[acupuncturemomma]

TIA for any help/advice--I'm new to this part of MDC!

I'm new to charting, and am currently on my first cycle (although I used to chart, maybe 15 years ago for NFP, not pg achievement.)

My questions pertain to the fact that I never get a three hour stretch of sleep before taking my temp (due to a nursing toddler), plus I frequently have insomnia and/or a glass of wine in the evenings. I feel like I'm not getting enough consistency with my schedule; my temps are all over the place, like 97.7 one morning, them 98.5 the next, then back down again (all during menses.)

How do I handle these factors when taking my temp? For example, if I wake up at 4:30 and can't get back to sleep, should I have taken my temp at 4:30? Or laid in bed for 2 hours trying to sleep and then take it?

I know I probably need to be patient since it's my first cycle charting, but we are actually finally ready to TTC #2 so I'm feeling impatient!

 

[saoirse2007]

i have heard that vaginal temps are steadier, i am going to try it next cycle....bonus is that the beeps will not wake a sleeping toddler.

 

[halifax40]

Temps during menstruation can be very erratic for some women, in fact some women only start charting once thier period is over...that still gives plenty of time to see temp shift with O. Perhaps your temps will be a little more stable after your period?
Every women is different in terms of how her BBT is affected by wake times, sleep duration, etc. For some women a small variance will cause big temp shifts, for some women temps fluctuate little even if waking early etc. I can temp pretty much anywhere between about 2:00am and 5:45 am and get the same temp, but if I take it after 6:00am it is almost always somewhat higher...my rise seems to really begin with the sun coming up, not from waking a little early. If I wake at 4:30 am (which I often do, I can easily use that temp...for some women this would through off their charting. Every woman is different and it may take a few cycles of charting to see what is normal for you and whether you will be able to see a discernible pattern to your charts. You may need to experiment a bit with temping to see what does or doesn't cause variance for you.

Best of luck!