The August 'Whatever' Thread - Page 2

[Baby_Cakes]

Originally Posted by MommatoAandA

I def think the batteries were going. I couldn't find the right ones so I got a new thermometer all together. I am going to use it tomorrow, but really I know it won't be accurate in relation to the temps with the old thermometer. At least if its high I will know I did O at some point.

What a bummer!

Originally Posted by MarineWife

Well, the darkness of the line doesn't really mean anything. A line is a line.

Am I wrong in thinking that if it's faint at 14-15 dpo it wouldn't show up as early? Wouldn't there be nothing at 9 or 10 dpo then?

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by Baby_Cakes

Am I wrong in thinking that if it's faint at 14-15 dpo it wouldn't show up as early? Wouldn't there be nothing at 9 or 10 dpo then?

It depends on the sensitivity of the test and how much dye is on it. Not all ICs are the same and not all hpts are made to detect less than 100 mIU. Faint is a relative term, too. I've had bfps that were so faint I'm sure many others would say they were negative. I could just barely see a line, though. So what one else person calls faint may not be the faintest the test could be, if that makes sense.

[hilary549]

MommatoAandA, i think even switching thermometers, your temps should be pretty accurate. thermometers are not that different, are they? or did you just mean because your old one was messed up?
am i the only person on here who charts on paper? do you all love the online charts? maybe i will try them.
when i was ttc #1 i was very anxious about when to test and wanted to test as soon as possible. but now that we're "whatevering"... i think i'm ok with waiting til my temps look good for pg, like at least 14 dpo (esp easy since i haven't made it past 9dpo before AF, what with my short LP from nursing.) this month i feel excited because of the ewcm, but we shall see. i'm thinking i ovulated today based on cm change and cp change but must wait for temp spike to be sure.

[onetwoten]

I chart with FF only because that's what i started using, and so to me it 'looks right'. I've got a touch of ocd, so everything looking orderly and neat is pretty important to me.

Unless I feel very very strongly, I don't plan on testing before 12dpo, which is essentially my normal LP. I figure I'll save tests, and have to see the darn negative less.

As for thermometers hilary549 -- you actually do have to be careful. I don't know -why- exactly, but they do read differently. It's funny because I've noticed my 'fever' thermometer, seems to read a lot lower than my BBT thermometer.

That said, I still can't decide if I should buy a new one or not. If I'm going to temp, I should probably start soon. Otherwise I'll just go by CF. Are there any reasons not to use a BBT to detect fevers? Will it not work properly for something like that? I can't see why not... but maybe there's something I'm missing.

[BarefootScientist]

Originally Posted by jeninejessica

As for thermometers hilary549 -- you actually do have to be careful. I don't know -why- exactly, but they do read differently. It's funny because I've noticed my 'fever' thermometer, seems to read a lot lower than my BBT thermometer.

That said, I still can't decide if I should buy a new one or not. If I'm going to temp, I should probably start soon. Otherwise I'll just go by CF. Are there any reasons not to use a BBT to detect fevers? Will it not work properly for something like that? I can't see why not... but maybe there's something I'm missing.

Yep - my new thermometer runs WAY higher than my old one.

The issue with using a BBT to detect fevers is they don't go high enough I believe. I'm not sure how high they go (they are probably all different) but if they get above that temp they will just show HIGH. So you will know that you have a fever, but you won't know how high a fever you have.

[MommatoAandA]

Mel- I was wondering that! Good to know that they don't really detect fevers. HMMMM Mine never goes above 98.

Hilary- yeah if my other therm was broken then it kind of might be inaccurate. I'm not sure what is really going on with my cycle now. I guess I just have to wait for the hag to show, or not.

So, my temp is up this am. out of the 97.4 range. it was 97.5. I am wondering if my old therm was right and I just had a temp dip? the temp dip makes somewhat of sense if you look at my CM. I immediately had a shift in CM the next day. there was a distinct difference. today its like a stickyish creamyish. Although that wouldn't explain being 97.4 at almost 8:30 am yesterday. So I am not sure I oed. I might have. the worst part is, I have not had a normal cycle since before I started the Depo and even then I was nursing. I have no idea when to expect the hag. UGHHH

Here is my chart if anyone wants to look. the discarded temps were mornings I got less than 3 consecutive hours because the kids had me up.

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/2ab513

[MarineWife]

T ~ Based on what you have there, you haven't Oed yet. You don't even have the start of a thermal shift. With the temps you have in there it looks like your CL would be just below 97.6. May I suggest that you not record your temps to the 100th of a degree? It's not helpful and it can confuse things. Just round your temps to the nearest 10th of a degree and go with that. That will make things much easier to interpret.

As far as switching thermometers mid-cycle, TCOYF recommends against because thermometers can vary. I think it's more important for CTA purposes. It's not quite as important to confirm O when TTC and especially not whatevering.

The FF pg monitor gave me the percentage of pg tests that are + at 9dpo today. It has a table to see the frequency of brands so I checked. According to the charts on FF that have been analyzed, ICs are + at 9dpo 18.2% of the time while FRER are + only 11.4% of the time. Answer Early are + 14.2% of the time. There are other brands listed there but the ICs have the highest frequency of + at 9dpo. 2nd is Equate brand from Walmart (surprisingly) and 3rd is $ Store. Can you tell how obsessed I am with poas? It's shameful.

[Baby_Cakes]

Originally Posted by MarineWife

The FF pg monitor gave me the percentage of pg tests that are + at 9dpo today. It has a table to see the frequency of brands so I checked. According to the charts on FF that have been analyzed, ICs are + at 9dpo 18.2% of the time while FRER are + only 11.4% of the time. Answer Early are + 14.2% of the time. There are other brands listed there but the ICs have the highest frequency of + at 9dpo. 2nd is Equate brand from Walmart (surprisingly) and 3rd is $ Store. Can you tell how obsessed I am with poas? It's shameful.

You and I are kindred spirits. This is fascinating to me!

[akind1]

MW - it is okay to obsess if you want! I wasn't absolutely sure I was pregnant with DS prior to testing. In all my prior cycles, I notices my boobs got larger and more tender prior to AF - when AF was about to hit (day of, or day before) they "deflate" on 12 DPO they were still large(r) and tender, my temp was still up, so then I felt confident enough to POAS. I was surprised to see the "pregnant" though. After so long of trying (it felt really long - nearly 2 years) I just didn't trust my gut anymore.

Now I can't go by my boobs! they are always large feeling, since I'm nursing! LOL so much for that barometer.

I am 5 DPO myself; no change of pregnancy though, so just waiting for AF. seems my average LP is 11-13 days, so I have maybe a week.

DH bought a ton of IC's when we TTC DS. I just don't like PIAC. I want to POAS! thankfully a internet buddy sent me her extras (FRER, Answer, etc) when she got pregnant. Even a FRER with conception indicator, which you can't find in the states (she bought off eBay). I wish they sold those here, though!

If you can't use a BBT to detect fevers, is there anything wrong with using a regular thermometer for charting?

[Baby_Cakes]

I can't use my boobs anymore either. The only way I knew I was pg w/DD was that they started aching and feeling heavy at 9dpo. Now, every cycle, they're achey and heavy right before AF. So I can't go by them any more either!

And I know we talked about this before, but I will only PIAC! I can't POAS. I feel like it's messy and I might miss. And what if I need to take another test b/c that one is defective or something?? All that pee wasted!

Here is something I found regarding BBT vs normal therms:

http://www.babyhopes.com/articles/thermometers.html

[MarineWife]

I think my breasts are deflated since I stopped nursing. I think I've shrink a cup size.

BFNs don't upset me so testing early is no biggie for me. Although I know I can get a bfp as early as 7dpo, I don't really expect one before 12dpo (although 11dpo is the furthest I've gotten before getting a bfp). I'm in this weird state of being ambivalent about being pg. Sometimes I really, really want it and sometimes I think it will be a relief if I'm not. So, although I'm obsessed with piac (have been using the incorrect acronym), I'm not bothered by the results so far. Now I'm wondering how I can sneak out and get a $ Store test for tomorrow to compare with my ICs.

Shoot, Katrina. I was going to say that we might be cycle buddies since I may only be 5dpo. Ya know, you can get midstream ICs.

Using regular thermometers for charting is not recommended because they aren't as sensitive. I don't know what makes BBT thermometers different. That's just what I've always read.

[akind1]

carrie, thanks for the link! it seems it is comparing a digital basal thermometer with a glass fever thermomter though - which seems apples and oranges, since I don't know anyone who uses a glass thermometer anymore.

I always just thought the difference was accuracy - basals do .00 rather than .0 -

confession: I have always used a plain old digital thermometer for charting. I like having a thermometer I can use for whatever purpose, and I still see the rises and falls that you see on a basal thermometer. (and it was a couple dollars cheaper than the basal thermometer)

I may need to check into those midstream IC's!

MW I think we are cycle buddies, this is my chart, BTW:

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/1b048d

I am hoping to shrink some after I stop nursing! I was a DD before, and have been a G since about 14 weeks pregnant with DS, and he's now 8 months.

[MarineWife]

I still think the regular digital thermometers may not be as accurate because it's not that important. I mean, if you are checking for fever, does it really matter if your temp is 100.9 or 101? Probably not but it could make a difference when charting BBT. Like I said before with thermometers that go to 1/100th of a degree. They aren't any more accurate for charting purposes since you only need to see a change in 1/10th of a degree. I've never used a thermometer that goes to 1/100th of a degree and charts that I see that have temps recorded like that confuse me. It's harder to set a CL and harder to see a thermal shift, imo.

I don't want my breasts to shrink. I was a 34C before I got pg with ds2. I went up to a 34DD but went down to a 34D right before getting pg with ds3. I was still nursing then but had gotten down to a better weight.

Katrina ~ Your thermal shift is very obvious even with those discarded temps. You could put those back in and you'd still have O since the highest your CL would be is 97.7.

[Baby_Cakes]

Oh, hmm. I didn't realize it was only talking about glass therms. Who the heck uses those anymore?

Anyway, maybe they're not necessary if you can see a clear shift w/a normal therm. I just like how the bd one beeps the whole time, b/c I know it's working. And it saves my temp in case I go back to sleep and totally forget. Plus, the back light is nice. Those features are helpful.

I was recording to the 1/100th and it was confusing, MW, I agree. I like rounding to the 10th.

Oh, and no sympathy from me about those boobies - I was a AA cup before Nora and went to a D when first nursing. Now I'm back to a small B!

[MarineWife]

I forgot that someone asked about paper charting vs. charting on the pc. I started charting on paper but quickly switched to online. I like not having papers to worry about or a notebook taking up space. I also like that I can access my chart anywhere from any computer if it's online. That's one of the features of FF that I like better than Ovusoft. I also like that it's easy to email or post them for others to look at it. The nice thing about paper charting is that you have more flexibility. You don't have a software program restricting you to only certain descriptions or criteria and giving you contrary interpretations.

Like, seriously, I think FF is wrong in putting my O day on cd16. Neither temps nor CF match for that day. CF matches for cd13 and temps (for what I have) match for cd18. FF's interpretation just doesn't make any sense to me. I wish there were some way to find out how it comes to the conclusions it does.

[MommatoAandA]

MW- I never thought of just temping to the 10th degree. Doesn't 97.59 just chart much differently than 97.5 though? Or would you round a .59 to .6? I agree my chart does not show any clear O pattern. I'm so frustrated.

Weird, this morning I checked my cm and thought it was creamy-stickyish. When I got in the shower I squatted as usual and checked my CP, I pulled out my fingers and there was a teeny little bit of EWCM with a streak of reddish almost purple blood in it. it stretched about 1.5 inches. I checked once more and it was creamy/slippery. I got home from errands and went potty and had orange/reddish slippery/watery CM. Not enough to stretch though. WTF? Am I starting AF? I have no cramps? I am so confused. Any thoughts? It seems to be gone now, just kinda watery and slippery.

[Baby_Cakes]

Yup - 97.59 would round up to 97.6.

If it were me, I'd mark that as watery. I wait till i have abundant EW to mark EW. I don't know if that's 100% right to do, though.

I charted on paper at first, before DD, so that I could really learn how to do it. Now that I have the hang of it it's much easier to just plug in my temps online and let the software do it.

[Sammerson0814]

Ok Ladies, I know I should be smarter than this, but I have to ask.

I do nto get a normal period. I have not had one since April when I came off of the pill, so I have been testing every 4 weeks just to be sure. I came home from vacation on July 10th and bought a pack of blue dye CVS brand tests. (I know, I shpuld know better.. blue dye). The test I took the next morning was negative.

So yesterday morning I took the second test from that pack. It was less than 10 minutes, but nothing was coming up on the test, not even a control line, so I threw it away. I though it was faulty and I will just have to wait until my docotrs appointment Wednesday. Well last night I looked at the test again and it was positive!!!!!

So i ran out and bought a First Response (pink) and it was negative, but not FMU.

So the question is.... what should I think?? Negative right? Until the docotr tells me otherwise on Wednesday? I have to be sure because Wed. if everything is negative I will be going on Provera to start my period.

Please let me know your thoughts. I have never seen tests change, even after hours of sitting. Especially change from nothing to positive. And since it has only been 4 weeks, could it be that I am and its just too little of HCG to tell after 12 hours of drinking water????

[MarineWife]

T ~ What Baby said. 97.59 would round up to 97.6. Examples: 97.0-1-97.04 would all round down to 97 and 97.05-97.09 would all round up to 97.1. And I would call that cf EW because it stretched more than an inch. That's the requirement for FAM. For NFP it's only 1/2 an inch of stretch. That together with spotting makes you very fertile right now!

Sammerson ~ Based on what I've read and heard about the blue dye tests, I'd say that was either faulty or evap and consider it negative. With any test you shouldn't read anything into a line that shows up after the time limit. If the line was there before and just got darker, I'd say bfp. If nothing was there before, I'd say evap. Being 4 weeks since your last doesn't really mean much if you don't know if/when you Oed. If you assume a 28 day cycle with O on cd14, you should get a bfp with FRER with any pee at this point, especially if you got a true bfp with a blue dye test. FRER are supposed to be sensitive to as little as 15 mIU hcg whereas CVS brand only goes to 25 mIU. If you don't have temps to show whether or not you've Oed, there's always a chance that it's just too soon to test.

[Sammerson0814]

It has not been 4 weeks since my last AF, just since the last time I tested. i have not had a period since April. I caome off of the Pill in April and have not had a period since. I dont know if/when I opvulated, and I honestly dont even know when to assume I could or should have. I am so confused at this point I am practically making myself sick over it. I do not temp either.