CM vs semen?

[monpetitchou]

How can you tell the difference between CM and semen? I have what appears to be EWCM today, but DH and I had sex last night so I don't know if it's just that fooling me.

I typically ovulate on CD20-ish and today is CD23 with nary a +OPK or temp rise in sight. I know it's only been a few days but it's driving me crazy. I used to have really long crazy cycles and I'm starting to freak out that they're returned now that I'm TTC. And I know that me freaking out isn't helping things either. Argh!

[larhun3]

I think I read this before but semen normally gets absorbed into toilet paper and cm stays on top. I think someone recommended rubbing it with your thumb and index finger for a few seconds and if it dries up its semen. I think one of them clumps in water but I can remember which one.

[crimsonandclover]

I know this doesn't help you before O, but do you temp? If you do then you can make your best guess about your CM and then see whether your temps confirm that you O'd. That should give you a better reference point for future cycles, anyway. Same with OPKs - if you use them in conjunction with checking CM, then you might get a little help reading your CM the right way.

[monpetitchou]

Yeah, I've been temping for literally years. But, we were TTA for the vast majority of that time so we were always using condoms around the time EWCM would show up. This is my first cycle using OPKs and I got another negative this afternoon. So frustrating!

[angnshaun]

If you put them in water ewcm will ball up and semen will disappear.