Charting To Avoid-FAM/NFP November 2012

[mt_gooseberry]

  November 2012

Welcome to the November 2012 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); some are CTA but would be thrilled with a BFP; and we even have a few who are "whatevering" or pregnant and continue to hang out here.

If you did not post last month, you may have been deleted from the list. If you have joined recently, please double check I have your chart linked correctly. If you were mistakenly deleted, you would like to be added/removed, or you spot anything you would like me to change, please post or PM me to let me know. Remember, you must post in November if you want to be on the December list!

To those who are new, welcome!

Who We Are

*Baby_Cakes  

*caitlinette

*dreamingtree

*HulaJenn  

*JMJ

*JoyFilled

*lactatinggirl

*Lidamomma84

*Lionessmom

*MissCee

*mt_gooseberry

*1love4ever

*pickle18 

*slammerkin  

*vrclay

Wiki Resources for Charting to Avoid

Reasons to Choose Natural Family Planning - Why would you want to use charting to plan your family, anyway? Feel free to add your own reasons for charting!

Types of Natural Family Planning - It's not just the rhythm method. They've got this down to a science with options galore!

NFP or FAM Methods While Breastfeeding - You have options in the postpartum period while your fertility is returning!

Resources For Learning About Fertility Cycles - Find books to read or websites to visit, find an instructor, post your chart online, and learn about how your diet affects your fertility.

Fertility Awareness Method - A quick-start guide to the Fertility Awareness, a version of the Sympto-Thermal Method taught by Toni Weschler in her book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility.

Common Abbreviations for Charting to Avoid/Fertility Awareness - BBT, EWCM, TCOYF, and more! Learn what all these crazy acronyms mean here.

Happy Charting Everyone!

Edited by mt_gooseberry - 11/22/12 at 5:56pm

[lactatinggirl]

Subbing. :-)

ATM still going through the longest stretch (get it?!? Lol!) of fertile CM ever. Getting solid temps again though and still definitely pre-ovulatory. CM has changed though, so maybe I'm getting somewhere? Who knows.

[LionessMom]

hello!! still charting a bip. only 4 mo pp anyway. probably wont have anything happen until 20 mo pp or so. so i am just hanging out keeping up with everybody and trying to figure out my next move. 

[pickle18]

More mini-pill/PP/who knows weirdness over here - just started spotting again (?!) and haven't been able to track CM due to various treatments - also, really bummed because after slacking on temps, I started getting into a groove, and got what FF seemed to think was an ovulation dip...only then my toddler hid my thermometer 2 days later (while I was waiting to see a confirmed rise), so my temps are a bit scattered (haven't gotten a third post dip yet).   At least I found it today!  Must find better hiding place...will see what adding tomorrow's temp does.

[mt_gooseberry]

Originally Posted by LionessMom 

hello!! still charting a bip. only 4 mo pp anyway. probably wont have anything happen until 20 mo pp or so. so i am just hanging out keeping up with everybody and trying to figure out my next move. 

This is me, too.  14 mo pp, still bip, thinking it might be a few months yet. 

Although...I've been getting heartburn and mood-swingy, and it's making me feel pregnant!  I haven't had any other pg symptoms, but I might test just to make sure...

[lactatinggirl]

Originally Posted by mt_gooseberry 

This is me, too.  14 mo pp, still bip, thinking it might be a few months yet. 

Although...I've been getting heartburn and mood-swingy, and it's making me feel pregnant!  I haven't had any other pg symptoms, but I might test just to make sure...

So jealous of both of you! I still nurse around the clock, but PPAF came back at 8 months. :-(

[LionessMom]

Originally Posted by mt_gooseberry 

This is me, too.  14 mo pp, still bip, thinking it might be a few months yet. 

Although...I've been getting heartburn and mood-swingy, and it's making me feel pregnant!  I haven't had any other pg symptoms, but I might test just to make sure...

i felt that way a couple of months before i got mine back. maybe it is just hormones preparing to gear back up <shrug>

[mt_gooseberry]

Originally Posted by lactatinggirl 


So jealous of both of you! I still nurse around the clock, but PPAF came back at 8 months. :-(

You know, Sheila Kippley (the founder of NFP International) did a ton of research on ecological breastfeeding, and supposedly found that the average time for return to fertility was 14mo for those who practice eco bf.  But I have conducted several informal polls myself, and even among those who follow the 7 rules for eco bf don't have anywhere near that long of a wait for PPAF.  I'm no expert, but I kind of think the "14mo average" is way high for modern nursers, even those who nurse a lot.  I think that most women would have to literally be attatched to their child 24/7 (like those in non-industrialized societies) to get that 14mo average.  From what I've seen, 8 months seems pretty good.  I swear, every other woman I talk to tells me that they nurse around the clock and still get their PPAF back at less than 3mo.  I continue to be surprised at my amenorrhea (and I'm not gonna lie, really really pleased).

Originally Posted by LionessMom 

i felt that way a couple of months before i got mine back. maybe it is just hormones preparing to gear back up <shrug>

Well, I peed on a stick just to be sure, and it was negative.  I would have been really surprised if it had been posititve, b/c I just haven't had anything to point to return of fertility.  It's really reassuring to know someone else had a similar experience.

[pickle18]

Originally Posted by LionessMom 

i felt that way a couple of months before i got mine back. maybe it is just hormones preparing to gear back up <shrug>

  I bought dollar store cheapies to reduce the constant eye rolling from DH - but I swear, I was tired, dizzy, nauseous, heartburn-y - serious smell/food aversions - totally freaked me out!  Now, I know the mini-pill maybe caused some of that, but I also started noticing patches of EWCM around that time...so could have been hormones/trying to O, too.  Few months more and PPAF arrived.

I got away with 18 months (yaay! ) but I think you are right - that is probably somewhat due to being home and constantly attached to my high needs lil dude.

[pickle18]

AFM - I wish there was a magic way to tell if my problems are PP adjustment or mini-pill.  It would maybe give me the push I need to drop that safety net.  NP wanted to put me back on low-dose combo pill - DH and I don't want to go in that direction, but haven't yet been able to move in the opposite.  Talking with all of you is very helpful to me! 

(TMI ahead) Pink spotting/creamy CM yesterday, spotting-light flow of old, mucousy blood (or bloody mucous?) today - very stretchy.  Temp dip.  I guess time will tell if it's AF or more breakthrough?  I haven't wanted to eat at all and feel super nauseous. 

[lactatinggirl]

Originally Posted by mt_gooseberry 

You know, Sheila Kippley (the founder of NFP International) did a ton of research on ecological breastfeeding, and supposedly found that the average time for return to fertility was 14mo for those who practice eco bf.  But I have conducted several informal polls myself, and even among those who follow the 7 rules for eco bf don't have anywhere near that long of a wait for PPAF.  I'm no expert, but I kind of think the "14mo average" is way high for modern nursers, even those who nurse a lot.  I think that most women would have to literally be attatched to their child 24/7 (like those in non-industrialized societies) to get that 14mo average.  From what I've seen, 8 months seems pretty good.  I swear, every other woman I talk to tells me that they nurse around the clock and still get their PPAF back at less than 3mo.  I continue to be surprised at my amenorrhea (and I'm not gonna lie, really really pleased).

Well, I peed on a stick just to be sure, and it was negative.  I would have been really surprised if it had been posititve, b/c I just haven't had anything to point to return of fertility.  It's really reassuring to know someone else had a similar experience.

I was really good about following the rules of ecological breastfeeding except the nap. In the beginning I tried to nap daily, but my PPD kept me awake. Then my toddler decided to just up and stop napping, which makes finding a daily nap for myself pretty difficult. And I have left my babe a few times to go take tests over the last couple months, so that could be contributing. I was just so convinced that I'd get a year plus this time, but oh well. 

Originally Posted by pickle18 

  I bought dollar store cheapies to reduce the constant eye rolling from DH - but I swear, I was tired, dizzy, nauseous, heartburn-y - serious smell/food aversions - totally freaked me out!  Now, I know the mini-pill maybe caused some of that, but I also started noticing patches of EWCM around that time...so could have been hormones/trying to O, too.  Few months more and PPAF arrived.

I got away with 18 months (yaay! ) but I think you are right - that is probably somewhat due to being home and constantly attached to my high needs lil dude.

Did you know that the dollar store tests are actually better than a lot of tests out there? It's awesome! Cheap and awesome! http://www.peeonastick.com/hpts.html

Originally Posted by pickle18 

AFM - I wish there was a magic way to tell if my problems are PP adjustment or mini-pill.  It would maybe give me the push I need to drop that safety net.  NP wanted to put me back on low-dose combo pill - DH and I don't want to go in that direction, but haven't yet been able to move in the opposite.  Talking with all of you is very helpful to me! 

(TMI ahead) Pink spotting/creamy CM yesterday, spotting-light flow of old, mucousy blood (or bloody mucous?) today - very stretchy.  Temp dip.  I guess time will tell if it's AF or more breakthrough?  I haven't wanted to eat at all and feel super nauseous. 

Are you breastfeeding? I've heard that the combo pills will decrease your supply. 

[pickle18]

Originally Posted by lactatinggirl 

Did you know that the dollar store tests are actually better than a lot of tests out there? It's awesome! Cheap and awesome! http://www.peeonastick.com/hpts.html

I heard that around here - it is awesome! 

Are you breastfeeding? I've heard that the combo pills will decrease your supply. 

Yes, I am.  The NP didn't seem too concerned (kind of surprised we were still BFing ) so I don't think she cared - but yes, my OB had told me that about the combo right after DS was born, so I'm only taking the mini-pill (progesterone only) right now, and don't want to go the combo route.  

Honestly, I'm not sure that this pill isn't affecting supply, or maybe it's just PPAF-type hormones.  I've noticed a supply dip, smaller breasts, oily hair, skin outbreaks, more nausea (had bouts of this before PPAF on mini-pill), dizziness, etc. since I got AF back.  Not fun.  Would it make sense that mini-pill side effects could increase once AF returned?  Or just crazy hormones in general? 

Told DH - feeling pukey when preggo at least has a purpose - this is just the pits.  REALLY leaning toward NFP or FAM...more talks with DH in order.

[LionessMom]

the mini pill changed my milk. it was weird. it had less fat it seemed. 

lam- i read the rules and then just followed my kids lead. we do not nap together but i will kick back in the arm chair to hold him for one whole nap (about an hour) a day while i enjoy tv. he goes a couple hours in between nursing sometimes. and we co-sleep. i still dont get it back until 21 mo. i am hoping it works that way this time too. 

[pickle18]

Originally Posted by LionessMom 

the mini pill changed my milk. it was weird. it had less fat it seemed. 

Thanks - I need to call the OB I think.

lam- i read the rules and then just followed my kids lead. we do not nap together but i will kick back in the arm chair to hold him for one whole nap (about an hour) a day while i enjoy tv. he goes a couple hours in between nursing sometimes. and we co-sleep. i still dont get it back until 21 mo. i am hoping it works that way this time too. 

^ This is what we did/still do.  DS does still nurse all during his naps, but I can't sleep anymore...so I'm here. 

[HulaJenn]

Hi there! I used to frequent here often but not so much in a long time. I have CTA for  a few years and have charted my first anovulatory cycle in my 5 years of charts.  :(
I am officially late for my period and wondering what to expect. I know you can get a random annov cycle but I am curious as to what may have brought it on. Stress is no more than usual, I am not overweight....I am 36 so I don't think that is like perimenopausal??
Any insight would be great!

[HulaJenn]

Oh and here is a link to my chart

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/1cdd08

[mt_gooseberry]

Originally Posted by lactatinggirl 

Are you breastfeeding? I've heard that the combo pills will decrease your supply. 

Originally Posted by LionessMom 

the mini pill changed my milk. it was weird. it had less fat it seemed. 

Here is one of the reasons I ditched ALL hbc.  The combo pill will definitely decrease supply, and even though it isn't supposed to, progesterone-only products affect my supply, too.  In fact, after I got the Depo shot (which I was told was safe for milk supply because it is prog. only), I went completely bone dry within a week.  I managed to build my supply back up in the next three months by putting myself on a brutal regimen of pumping/nursing/supplements, but it sucked.

Honestly, pickle, I would not tolerate a health-care practicioner that showed so little regard for breastfeeding.  I'd send them and their combo-pills packing!

[JoyFilled]

I feel like I landed on the right page here today!  My doctor is sending me to see a gyno because I am 14 months pp and no period.  I work all day and only nurse 3 times a day.  I am overweight.  I didn't have a period between my 2 kids which puts my last period in May 2008.  I would love to chart but the last thing I want is to be pregnant right now.  I am waiting on my cheap tests in the mail.

It is nice to read some other people are like me.

[aquanna]

Hey, what does PPAF stand for?  I didn't see it on the common abbreviations page.  Thanks!

[HulaJenn]

PPAF is post partum Aunt Flow :)