[DeepSouthMommy]

So I went through FF and removed my CM info from my chart for the last few weeks and it completely removed my cross hairs. I have a feeling that my temping is not accurate and that's where the problem is coming in. If I don't get pregnant this cycle (whenever it may end), I'm definitely switching to vaginal temping. I just wish I could do it now rather than waiting.

I'm also wondering if I should just pick one specific time each day to check CM and go with whatever it is rather than recording whatever I see as most fertile? The reason I am wondering this is that it seems that I get several patches of fertile CM throughout my cycle so I'm not sure which is coming at O time. What do yall think?

I have a ton of OPK strips coming to me. I plan on using one a day till I see a line then twice a day till I get a positive. Hopefully that will help. <sigh>

Btw, just because DH asked me to, I tested this morning....here's the test since I know we like to look at tests, even if they are BFN's! LOL

[IMG][/IMG]

[Admin-pattyandthemoos]

Originally Posted by DeepSouthGirl

So I went through FF and removed my CM info from my chart for the last few weeks and it completely removed my cross hairs. I have a feeling that my temping is not accurate and that's where the problem is coming in. If I don't get pregnant this cycle (whenever it may end), I'm definitely switching to vaginal temping. I just wish I could do it now rather than waiting.

I'm also wondering if I should just pick one specific time each day to check CM and go with whatever it is rather than recording whatever I see as most fertile? The reason I am wondering this is that it seems that I get several patches of fertile CM throughout my cycle so I'm not sure which is coming at O time. What do yall think?

I have a ton of OPK strips coming to me. I plan on using one a day till I see a line then twice a day till I get a positive. Hopefully that will help. <sigh>

Btw, just because DH asked me to, I tested this morning....here's the test since I know we like to look at tests, even if they are BFN's! LOL

[IMG][/IMG]

I am really hoping Shawna will come along and give her advice. She has really long cycles like that too. I don't think you should change how you chart your cm. If you are checking it internally you may want to stop doing that and just use your external cm. I don't check internally. I just check by what I see in my underwear or on the tp when I wipe. I think your cm may be accurate. When you have charted it, it sure looks like your body tried to ovulate. I think that is why you are having multiple patches during your cycle.

Gals that have long cycles like yours will see multiple patches of cm. I think you should consider fertile cm fertile. You may just have to bd a lot throughout your cycle because it will be hard to know when you gear up to o and when you are actually going to ovulate. If you look through the charting gallery on FF and do a search for bfp charts with long cycles you will see how many of them have several patches of ewcm. It is pretty normal to see that with long cycles.

(((HUGS))) I am sorry you are getting so frustrated.

[Arya]

Patty is right. I have long cycles too. They range anywhere from 42 to 52 days. I've charted 3 cycles so far and in every one I've had two timeframes where I would get EWCM. The first one happens around CD 20ish, my temp drops, I'm thinking I am ovulating, but no go. My CM dries up. Then I get the second surge between CD 30 and 40 and that's when I do ovulate. Since you have a long cycle too, I think the same is happening with you. It seems yours are a bit longer than mine so you might get two or three attempts at ovulation before you actually ovulate. Just get to know your cycles, and find the patterns and then you'll know, and you won't be too disappointed when you think you'll ovulate and you don't. I hope that helps some

[DeepSouthMommy]

Thank you both for the advice and words of encouragement to not give up yet. I did notice something today though that I hadn't realized prior. I like to keep it really cold in the house at night because I tend to get hot easily, especially when I'm in bed. Which means that when I wake up in the morning I'm generally on the cold side because by then I've been calm and not moving around a lot. Not to mention that I'm generally not fully covered either. Well my natural instinct is to pull the covers over me right away. Well I decided to temp twice in a row. The first one immediately after I woke up and as I was resetting the thermometer, I pulled the covers up and temped again. There was a pretty good difference in those two temps. I'm talking about a jump from like 97.31 to 97.56.

So I was right about my temps being off...just not for the reason I was thinking. I'm going to start taking my temp immediately, without changing anything from how I am when I wake up (cold, hot or otherwise) and see what happens. I'm hoping I will see a clearer shift when I O because I won't be raising my body temp by covering up on the days I wake up cold.

(Btw, just to be certain, I checked my temp again by partially uncovering and then recovering myself and checking once again and it really does make a difference very quickly.)

[Admin-pattyandthemoos]

Originally Posted by DeepSouthGirl

Thank you both for the advice and words of encouragement to not give up yet. I did notice something today though that I hadn't realized prior. I like to keep it really cold in the house at night because I tend to get hot easily, especially when I'm in bed. Which means that when I wake up in the morning I'm generally on the cold side because by then I've been calm and not moving around a lot. Not to mention that I'm generally not fully covered either. Well my natural instinct is to pull the covers over me right away. Well I decided to temp twice in a row. The first one immediately after I woke up and as I was resetting the thermometer, I pulled the covers up and temped again. There was a pretty good difference in those two temps. I'm talking about a jump from like 97.31 to 97.56.

So I was right about my temps being off...just not for the reason I was thinking. I'm going to start taking my temp immediately, without changing anything from how I am when I wake up (cold, hot or otherwise) and see what happens. I'm hoping I will see a clearer shift when I O because I won't be raising my body temp by covering up on the days I wake up cold.

(Btw, just to be certain, I checked my temp again by partially uncovering and then recovering myself and checking once again and it really does make a difference very quickly.)

I have noticed that my temp changes too if I get out of the blankets. I try to be consistent with the room temp in the house and being covered or not covered. I would try to keep everything as consistent as possible.

Another thought, have you thought about getting a fertility monitor? It might be really helpful for you. Since you are ttc your first I think it would be a good investment because you can use it again if you decide to try for another baby.

I also think you may want to make a preconception appointment if you haven't done so already. You have been at this close to six months so you may want to get the ball rolling on talking to the doctor. I know when I first started ttc I made an appt right away to get a preconception check up. I think it is good to have a relationship with a doc early on so that if you need testing and stuff you already have a doc that you know a little.

I am really hoping you ovulate soon and can be in our next batch of bfps over here!!

[jenine]

I don't really have anything to add, I just wanted to say I'm sorry your temps and CM are not lining up so easily and hang in there! Hope you get a clearer picture soon

[DeepSouthMommy]

Originally Posted by pattyandthemoos

I have noticed that my temp changes too if I get out of the blankets. I try to be consistent with the room temp in the house and being covered or not covered. I would try to keep everything as consistent as possible.

Another thought, have you thought about getting a fertility monitor? It might be really helpful for you. Since you are ttc your first I think it would be a good investment because you can use it again if you decide to try for another baby.

I also think you may want to make a preconception appointment if you haven't done so already. You have been at this close to six months so you may want to get the ball rolling on talking to the doctor. I know when I first started ttc I made an appt right away to get a preconception check up. I think it is good to have a relationship with a doc early on so that if you need testing and stuff you already have a doc that you know a little.

I am really hoping you ovulate soon and can be in our next batch of bfps over here!!

I actually went for a preconception appointment back in May (about a week or two before going off of BC) to get blood work done, etc. She told me that everything looked good and that we were able to start trying as soon as we were ready, though she did recommend waiting 3 months after the last BC pill to start to give my cycle time to regulate itself. For some reason now, that time frame makes me snicker when I think of it! LOL

I've never really put any thought into getting a monitor (beyond, "hey, that's cool!") LOL, but it might be something I look into. I'm going to see how I do with using the OPK's but am thinking that if I don't get a positive by the time my next AF starts that I'll be making a doctor's appointment. I'm trying to wait till I hit the 6 month mark just because she knows I was still on the pill when I last saw her in May, so this way I can say "it's been 6 months and this is what's going on". We definitely want a bunch of kids...as many as we can have for getting started so late ...so I may, over time, invest in a monitor, but for now I think I'll hold off.

Also too, I'm hoping that I will be able to see a bit more in my temperature pattern if I do like I said and just make sure I don't change anything before I take it. I've tried making sure that I stay covered all night, the thermostat is digital and set to maintain certain temps throughout the night and morning...but honestly...I was so stressed out about it that I wasn't sleeping right! LOL That's why I'm just going to take it however I wake up to finish out this cycle. Starting next cycle (dr. appointment or not) I'm going to temp vaginally because then I think it'll be much more accurate, regardless of how I slept.

At this point I either want a clear ovulation to happen or to get AF or a BFP (I can dream! ) so that I can move on and start trying something new.

I will say this though, the more I think about it, the more tempted I am to try something natural to bring on O before pulling out the big guns from the doctor. I'm kinda gun shy about taking anything else after the stinky BCP messed me up so badly. I figure it's worth a shot and worse case scenario, it's 2 months time (because that's how long my cycles seem to be lasting.) I don't know...I have to really think on it.

Btw, Patty...I was reading your blog yesterday and wanted to say that I LOVE your haircut!! I only wish my hair were nearly as thick as yours! (It used to be, but the older I get, the thinner it gets LOL)

[bev26]

I don't have much to add except that my coworker, who is 5 months pg now, was on bc, and it took her 6 months after stopping the pill before she got her bfp. I'm not saying that was the only reason it took her so long, but that stuff can really stick around in your system!

[Admin-pattyandthemoos]

Originally Posted by DeepSouthGirl

I actually went for a preconception appointment back in May (about a week or two before going off of BC) to get blood work done, etc. She told me that everything looked good and that we were able to start trying as soon as we were ready, though she did recommend waiting 3 months after the last BC pill to start to give my cycle time to regulate itself. For some reason now, that time frame makes me snicker when I think of it! LOL

I've never really put any thought into getting a monitor (beyond, "hey, that's cool!") LOL, but it might be something I look into. I'm going to see how I do with using the OPK's but am thinking that if I don't get a positive by the time my next AF starts that I'll be making a doctor's appointment. I'm trying to wait till I hit the 6 month mark just because she knows I was still on the pill when I last saw her in May, so this way I can say "it's been 6 months and this is what's going on". We definitely want a bunch of kids...as many as we can have for getting started so late ...so I may, over time, invest in a monitor, but for now I think I'll hold off.

Also too, I'm hoping that I will be able to see a bit more in my temperature pattern if I do like I said and just make sure I don't change anything before I take it. I've tried making sure that I stay covered all night, the thermostat is digital and set to maintain certain temps throughout the night and morning...but honestly...I was so stressed out about it that I wasn't sleeping right! LOL That's why I'm just going to take it however I wake up to finish out this cycle. Starting next cycle (dr. appointment or not) I'm going to temp vaginally because then I think it'll be much more accurate, regardless of how I slept.

At this point I either want a clear ovulation to happen or to get AF or a BFP (I can dream! ) so that I can move on and start trying something new.

I will say this though, the more I think about it, the more tempted I am to try something natural to bring on O before pulling out the big guns from the doctor. I'm kinda gun shy about taking anything else after the stinky BCP messed me up so badly. I figure it's worth a shot and worse case scenario, it's 2 months time (because that's how long my cycles seem to be lasting.) I don't know...I have to really think on it.

Btw, Patty...I was reading your blog yesterday and wanted to say that I LOVE your haircut!! I only wish my hair were nearly as thick as yours! (It used to be, but the older I get, the thinner it gets LOL)

I keep forgetting you are coming off the pill. How were your cycles before going on it? Were they pretty regular before? Usually if you were regular before they should go back to being regular but if you were irregular in the first place, the birth control may have been what was keeping you regular.

If you already talked to your doctor you will probably have to wait a bit longer. I am glad you did a preconception check though because it will make things easier should you need any help. I do think you are ovulating though. I just think it is taking you a while to do it.

Since you are thinking about trying something natural have you considered taking Vitex? I have heard good things about it. It is supposed to help regulate your cycles and might be something to consider. I haven't taken it myself because my cycles are regular and I figure I shouldn't mess with it if is not broken.

I really hope you are pregnant this cycle though and then you won't have to worry about any of this.

And thanks for the compliment on my hair. I have always had really thick hair. One of the reasons I cut it short was I kept getting headaches from the weight of it.

[DeepSouthMommy]

Bev, BC really does mess with your body pretty badly. I don't know what is different about it now though as I never had problems with it the first time I was on it.

I got on BC originally because 1.) I needed it for the prevention of pregnancy and 2.) because my periods were all out of whack. Sometimes I'd get AF twice a month and then not see her for 6 months, it was a mess. So I started taking the pill and of course it regulated my cycle. I started it in 94, stopped taking it in 03 and was off of it for a little over 4 years. During that 4 years my cycles were picture perfect. I started back on it in early 07 and quit taking it again in May of this year. While I was on it, I had regular cycles as you normally would, but was having a lot of other problems because of it. I think that something is different now in how they make BC because I know a LOT of women who have trouble with the pill now in one way or another and I think it really just messed up my body. That's why I'm seriously considering taking something natural to try to regulate it.

Patty, what does Vitex do for you? I'd like to find something that will help me to O as well as make it a strong O. My luteal phase seems fine (13 days), I just need to O sooner. And I agree, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I have a very good feeling about you and Clomid, so just give it some time.

And wow, I can't imagine how thick your hair must be that the weight of it gave you headaches! I met a girl years ago who's hair was so thick and long that she couldn't hold her head straight because of the weight, but she refused to cut it! Could you imagine?!

(I hope we are BOTH pregnant this cycle and don't have to worry about any more issues for a while!)

[TeresaSuperMama]

Originally Posted by DeepSouthGirl

Bev, BC really does mess with your body pretty badly. I don't know what is different about it now though as I never had problems with it the first time I was on it.

I got on BC originally because 1.) I needed it for the prevention of pregnancy and 2.) because my periods were all out of whack. Sometimes I'd get AF twice a month and then not see her for 6 months, it was a mess. So I started taking the pill and of course it regulated my cycle. I started it in 94, stopped taking it in 03 and was off of it for a little over 4 years. During that 4 years my cycles were picture perfect. I started back on it in early 07 and quit taking it again in May of this year. While I was on it, I had regular cycles as you normally would, but was having a lot of other problems because of it. I think that something is different now in how they make BC because I know a LOT of women who have trouble with the pill now in one way or another and I think it really just messed up my body. That's why I'm seriously considering taking something natural to try to regulate it.

Patty, what does Vitex do for you? I'd like to find something that will help me to O as well as make it a strong O. My luteal phase seems fine (13 days), I just need to O sooner. And I agree, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I have a very good feeling about you and Clomid, so just give it some time.

And wow, I can't imagine how thick your hair must be that the weight of it gave you headaches! I met a girl years ago who's hair was so thick and long that she couldn't hold her head straight because of the weight, but she refused to cut it! Could you imagine?!

(I hope we are BOTH pregnant this cycle and don't have to worry about any more issues for a while!)

Haha, I get headaches too if my hair gets too long. I keep forgetting about the pill factor too. I am so bad about not thinking about that because I really only took the pill one time in my life and it was so long ago I just don't think to think about it. I think I would consider getting a fertility monitor or the OV watch as well. I have heard good things about both of them and think it might be something else you could add into the mix.

Some people swear by vaginal temping so it can't hurt to try it. I am sorry this cycle is being so frustrating for you.

[DeepSouthMommy]

OV watch?? I've never heard of this before. Is it literally a watch? Whatever it is, how does it work?? I'm curious now! LOL

And yes, BCPs are EVIL! I will definitely not be returning to them unless I have to for some weird medical purpose.

And you girls make me sick with your super thick hair! LOL Kidding! I do wish mine was still thick like it used to be. At this rate I'll be bald in another 10 years. LOL

[jensma]

funny you said that, i just saw where someone in ttcal mentioned getting her bfp with one. I guess its a watch that detects your hormones in your sweat. Sounds like a cool idea. She got a BFP on her second cycle with the thing after like 6+ months trying after her loss.

[Tammyms]

Just wanted to say sorry for your frustrations Michelle!

[Admin-pattyandthemoos]

Here is a link on the Ovuwatch. Tomorrow I will try to track down some info on Vitex for you.

The Best Fertility Gadgets

[DeepSouthMommy]

I LOVE GETTING JM ARTICLES FOR INFO I NEED!!! LOL Seriously, I always think it's awesome when I'm directed to a JM article by someone on JM. Thanks for that info, Patty! I still have a question though. The article says that the watch works off of your sweat...but I don't sweat a lot most days unless I'm outside working in the garden or something...so what then? Will it just register the sweat under the watch itself?

Kate, thank you for letting me know about someone using this and getting a BFP shortly afterward, that's just awesome! Tammy, thank you for the hugs, they definitely help with easing the frustration.

Hmm...so now I have LOTS of stuff to think about! I'm very happy about this because it means that I have LOTS of options available to me! Thanks girls, yall really are the best.