How do you start charting

[Chembolina]

I want to start chartingbbut don't know where or how to start can some one help

 

[Margerle]

A good number of the ladies on here use Fertility Friend (I do too - I've been charting since 2002).

https://www.fertilityfriend.com/

They have an instructional course on there that will get you started, and give you more details.

But in a nutshell you can chart BBT (basal body temperature) which is the temp when your body is at complete and utter rest. This temp should be taken first thing in the morning before you even sit up in bed... a quick pop of a thermometer in your mouth for a minute, then log your temp on the chart.

During a typical cycle a woman will have increases in temperature along with hormone surges which signify that a woman has ovulated. The BBT tracks this. It might take 2-3 cycles to see your pattern so you can BD at the right time. The bad part of this type of charting is that you only know you've ovulated after the fact and it can take a couple of months to get a good feel for your cycle.

I chart CM (cervical mucous). Fertile CM starts showing up for a typical cycle when your body is entering into a fertile phase. The CM gets very slippery and watery and changes pH to encourage the little spermies to live and get to the egg. My CM has historically been very regular and coincides with other 'secondary' signs of ovulation.

You can also chart using OPKs (Ovulation predictor kits), CP (cervical position), or a mix of all these if your cycles are really funky.

My cycles have started to look a little weird - that is my CM is not showing up like it has my whole life - but I'm nearly 37 and I'm assuming my body is changing again and so I just bought a BBT thermometer and OPKs and will be doing those along with my CM checks.

There are other books out there that are really helpful - they also have a charting system. Either is good - I just like Fertility Friend cuz it was free way back when .

https://www.tcoyf.com/

I hope that helps a little - this is really something you should read about and study a little. The added time spent getting the information beforehand will help keep away the stress down the road when something weird happens with your cycle that you didn't expect. TTC can be very stressfull for lots of women - and information about your body during this time is a great help!

 

[Chembolina]

How do you don"cervical position ? Xx

 

[Margerle]

I really recommend you take Fertility Friends course on fertility... it will explain it in much more depth and clarity than me.

However, the basic premis is getting a couple of fingers inside to check the 'texture', position and the opening of the cervix. It is located in different and feels different at different times of the a woman's fertility cycle and the opening closes and opens in a similar manner.

Here is a direct link to the course on FF

https://www.fertilityfriend.com/courses/