BBT vs. RHR: Charts and Theories

pandawares

While scrolling through FF, I found that one of the things I could track was my resting heart rate. I wear a Fitbit with heart rate tracking nearly every day, so this data was easy to come by. I started entering the numbers, and I decided I wanted to learn more about if and how resting heart rate changes throughout the menstrual cycle. I came across this (https://medium.com/clued-in/clue-pilot-study-results-resting-heart-rate-changes-during-the-cycle-11ae11c40afc) article, which suggests that RHR follows a pattern similar to BBT, which I don't track. I finally had a moment to sit down and graph my data, and I figured some of you might find it interesting!

My first cycle post-Nexplanon looked like this:



Notes:

CD 4: BD
CD 19: BD
CD 32: BFP
CD 45/CD 1: CP

My second cycle post-Nexplanon (first cycle post-CP), looked like this:



Notes:

CD 7: BD
CD 11: BD
CD 14: BD
CD 16: BD
CD 28: BD
CD 29: BFP
CD 40/CD 1: CP

And here is my third cycle post-Nexplanon, which is also a post-CP cycle:



Notes:

CD 4: BD
CD 6: BD, POS OPK
CD 9: BD
CD 10: BD
CD 11: BD
CD 16: BD (2)
CD 17: POS OPK
CD 18: O (FF)
CD 23: BD
CD 24: BD
CD 25: BFN (7 DPO)

Looking at the first two charts, it seems likely (based on the timing of my BFPs) that the sharp drops in resting heart rate on CD 25 (Dec. 17 chart) and CD 19 (Jan. 30 chart) coincided with ovulation. The positive OPK on CD 17 (Mar. 10 chart) and subsequent drop in resting heart rate on CD 18 -- the day which FF estimates I Od -- seem to support this theory.

What do you think?

pandawares

Meanwhile, I have a degree in English and psychology.

ladipale

Pretty cool. I know RHR does rise during early pregnancy - definitely possible it could rise according to cycle. 

vlagrl29

I'm going to be honest and say this is just too much but I'm glad you get something out of it

pandawares

@vlagrl29 Hahaha, it only took me about an hour. I love data analysis and any excuse to do fun things with Google Sheets