I Suck at Charting

SoonToBeMommaHowe · June 2016

Hey Ladies! Alright, previously I had used CBD OPKs with no temping to try to catch O but last month I got a false positive OPK, which was devastating bc my OB had been telling me I don't ovulate so I was super encouraged to think I had and then my blood work said I didn't.

This month I decided to temp in order to get a more accurate picture of what's going on but I have 20ish dip strips left so I figured why not use the strips and temp to try to finally start figuring out my cycle. But of course nothing is ever that straightforward and now I'm confused! I think my chart looks pretty standard for pre-O (I omitted one temp bc I tossed and turned all night and ended up temping at 4am instead of my normal 5:45 and it came back significantly lower than the other temps)

But my OPKs are just dumb...from top to bottom CD10, 11 & 12

Aren't they supposed to get progressively darker? My CD10 is def darker than CD11 and CD12 looks dark enough to almost be positive, but i don't usually get anywhere near a positive until cd14-17ish.
ugh...I think next cycle I'll temp but use CBD

Anyone else get dark then light then dark again?

iceandsnowflakes29 · June 2016

My OPKS were like that this month and it looks like we use the same kind.

CD 7 NEG
CD 8 positive
CD 9 NEG
CD 10 positive
CD 11, 12 NEG
13 very positive.

It was a mess and I was freaking out. Like freaking out. I truly think it was the OPKS. I'm switching.

dubcompanion · June 2016

@SoonToBeMommaHowe @iceandsnowflakes29 What OPKs are you guys using?

iceandsnowflakes29 · June 2016

Walmart answer brand. They come in a tube of 20.

iceandsnowflakes29 · June 2016

CDs 7-10 am and pm on the right and the 2 on the left, are CD 13 and 14

mylittleversailles · June 2016

Maybe there is some kind of problem with the dye lot?

iceandsnowflakes29 · June 2016

@reneeannemm I'm Googling when I get home.
@SoonToBeMommaHowe it's not just me! I was going NUTS

SoonToBeMommaHowe · June 2016

iceandsnowflakes29 said:

CDs 7-10 am and pm on the right and the 2 on the left, are CD 13 and 14

@iceandsnowflakes29 based on those I would have been celebrating every day since CD8, but definitely positives on 13 & 14. Did your temps match up with that? I typically do an AM and PM too but since FF only has one entry I've just been doing one in the morning! I think you have helped me make the decision to never buy those OPKs again!

Sadly those are the brand that I turned positive last month..I used CBD up until CD15 and then ran out so I figured I just save money and buy cheapies for the remainder of the cycle...so maybe it really was just a false positive and I didnt O. Boooo

Wishilivedinflorida · June 2016

Maybe try Clear Blue and Wondfos? I'm trying out Wondfos for the first time this cycle (actual first time using OPKs at all), so I can't help with previous experience. I can say that you can have an LH surge and not ovulate, and have multiple LH surges per cycle, even, so OPKs aren't really helpful for much except to help guide when to HIO. You need the temps to confirm O. Based on the pics though, maybe switching up brands would give you better guidance.

FWIW, @SoonToBeMommaHowe I agree that chart looks like a pre-O pattern so far.

Im pretty sure this wasn't helpful at all! Ha!

SoonToBeMommaHowe · June 2016

I checked out wondfos on Amazon, those are pretty cheap and apparently come with a crap ton of HPTs

That will certainly help my POAS addiction!

Alright Answer brand is heading for the trash can, wondfos for next cycle!

@iceandsnowflakes29 I would've driven DH crazy with a month like that btw! He really loves when I make him look at all the things I've previously peed on!

@Wishilivedinflorida even if it didn't clarify much I do appreciate the input, lol.

dubcompanion · June 2016

I was originally just going to start Wondfos this month and those would be my only OPKs, but I'm starting to think I should use up the rest of my CBADs in conjunction with them. Would that be overkill?

I just worry I'm going to be posting Wondfos, analyzing it all to death, to the point where someone goes, "Um, that's a match. You peed on a match."
And I'll snap back, "IT LIT UP AND SAID I WAS OVULATING, OKAY?"

SoonToBeMommaHowe · June 2016

Excuse me..what's overkill? Never heard of it

szwill86 · June 2016

I've historically used wondfos and only had one month out of the 7 I used them that I couldn't get a clear read on a positive. I also have a bag of like, 1,000 so...I guess that's what I'll be using.

Spartanrd4 · June 2016

@dubcompanion I started using wondfos in addition to the digital this month so I could test more frequently. I did the CBAD in the morning and then wondfo in the afternoon/evening. I got a solid smiley and then got a positive when I tested 12 hours later. Just good to double check things, definitely not overkill!

dubcompanion · June 2016

@Spartanrd4 That's a good idea! I might do just that. I totally wasn't going to use my 50 Wondfos and see how many I can burn in one cycle... one every 6 hours starting at CD 10 until CD 19...

Is it sad that I've conditioned myself to the point that when I have a full bladder, I think, "Is it concentrated enough to get results??" But then I realize, DUH, it's only CD 2/3/4/etc.

KarenBeth714 · June 2016

Wow, I would be super confused to and I'm also terrible at consistent charting things and temping just worries me bc I toss and turn all the time and wake up really early and I just know I'll forget. I'll do one more month to use up the wonfos that I have and then maybe look into something else. What do you ladies think is the best ? Do you think absolutely temping is the best answer or another brand opk ?

rainbowturtles · June 2016

Temping is the only way to know for sure you've ovulated but opks and CM can give you more of a heads up when you're fertile, if I understand correctly (since you need to be BDing BEFORE you ovulate -and day of/day after- and a temp spike occurs AFTER ovulation and you usually need three high temps after the fact to indicate you O'd). I feel like all the methods work together in combination

SoonToBeMommaHowe · June 2016

@KarenBeth714..I actually have an alarm set for 5:45 everyday that's labeled TAKE TEMP. That helps me remember, lol. It can be stressful and it stinks having to think about it every day first thing in the morning but after having a false positive on an OPK I just want the peace of time that temps provide.

dubcompanion · June 2016

@SoonToBeMommaHowe Whoa, I was just commenting to say something similar! My temp alarm clock is 6:00.

DH woke me up at the butt crack of dawn for some BD for the 2nd consecutive morning, so I napped some and then temped at 5:30 this morning. Not sure if that affects anything. FWIW, the temp's lower than yesterday's, so I'm assuming the activity didn't do much.

My temps are super low... My median temp thus far is 96.56. Isn't the average body temperature 98.6? I'm amazed I function, ha.

SoonToBeMommaHowe · June 2016

@dubcompanion look you with the early morning hump sesh, two days in a row!?! I'm impressed!!!

Did you manually calculate your median temp or does FF do it for you?? I think mine may be on the low side too. For 15 days mine have ranged from 96.6-97.1.

dubcompanion · June 2016

@SoonToBeMommaHowe I entice him by going to bed nekkid!

I use Kindara and I just manually found the median. Good to know I'm not the only one with an average low body temp!

KarenBeth714 · June 2016

ok after this month I will try it. GOtta order the special thermometer. My usual wake up time is 5:45 for work anyway, but I normally wake up a few times before and I'm always tossing and turning so not sure if it wil be right. What thermometer do you recommend?

Wishilivedinflorida · June 2016

@KarenBeth714 I have the same type of sleeping pattern and wake up time. I just take my temp the first time I wake up in the middle of the night. It's more important to try to get the temp after at least three hours of restful sleep. Most use the Mabis thermometer. It's about 7 bucks on Amazon, or you can get the same product at Walmart, but it's called Reli-On brand. Same thermometer. The nice thing is that you can take the temp, fall back asleep, and when you wake up if you push the button, it will display the last temp taken. That way you can wait until later to put it in your chart.

SoonToBeMommaHowe · June 2016

@dubcompanion me at 2am

Take me if you must but I may fall back asleep

@KarenBeth714 I just bought the Reli-on Thermometer at Wal-Mart. I think it was like $8 and it works fine. Like @Wishilivedinflorida said if I wake up before 5:45 I just wake my temp then, go back to bed and then check the temp when I wake up for good.

@dubcompanion ps...I googled low temps and fertility and there were a couple reasons we could be so low. 1) Mouth breathing (that's me) OR 2)Thyroid issues (hoping that's not me) but something to think about if we're still in this situation in a few months

dubcompanion · June 2016

@SoonToBeMommaHowe Me at 3AM:

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/pe/uhisq3ezzgfz.jpg

Oh, hai. Well, since you're also awake...

I'm definitely a mouth breather! That may explain my temps. And according to my mom, I've always had low temps. Go figure. My dad is an endocrinologist, so thyroid issues likely would have been tested if they'd felt that was an issue. However, I haven't lived under my parents' roof in over 10 years, so that's still something I'll keep in the back of my mind. Thanks for the insight!

SoonToBeMommaHowe · June 2016

Hahahaha dying

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