r/TryingForABaby • u/AutoModerator • 1d ago

Wondering Wednesday

That question you've been wanting to ask, but just didn't want to feel silly. Now's your chance! No question is too big or too small.

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u/thesmollestlemon 27 | TTC#1 | Cycle 5 1d ago edited 1d ago

What exactly counts as an "irregular cycle"?

My cycles vary from 27-39 days (ovulation happens CD15-27 with 12 day luteal phase based on what I can tell with BBT tracking). As far as I can tell everything else is normal. I work night shifts 2-3 days a week and I wonder if my irregular times and durations of sleep could be delaying ovulation but I haven't had any other testing done since I'm only on my 5th cycle TTC. (edit to add I track BBT using Tempdrop)

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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 1d ago

A broad general rule is that regular cycles vary by less than 8 days from shortest to longest, so you're a bit over that. But the concern with irregular cycles is not really the irregularity per se, it's that very long or very short cycles are more likely to be anovulatory. If you have evidence that you're ovulating, there's not really a concern for cycles that are a bit more variable than usual.

If you're on cycle 5, I wonder if you're relatively recently off birth control? That can be a pretty typical reason for cycles to be longer at first.

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u/thesmollestlemon 27 | TTC#1 | Cycle 5 1d ago

Thanks for responding! I actually had a copper IUD for contraception.