Expert: Ramona Quilter - 4/30/2007

Question
Hello Ramona!

My husband and I are using the natural family planning method , because we are trying to concieve our third child . With both our children we concieved after only one bought of intercourse and one was after coming off the patch. So Im going to try and describe my question the best I can . My husband && I decided to have my Mirena IUD removed after having it in for about 9 1/2 months because of alot of trouble I had with it ( I HATED it and will never use another form of birth control again , execpt for natural!) to try to get pregnant . I got it out on 4/21/07 and started bleeding lightly on 4/23/07 , the bleeding continued and got a little heavier on and off until 4/25/07 . I also noticed around 4/26/07 that I had a clear discharge that was stretchy and stringy like egg whites . Which makes me wonder if I was ovulating or close to ovulating azround that time . Which would have meant that I was not bleeding from my period , and that it was from the IUD Removal.  My husband and I had sex a few times the night I stopped bleeding (4/25/07)and he ejaculated inside me about 2 times that night , then again 2 times the following morning (4/26/07). I never started bleeing again since then and on 4/27/07 .my husband and I had sex another 3 times , all of which did not envolve pulling out . I know it takes your body a while for the hormones from the IUD to leave the body , but we just want to know if our odds are getting pregnant our in our favor ? ( i have had a 28 day cycle since I first got my period , lasting about 6 days , even on the IUD I never missed a period.) It is now 4/30/07 and I am experiencing a crampy feeling and I have a small whitish creamy discharge . Both discharges Ive had have had no odor . Thank You so much for helping my husband and I with our questions!

Answer
It will take some time for your body to recover from the IUD.  With NFP, it is important to have some history and a pattern to see in the charts to evaluate.  Since you are talking about only a few days, there is no way I can interpret what is going on at this time.  

Once your cycle returns to normal, which may be as soon as when you get your period again, you should notice the mucus discharge shortly after your period ends and it will increase until the middle of the cycle.  If you are also going to take your temperature, you will notice that your temperature will go up at least .4 degrees in the middle of your cycle.  That is when you ovulate.  After that, it is not posible to get pregnant until your period again.

As for the frequency of sexual intercourse, sometimes it helps to skip a day and only have sex every other day while you are trying to get pregnant.  That allows his body to produce enough sperm.  Frequent intercourse can defeat the purpose because the sperm count remains too low.  

Remember that sex the week before your period starts will not result in pregnancy.  Only sex before ovulation will result in pregnancy.  So your goal is to figure out when you you are ovulating.