[rlh27]

So I know I ask for help with my chart pretty regularly, and I need to look at the forest instead of the trees, but would somebody mind looking at my chart and help me figure things out again today? As you can see, I had fertile CM last week, and my temps went up and back down and then went back up a few days ago. I started getting fertile CM again, and this morning I had a huge jump in temp. I slept kind of restless last night, but I sleep kind of restless every night, so I highly doubt it would cause that big of a spike. Plus, I've noticed that my temps are generally LOWER on restless nights.

In light of how consistent my temps were last month, I don't know why they're all over the place this month. And I know fertile like CM is normal after ovulation, but isn't it just a day or so, and not a real build up of it? As a side note, my cervix is extremely high and open, but it was like that last month too well after ovulation, so I don't think that has anything to do with anything. Can't I just have a normal chart like the books show?

[ShawnaCAN]

You can have some fertile CM if your body attempts ovulation, but if the attempt is unsuccessful the CM won't go through all the stages. So that's why you can have fertile CM at one point in the cycle and then again later. It means the first attempt at ovulation didn't work.

When ovulation is successful, the CM sensation (how it makes you feel when you walk around) will:

1. Develop and change over a matter of days (minimum 3)
2. Become slippery
3. Dry up abruptly

A FF chart doesn't really get into enough detail with the CM to really evaluate the pattern, since it only gives a few descriptions to choose from and none of them relate to sensation anyway.

Based on temps, I don't see a shift yet. Hopefully soon. I always look for 3 temps at least 0.2 degrees higher than the previous 6 temps. I'd put your coverline at 97.8 right now and so you need 2 more temps above that to confirm a shift. As the chart progresses, the coverline could change.

P.S. Hardly anyone a chart like the books show. Every woman is unique, every cycle is unique. It's normal to have a unique chart.

[rlh27]

The three steps were definitely fulfilled, I felt wet and slippery for several days, my CM got more and more fertile, and then I abruptly went dry. I just wish my temp would confirm that when it happened :/ Since CD18, I realized last night I can't really speak of my CM since we've had unprotected sex the last several days and I'm not too good at getting the semen out. I guess I'll know when I ovulated when AF shows up based on my luteal phase... or I'll be pregnant and it won't matter

[LifesGood]

by the chart id say you did O. the temps look fine to me for being above the coverline. I hope you find out soon

[ShawnaCAN]

If the sensation did all those things, then any CM you experience in the Luteal Phase shouldn't be as wet, if you compare it to your CM from before ovulation. It should still be significantly drier than what had earlier, and not slippery.

When was the last time you felt noticably slippery? Let's look at your temp pattern again, in light of the CM information.

[rlh27]

the last day of wetness/ slipperiness was CD 13, then I was dry for 4 days (fulfilling peak day rule). The wetness since then has not been as wet, so I guess I o'd somewhere around day 13 and had a slow rise in temp?

[LifesGood]

your chart shows cd 14, id agree with it myself

[ShawnaCAN]

In that case I'd agree with FF then. Ovulation occurs closest to the LAST day with a slippery sensation. It's usually on that day, the first day of dry up, or the second day of dry up. Whenever mucus and temps don't agree, mucus always trumps temps. But if you're not as wet as you were before, sounds like a normal luteal phase. I'd still give you a higher CL though, at 97.4

[rlh27]

ahhh, I think I understand where I'm confused. I was taught when TTA that if there's a discrepancy, then the temp shift rules should be followed. But it sounds like the temp shift just tells you that you HAVE ovulated, and not necessarily when, so it's more conservative when TTA.

[ShawnaCAN]

Exactly. The temps tell you that ovulation is passed, but not precisely when. It's accurate within a few days, but it's also normal for temps not to rise immeidately after ovulation. Sometimes it taks a few extra days for that to happen.

If TTA, the temp rules should be followed if you're using one of the Sympto Thermal Methods, because they usually don't get into as much detail with the mucus to be able to go by that alone. With mucus only methods (Bilings, Creighton, Family of the Americas) - you learn to tell the difference between a CM build up that result in ovulation and ones that don't, so there's need for temps except as extra information.