Where do I begin charting

[veggiemomma]

Alrighty ladies...

I have never charted at all and am 4.5 mo pp w/ #2. No return of af yet, but I have been crampy, headachy and had sticky cervical fluid for the last two days. I just bought a basal therm. and have been at 97.2 the last two days.

I signed up for a free trial of Ovusoft charting software, but it says you can't start the chart until the 1st day of menstration. Since my dd is ExclsivelyBF, I don't know when I will menstrate again. Do I really need to wait or can I go ahead and do the temping and checking CFluid? I mean, I will still be able to detect a cyclic pattern even without AF, right?

Please help a slightly confused but very interested momma of 2. I have realized since lurking here that I already have 2 babes and still know nothing about my own body. Never before have I considered investigating my cervial fluid or its position. :LOL

Please recommend a book and software. I would really appreciate it! Thanks

[Undercover Hippie]

Sounds like you are on the right track! Temping and checking your CM and CP are all you need to do really, and of course noting it down somewhere online or on a paper chart. I would highly recommend the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility. You'll want to read through it all and pay special attention to the annex in the back about what to do during anovulatory times. When did AF return after your first child? If it was much later then you may not start seeing a cycle right away... you may just continue to notice the sticky CM for a long time, and you'll be able to establish it as your Basic Infertile Pattern and you'll be safe until it changes basically... but read her book as she explains it much better than me!

I started charting again when DD was 6 months old and I just marked the day I started charting as "CD 1" (cycle day 1) and kept going from there. 339 days later, AF finally arrived. :LOL It is a little hard to interpret charts sometimes when you are bf'ing and waiting for that first PP AF, but you can also join us over in the CTA thread (http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=350907) to ask questions from others who are doing the same thing! :)

[texaspeach]

I just pulled out my copy of the art of natural family planning, I really recommend this book - they have whole chapters on PP charting.. I'll try to cut down the length a bit

it says you can start charting your temp and cm as soon as the lochia stops, but you don't need to actually chart cm until you see it (ie don't have pages and pages of dry, just mark when you see it and continue from there). They go on to say that you should start taking and recording your waking temp when you have any of the following events: the appearance of cervical mucous/changes in the cervix, menstruation of spotting even if light, any sudden decrease in suckling (very important), the start of bottle liquids or solids, the start of the 9th month PP.

You could probably find the book at your local library and photocopy the pages relevant to you. I'ev been charting for one year this month and have really found this book to be a great help.

[midwestmeg]

Hi,
I just started looking at the posts here wondering about charting. My dd is 13 mo and I recently realized that I don't know anything about how my cycles work, either. I also realized that I don't want to go on the pill or other BC between kids. Sooo... that brings me to charting :p

I was thinking of taking the nfp class in my area. Good idea?

I'll check out 'Taking Charge of your Fertility' and 'The Art of NFP'. Good suggestions- thanks for this thread!

Meg

[veggiemomma]

I just got "Taking charge of your fertility" in the mail from Amazon. Haven't had much chance to read it yet, but just skimmed and there seems to be full of good info and diagrams and charts. There are alot of sample charts that show you what your chart might look like. Can't wait to read it more. :thumb