Questions/Chart Stalk Jan. 2022

optimistgardener

Got questions? Need chart interpretation? Ask away!

acleverusername

Got one for you: anyone experience yeast infection during FW? Cause that's what's happening to this one. Lucky, eh? Lol. I think it's pretty mild though. Would taking an anti-fungal mess things up? 

keikilove

@optimistgardener Do I see that you posted a real live moving gif? Heck yeah!!!! 

@acleverusername I’ve heard tons of people recommend these inserts for all kinds of vaginal infections and for balancing that area in general. So I bought some Vagi Biom and it’s amazing. 

optimistgardener

@keikilove you'll be less proud of me when you hear i just full on copy/pasted the gif from the last chart stalk/q thread i could find.

@acleverusername this may or may not be your uh, style, but i have had success with (and know others who have as well) a yogurt suppository. it's gotta be the real deal yogurt: none of this yoplait business. no added sugar, no flavorings (obviously), and no gelatin additives or whatever. you want maximum, premium bacterial content. Basically whatever your local hippy variety of yogurt might be, that's the winner. I've also used anti-fungal suppositories and man oh man they are itchy and messy (I mean I guess yogurt is also messy but at least it's just yogurt and yogurt is not itchy). Obviously any of these options are less than ideal during FW but then again, so is a fungal infection. No suggestions on juggling your options here.

kiki047

@acleverusername ugh sorry to hear about the yeast infection. I had one last year between FETs and you would think my RE would have been concerned, considering he was all up in my business about everything else having to do with my reproductive system but he pawned me off on my GP, who just told me to use Canesten. It was fine, it worked, but I wouldn't mess around with any other PinV until that's cleared up. Things weren't pretty down there for a good 5-6 days because after the cottage cheese aspect cleared up, it was ITCHY and angry for another couple days. 

acleverusername

@keikilove so, like, do you use it more than just for yeast infections? I.e. on some regular cadence? 
@optimistgardener I've definitely done the yogurt trick before to sooth the itch vaj before the anti-fungal takes hold. I appreciate knowing that I'm not the only one. 
@kiki047 for sure read PinV as PNV and was confused why you were bringing up in context of a yeast infect. I don't actually know if I have one; I don't have any cottage cheese discharge; just feeling really itchy. I'm monitoring the situation, but ready to get some OTC meds to help expedite the healing. 

optimistgardener

@acleverusername could also be a bacterial infection. Similar itchy, angry symptoms. When they get bad I am told there is sometimes an off-colored, greenish discharge. Not ever been so unlucky myself.

elle-0409

Hey, all. I’m taking 400mg of progesterone orally for a luteal phase defect. I’m 9dpo, had a dip below my cover line, and am feeling AF cramps. Last month I started spotting while on progesterone around 12/13 days and thought that was odd, but if AF really does show up today it will make me more than a touch nervous. Am I not on enough? Does anyone still start AF while on progesterone? 

I had a MMC and D&C in August, so I’m worried that this might be related to that.

If I do start AF today or tomorrow, I’ll call my doctor. The problem is that she’s in another state (I just moved). I’m up there in age and don’t really have a ton of time to try a bunch of things (and doctors) out. 

Okay, thank you for sticking with me. I guess I’m just a little scared/frustrated/annoyed and needed a safe space for that. Happy Friday!

ETA: My Tempdrop just notified me that it needs a battery change. Could that affect temps or nah? 

abjm0325

@elle-0409 I don't have much insight for you, but sending hugs about all of the confusion. My MW said oral progesterone isn't absorbed as well (or something along those lines), so maybe that would be something relatively simple to ask about switching next cycle? This is my first cycle on progesterone, so I might have more to share come Tuesday when AF is due for me. 

pajamstagrams

*lurking*

@elle-0409 I have, usually only on the last day, but I don't think it's common so I would bring it up to your doctor and have them do labs to confirm your dose is adequate. I'm usually on topical PG, not oral, but still, I have occasionally started my period while taking it. I also have started periods early on BC pills, so my body just does what it wants, and it never wants a cycle longer than 27 days lol. 

Also, after my MC, the 2nd and 3rd cycle I did spot an entire day before I started my period, while taking progesterone, which was definitely abnormal. Not sure if it was a cycle re-regulation thing, of if it was because I got my covid vaxs during the luteal phases of those cycles. 



Also, stuck in the box, but yes, low batteries can impact your thermometer readings. Mine would favor temps when batteries were low. 

optimistgardener

@elle-0409 i'll second what @abjm0325 said. I've also heard that oral progesterone isn't as absorbed as well. suppositories suck eggs, which is probably why yr doc didn't want to put you on them, but they may do a better job of keeping your levels steady. Definitely check out that battery situ with the Tempdrop also, though.

elle-0409

@abjm0325 @pajamstagrams @optimistgardener Thanks for the insights!

TW: Living Child/MMC

For my first pregnancy (and during TTC), I did oral progesterone and then was told to switch vaginally once I got a BFP. Never had a problem. Then, with my MMC I went in at 5 weeks for spotting/bleeding. My progesterone was at a 7, and my doctor said not to take it vaginally, but switch to oral and my numbers increased. (I also overcompensated and ended up taking 600mg for awhile.) All that to say, my body is a mystery. 🙃

kiki047

@elle-0409 I'll second what @pajamstagrams said, AF has overridden both BCP and progesterone before so sometimes she's just a determined B. Our bodies really are mysteries though. I will say, progesterone really messed with my head for SS'ing so hopefully those aren't actually AF cramps just yet. If possible, next time have your Dr run labs at 7dpo with oral progesterone to make sure you're absorbing a sufficient amount orally. 

elle-0409

@kiki047 Thanks! Yeah, I think I'll call once AF arrives and request a progesterone draw at 7 dpo. If they fight me on it, then I guess I can always find another doctor. Or just go to a Quest or something. 

ETA: The SS is real on progesterone. 🙄 I think the cramps + temp drop is what threw me.

gingermama29

I’ve got a question today. I went in for another monitoring US yesterday. My lining was 11mm and I had one follicle at 34mm on my right ovary and another at 24mm on my left. I’ve had ovulation pain since yesterday but my OPKs are negative. Would you guess that I missed my surge or it possibly hasn’t happened yet? I’ve got all the signs for O except the positive test. Typically when I get O pain, my tests are positive so this is a bit unusual for me.

acleverusername

@gingermama29 I’m gonna say you haven’t O’ed yet. I know those sound like super big/too big follicles but sometimes that’s what our bodies grow naturally. In IVF, these follicles would likely be called “post-mature” but in IVF you’re using meds to suppress ovulation. When you’re not (using O-suppressing meds) it’s just what your body throws at you. Plus they would have been able to see on the ultrasound if one of the follicles had ruptured. Did you do any blood work? What instructions did your RE give you? 

Fwiw, in my first IUI, my follicle was 26mm and the doctor got super worried that I missed O and had me do LH blood work which showed no surge yet. I believe I started surging later that evening. 

optimistgardener

@gingermama29 that big follicle is large enough that it might actually make you feel kinda funky and tweaky all by itself. i had a cyst last spring that was not (if i recall) a whole lot different than that size-wise and i sure as heck felt it. anyway both those puppies seem like they're ready to go already so i hope you get your surge soon.

gingermama29

@acleverusername and @optimistgardener yup you two were right. Got my positive OPK tonight. Must just be that large follicle that was causing the discomfort. Here’s hoping it’s the lucky one! It’d be an excellent birthday present from the universe!

acleverusername

Yeah... so I have a pimple on my hooch. Any advice?

kiki047

@acleverusername umm, ouch! I've heard of people using a baking soda paste on pimples. I don't think I'd use it full strength in your case but 1/4 cup of baking soda dissolved in bathwater and soak in it for 10-15 mins is really soothing. Might be worth a try? 
Similarly, I think I have some kind of mild irritation that is causing intense itching in the *ahem* frontal area of my lady parts and being in the TWW I am hesitant to use any OTC creams/etc. I read about the baking soda trick and I feel like 70% better today. Will repeat tonight. 

deaf_girl

I sleep weird hours. I know that you are supposed to take it at the same time every day. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can do BBT, when I'm never up at the same time??

stormageddon-darklordofall

@deaf_girl Try taking it as soon as you wake up, before you get out of bed, regardless of the time.  See if you still have a readable pattern.  You can always try it internally, as that can give more accurate readings sometimes.  

@acleverusername I have been there!    A warm compress (washcloth) sometimes makes it feel better and encourages it to do whatever it does and then makes it easier to pop the next day (or pops on its own).

deaf_girl

@stormageddon-darklordofall thanks I'll give it a try...hopefully it works.

optimistgardener

Great to see you back, @deaf_girl!

fantasyflyte

@deaf_girl I'm relatively inconsistent with my wakeup times, but I just temp when I wake up and I still generally see a fairly obvious shift after O, so I'd say just temp whenever you get up.

acleverusername

Update on hooch pimple: it popped on its own this morning and IT. WAS. GROSS. Thanks for coming to my TED talk. 

deaf_girl

@optimistgardener thanks...it's great to be back.
@fantasyflyte I'm definitely going to try that...hopefully it will work for me.

deaf_girl

My temp has been all over the place....I don't think I am doing it right

fantasyflyte

@deaf_girl do you have a picture of your chart? How much fluctutation are you getting? For reference, if it helps, this is my chart so far this cycle, I've got a range of almost a full degree F from my highest to my lowest, even a range of about .7 degrees F if you take out that one lowest temp:

optimistgardener

@deaf_girl Fantasyflyte is right that lots of charts have a great deal of fluctuation. If you've got pics of your chart, we'll all very happily pore over it for you/with you. But it also takes time to get the hang of your own particular chart and bodily habits--sometimes months. And you'll definitely need to have an full cycle of temps to look at before you can really pin down whether your charting is picking up a pattern. The temp bump at ovulation can be dramatic for some women, and just a couple of fractions of a degree for others. My follicular phase is always a rollercoaster (maybe not as much as Fantasyflyte's though! ) but my luteal phase is smooth sailing, once i get there. Since you've got your established sleeping patterns already, I don't want to recommend anything so disruptive as to change your wakeup strategies until you've got enough data to really know whether you're picking up a pattern or not.

fantasyflyte

@optimistgardener yyyyeah, FF gives me the "hey your temps look like the rocky mountains" warning every month, but the only times it doesn't give me crosshairs is if I miss temping during O like I did when I had covid last month lol.

ejoseph16

@deaf_girl it’s so normal to fluctuate! Here is my chart, for reference. I had a temp taken away because I had a fever day when I tested positive for Covid, but I don’t O until usually days 18-22. So here’s an example if a WTO temp chart. 

deaf_girl

I used to temp all the time...just started again. My sleep patterns are all over the place. The first 2 were between 3 and 4 am, the 3 was between 4 and 5 and today's was after 5...I missed the 1st 2 days because I couldn't find my thermometer lol. But I figure even starting a little late is better than not at all.

optimistgardener

@deaf_girl thanks for sharing! don't worry about those first couple of days. a lot of people don't even bother to temp through their period (I don't), and i find it takes some time even after I finish bleeding for my temps to level out a little. something about the hormone fluctuation in the early part of the cycle can make things really unstable. just keep temping and see what happens. also I noticed from your IF thread check-in that you have PCOS - @fantasyflyte and others on the board w/ PCOS (@gingermama29?) will likely be able to speak to this better than me, but especially if you're not taking medication to regulate your cycle you may find that one consequence can be unpredictable temp variations and longer/shorter follicular phases from cycle to cycle. If you're ovulating, though, I'm very optimistic that you'll find a pattern once you put the data together.

deaf_girl

@optimistgardener thanks...I found out when I used to temp all the time I ovulated on day 11, which is why I start early. I honestly question if I have PCOS at times. But my periods are becoming a bit more irregular again, so who knows. I'm hoping this RE can help me figure things out.

kiki047

@deaf_girl it's been a while since I've temped but from what I remember, FF uses the average of the previous 6 temps to determine the coverline followed by a prolonged (min. 3 day) rise to establish ovulation date, which is how you get the crosshairs. Rocky mountain temps aren't uncommon at all. Do you use oral temperatures? I found once I switched to temping vaginally I got much more consistent temperatures. 

Also, I used to use this BBT adjuster if I was taking my temp at a time that wasn't in my usual window (of at least 4-5 hours of uninterrupted sleep) - https://www.whenmybaby.com/basalbodytemperature.php 

deaf_girl

@kiki047 thanks. I do oral temping. I'm also going to be getting opks to balance it all out as well. 

fantasyflyte

So I used the CBAD instead of OPKs thru to a solid smiley this month for the first time, and Intook 5mg letrozole on CD3-7. I wasn't able to have a monitoring ultrasound this cycle because insurance is dumb. I got my solid smiley Friday, but my temp hasn't gone up. My temps are very consistent right now though. If I set the FF detector to FAM or Research it gives me solid CH the day before my peak CBAD reading. Advanced has nothing. Do you guys think I didn't ovulate yet? Or maybe my temps were just inconsistent early in the month and so I can't see a spike now? I feel like we should have sex again tonight to be safe but that might be iffy with my husband's work schedule. Maybe it's a good thing we weren't able to do II Saturday?

optimistgardener

@fantasyflyte ooh what a mystery. on the one hand with the aid of letrozole and those other signs (ovulation pain, cervical mucus, opks) it seems like you must have O'd, but if I were just looking at your chart shape, i'd be suspicious about whether you haven't yet. If I had to lay down money though, I'd put it on the day you had ovulation pain. it's possible you're just having a delayed temp bump this time around. The last time I temped, back in Nov, I had a 2- or 3-day delay between all the other signs of ovulation and the temp confirmation, which was super annoying. If your temp doesn't go up tomorrow, though, I'd start thinking about the possibility that you still haven't ovulated.