Chart Stalk / Questions - April

inthewoods23

keikilove

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ebaer

Thank you @keikilove - still figuring this place out! Appreciate it

ashaislurking

This thread is getting a bit buried so I'm just going to give it a bump

asf0613

thanks for bumping this--i thought we had one and it must have gotten buried.

this is my first cycle temping.  i am a little frustrated with myself for not taking my temp at the same time every morning because my sleeping habits are all out of wack.  i'm guessing it will be easier to temp more consistently once i'm back on a normal/life schedule? 
I guess my question is-- do you ladies temp literally right when you wake up and open your eyes for the first time in the morning? or if you go back to sleep for say a hour or two do you wait and temp then?  and is the first time you temp what the consistent time is based on or does it re-calibrate eventually?

legallykate

@asf0613 I only temp if I can do so when I first wake up, before I get out from under the covers for any reason. So I am crazy and set my alarm for 5 am every day to temp and then will either get up for the day or go back to sleep depending on the day and whether I am ready to get up (or often, whether I have to pee, lol). On FF there is a setting where you can put in your default temping time, and then it will give you the arrows if you are significantly (~ 30-60 mins) earlier or later than your default. 

asf0613

@legallykate you're doing what i should be it seems.  i think i need to start by adjusting my default time and i'll work on the morning alarm. DH and i alternate mornings taking the dogs out, and they are off their schedule completely sothey come to our door anytime between 5-8am its crazy!

wabash15

Dirty lurker****
   @asf0613 my sleep was always interrupted and I found that being consistent with the time of day was still good enough even if I had been wake and gone back to sleep for less than 3 hours. Temping before you get out of bed and move around is best. those first few charts as you get the hang of things are always rocky and that's ok, you can often still see enough of a temp shift for O determination. Some people find temping vaginally also helps even out their temps. good luck!

photographerwife

@asf0613 definitely agree with @wabash15 i don’t usually wake up for the day until around 7:30 or 8, but on days I work I wake up early, so I temp every morning at 5 am, take my temp, and go straight back to sleep! I bet you will find something that works for you soon! If you are having a hard time staying consistent, you might consider something like ovasense, or the Ava bracelet. They do most of the work for you, but they’re expensive. 

inthewoods23

When do y'all start peeing on cheapie OPKs? In a typical cycle, I O somewhere around CD17-19. Is CD10 too early? Should I wait for maybe CD12 or 13?

ashaislurking

@inthewoods23 I tend to O anywhere between CD 16 and 18 and I usually start around CD 11-12 (they usually recommend starting about 5 days before O if O is somewhat consistent).

keikilove

@inthewoods23 I start early because I have a shorter cycle, ovulating anywhere from CD 10-16. If I don’t start early I might miss the trend of darkening lines. I usually begin 2-3 days after AF leaves, so CD7 or 8. You might start as early as CD10 if you’re wanting to make absolutely sure that you see the progression in line darkness & don’t miss the surge. 

linzrunz

@inthewoods I typically O Cd 17 ish and I usually forget until CD 14. My surge is also really long so I’m not too concerned with missing it. I also pay attention to my CM. If I notice that and haven’t started peeing on something it’s my cue. 

inthewoods23

@ashaislurking that's in line with what I was thinking, to start 5-7 days before expected O

@keikilove it would be nice to see the progression considering I almost missed the last one! Lol

@linzrunz I know when I started testing twice a day, my first positive usually came in the evening and would last through the next day so my surge is sorta long but obviously can be nearly missed when I'm not testing every day. Definitely won't have to worry about moving forward now.

Thanks ladies! Depending on how antsy I get to start peeing on things, I may start on CD10 since I have a fresh box of 50 OPKs just waiting to be used in my bathroom. But CD12 should be fine too.