Let's Talk about Charting

Lately I've been in contact with several readers (you can email me at prayingforalittleone@gmail.com) who are just in the beginning stages of infertility testing/treatment so I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about charting.  Only you can know if and when you are ready to chart, and it is never too early or too late!  Some women don't begin to chart until they are doing medicated cycles while other women start charting from their very first cycle of trying (or before they even start trying!).

Negatives of charting:  (big fan of charting so I could only come up with two)
-Having to take temperature at the same time of day...every day.
-Might cause increase in stress by knowing exactly what is going on in your cycle (Example:  My temp hasn't risen...why haven't I ovulated yet??!!)

Positives of charting:
-Knowing exactly what is going on in your cycle (Ex:  I ovulated on day 18...and I'm 10 dpo)
-Timing intercourse (once you have charted for a few cycles...you might see that your timing has been off or not ideal)
-You may discover something isn't right (I actually figured out and RE agreed that I had a luteal phase defect and lower than average temps during my lp which led to my RE prescribing progesterone supps even with a normal progesterone number at 7dpo)
-Warning- As hard as it is to see that temp dive the day you start your period, it is much easier to deal with it by yourself at home than starting your period at work with no warning.
-You will become more aware of fertile signs and will probably see a pattern

How do you start?
-Buy a digital basal body thermometer (you will find next to opks and pregnancy tests in most drug stores)
-Take your temp every morning at approx the same time before you get out of bed or do anything (can take it in mouth or vaginally for more accuracy but take it the same way every time)
-Write down your temp
-There are charts online that you can download and fill out yourself but the easiest I have found by far is fertilityfriend.com.  If you don't have anyone to refer you and you can't get the free membership, just buy the vip because it doesn't cost that much.  (fertilityfriend has not contacted me...this is just my opinion from using their service for years)
-There are apps for droid and iphones as well (I'm using one right now called My Days)

Learn about other fertility signs:
-Some women are not comfortable checking cervical mucus and their cervix position....if you just can't bring yourself to do this, then just use opks and temps (side note:  I do think that it is important for you to know your body best so it would be my advice to try to get over it)
-Here is what you are looking for with cervical mucus:  (most likely in this order) creamy (not fertile), wet (it will be very thin/watery--fertile), egg white (VERY fertile--see below), creamy or none (not fertile...2ww)

Egg White Cervical Mucus (aka EWCM)- can be confused with leftover semen.  Here is how you tell the difference--you will be able to stretch EWCM from thumb to pointer finger.  EWCM is also going to be very clear while semen might seem a little more cloudy or yellow.  I realize that this is gross talk...sorry!  I find that for me that when I see EWCM that I'm about to ovulate and usually the day after ovulation it is gone.

-I wouldn't base not getting together on cervical mucus as it isn't as reliable as a three day temperature rise

-Here is what you are looking for from your cervix:  This takes some time to learn, but you will be able to tell a difference once you feel fertile vs not fertile.  Low, hard, and closed is NOT fertile.  The cervix will feel similar to the tip of your nose.  High, soft, and open is VERY fertile and that is what you are looking for!  You might not even be able to reach your cervix and if you do it will feel similar to the inside of your cheek and cushiony (I realize that is an interesting description lol).

OPKs- I have a favorite brand of these because I was always able to see a darkening pattern before a positive, and they are cheap.  They are the Answer daily ovulation tracker (20 bucksish for 20 tests--can't beat that).  They say to only use them for one cycle, but I had no problem using them for multiple cycles.  (Again this is just my opinion and haven't been compensated from company).  The best time to take an opk is in the afternoon/evening...apparently 2 pm is the exact best time, but please don't stress yourself out just try to to do it the same time every day.  I would always take my opks when I got home from work around 6pm (only problem with that was having to hold pee sometimes!!).  If you are a nerd like me, you will throw away the tests that have a super light line but once it starts to get darker, you will label the test with what cycle day it is and keep it on the counter to compare to the test the next day.  Most women ovulate anywhere from 12 to 48 hours from their LH surge (positive opk).  The average (just fyi) is 36 hours, but if you are testing in the early afternoon every day you might even get 48 hours notice.

Timing Intercourse- If you have a dr telling you what to do, then obviously go with that!  But we always would get together every other day starting from about five days away from the earliest ovulation date I ever had (cd 17?) and once I got the positive opk...we would get together that night and every day until we had two or three days of a temp rise.

Mark all of this info (temp, cervix position, cervical mucus, opks, intercourse timing) into your chart, and you will have a picture of what is going on with your cycle.  See below for an example...

This was one of my cycles on clomid back in 08.  I had 11 high temps which most docs would agree isn't enough...need at least 12 high temps but wanting 14.

Who should chart?  Well just about every women should chart at least for a few months so that she knows her own body.  But especially those who have been trying to conceive for more than six months or those who are having unmonitored meds (like clomid) cycles.  I have started charting again without the temps (although I do know my post ovulatory temp range so I'm still able to take it every so often to see if I'm pre or post o), and I will probably start temping soon.  We are obviously not trying as we call going to a RE as trying, but we are getting together without birth control.  By charting, I'm just learning what my body is doing these days and trying to make sure that we get together around my "fertile" time (again using that term loosely).  I'm not driving Shaun or myself crazy with this for now...yay and he gets to stay blissfully unaware if when I'm "fertile" and when I'm not.  And just in case anyone is curious, my last cycle was 40 days (wow that is great for me), and it looks like this cycle might be a 37 day cycle (wow!!!!).  I guess surgery and pregnancy is good for endometriosis (at least temporarily).  

Do you chart?  Have you ever charted?  What do you hate/like about charting?  Do you have any questions or did you learn anything?!