[Effervescence]

I am just curious what all of you use as far as actually recording everything. Do you use fertility friend, or some other website? Is there a site that I could print the charts out and fill them out by hand?

Also, where did you get your basal body temperature thermometer? What brand is the best?

and one final question, AF started on Monday; is it okay to start the chart about a week into the cycle?

Oh, sorry, one more. I bought some ovulation tests. My cycles are very wacky, so I'm not sure when I should take them. Should I just keep watching my temperature to figure out when I should take them?

Thanks!

[Niamh ૐ]

I personally prefer the Ovusoft program that comes with the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler. I also used FF, but liked Ovusoft better.

This is the BBT I bought: Amazon.com: Basal Digital Thermometer: Health & Personal Care It's served me well.

It's fine to start your chart at any time in your cycle. My very first chart I started when I was about 10 days in the cycle.

You should start taking your OPKs when you start noticing more fertile CM.

Hope that helped!

[ShawnaCAN]

I use nfpcharting.com, but that's only compatible for the Billings Ovulation Method system of charting. Ovusoft is very good for BBT charting!

[alicenwonderland]

I use ovusoft software. You can buy it at ovusoft.com It's nice to have a program you don't need the internet for. I also use FF because I like the sharing tickers. But you can upload and link to ovusoft too, just not as pretty.

I got my thermometer at target. It's pink and easy to tell from the rest of their thermometers. labeled as BBT.

On the opks, my best advice is to buy them cheap so you can use them a lot. I buy mine from Babycreation.com They sell them in ziplock baggies for SUPER cheap. I got 50 for 20 bucks, and they'll last me a couple cycles.
I think it's good to start temping once AF has finished anyway. Temps during AF are erratic anyway. I usually skip those days.

[dapgal]

I use ovusoft also. I started using FF but never really got into it and it is now not up to date. I bought my thermometer from Walgreens and I believe it is their brand. I use Answer OPK's which come in a pack of 20 from any drugstore and are cheaper than some. It is a good thing to do if you want them now instead of waiting for the ones online. Use them twice a day also just to be sure that you are not going to miss your +. And I usually start temping after AF stops and usually start taking my OPK's once I get EWCM but I usually have a few days of it before I get a + OPK. I would maybe start a little earlier depending on how many days of EWCM you get just so that you don't miss your +.

[Effervescence]

it seems like ovusoft is the software of choice then! Thank you!

Here is the thing with CM. I have tons of it. All the time. It almost seems unnatural at times. My gyno says it's okay, just I'm more wet than most women. It seems to me to be EWCM most of the time LOL. Maybe I just have to get better at recognizing it.

OPK's- Really? Two a day? Wow, so the pack of seven I bought might not last an entire cycle. Hm. I bought them from target, and they only had packs of seven.

MIL was telling me about this digital thermometer she bought a while back that had graphics and a computer program and everything to tell her when she was ovulating. It was a bit of an awkward discussion with my MIL, you can imagine, but does anyone know of anything they sell like that today? LOL She offered to give me hers, but..... WEEEEEIRD... ! I guess she was trying to conceive when menopause hit. I don't really want to think about my in-laws trying to conceive, or inherit any of the tools they used to do so. LOL But it really sounded neat.

[jen805]

Hi! I've always used ff myself... it's easy to use, so I've just stuck with it. I bought my first thermometer online... just a regular BBT thermometer, but it lasted over a year after daily use. I just had to buy a new one last weekend, got it from Target... the package said it would remember temps, but unfortunately it doesn't, so I have to get up after I temp at 5 am!

Just use the first day of AF as CD1, it's fine if you don't start temping right away... I think I began temping my first month on CD7...

I wouldn't go by your temps for a signal for when to use the OPK's... by the time you notice a thermal shift, you will have already O'ed, and the chances won't be as high... Can you usually tell when you O? Do you get O pains, or does your EWCM turn watery, or anything? I would list any signs or symptoms... usually the program can pick up on fertile times pretty well. You can also check CP--although you need to try to check it at the same time each day, as the position varies throughout the day.


Good luck! Let me know if you have any other questions!

[bhorn005]

I use FF to do my charting. I've been happy with it. I got my thermometer from Walgreens also and it's their brand. The first time I charted I was 10 days into my cycle, so I say it's never to late to start. I stopped using the OPKs so I can't help you there. I was using the ones from earlypregnancytests online and they seemed to work fine.

[dapgal]

I tend to have a lot of CM too but I go from creamy to EW then back to creamy. I have one more question for you, are you breastfeeding? My charts were very weird when I was breastfeeding and I learned that I had to stop completely to get them back to normal. You can view my chart here and you can see that the first 2 charts are very long with a lot of EWCM and a very short LP. Then by cycle 3 I had completely stopped and it got much better and this cycle my temps look even better. I know some people that were able to get pregnant while still breastfeeding but the signs didn't look good for me.

[Niamh ૐ]

OPK's- Really? Two a day? Wow, so the pack of seven I bought might not last an entire cycle. Hm. I bought them from target, and they only had packs of seven.

I only used one OPK a day.

[dapgal]

1 a day is fine, I just use 2 since I get the 20 pack and it is only good for 30 days.