Weekly Chart Stalk Thread

adirat · December 2016

Let our semi-professional TTGP chart stalkers give you a second (third, fourth, fifth) opinion.

Image: https://media0.giphy.com/media/2lG8fMhri8Pmw/200.gif#0

Hat tip to thread inventor @Sailing_Mama.

This is a thread where anyone can feel free to request a chart stalk, get a second interpretation, or post any other chart-related questions, regardless of where in your cycle you are. Sometimes FF is wrong. That's where we come in.

Post away!

ChefRamsay · December 2016

I don't have any specific questions, it's pretty obvious there is no O pattern here. But, I know how much @adirat wants to CS so, here you go. FF had been giving me CH, then taking them away, on CD10 for the past few days. I was leaning towards CD15 being O but my temps just don't seem right for that. I'm thinking I just haven't O yet.

adirat · December 2016

@ChefRamsay Heyyyy girl! I do love to CS. CD15 seems possible, but where is your coverline normally?

ChefRamsay · December 2016

Good question. I just started temping my last cycle so I'm not sure. I'll show you my only other chart.

adirat · December 2016

@Cheframsay My fault -- you seem like such an old pro around here I was certain you must have been temping a while ;-)

I suppose my guess is still cd15 BUT if I were you, I'd keep HIO -- like you said, there's a good chance you haven't O'd at all yet.

ChefRamsay · December 2016

Thanks @adirat

hupp0013 · December 2016

@ChefRamsay I was thinking that CD 17 is a possibility as well. It is definitely very possible that you haven't O'd yet either.

dinosaur · December 2016

I agree with PP

daisymae6215 · December 2016

This was my first month temping and I wasn't always consistent with it so there are a lot of open circles. I've been waking up a bunch around 4am lately so that could be throwing my temps off too. I didn't do an OPK on CD20 because I didn't feel great and I was super lazy but it was almost as dark as the control line on CD21 so I counted it as positive. I'm still learning and I'm currently reading TCOYF so I would really appreciate some CS from the pros. My main concern is that I had a anovulatory cycle.

tripledaggerWed95976 · December 2016

Lurking**
@daisymae6215 it looks to me like FF got your crosshairs correct. CD 25 could just be a fallback rise.

@cheframsay your oct 28th cycle was only 20 days long, is that Normal for you? Your current chart doesn't look like you have O'd quite yet. It would help your charting a lot if you started to use OPKs. It's not a perfect science but it can help to paint a clearer picture

ChefRamsay · December 2016

@tripledaggerWed95976 Last cycle was definitely not normal for me. My cycles are normally closer to 30 days. I also don't tend to have spotting before AF so it was a strange cycle. I have thought about using OPKs, but usually in a 'next cycle if I'm not KU by then' kind of way. Maybe I'll get some wondfos next time I order HPTs.

lulu1180 · December 2016

I actually have a question about OPKs. Kind of like @ChefRamsay I keep saying maybe next cycle. My concern is that I drink quite a bit of water and I'm afraid I will have problems turning one. Does anyone else have this issue and still turn an OPK?

tripledaggerWed95976 · December 2016

@cheframsay oh wow, how bizarre that you got that one random short cycle!
I used wondfo OPKs and I highly recommend them. As a matter of fact, on Amazon there are boxes of wondfo that come with both the HPTs and OPKs, which is super convenient. I actually like wondfo OPKs even better than the more expensive ones like clear blue!

JuneRoseRuby · December 2016

@lulu1180 I am actually part fish and cannot leave a room without carrying my water with me. People comment on how much water I drink and I can turn OPKs but then again some people just don't. So I think it's a toss up but just buy the easy home kit with 50 OPKs and 20hpts on amazon. It's like $15 or something. Worth a try. I've also inherited a bunch of OPKs from friends that have gotten preggers before me

JuneRoseRuby · December 2016

Wtf. Bump keep eating my posts!! I added this at the end of that

lulu1180 · December 2016

Thank you @JuneRoseRuby!

JuneRoseRuby · December 2016

Ha clearly bump isn't letting me finish my posts.

doula-mama · December 2016

So glad you kept this going, @adirat! I don't have a lot of advice for either chart here but always feel like I learn a lot when I read other people's responses to the CS questions, so keep it coming!!

ChefRamsay · December 2016

@hupp0013 FF seems to agree with you about CD17

@tripledaggerWed95976 I took your advice and finally bought some OPKs

[Deleted User] · December 2016

@ChefRamsay I was gonna say cd17 too, but was curious what accounted for the open circle, or if it was a trustworthy temp, and there ya go! ;) fwiw, "coverline trends" are meaningless. your coverline is a practically arbitrary line dropped in to help you visualize the shift. you or FF can put it "anywhere." it has not clinical basis or statistical significance whatsoever. but YAY O!!!!!

Eta @daisymae6215 great job! your CH look good, don't worry. FF may have dotted them bc of your open circles. fwiw, if you wake up early but don't stir too much, get out of bed etc, it shouldn't affect your temp too much. keep up the good work! ;)

tripledaggerWed95976 · December 2016

@cheframsay so glad u bought the OPKs, They really do help! And Yay for crosshairs!!

hartmich · December 2016

@lulu1180 chiming in that I drink a ton of water too and still turn OPKs. I will say that it DOES affect the "darkening" effect you may read about. As in, if I haven't had a ton of water, I will get a relatively dark (but not positive) line, even if I'm nowhere near O. So I don't usually have a nice gradual darkening of tests until my positive, it just kind of pops up one day.

WildMagelet · December 2016

Wouldn't mind a CS. I have no idea what my body is doing this cycle. My coverline is usually 97.6 (and has been averaging 33 days). I've had a few discarded temps due to sleep/waking issues. I'm assuming that my spike today is from waking up 2 hours before my alarm and stirring too much before I took my temp, but I guess I'll know more tomorrow. Any ideas on what's going on after CD 30? I've never had this many spikes (then drops) above my coverline before. I took an HPT on CD 40 since I knew I was going to be at a Christmas party and might want a few drinks and it was negative as expected.

Image: https://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/5c6c2c/?i=7326767&

[Deleted User] · December 2016

@WildMagelet there's too many open circles to say for sure what's going on, but as it is, it looks annovulatory. or you could have wonky lows below "coverline," (bearing in mind that there is no CL in this chart and historic CLs have no bearing on your current chart, as I think I also said above to another poster.) or you could have Od today! but there's no more cm notes or opks or anything else to go off. it's easier to make sense of a chart when you can see multiple signs lining up. if you know your temps are unreliable, I strongly suggest you find an additional sign (cm, cp, opks) that you feel comfortable tracking. take another test in a day or two, keep hio, and if you get to 60 days with no + and no AF, call your doctor so rhey can help jumpstart your cycle. GL!

ChefRamsay · December 2016

@BusinessWife My CD18 open circle is because I went to bed at 3:30 and I temp at 5. It's definitely not a trustworthy temp. If I discard that temp FF takes away my CH. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what my temp looks like tomorrow

[Deleted User] · December 2016

@ChefRamsay oof, yeah. wait and see, but also, ya know Hio!!! ;)

adirat · December 2016

Woohoo, active thread!

@lulu1180 I drink a lot of water and I have to specifically do a hold/reduce intake for 2-3 hours in order to get a true positive. But, I can see a darkening pattern no problem.

@WildMagelet I agree with @Businesswife that you look anovulatory so far. If this hasn't happened to you before, or if this was an especially stressful month for you, nothing to worry about. If you have multiple anovulatory cycles, you may want to talk to your doctor.

Also, regarding the conversation about coverlines -- it is true that they are arbitrary and don't represent anything "real," just a tool for visualizing the shift, but in most women, your coverline won't vary too much from month to month. So if you're confused about something, it can be helpful to start with assuming your coverline is near where it has been before, and look for a pattern that way.

adoo · December 2016

This is my first month temping and I started a little late.. did I miss my O?

I went and bought ovulation tests today, I took my first one and it was no LH surge.

wabash15 · December 2016

@adoo I don't think you have O'd yet If you take away the CD 8 temp maybe CD10 but usually your post o temps dont trend down like your last few have... did you just start OPKs? are you tracking CM?

adoo · December 2016

@wabash15 I just started OPKs today! I haven't been tracking CM but that might be next!

Im hoping I didn't miss it! Maybe it will be in the next few days!

WildMagelet · December 2016

@BusinessWife @adirat - I also assumed I was anovulatory so far. To my knowledge, I've never had an anovulatory cycle before, but I've only been charting 18 months.

I figure I'd give it until the weekend and take another test. I'm actually waiting for my cycle to restart so I can get further tests done with my OB/Gyn, so the fact that it's taking this long is making me somewhat irritable. Christmas will be 2 months so I figure at that point if there's no sign of AF I'll get ahold of her again.

I have some OPKs I am intending to start next cycle. I was previously under the misconception you had to use them in the middle of the day, which I can't do with my workplace.

adirat · December 2016

@adoo I agree with @wabash15 and suggest you operate under the assumption you haven't O'd yet. Namely, HIO!

@Wildmagelet If you go 60 days without a period or positive pregnancy test, you should see your doctor. I definitely hear you on the frustration and just wanting to start a new cycle! But, believe it or not, I've seen charts where women ovulated this late, so keep an eye out for fertile CM just in case

NYTino24 · December 2016

@WildMagelet You can do them at any time with the appropriate hold. Some people (like me) can turn them positive at any point during the day, but different brands consider different times to be optimal. If you have a short surge, the time may be important. I'm a teacher and there's no way I'm doing an OPK during the day. I still catch my surge. Some people never get a true positive and others get false surges without actually ovulating, so temping and checking CM are important too.

daisymae6215 · December 2016

@tripledaggerWed95976 and @BusinessWife thanks for the CS ladies. I still have so much to learn.

doula-mama · December 2016

Disclaimer - I'm asked this in the TWW thread too - sorry for those who read both haha!

I know that the open circles in FF mean that it was an unreliable temp based on time (right?). I just don't understand what the cut off is. I usually temp around 6:30 (although it varies, sometime 6:15, the odd time as late as 7), so I have that set as my usual time. I noticed that even 5 minutes before that and I get an open circle, but 35 minutes past that time and it's solid. Anyone know what is going on? Right now I just try to keep in mind when I actually sleep in (sometimes on the weekend I sleep until 8 or so, and unless it's a critical point in my cycle, I don't set my alarm), and when it's within the half hour variance.

hartmich · December 2016

@sailing_mama I don't believe I ever actually set a time in FF, it just goes based off the most common temping time. A five minute difference does NOT give me an open circle, I think I have to be as early as 15 or 20 minutes but I'm not sure. So based on what you said, I think FF is noticing that you temp more towards 7am than 6:30 but maybe I'm wrong. Also, an open circle can mean an unreliable temp for not enough sleep also - i.e. if you put in sleep deprived.

[Deleted User] · December 2016

Yes, what @hartmich said. and eventually if your temping time rebalances, it will even fill in open circles for you. I had that happen when I switched times from like 530 to 6 or something. once ff was satisfied that was my new temping time, the open circles went away I realise that wasn't exactly your question @Sailing_Mama but I know what helped me a lot was setting 2 alarms. one softer one for temping, or even your fitbit alarm if you have one, just to temp, and then go back to sleep and wake up at whatever time based on what day it is.

doula-mama · December 2016

Thanks for the feedback @hartmich and @BusinessWife! I figured it was something like that - and unless it's right around ovulation, I try not to worry too much if it's not right at the same time.

Any idea if FF factors in open vs. closed circles when calculating ovulation, coverline, etc.?

hartmich · December 2016

@sailing_mama I don't know the technical answer, but I got a bad set of CH from FF when I had temped at different times due to travel. It gave me CH prematurely when I had temps with open circles, but it took them away after the fact.

doula-mama · December 2016

@hartmich Intriguing! Thanks for sharing

spiderlover25 · December 2016

Sorry for the huge chart, I'm mobile. My question is- I had spotting yesterday (normal for af due Friday) but today I'm having bright red spotting which doesn't usually happen until AF. I didn't think this was enough of a temp drop but reading above the CL might just be arbitrary? This is my first month temping.

I'm mostly concerned with bright red because I've been having a lot of bleeding when HIO and I'm trying to figure out what to tell the dr and if I should make a new appointment. My last dr told me everything is normal and not to worry about bleeding. (Had a pelvic exam and 2 u/s)

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