Charting bbt while night nursing??

[pinky]

I'm not ttc #2 yet, but I am cycling irregularly and interested to find out if I am ovulating (we are hoping to ttc in a few months). But I can't figure out how to get a decent BBT if my dd is regularly waking me at 4 or 5 or 6 to nurse. I'm trying to imagine myself groping for the thermometer while trying to get her latched on while trying not to move to much and elevate my temperature too much.

I figured this is the place that there would be mamas who have dealt with this dilemma, and I'd love any advice/suggestions. thanks!

[Jster]

Hi!! I've been in your situation, and I've found that bbt temping isn't as difficult as some make it out to be. I've also found that my temperature doesn't seem to be effected much by waking frequently in the morning hours to nurse, but here's a thought if you want to be especially careful. When I first started charting, I took the time my dd usually began waking regularly, which was about 3-4 am, and I just decided I would temp then and go back to sleep. She usually slept well BEFORE that point, and no one says you have to temp when you actually get up I've relaxed more as I realized it didn't matter much, and now I temp around 5...much closer to my normal waking time of 5-5:30. My first chart was wacky, though, and watch out because Fertility Friend is always "looking" for ovulation, so sometimes they confuse you with inaccurate o dates based on seemingly early temp shifts. You're in a great position to get started, though, since you won't be ttc for a few months the pressure will be off to get it right the first time. Good luck, and when you do decide to start we have a thread going for Nursing Mamas TTC.

[its_our_family]

Ppl told me it was impossible! But I did it anyway. Ds had an inconsstent night schedule. So he would wake between 4 and 7. He seems to wake up more around 6...so that is when I would temp. I also realized that my temp isn't thrown off that much by an hour.

My temps were always really wacky until I would O. Then it didn't much matter they evened out. The first month my O date was way off but the second cycle was better. I'm now 5 weeks pg with #2...so I won't be temping anymore so I don't know how else I would have done!

You can see my charts if you want....

www.fertilityfriend.com/home/2127f

[Mallory]

I would agree try it for a month or two and see if your chart makes any sense.

I haven't had any luck. I have two boys that nurse at night niether with any kind of schedule. I do not have any patterns to my temp whether I take it when dh gets up at 5:30 every morning, or when I really get up (more like 8) or when I am woken to nurse around 5 or 6. My temps are all over the place, and then there is that whole issue of locating the thermometer. We have two full sized mattresses and it seemed like no matter where I keep the thermometer I am miles away from it in the morning.

Are you having other fertility signs (EWCM, high cervix, ect.)? I realize many of those are not as definte a sign that you have O'ed as temps, but they are still pretty good I especially think if the # of days from when you have your peak CM day until you period starts is constant and around 14 days (like 12-16) then there is a good chance you are. If it is just the days before that that are irregular there is much less of a chance that you are having fertility problems (especially while nursing day and night).

[citizenfong]

My ds is mostly nightweaned during the night but starts nursing again anywhere between 4:30 to 6:30am. I set my alarm every day for 7:30 and take my temp then, even if I was a awake say 45 minutes before. It has worked just fine for me. One thing that I think helps is that many nursing mamas seem to have a pretty consistant low temp. I have very little variation in my low range. That was not the case when I was charting before I got pg with ds.

Also, I have heard before and have found to be true in my case, that a study was done showing that temps were the same when taking immediately upon waking and after 3 minutes of jumping jacks. I'm not sure why so much emphasis has been put on not moving about at all before taking your temp. Most people think their chances of getting an accurate temp is out the window if they so much as go to the bathroom first. That's not been my experience. Maybe someone else has a different perspective they can share on that.

Do come visit us in the Nursing Mamas thread if you get the chance.

Tracy