Monitoring BBT to Achieve Pregnancy - Would Someone Look at My Charts??

Updated on March 15, 2010
J.B. asks from South Saint Paul, MN
7 answers

I charted my BBT to achieve pregnancy with me first child and now I'm doing it again for my second. Last time I remember my temperatures were text book. Nice and even with a distinct thermal shift after ovulation. Well, now 3 years later, my temperatures look like a spastic mountain range. They are ALL over the place. I even found after charting for 3/4 cycle that I had 2 bouts of fertile type CM. What the heck does that mean?? I'm totally confused. Someone suggested I may have thyroid problems, but I was tested a few years ago and everything came back fine.

Please look and see what you think...

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a41/JessicaBe/chart1042.jpg

My main question is "Did I ovulate and when?" If you read the chart you can see when I have fertile CM (or egg yolk mucus) Thanks.

EDIT: I did read Taking Control of Your Fertility. Started charting this months cycle using a different chart, but plan to use their chart next cycle.

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So What Happened?

My temperature finally jumped to 98.2 on day 20, so I'm guessing I ovulated on day 16. It was suggested that the erratic thermal shifts were caused by a faulty thermometer, so I replace it on day 18. So if it was faulty, then it's possible I ovulated earlier in my cycle with the first batch of fertile CM. Who knows. Either way, I'll update if we get good news this month. =)

Good news. We found out we're pregnant this month!! Due date is December 6th.

More Answers

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H.J.

answers from Minneapolis on

It's a little hard to tell not seeing your history in charts but if your is like mine it looks like day 10 is when you ovulated I had an obvious dip in my temp just before ovulating which I see on day 8. Now my charts always looked like yours the only days that were spot on perfect looking were the days right after my period then I'd ovulate and the chart would go wacky! LOL you should see the cart from when I got pregnant with this one all over the place! Good luck and in about 9 days you should be able to tell if you are pregnant or not! Writing down anything about the day that might change my temp in the morning has always helped me. Like went to bed late, didn't sleep well. bathrood trip few hours before testing...etc.

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S.B.

answers from Lincoln on

I am charting too, but using the charts from the FAM method. Comparing yours to mine, mine dips a little, then gets "kooky" when I'm ovulating, (my temp floats between 97.1 - 97.8 around 6-7am) then really jumps up (past 97.9) when ~I'm done ovulating~ and that begins my luteal phase. Hard to tell with not seeing past cycle charting or when this one hasn't been completed yet. My rule of thumb is pregancy chances are good starting 4 days after period plus when you feel like you have egg yolk if you know what I mean. You need that yolky feeling to help the little guys swim. Suggest getting the Fertility Awareness Method book and printing charts from their website. Get the book from Amazon (used one costs around $14 plus S/H. Best book ever! I take a daily vitamin, and alternate from fish oil capsules and evening primrose oil capsules (1 day fish, next day primrose). Also, try fertilitea and be patient. http://www.fertilitea.com/

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L.F.

answers from Chicago on

Wow, you're all over the place! It looks to me like you ovulated on Day 11. I used the "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" charting method when I was trying to get pregnant with my first child too. My temps were textbook too. Charting was a good education for me, and I managed to get pregnant after 10 cycles. I tried chart temping after I had my first child, and my temps were all over the place, like yours. I tend to think that it was because I rarely ever got five consecutive hours of sleep, so I couldn't get a good temperature reading.

I ended up abandoning the chart and used an ovulation predictor kit. The OPK confirmed that I was ovulating on Day 14. It still took me 8 months to get pregnant. Good luck to you!

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A.D.

answers from Minneapolis on

Actually, you may not have ovulated yet. The spike should be over your normal temperature. Since you started at 98.0 it should probably spike up over that. But, you did have a dip and CW around the 11th. I would expect to see your temps go above 98.0 tomorrow if you did ovulate. Good luck!

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J.J.

answers from Omaha on

By looking at your chart, it appears you haven't ovulated yet. I do not think you have a thyroid problem. Usually, when you have a thyroid problem, your temperatures are lower than yours. Only a blood test can say for sure though. You do not have a clear temperature rise yet. This is confirmed with the fact that you are still seeing fertile type of mucus. Do you have other recent charts that you can compare this one too? That would be helpful when evaluating this current chart.
I've used this method of Natural Family PLanning for 16 yrs. I had perfect charts until I had my first baby. Since then I have ovulated later than usual. Don't expect your charts to go back to the way they were. For some people, it does do that, but I can attest to the fact that it doesn't always happen. My temps were all over the place too. Once you ovulate though, you should be able to see a clear temperature rise. If you don't, then it's possibe that you're not ovulating.

My husband and I taught the sympto-thermal method of natural family planning for 8 years. Hang in there and keep taking your temps. Your charting looks complete too.

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A.M.

answers from Eugene on

I like using www.fertilityfriend.com so it doesn't the guessing for you.
Doesn't look like you've ovulated, there needs to be a shift to higher temps. I only charted a few times for baby #2, and those cycles were wacky. But I was also breastfeeding and co-sleeping.
I charted for a bit after my 2nd, for the purpose of avoiding pregnancy, and things were not nearly as obvious as they were before having kids. My cm follows a pretty obvious pattern, and i've been regular for awhile, but the temps didn't always follow. I think it had to do a lot with not very regular sleep habits.

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J.R.

answers from Davenport on

One thing that may be making your temps whacky is the vcariation in the time you take it. From what i know from doing it before my first pregnancy, to get accurate temps, you have to take it within 15 minutes of the same time every morning, and you should take it before you even get out of the bed, or anything. What I did, was when my husband's alarm for work would go off, I would grab my thermometer and take my temp while still lying down, under the covers, and I kept the thermometer on my night stand and a pen and pad right there to write it down. Then later I would transfer it to my chart that was on the bathroom wall.

See this article: http://www.fertilitycommunity.com/fertility/am-i-ovulatin...
"Specifically, you should use a basal body temperature thermometer, which is available at drugstores for around $5.00 to $15.00 and measures your temp in easily readable tenths of a degree. The first day of your period is considered Day 1 of your cycle; you will place an "x" on the chart for each day of period (not spotting). You may take your temp in any of the usual places (orally, under the arm, or rectally), making sure to do this for the same amount of time (around 5 minutes) each morning immediately after waking and before rising from your bed. It is suggested that you write down the results before going on with your day, to avoid forgetting it later.

Be aware that it is not uncommon for your BBT to be easily effected and influenced by a number of factors: physical activity, alcohol intake, amount of rest, medicines, etc. Therefore, it is important to make note of any and all of these factors when you are charting. "

Mine was more accurate/consistent after starting the procedure above, after the first month when I was taking them all over, time wise. I found out that I had actually ovulated on day 7 instead of 14, and my daughter always measured a week smaller on the ultrasounds than she "should" by their 14 day after menstrual period calculating method, but I showed my Dr. my charts and she said they were very good and accurate, and changed my due date by a week to reflect my own knowledge of my body!

So, anyway, I think you need to be more consistent on the time and method of taking the temp to get a more consistent result, that you can then depend on to better predict when you will ovulate after a few more months of charting.

Good Luck!

Jessie

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