To temp or not to temp?

[mmcrv]

I have been charting/temping for 2 years and only been trying for last 2 months. My LP has extended to being 16 days the last two cycles and I think it might be because of my stress. Charting has became too stressful for me with a little bit of jump or dip of bbt. So I was thinking maybe I should stop temping and just rely on my OPKs. Is it a good idea to still chart till I know when I Od and then stop? or should I just not chart the whole month? What say? Anyone feeling the same way?

 

[pandi77]

Well opks aren't always accurate unfortunately. You can get positive opks and not ovulate so really the only way to know for sure is by charting (or getting a scan of your ovaries

I've had stress lengthen my follicular phase but never my luteal phase. You LP is usually rather consistent give or take a day. I wish stress would lengthen my luteal phase as it would have been a month long lol.

I would keep charting hun but it's up to you. I would be more stressed out not knowing personally. I started charting because my cycles started getting longer and I kept thinking I was pregnant only to get surprised by AF every time. Many months of tears and wasted pregnancy test until I decided I wanted to know if I actually had a chance each cycle. I knew how long roughly my LP was and if my bbt dropped I had a pretty good idea AF was on her way. TTC is stressful in general but for me charting was taking more control over things and it helped. Hope whatever you decide works out either way and sending baby dust your way!

 

[mmcrv]

The thing for me is I have been charting for nearly 2 years after my doctor said I might have PCOS. I figured that I O anywhere from CD 12 to CD 17. Charting has helped me a lot, like you said it warns me when AF is going to come. But I stared with charting and not with trying for a baby. So I don't know the stress of not charting, yet. But the cycle before the last one my temp was high on dpo15 and after that AF was a day late and came on dpo17, I was crushed. My LP used to be 14/15 days. But the last two cycles that I tried to conceive it was 16 days, giving me false hope. Charting didn't help as I was going crazy with the .1 ups and downs. That's why I am starting to think whether I should stop but I don't know if I will be able to be in peace with 'not knowing' what is happening like you said Thanks Pandi for the helpful input and I wish you a wonderful pregnancy! Thanks for the babydust I have a lot of hope for this month.

 

[Curligurl]

I'm thinking about giving up tempting too. When we were TTC# 1 charting was very useful for me. However since I stopped BC this time around my temps have been crazy...I haven't been able to confirm O with charting or OPK...but based on blood tests I am Oing. I was diagnosed with lupus 4 years ago (right after having my son) and one of the symptoms is unexplained low grade fevers....so my temps are always 98-100 in the mornings...I thought about taking Tylenol at night to bring my temp down but I think that would confuse things even more.....it sucks...the only thing I have to go by is my CM. So basically my plan is just to BD as much as possible....

 

[mmcrv]

Curligurl I think that's the best thing anyone can do - BD as much as possible!! Charting is useful for me, I get to pinpoint O but just too stressful right now.

 

[pandi77]

I agree that bd'ing as much as possible is a fab approach lol! Best of luck to you ladies!

 

[pink_kitty]

The temping stresses me out too - I've been doing it for over a year now. I'm trying to compromise this cycle and temp until I have confirmed ovulation and then take a break from temping during the tww. It is usually during the tww that I stress out the most!!

 

[Tmb0047]

If you know your Oing then maybe its okay to take a month off from charting to give yourself a break. You can always go back to it next cycle if you haven't conceived or pick it up part way through your cycle if you feel the need. I have long cycles...like 100+ days....so charting frustrates me! I only temp every few days just to keep a pattern up and if I feel that O may be approaching (CM and cervix changes) them I temp daily so that I can confirm O.

 

[mmcrv]

Thanks for being so helpful ladies! I think I will temp till I confirm O and then stop. After O is when I start stressing, not so much now. It's true I can also pick it up midway if I feel like it.