etc.) which in turn delays AF.

And it's possible to have a period and not be ovulating, as well.

Either way, I'd start charting. That along with CM and other signs can help you know when you've ovulated.

We didn't have much success with OPKs last time. But some people do. I just bought mine at the pharmacy, since I didn't use a ton.

As for the gender thing, all I know is the girl sperm tend to move slower and live longer, so sex a couple days before ov have a better chance of conceiving a girl, and sex the day before/day of ov have a better chance of being a boy. But no guarantees either way.

Good luck!

[nova22]

I agree that you should chart your temps and cervical mucous, if you're up for that. If you have a history of late dates, charting will help. The little EDD predictors that midwives and doctors use assume that every woman's cycle is the same length with the same luteal phase. If you can show your healthcare providor your chart and figure out exactly when you conceived, you might be able to prove that you don't actually need to be induced five seconds after your due date passes.

[atpeace]

Your situation sounds very similar to mine! (DD is 18 months old, I got AF back in January, and it has been irregular, almost exactly like yours!)...we're hoping to start TTCing in the next few months as well.

Yes, it is possible to have AF and NOT ovulate...it happens. I used to chart my cycles for a few years long before I had DD, and I have a bunch of anovulatory cycles. So I second the recommendation of the other poster, who said that charting is the way to go!

I know what you mean about concern about the due date...with irregular cycles it's always a challenge to figure out when you conceived. You don't mention how you feel about ultrasounds early in pregnancy for dating purposes, but if you're ok with it, it could be a way to not worry about "catching" the pregnancy immediately.

I hope to see you over on the "I'm Pregnant" board soon!

[pbjmama]

I agree with pp, I would go for an early ultrasounds to confirm viability and get a good date on the pregnancy.

[Ianthe]

i agree with the pps- take your temps.. i am still bfing my 1 year old, and had many cycles where i did not ovulate.. but this last cycle i know that i did O based on my temps.

(i am using this as BC though, for now and not TTC yet)

I used to have a paper chart, but I found this website- http://www.fertilityfriend.com/ was much easier and also interprets your chart for you- telling you what days you are fertile or not.