Chart Stalk/Questions - January

nomangos23 · January 2019

@daisy0322 Just make sure that the dark line was actually the test line and not the control line (should say which is which on the box!) and you've got the green light to O!!

daisy0322 · January 2019

@prpl11butterfly and @jennifer_louise I didn't take one yesterday my OB asked me to take one and call her back so we could make a plan. Her thought was that if she kick started my period while I was Oing I'd lose a chance to get KU before my hubby deployed. I guess I'll have to see if it's still positive tomorrow to get a better idea but until then we're going to be HIO

@nomangos23 haha yeah I triple checked!

marebear15 · January 2019

@daisy0322 - *TW nursing*

Unfortunately on my really long weaning cycle, I had several times I got positive OPKs and then didn't O. But for your sake, I hope this is the true surge!

prpl11butterfly · January 2019

@daisy023 I highly recommended you start temping if you don't have success this cycle. Is the plan to do an HPT in about 2wks and then jump start if neg?

daisy0322 · January 2019

@prpl11butterfly I think that is the plan!

@marebear15 yes

I know I'm just hoping for the best I know I just a surge earlier this cycle but this is day 59 so I keep telling myself this has to be a real one

holly321 · January 2019

Is there away to mark when you O’ed On FF? Mine is going to be off due to 2 odd time/bad sleep temps and it is annoying me.

Nevermind, I found it.

daisy0322 · January 2019

Okay sorry everyone I have another question. I feel bad because I never know enough to answer anyone else's questions

so I got a positive OPK butvthen tonight I had some brown spotting. Does that indicate that it's probably an an-o cycle?

holly321 · January 2019

@daisy0322, up until last year, I never spotted when I O, now I do almost every cycle. So while it may be the beginning of AF, it may also be a sign of O, only time will tell.

daisy0322 · January 2019

@holly321 thank you

why would my opk be positive though if AF is coming?

holly321 · January 2019

@daisy0322 you can have multiple lh surges in a normal cycle.

daisy0322 · January 2019

@holly321 oh okay thanks!

flinstone-2 · January 2019

@daisy0322 you can also spot around ovulation. Look up follicular waves too. They are when the body gears up to ovulate and you have symptoms, high LH, and more but never cross that threshold and release an egg.

kiki047 · January 2019

@daisy0322 I have PCOS so my hormones are imbalanced. My baseline LH level is higher than normal so I can almost always turn an OPK even on a day when I'm not surging. Not saying you have PCOS, but if you have slightly elevated LH your OPKs might be so sensitive that it is reading it as a surge.

I stopped using them months ago so I'm curious if it works any better now. Then again, I don't need OPKs because my RE's office tells me when I surge based on daily blood tests. Maybe I'll do a few OPKs this month just to see if it lines up and looks any different from before.

daisy0322 · January 2019

@kiki047 I took another opk today and it was much fainter so I think yesterday might've been accurate

inthewoods23 · January 2019

*super gross TMI* I know clots during AF are normal, but how much is too much? Or how large is too large? Is it that much of an issue when TTC?

holly321 · January 2019

@inthewoods23 I think it depends the person and their norm. I have always been a long heavy bleeder, but nothing was “wrong.” Then I had a ridiculous period and need to take medicine to slow the bleeding (and now have refills and take it most months)

clot size is I think more an issue than amount. Golf ball size is concerning, but maybe only if there are multiple?

inthewoods23 · January 2019

@holly321 that's what I understood as well. Size is more of a concern than quantity. My heaviest flow is always days 1 and 2 and maybe 3 so I understand that I'm more likely to clot then because it sheds so much in a short period of time. Those are also my biggest cramping days.

I'm such a sucker for scrutinizing every little thing about my body and my periods looking for an answer why we are 18 cycles in and not KU.

holly321 · January 2019

@intothewoods23 if you are concerned, maybe see if you can have an ultrasound during your period to see if your lining is “normal.”

inthewoods23 · January 2019

@holly321 I have my baseline US and blood work for IUI #2 tomorrow so I might ask

themadcamel · January 2019

@inthewoods23 I have no idea, but now I'm curious too! Before BCP, I'd get one or two giant clots every period. Gross!

kopp5988 · January 2019

Does anyone ever not get EWCM during or before ovulation? I had a surprise early peak OPK on Sunday evening (wasn’t expecting O til fri/sat so this was the first OPK I took this month, damn). I’m assuming I ovulated Monday because of O pain most of the day and my cervix was very high (not as soft as previous cycles though) but I saw no EWCM whatsoever. Would you guys continue to do OPKs to make sure there isn’t a second surge since all the fertile signs weren’t there? Or should I just trust the OPK and pains?

nitnat007 · January 2019

@kopp5988 How do you check for CM? Not everyone gets EWCM and some have to really "go looking" for it too. Watery CM is still fertile. I would definitely keep taking OPK's to be sure there wasn't a second surge as it does happen, and especially if you are new to them and/or charting. Do you temp at all?

kerco925 · January 2019

Anyone good with charts want to take a look at mine? FF is saying I o'ed on CD 15, I was thinking 16. What do you think? The cover line seems low to me.

kopp5988 · January 2019

@nitnat007 I do “go looking for it” and usually don’t have a lot but have some. I do temp but I toss and turn a lot so it’s not always super reliable/accurate. I have slow rises post O so far when I do see the rise, so I’m only up 0.3 from yesterday (which is not big for me). I’ll take your advice and keep taking the OPKs thanks!

inthewoods23 · January 2019

@kerco925 I'm guessing with having 3 indicators of O on CD 15 (the EWCM, +OPK, and the Peak for fertility monitoring) is why they would mark it that way. I think with temping, the jump should be around 0.5 degrees and you're pretty close to that.

I lean towards CD15 for those reasons, but you do get an even better temp jump after CD16.

nitnat007 · January 2019

@kerco925 I agree with inthewoods, a case could be made for both days, but given the signs on CD15, I understand why it is has been marked that way.

kiki047 · January 2019

@kerco925 I usually O the day after the ovulation dip, so on your chart that would line up with CD16 as well. I agree with PPs^ and can see why FF would think CD15. Either way your timing looks ok.
We need our chart expert @marebear15, dunno what the protocol is for grads posting in the CS/Q threads but nobody can read a chart like mare.

lulu1180 · January 2019

@kerco925 Did you have any CM on CD16? If it was dry, sticky, or creamy then I agree with FF on CD15, if you had either watery or EW, I would agree with you on CD16. As your chart is right now, I agree with CD15 based mostly on the CM

marebear15 · January 2019

**lurky loo**
@kerco925 I'm going to go with CD16 on this one because that coverline is way too low based on the other pre-O temps. What does FAM say?

kerco925 · January 2019

It may have been wet on CD16, I have a hard time telling. Definitely not EWCM. But most months, I don't have it on the day of O. It's long passed now, but just curious for the future.

kerco925 · January 2019

@marebear15 FAM changed it to CD 16. This coverline make more sense to me.

kerco925 · January 2019

Thanks everyone

samashley1 · January 2019

I'm new, so someone tell me to shut up if these are dumb/too many questions. I've been dying to ask some of these and see if anyone has any experience or similar things.
- I have a lot of CM always. I have to wear a tampon many days during the month. My obgyn told me a couple years ago that this isn't totally abnormal and BC would help it. I eventually got off BC and the prob came back. So, I can't really track my CM as it's usually pretty absorbed by a tampon
- That being said, I've noticed that I spot a few days before AF and then AF is full on. I also sometimes spot at O.
- My PMS symptoms, O pains, and cramping during AF have been really out of control since we started trying. Anyone else?
- I just started charting my BBT, but my dogs wake us up once in the middle of the night, every night. If they're being really unruly, twice. I worry that my BBT basically doesn't even matter because of it.

And yes, I'm working on an appointment to get in with my OBGYN to let him know we're now TTGP and answer a lot of these questions for me. He literally saved my life a while back (with the LEEP procedure...which also makes me nervous about being able to get pregnant) so I trust him to be very honest with me.

kiki047 · January 2019

@samashley1 no worries about asking questions. This is why we have this thread, so there is somewhere safe for anyone to come ask questions without starting a new thread every single time they think of a new Q.
I can't speak to some of your questions but re: PMS symptoms, when you say they've been bad since you started trying, is that basically when you came off BC? That's what happened to me. I had a few months of light periods and minimal cramping when I first came off the pill but it has been getting progressively worse as I'm now 13 months off the pill and O pain is awful, cramping during AF is really bad at least 1-2 days a cycle, PMS is mostly just really really sore boobs (which doesn't help the SS when I just think I'm KU).
As for BBT - do they wake you up at different times throughout the night? You need 3-4 hours of solid sleep for your BBT to be accurate so if you can get that before they wake you, try to take your temp the first time you are disturbed, or else if you can get a solid block of sleep after you go back to bed record the temp when your alarm goes off? I've also wondered how anyone with a LC is able to get accurate readings if they're up throughout the night with them.

Good luck! TTC is confusing and maddening and hopeful and disappointing... especially as we get to learn our bodies, usually with a 'new normal' after many of us have been on BC for a long time.

samashley1 · January 2019

Thanks, @kiki047! I've been off BC for a few years, actually. So, I don't think it's that. It's just weird. I know I saw somewhere on one of the forums about someone else mentioning it. It's probably just a coincidence.

And no, the dogs aren't like clockwork, sadly. I've been trying to let my boyfriend deal with it so I can go right back to sleep and test in the morning at the same time. I think I'm just going to have to deal with that for now.

b_1029 · January 2019

@samashley1 I feel like my symptoms (O, period cramps, etc) have gotten worse since we started trying but I'm pretty sure it's just because I'm so in tune with my body at this point and really paying attention. I didn't even know I was having O cramps before we started trying and can't remember them ever being an issue, and now every month I'm in so much pain...but again, I think it's because I'm looking for that sign.

In terms of your other questions, I can't say I have the same issue with CM - I hardly have any. Not to be gross but you can go "searching" for CM up by your cervix since you can't tell from your tampon.

You might want to talk to your doctor about spotting before AF/during O but from what I can understand on here, I think it's normal.

I'm a horrible sleeper so tend to take my BBT with a grain of salt. What has helped me recently is vaginal temping and using a BBT converter - I usually get up around 5:30 so if I wake up around say 3, I'll take my temp and then convert it as if I took it at 5:30. Not the most scientific way but I tend to sleep solidly when I first go to bed and probably 4/7 nights wake up around 2-3, and roll around for another couple of hours so my BBT was all over the place before I started doing it this way.

inthewoods23 · January 2019

How does one differentiate O pain from other aches? I'm not sure I've ever been able to tell.

b_1029 · January 2019

@inthewoods23 I get a building pain that's always on my right side (probably because of my cyst) with some random cramps that almost double me over...but it's mostly just achey and only lasts a couple hours. It usually happens the day of or after my +OPK! It feels way different than AF cramps for me.

samashley1 · January 2019

YES, @b_1029! Me too. The first time it happened (looking back this was before we were trying, actually) I ended up going to the OBGYN because I was convinced it had to be a cyst. The pain was so intense. They did see a bit of the leftover cyst on the ultrasound but since they didn't catch it before couldn't say how large it originally was. I never had one before that. Wondering if that's my issue.

rikiteacup · January 2019

@kerco925 you ave a lot of +OPK, even after O. Is this normal for you?
I wouldn't read too much into the coverline either
https://www.fertilityfriend.com/Faqs/Coverline-calculation-method.html

Chart Stalk/Questions - January

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