How long?

foxlm22

Good evening everyone.  I know it's late but hopefully some of you are still up.  I have a quick question.  My husband and I have very recently started TTC.  I've been lurking here for a few months gathering information and just hearing the stories.  I know a lot of you, almost all of you chart monthly.  My question is....when did you start charting?  Was it right away or after a few months, etc? 

I ask because I tend to be obsessive about things.  You could say I have high anxiety.    I'm worried that charting might make this worse for me rather than just "letting things happen".  On the other hand, I already analyze everything so i'm not sure if my obsessive behavior would get better or worse with charting.  Has anyone had the same feelings or felt that charting made them more or less analytical (not sure if that's really the word i'm looking for)? 

stacialynn

I wouldn't say I'm more anxious, but I do feel more INFORMED about my own body. I started charting the 1st month post-BC.

FYI---It doesn't "just happen", contrary to popular belief.

FertilityFriend.com is an excellent place to chart. PM me if you want a referral!

foxlm22

Hey...thanks for the reply!  I would PM you but i'm afraid I don't know how to do that.  I'll try and figure that out right now. 

I'm actually already registered on FertilityFriend.com but haven't started yet.  Is there any advantage/difference to being referred?  I just signed up on my own. 

15toForever

Hi,

 I am with you, I am a researcher IRL so you could say I am a bit analytical.  I use fertility friend and like the pp, I definitely feel more informed about what is going on with my body.  I went off BCP in August and starting charting at the end of my last cycle.

I really like it.  Fertility Friend is great because you can look at other ppl's charts and compare them to your own, etc.  And it is all based on real data from people just like you.  I would say the only draw back for me so far is the 2WW.  This is my first 2WW charting and I feel like the days just crawl by.  But I guess that has more to do with my lack of patience than FF itself.

I would suggest charting for a month and see how you feel.  If it stresses you out, stop.  You could always just use OPKs of the CBEFM....

GL!!

stacialynn

When I joined FF I had to request a referral from the ladies here...I guess it was busy at the time? I don't know.

Go to the bottom right hand corner of my post and click on "Contact", then "send a PM".  You can check your messages by going to "mybump", "dashboard", "my friends" and "messages".

Happy to help.

Also....if you haven't already, buy Taking Charge of Your Fertility. It's THE book to have for TTC.

EmuJane

I started charting before we stopped TTA. I know there are girls who get anxious about it, but I find it reassuring.

I can look back and see if I've ovulated, I'm note wondering if I'm actually late, etc.

It doesn't really show you when you're ovulating, only that you have ovulated, so IMO it doesn't get in the way of "letting things happen"

Try it for a few months, if it gets to be too much you can easily stop.

nikinikinine

I had my IUD taken out in July and we were given the go ahead to start TTC in September, we tried for 2 cycles without charting (sex every other day from CD 10-20 based on a recommendation from my ob/gyn).  When that didn't work and 4 of our friends got pregnant on their first try I damn near lost my mind, found this board and started charting.

This is my third cycle charting 5th cycle TTC.  I am definitely Type-A, obsessive compulsive.  I think, at times, charting makes me more nuts.  Especially during the last half of the 2WW.  I don't know if I could go without charting now though; it's like now that I've been this OCD about the conception process I don't know how not to be OCD about it, if that even makes sense.

That said, I don't know how many more months I could have tried flying blind.  I realize that this process is out of my hands, but charting makes me feel like I have *some* control. 

As far as when to start, I would say start a month or two before you want to start trying so you can get used to charting and get all of your stats/data nailed down so you know exactly when to test/what to expect your first month TTC.

KellyDale2008

DH and I have been trying since August, but I didn't start charting until October. When we started I assumed if we had unprotected sex it would just happen. Well, clearly it didn't. Now that I'm charting I realize I didn't have a clue what was happening with my body. I don't have a 28 day cycle, nor do I ovulate on day 14 (if I O at all). Like anything else in life the more you know the better off you are. I don't think I am obsessive about it at all, the charting, the temping--it is just routine now----and if anything else I have waaaaaay calmed down about the whole thing! GL to you!

Link41208

I started charting the month that I came off BCP 9 months ago. I charted 7 months TTA and 2 months TTC. I have OCD and i think that things would have been way worse if I hadn't charted. I never ovulated on the same day or some months even close to the same day. Charting lets you know what is going on with your body and takes the guess work out. I would try it for a month and just see if you like it.

bbin09

We did right away, and actually a month before we started TTC. I wanted to know what was going on with my body so we had a better chance.