May 2009 Charting to Avoid Thread - Page 32

[AnnieA]

Well, it's CD4 here for me . My thermometer died yesterday...luckily at the beginning of a new cycle. But the one I bought to replace it...I'm not so sure it's working properly...it seems like it gets to my final temp too fast. Of course I think the battery was dying for a while on my old therm so maybe that was why it was taking so long to get a temp? Oh well, I will just need to pay closer attention to my CF this cycle.

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by AnnieA

I actually bought Toni Weschler's book for teen girls for exactly this reason. It's a little too much for my DSDs because it's geared for the 14+ crowd but it's really great. I found it on Amazon. It's called Cycle Savvy or something like that.

Oh, I forgot about that book. I wonder how weird everyone would think I am if I started giving that book as a gift to all the teens girls I know. Eh, they all think I'm pretty weird anyway. I never did get my copy of, "The Good Girl's Guide to Bad Girl Sex," back from the 16yo neighbor girl.

[Marlet]

I thought a BIP, for the purpose of CTA, was a good thing? I seem to keep reading it on here more in terms of not being a good thing.

Also, Annie, not sure if you have done this but it's important that in order to identify if you even have a BIP (which is not always the case...it takes me over a year to get to that point after a baby) you observe it for 2 weeks without any interference...that means spermicide, sex, douching, etc. It is possible to have a BIP of creamy but you are not as safe on those days/nights due to the transitory nature of it. Regardless, like the pp said, you are going for sameness and any sign of change towards wetter means you need to be on the lookout. Also, in TOCYF she recommends NOT looking at it at first...often the look of cm can be confusing and to go first off of feel. That might help you discern it a bit more.

[annie2186]

[/QUOTE]Annie, one thing I was taught to do is the "essential sameness" test. What you're really looking for is if this is pretty much the same stuff as yesterday. I know that can be hard, and it doesn't have to be identical, just, you know, essentially the same. A PITA, isn't it? Maybe instead of trying to document S vs. C vs W at this point, you can just really describe, in words, what you're getting and then say "Y" for any day that is the same?[/QUOTE]

Yeah, did you learn that from creighton? the whole "is today essentially the same as yesterday?"

I think my biggest problem with that is the whole abstaining for 3 days automatically if its essentially not the same Since I'm catholic and can't just use backup I try to talk myself out of more fertile CM if at all possible.......just more stressful : Oh, and the whole "try to be infertile to DTD" is DEFINITELY not for MY benefit - stupid BF hormones

[AnnieA]

Originally Posted by MarineWife

Oh, I forgot about that book. I wonder how weird everyone would think I am if I started giving that book as a gift to all the teens girls I know. Eh, they all think I'm pretty weird anyway. I never did get my copy of, "The Good Girl's Guide to Bad Girl Sex," back from the 16yo neighbor girl.

Eh, I think the more information the better! We've been talking about periods, bras, body changes, etc. around this house for a couple of years now. So when DSD11 got her first period a few months back, it wasn't a big deal. Plus they know that I teach NFP classes at our church and a little bit about what it is about. The other day, DSD11's 5th grade class got "the talk" from their female teachers. DSD already knew everything so her question to the teachers was "can we get a trashcan closer to the stalls in the bathroom so we don't have to throw away pads right by the bathroom door?"...:

MW, maybe you could start a lending library? Oh and I thought about you and your family today...we went to the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico...so awesome! DH and I had been before but this time we took the kids...he loved showing them the "Making Marines" section about boot camp! You guys should get up here some time if you've never been.

[annie2186]

Thanks OMM

according to my creighton studies - LOL - I thought it would be better to be DRY as your BIP. That way if you have ANY mucus you abstain that day, and then if you get Peak Type Mucus you abstain for the four day post Peak.

I did do the whole "2 week wait and see what it looks like" (I think it was more like 3 or 4 weeks........and I don't even know how to douche )

Anywhoo - I think its just nerve wracking to be before your first PPAF and not doing any barriers - you just have to be extra cautious.

Also, I would say that my BIP is PRETTY much sticky.......it does stretch alot though, but souposedly that doesn't matter as long as its your "essentially same CF"

[Marlet]

Originally Posted by annie2186

Also, I would say that my BIP is PRETTY much sticky.......it does stretch alot though, but souposedly that doesn't matter as long as its your "essentially same CF"

I know nothing about the Creighton method. I looked up sticky cm in TCOYF though and it says something I thought important considering this si the CTA thread. (bolding mine)

Occasionally, it may even resemble drying rubber cement in that it is somewhat rubbery and slightly "springy", but the critical point is that it is not wet. The stitcky and "rubber-cement" type of cervical fluid in themselves are not conducive to sperm survival, but for contraceptive purposes are considered possibly fertile if found before ovulation.

As an aside...I don't think I've ever referred to my copy so much in one day.

[annie2186]

lol OMM

Yeah, THAT is why I would like a BIP of DRY!!!!!!!!! Is that to much to freakin ask?????

The one good thing is that my BIP is NOT wet/lubracative or clear. So as soon as any of that crap starts to come up I put the red lights on the calandar man

Although I don't think its ever been clear yet since DD2 arrived - actually I KNOW it hasn't

[HulaJenn]

Originally Posted by annie2186

lol OMM

Yeah, THAT is why I would like a BIP of DRY!!!!!!!!! Is that to much to freakin ask?????

The one good thing is that my BIP is NOT wet/lubracative or clear. So as soon as any of that crap starts to come up I put the red lights on the calandar man

Although I don't think its ever been clear yet since DD2 arrived - actually I KNOW it hasn't

I don't have any dry days either, and I can't decipher my CM unless it is watery. So I rely heavily on temping and consistency! LOL Unfortunately this is only my 3rd cycle PP so consistency is not reliable as of yet.
FF is still giving me cd13 as o date but my temps keep going up so I could see where i may have O'd on cd18 (as PP have suggested). I should be in the clear now either way right? We use the POM regardless but no need for back up barrier now?

[MarineWife]

If you have established that your BIP is sticky, you can treat sticky days like you would dry. In other words, those would be safe days when you don't have to abstain. This is common when breastfeeding, especially before getting your first PPAF. I think of it sort like an extension of LAM. If you are beyond 6 months PP, still haven't had a PPAF, and have weeks of sticky cf, you are safe on your sticky days.

AnnieA ~ I grew up in Vienna, VA. My dh went to OCS and The Basic School at Quantico. That was nice because he wasn't really gone and we didn't have to move. Once he finished OCS, he just commuted. I've never been to the Marine Museum up there, though. We have one here in Jacksonville, too. Never been to that one. I do plan to take my boys one of these days. Anyway, I'm planning to go up to VA sometime in late June/early July so maybe we'll plan a day to go there. It would probably be especially poignant for the boys since dh is deployed right now.

[BarefootScientist]

Originally Posted by annie2186

I was actually taught to SET not for any reason than to get it out of my system so it doesn't confuse your readings the next day..........

I think once you DTD if you are fertile - there is no way doing SET or douching or anything else would help your cause - at that point, its up to a higher power!!!! :

Yeah that's what I was thinking. Although I was thinking about this the other day too...how hard could it be to invent some sort of spermicide that works after the fact, goes on a search and destroy mission into your cervical crypts to get the little spermies if you have an oops? You'd think if it were possible it would be significantly less unhealthy for you than taking the morning after pill.

Originally Posted by MarineWife

BFS ~ You know what really gets me about bcps? So many teenage girls are put on them for various silly reason, like irregular cycles. Well, um, it's normal to have irregular cycles when you first start menstruating. Who knows what kind of long term health effects that has on those girls. I started bcps when I was 14 and took them until I was 19. I didn't have my regular cycles long enough to even determine if they were normal or not. Whenever one of the boys or girls says someone is on or going on bcps I whip out my copy of TCOYF and make them read it. Hehe I think a book like that should be required reading for sex education in middle school rather than the disgusting videos they show of male OBs shoving their entire arm up some woman's vagina because the baby wasn't coming out fast enough. Ok, off my rant.

Haha, I bet that makes you popular (whipping out TCOYF). It's good that you are trying to put the word out though. ITA that better info needs to be put out there!

AFM, temp is STILL low!

[BarefootScientist]

New thread ya'll. Close enough to June.

Hope I got everyone's info right...I'll check things in the morning. DS just woke up yelling for "day-bees." See you all tomorrow!

[Marlet]

Originally Posted by BarefootScientist

Yeah that's what I was thinking. Although I was thinking about this the other day too...how hard could it be to invent some sort of spermicide that works after the fact, goes on a search and destroy mission into your cervical crypts to get the little spermies if you have an oops? You'd think if it were possible it would be significantly less unhealthy for you than taking the morning after pill.

Actually there are thing you can do after the fact. I know sisterzeus has info on that. I've never had the stuff handy...obviously.