My husband and I got married in July 2006 and wanted to start trying to conceive right away. I stopped taking my BC pills in April. I went to the OBYGN in Oct '06 I wanted to get a prenatal checkup before trying to get pregnant. He instructed me to start taking my BBT every morning for about 3 months, then he said that he can tell me when I am ovulating. I usually have a 31 day cycle, but around the holidays I have been really stressed out. I have been experiencing wacky cycles and sometimes can feel ovulation pains, but how can I be sure when I am to ovulate if I don't experience ovulation pains every time? We are desperate, as I was going to try until I turned 36 years old to get help and thats only 8 months from now. I am afraid I am running out of time. Do you have any suggestions?

A few irregular cycles are nothing to be concerned about especially around the holidays. If your cycle is 31 days then you ovulate around day 17, give or take a day or so (the way ovulation is calculated is by subtracting 14 from the cycle length; ie: 31 - 14 = 17). Day one is counted as the first day of normal menstrual flow. Intercourse should occur every other day starting four days prior to ovulation and going one or two days past. So for a 31 day cycle intercourse should be on days 13, 15, 17 ,19 and 21 (if you have the energy left). A normal couple takes 3 to 6 months to conceive. At age 35 one's fertility is usually good, so there's no need to panic yet. If you have not conceived by 6 months then have your OB GYN start a preliminary evaluation. Basal body temps can be helpful but they're a nuisance to perform. You may want to get a progesterone level check on your blood one week after ovulation (day 24) and don't worry about not ovulating on the cycles without pain; most women are not aware of ovulation. A regular period is a very good indicator of ovulation. Also remember that a pregnancy test wont be positive until at least 14 days after ovulation/fertilization. Good luck.

Answered by Dr. Lynn Friedman, M.D.