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celeste685 posted:
keep track of my cm and i have been showing signs of ovulation about every 7 days, how is this possible? i am trying to get pregnant and i keep track of when my cm is stretchy i know this is ideal ovulation-conception environment, how is it possible that its showing me that i'm ovulating so much? last month i ovulated on time then again 4 days before my cycle started then again a week later and again a week after that please help me make some since of this do i need to see a dr.? could my ovaries be malfunctioning?
1 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:ovulation<i>keep track of my cm and i have been showing signs of ovulation about every 7 days, how is this possible? i am trying to get pregnant and i keep track of when my cm is stretchy i know this is ideal ovulation-conception environment, how is it possible that its showing me that i'm ovulating so much? last month i ovulated on time then again 4 days before my cycle started then again a week later and again a week after that please help me make some since of this do i need to see a dr.? could my ovaries be malfunctioning?</i>
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Jane Harrison Hohner, RN, RNP responded:
Dear celeste:Excellent question! The LH surge and spike in estrogen levels, precede ovulation by about 16-24 hours. These hormonal peaks create the typical appearance of "fertile mucus" such as clear egg white consistency. However, recent intercourse or other sources of increased estrogen (e.g., PCOS) can mimic "fertile mucus". I had a patient with the same pattern you have just described. It turns out that, because of her PCOS, she was not ovulating but was having enough estrogen to trigger the cervical mucus changes.

It is even possible to have what seem to be regular cycles without having regular ovulations. How can this happen? In a cycle without an ovulation, estrogen stimulation (assisted by the hormone FSH ) will continue to make the lining of the uterus grow thicker and thicker. In the absence of a LH surge, no ovulation will occur. The progesterone level will not rise. When the follicle that contains the un-ovulated egg involutes the woman's blood estrogen level will drop. This triggers much of the lining to be shed. Thus if it takes two to three weeks for the follicle and un-ovulated egg to regress, the woman may have somewhat regular bleeds.

How often does this happen? In a study of 20-35 year old women who were had regular cycles but were infertile, an average of 30% of women were not ovulating. Among these 123 women with regular cycles the highest incidence of not ovulating was 41%. This highest incidence occurred among women who had never had a conception.

celeste, if you and your partner have been trying to conceive for 12 months (6 months if you are over age 30) that would be time to see a GYN or your local family planning clinic. Meanwhile you might consider using an ovulation predictor kit (OPK) or even basal body temperature charting (BBT) to help identify the timing of your ovulations. OPKs are much more expensive but they can identify the onset of the LH surge which precedes ovulation. Here is a link to an excellent discussion about OPKs:

http://www.fertilityplus.com/faq/opk.html

Yours,
Jane
Report This| Share this:ovulationDear celeste:Excellent question! The LH surge and spike in estrogen levels, precede ovulation by about 16-24 hours. These hormonal peaks create the typical appearance of "fertile mucus" such as clear egg white consistency. However, recent intercourse or <u>other sources of increased estrogen (e.g., PCOS) can mimic "fertile mucus"</u>. I had a patient with the same pattern you have just described. It turns out that, because of her PCOS, she was not ovulating but was having enough estrogen to trigger the cervical mucus changes.<br /><br />It is even possible to have what seem to be regular cycles without having regular ovulations. How can this happen? In a cycle without an ovulation, estrogen stimulation (assisted by the hormone FSH ) will continue to make the lining of the uterus grow thicker and thicker. In the absence of a LH surge, no ovulation will occur. The progesterone level will not rise. When the follicle that contains the un-ovulated egg involutes the woman's blood estrogen level will drop. This triggers much of the lining to be shed. Thus if it takes two to three weeks for the follicle and un-ovulated egg to regress, the woman may have somewhat regular bleeds. <br /><br />How often does this happen? In a study of 20-35 year old women who were had regular cycles <u>but were infertile</u>, an average of 30% of women were not ovulating. Among these 123 women with regular cycles the highest incidence of not ovulating was 41%. This highest incidence occurred among women who had never had a conception. <br /><br />celeste, if you and your partner have been trying to conceive for 12 months (6 months if you are over age 30) that would be time to see a GYN or your local family planning clinic. Meanwhile you might consider using an ovulation predictor kit (OPK) or even basal body temperature charting (BBT) to help identify the timing of your ovulations. OPKs are much more expensive but they can identify the onset of the LH surge which precedes ovulation. Here is a link to an excellent discussion about OPKs:<br /><br /><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.fertilityplus.com/faq/opk.html">http://www.fertilityplus.com/faq/opk.html</a> <br /><br />Yours,<br />Jane
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