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Calling all Charting Pros!
I am new to charting on FF. I started awhile back, got frustrated, and quit after 3 weeks. I am determined to begin again due to my insanely inconsistent cycles.
I had a question about the time that you temp. I know people have said temp at the same time everday but..... I have a crazy dog that is messing me up! For example, today I set my alarm for 6:30am which I do everyday for work. The dog woke me up at 4am to go to the bathroom so I took my temp anyway. When I went back to bed, I didn't sleep for three hours before waking up again for the day so I didn't take my temp a second time. Is taking my temp at a different time really going to screw up my chart?? I'm not sure how to do this without making my dog have an accident in the house!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Calling all Charting Pros!
Figure out what is the earliest time your dog wakes you up and set your alarm for maybe 30 minutes before that. Take your temp at that time every day and go back to sleep until you have to get up with your dog or alarm.
Not really. I never took mine at the same time. I have the bladder of a 5 year old, so I can never make it through the night without getting up to pee.
Just make sure you've had at least 3 hours of sleep before temping and you should be fine.
From Fertility Friend:
Different Waking Times
One or two temperatures taken at different times during your cycle should not have too much impact on your chart especially if they are not close to ovulation time. Normally there is no need to adjust your temperature. If you want to use the temperature adjuster once or twice when it is not too close to ovulation, that should not pose a significant problem. More than a couple of temperatures taken at different times, however, can adversely effect the interpretation of your chart. You should try to avoid using the temperature adjuster if possible since adjusted temperatures are not nearly as accurate as those you record daily at the same time. You may find it useful to set an alarm so that you can take your temperature at the same time every day. You can just take your temperature and go right back to sleep if you do not have to get up right away. If your partner gets up at the same time every day, you can ask to be briefly woken up so you can take your temperature. Your BBT thermometer will store the reading for you until you can record it.
Night Waking
If you have to get up in the night and it is unavoidable, like having to take care of a small child, or if you have to go to the bathroom, just do the best you can. Take your temperature as close as you can to the same time each morning and choose a time that is likely to be when you have had the most sleep. For example, if your toddler wakes up every morning at 6 am, then take your temperature at that time, even if you go back to sleep. Try to avoid taking your temperature in the middle of the night, though, even if you seem to always get up at the same time in the middle of the night. Temperatures taken in the morning show a clearer biphasic curve and the time is more predictable.
Charting purists are likely to tell you to set your alarm earlier. If your dog gets up at 4:30 am occasionally, then to remain consistent with temping, you should take your temp at 4:30 am every day. And just go back to sleep afterwards.
I, however, cannot do this. I can't temp this way because I take a sleeping pill. I don't always wake up when I need to. And I get up 5 times a night to pee. My rule is 2 hours of sleep. If I know I can get 2 solid hours of sleep, I temp later. If I don't think I'm going to fall all the way back to sleep, I temp when I get up- any time after 3 am. My charts still allow me to see when I O, and I can tell a pattern. It's not perfect. But it works for me.
This sounds like great advice!
I have a side ? for you though....can you work on training your dog to not wake you up that early to pee? Maybe walk him/her RIGHT before you go to bed and pull up the water at the same time.
I have (2) dogs and have been able to train them to go out at normal hours only (99% of the time anyways).
I would go nuts if I had to wake up at 4am to walk them.
Good Luck!
I have tried training the little bugger and usually he's pretty good. I let him out just before I go to bed and I remove his food and water dishes at 8pm every night. The problem is I somtimes go to bed early (like 10pm) so he ends of going outside early and may have to go back outside earlier in the morning than I had hoped.
Thanks everyone for the advice!
Maybe try pulling the dishes earlier on nights you know you are going to be early. I pull the dishes of my dogs by 7pm at the lates on week nights as I'm in bed by 10.
Also, does your dog sleep in a crate or in a pen?
"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all." -- Dale Carnegie
"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." --Thomas A. Edison