Charting - before the bump?

mchupie · May 2011

Just curious, did anyone know about charting - what it was, how it works, etc. before they joined this board? If so, where did you learn about it?

I knew what it was from DH, actually! His Mom charted when they were trying to conceive HIM back in 1982-1983. People didn't have computers back then so MIL temped, and FIL actually charted it on graph paper! I think it was awesome that they did it together like that.

We also learned more about it during our pre-cana classes with the Catholic church.

rsrs807 · May 2011

I knew people "charted their temps" but wasn't entirely sure what that meant. A lot of people on my local recommended TCOYF so I read that a while ago so that gave me a lot of background information obviously by the time I finally made my way to this board.

karelaorange · May 2011

My OB recommended it to me about 6 years ago, because I didn't know if I was ovulating. I tried it for a while, but didn't realize you needed a more precise thermometer and my temps were all over the place due to my crappy one.

blindvictory · May 2011

I had no clue what charting was. Which is why I used TB's "ovulation calculator" the first cycle. What a waste.

psychgirl33 · May 2011

I had heard of it off-hand, but didn't know what it was exactly. When we decided to TTC, I investigated it more. I started charting on paper and made an excel chart before I found TB and FF, but as soon as I did, I switched to FF right away. I didn't even chart a whole cycle before I switched over to FF.

brookelynpaisley · May 2011

Yes. I had a friend that was TTC and she told me to buy TCOYF.

MySweetBaboo · May 2011

I sort of knew what it was, when we got married in '07, after the first month I temped a couple of days and printed out an excel graph from MS templates. I had no clue what I was doing or what I was looking at.

Fast forward a year, one of my friends introduced me to the bump around the time dd was due. I lurked and created a FF account and started tracking after dd was born, but it was a year and a half later before I did my first chart which was in part to schooling by TTGP.

To this day have absolutely no idea how dd came into existence. Huh?

SheenaNash1 · May 2011

I knew about charting but only from hearing it talked about in reference to certain religious groups that don't believe in BC, so they do it to TTA. I didn't know how it worked though. I was judgy about it because of the religious connections that I had heard, but know that I'm doing it I love it! Don't judge a book by its cover, lesson learned!

shortsweet&sassy · May 2011

My Dr. told me about charting when we were trying for our first. Becasue of my medical history she wanted us to by pass the "see what happens" for a year and chart from the beginning. I didnt learn about thebump until right before I got pregnant with my LO.

Oem617 · May 2011

I had no idea before TB. One of the many things I am learning here.

ccam · May 2011

I had heard of it before and also learned more about it during our marriage prep classes. After we got married, I stopped taking BCP, read TCOYF and charted while TTA. So I've actually been charting since October 2008, but only learned of FF since joining the bump. Prior to the bump, I was charting on paper.

huskymomma94 · May 2011

mchupie:
Just curious, did anyone know about charting - what it was, how it works, etc. before they joined this board? If so, where did you learn about it?

I knew what it was from DH, actually! His Mom charted when they were trying to conceive HIM back in 1982-1983. People didn't have computers back then so MIL temped, and FIL actually charted it on graph paper! I think it was awesome that they did it together like that.

We also learned more about it during our pre-cana classes with the Catholic church.

This! Our instructor focused a lot more on checking CM instead of temps though. The men in the class were obviously uncomfortable--there was a lot of nervous laughter and eye-shifting, ha ha.

siple1am · May 2011

I did hear about charting at the pre-marriage classes, and then I started right when we officially TTC, but wish I would have started earlier. My mom actually temped to conceive my brother, too!

megemoney · May 2011

I knew a little about charting and BBT because I knew about NFP, before the bump. I took a Human Sexuality course in college for a science credit.

ETA: acronym fail.

Mother Meghan · May 2011

Nope, I first heard it on the bump. Even when I talked briefly with my doctor about TTC they only told me about prenatal vitamins.

MrsDixie · May 2011

I learned about NFP through our pre-cana classes. I taught myself the basics of charting through various websites, and I did it by hand until I joined TB and found out about FF. FF is so much easier, I love the chart gallery and being able to chart stalk my friends.

btaylor19 · May 2011

I knew about it. One of my mom's good friends struggled with IF 30 years ago, and my mom loved sharing stories of her fits of rage in the morning with temping. Apparently she went through quite a few thermometers because she would get mad and throw them across the room. I also have a few cousins who both charted and talked about it openly. My cousin actually referred me to FF before I started posting here.

psych05 · May 2011

I learned about NFP in college, mostly from talking with girlfriends, and a bit from a human sexuality course. Seemed like everyone who used it ended up KU, especially those who were trying really hard not to.

Cholzmei · May 2011

mchupie:

We also learned more about it during our pre-cana classes with the Catholic church.

I do think that the Catholic church is way ahead of the curve when it comes to educating people about charting. MH went to a Jesuit high school and they learned about it in his "Family Planning" lecture or something like that. I had never heard of it before I started lurking here.

When I first got my BBT, I was charting on the graph paper that came with it. Now I'm so addicted to FF that I can't imagine charting without it.

Melgor78 · May 2011

I had heard about it but didn't know much. I thought it was for women who were having a problem getting pg. I also heard of some ladies who were doing it to TTA so they could go off bcp until they were ready to TTC.

CarolinaGirl82 · May 2011

I had heard of it before we started trying, but thought it sounded kind of silly. When we didn't get pregnant right away, I started researching it more and read TCOYF. I charted my first couple of cycles on paper, then when I found this board I learned about FF and moved my charts online.

LillyGrrl · May 2011

I know I had picked up TCOYF at some point but it wasn't because of the Bump or this board. I am not sure this board even existed the way it is now when we TTC'd our DD. I believe there was a BOTB board on The Nest and then this came into existence.

I was actually part of TCOYF (ovusoft) forums long before I came here but then they changed the format a little and I came here, mostly for the parenting stuff since we only started to TTC#2 this past month.

I started charting in May or June 2006.

retallica · May 2011

blindvictory:
I had no clue what charting was. Which is why I used TB's "ovulation calculator" the first cycle. What a waste.

This exactly! So glad I found you guys! Smile

Country Girl in the City · May 2011

mchupie:

Just curious, did anyone know about charting - what it was, how it works, etc. before they joined this board? If so, where did you learn about it?

I knew what it was from DH, actually! His Mom charted when they were trying to conceive HIM back in 1982-1983. People didn't have computers back then so MIL temped, and FIL actually charted it on graph paper! I think it was awesome that they did it together like that.

We also learned more about it during our pre-cana classes with the Catholic church.

Ours got it all wrong. They actually gave us a calendar with a 28 day cycle. I learned about temping in nursing school. I learned about FF on the bump.

mchupie · May 2011

Country Girl in the City:
mchupie:

Just curious, did anyone know about charting - what it was, how it works, etc. before they joined this board? If so, where did you learn about it?

I knew what it was from DH, actually! His Mom charted when they were trying to conceive HIM back in 1982-1983. People didn't have computers back then so MIL temped, and FIL actually charted it on graph paper! I think it was awesome that they did it together like that.

We also learned more about it during our pre-cana classes with the Catholic church.

Ours got it all wrong. They actually gave us a calendar with a 28 day cycle. I learned about temping in nursing school. I learned about FF on the bump.

Yikes. No wonder the "what do you call a couple who practices NFP as birth control?" joke is out there. For those who have never heard that one, the answer is "parents".

johnson617 · May 2011

I had heard of it because my best friend, has a friend who has been charting for years TTA. So I knew about it, but had no idea how it worked until I started lurking around TB and reading more about it!

monkeymom101908 · May 2011

blindvictory:
I had no clue what charting was. Which is why I used TB's "ovulation calculator" the first cycle. What a waste.

mt05 · May 2011

Nope, not a clue and still trying to really get the hang of it! Stick out tongue

Mrs.Slick · May 2011

I learned before the bump at our pre-marital classes at Church.

whoberry · May 2011

I heard of people temping before, but didn't really know what it meant. I swore I didn't want to be one of "those people" that took my temperature and was like "honeeeeey, I'm ovulating." Ha. Little did I know...

I have noticed people on here mentioning NFP. When I read TCOYF I thought they made a distinction between NFP and FAM. Does anyone know what the difference is?

I wish my human sex class in college had mentioned it. Although I would have been too immature then to consider it as an alternative to BC.

pinkmickey24 · May 2011

I knew about it from my best friend who charted when tryign to conceive both of her children and from Pre-Cana classes as well. However, I did not fully understand how to do it correctly until I came here and found FF.

huskymomma94 · May 2011

whoberry:
I heard of people temping before, but didn't really know what it meant. I swore I didn't want to be one of "those people" that took my temperature and was like "honeeeeey, I'm ovulating." Ha. Little did I know...

I have noticed people on here mentioning NFP. When I read TCOYF I thought they made a distinction between NFP and FAM. Does anyone know what the difference is?

I wish my human sex class in college had mentioned it. Although I would have been too immature then to consider it as an alternative to BC.

I think the difference between FAM and NFP comes in when you are TTA. NFP tells you to abstain during your fertile period, I guess bc it is taught by the church, while with FAM you could just use a condom or something.

happilyeverafterxo · May 2011

Chup that is so cool about your DHs parents! Wow! I actually never knew about charting until joining this board. I have seriously learned so much and I heart all of the ladies here!

KatOT13 · May 2011

I knew about charting from a good friend who used FF when she was TTC her first baby. Shortly after I started charting I found TB...and the rest is history

lilmrsT86 · May 2011

Not going to lie......I didn't have a clue. I was completely in the dark!

ghdst1 · May 2011

I knew about it from a friend of mine who used it for NFP. She would chart to avoid getting pregnant and then also used it when they had both their children.

keyourtnee · May 2011

I had no clue. I was using an Android app. to track my period and was going by the suggested fertile days on there. Ay ay ay.

Milliways · May 2011

Nope, I thought once I was off my birth control my husband would get his penis with in 10 feet of me and I would be knocked up.

reinstone · May 2011

I learned about charting in college in a theology class as the class discussed NFP. I never thought I would chart and just wanted to "have fun," but my second week on TB, I changed my mind. Best decision I ever made.

taschro · May 2011

I knew about it from research I did online when I went off BC (so about a year). I will honestly say that I initially thought it was going overboard, since I was one of those women who thought it would take just a couple of months to get pregnant. Now I wish I had started from the beginning!

Want a personalized experience?

Charting - before the bump?

Re: Charting - before the bump?

Me: 30, DH: 33 Married 8/3/08
BFP 7/16/2012 (8th cycle), EDD 3/27/2012, Delivered 3/24/2013 - IT'S A BOY!

IF, 5 losses, 1 son, 1 on the way.

Choose Another Board

Search Boards

Want a personalized experience?

Charting - before the bump?

Re: Charting - before the bump?

Me: 30, DH: 33 Married 8/3/08 BFP 7/16/2012 (8th cycle), EDD 3/27/2012, Delivered 3/24/2013 - IT'S A BOY!

IF, 5 losses, 1 son, 1 on the way.

Choose Another Board

Search Boards

Me: 30, DH: 33 Married 8/3/08
BFP 7/16/2012 (8th cycle), EDD 3/27/2012, Delivered 3/24/2013 - IT'S A BOY!