New to charting... your thoughts?

junie22 · #1 August 19th, 2011, 11:37 AM

DH and I just started TTC in July. That month, I only paid attention to CM in guessing ovulation date, and we BD a lot. I didn't get pregnant. So started charting earlier this month, not until CD 11. Also purchased 7 OPKs. Based on my typical 30-day cycle, I predicted my fertile period to be 8/8 to 8/12. My CM indicated as such, and I also had increased sex drive. However, my OPKs all came back negative, and I didn't get a BBT spike at all. I just assumed I didn't ovulate this cycle. Lo and behold, on CD 24, I had a temp spike of 0.7 from the previous day. It was a relief because I assumed that to mean I had probably ovulated, though much later in my cycle than expected. Then on CD 25, I had a temp drop of 0.7. Today is CD 26, and my temp spiked again by 1.1 degrees.

I'm so confused!

It hasn't been a full cycle of charting yet, but ***? Could my thermometer be off?

Here's my chart: My Ovulation Chart.

junie22 · #2 August 19th, 2011, 12:28 PM

One more thing... don't know why I have open circles on the last four days. I check my BBT at the same time every morning under the same conditions.

pepper73 · #3 August 19th, 2011, 12:45 PM

Hi and welcome!! Your chart is definitely confusing, especially since you've got those open circles for no reason. Generally FF will give you the open circles if you record your temp for a different time or if you indicate illness on those days. I've never had it give me the open circles if it hadn't been from one of those factors. I would be inclined to say you may have O'd CD 23 or CD25, but your CM doesn't corroborate that. It's also puzzling that your temps were so stable and then all of a sudden went erratic. I really wish I could be more help to you. These confusing charts can definitely be frustrating. It could definitely be your thermometer. Is it brand new?

junie22 · #4 August 19th, 2011, 01:58 PM

My thermometer is new. I'm at work, so I can't check the brand name. I picked it up at the pharmacy. I'm just going to keep charting, and perhaps over the course of the next 2-3 months, it will all make more sense. The last few nights I have not been sleeping well at all, so maybe that has something to do with the erratic temperature shifts. I suppose I could be coming down with some kind of bug. It's maddening!

I truly appreciate all the support on these message boards, though. To know that so many others are in the same boat as me (well maybe not with such weird charts) is comforting.

pepper73 · #5 August 19th, 2011, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by junie22

My thermometer is new. I'm at work, so I can't check the brand name. I picked it up at the pharmacy. I'm just going to keep charting, and perhaps over the course of the next 2-3 months, it will all make more sense. The last few nights I have not been sleeping well at all, so maybe that has something to do with the erratic temperature shifts. I suppose I could be coming down with some kind of bug. It's maddening!

I truly appreciate all the support on these message boards, though. To know that so many others are in the same boat as me (well maybe not with such weird charts) is comforting.

Oh don't worry...we all have weird charts from time to time. Not sleeping well can definitely affect your temps so that could explain the sudden erratic temps. It is true too, that the more you chart, the clearer a patten will show up. Pretty soon you will know your body better than you ever imagined, lol!

Sk8ermaiden · #6 August 19th, 2011, 02:19 PM

One thing I can maybe help with is I very frequently have very stable, even temps before O, and then after, they're all over the place!!

The other thing is that if your temp is 97.1 or higher tomorrow, then it looks like you O'd on CD23 with a fallback rise. It doesn't collaberate with your CF, which is odd, but generally a temp shift is the primary sign of O, with CF being secondary. If your temp is down again then your chart is just crazy and it may be annovulatory.