I am 28 years old and we have been trying to conceive for about four months now. I noticed that I would have brown spotting a couple of days before my period and after. I don’t feel any pain at all. I have been charting my cycles and am sure I am doing it right. My average cycle would be 30-32. Is this too long? Are my most fertile days around days 12-15? Or do I have a late ovulation? Please help!
Worried
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Trying Four Months and Still Not Pregnant
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Last Updated: December 28, 2014
I wonder what you mean by “charting your cycles”. If you mean you keep track of your periods, this is only a small glimpse into what your cycles can tell you. If you chart all the events of your cycle, not only your menses but also the daily observations of cervical mucus, then you can identify the fertile window. The fertile days are not necessarily the same cycle to cycle, so the most accurate way to identify them is to observe daily for the cervical mucus that indicates you are fertile and near ovulation. Once you ovulate, your next menstrual flow will follow 9-17 days later. An NFP teacher can help you identify the precise days of fertility, and also help you interpret other indications of the status of your fertility, including not only the quality and quantity of the cervical mucus, but also if the brown pre-menstrual spotting you are experiencing may be relevant, the characteristics of your menstrual flow, and the length of your luteal phase. I know it is frustrating to have not conceived after trying for four months, but I recommend giving it another few months, but with the more complete information that can be gained by learning to chart all the days of the cycle, under the guidance of an NFP Professional.
Sheila St. John
Sheila St. John
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Sheila St. John
Sheila St. John is the Executive Director of the California Association of Natural Family Planning, coordinating the non-profit’s education and advocacy efforts throughout the state. Initially attracted to NFP as a healthy, effective method for planning families, drug, device and surgery free, her passion for NFP has grown over the last 42 years as she has journeyed with the over 900 couples she has personally instructed in its use, and been privileged to witness its role in overcoming infertility, women’s health, and the transformation that occurs in lives of men, women, and families, when we embrace God’s design for love and life.
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