Charting To Avoid-FAM/NFP October 2012 - Page 2

[pickle18]

Thanks again.  I'm not really expecting too much, other than to become a bit more familiar with my body (whatever weird things it's doing, at least I'm paying more attention) and charting as an option.

A class would probably give me more confidence and a better idea of how to make it work.  I was raised Catholic, so I'm not uncomfortable with starting there.  Just trying to figure out what makes the most sense for us, and a way that's healthy and hormone free is more attractive to me nowadays (before DS, as long as I wasn't having side effects, was regular, and had no babies - well, those were my criteria!).

[lactatinggirl]

Haha mt_gooseberry! Great minds think alike! I actually asked her to come look at this because I figured she'd be able to shed some light!

JMJ, I didn't get many temps at all. I didn't start temping until I stopped bleeding. Then a couple days later my toddler decided to start waking a full hour earlier. I'm going to just start temping whenever I wake up for the rest of this cycle, just to try to determine a time that'll work better for future cycles. I guess only time will tell if this is a true period or breakthrough bleeding. Is that pretty normal when your body is getting back to ovulating?

And my kombucha is with black tea, so I'm good there. :-)

[JMJ]

Almost anything is "normal" when you're getting back to ovulating. That first postpartum cycle is usually longer than normal and often involves breakthrough bleeding, though, so I seriously doubt that you just had a crazy short cycle with an early ovulation. I would pay more attention to CM, and hopefully your temps will shed at least some light. Daylight savings time is coming up, so that might mess with toddler wake-up times too. Watch for the dry-up with at least something that looks kinda like a temp rise. So complicated. Hang tight! It's not any worse than trying to learn the method while coming off of hormonal contraception. You can do it! Just count yourself as potentially fertile if you have any doubts.

[1love4ever]

Hey everyone, I havent been part of any of the FAM discussions, but that's kinda what i've been doing.  I havent been doing temps, just paying attention to my CM, how I'm feeling (my desire, which is up when I'm fertile), etc.  I recently started reading the book The Garden of Fertility by Katie Singer and was wondering what everyone thought of that book, if it's the right book to read?   I really do like it so far and am planning on doing temps soon.  Where do I get a nice little chart that I can write all my temps on observations down on?

Oh, also, I got my period  back at 4.5 months PP, had a few regular ones, and then they started showing up late, one was even 10 days late!  Then my last one was 3 days late, and I bled for a total of 13 days!  I have never had more than a 6 day period, so was freaked out about that, and now I don't know even where to begin trying to determine where I'm at in my cycles, when I'm fertile, etc!  Any thoughts?  This is probably a time when temps would be helpful huh!  I am breastfeeding which my midwife says throws your cycles off, but I've always had regular cycles while breastfeeding til now...

The book also says sperm can survive in my body for 5 days if there is mucous, is this true?  All along I've been hearing they could live for 3 days max...  So now I'm confused.  The book also recommends feeling your cervix sometimes, or if you need to, I've never seen or felt a cervix and feel a little wierd about doing that, how necessary do you think that is, and is it very difficult to do?

Thanks so much everyone :)

[caitlinette]

Originally Posted by lactatinggirl 

This means that I'm not getting my temperature. Of course this all has to happen when I'm having fertile CM, so I could ovulate at any point. How do I decide we're safe again if I don't see my temp jump?

Although it's not as sure a bet as seeing your temperature rise, you could apply the Peak Day rule and when you've had no wet fluid for 4 days in a row you are safe that 4th evening.

[lactatinggirl]

Okay, so that was definitely breakthrough bleeding. Entirely stopped within 12 hours of starting. Good to know what's "normal" for postpartum! My toddler had a sleepover with grandma last night and the baby actually stayed asleep, so I got a valid temp that's still within my normal pre-ovulation range. Hopefully they continue letting me sleep (for a multitude of reasons) and I can get enough valid temps that I can see a spike! Thanks everyone!

[Lidamama84]

Hi everyone! Can I join, please? We are waiting to TTC until DD2 is around 2 and in the meantime we 've been using condoms since I don't want to use hormonal bc. We have a pill baby already, and I know 3 other women who've gotten pregnant while on the pill, so I really don't trust it!!! Condoms have always worked well for us, and we sometimes do pull'n'pray, but I would really prefer to be more aware of my cycles. I tried temping of a month, but since we co-sleepin, the kids always grab my thermometer or I'm doing a crazy dance trying to keep them off me, plus I have to get up just to reach it, so I stopped doing that because it was making me crazy. And my DD2 often wakes up at 2 or 3 or 4 in the morning, is up for an hour, then goes back down, so I never have a close to reliable wake up time

Anyhow, some things I've noticed (and I'm planning on reading TCOYF soon!) is increased libido around O time (apparently very common, isn't the reproductive system great?), and i'm noticing more and more wet cm for what seems like many days at a time. I've only had 3 PPAFs, though, so I'm sure my cycle is still getting back to normal. I'm definitely not ready to ditch condoms yet, since DH has a pretty demanding libido. I'm mostly too tired to care

Sorry for the long intro and I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone

[LionessMom]

i use a shoe string. i tie it around the thermometer. then i tie the other end around a part of the headboard that is hidden under the pillows and drop the therm down behind the bed. this works with my headboard and bed bc it has spindles and stuff. then when my husbands alarm goes off i take my temp (half asleep) and drop the therm back down behind the board. later when i get up and all the kids are settled for breakfast, i go back and get it and read it and put it into fertility friend or on a paper chart. 

i used to keep it tied to the headboard but i couldnt get the kids to leave it alone. one day my toddler got it and stood up on the bed and fell on it and it poked a hole into her gums where she didnt have any teeth. they all came in fine but it was nasty looking and scared the crap outta me. so i fiigured out of sight out of mind and crafted the above solution. it is an idea anyway that might help you figure something out. i could take it before getting out of bed and every morning when his alarm went off was regular, and it seemed that it didnt matter if i was snuggled with a baby or not. if i woke up before the alram i took my temp right away and tried to  note how much before the alarm i woke. if it was more than an hour then i marked it disturbed. i did go back to sleep for another 2 hours after temping.  i havent been temping yet as baby is only 4 mo and i havent had any signs of anything. i am only doing vag sensation right now. i have a bip of creamy. it would be dry but i drink several cups of green tea every morning. i notice the days i dont drink it, the next day is dry. which feels uncomfortable and itchy. lol. i definitely have no desire right now. bfing really zaps it. but when i am having cycles, i get like a cat in heat during fertile periods. and my husband doesnt like condoms. he and i have been having the talk about permanent solutions like the v and tubal. we havent decided anything yet but it sounds like it is what we are planning. 

[pickle18]

Awesome ideas, LionessMom - thank you!   I like the hidden shoestring AND temping at your husband's alarm - I usually wake for that, but have been temping when I wake again later, with the timing a bit erratic. 

Also, the green tea is a great idea (I've been drinking fenugreek for similar reasons + milk supply boost).  I went to brew myself a cup...and discovered my green tea was so old it had turned black, haha - oops, time to go to the store, I suppose! 

[mt_gooseberry]

Originally Posted by 1love4ever 

Hey everyone, I havent been part of any of the FAM discussions, but that's kinda what i've been doing.  I havent been doing temps, just paying attention to my CM, how I'm feeling (my desire, which is up when I'm fertile), etc.  I recently started reading the book The Garden of Fertility by Katie Singer and was wondering what everyone thought of that book, if it's the right book to read?   I really do like it so far and am planning on doing temps soon.  Where do I get a nice little chart that I can write all my temps on observations down on?

Oh, also, I got my period  back at 4.5 months PP, had a few regular ones, and then they started showing up late, one was even 10 days late!  Then my last one was 3 days late, and I bled for a total of 13 days!  I have never had more than a 6 day period, so was freaked out about that, and now I don't know even where to begin trying to determine where I'm at in my cycles, when I'm fertile, etc!  Any thoughts?  This is probably a time when temps would be helpful huh!  I am breastfeeding which my midwife says throws your cycles off, but I've always had regular cycles while breastfeeding til now...

The book also says sperm can survive in my body for 5 days if there is mucous, is this true?  All along I've been hearing they could live for 3 days max...  So now I'm confused.  The book also recommends feeling your cervix sometimes, or if you need to, I've never seen or felt a cervix and feel a little wierd about doing that, how necessary do you think that is, and is it very difficult to do?

Thanks so much everyone :)

I haven't read Singer's book myself, but it seems to be on the list of books people recommend for FAM.  As for your crazy cycles, I don't have a clue...but if you keep charting them, your charts could be really helpful if you end up needing to go to the gyno.  In fact, the Creighton method of charting is  considered one of the best tools in existence for diagnosing and treating gynecological problems.  And yes, I know it is possible for sperm to survive up to 5 days in the presence of FERTILE mucus, not just any mucus.  I don't know how common it is, though.  Five days seems to be the upper limit.  Wish I could be more helpful!

[JoyFilled]

Hi!  I read this section often.  We are really doing nothing - lots of avoiding right now.  DS is 14 months now and I got pregnant with him when DD was 19 months with no period in between.  I am still with no period yet.  I "track" CM but it seems for the past month there has never been 3 dry days in a row.  I know/think I have POCS - I see the doctor on Friday for the blood results but already know I have cycsts. My doctor and I will talk about using birth control or charting on Friday.  I want to chart but my cycles are all over the map and it is very difficult. 

[pickle18]

Originally Posted by mt_gooseberry 

And yes, I know it is possible for sperm to survive up to 5 days in the presence of FERTILE mucus, not just any mucus.  I don't know how common it is, though.  Five days seems to be the upper limit.  

According to OPKs (I wasn't charting) it's totally possible that is how we conceived DS - DH left to go on a camping trip with his friends, and I was bummed we'd missed our shot when I got the closest-to-positive OPK in that cycle four days later (never had a stark positive) - only, low and behold, he returned to a BFP. 

It's also possible, of course, that I messed up the OPKs, that it was 3 days really, not four, etc...but it could happen.

[mt_gooseberry]

The new thread is up!  I did some housecleaning, so if you have been deleted from the list, but would like to be relisted, let me know.  Also, if you have a chart to link to, let me know...although I will need instructions on how to do that, 'cuz I have noooo idea!  Lastly, I deleted the "Graduates," because I have not kept up on who has gotten pregnant, and it was probably way out-of-date.  :)

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1367120/charting-to-avoid-fam-nfp-november-2012