I'm never sure if I should post here because we're not actively ttc yet. However, I am all sorts of confused about what is happening to me right now and I know you all will have answers. I feel a bit stupid asking what I am about to ask, but I need some help from you smart people. We're not ttc yet - the husband isn't ready yet and it's only been two months. I know I ovulated on June 28th because I had a pap smear and my midwife told me I was ovulating. I thought I was and then she confirmed it and I was like okay, ovulation, that's a good thing. Now it's the 12th of July and ... no period. I've never done the charting thing, I've never done the temp thing, and I'm all sorts of confused. Maybe I didn't ovulate? Is it possible I ovulated and now my period is delayed due to stress? I've always had a regular 28 day cycle and conceived my first without much thought or effort. I don't think I'm pregnant because we have been using protection every single time and I can't remember having sex around that time. I'm feeling anxious and I just want to cycle so I can get on with the business of ttc in a couple months. And I don't want to buy a pregnancy test because I'm scared, a bit ashamed, and I would feel silly.

Any variability in the menstrual cycle, and delays due to stress and such happen before ovulation, not after. Ovulation itself will be delayed by stress.

Ovulation can only be truly confirmed by one of two ways: regular BBT charting to see the sustained temperature rise caused by progesterone in your system, or by ultrasound where the ovary is observed and signs of a developed follicle and a corpus luteum are observed.

Your body gears up to ovulate by producing estrogen. When the estrogen is high enough, it causes a spike in a hormone called lutenizing hormone (LH) that causes the dominant follicle on the ovary to release an egg. The rising estrogen levels causes changes in your cervical mucus, making it slippery, wet, more abundant, and eggwhite in consistency, as well as softening and raising the cervix. All of these things are in place BEFORE you ovulate, so if anything disturbs the process, you will have every sign of impending ovulation, and it can still not happen. This can even include getting positives on ovulation predictor kits.

If your midwife said you were ovulating based on a pap smear, she was likely observing fertile mucus and cervical position, and said you were ovulating because these are signs of impending ovulation, and you will usually ovulate shortly afterwards. However, especially if your cycle is starting up again after a pregnancy of any kind, they can be irregular, and you are more likely to experience multiple "gear ups" before successfully ovulating.

It is also possible that since you had sex, you could be pregnant, because no form of protection is perfect, and under perfect conditions sex 5-7 days before ovulation *can* result in conception. Highly unlikely.

Lastly, if you did ovulate on or shortly after June 28th, by today that has only been 14 (or less) days, and you may not yet be due for your period. A normal luteal phase -- the time between ovulation and the bleeding -- is 10-16 days. What your cycle was like prior to a pregnancy is not a great predictor of what it will be like afterwards. If you feel like you have ovulated (fatigue, fuller/sore boobs, bloating, more frequent urination, etc.) and you still have no had your period in another 4-6 days, I would test.

Pretty much exactly what Melissa said! I can't think of a thing to add to that at all (and yet, as you'll see, still typing).

I know it's a bit stressful, but you might have ovulated even a few days after that visit, which could delay things even more. If your period doesn't appear test. If the test is negative, then call your m/w or doc and ask for their advice. Generally, they like to wait 60-90 days before jump-starting your period. Cycles immediately after pregnancy can be wonky, and they like to try and let it work itself out naturally if possible.

It's worth testing just because sperm can live for a long time in a fertile environment and no birth control is 100% effective.

Good luck, hon. And you are always, always most welcome to post here. Please keep us updated, ok?

And of course, my period started late this afternoon. It is faint, but it is definitely there. Thanks for the information, I hope to need it soon, and thanks for putting up with my silly worrying. I had no idea waiting for my first postpartum period would be a nerve wracking, emotional experience for me.

Not silly at all! It is always nerve-wracking when you aren't sure what is happening and the first first post-partum period can be especially emotional and stressful. Glad your answer came quickly.

Now I'm just frustrated. Yesterday was not my period - just spotting. Now, today, nothing. So confused by this.

Welp, FF says I'm officially triphasic as of today. Been feeling flushed and warm in the face, and not much else besides just being bloated. I was being all "This is dumb and messing with me, I don't FEEL anything, stupid mindfucking temperatures" and then I sat in my chair to enter my chart stuff and putter around and started feeling like my stomach is a gaping, queasy pit.

The Schrodinger's pregnancy stage makes me feel so batty. I don't want to get my hopes up and be disappointed, but sldkfjsdlfksdjfsdlfksdf argh!

Oh nards, this was not the update thread. I'm sorry, Angela.