Re: charting question

[Guest guest]

,

Thanks for the encouraging words!

Amy

[Guest guest]

Amy,

Do you have the book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility? If not, I'd highly

recommend puchasing it or trying to find it at your library. The author

does a fantastic job of teaching one how to chart. Also, you can sign up

for a free month at Fertility Friend at http:www.frertilityfriend.com and

keep your chart via the Internet. This program will point out trends, etc.

and you have access to on-line folks who can answer your questions. I

didn't find it helpful, because I'd been charting so long on my own, but if

you're just learning to chart, it might be a good resource. They use the

same rules of charting as does the author of TCOYF, so the two are pretty

compatible. Both will help you learn your patterns (you'll need 3 months

of charts to be able to see your pattern), both sources will help you

determine your personal cover line and both sources will show you charts of

what " normal " cycles look like.

Here are some things to consider in looking at your temps:

!. Are you taking your temp. at roughly the same time each day? Temps

should be taken within the same hour on a daily basis, so that you have a

good comparison.

2. Are you getting at least 3 hours of sleep before you take your temp?

Less sleep or getting up to use the bathroom during the 3 hr period before

waking can have an impact on your temps (usually makes them artificially

high).

3. Do you trust your thermometer? My first basal thermometer was giving

me weird readings, so I got another and found the second to be more

consistent. While digital basals are safer, some people swear that the

mercury ones are more accurate.

4. My temp usually drops 3 to 4 tenths a day or so into my cycle and then

rises again. This is normal.

5. Its also normal to have some flucuation in temps before your LH surge

of up to 4 to 6 tenths. On your LH surge day, your temp should make a

pretty big drop and then a significant rise above your cover line once you

ovulate.

6. Its ok to throw out a flukey temp. Once in a while you'll get them for

some unexplained reason. If they return to a more normal range the next

day, then throw out the flukey one. Room temp changes will have only a

minor effect on temps, by perhaps one tenth or so, if any.

7. Remember charts are set up for the average woman, some women run

slightly higher and lower overall temps than the average, so if this keeps

up as a pattern, you may need to make your own chart. I believe there are

some on-line sources for this.

HTH,

, who's been charting way longer than I'd like....

***************************

& Jani

mailto:newmoon@...

moms to Rowan, born 6/26/98 (19 months old)

three spirit babies:

Cassidy, m/c 8/99

Mandy, m/c 10/99

Keegan, ectopic pregnancy, 1/00

[Guest guest]

Amy:

That temp is probably just a fluke, and should be ignored. Your thermometer

could have had an " off " reading (especially if you use a battery operated

digital) or any number of things could have caused it. Don't sweat it and

just ignore it Your temps are within a normal range it seems. Mine

fluctuate within .5 most of the time (97.2-97.7), but have sometimes been

lower or higher before O. After O mine went up to 98.0 and above.

You are doing fine Don't worry!

[Guest guest]

Amy:

I started charting one month before I had my ep, and so I had no idea what

was normal and what wasn't....I thought I was doing something wrong because

I had temps all over the chart the second month (I was pg with my ep).

After all the surgery and stuff was over, I got TCOYF and started using

www.fertilityfriend.com and was able to see the pattern in my cycles. It

takes awhile to be able to see what's going on with your body.

What I am trying to say is, I have been there - wondering if I was making

mistakes and if my cycles were " normal " . I am glad that I could reassure

you.