3rd shift temping issues

~Mrs.Wise~ · July 2014

Are there any 3rd shift ladies who can give me some advice on temping? I work 11-7 and my "nighttime" varies wildly, sometimes I sleep when I get home from work, sometimes I stay up and sleep in the evening, sometimes I only take a couple of good naps throughout the day so I'm having a really hard time incorporating temping into my routine so I'm looking for some tips.

KingLED · July 2014

I don't work third shift but I have crazy insomnia and had success temping anywhere from midnight to late afternoon. For me I just made sure to temp after a few hours of sleep. A lot of my charts were really rocky but I could still always see a shift.

The only way you'll know if it will work for you is to try it for a few cycles and figure out what does and doesn't work. Good luck.

URMySunshine77 · July 2014

EllyD14 said:

I don't work third shift but I have crazy insomnia and had success temping anywhere from midnight to late afternoon. For me I just made sure to temp after a few hours of sleep. A lot of my charts were really rocky but I could still always see a shift. The only way you'll know if it will work for you is to try it for a few cycles and figure out what does and doesn't work. Good luck.

I agree with @EllyD14. As long as I get at least three hours of sleep in a row before I temp, my temps convey a shift. My charts are really ugly, but at least I get the information I need. I hope that you experience the same!

Wine&Cupcakes · July 2014

I agree with all of this...I rotate within the week so some days I sleep 9a-5p, others I sleep 10p-6a, and even some days I just do 9a-1p or so...my charts look like shit but so long as I consistently temp, I can see a shift. I think that secondary signs are extra beneficial for us to help confirm our temp shifts so I recommend checking CM, OPK use, etc.

I also tend to fall asleep after work and sleep for a solid 3-4 hours, then wake up for a few minutes and then my second stretch of 3-4 hours is never as sound of a sleep...because of this, the first time I wake, I temp.

Also, based on some things I've read, vaginal verse oral temping may be best as core temps are less affected by external conditions and thereby may be more forgiving than oral temps which are more easily influenced by environmental temperature, mouth-breathing, etc.

MrsGreen92014 · July 2014

I'm in the same 11-7 boat and then my weekends are all over the place. I'm tracking the temp but leaving out the time

~Mrs.Wise~ · July 2014

Thanks ladies! I'll keep experimenting! I've been using OPKS but my OBGYN told me that they aren't always correct so I've been trying to get into a temping routine.

awesomenus1341 · July 2014

I do 7-7s 3x/wk. This is my first month charting, and my chart is ugly... but I'm hoping it still works out. All you can do is try your best and see what happens. Per FF though, shift workers should aim for at least 3 hrs of sleep, even if that means the time of day differs. Good luck!

willowprincess · July 2014

I agree with the above ladies. I don't worrk 3rd shift, but I'm up at all hours with kids. As long as I get at least 3 hours then I can get a good temp. My charts look crazy, but I still get the shift I'm looking for. I just don't even bother entering the time in because it's always different.