Monday, May 7, 2012

ttc, or charting for that baby thang

This is a blog post where I talk about trying to conceive after a miscarriage. That's makin' babies, folks. If you don't want to read about basic bodily functions, bodily fluids, or various female organs, I suggest you back out now.

Go on, hit that back button. There's a good boy.

Okay. Now. For the rest of you who wanted to stick around, I'm going to rant about my chart. That's my basal temperature chart, the temp you take when you first wake up in the morning, that helps you track your cycle. And specifically, when you ovulate.

Here's mine for this cycle.


I'm going to go on the basis that most of you may not know what the heck this is, so forgive me if you already know all about this charting hoopla. At the top, you can see the circles indicating my recorded basal temps. The day of the month is at the top and the day of my cycle is at the bottom. Below the cycle days is my recorded cervical mucus (CM) and below that are my specific stats, such as whether or not I had a headache that day.

I kept the key for the details, even though it's way TMI, because it shows some factors that are screwing with my results this month. I was sick CD 12 and 13, hence the discarded CD 12 temp that was super high due to my cold and barely sleeping all night long.

We also traveled this past weekend, on CD 17 and 18. Those days of temps were so important and I'm kinda scared that traveling screwed them up. We were in a warmer room with flannel sheets, and my sleep the first day was worse, all factors that can make my temp higher than it would be.

I'm pretty sure I ovulated cycle day (CD) 16, based on all of my other signs. However, you need three days of higher temps before FertilityFriend will say you ovulated. I only had two before getting a lower temp this morning.

Sigh.

However, if I look at most of my other charts, I always had one low dip like that, even the month I got pregnant with baby #2. So I'm not worried, as long as I don't get too many more dips.

I'm not even sure if I'll be able to see ovulation this cycle based on temps alone. I truly think I ovulated CD 16, which is very normal for me, but if I can't get those sustained higher temps, FertilityFriend won't call it for me.

Actually, I played around with possible temps for the future, and the bitch sometimes wants to put my ovulation day as CD 18. Today. Which is totally wrong based on my cervical mucus. My CM geared up for ovulation on CD 15 or 16, and it's indicating now that play time is over.

This trying to conceive stuff can really go to your head if you let it. I find it both drives me crazy and gives me something on which to focus. It helps the days pass quicker and helps me avoid thinking about the fact that we shouldn't be having to try at all.

Anyone else take these kinds of steps to help them reproduce? Anyone chart and/or use OPKs? Did you have much success?

Happy toddler post tomorrow! I've got pictures from my weekend to post.

2 comments:

  1. I'm debating going back to charting. I spent probably a year doing everything: charting, opk's, sperm-friendly lube, etc, and it led to a lot of stress. Since then, I've just been paying attention to my body to get a good idea as to when I'm ovulating and have been working with that. However, neither of these methods have worked and now we're in the testing stages of fertility help. Yikes.

    Good luck to you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ick! TTC can definitely drive you crazy. I'm glad that you're seeking help, though. I hope they find out that it's a relatively easy fix. :(

      Your blog is hilarious, by the way.

      Delete

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