Okay. Math time.
My 39 day average is calculated by mymonthlycycles.com, which only has data back to September. I’ve dug up the numbers to prepare my case for my doctor. This is the tenth cycle of trying. So, from starting last spring, til now, in ascending order, here are the cycle lengths:
28
28
35
31
31
36
36
45
37
The first two were my post BC cycles, which were recalibrations of my cycle, I’m quite sure.
The first long one I was taking care of my cousin’s baby in Portland for a week, pissing on sticks at Amy’s house more than once. I started my last day there, I think it was.
The next two, whatever, it was late summer/early fall.
The two after that were in the fall, that first 36 day cycle ended the day before our anniversary, and was the first time Dave was really bummed.
That 45 dayer was a fucker — that was the one with the faint line/false positive/evap line/whatever that cost me 60 bucks+ for a blood test that I still haven’t paid for, I should probably do that.
Then the 37 dayer.
Calculating that, my cycle average is 34 days. Taking out the 2 recalibration cycles and that 45dayer, my cycle average is 34 days. Taking out just the recalibrations, my cycle length is 36 days.
Today is Day 38. I am still not bleeding.
See? This is what fucks with me EVERY MONTH. The math. I’m a pattern person, and I try to interpret the pattern as best I can, and it is damn frustrating.
So, Internet Mathemagicians, what pattern do YOU see?
The average is 34, but the standard deviation is about 5, meaning they are not super tightly clumped around that average. So if your period lengths follow a normal curve, that means that about 68% of your periods will be from 29-39 days, and the other 32% would be longer or shorter. (And 95% would be from 24-44 days, making that 45 day one a real weirdo.) So basically (a) you’re still in the quite common range this time and (b) god and/or fate is TOTALLY messing around with you, seriously and (c) this is probably an inappropriate use of the normal curve especially with only 9 data points but I couldn’t resist after reading the word mathemagician. I’m sorry. I need.. math therapy.
I’m so not looking forward to my own TTC in a few years. I am completely impatient and obsessive. I will go broke on test kits of every kind and probably break a lot of dishes in frustration, or like be all “That’s IT I’m ADOPTING after 2 cycles.” You get 10 gold stars from me for not, I don’t know, strangling anything so far. (You haven’t, right?)
I know how difficult it is to not to become obsessed with getting pregnant. Some months, it controls my life. I’ve read a few articles lately that claim that having sex two-three times a week every week is more successful than timed intercourse. Based on Little Bear’s conception, I tend to believe it. Now that I am preoccupied with getting pregnant again and trying to time intercourse, it isn’t happening for us.
I’m thinking of you!
I’m no mathemagician but I can tell you about my own cycle. While my average cycle was 27 days I would consistently have a cycle of 26 days followed by a cycle of 29 days then another 26 day cycle. Once I worked that out and wasn’t following the average I felt much better.
How is the current 38 days matching up with when you noticed CM? I remember you had a bit of confusion with it, but assuming a LP of 14 days would your period be due now? I’ve never tried it myself and I know you’ve steered away from it, but maybe charting would help to give you some clues with your cycles?
(If I could write this in small type I would: all this is assuming there will be another cycle. I had cramps when my period was due, just FYI FWIW).