The August CTA/Fertility Awareness Thread - Page 4

[Baby_Cakes]

Originally Posted by Smylingeyz

FF is totally confusing me this month. I always have my temp shift on cd 17 or 18, but this month it says it was on cd 12. I thought it was maybe around cd 15 or later for some reason. Anyone care to give their input?
http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/2ab1c6

I'm trying to figure out what's going on with my body because the last 2-3 days I'm suddenly super tired and my nipples hurt SO BAD when BFing. Thought I could have thrush but I don't see any white film on them or in DD's mouth. Dunno if it'd be too early to get any pregnancy signs, if I did O on CD 12 then I'm 9 days past O, so I dunno. We dtd on CD8 so pregnancy is possible if I O'ed early.

I just wanted to chime in that my nips always get very tender and I get so frustrated/creepy crawly nursing DD during/after O, as well. And my supply drops a ton during AF. So that leaves like 2 days a month that I can actually enjoy nursing dd. LOL.

Anyway, I hate to sound like a broken record but yeah, that temp shift is pretty darn clear...but the EW after O is a little weird. And I think pee is ok out of the fridge for up to 12 hrs, but after that it should be chilled. And 9dpo is mad early to test, so you might want to pick up a few $trees if you want to be sure.

I promise I'll update the main post soon, ladies, I'm sorry I'm behind!! You know how it is w/a toddler always trying to climb on your lap as you type!

[MovingMomma]

Originally Posted by Baby_Cakes

but the EW after O is a little weird.

Not at all, actually. According to TAoNFP, Peak day can be anywhere from 3 days before to 3 days after O, in a rough bell curve with Peak and O coinciding about 37% of the time.

[onetwoten]

I had to do a 3 day urine collection a few years ago, and they said to keep it in the fridge. It felt pretty gross seeing it sitting there beside the milk.

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by MovingMomma

Not at all, actually. According to TAoNFP, Peak day can be anywhere from 3 days before to 3 days after O, in a rough bell curve with Peak and O coinciding about 37% of the time.

So then FF could actually be correct in my O day.

[annie2186]

Well BabyCaked - 9dpo is early enough to give you a headache squinting (and of course I got like 5 tests!!)

There is definitely a line there........on two tests I'm actually totally fine with it......just a little overwhelmed!!!! I always wanted at least four (and this is really only bio#3 for me).

So yeah - it was totally user error and the reasons are as follows:

1 DTD without waiting until end of the day every other day.
2. I am Catholic and I leave it up to my husband for b/c and he figured it was waaaay to early for me to O (even though I told him otherwise )

I will keep you guys updated as the lines get darker and it sinks in a little bit more :P

So yeah - it will

[annie2186]

I hate posting on a mobile device!!!! Sorry for all the typos above!

[Baby_Cakes]

OMG!

Congratulations! (And post a pic if you can!)

So happy for you - even if it was a bit of a surprise! H&H 9 months!!

[MovingMomma]

Melissa: Welcome!

[Baby_Cakes]

Oh - and the thread should be updated to here. If I missed you, I'm sorry, please let me know and I'll move you to where you need to be or add your chart link. Thanks for being patient!

[MovingMomma]

Annie: Congrats! I looked back through the thread, but I couldn't find it...when was your last BD? CD 14? If you were calling the shots instead of DH, when would you have quit?

(And WTH? is everyone getting pg??)

[LisaN]

New

Hi, I'm new and just about to start charting DS2 is 11 weeks old and DS1 is 2. We got pregnant with DS2 after only 2 periods and it was a surprise. I am hoping to CTA for at least 2 years, and I hope that breastfeeding will help. (what's with all the pregnancies, is this really going to work for me? Don't get me wrong, I am really truly happy for all of you, but I'm also a little scared for myself. I really don't want to get pregnant again for a while.)

Can someone please send me a link where I can get more information. I know I need to buy/check out TCOYF, but in the meantime is there someplace that I can learn about CF and how to check CP? Also, do I need some kind of special thermometer or will any oral thermometer work? Does it get messed up becuase I'm night nursing and sometimes cosleeping?

OK, last question - I really seem to only be interested in BD when ovulating, but that's when I'm supposed to abstain to avoid getting pregnant (duh), anyone else in this situation and what do you do? use a back up method like condoms?

What's the best way to chart - paper so I can write it down when I'm in the bathroom or online so I can share it with all of you? I online, what's the best software/website to use?

TIA!

[Baby_Cakes]

Originally Posted by LisaN

Hi, I'm new and just about to start charting DS2 is 11 weeks old and DS1 is 2. We got pregnant with DS2 after only 2 periods and it was a surprise. I am hoping to CTA for at least 2 years, and I hope that breastfeeding will help. (what's with all the pregnancies, is this really going to work for me? Don't get me wrong, I am really truly happy for all of you, but I'm also a little scared for myself. I really don't want to get pregnant again for a while.)

Can someone please send me a link where I can get more information. I know I need to buy/check out TCOYF, but in the meantime is there someplace that I can learn about CF and how to check CP? Also, do I need some kind of special thermometer or will any oral thermometer work? Does it get messed up becuase I'm night nursing and sometimes cosleeping?

OK, last question - I really seem to only be interested in BD when ovulating, but that's when I'm supposed to abstain to avoid getting pregnant (duh), anyone else in this situation and what do you do? use a back up method like condoms?

What's the best way to chart - paper so I can write it down when I'm in the bathroom or online so I can share it with all of you? I online, what's the best software/website to use?

TIA!

Hi Lisa!
First off, if you read through and strictly follow the rules outlined in the first post, and if you chart using FAM described in TCOYF, CTA is a great way to prevent pregnancy. I would say most of the pgs that have happened over the past few weeks (I know it seems like a lot) are user failure, not method failure.

You can check out www.fertilityfriend.com for a quick lesson on charting. You can also enter your temps in on that site to keep your chart for you. Be sure you really understand how a coverline is drawn and how to chart before completely relying on this software, though. It can sometimes be confusing and hard to figure out -- which is also what this thread is for! We are always here to help you look at your chart to figure out what is going on.

A basal body thermometer (a bbt) is going to be your best friend for charting. You want to take your temp at the same time every day BEFORE you get up and start moving around. Keeping it in the bathroom won't work. You need to keep it bedside, or someplace like under your pillow so that you have it right when you wake up.

Most of us who are CTA use a barrier method or withdrawl when dtd during fertile times.

HTH! Please, feel free to ask any questions you have! Welcome!

[annie2186]

Originally Posted by Baby_Cakes

Hi Lisa!
First off, if you read through and strictly follow the rules outlined in the first post, and if you chart using FAM described in TCOYF, CTA is a great way to prevent pregnancy. I would say most of the pgs that have happened over the past few weeks (I know it seems like a lot) are user failure, not method failure.

You can check out www.fertilityfriend.com for a quick lesson on charting. You can also enter your temps in on that site to keep your chart for you. Be sure you really understand how a coverline is drawn and how to chart before completely relying on this software, though. It can sometimes be confusing and hard to figure out -- which is also what this thread is for! We are always here to help you look at your chart to figure out what is going on.

A basal body thermometer (a bbt) is going to be your best friend for charting. You want to take your temp at the same time every day BEFORE you get up and start moving around. Keeping it in the bathroom won't work. You need to keep it bedside, or someplace like under your pillow so that you have it right when you wake up.

Most of us who are CTA use a barrier method or withdrawl when dtd during fertile times.

HTH! Please, feel free to ask any questions you have! Welcome!

THIS - and, if you are really wanting to avoid (once you get your cycles back) don't DTD without protection (or at all, depending on what you want) until you have confirmed O!

I'm forgeting know - but I think you said you babe was really young - I would look into LAM (just google it) for at least the first six months...........makes things alot easier!

Also - alot of the ladies on here actually DECIDED to stop preventing/start trying, etc.............I think I am the only one in a few months who was trying to avoid

Good luck! It is definitely possible and as effective as YOU make it Following all the rules will help

[annie2186]

Originally Posted by MovingMomma

Annie: Congrats! I looked back through the thread, but I couldn't find it...when was your last BD? CD 14? If you were calling the shots instead of DH, when would you have quit?

(And WTH? is everyone getting pg??)

My last BD (he he, BD - like for real!!) was the morning of CD13 (once again, NOT following the rules!!!)

I'm not really sure when I would have stopped if I was calling the shots, but I was definitely not comfortable doing it that day............I was just having a moral delema - having just come home from church and all

Would anyone look at my chart and tell me when you think I O'd? I filled in my CM data to the best of my ability.........I know FORSURE I was wet up until CD15 and the temp spike followed with the dryup on CD16 was making me think I O'd...............then it went down and up again, but I never really had any other CM.....

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/26af7e


Just kind of wondering - I'm sure its a girl again.............oh well, he TOTALLY deserves another girl

[MarineWife]

Melissa ~ Welcome and I'm sorry for your loss.

annie ~ I'd say somewhere from cd14-16. Congratulations!

Lisa ~ If it makes you feel any better, I think there have only been 3 pgs in the last 2-3 months among those who were CTA and both of those were user error.

[Smylingeyz]

MW- Thanks for explaining how triphasic works, that makes way more sense now. I don't remember your normal pattern, you have really long cycles though right? Guess the Maca's working. I started taking it last week too

Annie: OMG congratulations! It is really insane that so many people are pg all of a sudden!

I did POAS this morning and it came out negative. I got a new brand of tests cuz they were out of the EPT. It was first response, claims they can detect pg up to 6 days before your missed period. My LP is normally 13 days so I guess I should be expecting AF in about 4 days. I'll test again in a few days. Not sure how accurate it was to test this early.

My temp was still up in triphasic range today:
http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/2ab1c6

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by Smylingeyz

I don't remember your normal pattern, you have really long cycles though right?

When I was not on meds and I was in a cycle after a regular O cycle, my average O was around cd27-30. So, yeah, long cycles. I normally wouldn't O until most docs would think I was already 4w pg.

I have Oed earlier than that when taking metformin (cd15 was the earliest) and after an anov cycle (cd11 the earliest). The 2 cycles before this one that I was taking the maca my O days were cd20 and cd22, so significantly earlier than before taking the maca and without any other meds. I think this cycle was technically my 3rd full cycle taking the maca regularly, which is how long I've read you should give it before expecting the full effects.

Originally Posted by Smylingeyz

I did POAS this morning and it came out negative. I got a new brand of tests cuz they were out of the EPT. It was first response, claims they can detect pg up to 6 days before your missed period. My LP is normally 13 days so I guess I should be expecting AF in about 4 days. I'll test again in a few days. Not sure how accurate it was to test this early.

FRER are much more sensitive than EPT. FRER claims that in one study 68% of women got a bfp 6 days before was late. The thing to remember about the 6 days before is late thing is that that is assuming a 14 day lp. That means it's 6 days before 15dpo, which is 9dpo. So, it's most likely accurate at this point but it could be a false negative.

And, OMG! Here's what I just read on the side of the box. (probably not a direct quote) Because the test detects such low levels of hcg it is possible to get a + even if you aren't pg. This is more likely for women who are close to and over 40. That's me, y'all. Could actually not be pg? I've gotten several bfps on my ICs, too, but they are at least as sensitive if not more than FRER. The lines are getting darker so I guess that means more likely +?

(I'm going to post that in a few other places and see what kind of response I get.)

[MarineWife]

Sorry for continuing to bother you all about this but you are my experts. I put an ovulation day poll on my homepage. If you have time, I'd really appreciate it if you voted. Thanks.

[Toolip]

Originally Posted by MarineWife

And, OMG! Here's what I just read on the side of the box. (probably not a direct quote) Because the test detects such low levels of hcg it is possible to get a + even if you aren't pg. This is more likely for women who are close to and over 40. That's me, y'all. Could actually not be pg? I've gotten several bfps on my ICs, too, but they are at least as sensitive if not more than FRER. The lines are getting darker so I guess that means more likely +?

(I'm going to post that in a few other places and see what kind of response I get.)

hummmm, well if that were true in your case, why would you have gone from testing negative from positive right at 6 dpo? Seems like you would have gotten + all along, and they wouldn't be getting darker.

But I don't really understand the mechanism of the increased likelihood of false +. I wonder if you can contact the company and find out what causes them.

[Smylingeyz]

I thought it was probably a decently accurate indicator at this point, but my boobs are still killing me ( I never get that in my normal cycles) and for the 4th day in a row I feel exhausted, dizzy, and nauseous... with DD I was super sick the whole 9 months and got intense sickness before I even missed AF. I really feel pg, and after talking about it w/ DH we really wouldn't mind if I am. I just want to know for sure whether I am or not.