Charting to Avoid August Thread - Page 8

[MarineWife]

I was reading TCOYF again today. Checking out the info on the different forms of birth control. I guess, technically, we are not using NFP/FAM since we plan on using withdrawal during our fertile period. Although, I'm getting the feeling after that little scare I gave my dh about being pg that he may never touch me again.

[Sk8ermaiden]

Originally Posted by MarineWife

I was reading TCOYF again today. Checking out the info on the different forms of birth control. I guess, technically, we are not using NFP/FAM since we plan on using withdrawal during our fertile period. Although, I'm getting the feeling after that little scare I gave my dh about being pg that he may never touch me again.

NFP peans you abstain during to your fertile period, FAM means you use another means of BC.

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by Sk8ermaiden

NFP peans you abstain during to your fertile period, FAM means you use another means of BC.

Not according to Toni Weschler. She puts NFP as a sort of subset of FAM. The difference being, as you said, NFP practicers abstain during the fertile period while those who do non-NFP FAM use a barrier method. She has withdrawal as a separate method. She also says that she thinks taking chances with anything other than abstinence or a barrier method during the fertile period is essentially not following FAM. That's why I said that, technically, we aren't using FAM since we plan to use withdrawal during our fertile period. That's not really following the contraceptive rules of FAM. I'm just being very technical because I thought it was funny to read that.

[CanidFL]

Originally Posted by MarineWife

Not according to Toni Weschler. She puts NFP as a sort of subset of FAM. The difference being, as you said, NFP practicers abstain during the fertile period while those who do non-NFP FAM use a barrier method. She has withdrawal as a separate method. She also says that she thinks taking chances with anything other than abstinence or a barrier method during the fertile period is essentially not following FAM. That's why I said that, technically, we aren't using FAM since we plan to use withdrawal during our fertile period. That's not really following the contraceptive rules of FAM. I'm just being very technical because I thought it was funny to read that.

I don’t think many people use true NFP I mean who can abstain during the days when you want it the most. On those days you would have to look me in a room to abstain : I do remember her saying that for it to truly be 99% or whatever reliable you have to abstain because if you use a condom or pull out then the failure rate is going to be high because it will always fail during the fertile time. I still decided condoms were our best bet.

[sundaygirl]

Delurking. . .

Hi all, I'm so glad to have found a place to discuss charting to avoid! I've been lurking here since I started charting in June. I've read TCOYF and consider myself to be practicing FAM since our backup method is condoms. This is the first month that my O date is a little ambiguous. I manually set the coverline and O date on day 14. If I set FF to Advanced mode, it gives me dotted crosshairs with O on day 13. If I set it to FAM mode, it doesn't give crosshairs yet because of my freaky low temp yesterday. Can anyone take a look at my chart and offer advice? I wasn't too conservative with avoiding or using backup on CD 11 but I feel like we were in the clear on CD 16.

[CanidFL]

I would say CD 17 you were in the clear. That was 3 days over the cover line and 4 days past the Peak day. It is weird that the one temp dropped so low after O. I would be worried about an implantation dip if I were a few days later but it’s too early for that I think. It will be interesting to see what happens the next couple days with your temps.

[MarineWife]

Hmmm...Sundaygirl, I think it's kind of close to call. To be as conservative as possible, I'd be inclined to put your CL at 97.8, which makes it look like you didn't O until possibly cd18. Remember that you don't have to have fertile cm to O. Only temps can confirm O. Tracking cm helps you pinpoint your peak day and when you are potentially fertile. You can O and have a thermal shift several days after your peak day. Conversely, some women have fertile cm for a few days after O. OTOH, if you discard the higher temp on cd8, you could maybe put your CL at 97.4, in which case O would've been cd13 and the low temp on cd18 is still at or above your CL. Either way, if you dtd without protection on the days you have marked, you could have a problem. Oh, and if O was cd13, that temp dip on cd18 could very well be an implant dip since implantation can occur anywhere from 5-12dpo.

Originally Posted by CanidFL

I don’t think many people use true NFP I mean who can abstain during the days when you want it the most. On those days you would have to look me in a room to abstain I do remember her saying that for it to truly be 99% or whatever reliable you have to abstain because if you use a condom or pull out then the failure rate is going to be high because it will always fail during the fertile time. I still decided condoms were our best bet.

Yeah, I think what she means by the condoms failing during your fertile time is that either that's the only time you would use them or you'd only know it failed if you got pg, which would have to happen during your fertile time. She also says that if you use a barrier method during your fertile time, your risk is only as good as the risk for that particular barrier method. She does recommend condoms as being the most effective barrier method.

As far as abstaining, it's probably a lot easier to do if you have short, regular cycles with obvious fertile times. Then you'd only have to abstain for a week at the most. With PCOS, if you were going to abstain, you might as well become celebate because of all of the potentially fertile days. :

[CanidFL]

Originally Posted by MarineWife

OTOH, if you discard the higher temp on cd8, you could maybe put your CL at 97.4, in which case O would've been cd13 and the low temp on cd18 is still at or above your CL. Either way, if you dtd without protection on the days you have marked, you could have a problem. Oh, and if O was cd13, that temp dip on cd18 could very well be an implant dip since implantation can occur anywhere from 5-12dpo.

oh I didn't even see that. Did you DTD unprotected on CD 11? That could be an implantation dip....

[sundaygirl]

Originally Posted by CanidFL

oh I didn't even see that. Did you DTD unprotected on CD 11? That could be an implantation dip....

*gulp* yes, twice. mid-afternoon and late night. I don't record protected sex on FF, just on the paper chart I also keep.

I manually put my O on CD 14 because I had sharp, one-sided pain that lasted about an hour (mittelschmerz?) very like the pain I had last cycle on CD 14 - the day that FF declared as my O day last cycle. I know that mittelschmerz can happen before, during or after O - but do you know if it's consistent from month to month as to when in the cycle you feel it?

[CanidFL]

Well if you O'd CD 13 or 14, you are at risk for pregnancy since you DTD CD 11. If you didn't O till CD 18 you are still at risk since you DTD on CD 16..... I would take a pregnancy test and keep your fingers crossed if you don't want a pregnancy right now.

:

ETA: I don't know much about O pain. I never get it.

[CanidFL]

I just have to add….way to go for DTD twice in one day : That doesn’t happen around here anymore

[sundaygirl]

LOL, thanks! It only happens in our house now that I'm off hormonal BC. I had forgotten what it felt like to actually want to DTD. . .we're making up for lost time.

I admit that I would be pretty excited (in a happy way) if we got a but DH would most likely freak the fark out. Perhaps I should be posting in the I may be pg but wasn't trying thread?! Will keep a close eye on the temps the next few days. We don't have any children, just :: so who knows if we're even fertile.

[Maggirayne]

Originally Posted by indiemamma

Even though our kids haven't exactly been "planned" (except for the 3 minutes before when I said "we could get pregnant" and he said "great!"), the two times that I was sure we were doing it during a fertile time, we got pregnant!

: That's us, sorta, we didn't get pg the first time we tried, but we say that. We'd be trying if I were okay with it, which, I've got my broken arm healing, dunno if that's good timing, and I do not want to wean even if it's only a few months. (I'm on the fence w/tandeming/CLWing.)

Originally Posted by lovinlife1219

Well, since I am nursing (a LOT!) my cycles are pretty irregular. I had my first AF about three months ago, then had a 32 day cycle and then my last cycle was 43 days (I think) so I guess it's normal for me to have short and long cycles for now!

That's how I am, I think, long then short for a couple, then a long cycle thrown in.

Originally Posted by MarineWife

Not according to Toni Weschler. She puts NFP as a sort of subset of FAM. The difference being, as you said, NFP practicers abstain during the fertile period while those who do non-NFP FAM use a barrier method. She has withdrawal as a separate method. She also says that she thinks taking chances with anything other than abstinence or a barrier method during the fertile period is essentially not following FAM. That's why I said that, technically, we aren't using FAM since we plan to use withdrawal during our fertile period. That's not really following the contraceptive rules of FAM. I'm just being very technical because I thought it was funny to read that.

So is she FAM's goddess? I mean, is she the only person who defines FAM? Sounds a little. . .something to me. I mean, didn't some women have an idea what was going on with their bodies before Toni wrote TCOYF?

[CanidFL]

Sundaygirl - BTW, I said take a pregnancy test but you can't do that for another 2 weeks or so. Just wanted to clarify.

[fanniefarkle]

DTD??? What does this stand for? I get the gist of what it means, but can't figure out the actual letters.

[texaspeach]

DTD = do the deed aka have sex


I am having a long cycle from hell thanks to the stress of finals, applying for nursing school (and not getting in . UGH! just ovulate already! I'm on day 21 and keep having intermittent ewcm. The past year I've been right at 28 days after years of irregular cycles. Come on body, you can do it!

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by Maggirayne

So is she FAM's goddess? I mean, is she the only person who defines FAM? Sounds a little. . .something to me. I mean, didn't some women have an idea what was going on with their bodies before Toni wrote TCOYF?

Well, I don't think she invented FAM. However, when she talks about these things she refers to Contraceptive Technology. I don't think it's just her opinion on that. Personally, I think her book should be required reading for everyone. My 17yo ds knows more about women's fertility than most of his girlfriends.

texaspeach ~ Sorry you didn't get in to nursing school.

Originally Posted by sundaygirl

I know that mittelschmerz can happen before, during or after O - but do you know if it's consistent from month to month as to when in the cycle you feel it?

I have mittelshermz every cycle. Sometimes it's constant cramping for a week or two. Sometimes it's a sharp pain that only lasts a few hours. Sometimes it's both. I can guess which side I'm ovulating on by where the pain is. I've had it confirmed by ultrasound, which was pretty cool. I'm pretty sure I ovulated from my left ovary last cycle because I had sharp pains on that side for about 2-3 weeks. I assume it was the pain of the egg mature, then ovulating, then the corpus luteum. It stopped exactly a week into my lp, when the corpus luteum would start to disintegrate if a pg had not occured.

Now I'm remembering why AF is such a pain. I thought it was tapering off last night but it kicked back in this afternoon. On a good note, I got to the gym today. First time in a looooooooong time. It felt really good to work out. I think I'm going to get a trainer. We get them free at the military gym. My 17yo ds is willing to babysit for me every day so I can go. If he can't babysit, they have a great playroom there with a video that feeds to a big screen TV in the exercise room so we can see what's going on in there. I've got to lose at least 10 lbs for my dh's unit's Marine Corps Birthday Ball bash, which is November 16. It's kind of nice to know that I can work out as hard as I want because I'm not ttc so I don't have to worry about my bodyfat getting too low.

[CanidFL]

: still waiting for some fertility signs and an O. It's a good thing I'm not TTC because I would be going even more mental waiting and waiting.

[bridetobe2008]

New to charting TTA

First month charting
[URL="http://www.fertilityfriend.com/ttc/index.php?interface=0"]

[fanniefarkle]

Welcome bridetobe, and congrats (as your name implies). I'm new to charting, too.