Temp charting beginner, happy for any advice on how to start

[Ismejustme]

I'm sitting in my ttw climbing the walls, analysing every symptom and dreading the arrival of af! So I'm trying to take my mind off and consider the next step if my bfp is further away than the 6 days I'm hoping for! I've been on the vitamins along with hubby and am using conception aids to make my "environment" the best for his swimmers and his swimmers up to the race, But after joining forums realised how scientific this whole process is when your trying so hard for those two lines, which leads me to charting and temps so I'm not just relying on a solid smiley on a opk and I have a better understanding of the phases that happen during my cycle and also to stop poas like they are going out of fashion and disappointing myself further! So who better to ask than you lovely ladies that clearly have all the knowledge required to get me the right "tools" for the job!
My hubby works away so will miss next months cycle for actual baby making so I thought I could start next month to get a feel for it, so I'm (hopefully) half decent at it the important month after. Any (ANY) tips information will be very much appreciated. Thanks x x

 

[xMillie]

When me and hubby were just starting out with ttc we didn't really try anything other than just sex!
It wasn't until we were a year in and nothing had happened that I started looking into vitamins, opks and took a visit to the doctor to make sure everything was okay

After over 4 years ttc I've never done temps/charting and not sure I'll ever bother as I think it will just stress me out!

Of course everyone is different and only you know what feels right but I'd say just have fun and don't worry too much about temping just yet

Lots of good luck to you xx

 

[Ismejustme]

Hi xmillie, we've been letting nature do its thing for nearly a year but my other half works away so sometimes we will miss the window, I'm 39 so with my window becoming shorter I want to maximise everything to be sure to give us the best chance. We try not to make sex purely about making a child but as I'm sure you understand when you stop preventing no matter what I tell myself we are are trying. I see it as something else to do with my mind. x

 

[xMillie]

For some reason I thought the beginner in your title meant beginner to ttc altogether so ignore me - I'm tired and it's getting late lol

You can always give it a go and see how you get on with it, lots of ladies here temp and chart so hopefully you'll get some tips advice xx

 

[Wren83]

I just started charting my temp this month. I bought a thermometer from Amazon, search basal body thermometer, they aren't expensive. I use the fertility friend app although some people don't trust it, I think another called ovia (or similar) has been mentioned too. You may already know this but you have to take your temp as soon as you wake up, before you sit up or even speak if possible. My sleep is awful and it still works but they say a block of at least 3 hours sleep works best. Also try and do it at roughly the same time each day, although again for me that's rarely possible. You should see a lower temp before ovulation in your folical phase (is that what it's called?) then a dip at ovulation (sometimes ovulation happens on the day of the dip, sometimes the day after, it's always good to make a note of your cervical mucus too), then after ovulation your temp should be slightly higher than it was before. If it stays high for 18 days after ovulation then chances are you're pregnant, but not always. But obviously most people would choose to test earlier than that, say the days after a missed period maybe.
Good luck!! X

 

[Sunflower1]

I temp and have just started using ClearBlue Advanced 4 day opks.

I recommend this book if you really want to go to town and learn everything about temping https://www.amazon.co.uk/Taking-Cha...=8-1&keywords=taking+charge+of+your+fertility

This book covers the same ground but is a little less large and overwhelming - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Impatient-...=8-2&keywords=taking+charge+of+your+fertility

Temping won't necessarilyy tell you when you are about to ovulate but it will give you a clearer idea of your cycles and over time hopefully give you a clearer idea of when you are ovulating.

I like this thermometer, although I know Wren had problems with hers. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002VF8EXC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I don't like Fertility Friend at all as it always always misses my fertile window often completely!...it IS good though for letting me know I've ovulated after the fact. I find Ovia very accurate for guessing my fertile window...I use both. I also keep paper charts. Maybe a bit over the top but I'm 41 and don't have oodles of time.

Temping is best done (in my opinion) in conjunction with checking your CM, looking out for ovulation pains and a really good opk like CB advanced. That's my current method and this month for the first time ever we managed to dtd 12 hours before ovulation so I'm very pleased.

Good luck! x

 

[MoominGirl]

I tried temping for a few months but didn't really get on with it. I'm not a morning person and having something else to remember just felt like a faff!! Lots of ladies do find it useful. As you say that OH is away, it sounds like a good time for you to give it a try as it may help you get to know your cycle.

My cycles are very regular and I do cheap opks just to confirm my window so I didn't find that temping really added anything useful. But that was just me. I know lots of ladies find it really helpful.

 

[KatD]

This is my third cycle temping, I use FF and Ovagraph (TCOYF), I chart BBT and CM (I used to do CP as well but it's not easy for me to say whether it's high...open...soft...lol it was too confusing and I didn't want to risk any bacteria getting to my cervix so I stopped). So far FF has put me on O D21 which is a week earlier this cycle than the previous two...bearing in mind I just got off BC so my cycles are still adjusting. Ovagraph hasn't confirmed O...I don't know why...I'm just hoping FF is correct otherwise I stand no chance this cycle if O is in fact later lol

 

[Ismejustme]

Thanks all for your helpful replies, it's certainly given me plenty of food for thought and avenues to explore. I'm pretty sure I will chart if this month isn't my time.
My cycles are regular as clock work and I use the clear blue 4 day opk which has for the last three times just given me one day flashing smiley before the solid smiley, but this month I had two days flashing before my solid smiley so I'm pretty happy they give me good indication and are accurate teamed with other signs of ovulation.
But I'd also read that the solid smiley means ovulation is likely to occur during the next 24-48 hrs so this is when I thought temping may help me pin point this time better as it is possible we stop bding maybe a day short! (We bd every other day on the lead up to high fertility then everyday for 3 days during peak) I also understand that while my egg has a short shelf life his swimmers are happier for longer, hence getting a good team up there to wait for the touchdown!! Hehehe, thanks again ladies your assistance has been much appreciated x x

 

[Sunflower1]

I'm using the CB 4 day ones too, and had only one flashing smiley day. I then ovulated before I got the solid smiley the next day. Everyone is different. Apparently the older you get, the nearer the LH surge you ovulate and you can even ovulate before the LH surge is detected in the urine. Sperm can last 2-3 days as well.