The Waiting Game

Several online ovulation calculators have put my date of ovulation somewhere between May 24 and 30th. That's a big window. On May 20th I began using Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPKs). They're like pregnancy tests, only they test for the hormone that triggers ovulation. From MyFertilityFriend.com: OPKs work by measuring the presence of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) in your urine. A surge of LH which is sent to your ovary causes your ovary to produce enzymes which in turn causes the dominant follicle to rupture and release the egg into the Fallopian tube. This is ovulation and it is expected to occur within 24 hours of the surge of LH. An OPK is thus expected to be positive the day before you ovulate.

So I had a negative reading the morning of May 25th, and by 5pm I had a positive reading. It felt right, too. I had signs of the right kind of cervical mucous. I also know that sperm can survive in my reproductive tract for up to five days. Finally I seemed to have tracked my ovulation properly! No guessing! 

The downside is you're supposed to have sex several times in the 5 days preceding this "ovulation window", as well as the day OF ovulation. That can be hard to do when you haven't ovulated yet, so you don't know when you'll ovulate, which is why you need to track everything on a calendar (or fancy online tools - there are a few really good ones). Again with the pressure, right? Talking about schedules like this takes all the fun and spontaneity out of being intimate, so I've avoided telling Dustin when I'm ovulating, except for last week. Talking about ovulation isn't sexy though. Who knew?

Now I have to wait. Implantation, if it's going to happen, will be 7-10 days after ovulation so it would fall between today and Saturday. My period is due June 11th, and if by the 12th I haven't seen any signs of it I'll take a pregnancy test. 

By the way, this brings me to another completely frustrating part of this whole thing. Why do the signs of pregnancy have to be so similar to the signs of getting your period? Cramping? Sore breasts? Bloated belly? Fatigue? Granted, the two times I've been pregnant I remember clearly that those signs were very pronounced compared to a normal period. The thing is, when you're hoping to be pregnant your mind can search for clues and you read into those signs way more than normal. Every twinge or headache might mean you're pregnant! And you get your hopes up! Then Aunt Flow comes to visit and you just want to hide in bed for three days. It's really hard. It's emotionally exhausting.

I need to add something to this post. It can be hard to make time for your spouse when you have a child, two dogs and other responsibilities. We have to work on that if growing our family is in our long term plans. But he's been out with friends a lot in the last while so evenings are pretty quiet at my house. Sometimes I feel like a lot of my mental energy is spent on this, while he's just along for the ride. Maybe it's time I make sure we're on the same page.