Charting

[Angel022605]

Hi everyone!
I've heard a lot of people say you should Chart to predict fertility. I know you chart your BBT. How and when do you chart your BBT? Today(5-10) is my CD1 and DH and I have just started trying for our first. I know you chart you CM. How and when do you start that? I've heard you don't check your CM everyday because it can irritate your cervix and vagina. Also do you chart CP? I've heard it's not real accurate in determining fertility. I wanna use OPKs, Primrose, etc as a last option. Also while checking your BBT I've heard you can't move. I was planning on putting the thermometer in the window seal above our bed where I wouldn't have to get out of bed,I would just have to sit up a little grab it. Any suggestions would be great!



Thanks.

 

[Loo89]

Following this because I'm going to start temping next cycle & I'm interested to hear the tips too

 

[BeachyFeelin]

If you haven't already, sign up at fertilityfriend.com

My chart is in my signature if you want to check it out. FF is talked about a lot on here and one of the main ways women chart their BBT, amongst other things.

You are supposed to temp at the same time every day before getting out of bed and after at least 3 solid hours of sleep. However....I do have to note that I'm a restless sleeper, often waking up a couple hours before temping and tossing and turning. I still see a clear shift in temps and can pin point ovulation just fine. So don't stress yourself out too much there.

Do not temp throughout the day to compare. I know this sounds like a given but I've seen women on here drive themselves insane comparing temps throughout the day. The only temp that matters for TTC is the one you take first thing in the AM.

I wouldn't suggest putting the thermometer in the window sill, it should be stored at room temperature. So put it on your night stand if you can.

For your CP...some women check on a regular basis, you don't have to. I only really check mine a few times each cycle, but mostly around ovulation so I can record it when it's in SHOW (soft, high, open, wet). I suggest not checking after ovulation, or at least not taking it too seriously after since it can move around quite a bit and every women is different. It's not a reliable tool for checking if you are pregnant or not.

Same goes for CM.....I think it's more important to check cm before ovulation, and I do check after but that's just because I want to have a reference to look back and know "ok I got this last time so it's normal." But like your CP every women's cm can be different and follow a different pattern. You can check cm as often as you want, and always record the most fertile cm you get. So if you had creamy cm in the morning but it turned watery by the afternoon, record watery for that day.

All in all...check out FF and watch all their tutorials...that site is awesome and can probably give you all the information about charting that you will need!

 

[Angel022605]

Ty for your feedback.. Unfortunately I don't have a nightstand nor have room for one...the closest thing I have besides the window sill is a dresser and I would have to get up to reach it... If I place it under the pillow I'm afraid I might lose it... I can place it in a safe place in the floor though... :/ also when do you start temping, cd 1 or as soon as AF is gone?

 

[Angel022605]

I will help you best I can and let you know what I find

 

[BeachyFeelin]

Under the pillow I would think us the better option then. But it's up to you and what works best.

You can start at CD1 or after AF...I started mid cycle because that's just when I got my thermometer...

 

[DBZ34]

Hi everyone!
I've heard a lot of people say you should Chart to predict fertility. I know you chart your BBT. How and when do you chart your BBT? Today(5-10) is my CD1 and DH and I have just started trying for our first. I know you chart you CM. How and when do you start that? I've heard you don't check your CM everyday because it can irritate your cervix and vagina. Also do you chart CP? I've heard it's not real accurate in determining fertility. I wanna use OPKs, Primrose, etc as a last option. Also while checking your BBT I've heard you can't move. I was planning on putting the thermometer in the window seal above our bed where I wouldn't have to get out of bed,I would just have to sit up a little grab it. Any suggestions would be great!



Thanks.

I keep my BBT under my pillow, so I can keep track of it, but my alarm clock is across the room. So, I go turn off my alarm, get back in bed and do my temp. It actually doesn't have much of an effect on my temps. I still have a fairly normal range of temps, the pattern is consistent over the many months I've charted and it almost always detects my ovulation correctly. So don't worry if you decide to not keep it under your pillow. A little movement isn't the end of the world. But don't get up and do other stuff...that can throw off your temps for sure.

Start temping as soon as you can in your cycle (CD1 or 2, is best), until you get an idea of when you ovulate. The early temps in your cycle can help Fertility Friend determine where your coverline should be...which becomes important later in your cycle.

Temp every day at around the same time. When you ovulate, you will see a temperature rise by at least .3 degrees over the next three days. Once you have a clear and consistent temp shift, you will know that you have ovulated. After three days, FF will give you crosshairs to mark when you have ovulated and the coverline.

During your LP (luteal phase) your temps should stay above the coverline, but there can be dips below it. An early dip around 3-4DPO is a hormonal fallback rise and is nothing to worry about. A dip around 7-10 DPO ccan be an implantation dip (but some women don't get implantation dips, even though they have an egg implant, and some women get a dip every month without implantation...so take it with a grain of salt). A dip at the end of your luteal phase is a signal that AF is right around the corner.

Some women have their chart go triphasic when they get pregnant. They have lower temps at the beginning of the cycle, a temp rise around ovulation, and then after an egg implants, they get another temp rise (three temp levels=triphasic). A triphasic chart is a fairly good indicator of pregnancy, so if FF tells you your chart is triphasic, it might be time to break out the tests.

Good luck!!

 

[Angel022605]

Ty

 

[Angel022605]

Ty.. I will keep everyone posted but have another question... AF was actually due yesterday but I actually just spotted thinking she was gonna show her ugly face... I've never spotted before AF and today is cd 30 of 27-29 cycle.. As far as I can remember I've never had a cycle beyond 29 days...just incase she shows her ugly face I'm using a thin pad...any other tips would be great.... Ty for the advice... Oh and if this is truly the beginning of a TWW how do you keep from worrying too much and obsessing over it?