Charting to Avoid/Fertility Awareness, May 2010

[lyterae]

May 2010

Welcome to the May 2010 charting to avoid and fertility awareness thread. We are all at different stages in family planning and our own fertility. Some of us are very ardently Charting to Avoid (CTA); most are CTA but would be thrilled with a BFP; and we even have a few who are not CTA but are also not TTC, and continue to hang out here.

If you did not post in April, you may have been deleted from the list. If you were mistakenly deleted, or you would like to be added/removed, please PM me and let me know. I cannot promise to make changes requested in the thread, but I will try to get to everything.

You must post in May if you want to be on the June list!

*Charting/Using FAM/NFP to AVOID*

Who we are:

AnnieA - since 12/07
Annie2186
BarefootScientist - since 08/08 and 12 cycles in '05-'06
bbrandonsmom
BettinaAuSucre
dealic
dex_millie
dislocator3972
Echospiritwarrior
Eirual
Fresh veggie
InMediaRes
JenineJessica - since 12/07
JonahRoo
Kimmiepie - CTA since 11/09, plus 4 years before (with TTC, too)
K-Mom3
Kcroto42 – CTA since 10/09
Lauren31
lyterae - CTA since 11/09, plus 5 months before
MarineWife – CTA for 10 months, now CFS&G
Meksmama - CTA since 1/10
Mommyin2008
MovingMomma - CTA since 02/09 plus some time before
MQ
nerdymom
Newbiemama09 - Using FAM for 2+ years
OSUvet
peabean26
pmojzak
RaraAvis - CTA since 8/09 plus 13 months before
Readytobedone
Smokering
Smylingeyz
theboysmama
Toolip
vermontmomma

Graduates

Wholewheatchick - Due in Dec. 2010

Summary of FAM rules (sympto-thermal)

Pre-ovulation rules:

1) First 5 Days Rule: You are safe the first 5 days of your menstrual cycle if you had an obvious temp shift 12-16 days before.

2) Dry day rule: You are safe to DTD after 6PM if you have been dry all day.

Post ovulation rules:

1) Peak day rule: the last day of fertile mucous is called the peak day (the day before your mucous begins to dry up). You are safe to DTD on the fourth consecutive day after the peak day. If another patch of more fertile mucous appears, start your count over.

2) Temperature shift rule: You are safe the evening of the third consecutive day your temp is above your coverline. If your temp falls at or below the coverline during the 3 day count, begin your count again.

BOTH rules must be satisfied to be considered in your infertile phase.

How to set a coverline:

When you see a temperature shift of at least 0.2 degrees F above the highest of the previous 6 temps, draw a line 0.1 degrees F above that highest temp.

Resources

Books:

Taking

Charge of Your Fertility, by Toni Weschler
Garden of Fertility and
The Art of Natural Family Planning by John and Sheila

Kippley
Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing: How Ecological Breastfeeding Spaces Babies by Sheila Kippley
Fertility, Cycles and Nutrition by Marilyn

Shannon

Websites:

Ovusoft charting software, and brief fertility library
Fertility Friend charting software, and ttc charting guide
myfertilitycharts.com free software for ttc or tta
Author Katie Singer's Garden of Fertility website
Mothering Magazine article by Katie Singer
Billings Ovulation Method info
Billings Ovulation Method Association, USA
Billings Centre, CA
Couple to Couple League (find an NFP instructor)
Creighton Model

Abbreviations:

AF: Aunt Flo, your period
AFM: as for me
BD: baby dancing; bed dancing (i.e. sex)
BFP: positive pregnancy test (big fat positive)
BFN: negative pregnancy test (big fat negative)
BIP: basic infertile pattern
CD: Cycle day
CM: cervical mucous (same as CF)
CF: cervical fluid (same as CM)
CTA: Charting to Avoid
CTW: Charting to "whatever" (not avoiding, not preventing)
DPO: Days past ovulation
DTD: Do the deed
GIO: get it on
EWCM: eggwhite cervical mucous/fluid
LP: Luteal phase - the time from ovulation until your period, average 10-16 days
LTL: low temp level (basically 1/10th below FAM's CL or on the highest of the 6 previous temps)
HTL: high temp level (4/10ths above LTL, temp rise needed to indicate O)

[lyterae]

Hopefully you don't mind the thread being up two days ahead-of schedule.. My weekend schedule just would not give me time to get it up and going...

I revised the initial post, if there is any info you would like there/don't think should be there please let me know. Hopefully there aren't any major clerical errors at this point in time.

[OSUvet]

Opinions?

Well, I guess I can post in the May thread one day early!

My chart is slightly confusing this month, since I really FELT like I O'd on CD13, and FF gave me cross-hairs for that day, BUT it looks to me like my temp did not really shift until CD16. It's not a big deal either way as far as worrying about getting pg for us right now, but I am still learning here so trying to figure it out. What do you ladies think?

I have been lurking and interested in the conversations about child spacing and DH not being ready for another and the frustrations that go along with all that. s to all of you who are struggling with that. I know I am getting more frustrated than I should waiting for DH to be "ready" to TTC #1. He keeps saying "soon" which is MUCH better than "no", but I am getting tired of hearing, "in a couple more months"!

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by OSUvet

My chart is slightly confusing this month, since I really FELT like I O'd on CD13, and FF gave me cross-hairs for that day, BUT it looks to me like my temp did not really shift until CD16. It's not a big deal either way as far as worrying about getting pg for us right now, but I am still learning here so trying to figure it out. What do you ladies think?

According to what you have there, I'd say your thermal shift started on cd14, putting O on cd13. You only take the most recent 6 temps into account when figuring your CL and pinpointing/confirming O. You only need to look at your cd7-13 temps. All of those are below 97.8 and all your temps after are either at or above 97.8.

AFM, I think I may stop temping at this point. I've got a clear and sustained thermal shift (although I'm still a little gun shy after last cycle) so I don't need to temp anymore this cycle. My charts are a day different. I think FF is correct. One nice thing about having to wait a few extra days to get O confirmed is that by then I was already halfway through my lp. I hate being at like 4dpo and still having so long to go before .

FF Chart

Ovusoft Chart

[lyterae]

Originally Posted by OSUvet

I have been lurking and interested in the conversations about child spacing and DH not being ready for another and the frustrations that go along with all that. s to all of you who are struggling with that. I know I am getting more frustrated than I should waiting for DH to be "ready" to TTC #1. He keeps saying "soon" which is MUCH better than "no", but I am getting tired of hearing, "in a couple more months"!

to you as well. I guess I'm lucky in that DH is "ready" for another one (finally!), now it's just our finances holding us back. Though about 50% of the time I easily conclude that finances are no reason to wait :P

AFM: Cycle Day 6 (boring!) is still here. I'm headed out this evening for a women's retreat, I can only think of one night in 4 years that I've stayed somewhere without DH or DD...

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by lyterae

Though about 50% of the time I easily conclude that finances are no reason to wait :P

I think it depends on what type of finances are holding you back. If you have a lot of debt that you know you can get paid off in a relatively short time, it's reasonable to want to wait until that's paid off. If you're otherwise living within your means and are just worried how much of a financial burden a baby would have, then maybe finances aren't such a big deal.

[BarefootScientist]

OSUvet, I agree with MW...I'd put O on CD 13 with that chart.

As for me, AF is winding down and we're on vacation. Woo!

[OSUvet]

Thanks everyone!

lyterae, and Barefoot: Hope you have nice trips!

[echospiritwarrior]

Happy May (a little early)!

DH told me last night that he's on board for TTC! I can't wait! I've only told one friend IRL and now time waiting for is going to seem so slow, and the time waiting to O next cycle will probably drive me bonkers.

I hope you don't mind if I stick around a little bit, I've learned and continue to learn so much by just reading and asking the occasional question here of there.

Happy May!

[InMediasRes]

So glidey with nothing on the tissue - do you call that watery or creamy? I liked Creighton's "lubricative". Neither of the other words seem to fit.

[BarefootScientist]

Originally Posted by InMediasRes

So glidey with nothing on the tissue - do you call that watery or creamy? I liked Creighton's "lubricative". Neither of the other words seem to fit.

For a lubricative sensation I like to put eggwhite even if I don't physically see any eggwhite.

[readytobedone]

someone talk me down!

Originally Posted by InMediasRes

So glidey with nothing on the tissue - do you call that watery or creamy? I liked Creighton's "lubricative". Neither of the other words seem to fit.

I would call that watery. Any time it is lubricative, I indicate watery or egg white (for me it is usually watery; I only get EW 1 day a month, at most).

So AFM: I am 10 DPO, should start AF tomorrow or the next day.

In typical fashion, I am freaking that I am actually somehow pregnant. I do this every month, but I did even before CTA, so it's not that I don't trust this method--I'm just paranoid

Although we did not DTD during my fertile window this month--at all--on CD 17 we fooled around "manually." He "finished" on my stomach/side and then got some on his hand. I tried to wipe everything up, including from his hands. And then he stimulated me some more with his hand. So...if I wiped off, we should be good, right? I feel 14 again

Oh, this would help: http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/1501dc

[readytobedone]

Originally Posted by BarefootScientist

OSUvet, I agree with MW...I'd put O on CD 13 with that chart.

As for me, AF is winding down and we're on vacation. Woo!

I third it, CD 13 looks right to me, OSUvet.

[hippy mum]

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/28fb6b

Hi all, I know I'm not here much. But I had to share-these have been the most erratic temps I think I've had since I've started charting. FF can't even pinpoint O, though on paper I put it on day 20, going by cf, I think ff is putting it on d19. The one temp missing after O, was at 98.5, but it was a very late temp, so I didn't count it. Supposed to get af any day now.

[MarineWife]

ready ~ I really have no idea if there's a possibility of getting pg from that.

InMediaRes ~ If it's slippery or lubricative, I call it EW. I don't get watery so I don't know how that feels but that is considered just as fertile as EW so I guess it doesn't make much difference between those two. Creamy feels cold.

bbm ~ I'd put your O on cd22 with your CL/LTL at 97.1. I don't get why you put it on cd19 at all.

[MarineWife]

Ok, how weird is this? I was just goofing around looking at stuff on FF. According to the pregnancy monitor, if I had conceived this cycle, my due date would be Jan 13. That's my ds2's birthday. So I decided to compare the dates of my current cycle with the cycle that I conceived ds2. They are only different by a day. The cycle I conceived ds2 started on 3/22 and I Oed on 4/21. This cycle started on 3/23 and I Oed on 4/22. I think I've noticed that type of pattern with my cycles before. As long and irregular as they are, they seem to be similar from year to year. Freaky.

[hippy mum]

Mw-FF, put it there, not me. I put my O on d20 w/ a 97.0 coverline on my paper chart. FF didn't put open circles or anything to point out a temp difference, and I don't know why. It used to do that. I also went by the fact that on d21 I had sticky cf and then dry after that. Shrug. I don't know what ovusoft would have put, since I was only doing the trial. This has been the oddest cycle I've had though-especially with all the spotting and the one super low temp.
Are you thinking O on d22 because of the higher temp change and the spotting right before?

[MovingMomma]

subbing...

Sorry I've MIA lately. I've got family visiting plus sick kids and now I'm sick myself...charting hasn't been happening. Good thing it doesn't matter!

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by bbrandonsmom

Mw-FF, put it there, not me. I put my O on d20 w/ a 97.0 coverline on my paper chart. FF didn't put open circles or anything to point out a temp difference, and I don't know why. It used to do that. I also went by the fact that on d21 I had sticky cf and then dry after that. Shrug. I don't know what ovusoft would have put, since I was only doing the trial. This has been the oddest cycle I've had though-especially with all the spotting and the one super low temp.
Are you thinking O on d22 because of the higher temp change and the spotting right before?

Which O detector do you have it set on? The Advanced and FAM give red crosshairs. You get blue crosshairs when you put in your own O day and CL or if you have it set to Research, I think. Research is not a good detector to use. It's the one they use for testing tweaks they do to their s/w. It's not accurate or stable.

I'd put yours on cd22 because I don't see a thermal shift before then. That combined with the EWCF and spotting after cd19 make it clear to me that you didn't O then. A thermal shift can only be established if you have 3 consecutive temps at least 0.2 of a degree above the highest of the previous 6 temps. Your highest pre-O temp is 97.1 so, technically, your CL should be set at 97.2. I think it's ok to have 1 temp on the CL but it makes things a little less clear. However, using the LTL/HTL rules of NFP, your temps from cd23-25 confirm a thermal shift with O on cd22. CD20 is a possibility but you'd have to disregard 3 pre-O temps, cds 13, 16 and 17. That's more than I'm comfortable with, especially since the first 2 temps of the thermal shift if you did that are the same or below those disregarded temps.

[hippy mum]

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/28fb6b

Ok, I found the settings and put it on Advanced. The three pre-O temps of 97.1 were taken 1/2 hour later than I normally would temp, but even if I disregard them, ff still puts cross hairs in the same place. Not sure what the deal is.
I had started counting my last ewcf day as day 1 for peak day, because the next day was sticky with one smear of spotting. I'll have to check out TcOYF again or just purchase it so I have it on hand for refresher.