Charting to Avoid October, November, December 2008 - Page 45

[Shelsi]

the link to the chart would probably help wouldn't it? http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/160991

I'm a little frustrated because we had an oops last cycle. We took this entire cycle off...haven't dtd since last cycle and as you can see I have long cycles...so I could get a handle on what my BIP is. But apparently my BIP is dry/creamy so there's always a chance I could get pregnant. Dh and I aren't ready for that, we hate condoms, I'm allergic to spermicides, I had a bad experience with the IUD, my milk dries up on the mini-pill. We feel like we don't have any options and that we're stuck with a higher probability of NFP failing for us since I always have slightly fertile cm.

[MarineWife]

I'd put your O day at cd32 with a CL of 97.4 just to be absolutely certain and safe, although it may have been cd31 if you ROT the cd27 temp and put your CL at 97.2. With a cd32 O, you to wait for one more high temp to confirm it before you can consider yourself absolutely safe.

What was your CF like from cd8-10 where you have nothing recorded? Did you have nothing, you were dry? If so, that is your BIP, not creamy.

[Shelsi]

I'm not sure what it was. I was still upset about having our oops and we were feeling lost and thinking we wouldn't be charting any more. Even if it was dry and that would technically be my BIP that would make NFP very frustrating for us. We can't go 20+ days of abstaining, kwim? I guess I feel like I sort of have to make some of my own rules but that of course loses some of the effectiveness of NFP. We're starting to seriously consider a more permanent solution even though that's not what I really want right now. OTOH we don't want another baby right now. Blah.

[MarineWife]

Maybe after a few more charted cycles it'll become more clear. It took me a really long time to truly start to understand how this all worked.

[mommy2two babes]

Originally Posted by Shelsi

I'm not sure what it was. I was still upset about having our oops and we were feeling lost and thinking we wouldn't be charting any more. Even if it was dry and that would technically be my BIP that would make NFP very frustrating for us. We can't go 20+ days of abstaining, kwim? I guess I feel like I sort of have to make some of my own rules but that of course loses some of the effectiveness of NFP. We're starting to seriously consider a more permanent solution even though that's not what I really want right now. OTOH we don't want another baby right now. Blah.

I know exactly how you feel. As much as it sucks we use condoms until I have confirmed o for the time being. That was the only way DH is comfortable.

[Shelsi]

Originally Posted by MarineWife

Maybe after a few more charted cycles it'll become more clear. It took me a really long time to truly start to understand how this all worked.

I've been charting for the past 17 mos plus I charted for 2 mos TTC dd plus 1 mos TTC ds. We've been dtd on creamy days because I seem to basically always be creamy. Then we had the oops and now we're just sort of lost. I think the only "correct" way to NFP for us would leave us abstaining for 20+ days which is just not something we can do. So it's either bend the rules and have a higher chance of an oops or stick to the rules and be frustrated. Or do something more permanent that I'm not ready for.

[CanidFL]

Originally Posted by Twinklefae

I was expecting AF this morning, but I don't feel like she's coming at all... no cramps, nothing.

LP can vary a couple days and you are still within a normal range. I would give it till tomorrow till you test.

Originally Posted by Shelsi

Let's play our favorite game: when did I O? I'm 99% certain FF has it wrong. I'm thinking cd32? Any guesses?

And how long do we need to wait to dtd? Let's say it is cd32. Would we be safe to dtd tonight? Or do we need to wait one more day?

ETA: the link to my chart: http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/160991

I think you will be safe tomorrow if you are being really conservative. YOu could have O'd a day later than FF says.

[momtoS]

I need to read up on this thread...it is very interesting and I keep putting off getting the appointment made for dh's snip snip....

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by Shelsi

I've been charting for the past 17 mos plus I charted for 2 mos TTC dd plus 1 mos TTC ds.

Ah, ok. I was thinking you hadn't been charting very long since you said you were trying to determine your BIP. I think if you know you go for long periods of time (weeks) with creamy CF and then have several days of watery/ew before you O, you could probably bend the rules a little. I guess, technically, that might put you at a bit of a higher risk for an oops. That's something you might be able to figure out based on what you know about how your body works. I think the creamy BIP stuff I read was in the section on breastfeeding or when you have irregular cycles PP and you don't know when you might O or if you have short, regular length cycles with only a few days of creamy before more fertile and then O, if that makes sense.

[Twinklefae]

AF arrived! : Hooray!

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by Twinklefae

AF arrived! : Hooray!

Whew! :

[MarineMommy]

CD2 for me, any way to lessen af flow???

So I have always had a pretty heavy flow. I feel like CD2-3 are so heavy I bleed through a super-plus tampon and soak an overnight pad in an hour. I am sick of it. There has to be something I can do to lessen the flow!! Any ideas, any????

[DucetteMama21842]

I'm a newbie... so no real advice or help for anyone else... but just checking in.

On cd33 and no real signs of ovulation or af on the way.... I'm so impatient to start a new cycle and have my cycles get back to regular. I'm enjoying charting though!

[ReikiMommy07]

I haven't been posting b/c I might be pg... But I have a question. A page on sisterzeus.com says:
Note: I counted the days in Clare's cycle to illustrate how the menstrual cycle should be charted. The first day menstruation begins is Day 1. Ovulation,
for someone who has a 28-29 day cycle like Clare, will occur around the 14th or 15th Day of the cycle. When bleeding begins again, that cycle comes to
a close, the first day of bleeding is the final day of that cycle and also the first day of the new cycle. Clare's last day of her cycle was Day 28, which
is also Day 1 of this months cycle. I hope this example helps everyone to understand how to chart their own cycle. Please write me if you have any questions.

Is this true? Is the first day of bleeding both the last day of the prev. cycle and the 1st day of the current one? I've never seen that before...

[Shelsi]

Originally Posted by MarineMommy

So I have always had a pretty heavy flow. I feel like CD2-3 are so heavy I bleed through a super-plus tampon and soak an overnight pad in an hour. I am sick of it. There has to be something I can do to lessen the flow!! Any ideas, any????

Try a chlorophyll supplement. My midwives had me on one before and after birth and part of it was to lessen bleeding. I noticed when I take it that my AF is lighter, plus I have more energy.

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by ReikiMommy07

I haven't been posting b/c I might be pg... But I have a question. A page on sisterzeus.com says:
Note: I counted the days in Clare's cycle to illustrate how the menstrual cycle should be charted. The first day menstruation begins is Day 1. Ovulation,
for someone who has a 28-29 day cycle like Clare, will occur around the 14th or 15th Day of the cycle. When bleeding begins again, that cycle comes to
a close, the first day of bleeding is the final day of that cycle and also the first day of the new cycle. Clare's last day of her cycle was Day 28, which
is also Day 1 of this months cycle. I hope this example helps everyone to understand how to chart their own cycle. Please write me if you have any questions.

Is this true? Is the first day of bleeding both the last day of the prev. cycle and the 1st day of the current one? I've never seen that before...

I've always considered the day before menstruation starts as the last day of the previous cycle. The day menstruation starts is the first day of the next cycle. It probably doesn't really matter that much, though. It's only one day.

I don't know what might help with reducing flow. Sorry. I'm needing something for cramps. I used to go to acupuncture but I don't have the time or the money now. They are getting really bad, though.

[Smokering]

I just read TCOYF and am interested in charting, although I'm BFing and still haven't got my period back. DD's 9 months, and I'm more or less EBFing--she gets a tiny amount of solids and doesn't drink as often during the night (don't ask how often, I'm asleep! I think we have a good stretch of not drinking, though... six hours? Maybe?). Any tips for charting while BFing, which I know is tricky?

Also, is Fertility Friend a good charting resource? Substantially worse than paying for the TCOYF software? I looked at the 'Guided Tour' and it seemed good, although some of the stuff about predicting future ovulation dates based off past cycles seemed a bit off. Anyone have an opinion?

Thanks!

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by Smokering

I just read TCOYF and am interested in charting, although I'm BFing and still haven't got my period back. DD's 9 months, and I'm more or less EBFing--she gets a tiny amount of solids and doesn't drink as often during the night (don't ask how often, I'm asleep! I think we have a good stretch of not drinking, though... six hours? Maybe?). Any tips for charting while BFing, which I know is tricky?

Also, is Fertility Friend a good charting resource? Substantially worse than paying for the TCOYF software? I looked at the 'Guided Tour' and it seemed good, although some of the stuff about predicting future ovulation dates based off past cycles seemed a bit off. Anyone have an opinion?

Thanks!

If you haven't gotten an PP bleed yet, the best thing to do is chart your CF and use caution/protection/abstain whenever you have fertile CF. I really don't think there's any point in temping until you get that first PP bleed.

Which s/w you use is a personal preference, I think. You can always try the free version of FF. If you don't like it, you could try Ovusoft. I think Ovusoft has a free 15 day trial. I found that annoying because it wasn't long enough to decide whether or not it was any good at determining O. Personally, I like Ovusoft better for cta and FF better for ctc.

[CanidFL]

Smokering – I like FF because it’s free I don’t rely on it to avoid though. It’s more of a tool to share online charting. I chart on paper. It’s important to be able to chart on your own and totally understand it because no computer program will be able to predict when you will O KWIM? I would not trust the predicting O on FF since my O date varies so much cycle to cycle.

ReikiMommy – I notice FF does that. The last day of LP is the first day of your cycle. It always messes me up when I count my LP on paper and it doesn’t match FF. On my paper chart, I could my last day of LP and first day of AF separate. I hope you aren’t pregnant if you don’t want to be.

DucetteMama - It sucks when you are waiting for something to happen while charting. I hope your cycles regulate soon for you.

Marinemommy – I have no idea on the heavy flow. Are your cycles longer than normal?

Twinlefae – YAY! :

No temp shift for me yet but I had a + OPK and major cramping along with some breakout/headache yesterday. I expect to see a temp shift in the next 2 days. This will be a short simple cycle. I always enjoy these type of cycles (although this is only the second time it’s happened to me ). I’m back at work now after a long vacation. Blah

[Twinklefae]

Originally Posted by MarineMommy

So I have always had a pretty heavy flow. I feel like CD2-3 are so heavy I bleed through a super-plus tampon and soak an overnight pad in an hour. I am sick of it. There has to be something I can do to lessen the flow!! Any ideas, any????

The tampons themselves may be contributing. Have you tried a Diva Cup, or cloth pads? I have a friend with heavy flow and I think she noticed a difference.

Originally Posted by DucetteMama21842

I'm a newbie... so no real advice or help for anyone else... but just checking in.

I used to do that all the time... it doesn't take long to get good at it!

CanidFL : Sounds like : for you too (although for different reasons)

AF has me wiped out! :