Charting To Avoid-FAM/NFP December 2012

[mt_gooseberry]

   

December 2012 

Welcome to the December 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 January 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!

[Baby_Cakes]

Wacky cycle. CD2 already! Hoping this cycle is a bit more typical.

[slammerkin]

CD 24 for me. Just chillin. :)

[LionessMom]

Still bip for me. Although my desire is returning.

[lactatinggirl]

CD 28 with no O still. Fertile CM still, but not much. Is that normal? 

I've also been having something weird go on. It seems like every time we DTD, it hurts my cervix a little and then I spot afterwards. I know that this isn't horribly abnormal, but it's happening almost every time. And it's something I've associated with my post-ovulatory phase in the past, so I'm a little confused. 

Lastly, I'm taking human physiology this semester and we just went over the reproductive system and I am well versed! Yay charting for helping me keep my A! :-P 

[slammerkin]

AF arrived today, so phew! One cycle down of successfully CTA!

[Kimmiepie]

Hi!

May I join? :)

We are CTA at this point. We are waivering on whether we want another or not, but we are getting ready to list the house for sale, switch districts across the state (dh is a teacher) and a slew of other things. Not to mention we couldn't very well fit another baby in this house, and our van won't hold another person.  That being said, we are of the mind that if God gives us another child we will welcome it and be happy with the timing whenever it is. So we are not *strict* about it, as we know whatever happens it will work out perfectly.

My stats are: CD23 9dpo. While nursing my LP is usually about 6-7 days, and I think it's finally starting to lengthen out this month. Either that or I am pregnant. LOL I will probably take a test later today just to be certain. 

Thanks ladies!

[mt_gooseberry]

Welcome, Kimmiepie!

Nothing new here.  I thought I saw a smidge of fertile-type mucus the other day, but now I think it was a fluke.  I really can't complain!  I never thought that I'd still be waiting for my fertility to return at 15mo pp.

But on a related note, I've dreamt I was pregnant the last 5 nights in a row....

[Kimmiepie]

Well, 2 days of negative tests and then AF showed today. I shouldn't be sad, but I am anyway. I will be happy to have my normal LP's back though. :) Anyway, there are a lot of things I want to do (diet changes, the move etc.) before we consider another anyway so it's a good thing, but that motherly instinct kicks in and defies all logic sometimes. :)

[pickle18]

This month is something of a wild card for me...no clear temp shift, but several days of fertile mucus around the time I O'd last month.  Of course, my temps have been out of whack (waking up with toddler at odd hours, sometimes able to temp later after I fall back asleep, or else lots of disturbed half-sleep, etc.) and CM observations have been slacking a bit.  Really great combo, right?   CD 17 here.  So P&P it is, until further notice. 

lactatinggirl - is this your second month that looks anovulatory/no confirmed O yet?  Is the consistent little bit of bleeding typical for you (you mentioned it had happened post-O in other cycles)?  I have a history of cervical issues, and I know that is one thing they tell me to be on the lookout for and report to the doc...but that may not apply to you.  Do you track CP at all?

Welcome, kimmiepie! 

[mija y mijo]

Can I join you ladies?

DS2 is 18 months and still no AF for me. About two weeks ago I had what appeared to be fertile CM, and then CM that was pinkish and tinged with blood. Yikes! I was very nauseous last night, but haven't tested yet. A pregnancy right now wouldn't be ideal. I'm still nursing quite a bit and don't want to nurse through a pregnancy, I want to get back into shape, and money is very tight for us right now. Does it sound like I may have ovulated?

I really want to wait until next spring to conceive and try for a Valentine's baby in 2014... so I need to get back on fertility friend and start charting again, but with no AF and DS2 still nursing in the night how does one go about doing this?

[LionessMom]

I have a question. I had a us the other day. They saw follicles on my ovary. She said you can always see them. Is that true?

[pickle18]

mija y mijo - I would just get back on fertility friend, make a note of your CM, and try temping.  This month is wacky, but last month I had a clear temp shift, even with odd wakeup times and being up to nurse alot (with DS 19 months).  It seems that nursing at night (or not getting 3 hours sleep, not taking it at the same time, etc.) throws temps out the window for some women, but others can still see a shift just fine.  Worth a try!  Could you temp at the same time OR after a bigger chunk of sleep?

[JoyFilled]

Slammerkin - I am with you for my first period with CTA!  

I didn't chart but just tracked the mucus and avoided.  Avoiding was hard. It was like my body was crying out - impregnant me!  This month's success gives me more trust in NFP.

[tm0sweet]

Hi ladies, mind if I join?

Currently 3 weeks pp so I have nothing to chart yet. And this LO was conceived when I got lazy with my charting last February hoping having a group will keep me on track this time. I'd love more babies, but I definately would like to wait at least 2 years.

Fertility friend won't let me start up because my LMP was over 6 months ago, anyone know a way around this?

Also curious if any of you mommas took a NFP class or just self learned? I need to refresh myself on details to be on the safe side. I only used CM method last time.

[lactatinggirl]

I just learned from TCOYF and the free NPF manual online. Plus LOTS of help from JMJ! LOL!

I finally O'd! Possibly my first postpartum O! Counting that I'm pretty sure last cycle was anovulatory (though I could have O'd without knowing it because my girls suddenly started waking me way too early!), it ended up being like an 80 day cycle. LP was only 5 days though. Anyone else experience such a short LP while BFing?

[pickle18]

I've mostly learned from reading on my own (TCOYF), basic info on Fertility Friend (though not geared toward TTA and lax from that perspective) and from these forums (and JMJ! ).  Speaking of, lactatinggirl, I often peruse the "TTC While Nursing" boards, because I learn alot about nursing and charting, even from the other side of the fence.  There are alot of moms on there that experienced super short LPs while nursing that gradually lengthened (there's talk of supplements you can take and nightweaning, etc. over there, since it's TTC, but it should lengthen on its own when your body is ready).  Sounds perfectly normal to me.

Glad you have that crazy long cycle behind you!

[LionessMom]

no signs of fertility returning. of course i am only 6 mo pp and mine has a history of waiting until 21 mo. strangely this time i have a bip of creamy instead of dry. my husband is nervous about it and has been practicing withdrawal all on his own. i guess 5 is enough kids for him. i am seriously considering just getting my tube tied. i only have one so it would be no big deal really. i like it better than any other things i have looked into. i would still hang around. i will still be charting my cycles bc i love knowing when to expect af. i love having that info. 

[lactatinggirl]

Pickle- Yeah, I've heard/seen the same thing with BF and LP. I guess I just hadn't ever seen it that short or without the temp drop. Temp did drop yesterday though and AF came with force! Lol.

Lioness- Would it still be easier than your husband getting snipped? I'm just curious because that's our plan once we're done, but I haven't researched it much.

[pickle18]

Originally Posted by lactatinggirl 

Pickle- Yeah, I've heard/seen the same thing with BF and LP. I guess I just hadn't ever seen it that short or without the temp drop. Temp did drop yesterday though and AF came with force! Lol.
Lioness- Would it still be easier than your husband getting snipped? I'm just curious because that's our plan once we're done, but I haven't researched it much.

I second that question, Lioness (as we are planning the same thing...).  As to the first comment, lactatinggirl - so you had AF show without a temp drop?  How soon after AF started did your temp drop?

I'm asking because I am waiting on AF today, with a triphasic chart (well, the jump is about 0.3 not 0.4, but it's been sustained...).  Here's a link, so you don't have to scroll back... http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/3ff9d0  Opinions?

If AF showed with no temp drop, that means she could still come for me today, right?  Or maybe a longer LP this month - 14-17 is still normal?  One last thing, I've been SUPER nauseous since the temp rise - but if temp rise is due to progesterone, that could make sense, because progesterone mini-pills made me horribly nauseous...right?

Do I sound like I'm grasping at straws?   We definitely only used P&P as protection, in fertile mucus, the day before FF says I O'd.  However, I did take a not very sensitive test this am (50 miu @ 14 dpo) and it was negative.  I would think any test would be positive by now - on the other hand, this type of test didn't turn positive for me with DS for forever, I recall...

I figured posting here would ensure AF's arrival, haha.