[MeghanRy315]

Hello all.

I am so new to justmommies but so grateful to have it has a resource.

I have only been fertility charting for 16 days now (LOVING fertilityfriend.com, but the way) because last month was my first month off the pill and I knew it was going to be a bit off (a bit is an underestimation!) and I really thought I screwed myself up yesterday by getting up to pee before I took my temperature. To my surprise, eventhough I was active before taking the temp, my temperature was nearly 4/10ths of a degree lower than it had been the past six days. Could it have been even lower had I not gotten up? Does this mean I am ovulating? I am also not entirely sure I ovulated at all last month.
It is CD 16 for me, my CP is high and soft, but CM is only creamy, no egg white. Is there something wrong with me, or is it most likely because of my stopping the pill and hormones are all over the place? Last month was simply awful (I actually has POST menstrual symptoms like mood swing and weight gain) and my period was five days late (even before taking BCP, I was always regular to the day) so I thought my body was sort of "fixing itself" after years of birth control. Is this normal, and should I expect the same this month?

Also I purchased a fertile focus saliva microscope. Is there any merit to this device? I checked my saliva and there was partial ferning for two days, and now it seems back to normal. Is that normal, or does it mean I will probably not ovulate?) Or does this mean that I probably ovulated. I am so unsure of everything, especially my ability to follow directions!

Any advice would be so very appreciated! I am so new to all this and both excited and anxious at the same time.

[sjkduke]

Hi and Sorry it took me so long to answer you post! I've been out of town!

It's very normal to have some changes to your cycles after coming off BC. Sometimes it can take a month, sometimes much longer. It won't always be the same....just out of whack, from my experience!

I used a saliva scope. I had heard mixed reviews about it, so I would not rely solely on the scope. From what I remember, when you get FULL ferning, that's when your Oing (I could be wrong on that, though, it's been a while).

Anyway, I'm glad you're here--please don't hesitate to post away and ask any questions you have! It can be daunting and challenging, that's for sure!

[MeghanRy315]

Hi and Sorry it took me so long to answer you post! I've been out of town!

It's very normal to have some changes to your cycles after coming off BC. Sometimes it can take a month, sometimes much longer. It won't always be the same....just out of whack, from my experience!

I used a saliva scope. I had heard mixed reviews about it, so I would not rely solely on the scope. From what I remember, when you get FULL ferning, that's when your Oing (I could be wrong on that, though, it's been a while).

Anyway, I'm glad you're here--please don't hesitate to post away and ask any questions you have! It can be daunting and challenging, that's for sure![/b]

Thanks for your support! I have also been using the saliva scope, and it showed partial ferning two days last week, went away and then today the ferning was much greater (about half the scope). Does it increase as I get closer to Oing or just it just show up and then disappear? The fact that ferning came and went, from what I hear, is also because I'm coming off the pill. Again, more confusion!

Also, last month my hormones were crazy because mid cycle I had very sore nipples, acne breakout and slight cramping on one side, but I've never had egg white CM. Today, I am mid cycle and the breakouts came back (yuck!) and the weird nipple thing is back. Could these be signs of Oing, even though my CM isn't quite there? I also had a huge temperature dip today (my temp was 96.8 which is WAY lower than it has been all month). Is it possible there something wrong with my CM as a result of being on the pill?

I know its only my 2nd month but all this info is driving me crazy! I have 2 friends that got pregnant the month they stopped taking the pill and I just do not understand how that could have possible happened.

Thanks again for listening! It does seem so daunting!

[ShawnaCAN]

Is it possible there something wrong with my CM as a result of being on the pill?[/b]

Yes, the Pill shrivels up the crypts in your cervix where good quality CM is produced, so that you produce more of the thick infertile discharge that impedes sperm travel. Your ovaries can usually begin ovulating again fairly quickly after you stop the Pill (if you were on a form of the Pill that suppresses ovulation most of the time) - but the cervix can take a lot longer to heal because quite a delicate organ. In post Pill cycles, many variations can occur. One that is quite common is noticing discharge that is sticky, cloudy, creamy, or kind of thick almost all the time, but never really seeing that good quality wet, slippery, and clear mucus. Over time, the CM production should improve....your body just needs some patience to heal and sort itself out again.

[MeghanRy315]

Yes, the Pill shrivels up the crypts in your cervix where good quality CM is produced, so that you produce more of the thick infertile discharge that impedes sperm travel. Your ovaries can usually begin ovulating again fairly quickly after you stop the Pill (if you were on a form of the Pill that suppresses ovulation most of the time) - but the cervix can take a lot longer to heal because quite a delicate organ. In post Pill cycles, many variations can occur. One that is quite common is noticing discharge that is sticky, cloudy, creamy, or kind of thick almost all the time, but never really seeing that good quality wet, slippery, and clear mucus. Over time, the CM production should improve....your body just needs some patience to heal and sort itself out again.
[/b]

Wow that is great information. That sounds a lot like me. It seems that I am still "coming off" the pill this month, my temps are all crazy low, (maybe lots of estrogen...another effect of the pill?) .I thought I Oed yesterday, due to the REALLY low temp and pretty significant F on my saliva scope. How do I know if I was on the kind of pill that suppresses ovulation? I know the name, but I didn't realize they all do different things. I had a brief stint of watery CM yesterday (possibly today although I cannot tell because of BD), ferning and tender nipples so I thought I was, but maybe I was just being hopeful.

[ShawnaCAN]

It seems that I am still "coming off" the pill this month, my temps are all crazy low, (maybe lots of estrogen...another effect of the pill?) .I thought I Oed yesterday, due to the REALLY low temp and pretty significant F on my saliva scope. How do I know if I was on the kind of pill that suppresses ovulation? I know the name, but I didn't realize they all do different things. I had a brief stint of watery CM yesterday (possibly today although I cannot tell because of BD), ferning and tender nipples so I thought I was, but maybe I was just being hopeful.[/b]

Well yes, it can take anywhere from 3-18 months to fully recover from the Pill. The lingering effects you can experience during that time can include the CM issues I mentioned before, irregular ovulation (normal some cycles, late other cycles, not at all sometimes), and other hormonal issues. Time generally takes care of all of it. Time and patience! Very low basal temps can indicate low thyroid function (another potential complication of the Pill). If you still have the patient insert that came with your brand of the Pill, you can check the list of warnings to see if impaired thyroid function is listed or not. It might be a good idea to have your doctor look into that! If your Pill had LO in the name or was progestin-only (the mini pill) - it was one of the ones that suppresses ovulation less frequently, but acts by thickening cervical mucus and keeping the lining of the uterus too thin for successful implantation. Regular combination pills suppress ovulation more of the time.

Even if you had a brief stint of watery mucus, record it! Always record your most fertile mucus of the day, even if you only noticed it once!