Ntnp and charting? Oxymoron?

[Reidfidleir]

Soooo I was on here because I thought I might have conceived but now I'm 90% sure af is coming Monday. Fine by me. I wasn't really wanting to be pregnant right now. I mean I feel physically ready but not quite as far as finances and I want my first baby to be at least 2 when the second is born.

In any case I have been charting my cycles for the last 3.5/4 years. I was charting when I got pregnant-an oops.
For the next time I really really am looking forward to ntnp. I can't wait to just "have fun" without worrying or actively preventing.
I guess my question is, is charting viewed as more ttc?
Charting would help me to know if I was ovulating or not. Although cm and other symptoms can help me to know too.
I was thinking of starting in April and if nothing happens then really start tryig around July or September.

What are your girls opinions? And experiences are definitely more than welcome!!! What have you done? What works and what doesn't? What would you do differently? Thanks sooo much!

 

[MoldyVoldy]

in my opinion there isn't ONE way to define NTNP.

for example, some people may say that if you know when you ovulate your TTC and not NTNP...

in MY case, i don't "chart" per se but i DO check my CM and CP so obviously i know when i ovulate etc...i don't do this to better my chances at getting pg but rather because DH and i use the withdrawal method as our sole BC so i need to be more in tune with my body's fertility signs.

 

[mel28nicole]

I think charting gives you the mind set of "oh man I'm ovulating, let's get it on!" What I view as NTNP is just doing as you please, whenever you want to, not thinking about getting pregnant or worrying about it. I think it's easier to keep your mind at ease. If I was trying to chart, I would see myself as getting into routine and getting disappointed when AF arrives. I would be like "well I did the deed right around ovulation, I SHOULD be pregnant." I think if you go about sex and not charting, it just makes everything a lot easier. I've noticed on here that a lot of people get pregnant easier when they aren't temping and taking ovulation tests and just going as they please.

My fiance is now working with the gas wells, so I don't see him as much. When we get the chance, we'll do it. The only thing I do is just keep track of my period so I have an estimate of when I'm due again. Now, my app DOES try to predict when I ovulate, but I really don't understand ovulation so I just don't bother with it lol.

 

[Amalee]

I think you can NTNP while charting. I started temping to get to know my body better, and I don't plan on stopping just because I want to get pregnant. I'm not using that info as a way to say , "Hey DH, it's time to DTD!!" I'm just doing it for my own piece of mind, and we have sex when we want to. If it doesn't happen within our first few months, then sure, we'll start timing it.

 

[Reidfidleir]

That's about how I was thinking of going about it amalee. At this point I've been charting to prevent pregnancy. Just not sure if it would be easier to throw it all out the window when it comes time.

 

[Amalee]

I tried that this past month, and it was the most frustrating thing ever. I am used to knowing where I am in my cycle, and then all of a sudden I had no idea when I could test, if I was late, or if I'd even ovulated. If it's what you do, I say keep doing it.

 

[Reidfidleir]

Yea that's what id be afraid of. Thanks for your experience!

 

[mnicole]

I think if NTNP more of a mental state, for me anyways. In my head, I know HOW STRESSFUL it has been on me actively trying. So, I am at a point where, if it happens, wonderful, if notm then that is ok too, because I am not all stressy about it. I think I am going to continue charting, as I don't think I have ovulated since my 17 week stillbirth in July. So for me, charting is a way to see the patterns my body is making during the healing process. Good luck to you!

 

[itsnowmyturn]

I'm with amalee here. I think its more about knowing when ur late etc. If ur charting but not going ooo I'm going to ovulate tomorrow let's dtd then ur not getting caught up in it. Personally I don't have a defined line between ntnp and TTC I see them both as sort of the same thing so on here I'm probably considered ntnp because my life won't revolve around dtd but in reality and when I talk to ppl Il be TTC

 

[Amalee]

It's funny, with regular, offline groups of people I'd consider myself pretty far on the trying to conceive side of things. I understand cycles, know what to look for (and when) if I'm symptom spotting, and I actually notice my cm. But on here where we have a bunch of women in the same boat, I feel like the small town, doe-eyed girl who's just visited the big city for the first time.

 

[Reidfidleir]

Yea I guess outside of here ntnp would be like I did last time. Oooops lol.
Haha that was funny amalee. I'd just be afraid of stopping charting and then not know if I'm late or not. But I will continue to chart in te meantime as it seems like my cycles are settling into a Pre baby routine now finally. (Still nursing).
I might try not charting for the first month of "ttc". And see how crazy I find myself becoming haha. I'm not a control freak honestly!!! I promise!