NFP fertile days...is this a lot?

[Convert_in_99]

I seem to have clear stretchy (an inch or more) fertile mucous for a very significant portion of my cycle. And since our recent miscarriage loss (why we are doing NFP in the first place) My cycles are even shorter but still have the same long fertile time period.

Abstinence has been 15 days and counting this cycle…and no sign of stopping. My cycles are about 26-28 days right now. The normal range is supposed to be 7-10 days of abstinence. .

For all of you NFP users, how many days do you average? What, if anything morally acceptable, can be done to lessen this amount?

We are brand new to the NFP thing.

 

[The_Bucket]

Have you checked out the notion of the “Basic Infertile Pattern” that includes continuing CM of some type?

 

[Convert_in_99]

Have you checked out the notion of the “Basic Infertile Pattern” that includes continuing CM of some type?

So how can you tell if it’s a pattern or the real thing? It all looks the same to me. It’s way stretchier now than in the beginning, but it fit the definition of “fertile cervical mucous” the other days.

 

[FrenzyJen]

I know we are not supposed to give medical advice so I will just tell you what worked for me.

I had the same thing you mentioned after my miscarriage, and various other symptoms that indicated that each month, my body tried to ovulate a couple times before succeeding. My body just wasn’t quite sure how to get it together afterwards.

I started taking Vitex (also called agnus castus, or Chasteberry). Within a week my body definitely felt more normal, and I actually ovulated on my body’s first attempt that first month, and the following months. Vitex works by kind of balancing hormones, and leveling out what you need. It really helped me, so it may be worth looking into. I think my bottle cost me like 8 dollars.

 

[anruari]

Sperm lives a max of 4 or 5 days and the egg will only be viable for a max of 2 or 3 days so the total fertile period is around 8 days max.
The point with “wait” days is because of uncertainty in identifying and predicting those fertile days ( from 4 or 5 days before ovulation)

when my wife and I had instruction on the billings method the viscosity of the mucous was discussed but we were told that the signs to be used should never include physical examinations but just the woman’s awareness of sensations during normal daily activity. This is explicitly to prevent confusion!

You don’t state which method you are using so the above advice may not be relevant to your method.
perhaps you need to talk to tour NFP advisor or tell us which method you’re using.

 

[Convert_in_99]

We are learning Billings method of NFP.

Our class starts the beginning of July, so we are just using our limited internet knowledge until then.

My body doesn’t have the “sensations”, cause I’m on medication for my mental health that can’t be avoided and it dries me out. The only mucous I find usually is (tmi alert) after a bowel movement. Then it is usually a significant amount of either clear stretchy or “eggwhite” cervical mucous. Which from previously learning Sympto thermal method is a indication to avoid intercourse. Again…newbie to NFP

 

[jlc2k2]

I just went over my last 6 months of charts and we are ranging between 10 and 15 days from the last day that we are willing to push it until the first safe day. We’re being pretty conservative right now. The longer ranges tend to be the months where I am extra stressed and that likely delays ovulation. Unfortunately, I don’t have any answers about how to shorten that time frame.

For the record, I use the sympto-thermal method.

 

[Xantippe]

Sperm actually can live a whole 7 days.

I think the OP’s 15 days and counting of abstinence is par for the course, particularly after miscarriage. There’s a lot of weirdness post-miscarriage and it may take a long time to “reset”, just as there can be toward the end of breastfeeding infertility. As somebody was mentioning, sometimes the body can seem to be gearing up and “trying” to ovulate but not managing, which can be very unpleasant to experience (like a sort of extra-long PMS).

This sort of situation may involve super-long abstinence if you are highly motivated. It’s not normal abstinence because it’s not a normal situation.

As to normal length of abstinence, I think a moderately motivated couple might need to abstain 1/2 the time, while a more motivated couple might need to abstain 2/3 of the time and a VERY highly motivated couple might need to abstain 3/4 of the time, and maybe even more, depending on the seriousness of the situation.