Can someone please explain the basics......

[brunettebimbo]

I'm new to TTC, I'm pretty useless with periods etc. Before BC my periods used to be between 28-32days. When do you class as the first day of your period? How do you do charting? Temping etc?

I only came off the pill on Sunday mid packet and my breakthrough bleed arrived last night. We plan on pretty much daily to begin with and go with the flow but if that doesn't work I want to try charting etc

Thanks in advance

 

[FarmersWife5]

They usually suggest completing your whole pack before stopping, that way you complete a whole cycle....

The first day of a cycle is when you first begin to bleed, spotting included. However I wouldn't count your breakthrough bleed, and you also stopped in the middle of a pack. Id begin counting a cycle the next time you begin to bleed.

A lot of woman recommend using Fertility Friend to chart etc.. Ive looked at it etc.. but felt as it would stress me about more charting and temping. So we have just been using OPKS and writing on calendar when I get a positive OPK and when I get AF.

hope that helps a little,

 

[Estesbaby]

Charting is pretty simple once you get the hang of it. It did kind of stress me out at first, but I love it now that I know what I'm doing. It's nice to know exactly when you ovulate so you know if your luteal phase I long enough, and so you can catch the egg. The problem with only use OPKs is that they only tell you that your body is gearing up for ovulation, your temps will actually show that you ovulated.

I read Taking Charge of Your Fertility (took me a couple days max) and she explains EVERYTHING! I definitely recommend it. To start though you can go online and print off a chart. You can actually print off the ones that are included in TCOYF and you need a thermometer, preferably a digital. You need to take your temp every morning before you do anything else, this includes talking, going to the bathroom and drinking. And you have to do it at the same time. I set an alarm for the earliest I have to get up which is 630 am and on the weekends I just go back to bed.

You can also check your cervix and cervical mucous which takes a little more practice, but is still quite simple.

Good luck to you!!

 

[babyfevers]

Hi, I would also suggest trying only every other day. Sperm quality will go down if you do it everyday. Also sperm has the ability to survive inside a woman for a few days, so doing it every other day would be more optimal for conceiving since it has some time to "replenish". This is what worked for us

 

[kalyrra]

^wss! Every other day is better! Look into the SMEP, the sperm meets egg plan. We used it, and hubby also started taking a zinc supplement to help his little swimmers. Worked for us!

 

[brunettebimbo]

Thanks girls

 

[Harley Quinn]

LOL. I just had to laugh at the title of this thread. My DH said "Uh... insert tab A into slot B." Ha!

Anyway, there's been some good advice that I'll echo, namely taking your temp at the same time every day before you do anything. I use OPK while TTC and find them useful because my cycles are irregular. It's nice to know when my body's getting ready to ovulate because then I can be sure we DTD that day.

And I agree that it would be helpful to do some reading. I've also had Taking Charge of Your Fertility recommended to me, but there were a bunch of holds on it at my library. I did find some other useful books at the public library, though!

One other tip is to lie on your back with your hips slightly elevated after DTD. Even just 10-15 minutes of lying there and letting gravity do its thing will help! Sounds silly and simple, but it seemed to work for me.

 

[brunettebimbo]

Thanks Harley. I've been sticking a folded pillow under my bum after

Ill have a look for that book. Thanks