help charting....

[longing4bb]

I was wondering when the best time to use the ovulation test ? I've been testing in the mornings is there a better time?

Also we are charting cm and check that at night....is there a best time to check that also?

Temping I'm not doing....not sure exactly how that works....do I need a certain thermometer?

In charting what all should I be looking for? Cm was very stringy yesterday but not clear. Help!

[casmer]

Most will tell you that it's best to use OPKs in the afternoon.  I have gotten + in the morning and afternoon.  If I get a + in the morning I will then test that afternoon to see if that was the beginning or the end of the LH surge.  Of course, it's entirely possible to miss the surge by testing in the morning.  I can't hold my urine for 3-4 hours every afternoon, so that's why I test in the morning.  It's It's been 100+ degrees here in Texas so I have to stay hydrated during the day.

I think it's good to check CM all throughout the day so you're aware of any possible fertile CM (I just observe it when I wipe).  Now I think if you're checking cervical position, CP, then I think you're supposed to do that at the same time of day, but I'm not quite sure. 

Get a digital thermometer that is sold for "basal body temperature".  Take your temp at the same time every morning when you wake up.  The book Taking Charge of Your Fertility is an excellent resource.  Fertility Friend.com also has a little pdf book that is free, but TCOYF is much more in depth.

[longing4bb]

Thanks. I check cervical position as well at night....but I have a very high cervix and can't reach 99% of the time. So its very hard to keep track of that.

[Jaimee]

Welcome to MDC!! 

I agree with the info that Casmer gave you... 

Definitely start temping- it's the only thing that will confirm ovulation.  OPK's and CF can only tell you when you are gearing up to O, but not that you actually did.  Just pick up a basal body thermometer at your local drug store.  Some are better than others (like I'm not a huge fan of the Walgreen's BBT)... people seem to love the BD BBT.  In general I like ones that take a bit longer (like a minute instead of 30 seconds) and store more than one temp.

Temp when you first wake up in the morning- do not get out of bed, don't sit up, don't take a drink of water, don't lay there for a while before temping... just roll over and grab your thermometer and temp.  Make sure you don't fall asleep while doing it, try to take it after a 3 hour block of sleep, and definitely aim for a consistent time of the morning (within half an hour).  Some women are very sensitive to changes in sleep patterns, ambient temperature, stress, illness, injury, travel, strenuous exercise, diet changes, etc. so be aware of these things and mark them on your chart if anything was out of the ordinary.  Some women find vaginal temping to be more consistent.

Cervical fluid is something you can observe throughout the day- whenever you feel it, whenever you see it (while wiping), etc.  Here is my general guide to CF:

Dry: you'll feel dry all day and there is nothing on your panties

Sticky: you'll generally feel dry and there will be a bit of staining- usually yellow- on your panties.  It might be a bit crumbly or clumpy.

Creamy: generally you'll feel a little wet, lotiony in texture, could be slippery when you wipe, often it will stand up on your panties

Wet: you'll feel wet and your panties will likely be wet- maybe even soak through

Eggwhite: you might actually feel it slipping out of you througout the day and it might fall out of you while using the bathroom, stretchy- it may stretch from you to the TP for several inches- and usually clear or yellow tinted, often quite profuse

Cervical position is something you need to check at the same time each day.  Many women check while in the shower since you're already naked and clean.  If it hasn't been working out for you in the evening, maybe try the morning instead.  Generally your cervix will be low enough to touch prior to your fertile period, but may be too high when fertile and can vary greatly during your luteal phase.  Really temp and CF are the most imporant fertility signs and CP is most helpful just around ovulation.  So you could start checking it when you notice creamy CF through the point that you dry up.

OPK's.... they work great for some women, but for others they aren't very reliable.  Some women never get a positive, some get positives for days on end or randomly throughout their cycle.  Note that if you're not using the straight +/- kind the test line must be darker than the control line to be considered positive.  It's often recommended to test in the afternoon b/c that's when LH tends to surge.  I would recommend not worrying about OPK's until you're getting creamy CF.  Also keep in mind that if the test is working for you, you will likely ovulate 24-36 hours after the peak OPK.  So be sure to DTD that day and each day after until you see a clear temp spike for three days and your CF dries up.  If you do not get a temp spike within the next few days of your OPK+ then your geared up to O, but did not succeed.  In these cases you will likely gear up again in a few days, though sometimes it could be weeks.  Many normal things can delay O like stress, travel, illness, injury, travel, diet changes, strenuous exercise, etc. So keep that in mind when charting.

I also highly recommend reading the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility.  It's packed full of amazing information I never knew about my own body.  You don't need to read it cover to cover to start charing, but it's really an invaluable resource.  I also second the rec for www.fertilityfriend.com b/c you can log your data and share your charts on forums like this so we can help you decipher anything confusing.

Good luck and ask whatever questions you have!