Does anyone NOT temp/chart?

ILoveRedVino · October 2011

I do. I temp/chart and it has become obsessive. It is to the point that I almost have to put "sleep deprived" every single day because I wake up 384957 times a night thinking about temping. And then I spend every day on FF staring at my chart, as if something was going to change. I'm exhausted and stressed (not just about this, about work too) and I fear that it is actually hurting my chances.

My mom suggested that I just stop with the temping. Of course, I'd have to be aware of cm. I'm on Clomid and have a pretty good idea as to what day I ovulate, though the temp spike is the only thing to confirm it right away.

Does anyone have thoughts? I'm torn.

Oem617 · October 2011

If it is stressing you out, I would take a month or two off and see how it goes. GL!

rayofsunshine99 · October 2011

I know what you mean. I have thought about it too. I half-way temped the month before last, and then this past cycle I temped much better and was able to get CH's which was very enlightening to me plus I learned that I O'd on CD 16 AND 6 days after EWCM showed up (so if I hadn't been temping I would have assumed O had passed based on ovulation calculators and my CM) but like you I wake up/worry about temping.

The other night my son woke me up at 3:45AM because he had to go potty, so I got up with him helped him to the potty, went to the bathroom myself etc and didn't realize that since I usually temp at 5AM, and I was being woken up an hour & 15 mins before that I should have temped before I got out of bed and then I couldn't fall back to sleep after that. Likewise when I do wake up at 5AM to temp, sometimes I can't fall back to sleep or I'm just so dang tired that temping is not fun.

One of my gf's just had sex every other day the week she was potentially ovulating & got pregnant their first cycle. Since I O'd 6 days after EWCM I was thinking maybe we could just aim to BD every other day for 10 days following EWCM and see how that goes... because temping is kind of consuming me too.

GermanGirl2007 · October 2011

I do temp, but I know there are people on here who don't. Please know that I am not at all trying to sound snarky when I say this, but tone is hard to read on message boards - I think that if you are that stressed about charting, that it probably isn't a result of charting itself. I think it might be a good idea to try to find activities that help you relax in general. Whether or not you decide to stop charting is totally up to you, but I think that charting, or work, or other situations will remain stressful unless you are committed to finding ways to relax and take care of yourself.

I tend to be a high-stress person, so I am speaking from personal experience. For me, drinking tea, going for a walk, scheduling a pedicure, or going to a movie solo are good ways for me to relax. See if you can commit to at least one activity each week that is just for you. You might find that it helps you approach other areas of your life with less stress. GL to you!

ThreePlusOne2011 · October 2011

I'm new here so please take anything I have to say with a grain of salt. I do not temp but I have only been TTC for 2 cycles. Either way I don't think I'd ever temp. Stress can hurt your chances and you said it yourself that it's majorly stressing you out.

How about a you go one cycle without temping? Just as a trial? Maybe you find you're even MORE stressed out by not keeping track or perhaps you'll find yourself more relaxed.

I HTH. GL to you!

LM915 · October 2011

I think it's fine to take a few months off, see how you feel. While a lot of girls on here do chart, it's not for everyone. I don't really enjoy charting at all, but I do it because my cycles are so irregular and I want to be able to confirm that I am Oing and how long my LP is because I have had some short ones.

But yeah, if it's stressing you out, then I would take some time away from it. Good luck!

gplove94 · October 2011

I don't temp because I feel like I'd be the same way as you - become obsessed w/ it and stressed over it. I'm getting increasingly stressed as it is. I don't know anyone IRL who has charted temps and they get pregnant just the same so I don't do it. I may change my mind at some point but for now I just check CM, CP and use OPKs. It's up to you, if it's stressing you out, stop doing it.

KristieM1985 · October 2011

Personally, I did temp last cycle and found it to be the most stressful yt since I didn't know when I o'd and of course it ended up being my longest cycle ever. Now I am just charting to confirm o (I'm not going to temp after today) this way I can sit and stare at my chart all day if there is nothing to stare at but I still know when to expect AF.

dani2480 · October 2011

Everyone's different. Personally, I find charting to reduce anxiety. I'm the kind of person who feels anxious and stressed out when I don't know what's going on. I need to feel like I either have some control, or at least some insight into things. Charting gives me that. There's no wondering if every little twitch and symptom may mean I'm pregnant, or if we're BDing on the wrong days and may have missed the egg. Charting helps me feel confident that we're doing all the right things, and that we have to just leave the rest up to nature -- for now.

But, for others, charting can be overwhelming, and add stress. In such cases, it may be advisable to take a break for awhile. You can continue doing whatever methods aren't stressing you out (monitoring CM, or doing OPKs, etc.). Just realize that you'll need to compensate for the fact that you won't know exactly when/if you ovulated, and you may wish to extend the number of days you BD (perhaps EOD throughout the cycle), or be able to keep your calm if you go a number of cycles with no luck. Certainly, lots of women get pregnant without ever charting! But, if you find after a few months that you're still having difficulty, you can always revisit charting again to see if maybe it could be helpful for you at that point.

NJtoMD2011 · October 2011

dinine:
I don't temp because I feel like I'd be the same way as you - become obsessed w/ it and stressed over it. I'm getting increasingly stressed as it is. I don't know anyone IRL who has charted temps and they get pregnant just the same so I don't do it. I may change my mind at some point but for now I just check CM, CP and use OPKs. It's up to you, if it's stressing you out, stop doing it.

This exactly. I temped for 3 months to make sure I was ovulating but it just got to be so stressful for me because I'm just too high strung as it is. I used OPKs for awhile and even those became a bit stressful. This past cycle+ I gave up on all of that and I just pay attention to CM. I know it's not the most informed way to go about things but I figured I tried for several months temping and/or using OPKs and that didn't seem to get me pregnant any faster so might as well try taking it easy. For me, this just works.

TheBug16 · October 2011

I'm on my 3rd cycle, and haven't started temping yet. Honestly, it's really just because I don't feel like making a special trip to WalMart. Stick out tongue

However, we have sex EOD so I feel that we're doing everything we can do.

ansi29 · October 2011

I do sometimes wake up before my alarm thinking about temping and then check my phone to see the time and try to figure out if I should temp or if I'm asleep enough to go back to sleep until my normal temping time. Aside from that, temping greatly decreases my anxiety. I know that I'm ovulating and I know that we've timed sex well for at least the 2 cycles that I've temped.

daisy19782011 · October 2011

I am new also---only TTC for 3 months, but I dont temp either. I have used OPKs the last 2 months juust to predict when I might ovulate. I dont want to be so stressed about it b/c like you, I could really become enthralled with it

It sounds like you are monitored by your doc, so I would say you are fine without it.

SGC29 · October 2011

I temped for over a year the first time around. I finally was just tired of obsessing over my chart and I quit. This time around I tried temping again on cycle 5 and I was obsessing again over my chart. I don't think I will be temping again. Just using OPK's and trying to avoid thinking about it every single second.

SGC29 · October 2011

GhostMonkey:
Why am I the only one that caught that she is on Clomid and temping and zero mention of monitoring?

I was wondering about that. OP what does your OB say?

Judge0812 · October 2011

I haven't been temping/charting at all, but this is our first cycle. We originally planned to start trying next year, but then for whatever reason we both decided we were ready earlier than planned. So, we started trying this month. I have no idea when I O because I don't chart/temp and since this is my first month off BCP I don't have a clue what my cycle length is going to do. But we're trying to just relax and enjoy the "process" of making the baby about EOD. My husband doesn't want me to start temping/charting yet because he's afraid I'll become consumed by it. I'm a perfectionist and an over-analyzer. He thinks if I try to know/understand what's going on in my cycle every day then I'd be more disappointed if I didn't get a BFP at the end of each month. So, we agreed that we would go ahead and start trying earlier than planned and just be relaxed about it, but if 6-9 months goes by and nothing happens then I'll probably consider beginning to temp then.

At first I hated it, I didn't like not knowing what was going on in my body since we had started trying, I was curious to note the temp spikes, etc. However, now that a few weeks has gone by I've really gotten into the whole relax and see what happens frame of mind. Don't get me wrong, I look at my calendar every day to see what CD I am on, think about when I might start testing if AF doesn't come by a certain time, etc. But I think of it for a few minutes and then just put the calendar down and move on. I can totally understand your POV right now. But I can also see how temping/charting helps other people relax. Maybe just take a month off and BD every day for a week right around O time. If not temping doesn't help or makes it worse then you can always start right back up.

dragontears507 · October 2011

Honestly, I had months like this and just had to finally say enough is enough and go a month without charting to sort of wean myself from the addictive habit. Now, I'm charting but not obsessively. I set an alarm and take my temp the same time each morning and enter it into my chart, check my CM and use an OPK first thing after I get up, so then I'm done with my obsession for the day. GL to you.

KNemo · October 2011

I don't know anything about Clomid, but from what I have heard and seen here, it is unnecessary to temp while on Clomid (as long as you are being monitored).

I charted with my first, but quit on cycle 3 because I was becoming obsessive with it. I didn't start temping/charting until this cycle because I didn't want to stress about anything this time TTC. I am glad that I started temping because my cycles have been erratic since I gave birth. Sometimes, my cycles are 32 days, sometimes they are 25 days, and they differ from month.

That being said, I don't obsess about my chart, yet. I don't wake up at the same time everyday because I have a 2.5-year old who doesn't sleep well. I don't want to wake up at 5:30 when I didn't get to my bed until 4:00. My temps may be off, but I am getting a better idea of what my body is doing anyway. I also use OPKs and chart CM. I would take a break if it were stressing me out the way it seems to be stressing you out, though.

ryansmamaxo · October 2011

I tried it against the semi advice of my OB who brushed it off as useless & says it causes more anxiety than pregnancies .....I hated it, so around my estimated o time (based on last day of my period & cycle length) we did it everyday. This was my first cycle after nearly a year of absolutely no AF and no signs of O- I got pregnant on cycle 1. Timing is definitely important and I believe charting works, however Sooo many OBs and fertility specialists seem to have little or no faith in it. Prsonally, I think if you are trying to get pregnant right away or have fertility issues charting is beneficial for sure. If you're going with the flow and are kinda just chilling out waiting for a BFP to pop up whenever...I would skip it. As long as you know you're estimated O day , BD everyday or every other day around that time and you should get results without having to chart.

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