# TTA - FAM - Chart with me!



## katerdid

Trying to Avoid the FAM way!

Part of me wants to turn this into TTC but for we just aren't prepared for another child quite yet. 

I'm brand new into this whole FAM method and also new to charting. Anyone care to join me?

Here's my chart, I'm starting this month: 
My Ovulation Chart



I've had really irregular cycles since the birth of my son, but that's because I had an IUD (Read the story here) that wasn't working for me at all. It was removed on May 16th, and since I'm still BF I am really restricted in regards to BC - I didn't want another IUD, or the mini pill, and using condoms all the time can get expensive. So I've turned to the FAM method. Fingers crossed it works! :flower:


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## aley28

I will chart with you! I'm using tcoyf.com though and I have to change my setting before I can link the chart... plus this month's chart is CAHRAZY wacked out because I only started 6 or 7 days ago and my cycle started May 4 :haha:

I'm looking at the TTA FAM as a step towards TTC :winkwink: When we're ready for our last baby, I won't have to really make any preparations... we'll just not be restricted on when we can :sex:!:thumbup:

I've never charted my cycles before either, so hopefully it works out for both of us :)


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## katerdid

Yay! Hello Chart Buddy :winkwink: 

I'm deffo there with you on the whole TTA FAM turns into TTC. When do you think you might start trying? We are looking at the end of 2014, but who knows :shrug: Deffo before my son turns 5 yrs old tho - I think I might go mad with broodiness!

Have you read the book yet? I ordered it but it won't get here til next week or so.

WOW! Long cycle!


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## aley28

I haven't read the book yet... I need to order it, but it keeps slipping my mind! :dohh: The website has been pretty helpful, though. I'm just using the free version. :haha:

DH is still in need of convincing in terms of having #3 at all, so I'm guessing it'll be at least the start of next year before we even really think about TTC... possibly longer, but I sure hope not. I have the pregnancy itch already... and bad. :rofl:

My cycles pre-Parker were averaging at 34 days long... this is my first cycle after Parker that wasn't on the mini pill, so I have no idea how long its going to go. I THINK I ovulated the 22 and should be due for a period here in the next few days... but I guess only time will tell!


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## aley28

This should be a link to my chart... its all over the place and doesn't make any sense, but there you go! :haha:

https://tcoyf.com/members/aley28/charts/1.aspx


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## Gunnhilde

I'll chart with you too! We just came off TTC last cycle and I'm still waiting on AF because of a super long cycle. I've been between 29 to 60 since DD. I used to be regular and right as rain at 30 days for years. :shrug:

When AF comes I'll post my chart link. :thumbup:


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## katerdid

Yay! More chart buddies! Welcome! 

Aley:
I have an account there too, hope this link works! I think I might like it better: https://www.tcoyf.com/members/katerdid/charts/1.aspx

Although love how it says fertile even tho I was on my period! :haha: shows you how messed up my cycle is! 

Yeah, I have the preggo itch bad a nowadays too. Maybe we can ttc together if I can convince dh sooner lmao! 

This is my first cycle with out the iud, so no clue when I'll start again either. fun surprise for all of us lol.


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## calliebaby

I'll join! :thumbup:
I have been using charting as BC for about 9 months now. I find it works quite well. We are going to ttc in October for baby #2.


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## katerdid

Hello Calli :hi:

Woohoo my first temp! 96.5 - I thought it'd be higher since my son had a rough night and woke up every 2-3hrs >< I think I'm getting close to ov'ing. So exciting knowing what my body is doing!

Here's my opk from today:
https://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk294/katerdid225/TTA/opk62.jpg
Yesterday it was stark white, so getting close!


How's everyone else doing?


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## aley28

I am PMSing horribly bad... pretty sure AF is on her way! :haha: :thumbup: Can't wait... finally get this thing going properly! Maybe next cycle, my chart will look less... chaotic. :rofl: :rofl:


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## katerdid

Yay af! 
Haha that's what I'm hoping too, aley! a normal cycle :)


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## aley28

My guess is tomorrow or the next day. Which is about when I had predicted from my random guess at when I O'd. :rofl: I just hope this AF isn't too brutal... the last one was very possibly the worst one of my entire life.

How long after your baby did your cycle come back, katerdid?

I didn't do OPKs before... a positive is when the line comes back darker than the control, right?


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## Gunnhilde

katerdid said:


> Hello Calli :hi:
> 
> Woohoo my first temp! 96.5 - I thought it'd be higher since my son had a rough night and woke up every 2-3hrs >< I think I'm getting close to ov'ing. So exciting knowing what my body is doing!
> 
> Here's my opk from today:
> https://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk294/katerdid225/TTA/opk62.jpg
> Yesterday it was stark white, so getting close!
> 
> 
> How's everyone else doing?

My OPKs always look like that even when I'm nowhere near Oing! Maybe I'm using them wrong or something?

I'm 21 DPO today (or so I thought) and no sign of AF, and so of course I tested and got one of those FRER indent lines that makes one wonder....

I am feeling incredibly cranky and moody, so maybe soon. :winkwink:



aley28 said:


> How long after your baby did your cycle come back, katerdid?
> 
> I didn't do OPKs before... a positive is when the line comes back darker than the control, right?

I believe it is as dark as the control or darker. :thumbup:

I don't know about katedid, but mine came back within a month and I was breastfeeding at least every 2 hours. My aunt (who is an A&E doc) thought I was hemorrhaging because it shouldn't be back so early. She insisted on taking my BP. :dohh:


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## calliebaby

I breastfed for 8 months and it came back 3 months after I stopped.


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## aley28

This is amazing!

First very, very VERY light spots tonight, AF should be here tomorrow at full flow, Tuesday at the very latest! I can't believe that hardly even knowing what I was doing, I was able to predict ovulation so well! And my husband says this method is "not trustable" Ppffft! In my pre-baby life my periods were so erratic and almost always caught me by surprise... if I had only known then what I know now! I'm in awe right now that it could really be that easy... WHY don't people tell you about this sort of thing when we're learning about our bodies? If I ever have a daughter, this is something I will be teaching her!!

Looking forward to tracking my first REAL, full cycle with FAM! :happydance:


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## Gunnhilde

aley28 said:


> This is amazing!
> 
> First very, very VERY light spots tonight, AF should be here tomorrow at full flow, Tuesday at the very latest! I can't believe that hardly even knowing what I was doing, I was able to predict ovulation so well! And my husband says this method is "not trustable" Ppffft! In my pre-baby life my periods were so erratic and almost always caught me by surprise... if I had only known then what I know now! I'm in awe right now that it could really be that easy... WHY don't people tell you about this sort of thing when we're learning about our bodies? If I ever have a daughter, this is something I will be teaching her!!
> 
> Looking forward to tracking my first REAL, full cycle with FAM! :happydance:

I lived in a predominantly Catholic area growing up, maybe 80% or so, and we definitely learned about charting! In fact, I believe every couple married in the Catholic church had to at least learn it before they could get married. 

I've also been teaching my future SIL about it, seems like it is consider horribly archaic to actually learn about your body in Denmark. Seriously, for such a sexually liberal country to not even teach teenagers that sperm can live for up to 5 days and that you are supposed to have sex BEFORE and during ovulation if you want to get pregnant. :dohh: I think they'd rather just shove all the teenagers on birth control and just be done with it. *rant over* Whether used for BC or not, FAM is empowering to women and my daughter will definitely be learning it too. :thumbup:

I guess I'm lucky that from the get go DF has known that I don't believe in hormonal birth control and that I won't use IUDs or cervical caps and maybe I'll use condoms if I absolutely must. I think he accepts it as a quirky part of my conservative Americanism. :happydance:


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## katerdid

aley28 said:


> How long after your baby did your cycle come back, katerdid?
> 
> I didn't do OPKs before... a positive is when the line comes back darker than the control, right?

Well, it didn't on it's own. It started right after the IUD was in place, so who knows how long I would have been AF free as I'm still BF full time:shrug:
Yep!!


I don't know what to think of my temps now... I took it 4 times this morning and it was all over the board. 96.7; 96.5; 96.7; 96.3 .... I might have to get a different thermometer. Or is there a certain place you have to stick it under your tongue? Cuz if I stick it in the right side it's always 96.5 or lower, if I do the left side it's a bit higher :wacko: But I don't think I ever ov'd as my cm is gone back to dry and never got to the ewcm and my opk's never got any darker. Silly body....

It is deffo something that should be taught!!! I think everyone would be better off if they knew much more about their own bodies. That's really neat that the Catholic church teaches it!

How's the AF Aley? Hope it's not too bad!


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## aley28

The AF is FREAKING HEAVY. UGH, worse than my last period on the mini pill, which I was hoping wouldn't be the case. I was cramping really bad yesterday but then I realized it was due to the Diva Cup I'm still trying to learn how to use, so I need to make some adjustments with that. :haha:

I usually say that my favorite thing about pregnancy is the little kicks and all that sappy stuff... but honestly, I think my favorite thing about pregnancy is no period for 9 months!! I was also hoping that'd be my favorite thing about breastfeeding, but no such luck :rofl:

With the temping... I got a BBT thermometer from WalMart (the little $9 one)... and I just stick it in the same place every time... I put it under my tongue on the right side, then try to hold my tongue down and close my mouth around it and hold the thermometer in place with my hand. I tried it on the left side with the same steps and came up with a way different number, so I figured I'd just stay consistent with it. :haha: The right side is easier for me because I lay on my left side to take my temperature, as that's the side of the bed my night stand is on. :haha:


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## katerdid

Ugh man, that's the worst. I hope it doesn't last much longer aley! 
And good luck with your Diva, I'm too scared to use one lol. I'm gonna stick with my momma cloth :haha:

I got a cheap one from a grocery type store too (Meijer) ,so I think I'll stick to trying it in the same place, thanks! I think it'll be easier after I get the hang of it. 

I'm starting to get cramps, not sure if its af coming or what :shrug: I'm on cd 29, which is usually how long my cycles were before pregnancy. No other signs of af tho.


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## Gunnhilde

Seriously, you are brave for using the cup. I'd be afraid I'd spill it or something. We are going to be on a tight budget for a while, it could be a good idea. I'd love to know how it works out as I've got a super heavy flow for a couple of days each time.

I'm on CD 41 and no AF, but it would be possible for me to have a cycle up to 60. That's only happened once and I'm hoping that the chocolate craving and grumpiness means AF is coming soon.


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## aley28

I started chafing really bad during the postpartum bleeding after Parker, so I looked up other options online and found the DivaCup... ordered one the next day :rofl: Of course then I couldn't use it until I got a period. But I really like it so far! I thought it was going to take me ages to figure out how to get it in (I never could figure out how to use a tampon :rofl: :blush:), but by the end of my second period I'd gotten to where I don't leak while wearing it. Just the cramping... and even that seems gone now... I had to flip the cup inside out, so I have to Kegel push it out further just to grab it, but no biggie! Can't even tell its there now AND I don't feel all gross and wet like when AF is here.

It seems to work pretty well with the heavy flow too... I wore it all night and its not like the cup was overflowing this morning when I got up or anything. :thumbup: And of course, if your flow is suuuuppper heavy, you just go and empty it out more often... I've been doing about every 4-5 hours during the day and once before bed and then as soon as I get a chance after I get up for the last time with Parker in the morning (so usually just before I shower). I haven't spilled it yet! :rofl: I'm still using pads for the first couple of days until the spotting turns into AF and for the last couple of days when AF turns back into spotting, but I don't have to go buy a whole new cartfull of pads for each period now... and I don't have to worry about how I sleep at night!

I sound like a Divacup advertiser! :rofl: I love the thing! I paid $24 for it, and you don't have to replace it... like... ever. I know the company says to replace it once a year, but that's just so they keep making money. :haha: Its made out of medical grade silicone... the only way I'd have to replace it is if I lost it or it got damaged somehow. :shrug:


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## calliebaby

katerdid said:


> aley28 said:
> 
> 
> How long after your baby did your cycle come back, katerdid?
> 
> I didn't do OPKs before... a positive is when the line comes back darker than the control, right?
> 
> Well, it didn't on it's own. It started right after the IUD was in place, so who knows how long I would have been AF free as I'm still BF full time:shrug:
> Yep!!
> 
> 
> I don't know what to think of my temps now... I took it 4 times this morning and it was all over the board. 96.7; 96.5; 96.7; 96.3 .... I might have to get a different thermometer. Or is there a certain place you have to stick it under your tongue? Cuz if I stick it in the right side it's always 96.5 or lower, if I do the left side it's a bit higher :wacko: But I don't think I ever ov'd as my cm is gone back to dry and never got to the ewcm and my opk's never got any darker. Silly body....
> 
> It is deffo something that should be taught!!! I think everyone would be better off if they knew much more about their own bodies. That's really neat that the Catholic church teaches it!
> 
> How's the AF Aley? Hope it's not too bad!Click to expand...

Best recommendation I can give is to take your temp once and be done with it. 0.2 degrees shouldn't make a huge difference in how your chart turns out. :thumbup:


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## katerdid

I've started taking it in the same place in my mouth and it's much better now. I only have -/+ .10 discrepancies, so no biggie. Although my chart looks so weird now! It went up a wee bit and now it's going down. I'm so intrigued to see what my chart will look like in a few months! But for some reason, I have ewcm today? how does that work? 

Major cramping and nauseated the last few days...but still no af. Very annoying! I constantly feel like it will show up any minute - making me bathroom paranoid. 

I love the idea of the Diva Cup, but I have a hard enough time with tampons so I don't think I could stick my hand/fingers up my woohoo to put it in and pull it out :haha: But momma cloth is very doable. I am going to make some of my own after this af - see what kind of absorbancy I will need. Cuz I don't think it'll behave like the ones I've been having on the iud.


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## aley28

Maybe you haven't ovulated yet and your body is preparing to try again, hence the EWCM? :shrug: That is kinda weird your temp is going down and no AF is showing up though...I don't know how that works! Hopefully AF shows up soon!

I think I looked at Momma cloths before coming across the cup. They were my other option!


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## Gunnhilde

katerdid said:


> I've started taking it in the same place in my mouth and it's much better now. I only have -/+ .10 discrepancies, so no biggie. Although my chart looks so weird now! It went up a wee bit and now it's going down. I'm so intrigued to see what my chart will look like in a few months! But for some reason, I have ewcm today? how does that work?

I get EWCM 3 times during my cycle and the last time is usually the days up to AF because of the Estrogen surge.


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## katerdid

Ugh, my body is so annoying...I just want AF to get here so I can be out of my misery soon! These cramps I've been getting are killer. I'm taking Cramp Bark oil - 10 drops every 5 hours and it's just barely covering it. Plus the ewcm is insane...even my DH mentioned I had "a lot of ...stuff...going on down there" :haha: I think maybe the IUD made me all wonky?


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## katerdid

Whoop whoop! Looks like I got my temp spike today! Is it wrong to be so excited :haha: I guess I finally ov'd - prolly around cd 31, geesh. 

How's everyone else doing?


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## Gunnhilde

I confused by the computer charting a little. It adjusts my temps by 0.1 for every half an hour they are off. Crazy! I'm liking the TCOYF charter so far and I like how they use "low fertility" before ovulation as it is good to keep in mind. We're not DTD this cycle or next so I'm enjoying just kind of learning how to properly chart. I think I must have been doing it wonky before.


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## katerdid

I do like TCOYF much better as well. You can opt not to adjust the temp if it's off, but they say generally that the later you temp, the higher it will be, which is why you need to take it at the same time.


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## Gunnhilde

Have any of you tried the Fertility Monitor https://www.amazon.com/Clearblue-Easy-Fertility-Monitor-Packaging/dp/B0000532QB or saliva ferning?


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## aley28

WOW, Kater! What a wacky cycle you're having! Hopefully they level out quickly with the IUD out, though! Though :yipee: that you got a spike... :haha: Now you know AF is just around the corner! :D

I missed a day of temping yesterday because we were out of town and I forgot to grab my thermometer when packing. :dohh: But other than that, everything seems to be very steady. Parker has set 6am as his 'let's start the day' time, so I'm temping when he gets up and its within 15 minutes to either side of 6, so that seems to be working out pretty well.

I keep forgetting to check it, but when I do check my cervix, it seems like its always open? I thought it was only supposed to be open when fertile, but my CM indicates that I'm not very fertile right now. I'm thinking I just need to keep checking that and maybe my body has its own little pattern or something. I'm still just amazed that I can check it at all... when I was pregnant, I couldn't reach it for the life of me :rofl:

I haven't tried a fertility monitor... when I looked at them online it said that they're kind of useless for TTA? :shrug: Not sure about saliva ferning... I don't know anything about that! Sounds like it could be highly interesting though!

We're abstaining from sex this cycle and OMG... I usually don't want sex, like... at all. But since I said I wouldn't have it, I want it SO BAD. How frustrating! :rofl:


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## katerdid

Deffo wacky cycle! All my friends say I'm preggers cuz I'm so late lol, but I don't think so. Now that i've been charting it's not so scary being late! 
My son usually wakes up around 7am but sometimes wakes up an hour earlier or later. I still wake up at seven on my own somehow without an alarm. 

I heard that after child birth your cervix never really closes all the way. But to be perfectly honest, I've never stuck my fingers up there, so I couldn't tell you if I feel a difference. 

Never tried either of those. Actually the ferning thing I've never heard of. 

Gosh that would be frustrating! I don't think I could abstain lol. Now that I'm not on a hormonal BC, my libido is insane :blush:


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## Gunnhilde

My fingers don't reach all the way up to my cervix when I'm ovulating. I've got child sized hands (seriously I wear children's gloves). I had heard about it never closing all the way after childbirth though. 

I had also heard about women in Germany using the fertility monitory as part of FAM, but I think you might be right in that it isn't all that helpful. I think I could probably tell when my hormone levels are going up based on the OPKs anyway. 

The saliva ferning microscope is about $25 so it would be worth it just experimentally. It seems like your saliva would fern when you get EWCM and your estrogen levels go up. I could see it being beneficial in that it wouldn't get semen obscured. When we are in the same place, we DTD at least once a day, so it is an issue.

@Aley I can wait because we are obviously an ocean apart, but a month in the same place *faints*.


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## aley28

I never felt my cervix before last week, so I don't really know what I'm feeling for. :haha: Maybe fingertip open IS my cervix's version of closed now. :shrug: I guess I could ask my doctor about it when I go in to be fitted for the diaphragm... he probably has some insight, I'd think??

Ah... that may be a good idea for the saliva ferning then. I've been wondering how I'm going to observe CM if we're having sex... I'm guessing spermicide obstructs it too. :dohh: Though we're more of a 2-3x a week (at BEST) sort, due to his work schedule ... so maybe it wouldn't be a huge issue.

Fortunately (?) he's irritating me just enough this month with his stupid video game and asshole comments that he kills my desire within minutes of me wanting it. :dohh: (He thinks I'm trying to get pregnant with the FAM and is kinda being an ass about it)


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## Gunnhilde

I've got DF interested in it and have been showing him my chart...it seems to help. He wants me to put up a color coded piece of paper each day based on whether I've got a low, no (or almost none - I guess a person could O twice), or high chance of being fertile. Then again, he knows that I would never use hormonal birth control....so he is stuck with it if he doesn't want an endless stream of babies or to move to the UK or Sweden. :haha:

Threatening with Sweden always works. :haha:

Honestly, though, would it be possible to do a little educating and get him involved? I think we've been taught for so long that it doesn't work or that it is for TTC that sometimes a little re-education is in order. The fact of the matter is that it is at least as effective as the male condom and more so if you don't do the 5 day method and only have unsafe sex after confirmed ovulation.


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## aley28

He was pretty upset with me for going off the mini pill, even though I tried explaining how awful it was going for me. I did finally get him to understand that bleeding every 15 days for 9 - 10 days at a time for months on end is simply not acceptable for me, and the constant PMS-like symptoms were hard on EVERYBODY in the house.

I don't know if I can educate him, really. Once he's decided something - like FAM being useless for TTA - its practically impossible to get through to him. I wish I had approached it better the first time, but I can't change that now. Right now I'm thinking that as long as I'm very faithful to using the diaphragm properly until I'm showing fertile CM, then that'll be "oral week", then after that we can go crazy.... it should be fine. He likely won't even notice that anything is different, except that he'll suddenly actually be getting oral more often than once in a blue moon. :rofl:

I wish we knew a couple who has been using FAM/NFP for years and years without a failure... that would help support my case. But we don't (that I'm aware of, birth control isn't really a common topic in our social outings :rofl:)... so maybe after six months or so of this, I'll tell him, "Oh... by the way. I'm just using a barrier method and watching my body for signs of fertility to prevent pregnancy. You thought it was crap, but look! Its working just fine. So nyeh!!"


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## aley28

Haaaahaaha... so much for no sex! He said he'd pull out. He mostly did... sorta. :haha: :dohh:


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## aley28

My temperature has risen to the upper 96s, when its been the low 96s. TCOYF and the app I have for my phone (OvuView... awesome app!) say I should be ovulating between today and this weekend, but I'm not showing any signs of ovulation at all (at BEST, CM is somewhat creamy, but there's so little of it that its hard to tell!) and so I'm a bit confused on why my temp has gone up? My post-ovulation temps I got from last month were in the 97s, so :shrug: Maybe this has something to do with Parker waking up at 4 and then me temping at 6.

With no signs of ovulation at all yet, I'm a little sad that I thought I'd regulate so quickly when it now doesn't really seem like I will. :rofl:


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## Gunnhilde

Yeppers. If you are waking up at 4, you need to temp at 4, especially if you aren't going back to sleep for 4+ hours. One of my days I waited about 45 minutes and the temp shot up a full degree! If you put in the temperate at 4 am, the TCOYF thing will adjust it up to your expected 6 am reading. I'm been taking mine between 5:30 and 7:30 and they all get adjusted...

Or you could be coming down with something, maybe?

My CM was a nightmare last month. I had creamy from like CD 9 to CD 35, besides when I had EWCM. I had EWCM from day 13-16 and then days 29-31. I think I got my AF on day 44, so I suppose I ovulated at the second one. I wish I had been temping! 

This might be a silly suggestion with your OH, but what about taking a NFP class together? Usually the educator has practiced it or will bring in a couple that practices it successfully. :thumbup:


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## katerdid

Wow, wonky signs this cycle Aley! 

I never get more than 3 hours of sleep prior to temping...but I seem to have normal-ish temps? Even the days when my son wakes up to nurse an hour prior to me temping (I usually go back to sleep within the minute of him latching).


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## aley28

My temp dropped back down this morning? I was up at 3:15-3:30 to feed Parker, then temped at 6. :shrug:

When I take it early and have TCOYF adjust it for me, it always makes the temp go UP, which doesn't seem right, especially since it was already higher than was normal for the start of my cycle. Maybe I am coming down with something and just don't feel it :haha:

CD19 and not a sign of ovulation in sight... hum de dum.

I don't know if my DH would do a class together. We're just not talking about it for now as we have the temporary hold on sex going, I might approach him about it after I get fitted for the diaphragm. I think he'll feel better about it knowing that watching my fertility isn't the only method I'm using. :thumbup:

Does sleeping next to somebody change your temp? I'm wondering if the changes in my temp is due to the nights DH is working vs the nights that he's at home with me. The first time it shot up really high, I'd co-slept with Parker for a couple hours before temping, so I figured it was the co-sleeping combined. Then DH was home with me the next 2 nights. But he was home with me last night too and this mornings temp was back down.

:wacko: :haha: Guess there's not much I can do but ride it out and see what happens!


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## katerdid

Hmmm, I wish I had the answer! My DH works nights, but whenever he does sleep with us my temp hasn't differed and he is like a furnace. 
Maybe your body is trying to ovulate but doesn't have enough hormones to do it, that's why it keeps kicking your temp in hopes of getting in gear? 

I was crazy pms-y last night (crying over back orders and the fact I drank all my special tea lol). I told my hubby - just you watch, my temp is gonna shoot down and I'll start my period soon! Took my temp this morning and wouldn't you know it, 12 days after O, it went down and dear old Aunt Flo showed up! My body does work! :dance:

Is it just me, or is it just crazy ass cool how this all works? Everyone should know about it!!


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## aley28

I think you could be right... I'm trying to ovulate but can't. :shrug: Maybe Parker's sudden neediness at night and throughout the day has confused my body! :shrug: I had another temp spike this morning... and FINALLY some CM that is starting to look fertile! Not sure that I ov'd today, but maybe this cycle won't last forever after all. :haha:

I find it absolutely AMAZING that this stuff works! In sex ed in middle school -- they should be teaching us about our fertility, not just pounding "sex is bad!" into our heads and then saying that condoms are the only viable answer. :roll: I am not even kidding... if my next child is a girl, THIS is what I will be teaching her as she enters puberty. I wish I had been taught this after I started having periods, instead of getting unexpected periods every random 2-9 months! Had I known that my body was telling me all along what was happening in it, I would have known when to start sleeping on towels at night instead of waking up in a panic and trying to hide the evidence that my body was doing that nasty thing again :rofl:


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## Gunnhilde

My body is doing that gear up to ovulate and then nothing thing. Drives me nuts! It did it last cycle and now this cycle too. Granted I am under a lot of stress, but that never stopped it in the past from being regular. :shrug:

I hear all these horror stories from women in the UK about not being able to get fertility treatments if they already have a child, or are younger than 30, or haven't been TTC for a million years. Sounds awful and I'm hoping that my body returns to normal or that I actually am ovulating so I don't have to face stuff like that.

I would totally go for the diaphragm but I'm allergic to spermicide. :nope: At least with the numbing condoms DF can last as long as an American guy. :blush: I'm never giving that up! :happydance:

@Aley I just recently remembered that one of my pediatricians in my teen years actually did try and teach it to me. I had been feeling like absolute crap around the same time every month, when I ovulated apparently, and so they tried to get me to take my temperature every morning before getting out of bed to pin down why that was. I never made the leap in my brain between that and NFP, though! 

I want to teach all about fertility awareness and the body to my children, but I'm a little unsure about teenagers learning NFP. Yes, I know they can do it right, but it really is for committed couples in which there is some degree of trust. :shrug:

Speaking of unfortunate things, I always though creamy CM meant that I had an infection! :haha:


----------



## katerdid

They should definitely teach about CM to young girls though. When my body started producing enough to notice, I was very concerned, told my mom, who took me to the dr because she thought it was an infection! The dr had no clue what was going on either and just said I should wear panty liners 24/7 if it bothered me that much!! :shock:


----------



## aley28

The spermicide I've tried so far doesn't seem to agree with me either (VCF films)... but I'm hoping the foams work better, and I'll ask my doctor about other options. I've looked online and found some homemade options that I might turn to if need be, but I do want to make sure nothing else is working, first. Apparently fresh lemon juice + sperm = short spermy life :haha:

I agree - I'm not talking about teaching it to teenagers as a form of birth control really, but more so that they understand what is happening. I mean, it strikes me as sort of sad that I'm in my mid-twenties and only just now learning that "monthly cycle" actually includes more than the menstruating part. Though I am sort of inclined to steer them all away from hormonal birth control because of some of the long term effects I've been reading about it. I DO want grandkids one day!! :rofl:

I thought the EXACT same thing about the creamy CM in my underwear! The first time I saw it, I thought that's what our nurse met by "period" (because they never did actually say that you will bleed) in the fifth grade. But I was embarrassed so I didn't tell my mom. After I started getting my period a little while after that, I thought the CM meant that I had a serious infection. I was pretty sure I was broken :rofl: Only I never told anybody, because I was far too embarrassed!

Actually, up until... uhhh... just shortly AFTER getting pregnant with Parker, I thought the CM was a sign of something being wrong. Ahh... BnB... I've learned a lot here. :D


----------



## katerdid

Finished my first actual cycle PP! Is it weird to be so exited? Lol! 
My period was normal - not overly long, not overly heavy, not painful! Cool beans. 

Is it normal to not really have dry days tho? Seems like I've always got cm going on....

Hope the foams agree with you!


----------



## wellsk

Does anyone mind a late arrival??
I'm just about to start the FAM method! For the next couple of months it's for birth control then I will start TTC :happydance:


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## Gunnhilde

My chart is a mess! *sigh* Last cycle I had EWCM at around CD 14, CD 30, and CD 44. This cycle only at CD 22 so far. My cervix keeps going up and down..... :dohh: If this isn't stress.....


@Wellsk Welcome to the wonderful world of FAM. :thumbup:

@Katerdid I have a few kind of dry days (in which the CM evaporates), but the vaginal sensation is still lubricative, so TCOYF marks it as unsafe. I think the vast majority of my days this cycle are going on the 4 day count after peak day thing. I'm glad we aren't DTD otherwise I would be perplexed. 

@aley You'll have to keep us updated on those homemade options and the foam.


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## aley28

My chart is a mess too, Gunnhilde. :dohh: I'm finally seeing EWCM, but I'm getting negative OPKs, so I have no idea what is going on. :shrug:

wellsk -- woohoo! I hope FAM works out quickly for you to get your BFP! Do you have regular cycles already?

Kater - I have some sort of creamy discharge for most of my cycle too... I think I have one, maybe 2 days of dryness and then on to the white/lotiony stuff. I'm betting its normal! And yay for AF being over and for being very normal! That is exciting!! :happydance:

I'm getting fitted for my diaphragm tomorrow! :happydance: I don't know if I get the actual thing tomorrow or if I have to go back in, or how that works. :shrug: Hopefully it doesn't take long to get it... I'm dying for an entire session of sex. Withdrawal SUCKS :rofl:


----------



## wellsk

Thanks! :hugs:
I thought I had regular cycles. Before I went on the pill they happened on CD28 every time. Now I've been off the BCP it ranges between 25-31? :shrug :


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## katerdid

:hi: Hello Well! Lucky you getting to ttc soon, hope fam helps you bunches! (you were married the day before I did lol, neat!)

Jeez, Aley - your chart is crazy! I wonder what's going on?
And totally agree with the withdrawal comment - does suck! My hubby doesn't trust fam rules, so it's that and condoms for now. :dohh:
Let us know how the diaphram goes! 

I usually have sticky for most of my days it seems. Bluergh!


----------



## Gunnhilde

aley28 said:


> My chart is a mess too, Gunnhilde. :dohh: I'm finally seeing EWCM, but I'm getting negative OPKs, so I have no idea what is going on. :shrug:

Me and OPKs are hopeless and I would go through a ton with my weird cycles, so maybe I'll use them later on, but I'm not convinced they are overly helpful for TTA



> I'm getting fitted for my diaphragm tomorrow! :happydance: I don't know if I get the actual thing tomorrow or if I have to go back in, or how that works. :shrug: Hopefully it doesn't take long to get it... I'm dying for an entire session of sex. Withdrawal SUCKS :rofl:

I would love withdrawal. My XH almost exclusively practiced it for years without a single oops. We only did it when I thought I was ovulating (rather unscientifically). Not that DF would last long enough. He's up at 2-4 minutes which is not bad, but I think is largely due to the fact that we are long distance and I'm a little too *clears throat* tight for him. It takes some maneuvering. :blush: Maybe that will change in the future if I don't have a c-section next time. :blush:



wellsk said:


> Thanks! :hugs:
> I thought I had regular cycles. Before I went on the pill they happened on CD28 every time. Now I've been off the BCP it ranges between 25-31? :shrug :

It could be that or it could just be something natural. :shrug: I shouldn't speak, mine are in the 30-45 day range. This is going to be another long one, I'm at CD 24 and no O yet.

So, we wrote our marriage vows (or bindings) and snuck in some stuff about NFP (in polite language). _ "Will you embrace the natural order and never seek to impede or deny the marital union or the fruits of said union? "_
Poor DF, other guys have it so easy. :haha: He wants to give up condoms after that. :cry:


----------



## aley28

Blaahhh... so going by CM, it looks like I may have ovulated on the CD27 (June 30)... some dull cramping all day that day and the itsiest bitsiest spot of blood also makes all of that seem true.

So what did I do this morning? Forgot to take my temp. :dohh: I had to get up with Parker at 4:45 and I didn't look at the time first, or I'd have taken it before getting up. :dohh: So I'm a LITTLE annoyed about that :haha:

I'm not sure why my chart is all over the place... I'm guessing its something to do with still learning how to do it. :blush: So I'm glad I have CM to fall back on a bit. I went back through the whole month and had TCOYF adjust all my times that were off and that DID even it out a LITTLE bit, but there's still some major ups and down that I can't really account for. :shrug:

kater, my husband doesn't trust the rules either and he refuses to use condoms. Which is probably for the best... until I've done this for a while and can understand what I'm doing better, we probably shouldn't just trust FAM :haha: Not that I'd mind getting pregnant right now... but the timing really isn't ideal. :haha: I just don't think tandem nursing is for me, and I want Parker to be at least 18 months before I start thinking about weaning! :haha: (But if DH came to me and said he wanted another baby and was ready to start TTC right away, I would totally go with it. I hate it when my uterus and brain disagree :rofl:)

gunn, I'm just using the OPKs to try to help me learn when I ovulate until I get the hang of the rest of it. Plus its sort of satisfying my baby fever - a little - to pee on a stick :rofl:

wellsk, my periods did that after going off BCPs after my first baby... I think it was just an adjustment phase for me, as they eventually settled and were consistently 33-34 days long. :shrug:


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## wellsk

Ah I'm glad to see I'm not alone. Although everyone seems to get longer periods, whereas mine tend to be shorter, I've heard that if you have shorter luteal phases then you're at risk of miscarriages? 
I don't know how true that is?


----------



## aley28

I think with a short luteal phase, your body just doesn't give the baby a chance to implant before AF sweeps it away. Not sure on that, just the impression I got from the few threads I read about it in first tri last year. :shrug:

I got fitted for my diaphragm today! :happydance: I love my doctor, he's hilarious :rofl: Everybody else was trying to talk me out of it and double-triple checking if I was sure I didn't want a hormonal one... he comes in the room and says, "Diaphragm huh? They're cool!" :rofl: Okie dokie then.

The first size he tried out fit me perfectly. He put one in, had me take it out, then I put it back in myself and he checked it to make sure it was right. Diaphragms are apparently so rarely used anymore that the pharmacy I took my script to has to order one in for me! :saywhat: :haha: But they should have it in tomorrow. If they don't, I'm screwed until Thursday because they're closed for Independence Day! :dohh: So they better have it tomorrow afternoon! I'm planning on July 4th sex. :rofl:


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## wellsk

Thanks aley. After writing it on here and half heartedly remembering it. I searched for it on online. Apparently it is true :(
Hopefully using the FAM method will give me exactly when i ovulate as I normally just look for lots of EWCM.


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## katerdid

Yeah, normal luteal phases are 12-16 days in length which gives it enough time to implant properly, etc. 

Aley - sounds great! I really hope it gets to you soon lol. Gotta love holiday sex :haha:

So. Um...oopsie!!! We had sex early this morning/late late night and used a condom cuz I'm heading in my fertile zone, right? CD 11. So anyway, we got a bit *ahem* frisky, and when we were done, he came out, but the condom didn't!!!!!!!!! Had to fish it out and I have no clue if it was still on when the sperm went a'swimming. EEEEEEK! I'm desperately hoping my CM stays sticky/dry and not ewcm cuz the morning after pill is $50 and it's the end of the paycheck week :nope: I'm with you Aley - I do not want to tandem nurse...and I hear all sorts of milk issues spring up when you're preggo.


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## aley28

Wells, do you think you have a short luteal phase? I think there are supplements you can take to help lengthen it, but it would be worth probably asking a doctor about. Hopefully charting can help you determine this!! :thumbup:

Kater - Oh no! Maybe you're still at least a solid week out from O'ing?? Fingers crossed!
And I've heard the same thing - wacky milk production while pregnant and feeding 2 babies (that aren't twins) just sounds like a lot of demand on my body. :haha:


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## wellsk

Thanks aley! I will chart for a couple of months and see what happens :)
Then I start to notice that they are short, then I'll speak to my GP :)


----------



## aley28

I have my settings in TCOYF.com set to predict ovulation by CM only. Today I decided to see what it said if I put it to temperature only. :shock: It said I ov'd on CD12 and then predicted I was pregnant!! :rofl: So I set it to CM & temp and it put my O date right about where I think it was too, so that's better.

The "pregnant" on the calendar made me double check everything though. :haha: Sheesh. :rofl:


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## katerdid

Yikes that must of thrown you for a loop Aley, lol. You and your crazy cycle :haha: 

I tried playing around with my settings, but it never works out the way I think it will. Just look at my first cycle -- it says I was infertile even around the time I ov'd :haha: 

It's weird, the power was out on the 5th, so we had to sleep in 90+ degree weather and my son woke up a million times, yet my temp was still in the normal range! Didn't even go above the coverline :shrug:


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## aley28

:rofl: I almost ran right in and took an HPT just to be sure. I wish my temps were more stable this cycle... they're alll over the place! This morning it dipped back down under the coverline, and there's no way AF is just around the corner. I feel like I'm doing it wrong, but I don't know what I'd be doing wrong? I should have taken it again this morning after the first one was so low... :dohh:

That is crazy that your temp didn't jump with having to sleep in such hot weather! And OMG, I can't believe you had to sleep in that... just thinking about trying to fall asleep with it that hot makes me sorta woozy!:wacko:

I just want AF to show up already so that I can try again next month and maybe have a more stable chart. :rofl: About a week to go... :haha: (I hope)


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## aley28

OMG, I am out of control with PMS. I am just cranky and tired with no real reasons for it. :wacko: I never ever had PMS before Parker came along (that I can recall)... I don't like this at all!!! :haha: My poor husband...:haha::blush:


----------



## Gunnhilde

Does TCOYF wait to confirm O until you are back below the coverline? Or is it a certain number of days?

It looks like I've O'ed from my chart, right? 

Stupid wonky cycles....


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## aley28

Yeah, it waits 4 days (I believe) to confirm ovulation. And 4 'dry days' of CM after fertile CM will confirm ovulation too :thumbup: I think you can adjust how many days of above-coverline temperatures somewhere, though?

Looks like you've o'd to me!! :thumbup: You O'd on the same CD as I did this cycle, I think -- CD29! :haha: I am not a fan of long, drawn out cycles..... :wacko:


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## aley28

My temp jumped again... :shrug:

I'm starting to feel nervous that AF isn't going to show up, ever. :dohh: I've been freezing cold the past few nights despite the house being at the same temperature as always and that was the biggest symptom I had with Parker and is what led me to testing (after Googling the crap out of it and making sure it wasn't a PMS symptom... its not a PMS symptom... being unusually cold is a pregnancy symptom. :dohh:)

So if I ov'd when I think I did (June 30), AF should be here Sat.
Or on Sunday if I ov'd when TCOYF thinks I did
OR on Tuesday if I ov'd when OvuView (phone app) thinks I did.

:wacko:

I'm taking an HPT if I don't have AF on Sat though :rofl: Should be enough DPO for a :bfp: to show up on a FRER, even if I didn't ov until the 3rd. Right? :wacko:


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## wellsk

Yeah, I would say that you've probably got enough DPOs by saturday in order to get a accurate response, particularly from a FRER. :thumbup:

I've just updated all my TCOYF stuff, so it's all online, as normally it's all written down on paper. The website was really annoying me though :haha: I have posted my chart in my sig. I think my temps are really up and down, I don't know if that's normal or if it's just me doing it wrong or something?


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## aley28

I lied... AF shouldn't be here until Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. :haha:

Considering I was basically dry with CM on July 3, I don't think that's the day I ov'd.

I'm going to test tomorrow morning... should be 11 or 12 DPO, so should be an accurate result.


wellsk, my temps are really up and down too. I don't know if its normal or if I'm doing something wrong. Are you taking it the same way every morning? I've even been laying in the same position every time now for the past several days and its been more stable. I actually put the thermometer in my mouth and then hold my lips shut with my other hand, 'cause when I'm only partially awake like that, apparently my jaw goes slack very easily. :rofl:

Are you having TCOYF adjust any temps that you may have taken outside of the normal time? I went all the way back through June and did that and it evened out my chart quite a lot, though its still pretty hectic. :blush:


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## wellsk

aley28 said:


> I lied... AF shouldn't be here until Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. :haha:
> 
> Considering I was basically dry with CM on July 3, I don't think that's the day I ov'd.
> 
> I'm going to test tomorrow morning... should be 11 or 12 DPO, so should be an accurate result.
> 
> 
> wellsk, my temps are really up and down too. I don't know if its normal or if I'm doing something wrong. Are you taking it the same way every morning? I've even been laying in the same position every time now for the past several days and its been more stable. I actually put the thermometer in my mouth and then hold my lips shut with my other hand, 'cause when I'm only partially awake like that, apparently my jaw goes slack very easily. :rofl:
> 
> Are you having TCOYF adjust any temps that you may have taken outside of the normal time? I went all the way back through June and did that and it evened out my chart quite a lot, though its still pretty hectic. :blush:

What a sight you must be in the morning!? :haha:
I don't know, I haven't stayed in the same position, I always close my mouth and hold the thermometer with my other hand to make sure it doesn't fall out.
Yeah I've been adjusting the times, I'm not very good at waking up on time :blush:


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## aley28

LOL yeah... I bet anybody looking at me would just die laughing. :rofl:

I try to make sure the thermometer is in the same place under my tongue too. Other than that, I guess its just a learning curve? I want one of those nice charts that are nice and even with an obvious spike :rofl:

HPT came back negative this morning! Relief! ...and disappointment?!? :shrug: :blush: So c'mooonnn AF! Lets end this PMS already


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## katerdid

I move all over the place in the morning lol. I usually roll over and stick a boob in my DS's face and temp at the same time :haha: Multitasking!!! 
I bite the thermometer and hold it with one hand, lol. 

I had a few oopsie's this cycle. I really hope I get a :witch: visiting on the 20th!! I think I should be ok, as the first mistake was 5 days pre OV and the second mistake was 2 days after OV and the third was 4 days after OV :blush: I really need to be more careful!!!


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## wellsk

Kate, just had a nose through your journals! :) You got married the day after me! I was young too, at 19!


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## Gunnhilde

I think perfect charts are reserved for perfect women with lunar cycles and who wake up at exactly 5:00:00 every morning. Well, that isn't me and my chart is "special" and a unique snowflake. :haha:

@uh-oh Katerdid, hopefully you missed the egg!


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## wellsk

Gunnhilde said:


> I think perfect charts are reserved for perfect women with lunar cycles and who wake up at exactly 5:00:00 every morning. Well, that isn't me and my chart is "special" and a unique snowflake. :haha:
> 
> @uh-oh Katerdid, hopefully you missed the egg!

:rofl:

I guess I should wake up at 5.30am every morning, as that's when DH goes to work, but normally I'm too comatose to even notice he's leaving. Let alone do anything!!


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## katerdid

wellsk said:


> Kate, just had a nose through your journals! :) You got married the day after me! I was young too, at 19!

Nose away lol :flower: Happy 2 year Anniversary then (only 25 days late haha). 


Gunnhilde said:


> I think perfect charts are reserved for perfect women with lunar cycles and who wake up at exactly 5:00:00 every morning. Well, that isn't me and my chart is "special" and a unique snowflake. :haha:
> 
> @uh-oh Katerdid, hopefully you missed the egg!

I think so too!! And they are prolly the ones with the husbands who stick the thermometer in their mouths and record it for them :haha:

I really really really hope I missed the egg too! The 2nd mistake was a pull out, but it wasn't a true withdrawl, iykwim :wacko:


----------



## aley28

We had an oopsie 3-4 days before ov, and it was pullout, but I don't know how well he pulled out, which is why I was getting worried. :rofl:

LOL, Gun, you're probably right ... I guess I'll have to settle for less than perfect. :rofl: I guess all that matters is that its not so up and down that you can't identify ovulation!


----------



## katerdid

How soon can you test? Am I right that it's like 8dpo? Debating whether or not to poas tomorrow with all my oopsies.


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## Gunnhilde

katerdid said:


> How soon can you test? Am I right that it's like 8dpo? Debating whether or not to poas tomorrow with all my oopsies.

You could test at 8 DPO, but I think it is usually best to wait until 10 DPO to start doing it. When I test early, I tend to get line eye because the lines are supposed to be so faint anyway.

You can see these: https://www.countdowntopregnancy.com/pregnancy-test/

and pick and brand and see the positives by DPO.


----------



## sausages

Hi girls! I am charting and tta at the moment too. Dh is pulling out every time though so I guess it's more like charting for me rather than true tta at the moment. However, come next month I really can't get pregnant accidentally due to something I'm committed to through til February so I'll be charting properly and prob using condoms when I'm fertile. 

I'm Sarah and I'm 31. We have two kiddos dd is 3.5 years and ds is 21 months. :)


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## wellsk

Hi Sausages :hugs:

I was wondering if any of you girls would know what was going on...
I've been having normal lotion/milky CM, and today is now CD16 and I'm dry. I've had no EWCM and no obvious ovulation yet? 
I normally get O around CD15, and have days of tonnes of EWCM beforehand. At the moment I've been having shorter cycles (between 25 and 27 days). So does this mean I'm not gonna ovulate this month?


----------



## sausages

wellsk said:


> Hi Sausages :hugs:
> 
> I was wondering if any of you girls would know what was going on...
> I've been having normal lotion/milky CM, and today is now CD16 and I'm dry. I've had no EWCM and no obvious ovulation yet?
> I normally get O around CD15, and have days of tonnes of EWCM beforehand. At the moment I've been having shorter cycles (between 25 and 27 days). So does this mean I'm not gonna ovulate this month?

Hullo! :) Could be delayed a little. Have you had any stress lately? Could also be a random annovulatory cycle or maybe your EWCM isn't as abundant this cycle for some reason. Did i read somewhere that certain types of meds dry up cm? Are you on anything at the moment? Do you check internally? Maybe have a feel up inside and see if you can see anything more fertile up there?


----------



## aley28

wellsk, I didn't see a single sign of ovulation this cycle until CD29, whereas last month I ovulated on CD19. Could just be a long random cycle. I agree with sausages... try checking internally.

I'm having my own problem here... I'm on CD45 (seriously?!???) and so far, yesterday, I had about 2 spots of blood. I've been expecting AF since SUNDAY and now it is WEDNESDAY. I've had two negative HPTS, one on Friday and another one yesterday. TCOYF says I was due to start Monday, so that means I'm 16DPO now and I should definitely be seeing SOMETHING.

My temp is all over the place. It dipped back down to the 96s the other day and then yesterday was back up to 97.4 and this morning is at 97.6.

Longest. Stupidest. Cycle. EVER. I just want it to end already. The PMS has been horrendous, now I'm bloating and getting irritated because I feel like my body is failing me at working correctly. I can't believe this cycle has gone on this long! I was half hoping yesterday my HPT would say I was pregnant, because at least that would explain what is happening to me. :roll: Frustrating.


----------



## wellsk

sausages said:


> wellsk said:
> 
> 
> Hi Sausages :hugs:
> 
> I was wondering if any of you girls would know what was going on...
> I've been having normal lotion/milky CM, and today is now CD16 and I'm dry. I've had no EWCM and no obvious ovulation yet?
> I normally get O around CD15, and have days of tonnes of EWCM beforehand. At the moment I've been having shorter cycles (between 25 and 27 days). So does this mean I'm not gonna ovulate this month?
> 
> Hullo! :) Could be delayed a little. Have you had any stress lately? Could also be a random annovulatory cycle or maybe your EWCM isn't as abundant this cycle for some reason. Did i read somewhere that certain types of meds dry up cm? Are you on anything at the moment? Do you check internally? Maybe have a feel up inside and see if you can see anything more fertile up there?Click to expand...

Thanks Sausages, I think I've finally started to become fertile. I've got lots of EWCM and O Pain :happydance: have to wait and see now if I get the increase in temp tomorrow. I wasn't on anything, or particularly worried, don't know what happened really :shrug:



aley28 said:


> wellsk, I didn't see a single sign of ovulation this cycle until CD29, whereas last month I ovulated on CD19. Could just be a long random cycle. I agree with sausages... try checking internally.
> 
> I'm having my own problem here... I'm on CD45 (seriously?!???) and so far, yesterday, I had about 2 spots of blood. I've been expecting AF since SUNDAY and now it is WEDNESDAY. I've had two negative HPTS, one on Friday and another one yesterday. TCOYF says I was due to start Monday, so that means I'm 16DPO now and I should definitely be seeing SOMETHING.
> 
> My temp is all over the place. It dipped back down to the 96s the other day and then yesterday was back up to 97.4 and this morning is at 97.6.
> 
> Longest. Stupidest. Cycle. EVER. I just want it to end already. The PMS has been horrendous, now I'm bloating and getting irritated because I feel like my body is failing me at working correctly. I can't believe this cycle has gone on this long! I was half hoping yesterday my HPT would say I was pregnant, because at least that would explain what is happening to me. :roll: Frustrating.

I don't really have any advice, just wanted to offer hugs! :hugs:
I know how frustrating it can be when you wonder what on earth is going on!


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## aley28

A bit more spotting this morning, and some slight cramping to go with it. Never in my life did I think I'd be so relieved to be cramping :rofl: Hooooping that this is it and AF is here by tonight. I need to put this cycle from Hell behind me :rofl: Maybe my next chart will make more sense. :haha:


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## aley28

Still no AF... :shrug: Just light spotting. Is there a reason this is happening?! What delays AF after you've ovulated if you aren't pregnant?!? 17DPO at this point.


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## sleepinbeauty

Cool! I use fertilityfriend. Here's my chart: 
https://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/6319b/thumb.png
My Ovulation Chart


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## katerdid

Wow, aley - how bizzare?! I hope a true af shows up soon. I don't know what delays it after ov other than pregnancy. Cuz it's normally a set amount of dpo that a lady has - doesn't usually change. Maybe you didn't really ov? I have no idea. 

Well, I got my :witch: today. 11dpo which is annoying. I hope my luteal phase doesn't get any shorter!!! Last time it was 12dpo, which is on the short end of normal, right?


----------



## aley28

AF FINALLY showed up. Very light still, but light is better than nothing!! :haha: So relieved!

I am confused, because last cycle my LP was 14 days and now this time it was 17. I didn't think it fluctuated like that either, so I don't know what was going on. I don't know how long my LP was before Parker... maybe it was a long one back then too? :shrug:

kater, annoying that your LP was only 11 days! But good thing none of the oopsies turned into anything! :haha: I would gladly give you a couple of my LP days if I could... I LIKE the 14 day LP. So easy to remember... :haha: Though maybe your's is related to breastfeeding... I've read that the luteal phase can be shorter while your breastfeeding, sort of as another way for your body to prevent a pregnancy despite it ovulating. :shrug: I *believe* the average is 12-16 days, though I guess they can be up to 18 days?! (honestly, if I hadn't gotten AF by tomorrow, I was going to call my OB and request a blood pregnancy test! :haha:)

:howdy: sleepinbeauty! How long have you been charting? :flower:


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## sausages

wellsk, glad things have started to become clearer now! Looks like you've not entered any data for a few days - do you think you o'ed yet?

aley28, huzzah for the witch! No idea why you had such a long LP. It's not as if it was a pregnancy that was lost early on, cause you tested negative! Maybe your LP is arounf 15 or 16 days. I know it can vary a day or two either way. Perhaps that combined with maybe an unclear O date? 

sleepinbeauty, hullo! :)

katerdid, i used to have a really short LP - about 11 days - before i had my kids. Then while i was still BFing DD getting ready to TTC our son i noticed my LP was only 9 days!!! It's definitely a BFing thing. We stopped BFing at 12 months so that we could concieve DS and we got pregnant the first cycle, so i am guessing my LP went right back to normal. Longer is obviously better, but i have concieved 4 times with a shorter length LP, so it's possible.

No witch for me yet. I've been cramping for days, but so far nada. Tested neg this morning though so i'm not worried. Next month should be better cause with temping i'll have a better idea of when i'm due.


----------



## wellsk

Hi Sausages, I've updated it now :thumbup: 
I think I O'ed on the 18th/19th and now I'm 1/2DPO... Just gonna wait and see what happens with the temps and charting.


----------



## katerdid

Ah, that makes sense that BF would affect it! Thanks, I was a bit worried! But it's nice I suppose - helps with all the oopsies I've been having haha!


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## aley28

Thanks sausages... I'm thinking its quite likely that my O date was off last cycle, as I wasn't temping and was just guessing based on the EWCM, which happened to occur the same day that I decided to go with FAM :haha: So its quite likely that last cycle my counting was off, combined with the crazy ups and downs from this most recent cycle making it hard to pinpoint O. So hopefully this new cycle goes better!!


----------



## sausages

My period has been really weird this time! Day 3 and no medium or heavy flow, just light every day. Since i had DS my periods have gotten lighter but longer, but this is the lightest yet! I took a HPT today cause it made me wonder and it was neg. It's just strange!


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## aley28

I'm seriously of the opinion that periods should only be 2 days long and a light flow is seriously heavy enough. :haha:

Mine got heavy for one day and then backed off back down to a light flow. Last one was heavy almost all the way through. :shrug: I guess my body is still trying to remember how all this works!


----------



## Gunnhilde

sausages said:


> My period has been really weird this time! Day 3 and no medium or heavy flow, just light every day. Since i had DS my periods have gotten lighter but longer, but this is the lightest yet! I took a HPT today cause it made me wonder and it was neg. It's just strange!

Lucky you! Since DD I bleed like a stuck pig every time AF comes around. Seriously, it can be like a bloodbath the first day or two. :devil: I wish that would end because it sucks. Then, of course, my mother has to rub it in with the whole "my periods were always only 3 days and so light I could just use toilet paper instead of a tampon." Great, just great. I'd be lucky if I didn't bleed through a ultra tampon in an hour sometimes. :nope:


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## wellsk

Gunnhilde, I'm exactly the same as you. I get the worst pain ever the first 3 days, and have to change a towel every 30 minutes! Don't tend to wear tampons on the first few days as it's too much hard work! :haha:
After that it lightens up for the next 4 days, but it still suck bad! I was on cerazette for a year and didn't have a single period, god I miss those days!!!


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## wellsk

How's everyone getting on? :hugs:

Good news from me... the chart believes I O'd on CD20, although I think it might have been the day before? And at the moment I'm on CD31, which is longer than usual for me... but I'm not going to complain since it means that my luteal phase would have been a reasonable time to hopefully sustain a pregnancy :happydance:


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## sausages

Huzzah for eggies! :) Good news about the LP too. I was just about to ask when you're starting to try and then i saw your ticker. :lol: Not long now!!!!

I am gearing up to O, so needing to be really cautious with DH. It's hard when you _want _a baby you just know it's not the right time isn't it?


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## wellsk

Thanks sweet :hugs:

I know exactly what you mean, particularly when you use FAM. You've got the option to just go 'F**k it, let's go for it!', rather than like on the depo shot or the pill, it makes it much harder to just throw the rule book out the window!

I knew that this month, and next month. Are really crucial for me, I know some on here who have decided to TTC next month, even though they were waiting to try till September, I'm just like 'that's not fair, I _HAVE_ to wait!'. Although I should probably stop whinging. A lot of others have got so much longer!

When are you going to be TTC sausages?


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## sausages

That's exactly it! It would be so easy to just forget about waiting and try anyway, because you know there's a change you could be pregnant like *now *if you both wanted. 

What's the reason you need to wait until September? Sorry if i'm being nosy!

We will hopefully be trying around Feb next year. That's if DH decides for sure. He's still not certain he wants another, so i am just being patient with him. I think he is definitely more yes than no though. He has mentioned certain "terms" and things that are bothering him that we would need to work out, like he hates me charting when we're TTC and doesn't want me to breastfeed past 12 months. :lol:


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## wellsk

No, it's fine :)
I'm waiting to try till September because I'm a University Student, just about to start my 3rd and final year. I need to wait till then because my Due Date will be after my dissertation and exams.
I should really wait longer, and the longer I don't get my BFP the better for my university, but the worse for my state of mind. :wacko:

How come he hates the Charting and Breastfeeding past 12 months? Men have some odd terms! :haha:

Hopefully he sticks to those dates, and it won't be too long till you get to try :)


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## aley28

Doing FAM is actually painful for me right now. My husband is so strongly against a third baby that I am fighting against myself to just "accidentally" get pregnant just to say "f**k you!" ... I avoid talking about babies around him completely, because he ALWAYS says, "We're never ever having another baby!!" and it makes my heart hurt to hear that.

I was actually just thinking that it sucks that my only chance at a third baby is for it to happen on accident. :( I feel like I have no control over how many kids I have, just because this wasn't supposed to be an issue. I thought I had come to terms with 'just 2' kids... and then I gave birth to Parker and its just not OK.

So knowing WHEN I'm fertile and seeing how long my LP is, and even being the one who is in control of contraception (diaphragm)... HARD HARD HARD. Its taking a lot of self control, for sure! Last month I was OK with just 2, this week I'm not. Such a roller coaster!

Anyway... nothing too exciting happening here. If my cycle isn't six years long this time, I should be ovulating in about a week... but I'm not expecting anything at all, considering the 44 day cycle I just got done with! :haha: I'm also really thinking about tracking saliva ferning, because the spermicide obscures CM for an entire 24 hours, and if we ever get back to having a regular sex life, I am just going to have a CM chart filled with question marks! LOL but that's just more for me to do, too, and I don't want to overwhelm myself. :shrug: So I don't know yet. :shrug:


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## wellsk

I think it's kinda mean in a way, for him to make you responsible for all of the contraception. Knowing how badly you want children. Whereas he controls the idea of not having children or not, and yet gets away without the responsiblity, IYKWIM?

(I don't mean to offend in any way with my post, if I haven't gotten quite the right end of the stick!)


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## Gunnhilde

:hugs: Aley, that has got to be rough! I think I would be heartbroken and devastated if that happened to me. I'm not sure what I would do. Sometimes I think about what would happen if we were unable to have more due to a medical condition and I seriously cry. I'm not sure what we are going to do when we get to #5 (if we get there). I'm sure I'll want more and I'm pretty sure he won't.

This might be a silly question, but why doesn't he want more?


My last cycle was only 40 days and I am hoping this one will be even shorter, now that I'm only 12 pounds overweight. :kiss:


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## wellsk

Well done with your weightloss Gunnhilde! Sounds like you're doing an awesome job :thumbup:


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## younglove

Hi all! I just wanted to introduce myself :wave:

DH and I have been together for 7 1/2 years and married for 1. We're both 24. We're currently WTT, with a start date as early as 5 months from now, but hopefully at least within 1 year! 

After 7 years of using BC I ended my last pack this month!!! :happydance: I just started tracking ovulation through periods, CM and other signs. I'm considering also temping and using OPKs. We're using condoms right now until I learn how to predict ovulation.

BnB has definitely made learning about this whole NFP thing a lot easier!


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## mara16jade

I'm WTT and charting too. I have a few reasons - primarily I'm worried about luteal phase defect since I have short cycles (average 25 days, sometimes as short as 21 days). I'm hoping to calm my fears by finding out that I just ovulate earlier and don't have LP defect. I just started, and by the way my chart looks, I must have started charting the day or two before I ovulated. Bad timing...

Either way, I'm charting to gain some knowledge of my own cycle and hopefully have a good handle on this whole thing by the time we're ready to TTC (hopefully next year). :)


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## aley28

wellsk said:


> I think it's kinda mean in a way, for him to make you responsible for all of the contraception. Knowing how badly you want children. Whereas he controls the idea of not having children or not, and yet gets away without the responsiblity, IYKWIM?
> 
> (I don't mean to offend in any way with my post, if I haven't gotten quite the right end of the stick!)

I don't think he really "gets it", how badly I want one more. I've tried explaining, but every time I try to talk about it, I hit a wall with him and basically all I can get out is tears. :wacko: He just doesn't understand the NEED. And I just want one more... its not like I'm planning on popping out another ten kids. Just one!

I'm in charge of the contraception because his solution was a vasectomy. I had to fight HARD to get him to not get one, and his compromise was that I go on birth control. The mini pill was not very agreeable with me, I refuse to stick anything in my uterus and I hear horrible thing about DEPO. I'm breastfeeding, so thats pretty much the options! Neither of us really like condoms, so that pretty much left us with abstinence or a diaphragm. And he trusts me, even though I honestly don't know that I trust myself. The mere fact that he trusts me to be in charge of the contraception is what convinces me that he doesn't really understand how much I want one more baby. If he understood, he would insist that he watches me put it in, or would check for it every time before sex. As it is, he thinks merely putting the kabosh on my "baby problem" is going to fix my hormonal need for it. :roll:



Gunnhilde said:


> :hugs: Aley, that has got to be rough! I think I would be heartbroken and devastated if that happened to me. I'm not sure what I would do. Sometimes I think about what would happen if we were unable to have more due to a medical condition and I seriously cry. I'm not sure what we are going to do when we get to #5 (if we get there). I'm sure I'll want more and I'm pretty sure he won't.
> 
> This might be a silly question, but why doesn't he want more?
> 
> 
> My last cycle was only 40 days and I am hoping this one will be even shorter, now that I'm only 12 pounds overweight. :kiss:

Definitely heartbroken. And sometimes he says things that give me a ray of hope that maybe he'll come around, and then the next day he'll go on and on about how he doesn't want anymore and its like being smashed all over again. Sigh. Honestly... I just feel resentful towards him and I worry a lot that our marriage won't make it through this. I don't see the desire for a third EVER going truly away :shrug:

Honestly... I think I could cope better if one of us lost our fertility due to a sickness. You know, if he gets testicular cancer and has to get his boys removed, at least then I can't question his reasoning. As it is, both of us are rationalizing our side of the debate and neither of us is right and neither of us is wrong.

His reasons for not wanting another vary from "because he's too old (he'll be 33 in a couple weeks)", to "because we can't afford it" (...I COULD go back to work), to "he doesn't want to have to deal with kids for the rest of his life" (if we got pregnant right now, it would make a difference of 1-2 years, and what is that in the long run? Besides, its not like you stop being a parent when they move out anyway), "he doesn't want to risk having a girl" (that's news to me, because he was SUPER disappointed when we learned that Parker was another boy!)... etc, etc etc. His reasons sound legitimate, but they're just rationalizations because every time the topic comes up, its a different one and he almost never uses the same one twice. So he either has a million reasons for why he doesn't want another kid or he just plain doesn't want one, in the same exact way that I just REALLY DO want one. I can't explain why I do, I just do.

Right now I'm just thankful that diaphragms aren't 100% successful and that he doesn't want to incorporate any of the fertility awareness into our bedroom life. Haha... I still have a tiny, itsy bitsy chance at having an unplanned pregnancy, and I am going to cling to that hope!



...sorry for going on. :blush: We just watched an American Dad last night where Francine wanted a baby and Stan got a secret vasectomy, so its been on my mind all freaking day. :dohh:


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## sleepinbeauty

Looks like I O'd a few days ago! How exciting to know that the pill is out of my system!


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## sausages

*wellsk*, ahh, i understand now why you have to wait. Very sensible and kudos to you for putting your education first. You can always have a baby later, but you would find it a hell of a lot harder to get back into education with an LO. :) Not impossible, but definitely harder!

He dislikes charting because he thinks it takes all the fun out of trying. All he wants is for us to have lots of sex over a few months and then one day i go, "Dear Husband, i do believe i am several weeks late for my period." :lol: :lol: I think i would be okay with NTNP if that's what he really wanted. I just don't understand why it bugs him so much. I have been charting for so long now i am really in tune with my body and i know exactly when i am ovulating anyway!! 

Breastfeeding is a harder one to cave on. With my DD i wanted to get to 6 months and by the time i got there it was so easy and enjoyable i felt no need to switch and start fannying about with bottles, so i carried on to 12 months. Then with my son i wanted to go as long as he and i felt happy, but DH really, REALLY, *REALLY *hated the fact that i fed him past 12 months. We got to 16 months in the end, but i had to stop because of pressure from DH. It damaged our relationship a lot as i blamed him for ruining how i felt about the last part of my breastfeeding relationship with my son, because each time i fed him all i could feel was guilt because DH hated it and pressure to stop, rather than just enjoying the time we had left. 

*aley28*, oh hun, i really feel for you! My DH sometimes throws a "Not sure if we should have another one anyway" at me too and it feels awful, so knowing that he feels so definite must be really hard! I get scared too, because we are only using pull out at the moment. I keep telling him that if i get pregnant it is not my fault and i would never do that on purpose just because i want another more than he does. I just know that's what he would think though. He even jokingly said that he's sure i hold onto him tighter when i'm fertile so that he can't pull out as quick!!! 

Your LO is still not even a year old though, so he might change his mind. Working on my DH has been a slow process. :lol: Before DS turned 1 year he was a definite no too. Now he's 21 months and he is only just thinking about possibly turning the corner from "an oops would make me happy" into "yes, lets try for another" and he still keeps flip flopping back and forth!

*Gunnhilde*, really well done on your weight loss!! I hope i can take inspiration from you to shift mine! :)

*younglove*, helloooo and welcome! :) 

*mara16jade*, hello to you as well! :) It does look like you JUST missed ovulation with your temps. You're already on about 9-10DPO though i reckon and my LP used to only be 11/12 days long and i got pregnant 4 times with that, so it's fine. 

Actually the main reason i am charting now is curiosity about my LP. I used to have 35+ day cycles, but since having DS they have randomly shortened to 27-29 days and i think my LP has got a couple of days longer. Odd, i know. But that's why i started to temp. 

*sleepinbeauty*, huzzah for O! It's always a bit of a relief isn't it when you can see that things are working as they should. :)


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## aley28

Thanks Sausages :hugs:

Parker is still very young, and I think that's what makes this so hard. I'm not in any way ready for another baby, but every time the subject comes up and he's so against a third, I feel desperate for a baby because getting a third when I'm not quite ready is better than not getting a third at all!

It is VERY encouraging to read that your husband has gone from a 'definite no' at this stage to a maybe later on down the line, closer to when I would probably be far more ready to TTC. :) Hopefully mine does the same thing... if I could just get him to agree to NTNP, I'd be happy!!


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## wellsk

:hugs: hugs to both aley and sausages!

Sausages, thanks. It's really difficult to wait, and to be honest. I probably should've waited longer! We need to buy a new car before having a LO, and I'm hoping that it shouldn't be a problem to do both. But it does worry me a lot!
I'm thinking I will probably go back to education at some point. I've seen this awesome course to become a therapist for the NHS. Which means I'll need to work for 2 years to get experience first. But the good news is that the course is funded by the NHS, do I won't have to think about raising money to pay for the course. 

I can understand your husband wanting little to do with things. But it just seems so crazy, and a little mean! Particularly the breast feeding thing; you were doing the best you could for yours and his baby. Why should you stop?! 
:shrug:


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## sausages

Well tonight i told him that i'd give him 14 months on the breastfeeding and i would not chart while trying and he said he'd take it. But then immediately said "wait, but we're not having another!" So i asked him if he was serious about that, because it needs to be right and he said that if it was up to him he would stick with two, but he knows i want one so he will do it because he loves me. He didn't say it begrudgingly, he said it in a lovely way. But now i am wondering if i am wrong to make this decision all on my own, which is in essence now what i'm doing. It's all on me whether we have one more, and if i decide yes then is it wrong when he's said he would rather not????


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## wellsk

Hmm, that is a difficult one Sausages. You probably need to have a sit down and have a more serious talk over why you would like another and why he wouldn't. So maybe you can understand each other and come to a level to where you're happy with it :shrug:

I have a quick question for you... at the moment I'm on CD32, which is like a mega long cycle (the longest in fact!) for me. Today I think I've had a bit of a spike on what would be 12DPO, I just wanted to ask if that's normal? Thanks all :hugs:


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## OmiOmen

Can I join in? I am very, very new to it all. Last month we stopped using condoms and only DTD when it was obviously the beginning and end of my cycle without tracking it. I have now started tracking using the primary things and specific, I am not doing cervix position yet. Because I am new to it I am going to have to put a decent buffer time in around ovulation I guess. 

It looks like my ovulation this month is due around the 10th and that makes is a little irritating to know I need to avoid it when I am feeling broody.


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## younglove

Hey all :wave:

Quick question about CM... Is it normal to have creamy CM after ovulation? I think I'm 8 DPO.

I noticed the amount of CM has decreased since when I think O occured and has changed from runny to creamy. 

I guess some people always have some degree of CM, correct? Is it normal to have CM for most of one's cycle? 

Thanks :flower: 

(and sorry if that was TMI!!)


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## wellsk

Hi younglove, yes it is normal to get CM through most of your cycle. Although I think it depends mostly on your individual cycle on what you get. But I often get creamy CM after O :thumbup:


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## Gunnhilde

younglove said:


> Hey all :wave:
> 
> Quick question about CM... Is it normal to have creamy CM after ovulation? I think I'm 8 DPO.
> 
> I noticed the amount of CM has decreased since when I think O occured and has changed from runny to creamy.
> 
> I guess some people always have some degree of CM, correct? Is it normal to have CM for most of one's cycle?
> 
> Thanks :flower:
> 
> (and sorry if that was TMI!!)

My standard non-fertile state is creamy CM. Yes, it is completely normal to have CM that changes throughout the cycle. It is based on your hormones, not always necessarily your fertility. I actually get EWCM before my period too because of the estrogen surge. :shrug:


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## younglove

Oh also, I just started tracking my cycle after ending BC (after 7 years!). It looks like our condom leaked on the very day fertilityfriend predicts I may have O'd. I input the data after bd'ing so I had NO idea ahead of time. 

Woops! hehehe!!!


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## wellsk

Oh dear! :wacko: Are you taking other precautions or would you be happy with a BFP?


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## younglove

Thank you wellsk and Gunnhilde for the response! :)

I never knew CM could be so interesting! lol


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## younglove

wellsk said:


> Oh dear! :wacko: Are you taking other precautions or would you be happy with a BFP?

It wouldn't really be a problem if we had an accident. I've been taking sufficient vitamins for at least 6 months. We're actually in a pretty good position (emotionally, financially and job-wise), I just had some personal goals that I wanted to accomplish first. I tend to worry a bit too much, but realistically we're ready for a baby... I just need accomplish a few things so that I "feel" prepared. :thumbup: 

I'm thinking it's still a bit of a long shot but we shall see! :baby:


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## aley28

sausages - If he's leaving the decision up to you and doesn't sound angry or anything about it, and it is what you really want... I would go for it. Sounds to me like he's totally happy as things currently are, but adding another doesn't sound like it would make him UNhappy. :shrug: :flower:

younglove - I get creamy CM for most of my cycle. I get a day or two of dry after AF ends, and then creamy in varying amounts until EWCM arrives, then back to creamy until AF is almost due, then another bit of EWCM. :thumbup: 

OmiOmen - I'm checking my cervix daily, but I have no idea what it means. I'm just doing it to become familiarized with it for now, I'll learn to interpret it later :haha: It seems like a lot to learn all at once, but it's all started to make sense to me pretty quickly. :flower:


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## sarahfh

Hi thought I would wander onto here as the big bad charters gang is mostly redundant now, everyone moved over to TTC or 1st tri!

I have a CM question that is puzzling and something new. So Monday I had some clear EWCM and I've had a couple of higher temps, but nothing for me to believe I have actually ovulated when FF says, but last night and today I have had very confusing CM. it has been globs of stretchy CM but totally white and everything else creamy that has been there. Just the odd blob that looks more like snot (sorry!) Also that has only been internally, not had anything in my underwear at all. Any insight? Is it EWCM or is my body just confused?

Not much has changed apart from exercising last night but I don't think that could cause it


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## Gunnhilde

@Sarah - if it looks like a blob of snot or not like your typical EWCM, then it probably isn't EWCM.

The snot looking one I'd mark down on my TCOYF thing as sticky (tacky, crumbly, gummy) and the milky/creamy stuff would go under creamy (lotiony, cloudy, milky). You usually record the most fertile - so creamy. My creamy CM is always a little stretchy. Although, you probably know your body best. :flower:


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## sarahfh

My most fertile is very watery with tiny amounts of very clear EWCM usually, so this just confused me. Just as I got used to my pattern my body changed lol! It was more stringy than stretchy really


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## Gunnhilde

Uggghhh! I can't figure my body out either. I got a positive OPK yesterday (or so I think - it was as dark as the control line) and today a negative. I had a temp dip and spike and EWCM today (but not in the last 2 days)....but it is CD 16 and last cycle I didn't O until CD 29?!?!? I'm going to wait a few days and see if the temps confirm ovulation, but isn't that a little bizarre?

Maybe I'm going back to 30 day cycles...?? :happydance: Or maybe my body is playing a cruel cruel trick on me. :nope:


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## puppymom

sarah, I haven't moved over from the charters gang yet!! Anyhow, I would say that what you saw was probably EWCM that didn't come out right away (as it doesn't have to appear on your underwear to consider it fertile), so by the time you saw it, it might have thickened up and/or mixed a bit with your creamy CM. That's my guess, especially if you just ovulated a couple of days ago. I have seen the same thing before.


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## seaweed eater

Ladies, I'm sorry to crash your thread but I just wanted to say BRAVO for starting charting while WTT. Having several months of charting under my belt when we started TTC helped me so much. It was really valuable to have the time to get to know my body and my cycles without the crazy-making time pressure of TTC. When I see posts about charting in the TTC boards I often wish I could advise people to go back in time and get charting experience before they started trying!

Ok, I'm done now, as you were. Just really happy to see a thread like this :flower:


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## katerdid

Hello new ladies :hi: Glad to see more people! 

I'm just waiting on my silly 3rd cycle. Day 18 and still no sign of Ov'ing, but I've got loads of ewcm and ov'ing pains.


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## sausages

Hello all! Long time no see. :) How is everyone?

I've ovulated and my cm has changed to sticky, so i am really pleased that me and DH get to DTD properly with no pulling out or condoms. For the first time in ages!! :D I also bought the VIP FF subscription for £25for a year!!! It's on their facebook page under promos. I would usually just stick with it free, but that's too good a bargain!! 

*EDIT: Not £25 at all, it's $25, which converts to £16. DOH!!!!*

My O date has been diddled a bit this month cause i didn't actually get a temp on Sunday. I was out drinking Saturday night and it would have been falsely high anyway and i was staying at a friends house. When i put in a high temp for tomorrow it gave me dotted crosshairs for yesterday, which i know isn't right. So i made up a temp for Sunday. OM!!! :lol: I am 100% confident i o'ed then so it doesn't worry me. 

We've not discussed trying again again (!) yet. I'm just going to leave it. He has gone from "No, never!" almost a year ago to "yes, for you!" now. I'll just not mention it again until way closer to the time i would like to start and see what he says then. 

Hello and welcome to all the noobs and the people from other charting threads! :D


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## katerdid

Yeah, Sausages, deffo looks like you Ov'd to me!

Sooooooo....when will we stop having oopsies? We dtd the night I had my temp spike and dry/no cm and sorta kinda didn't pull out properly :dohh: I've had dry/no cm since then but gosh darn it all! I told myself this cycle I wasn't going to let an oh-uh happen!


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## wellsk

Hi! 
Sausages, maybe if you wait long enough it will go from 'no, never' to 'yes, for you' to 'yes, I'd love another!' :haha:

I started AF on the 3rd, so now on CD5. Having a little bit of spotting now, so AF should be over quite soon. Just wondering when I'll be ovulating next, as it seems to be anywhere from CD9 to CD20! Anyone's guess is as good as mine!

Oh dear katerdid, how would you feel if you did get a BPF?


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## katerdid

I'd be upset! I'm determined to bf my son past one year and I don't know how I'd be able to deal with the supply issues you'd get with pregnancy. Plus we are deffo not in a good spot financial-wise and couldn't afford it, not to mention the inevitable bed rest I'd be stuck on for the whole of my third tri. 
I just feel so mad at myself for letting these mistakes happen so often! I know where I am in my cycle, I should be able to follow the rules...


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## aley28

Bah... I'm in for another lengthy cycle I think. I'm on CD20 and barely a sign of fertility in sight. I had some almost-EWCM-like CM yesterday but today its back to just creamy. At BEST I might call it watery?! But whatever -- I'm in a very stable mood between AF and O-day, so the longer that lasts, the better!! I'm actually SCARED of what PMS will be like this cycle. Not looking forward to it at all! :nope:

Sausages, I'm doing the same as you re: next baby. I'm just going to not bring it up with him until I am ready to try for another, which will likely be 6-12 months from now. Maybe by then he'll be like, "I thought you'd never ask! Lets go get pregnant!" :haha: In the mean time... I am actually VERY OK with a contraception failure!


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## OmiOmen

Well I think I have detected ovulation which is great because I was not 100% sure what I was looking for to start with and I was not sure if not looking for changes in the cervix would make is difficult or not. It is really nice to actually see that things that happen every month at ovulation are for a reason too rather than feeling oblivious as to what is happening. :thumbup: Unfortunately that means we can not DTD this weekend and DH is on nights so is only off the next two nights. :dohh:


----------



## Gunnhilde

OmiOmen said:


> Well I think I have detected ovulation which is great because I was not 100% sure what I was looking for to start with and I was not sure if not looking for changes in the cervix would make is difficult or not. It is really nice to actually see that things that happen every month at ovulation are for a reason too rather than feeling oblivious as to what is happening. :thumbup: Unfortunately that means we can not DTD this weekend and DH is on nights so is only off the next two nights. :dohh:

That is great about ovulation and not so great about not DTD. There is always condoms. :winkwink:


Uggggggghhhhhh my chart!!!!!! :dohh::dohh::dohh::dohh: I still can't figure out whether I've ovulated early this cycle.


----------



## puppymom

Gunnhilde, FWIW, I don't think you have ovulated yet. Your temps don't appear to be steady enough, and they keep dropping quite low. There also doesn't seem to be a clear thermal shift.


----------



## aley28

I think I'm ovulating today. I just took an OPK and it is just sooooo barely lighter than the control line (so I'm marking it as positive, as I usually don't even get a line at all?) and I'm cramping like crazy, feels just like the after pains I had after Parker was born!

On the one hand - yay! Looks like I'm O'ing about 5 days earlier than last time, so at least I'm not in for a 90 year long cycle this time, but on the other hand - :dohh: I guess I can look for PMS to start up in the next 4-5 days. :nope: Hopefully my LP makes more sense this cycle.

OmiOmen- I'm not finding that observing my cervix is any help whatsoever. Its high/medium firm and partially open for most of my cycle, only opening and going soft during my period, then goes firm for a few days and doesn't seem like it ever closes up completely. I was reading that its supposed to be at different heights throughout the cycle, but mine never is. Its always in the same spot, though there was once that it was posterior instead of right on top. :roll:

Gunnhilde- I can't tell if you have or not. The jumps in temp make me think no, but the +OPK you have on there makes me think otherwise? :shrug: I guess only time will tell? :haha:


----------



## OmiOmen

Two quick questions: How many DPO should you wait before it is 'safe' to DTD? Also how accurate are charts like fertilityfriend? It says I ovulated on the 8th but I am sure it was the 9th. :shrug:


----------



## puppymom

Generally, you're safe on the evening of your 3rd DPO, but this is also assuming you check your CM and have been dry for 4 days. Wait 4-5 to be safe if you're not positive.

FF only goes by what it interprets - you know your body best. What makes you think you o'd on the 9th, as opposed to the 8th?


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## OmiOmen

Before having DS by periods were all over the place but after I had him they became regular and every month got really obvious ovulation pains. I know it is said you can not track by that alone but I got them on the 9th in the evening and felt pretty sure it was then. :shrug:


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## OmiOmen

I have posted this question elsewhere but I am looking for a little help in reading my chart. As I said before my chart says I ovulated on the 8th and I thought it was the 9th. Then I put in my temperature today and it had shot up making it look like yesterday was a dip and I am now questioning if that might have been ovulation. In retrospect if I had the same length period as last month then yesterday would have been 14 days until I was due on. At the same time I guess I could be really inaccurate in taking intemperate and reading the chart. :wacko: 

View attachment 457301


EDIT: I added my CM info for the day and the line became dotted which apparently means it is now questioning if I ovulated on the 8th.


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## aley28

Is this your first month charting, Omi? My first cycle was absolutely erratic and practically impossible to try to interpret. Yours seems very up and down, which makes it harder to read. I'm not experienced enough to say... I know that my CM goes back to baseline infertile the day after O. But my guess would be you ov'd on the 9th, due to temps/EWCM.


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## puppymom

Omi - are you sure you had EWCM those 4 days (day 9-12)? If so, my guess is that you didn't ovulate on the 8th or 8th, as you usually do not have EWCM after ovulation (especially not that much of it).


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## Gunnhilde

It is now CD 28 and no sign of clear ovulation or a temperature shift. I've got cramps and I hope that :witch: is coming. [-o&lt; I wish that I could have a 30 day cycle again, but the way it is looking it'll be at least 45+ unless my temperature decided to go haywire this cycle. :nope:


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## wellsk

:hugs: Gunnhilde, I'm sorry you're having problems with your cycle. 
I'm now on CD15, and I've stopped having EWCM and gone back to a kind of milky consistency, but temps are still low? Not quite sure what's going on there :shrug:


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## puppymom

Well - we can have changes in our CM even without ovulation, so my guess is that's what you're seeing. It doesn't look like you've ovulated yet, so hang in there!


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## aley28

:hugs: Gunhilde, the long cycles are frustrating, aren't they? :dohh: I ov'd on CD26 this cycle... 3 days earlier than last cycle. :wacko:

Do you take your temp orally? Maybe you could try doing it vaginally, as that is supposed to yield a more stable temp? :shrug:


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## duckduckgoose

Would love to join you ladies! I have been charting since April, after deciding I could no longer take the side effects of the pill. I'm likely TTA until at least spring or summer next year at a minimum. It could be a lot longer than that. Time has been flying by, but it still feels like I will be waiting forever. I'm on CD 9 today. Looking forward to getting to know everyone!


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## wellsk

Hi duckduckgoose :hi: (awesome name by the way!)

Little update on me, myself and DH kind of had an 'oops' last night. Although if you read my last post in my journal you'll see why. :blush: 
I should be right around O right now, and we used the pull out method. Hoping that it'll be fine, although secretly in some kind of ways hoping that it won't be. But it would mess up my exams for my final year and I've only got a couple of more weeks to wait until TTC cycle starts. So :shrug:

Hope everyone's okay :)


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## duckduckgoose

Hi Wellsk! I think I may need to stalk your journal! :)

I'm having a hard time not taking any chances. I would so like to ntnp, but if I fell preg this month it would put me in the middle of exams next year. Still, last night I did not insist that oh take any preventive measures. I still have 6 days until my earliest recorded O day, but I know I'm pushing it a bit... I'm usually so good at following the fam guidelines, but I'm struggling this month. Waiting is so hard!


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## wellsk

Thanks Duckduckgoose! I just generally ramble on my journal. I think they end up being a place for conversation to be fair! Although someone did say they thought it was cool to have a diary that talks back! :haha:
Ahh you're in the same position as me, if I got pregnant now, my due date would be just towards the end of exams. What are you studying at the moment?

I think that FAM is a really hard method of birth control, as you know when you ovulate and have no real protection. So you know you could concieve if you wanted to. So it's up to you, and it's hard when you're really desperate. A few months where we were not meant to be having unprotected sex we did, I just couldn't help myself :blush:


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## duckduckgoose

I actually have my degree in psychology, but I'm going back to school for some pre-requisites to apply for grad school in a totally new direction. My psychology degree will help me in my career, but I have decided to focus on something different for grad school. I am 27 already, so given that I am looking at another 8-10 yrs of school I have accepted that I will be TTC while in school... But I'd like to avoid final exams if at all possible. It actually would be easier for me to have a child while completing my pre-reqs, as it is not nearly as rigorous as full time grad school. 

I love FAM, but it is really hard being broody and especially when my oh doesn't seem to be too concerned with preventing. When we talk he wants to wait, but when it comes down to dtd he doesn't seem to stop unless I insist we must. The last few months I have only been broody around af time when I'm not fertile, but now that it has hit me mid cycle it is tough!


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## wellsk

Ahh right, I see. Best of luck with it! :hugs: I am 2 years through my own Psychology Degree :) and yeah, I don't think having a baby in the middle of exams is best ideal! I'm the same as you though in the way I don't think Psychology is where I want to spend the rest of my life. Although I'm thinking about a post grad in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or going back to do a degree in Midwifery/Nursing :haha:


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## aley28

If you don't want to know WAY TMI about what is happening with my CM right now, don't read any further! :haha:

OK - so - for the last several days, my CM has been gummy/crumbly, which I'd expect as I'm in the infertile stage of my cycle and am expecting AF next weekend. But last cycle, the gummy/crumbly/3rd phase CM was miniscule in amount... if there was any at all, it was suuuuch a tiny amount. This cycle, I'm getting massive gobs of it on my finger when I check my cervix? This morning's gob was about half the size of a cottonball! :shrug: I'm trying to convince myself that this is normal, but I have no idea? I've never seen such massive amounts of goop come out of me, except when I was losing mucus plug at the end of my last pregnancy! Only thing I can think of is a yeast infection, except that I have absolutely no symptoms of one:shrug:

OKIE doke - TMI is over! :haha:

I've been exercising this past month, and it seems to have helped with PMS symptoms. Last month was horrendous - I had absolutely no control over myself, felt like, and came very close to being violent with my DH and felt like hitting my toddler on a couple occasions. Neither thing actually happened, but it scared me and I've been nervous about PMS this cycle since ovulation happened. So far, I've only had small moments of irritability, but those are bound to happen to anybody! Overall I feel basically normal and I'm just HOPING that this continues until AF!


----------



## Gunnhilde

I might have to try the vaginal, but I'd have to find a way to hide the thermometer but yet remember it the morning so DD doesn't steal it. She is always stealing my BBT thermometer as it is.

I had to override ovulation this month on my chart. I'm thinking it looks good at CD 26 and there is a temp shift. 

Aley - it is probably a matter of what is normal for you? I always get a ton of CM except on dry days. 

Does it seem normal either than quantity? Maybe a little gross but does it smell normal?


----------



## puppymom

Gunnhilde, where do you normally have your thermometer right now? Why would it have to be somewhere else?


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## Gunnhilde

puppymom said:


> Gunnhilde, where do you normally have your thermometer right now? Why would it have to be somewhere else?

It is right next to my bed so I see it when I open my eyes. It is just that I wouldn't want DD grabbing it if I was using it vaginally and then putting in her mouth or something. I know it is a weird thing - but she does do it with my thermometer now as it is.


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## puppymom

As much as it sounds like it would be worse, would it really be? I mean, in terms of germs - are there any more germs vaginally than orally? Although, even if it isn't bad, I can still see why you might not want your DD putting it in her mouth!


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## aley28

My toddler steals my BBT thermometer if I let him in our bedroom too... I have to keep a close eye on him! Can you put a different thermometer where she would grab it and then keep your BBT thermometer somewhere else? :shrug:

The copious amounts of crumbly CM -- everything seems to smell normal and looks normal, except that there is just a MASSIVE amount of it. And the gobs that come out are really dry in texture, my vaginal sensation has been dry for days now. Its peculiar -- last cycle was total opposite to this! I wonder what next cycle will be like?!


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## aley28

My chart looks all pretty this cycle :rofl: None of the wacky ups and downs like last cycle had! :dance:


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## wellsk

Ooh, Aley! It is a very nice looking chart, really smooth! :haha:

Does anyone know if you can stop TCOYF.com predicting when you're gonna ovulate? It's telling me that I should be Ov'ing today, but it's really obvious from my charts (I think anyway!) that I Ov'd 3 days ago :shrug:


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## puppymom

Did you get it changed? I just looked at your chart, and don't see that it has you ovulating today? You can (if you haven't found it yet) change what it looks at for ovulation, as well as overide it if you don't think it's right. It looks like it's got some peak days in there, so will likely have you at the right spot!


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## Gunnhilde

You can go into the cycle setting and change how long the cycles are and your average LP, so that it predicts it in the future better. You can override the cycle, but I think I just learned my lesson with that. I override it and put my ovulation and CD 26 and my AF just came on CD 34 after that positive OPK on CD 15. 

Color me freaking confused. Any thoughts on this https://www.tcoyf.com/members/Gunnhilde/charts/2.aspx
?


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## aley28

Its a chaotic chart, Gun :haha: Did TCOYF never say when you ovulated at all? I would really consider trying taking your temp vaginally, maybe it'll give you a more stable chart. And if you're super worried about your daughter sticking it in her mouth - you could put some baby wipes or something on your bedside table and clean it nice and good after every use? Probably would want to do that anyway lol

SOOOO... Now I'm spotting. I'm 11DPO according to TCOYF (I use an app on my phone as well and it puts ovulation the day before TCOYF, so it says I'm 12DPO) ... :wacko: Heavy spotting right now, should be a full flow by tonight or tomorrow. I don't get it - last month was a 15-16 day LP, this month is 11-12 days?!? And everything I've read says that the LP isn't supposed to fluctuate _at all_, let alone by 3-4 days. :dohh: I don't get it!


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## puppymom

aley - I'm thinking your O dates might not be spot on, hence the apparent difference in your LP.


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## aley28

My chart last cycle was a total mess, but even looking at it now, it seems unlikely that I was off by that much? Everything this cycle has been much more stable though... :shrug: Ohhh well. Maybe next cycle will make more sense. And I could still spot for a day or three anyway, maybe I'm just getting ahead of myself.


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## Gunnhilde

According to TCOYF I must be pregnant. :dohh: :rofl: Well, only if I got pregnant from a toilet seat or something because OH and I haven't DTD since May. :dohh:

If I remove OPKs from the list of ways to confirm ovulation, then it does not predict an ovulation date. I highly suspect it is because this cycle, I probably didn't ovulate. Although, I thought AF had come but it has just been spotting. 

I might do the vaginal temp thing or buy a new BBT thermometer. Mine was a cheapie anyway. If I switch my TCOYF into Celsius, is it going to erase the Fahrenheit temps that were recorded? 

I thought LP was supposed to stay about the same each month. Mine has always been 13-14 days. :shrug:


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## aley28

So the first cycle I was tracking just CM, it was 14 days exactly from the last day of EWCM to AF. Then last cycle was 17 days and this cycle was 11. That's a massive range. All I can think is that I had some sort of early miscarriage last cycle that never implanted enough to show a positive test. Unlikely, but possible I guess. :shrug: I can't think of any other explanation. :shrug:

Gun - your chart now shows that you've started AF? An anovulatory cycle would certainly explain it - are you still under a lot of stress with the upcoming move and everything?

I don't know if it'll erase the &#730;F temps ... maybe it'll just convert them?


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## puppymom

aley - I don't think you ovulated as early as it says you did (I would have guessed more around day 35, especially comparing temps to this month and where your cover line would normally be)... TCOYF is going mainly by your CM, which isn't always the most reliable (good to combine with something else). Have you done any OPKs to help figure things out?


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## aley28

Hmm... I hadn't thought to compare this month's chart to the one before. THAT does make it seem more likely that it was more like CD35 before O. :shock: Although -- the CM then is listed as crumbly/dry ... and I don't go by what makes it all the way out by itself, I swipe all the way up by my cervix, and several times per day. :shrug: I actually had figured I'd ovulated two days EARLIER than TCOYF predicted, but that definitely can't be right :haha:

I bought a pack of OPKs but I pretty much can never remember to take them. This month I took one and got a positive. Last month, I never got more than a very faint line -- so very negative. Even on the ones I took 2 days before it says I ov'd :shrug:

Last cycle was a mess all around though - my temps were all over the place, the cycle lasted 46 days, etc. You're probably right that I O'd much later than predicted -- I guess we'll see with this new cycle to see how long the LP is? :shrug: I'm really not worried about the LP length in itself right now... I'm not planning on getting pregnant in the near future (or probably ever again :cry:)... I just want it to be stable and predictable so that I know when to be prepared for AF! This month I panicked a little with the first spots because I wasn't expecting spotting for another 3-4 days, so I immediately started thinking it was implantation bleeding finally making its way out and - LOL - lets just say that I don't want to spend every cycle going through THAT roller coaster!:haha:


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## duckduckgoose

I got my first positive OPK today! I have several months of charting, but have never managed to take an OPK at the right time. I usually get annoyed after several days of negatives and stop testing. Hopefully my temp will rise soon, so I can confirm ovulation. I don't know why, but I was so happy when I saw that positive today! :flower:


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## wellsk

That's great news duckduckgoose! I can never get a positive OPK so I know what you mean about getting a positive even if you're not TTC yet. :)


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## duckduckgoose

2nd day with a positive OPK! I have been soooo broody this whole month, it has actually gotten difficult to focus on anything else. Hoping I can get everything done for school today! :book: :headspin: :book:


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## wellsk

Ah dear! I know what you mean. My whole life has practically been consumed by babyness! :haha: I should be spending my time working on my dissertation, but I'm either on here, on eBay and other baby shops :blush:
As I said on here before, knowing when you could concieve makes it so much harder! :wacko:


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## duckduckgoose

FF has confirmed my O day for CD 17. That was the first day of my positive OPK, but I guess everyone's surge can line up a little different with ovulation? I also continued to get EWCM for a few days after, but my temperature shows a dramatic dip on CD 17 and then a big shift up. :shrug: how are the rest of you ladies doing? :flower:


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## duckduckgoose

:dohh: I forgot to ask my question! My coverline temperature seems to be dropping by a tenth of a degree each cycle! Has anyone else experienced this? Anyone know if it's normal or not? It has done this the last 5 cycles since I came off the pill, so my coverline this cycle is now half a degree lower than my first cycle. I thought this was something that stayed relatively constant :shrug:


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## aley28

I don't know much about the coverline... mine is still moving up and down. I figure it probably needs a 6 month or so period to really gauge where it should be at? :shrug:

I'm doing pretty good - last day of AF was yesterday, just some spotting left today. :thumbup: My chart is a little weird, a bit up and down already, not really sure what's going on there. I think I need to make more of an effort to wake all the way up to take my temp... this morning I had to take it twice as I fell asleep in the middle of it the first time and when I looked at the thermometer, it said 94&#730;F! I don't think that's correct! Must've fallen asleep with it still in my mouth :blush:


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## duckduckgoose

I'm sure you are right, Aley. I was on the pill before charting and my periods have been extremely light since I've stopped. I'm sure my body just needs more time to fully regulate itself back to normal and figure out where it is going to be stable.

Ha! Yeah, 94 sounds a bit low! I have those mornings too where I start to drift off a little, and I forget for a second I'm supposed to be taking my temp. Luckily mine beeps at me pretty quickly :thumbup:


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## sausages

Good day!! :) 

DH and i went to a wedding on Tuesday and stayed over minus the kids. It was fun! A bit _too _much fun went on though. :lol: We DTD during the day and DH successfully pulled out, but then after much alcohol consumption we did it again and he didn't. Or kind of half did. I'm not too worried mind. I have been Oing about CD15, but i haven't even seen a little bit of EWCM yet and i usually have loads, so i am guessing i will be safe. Silly DH!! 

(Makes it a bit more exciting waiting for AF though now!!!)


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## wellsk

It sounds like you should be fine sausages :hugs:
I've got nothing to report really. Got AF on CD27, now waiting for it to be over so I can start TTC! :happydance:


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## aley28

sausages - LOL - It does make it so much more exciting when you've had an oopsies!! :haha:

wellsk -- YAY! I hope your TTC journey is short and sweet ... (I'm sort of jealous? :rofl:)


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## wellsk

Thanks aley :hugs: me too!


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## Becki.S

Hiiiiii,
Can I join?
I've read through and caught up lol! 
Not charting for NFP (still using condomns bleurgh) but brand new to charting (3 days lol) have started charting for a few reasons.
(Anyone who read my introducing thread apologies for the repeat story!) 
Had an ectopic about 10 months ago and came off cerazette (POP) at the same time. Since then my cycles have been all over the place, was trying to guess AF and ovulation by tracking my CM but seemed like no matter what my cycle length was I ovulated in the middle which doesn't seem right? 
Had a GP appt about my pains around ovulation in my right side (doubled over,been like that since ectopic) and the newly found ovarian cyst, and my GP said she doesn't think I'm ovulating because my cycles are irregular. This statement/diagnosis was based purely on irregular cycles - which doesn't mean I'm not ovulating does it? And didn't offer any further tests, so I'm now charting to see if I actually am ovulating and also to try and predict when AF rears her ugly head! Lol! 
When I get on PC will put my chart on FF in my sig.

Oh also (sorry can't scroll up as on my phone) my mum only ovulated 2 or 3 times a year so GP has me a little worried anyway but that was a long time ago so she never found out why. So thankfully my mum is trying to help me with this charting business! (from what she remembers anyway!) 

So just saying hi really, however I do have a question. I'm going to be drinking a lot this weekend how will this effect my temp and chart? 

Hi and thanks!
Becki x


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## sausages

Hi Becki, so sorry to hear about your loss. (((hugs))) Glad to have you with us! :)

You are correct in thinking that just because a woman has irregular cycles doesn't mean she isn't ovulating. The only way to tell for sure is by charting as you are doing anyway. Silly doctor!!

When i drink my temp is always REEEEEALLY high the next day! So usually i just don't bother temping and miss that day out. It shouldn't matter too much cause you're looking for the whole picture, rather than at individual temps. Charting software can be a bit funny about missing temps though. Like, last cycle i had to "fake" a temp. I had been drinking so didn't bother to temp but it was right around ovulation. I knew i had o'ed due to CM clearing up and my sensitive nips and all other temps after the missed one being high, but fertility friend put my crosshairs in the wrong place. So i just made up a temp that i knew would make it correct. When AF came i could see i was right, otherwise my LP would have only been like 8 days or something.


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## Becki.S

I know stupid Dr, I also questioned my boobs I get realllllllly sore boobs after I ovulate until AF which I presumed was down to progesterone from ovulation as it's a couple of days after EWCM however she told me that my progesterone will still rise even if I don't ovulate? I now know that oestrogen can cause this but she didn't say that she clearly said that my progesterone will rise without ovulation? From everything I have read this isn't true? 
I'm now going back to get a 2nd opinion and DH is coming with me as the whole appt has left me unsettled!!! 
Fx that charting brings me good news!!! 
Thanks for ur reassurance! I don't have EWCM so if my temps are higher I will enter them as how I'm having them now to ensure my charts more accurate!!! 
Thanks!!! 

Becki x


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## aley28

I'm sorry for your loss :hugs:

I don't know how fertility friend works, but with tcoyf.com you can mark 'disturbed' if you'd been out drinking, are sick with fever, or for whatever reason.

I used to have insanely irregular periods and had read that meant I didn't ovulate as well. Obviously I was ovulating, as I wound up pregnant and now have a 3 year old. :winkwink: They seem to be crazy irregular again, but I'm still ovulating. I love charting! :haha:

I'm finding the actual charting bit to be pretty easy and understanding how to chart is easy. But reading the chart can throw me off a bit still... :wacko:


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## duckduckgoose

6 DPO for me and I'm already SO cranky :grr: I'm aggitated over things that normally wouldn't phase me :brat: my skin was breaking out at the beginning of this cycle so maybe my hormones are just wackadoo this cycle :wacko:


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## aley28

Ugh... sorry about the PMS duckduckgoose... Sucks being female sometimes, doesn't it? :/ I hope it doesn't get too bad for you this cycle!


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## wellsk

That does suck Duckduck! 
I hope you feel better soon, PMS is not nice :hugs:


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## duckduckgoose

Thanks ladies! Yes, this female thing is rough sometimes :dohh: i wish the hormones could just be turned on once we were ready to have a baby. Suffering with nothing good to come is especially annoying I find :growlmad: I kept having fights with my oh last night, and today is our anniversary :sad2: he kept blowing up at me about my snippy tone of voice.... Well what do ya expect :shrug: it was one of those days when even if it wasn't my intention to be short it still came out snappy. Hopefully this week goes by quickly!


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## Becki.S

Ughhh I hate that! Up until 11 months ago my hubby spent the first 3 and a Hal years with me having very few periods and pms so is really bad at coping and understanding he seems to get really sensitive over it! Sometimes I just wanna say to him MAN UP u don't have to put up with it happening to ur body!!!! Lol 
I think men should have to go through a PMS understanding/learning course before they settle down!!! Lol 
*hugs* at least we all have each other and bnb to understand!!!

Becki x


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## Becki.S

Ps: Hope u feel better soon!

Becki x


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## wellsk

I seriously wish we could switch it on and off! Luckily when I was on the BCP I didn't have any periods, it was bliss :cloud9: 
Unfortunately the side effect of that is being unable to have children that way. :shrug:
When I have had my baby I want to go back on it though :thumbup:
I also wish you could just switch off the broodiness too!


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## duckduckgoose

I'm so glad to be able to talk to you ladies! Thank you xoxo! Haha Becky it sounds very similar. I told him I had a short fuse last night, and didn't need my buttons pushed even if he is just a big kidder. He was still so reactive and mad when I got annoyed or used a tone of voice that was less than agreeable hehe. I agree they need to man up the few days when it's just way too hard for us to be sweet, understanding angels!


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## duckduckgoose

Woopsy! Sorry Becki I spelled your name like my cousin spells it xoxo!


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## wellsk

Aww :hugs: we're always here :)
You sound like me and my DH, I can get really nasty and he's always telling me that it's not the things I say. It's the tone I use it with. I just can't help it though, as you said... he just shouldn't push my buttons :haha:


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## Becki.S

Sooo the only people that will understand my excitement!!!
Have had a temp dip - I'm normally am around 36.5ish (I think that's 96.5ish in F) yesterday 36.2 today 36.1 and after lunch - TMI warning - had LOADS of EWCM!!! So hopefully will see a temp rise In the next few days! And the silly DR said I'm not ovulating!!!! 
Yayyy I feel really silly that I'm excited over this! Lol

Becki x


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## aley28

:haha: That is awesome news, Becki! Are you using OPKs to help predict ovulation at all? Sounds like you should O in the next couple of days :happydance:

Don't you just love it when doctors are wrong? :haha: (Not really...)

I've been sick for the past 3 days and have had unusually high temps due to it -- I was excited this morning because my temp is back in the usual range, which means I'm getting better! Still a bit sniffle-y and coughing a bit, but I can breathe and I don't feel like there is fog on my brain!:happydance: Woot!


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## Becki.S

Nope just bbt and cm charting was going to use OPKs if I couldn't figure it out from my chart (and may use some anyway just for fun) but not this month) I'm just really excited to see that my body's working as I've been really upset about it since my Drs appt. 
Aww that sucks that you've been poorly but glad you're starting to feel better *hugs* 

Becki x


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## duckduckgoose

Becki I hope you get your temp rise soon! I've seen two types of doctors and they either seem to think I'm completely broken or I'm perfect. So frustrating....which is why I love charting so much! I don't have to rely on any jump conclusions from doctors who aren't sure what my body is doing because they really haven't done any testing or bloodwork yet.

I'm 9 dpo now, and was so sick to my stomach this morning ugh! I'm ready for this cycle to be over and on to the next! My last lp was 15 days though, so I may have a bit more torture on the way. Oh, how I hate the week before AF!!!


----------



## Becki.S

Well my temp went back up this morning only to 36.6 - my normal range has been 36.4-36.6, but I've had a dip with EWCM and now rise and my boobs are starting to get sore this evening.
I find it really strange that ever since I had the ectopic my boobs hurt as soon as I ovulate (presumed before proof now!), anyone else have different signs since pregnancy?
Thankfully the ovulation cramps haven't been as bad this month as before so hoping that's a good sign of something!

Yea my husband asked if i was going to stop charting now I have proof that I ovulate and I was like no way this is an amazing way of making sure my body's working!!! I can finally rely on myself instead of Drs making sweeping statements!
I get nausea starting a few days before AF starts! Freaks me out every month lol! Do you normally get it or is it just this month?

Becki x


----------



## sausages

Becki, i totally get different signs since before pregnancy. I've had 4 pregnancies (2 losses, 2 live) and it's only when i had my last baby that my cycles changed. They are now around 27 days long instead of 35+ and i now get sore nipples a couple of days after O which i didn't used to get. I also get nausea and i am trying to remember to put it on my chart to see if i can find a pattern. 

This month is weird though. I am on CD20 and no O yet i don't think. I haven't had much in the way of EWCM either. I had been getting loads of it even when i wiped, but this month i only noticed it internally. Very strange!


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## duckduckgoose

I'm really sensitive to hormone fluctuations I think. Ive gotten nausea before, been light headed, headaches etc. Last month I had really sore boobs but not at all this cycle. I came off the pill in April, so I also think my body is still finding its balance. When I first went on the pill I could have sworn I was preg due to all the symptoms I was having, but I definitely wasn't. :shrug:

Sounds like you've likely ovulated! yay! I usually get a dip and then a slow rise. What about you? I get so excited when I ovulate, even though I'm not TTC for a while! It's nice to know what my body is doing.


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## Becki.S

At least I'm not strange then! Lol I say that but before ectopic I'd been on BCP for 8 years! So I guess it's normal to be different! 

This is the first month charting but since ectopic I keep track of EWCM and sore boobs lol and I normally have 2 day of EWCM and then a 2/3 days later my boobs HURT and grow at least 1 cup size! and they are like that until day before AF arrives!
I had a strange cycle last month though I had a few bouts of random EWCM with no sore boobs finally on the 3rd (?) bout I got the sore boobs and my cycle length was 38 days (2nd longest since ectopic) I guess my body tried to O but didn't and then eventually did? Maybe that's what's happening to you?
Tbh I only noticed the nausea on the last few cycles maybe I'm progressively becoming more sensitive? Idk? 
I know what you mean I'm sooo happy that I've O!!! I feel so silly but I've been so worried even though I knew the Dr was wrong! Lol! I wish my mum had taught me about charting when I was younger, but I guess she was hoping I would never need to know!

I hope you O soon sausages *hugs*!

Becki x

Ps: how do I put my chart in my sig? I know I read how to do it somewhere but can't find it!


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## aley28

My cycles have changed after both babies now ... After Ethan, my cycles got longer, periods got much, MUCH lighter. After Parker, cycle hasn't stabilized yet but my bleeding seems a bit heavier and I cramp during ovulation and throughout my flow. I also get PMS now and I'd never ever had it before!

To put a link in your sig--
[ url="link url"] My Ovulation Chart[ /url]
Just remove the spaces and copy/paste the url to your chart between the quotes! :flower:


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## katerdid

After William my ov pains are a lot more severe. Really annoying! But - my cramps aren't as bad, so I guess I can't complain too much. 

Waiting on Ov over here... cd21 and still nothing! Had my ov pains around the 18th but my temp didn't rise enough and I'm still getting ewcm. BAH! I think it may be stress, but not much I can do about that!


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## duckduckgoose

10 dpo and I feel pretty good. I'm in a pleasant mood and don't feel so icky. BUT the broodiness has just gone off the charts! Literally all I've been able to think about all day long is being pregnant. I'm officially :baby: obsessed!!


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## aley28

Uh oh! DH and I got caught tangled up in the bedroom this afternoon, and I wasn't expecting it and forgot to use protection. :dohh: That's the first oopsies that we've had since I got fitted for the diaphragm in July - which isn't too bad really - BUT I haven't ovulated yet this cycle!! :haha: Hopefully its at least 5-7 days out yet :haha: D'oh!

duckduckgoose- Glad you're feeling good, despite the broodiness! Hope that keeps up for you until AF makes her arrival! :flower:

kater - doesn't look like you've ovulated yet - hopefully soon! I hate how stress messes with it!


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## Becki.S

Oopsies duckduckgoose!!!! 
How do you find the diaphragm? I keep meaning to go to the clinic to get one fitted as I HATE condomns (and DH keeps moaning about them lol).
So I'm now reallllly confused I was so sure I O, 2 day temp dip with loads of EWCM and then a temp rise with my boobs getting the pre pain tingles. Yesterday my temp dipped again but I wasn't sure as I fell asleep with the thermometer in my mouth and my mouth open, I took my temp again when I woke up to go to work and it was back up (36.2 first time, 36.6 second time also my temp generally stays the same between first temping and getting up as I've tested this before as I was curious lol) so I was still hopeful that my temp was up and I'd O. I got a little bit of EWCM yesterday but Ive had that before after O (I think it's just left over inside and hasn't all come out yet) but today my temp was down to 36.1 and my boobs still don't hurt :-(
Maybe I haven't O? Or I've O twice? I'm confused anyone have any insight? 
I'm also really annoyed at myself for getting excited before feels like I've almost jinxed myself :-(.
I just want to cry I was so worried before and that went away and now it's come back with a ton of bricks :-(

Becki x


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## Becki.S

Oops didn't mean duckduckgoose I meant aley! Lol x


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## aley28

Becki, I really like the diaphragm actually. I mean, it certainly [usually] prevents the spontaneous sex that DH and I used to have -- but we don't really do that anyway with two kids. :haha: But I can read DH really well and usually know at least an hour ahead of time if we're about to have sex, so I just plan accordingly. :winkwink: Plus - with using FAM, once I've confirmed ovulation, I just don't bother with the diaphragm, so that's like 10 days per cycle that sex CAN be spontaneous, which is nice! Overall, I really like it though -- everybody thought I'd hate it and it was actually sort of a process to get, as the nurse tried to talk me out of it, my doctor tried to talk me out of it, the pharmacy had to special order one in, and I have to special order spermicide in every time my tube runs out too. :haha:

Any chance you can link your chart?
You could either be still gearing up to ovulate, or you just have a slow rise after. Most programs will say it takes 3-4 days of baseline infertile CM and higher temps to confirm ovulation. My guess is your probably ovulated :thumbup: I think my temp tends to dip once or twice in the luteal phase too - it could all be in how consistent you are in how you take your temperature, too!

I don't know if there is a way to know if you've ovulated twice in a cycle. I did read that if you do release more than one egg, the second one comes within 24 hours of the first one though, so I don't think you'd see it reflected on your chart anyway? :shrug:


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## Becki.S

I only know one other person who's used it before and that's my mum! Lol why did they try and talk you out of it?
I think I will like it I was planning on keeping condomns in the house for spontaneous sex, and put it in every night just incase lol!

Ok I thought that my temp had to stay up to confirm O, I'm confused about my boobs though lol sounds strange it's just that they normally hurt by now - it's not like I enjoy it lol i guess it's a security thing! I will try and link my chart but on my iPhone atm n it doesn't seem to want to play ball! Lol
The 2nd O thing was me jus trying to think positively lol! 
I try and stay consistent wit my temp taking I take it at the same time everyday (when my first alarm goes off at 6.30 unless I wake up before) but I just keep falling asleep! Lol I stayed awake this morning to take it properly though so think I'm getting used to it! Is there a better way to take it than orally? 

Becki x


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## Becki.S

My chart is now at the bottom of my sig, but please bear in mind that yesterday's temp is entered as 36.6 however this may have been 36.2! I also started my chart on CD8.

Becki x


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## aley28

Everybody around here REALLY pushes hormonal BC. But due to breastfeeding, my hormonal options are very limited, and the mini pill was really screwing with me (constant PMS, a period every 15-ish days!!) ... but for some reason, the idea of being hormone free is a hard one to grasp! :haha: Why wouldn't I want to pump my body full of fake hormones, then get terrible side effects? Using a diaphragm is just soooo much harder than that :roll: *sarcasm*

I've thought about the condoms for 'just in case' too - but DH just plain won't use them. I should be more mentally prepared to have him pull out, I suppose.

I take my temp orally - its supposed to be accurate enough. :thumbup: You can do it vaginally, as that's supposed to yield an even more accurate number, but if you're getting a pretty consistent number orally, then I don't see why it would be worth bothering. :) You're going to get small fluctuations either way! Though it IS harder to sleep with your vagina open :rofl: :rofl:


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## aley28

The link in your sig is not showing me your chart :shrug:


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## Becki.S

I was on BCP for 8 years until my ectopic (4 yrs combined, 4yrs POP) I loved the combined, but the POP made me put on loads of weight (I did like the 2/3 AFs a year though! Lol). Im a BIG Internet researcher and found that falling pregnant on any progesterone only can cause higher risks of ectopic, I felt that I didn't want to add any more risk to my already increased risk, and can't go back on the combined due to migraines so barrier is all I have left. DH doesn't have the control to use the pull out method (sorry if TMI) and doesn't trust the FAM so it's condomns or diaphragm for me! 
I don't understand this obsession with pumping people with drugs hormones etc I understand that it is necessary sometimes but it should be our choice and I don't know why a Dr/medical professional would encourage it (except with young teens etc)? I also don't like this whole "take this pill for this and this one for this" attitude rather than looking for the cause first (maybe that's just DRs round here though?)! 
Lol your last comment made me giggle! Think my DH would get a shock can just imagine him now "babe why are you asleep with a thermometer in your vagina?" LOL!!!

Becki x


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## Becki.S

That's strange when I press on it it takes me to the FF page and I scroll down and my charts there???
Do you know how to do it so the picture of my graph comes in my sig? Maybe thats easier? 

Becki x


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## duckduckgoose

Becki, when I click on the link it actually takes me to my own chart on ff :shrug: I havent figured out how to do it either way, but maybe someone can help the both of us!


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## Becki.S

How strange!!!! Someone helllllp lol!

Becki x


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## aley28

I am unsure how to do the chart pic thing unfortunately! I use TCOYF.com and so long as I have my profile set to public, the link in my sig will take you directly to the chart. :shrug: I know nothing about FF :dohh:

:rofl: I was actually talking about how you need to sleep with your mouth closed if you temp orally, because it'll give you a low number if you sleep with your mouth open. The reason vaginal temping is more accurate is because you can't sleep with your vagina open ... you'd have to get naked and go spread eagle :rofl: :rofl:

But falling asleep with the thermometer up your foof :rofl: OMG... My husband would have that same reaction. :rofl: "Uhhhhh... what is this?!"


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## Becki.S

Lol yea I know just made me giggle imagining sleeping with a thermometer in my girly bits! Lol I think my hubby would get confused and think it was some kind of "fun" thing! Lol! 
I actually considered it for the exact reason that it would be "closed" if I fell asleep but a little scared of rolling over lol! 
I fall asleep so easily I WOULD fall asleep at some point! Lol

Will ask in the forum help section bit and see if I can get any help with linking my chart.
I have bought some cheap OPKs from asda though for next cycle partly for fun but also to really get to grips with my cycle! (and I just want to see a BFP on something seeing as I have to wait to see a real one!)

Becki x


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## Becki.S

So yesterday I had temps of 36.6 and today 36.8 and boobs are finally hurting!!! 

So think my body probably tried to ovulate before and didnt then tried again? What do you girls think?

My ovulation chart is now a picture in my sig!

Becki x


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## aley28

I think its very possible that it took a couple attempts to ovulate! :thumbup:

Yay for figuring the chart thing out! :)


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## duckduckgoose

Becki, I also tend to get two dips and ovulate on the second one. I don't get separate patches of EWCM, so I dont really think my body failed the first time. I think it's just part of my natural pattern for my temps to do that. For me it's all within a couple days, so I don't worry about it.


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## Becki.S

Thanks duckduckgoose, that's nice to know to keep in mind. I deffo had to lathes of EWCM this month though and I had that last month also (without charting BBT) with a long cycle. I'm thinking it may have something to do with my cyst? I'm gonna try and not worry about it until I go back to the GP after my next U/S!

Thanks Aley found a whole section of links to charts (like they have with tickers) when I was playing with the settings on FF! 

Thanks for the support with figuring this out ladies!!!

Becki x


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## katerdid

Funny how your body acts when you are stressed. CD 25, still no ov...yet I've got ewcm up the wazoo.


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## aley28

Kater, it must be coming soon? Hopefully within the next day or two!

I'm only on CD18 and I'm already getting antsy to ov... I'm sure it'll be another 5-10 days though. Sighhh... dry as a bone in the CM department right now.


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## duckduckgoose

14 dpo and my temp shot down this morning under my coverline. AF should arrive tomorrow ugh! PMS is bad today, I feel so ill and I have a quiz and a lab until 9 pm tonight! Argh! I'm ready for a new cycle, this one has been rough and I'm over it! I'm also disappointed I'm not magically pregnant, but not really surprised as I'm TTA lol! :doh:


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## aley28

duckduckgoose said:


> 14 dpo and my temp shot down this morning under my coverline. AF should arrive tomorrow ugh! PMS is bad today, I feel so ill and I have a quiz and a lab until 9 pm tonight! Argh! I'm ready for a new cycle, this one has been rough and I'm over it! I'm also disappointed I'm not magically pregnant, but not really surprised as I'm TTA lol! :doh:

I hate PMS! In so many ways ... AF is a relief, because the PMS goes away! Bummer about not being magically pregnant :rofl: But ... I guess that is the point of TTA. I'm bummed that our oopsie sex didn't land close enough to ovulation to have an oopsie pregnancy! :haha: I haven't ovulated yet, so there's just no way unless I randomly ovulate today, despite the lack of EWCM!:haha:


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## Becki.S

Ah that sucks! Totally get what you mean though even though I have irregular periods as soon as I go past CD 30 I end up POASing as I end up symptom spotting from ovulation onwards hoping that I'm one of the "unlucky" ones where condomns fail! 
I think it's really unfair how percentages work TBH as if they are 98% effective I should get pregnant twice out of 100 BDs lol I know that's not how it works and wouldn't be great for people not wanting pregnancy ... But its still unfair! LOL

*hugs* for the crappy PMS though!!!! 

Becki x


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## duckduckgoose

Thanks ladies! Cramps have kicked in with a vengeance today, but it should be over soon! The last time we had unprotected sex was 8 days before O, and after that withdrawal... So I knew there was a minuscule chance since well sperm don't live 8-9 days. Oh well, I still spent several days fantasizing about the what ifs just one little spermy made it against all odds :rofl: oh the things my broody mind thinks sometimes...


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## katerdid

Can some one look at my chart (in my siggy)? I have no clue what's going on with my cycle. :nope:


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## aley28

Kater, do you think you ovulated? I'd guess on September 4 or 5 from your temps? Does TCOYF think you've ovulated yet? Just waiting on AF?

CD23 here and not a sign of ovulation in sight. I sort of feel like this might end up being an annovulatory cycle? Guess we'll see though! I've ovulated as late as CD29/30 before, so I shouldn't get so impatient. :haha:


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## duckduckgoose

Katerdid I'm not really sure. It kind of looks like you have geared up but haven't ovulated yet? I'm not used to looking at charts on tcoyf though...


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## katerdid

Tcoyf doesn't think I've ov yet, and I think I agree? all my other cycles my temp is 97.2 or higher after ov. Plus I still have fertile cm? 
This cycles is really throwing me for a loop! Not sure what happened, other than stressful times. Wonder if I'll even ov at all...


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## sausages

Hiya! :) I am on the edge of my seat today. Took a HPT this morning and watched the dye go across, seem to stick to the test line and then fade to barely anything. Very feint line! I posted a pic in the tests gallery. Not going to get my hopes up though cause i know these tests are prone to evaps. Pic was taken within 5 mins though... I dunno. Trying really hard not to obsess, but it's not easy!!

katerdid, i'd say you haven't o'ed yet either. I know it's frustrating when your chart refuses to behave!! lol!

aley28, maybe you're just gearing up now? It looks like you could be with your vag sensation getting wetter (OMG! Did i just say that?! - imagine saying that to someone IRL!! HAHA!)

duckduckgoose, i am in the same boat as you! We DTD unprotected, but it was WAY before O and then he's been pulling out since. Only time will tell for us both! :)


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## aley28

I hate that when you're waiting to ovulate, ALL you can do is wait! Grrr... wish there was a way you could see when it was going to happen and know for sure if it happened without waiting 2 weeks :haha: Although I agree - if you don't think you've ov'd yet, then you probably haven't and its just more of the waiting game! Hopefully your stresses lift soon so that you can get this cycle over with! LONG cycles are the worst!! :dohh:

Sausages - I laughed aloud!!! LOL! I CAN'T imagine saying, "Judging by how wet you say your vag is, I think you'll ovulate soon!" I'd die of embarrassment just trying to say that aloud, let alone TO somebody. :rofl: ...I love the internet. :rofl:

and SO EXCITING! I hope you get the result you're hoping for? Are you wanting a positive? AH! Keep us updated!! You better take another test in the morning and post here right away if its a :bfp:!


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## katerdid

I am now spotting so I'm going to just give up on this cycle completely lol. Hopefully my next one will be normal ish! 

Lol! :haha: How wet is your vag getting? :rofl:

Oooooh! A line! Exciting!!!


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## Becki.S

Ooo I hope u get the answer ur hoping for!!!!

Katerdid sometimes u just don't ovulate and that's perfectly normal. Is spottin normal for u before AF as sometimes spotting can be caused by O? 
This is where im thankful that since my EP I get really sore boobs after I O so I have a sure sign that I have! 

Ive started drinking green tea every day and just got some raspberry leaf tea - supposedly drinking a cup a day is supposed to help with regulating your cycle and things so fx it helps! Had quite a big temp drop today not sure what that's about I've had a sore throat for a few days an woke up this morning feeling even worse so would of thought my temp would have gone higher??? 
I dunno think my body is just strange! Lol

Becki x


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## duckduckgoose

Ugh! Sorry it's been so long ladies! My life seems to have gone a bit haywire. It has been a bit harder to get back in to the swing of things at school. I've been pretty stressed with that and other things and have neglected my chart. Well, now I guess we dtd on the morning of CD 12. The earliest I have ever ovulated is CD 16, and with all the stress I figured it might be later. Today is CD 14 and I have tons of EWCM yesterday and today :dohh: hopefully I will just gear up and not actually ovulate because things have gone badly with my oh and I don't know if we are going to get through it :cry:

Hope everyone else is okay!


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## aley28

:hugs: duckduckgoose, I hope everything turns out OK! :flower:

I'm on CD30 and still haven't ovulated, although I had EWCM for an entire stinking week! DH and I had unprotected drunk sex on Saturday night...ooooops!! :haha:


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## duckduckgoose

Thanks Aley :flower:
Hehe glad to know I'm in good company with the unprotected woopsies :haha:
If my body ovulates under this stress I will be stunned! And then I will have a very long tww :huh: between school and oh my stress and anxiety is on overload! I have been so broody recently, but given what we are going through in our relationship I need my body to wait!!! :dohh:


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## duckduckgoose

Omg, my temp went up again this morning :dohh:


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## aley28

I had a small temp spike this morning as well. There needs to be a nail biting emoticon... this could be the most stressful 2 weeks of my life!! I have no idea WHERE he deposited his baby batter on Saturday night... I was SO DRUNK that I only have a couple of flashes of memory of us having sex at all :rofl: but I sure as heck didn't have the diaphragm in... :wacko: Now is not the best time for us to have an unplanned pregnancy :haha: But oh well! Not really anything I can do now except wait.:dohh:


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## katerdid

I'm in the boat with you aley! Dumb baby batter :nope:

I have such a hard time following this fam....
We had a major oopsie last night. I told him earlier that day we had entered the red zone and later we had sex and he deffo did not pull out or anything and I was not thinking. 
Think I should get the plan b? My temp went up a bit today but I have no cover line yet and I've got a sore throat so I think I might be coming down with something. 
But I did an opk and itsclose to a pos, tho not dark enough for me to totally freak.


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## aley28

Have you ever ovulated this early, Kater? Plan B might be a good idea!

I'm so confused ... TCOYF just dropped my coverline down from 97.2 to 96.9 and then estimated ovulation for Thursday. I'm confused why it would move my coverline right now after putting it at 97.2 for most of my cycle? I also am not so sure that its correct with the ovulation ... pretty sure I just ovulated yesterday. We'll see what my phone app says though I guess... maybe I really do need to be using OPKs. :dohh:

Think I might switch to taking my temp vaginally next cycle, just to see if my charts are more stable.


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## duckduckgoose

Sounds like we are all having some woopsies this month! I might take the plan b katerdid despite how much I detest it! I'm so sensitive to hormones, and it really messed me up when I took it. I'm afraid I'm too late to take it since I may have already ovulated :dohh: I will know more tomorrow, although I've done such a crap job with my chart this month it's not going to be able to pinpoint ov anyway :dohh: my oh even said wouldn't it be ironic if you got preg right now since we are having such a rough go of it. He really messed up and I ended up staying with my parents for a while and lost track of my chart until I realized we had sex on cd 12 :dohh: this may be a nail biter for a few of us... Where oh where is the "oh shit" smiley???


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## duckduckgoose

Third high temp! FF has put my ov at cd 13 :dohh: it's going to be a long two weeks. Why when I'm under so much stress did my body decide to ovulate 6 days early?!


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## aley28

:hugs: duck - I sure hope you're in the clear this month! Our crazy bodies... :wacko:

I'm on day 2 of a higher temp, TCOYF says I ovulated on Thursday but I don't believe it. I'm thinking about overriding it. I'm pretty sure I ovulated on CD33 ... such a long cycle!!


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## duckduckgoose

Thanks Aley :hugs: It's far from ideal, but I will be okay no matter what happens. It's just so crazy to me that I ovulated so early during the most stressful cycle I've had! I shouldn't have taken such chances, but my emotions got the better of me during some make up sessions and I wasn't paying enough attention to what cd I was on. 

I looked at your chart Aley, but I'm not really sure :shrug: how long is your typical lp? Maybe you can wait and then count back? Ive done that before when I was questioning my o date. I guess it doesn't really help though if you are wondering what day to test though...


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## aley28

I've only had three cycles since tracking... the first one was exactly 14 days from last day of EWCM (wasn't tracking BBT) to AF... second one was 18 days, last one was 11 days. :haha: Still waiting on my phone app to pinpoint ovulation... will cross reference them, I guess! :shrug:


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## katerdid

Second higher temp today. So off I went to the pharmacy and got myself plan b. Joy. It's like buying condoms only more embarrassing. And more expensive! $43! Geeeesh. 
I really hope I don't have side effects, my friends said it made her super sick for a day or so. And I have to work tonight! 

Yikes, these next two Weeks will suck for you guys! (me too,ugh). Fingers crossed you get lucky and had dumb sperm!


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## duckduckgoose

Dumb sperm :haha:

I hope you don't have any side effects from the plan b katerdid!


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## puppymom

Katerdid, I haven't been following this section as closely as I used to, so forgive me if I missed something, but is there a reason you're not using any form of protection if you're just getting used to FAM and not interested in having any other children at this time? Plan B can really mess with your body and throw things out of whack.


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## katerdid

puppymom said:


> Katerdid, I haven't been following this section as closely as I used to, so forgive me if I missed something, but is there a reason you're not using any form of protection if you're just getting used to FAM and not interested in having any other children at this time?

We use condoms during fertile times. This time was a mistake. Because, believe it or not, I am human and accidents happen.


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## duckduckgoose

We are all human. I've made my share of mistakes this cycle, but I'm just going to have to take my chances since I was outside of the plan b window by the time I realized my body had ovulated 6 days early. Ive been under tremendous stress and made a human error simple as that. If i was still on the pill i probably would have forgotten to take it, my mind has been all over the place. Im not knocking FAM at all, i was the one who wasnt paying attention. I think you are being responsible by taking the plan b, katerdid, and I hope it doesn't have any bad effects for you :hugs:


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## aley28

I've had two oopsies this cycles... :blush: It happens. :shrug:

OvuView says I ovulated Wednesday (which does seem more correct to me versus last Thursday!)... right now I'm just hoping that DH deposited his baby batter ANYWHERE else. :rofl: I'm taking an HPT on next Wednesday... no way I can sit around and wait for AF to appear. :wacko: :haha:


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## katerdid

I had bad cramps that day, but am fine now. tcoyf said I ovulated the baby batter day, so I'm really glad I took it! Even if I had higher temps cuz of my cold, my cm says it all. Near disaster hopefully avoided! 

Yikes guys, I'm nervous for you!


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## duckduckgoose

Fertility friend says I should test monday the 8th since I'm 4dpo and usually have a 14/15 day lp. I don't know if I will break down and test early or not....probably :haha: I looked back and figured out i had sex 4 times between cd9-12 and ovulated on cd13 :dohh: what will be will be. Things have improved a bit with my oh so that's good :thumbup: 

Glad you are feeling fine now katerdid!


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## shudknow

It might be late but I was wondering if I can join in? :flower:


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## puppymom

People can always join :)


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## shudknow

puppymom said:


> People can always join :)

Thanks puppymom!

A little bit about me for those who dont know - I am 26 and DH is 30 and we are WTT until Jan 2014. We currently use condoms as contraception but I have decided to do some charting to help me understand my cycle better (considering I have PCOS and my cycles are irregular). 

Some of my cycles tend to be pretty ideal but some are :wacko:. For example, this one (chart link in my signature). I have had EWCM for 4 days straight but I never saw temps rise. However, since yesterday I started notcing temp rise so I am really curious when my AF is going to show up because according to FF, I havent ovulated yet!

Here's to hoping for a good ovulatory cycle :thumbup:


----------



## puppymom

shudknow said:


> puppymom said:
> 
> 
> People can always join :)
> 
> Thanks puppymom!
> 
> A little bit about me for those who dont know - I am 26 and DH is 30 and we are WTT until Jan 2014. We currently use condoms as contraception but I have decided to do some charting to help me understand my cycle better (considering I have PCOS and my cycles are irregular).
> 
> Some of my cycles tend to be pretty ideal but some are :wacko:. For example, this one (chart link in my signature). I have had EWCM for 4 days straight but I never saw temps rise. However, since yesterday I started notcing temp rise so I am really curious when my AF is going to show up because according to FF, I havent ovulated yet!
> 
> Here's to hoping for a good ovulatory cycle :thumbup:Click to expand...

If your temps stay up for 2 more days, then FF will give you an ovulation date!


----------



## aley28

I had EWCM this cycle for almost a solid week... irregular cycles are the pits! :haha:

I adjusted some of my cycle settings and finally got TCOYF to agree with my phone on when I ovulated. I'd have been OK with a day difference either way, but this is even better! I still don't understand why it was moving my coverline all over the place, but whatevs! PRAYING I see AF in about 10-12 days!! :wacko:


----------



## duckduckgoose

Welcome Shudknow :flower: glad you've joined us!

Aley, I usually get EWCM for a long time. This cycle it kinda snuck up on me :dohh: but I can usually detect is for a week or longer but I only have a lot of it for a few days. I seem to go from my period to dry for a couple days straight to EWCM? I dunno :wacko: it's always stretchy its just only tiny amounts until I get closer to O. 

I'm surprisingly relaxed given my circumstances! I guess I just can't imagine a bfp actually happening. I've always been told I will have a hard time conceiving and I've never been pregnant before (although I have never tried). I'm sure I will be obsessing in a few days, but for now I'm just trying to focus on getting my work done.


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## shudknow

duckduckgoose said:


> Welcome Shudknow :flower: glad you've joined us!

Thanks duckduckgoose (that's a great username by the way)!

Third day of rising temps and FF put the red dotted line for my O day. Curious to see when will AF visit me this time so that I come to know when did I exactly ovulate (considering my EWCM pattern). But hey no complains :thumbup: I will take this any day than an anovulatory cycle :winkwink:


----------



## duckduckgoose

Yay for crosshairs Shudknow! It's always nice to see those! :thumbup:

My temp dropped a little this morning, but since I'm only 5 dpo it probably doesn't mean anything. :wacko:


----------



## aley28

I get that too, duck ... some of my creamy CM is quite stretchy too... so I have to rub it between my fingers to decide if its EWCM or not :rofl: A mere year ago, the simple idea of that would have grossed me out... now I'm like, "Yep... this looks like vagina sneeze, but its just EWCM. :thumbup:" *washes hands* :haha:

I'm going back and forth between thinking I'm pregnant and being convinced that there's no way. I mean, I really don't remember how our sex ended on Saturday... but at the same time, I'm already trying to figure out how to tell my husband that I'm pregnant, because I don't think he'd be pleased. LOL Why am I stressing about that, 4DPO?! :roll: :dohh: But if I am - its as much his fault as mine! Right?!? :haha:

(Then again - seriously - it took us nine months of trying to get pregnant last time. Its just so unlikely. :wacko:)


----------



## duckduckgoose

So Aley are you thinking you ovulated on Monday like your chart is indicating now? It seems I ovulated on Sunday so we are very close if so! I don't feel like I have a chance, but since this is the first time in my life that I have had unprotected sex during my fertile days, I really have no idea :shrug: I am 6dpo and trying not to obsess. I always get some "preg" symptoms during my lp, so I'm just going to have to wait for AF!


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## aley28

Yeah... I'm pretty sure it was Monday, so I'm 5 DPO. I feel some pretty intense PMS coming on already... could be a long 5-6 more days until I can take a HPT! No way I can sit around and wait for AF this cycle... I'm too nervous! lol!


----------



## duckduckgoose

I will prob test too Aley! I keep going back and forth between obsessing and being relaxed about everything. I've taken my temp multiple times in the last couple days, and then earlier I was thinking of stopping temping until I get to 12 dpo to keep myself from over analyzing, but I don't think I can stop myself. I'm trying not to take over the thread talking about this, since I know it is a TTA thread... Please stop me if I'm making anyone uncomfortable....


----------



## katerdid

I wonder if any one has charted when they took plan b? I'm curious to see what it does to temps. Mine shot up then now are back down below cover line. But cm is completely gone. 

How many dpo are you now goose? Are you testing today?


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## duckduckgoose

I've never charted with plan b katerdid, so I'm not sure about what's normal at all!

I'm just 8 dpo today. I have a 14/15 day lp, so I'm going to try and wait until at least 12 dpo to test. That will be Friday. FF says wait until next Monday, but I doubt I can wait that long!


----------



## aley28

Any side effects from the Plan B, kater?

I'm going to try to wait until Friday to test as well, duck ... not sure if I'll last that long or not, but I'm going to TRY! :haha:


----------



## katerdid

I've been pretty crampy lately, but that's about it. Had some funny food cravings but I chalk that to the end of the groceries lol. 

Friday isn't to bad, but it's going to go slowly for you guys :( damn two week wait. But at least Mondays almost done another day over!


----------



## duckduckgoose

9dpo and my temp is exactly the same at 9dpo as it has been for the last couple cycles. My chart doesnt seem to be doing anything strange this cycle. I'm pretty sure I'll end up with a bfn. I still kinda want to get some cheap tests just to keep me entertained during this wait :haha:


----------



## sausages

Hiya guys! Sorry i've not been around. Not much been happening really. 

Welcome Shudknow! :)

I had a bit of an oops last month too due to alcohol consumption making for a drunken DH. lol! Turns out the oops was a whole 7+ days before O, which was lucky, because if my cycle had been a normal length it would have been like a day or two before O. Huzzah for a random longer cycle!! Didn't stop me testing like chuff and seeing lines on everything though! Good fun! 

I think i am ovulating tomorrow, if i guess correctly. I've had my EWCM and i've just had a tweak of a nipple and they're not sore yet. So i'm guessing it will be tomorrow anyway. Or the next day. 

Circumstances mean that i CANNOT get pregnant until after February now at least, so even though we've been a bit slack up to now i have to be more careful. Plus, i am on an ongoing treatment for thrush. I keep on friggen getting it once or twice a month, so i've started taking probiotics and the doctor prescribed me flucanozole to take every two weeks. URGH!!! So no chance of an oops this cycle due to not having done it for ages due to itchy vag. Yuk! 

How is everyone else? I noted some oopses - some exciting, some not. :) Hope you all get the result you want! I am intrigued to see how the chart on plan B works out!! I've only ever had the morning after pill once a very long time ago. Can't remember what it did to me in terms of side effects... Can't have been too bad if i can't remember.


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## aley28

Hey sausages! Was wondering if you moved to the pregnancy boards :rofl: :winkwink: UGH at the thrush, I hope it clears up and goes away permanently for you. I used to get frequent yeast infections (prior to first baby) and was about ready to find a drastic measure to go to to make sure it stopped... NOTHING worse than being itchy down there! I feel for you! LOL though at least you can't oopsie it this cycle... I guess it has its perks??? :shrug: I treated a sudden and bad yeast infection at the end of my last pregnancy with white vinegar :rofl: It was so horrible, I couldn't wait until the weekend was over to get ahold of my doctor for a medicine, so I squirted some white vinegar up there. Burned a little for a few seconds, but the infection was gone almost immediately :rofl: I think next time I would use lemon juice though...

I'm having bad PMS again this cycle. Last cycle was really good, this cycle is not. Its not helping my pregnancy worries... a few of my BNB buddies have said they got really bad PMS the cycle they got pregnant. :haha: :dohh: I'll probably be testing on Thursday... not sure I can make it to Friday :rofl: SO ANXIOUS!


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## duckduckgoose

I picked up 4 dollar store tests today :blush: :doh: I don't think they are all that sensitive but I'm going to start the POAS routine in the morning :haha: I really should wait but oh well!

Hi sausages! I'm not sure which type you are on, but just a heads up that some probiotics can actually cause yeast infections!!! It even happened to my male dog! (random i know) As soon as I took him of the doggie probiotics he cleared right up. I took him off when I remembered the guy at the health food store telling me about how certain ones have sugars and the yeast grows on the sugars I believe. Anyway, I had my dog on two rounds of antibiotics before I realized it was a yeast infection and what was causing it :doh:

Blah why is the time passing so slow?! I'm highly doubt I'm preg, but I just want to know for sure so I can stop obsessing! I have other things to think about!! :haha:


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## duckduckgoose

10 dpo BFN!


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## aley28

:haha: The POAS routine... love it!

Woohoo for a BFN today! That's a good sign, right?


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## duckduckgoose

I mean I know it's probably too early to know anything, but it gave me something to do instead of just waiting. I'm pretty sure it will stay negative. I'm pms-ing and bitchy as anything! :grr:


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## aley28

I've been told in my parenting journal that PMSing hardcore is a common sign of pregnancy!! :dohh: LOL I've had it bad this cycle too, so naturally, that made me really worried!! Although - of course - I'd be totally happy with a BFP. Its not ideal, but what can ya do? :haha:

I'm still going to try to wait until Friday to test, but if I'm too anxious tomorrow morning, at least I'll know its OK!


----------



## duckduckgoose

I think that's why I'm okay with testing early. I'm happy with a negative, since the timing/situation is far from ideal. However, I'm sure another part of me would be very excited with a bfp. So, either result I'm kinda okay with. However, I might totally freak if I actually got a bfp :haha: but id still be happy :dohh: my emotions are so confused!


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## aley28

LOL That's how I feel too!! A BFN will be like a huuuge sigh of relief. But a BFP -- ahh -- I love me some pregnancy and baby!! I WANT it, but the timing is just off!! But these things have a way of working out in the end. :thumbup:


----------



## duckduckgoose

Ack! I feel like I'm losing my mind! I'm tired but my brain is too far in overdrive but I can't focus on anything important!!!!!!! I have midterms coming up and so much to do!! I feel a bit nauseous but I have all cycle, but at the same time I'm kinda hungry. I'm like :coffee: :book: :sleep: :sick: :munch: :sleep: :hissy: :gun: :sleep: :brat: :wacko:


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## duckduckgoose

My back is absolutely killing me!!! But I know I need to go to the chiropractor :haha: symptom spotting at its finest!!!


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## aley28

:haha::haha:

:bfn: for me this morning! :thumbup: Relief!


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## duckduckgoose

Phew :thumbup: I'm sure you are relieved!

I had another bfn. I think it was an evap? Or something weird? I could see where the line should be, but it had absolutely no color! It came up within the time frame, but the lack of color says BFN for me! I will continue with my dollar store tests tomorrow. After that I have 2 frer tests at my place. My temps look the same as always though, so it seems I'm in the clear. Things are still bumpy with oh, so at least I'm hoping I'm in the clear! He's not stressed about it at all though?! Men are so strange!


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## aley28

I didn't even tell my DH that we were in a two week wait. :rofl:


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## duckduckgoose

:haha: it's probably easier that they dont know, but since FF rated my chances as "good" :dohh: I let him know as soon as I realized I had ovulated early!


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## katerdid

That's great that you are getting bfn :) breathe a little easier now, eh?

My "period" started. Its not like a normal one, its lighter and, tmi, really dark in color. and for some reason tcoyf isn't making it be the start of a new cycle. Gotta love screwing up your body with random hormones lol.


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## aley28

Haha - I probably should have been more honest with my DH regarding our oopsie sex - he isn't even aware that there WAS any oopsie sex! :rofl: I mean, obviously, he knows that we had sex - but he probably thinks that it was protected. One of the downsides of being in control of the contraception, I suppose! I didn't want to worry him though - and I don't want him to distrust me and think that I never use protection, because I've been very good about making sure everything is in place before we get busy. :haha: Two oopsies in one month looks bad, but those are the only two that we've had since July!

Kater - weird that TCOYF isn't starting a new cycle for you?! :shrug: Might have to go in and do a cycle override or something. I hope the period isn't too weird for you ... but it must be reassuring to know that the Plan B worked. :)


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## sarahfh

Hi ladies, I don't come on here much as I have pretty much got the hang of things now but I have a question today that I need help with. So my normal LP is 14 days, yesterday morning (12dpo) I had literally one spot of bright red blood when I wiped then nothing all day other than a headache. Today I woke up and have light to medium bleeding and cramps despite my temperature being up higher than normal yesterday. 

I don't even know how to word my question, just, what the heck?! Can your LP do that, go 2 days shorter randomly? Or should I be concerned something odd is going on? I'm having an investigative laparoscopy on the 5th November to look for endometriosis btw


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## Lownthwaite

Popping in for a nosey.......DH and I have decided to go down the FAM route! :thumbup: I'm a total novice and haven't got a clue! :haha::dohh: 

I've downloaded an app on my phone and I'm quite good at checking cm as a habit since I was pregnant with my DD but I'm just really confused this cycle. (One of the main reasons i've decided to come off my hormonal contraception). I was on the patch and have decided to not go back on it on Saturday when I'm due to resume it after a period. 

I've been having weird brown discharge since the 1st October and I'm not sure if I'm to count that as a period / CD1 or not?! :shrug::wacko:

I'm having more of a red period type flow now so do I count from today?

We would be ok with an oops - to be honest DH would be overjoyed! - but I'd like to hold off on a pregnancy till at least April if we can. :thumbup:

Any advice appreciated! :hugs:


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## aley28

Sarahfh - One wipe of blood and then nothing would be more like spotting IMO, and doesn't count as the first day of your period, so would still fall into your LP. Having your LP fluctuate by 1 day is a bit more common, and if you have endometriosis, I wonder if that has a play in it? I don't know anything about how endometriosis affects your cycle though, so that's just speculation. :flower: Is it possible that you're pregnant or sick? Either of those would explain the higher temps! Or you could still just be waiting for it to dip back down :)

@Lownthwaite - I would count from he start of the period-like flow - the brownish discharge I would count as spotting :thumbup:
Welcome to charting though - I love it! I learn so much about my body and it even helps me to understand my moods. :thumbup: I'm sure you'll be able to avoid until at least April - are you using a barrier method?


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## sarahfh

Today is full on AF so that made my LP 12 days rather than my usual 14 which confused me. I've been charting since January and not had it happen before so found it odd. I guess part of my temperature being up could be related to waking up too warm but I don't know. Guess I'm just having an odd cycle. Hopefully they don't stay this way though, can't be doing with a 24 day cycle when my period last 6-8 days!


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## Lownthwaite

aley28 said:


> @Lownthwaite - I would count from he start of the period-like flow - the brownish discharge I would count as spotting :thumbup:
> Welcome to charting though - I love it! I learn so much about my body and it even helps me to understand my moods. :thumbup: I'm sure you'll be able to avoid until at least April - are you using a barrier method?

We've decided to just not DTD during my fertile time and then go with the flow the rest of the month :flower:

Is there anyone else on here that does that?

I'm just hoping I can get to grips with my cycle quickly! I used to be regular as clockwork before I introduced these stupid hormones! :cry:


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## sausages

Hey all. Nothing doing here. Just wanted to pop in and say hi. When you're not actually TTC and there is zero chance of a pregnancy due to lack of sex... The 2ww is pretty boring. :D

Also, my weight chart says i am 300lbs+ on FF. Weird. I am actually 140 and i have no idea why it's added those extra _couple _of lbs on!!! ETA: i have deleted the weird data. Annoying cause i wanted to know what i used to weigh and i forgot, but meh.


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## aley28

:haha: Sausages ... I totally agree. Its just a bit of whiling away the time until AF starts! Which - if you're not ready for a pregnancy, I guess that's the way you want it to be :thumbup:

Nothing too interesting going on here either ... AF is on the way out I think, been a pretty light period so far, though way more cramps than usual. :shrug: Can't have it all I guess!! :haha:

Since I have such long cycles and haven't ovulated before CD20 so far, is it a totally horrible idea to not use protection until CD12 or so? Then use it through until ovulation is confirmed, of course... I don't bother with it after ovulation.


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## duckduckgoose

:haha: you do remember that's what got me into this mess? Don't usually ovulate until cd 19 and then it jumped to cd 13 this month lol :dohh: after this cycle I think I'm going to follow the rules more carefully! it might work for you better than me though :haha:

My temp has dropped, and I had a bit of spotting yesterday. Now just waiting on AF!


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## Becki.S

Hi everyone! 

Haven't been on in a while been having a bit of an emotional rollercoaster due u/s results but finally being referred to a gyne! 

So if any of u want a laugh read on....

I'm sure some of u have seen me write about my problem of falling asleep with thermometer in my mouth?
Well happened again this morning... Woke up to a crunch... I bit my thermometer in my sleep and broke it! Doh! 
Not the best thing at 6.30am to have broken glass in ur mouth!
Sooo deffo need to buy a new thermometer and am going to get a digital one so I don't have to wait 5 minutes and then fall asleep!

On another note it's really annoying as I'm 95% sure I ovulated 2 days ago but needed today's temp to confirm! 

I've been looking on eBay for a new thermometer can any of u lovely ladies recommend one? 

Hope ur all well

Becki x


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## puppymom

Yikes, Becki! I'd be worried about the mercury in the thermometer, as it's not good for you.

I just got my thermometer at a local drug store - actually, I have two. They're nothing fancy!


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## Becki.S

Yea I called NHS direct for advice as I wasn't sure if I had swallowed any mercury or not (I just went back to sleep hehehe) and they said I would be fine as wasn't having any weird symptoms or anything!
I can't seem to find any at local chemists or anything around here when I was trying to get my first one (and been hunting for a digi since) they don't seem to know what I'm talking about and either offer me a normal one or a monitor! So frustrating!
I've ordered one from amazon which should be here for Saturday so will miss 3 temps for this cycle, but my boobs are killing me so I know I've ovulated!

I really wasn't impressed with scooping out broken glass from my mouth at 6:30 this morning! I'm just such a heavy sleeper and fall asleep so easily it makes temping hard!

Need to share my excitement for ovulating on CD14 for the first time since ectopic though!!! woop! Think it may have something to do with my cyst bursting last cycle! I know u ladies are the only ones other than DH (who tries his best) that will share my excitement! Lol

Becki x


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## puppymom

That's exciting, Becki - my cycles are off due to my PCOS... last one had to be ended with progesterone and it's looking like this one might have to be as well. 

Glad there was no concern for the mercury. My digi was just a plain one, not a BBT, but did just fine. They take the temps the exact same way. The only difference in my regular one and the BBT that I picked up later (didn't have one and was away) is that one goes from F to C, and the other must measures in C. Glad you have one on the way though!


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## aley28

I just use the $10 thermometer from Walmart lol ... does just fine. I'm too scared to use a glass one! Not even sure where you can get those around here anyway :haha: The digital ones should take a read in about a minute :thumbup:


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## katerdid

I use a $8 one from Meijer lol. Works well enough! 

So CD 10 and aunt flo continues...so fed up! never doing this to myself again. And my temps are all over the place, not sure if it's cuz it's getting really cold on some nights and I'm under more blankets or what.


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## aley28

OMG ... still bleeding, kater?!? Is this a normal thing from the plan b? :shock: I hope it ends soon!

My temps tend to be pretty stable no matter how hot/cold the bedroom is or if I use a blanket or not. :shrug:


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## Becki.S

Yea I'm in the uk the only thermometer I could find not on the net was a glass one and that was an old independent pharmacy, charting doesn't seem very common round here!
When I bought it I was already cd8 and just had rubbish info from GP so was determined to get one THAT day rather than waiting to prove them wrong! (I'm rather impatient) so coulnt wait to order one!
Thanks for the recommendations ladies let's hope the one I've ordered is ok! Was only £5 from amazon and should be here tomorrow morning... 

Kater- I took "plan b" years ago and if Im remembering correctly my AF was a bit strange longer and the flow would get lighter then heavier etc it should only affect this cycle though...

Becki x


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## duckduckgoose

My period has been so light since coming off the pill. Anyone experienced this or have any idea why it's happening? I'm getting like two days medium bleeding and a few days of spotting. I've always had 6-7 days of bleeding before this! Even when I came off the pill the first time 7 years ago. Is my lining not getting thick enough? Progesterone too low? I asked my dr., but he just said to enjoy it while it's like this?!


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## puppymom

Mine is like that too, came off the pill a year ago. I don't know why, but haven't asked about it much because it seems to be quite common. I do have PCOS though, but don't think it's related at all.


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## Becki.S

I came off the pill a year ago aswell and since then my period has gone down to 3 days at most with brown cm (tmi sorry) for a couple of days after whereas before it was always a full 5 days flow. But I had an ectopic at the same time as coming off the pill, a cyst developed at some point and been told my left ovary "looks" polycystic so really not sure what the change is related to...

Becki x


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## aley28

I say just enjoy it, Becki! Its probably hormonal somehow :haha:


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## duckduckgoose

I'm going back to see my Obgyn soon. I think I will ask for some bloodwork and maybe an ultrasound. I've had pcos questioned in the past, but they currently don't think that is the right diagnosis but they've never done much investigation either way.


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## Becki.S

I've been referred to a gyne (just waiting on an appt) because of concerns as my good ovary has the damage tube and good tube the polycystic looking ovary! So will ask about this, will let u know what they say duckduckgoose might help with ur own investigation! 

Becki x


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## shudknow

My last couple of periods have been shorter too..Normally I would bleed for 5 days with day 4 and 5 being light but since couple of months, specially this last one, I bled heavily just for two days and since day3 to almost day 6 it was light and spotty. My ob/gyn suggested to get a diagnostic lap done for ruling out endo for my painful heavy first two days. I am still thinking about this one....

On another note, did any of you experience lower BBTs because of weather changes? I live in the NW USA and the weather has changed from sunny to rainy and cold. I noticed that this cycle I have touched 97.0F which feels so low for me. Is it the weather causing such differences in my temps?


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## sausages

Well i have no idea what's happened this month! Do you you think maybe my O date is wrong on my chart? I usually only have a 12 day LP, but i am on day 15 with only spotting so far!!! Strange! (deffo not preggo - no sexy times this month!)


----------



## Lownthwaite

Hi ladies, 

Well tomorrow is day 7 of temping :thumbup:

Seems to be going ok - currently avoiding DTD as FF says I'm fertile. :haha:

I think so far it's going well. :shrug::wacko::haha:


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## aley28

Sausages - I think it looks like you ovulated 3 days later than your chart says, on CD16 instead of CD13. :shrug:

I'm having all sorts of pregnancy symptoms, which is soooo weird, because I'm not pregnant. :haha: I think they're just symptoms of being ill with a cold, but they're eerily like early preggo symptoms. Yuck!

I decided to push it this cycle and haven't used protection yet. Will be using it the next time we DTD, but I figured we were safe up to CD10. Sex is just much easier when I don't have to plan ahead!! :haha:


----------



## duckduckgoose

Glad it's going well lownthwaite! My temps are really weird. My morning temps that I record have been a bit low, however, during the day when I check my temps are in my day time post o range. Okay so I'm crazy and take my temp multiple times a day. Pre o my highest day time temp has been 98.17, but this cycle I'm running way above that during the day even though I'm having low morning temps. I'm usually able to tell whether I've od just by the range my day temps are in. Maybe it has to do with the seasonal change :shrug: I took another test just to be sure and it was neg!


----------



## aley28

Duck - I don't see the point in checking your temp throughout the day? Isn't it going to vary just by how much you've been moving, if you've eaten, if you're outside/inside, etc? I guess it just hasn't occurred to me to check my temperature after getting up unless I think I have a fever :haha: I do obsessively take a swipe of CM after every time I pee though! :haha: Which is a waste of effort really - checking it once in the morning and one before bed would probably tell me everything I needed to know - and up to this point, I almost never have different CM between morning and night anyway


----------



## duckduckgoose

Yup I understand there really isn't a point and u aren't supposed to, but I do it anyway :haha: what I discovered was that I have always had certain ranges during the day that depended on whether I was post or pre o. 97.5-98.17 pre ovulation and 98.34-99.17 post ovulation. Obviously if I worked out or sat in the sun for awhile I wouldn't count that. It's always worked for me until this cycle :shrug: I don't put much thought into it, but it has always coresponded with my cycle so I kinda used it as a double check. I only pay attention to EWCM, but I find myself taking my temp multiple times a day :haha:


----------



## CMarie

Can I join you ladies? :flower:

I've been really flaky on charting, but I really want to give it a go this cycle (just started AF on the 17th) and I'm actually pretty excited about it! I'll also be using tcoyf.com . . loved loved LOVED the book!!


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## duckduckgoose

Welcome!! :flower:


----------



## Lownthwaite

Oooops!!! :wacko:

I was that tierd this morning I remember my alarm going off at 06:30 as normal - I took my temperature, checked it ............... then instead of noting if down on FF as normal I just fell back to sleep!! :dohh:

Then got up later than normal and had to rush off to work! 

What do I do since I missed temping for a day? Guess? Leave it blank? :shrug:


----------



## duckduckgoose

Does your thermometer save your temp? Usually if I press the button again it will flash my previous temp for a quick second. Where are you in your cycle? The only time missing a temp really affects my chart is right around ovulation. Personally, I would just leave it blank and then see what happens in a few days. :flower:


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## Lownthwaite

duckduckgoose said:


> Does your thermometer save your temp? Usually if I press the button again it will flash my previous temp for a quick second. Where are you in your cycle? The only time missing a temp really affects my chart is right around ovulation. Personally, I would just leave it blank and then see what happens in a few days. :flower:

It does save it but apparently it was the same this morning as it was yesterday morning. :wacko: Maybe I dreamt I took it this morning?!?! :wacko::shrug::dohh:

According to my chart my prediced ovulation day is tomorrow but I don't think this is right as I'm not having any signs of ovulation type CM. :nope: :wacko:


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## puppymom

I often have 2 days of the same temperature -- I'd just put it in.


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## Lownthwaite

puppymom said:


> I often have 2 days of the same temperature -- I'd just put it in.

Will do - ta :thumbup::hugs:


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## duckduckgoose

I agree! I had the same temp today as I did yesterday. Happens a lot. You should be good! :thumbup:


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## aley28

Leaving a blank spot in your chart isn't a huge deal either - I just aim to miss as few temps as possible! :thumbup: And really - if I know I'm nowhere near ovulation, or if I know I'm past it, I usually just enter in a repeat number from the day before. Just because it makes my chart look prettier :rofl: :blush:


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## Lownthwaite

Ok ladies - I need help again!! :wacko:

My chart was telling me I ovulated on the 19th (CD13).

All seemed fine and was inline with my cm. 

Until this morning - I've put my temperature in and my chart has totally changed and it's now telling me I ovulated on the 25th (CD19)

I'm so confused?!?! :wacko:


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## duckduckgoose

Do you have a link to your chart?


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## aley28

Link to your chart, Lown?

I've had to adjust individual cycle preferences... or you can do an override and put ovulation back to when you think it happened! :flower:


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## Lownthwaite

duckduckgoose said:


> Do you have a link to your chart?

https://www.fertilityfriend.com/ttc/index.php

Hope this works! :wacko:


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## duckduckgoose

Hmmm no that takes me to my own chart... I think you need the link with your specific chart number in it?


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## Lownthwaite

https://www.fertilityfriend.com/ttc/chartgraph_module.php?d=2012-10-25&mode=a&ts=1351507248&u=



This might work :shrug:


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## Lownthwaite

Lownthwaite said:


> https://www.fertilityfriend.com/ttc/chartgraph_module.php?d=2012-10-25&mode=a&ts=1351507248&u=
> 
> 
> 
> This might work :shrug:

Or not :dohh:

Maybe this.........
 



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## duckduckgoose

I know you cm doesnt match, but just by your temps I agree with FF on cd 19. My first month off hormonal contraception my cm wasn't as abundant, maybe that's what's going on :shrug: I'm kinda shocked FF gave you crosshairs for cd 13, as it doesn't seem like enough of a temp rise to me, despite your fertile cm.


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## Lownthwaite

duckduckgoose said:


> I know you cm doesnt match, but just by your temps I agree with FF on cd 19. My first month off hormonal contraception my cm wasn't as abundant, maybe that's what's going on :shrug: I'm kinda shocked FF gave you crosshairs for cd 13, as it doesn't seem like enough of a temp rise to me, despite your fertile cm.

I'm very confused :haha:

Hopefully next cycle will make things seem clearer! Roll on AF! :wacko:


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## aley28

I agree with duck -- CD19 looks more likely than CD13! :flower: I've had that happen too -- temp rise without EWCM/EWCM ending several days before the temp rise. :shrug: Hopefully next cycle makes more sense :haha:


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## Lownthwaite

aley28 said:


> I agree with duck -- CD19 looks more likely than CD13! :flower: I've had that happen too -- temp rise without EWCM/EWCM ending several days before the temp rise. :shrug: Hopefully next cycle makes more sense :haha:

I hope so! :dohh:

Although looks like we avoiding DTD when we "thought" I was ovulating and then thought we were in the clear so have ended up DTD a few times when I was actually fertile as I thought we were safe and past ovulation! :dohh::wacko:

Oh dear! :dohh:


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## aley28

:haha: Uh oh! I hope it works out for you though - unexpected 2wws suuuuuuck!


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## Lownthwaite

aley28 said:


> :haha: Uh oh! I hope it works out for you though - unexpected 2wws suuuuuuck!

Should be ok - I've been getting DH to pull out since I'm not totally clued up on this charting malarky yet - so should be ok. If not hello 1st tri! :haha::dohh:


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## aley28

Alright... My phone app says I ovulated Nov 1 and TCOYF says I ovulated on the 31st. I never got a ton of EWCM like I usually do, so I thought I was still waiting to ovulate. And even though they both say I'm past ovulation, I'm worried that I'm not. LOL Although - being 5-6DPO WOULD definitely explain why I'm crying about the election :rofl:

...just in case though, I think I'll use protection until AF arrives anyway. My temps just don't really seem to reflect O as much as they usually do.:shrug:


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## Lownthwaite

aley28 said:


> Alright... My phone app says I ovulated Nov 1 and TCOYF says I ovulated on the 31st. I never got a ton of EWCM like I usually do, so I thought I was still waiting to ovulate. And even though they both say I'm past ovulation, I'm worried that I'm not. LOL Although - being 5-6DPO WOULD definitely explain why I'm crying about the election :rofl:
> 
> ...just in case though, I think I'll use protection until AF arrives anyway. My temps just don't really seem to reflect O as much as they usually do.:shrug:

Wise choice :winkwink: It's very confusing this charting malarky till you get the hang of it! :wacko:

I think my AF is on her way so no need for a trip to 1st tri! :haha::dohh:


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