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Sunday, April 8, 2007

I'm SO confused!

I feel like such a loser. I have no idea when I ovulate. Well I think I do. Let me explain. I thought I did but now I'm so confused. Today makes 3 months I've been charting. I've taken my temp every morning like I'm supposed to and logged it. I've been using FF to keep track. The first month it showed Day 13. 2nd month showed Day 16 and today showed Day 12. I know I've only been doing this for 3 months but I kinda thought the days would have been closer. Isn't it supposed to happen around the same day each month. That Day 16 has thrown me off. And the last one, Day 12, has me wondering. That would have been the day of my follow up appt and Nurse W did a LH test day and said I hadn't surged. What' s up? I'm hoping using the OPK's next month will help me out. I've used 3 so far this cycle (days 13, 14 and today 15) and it shows nothing. So maybe I did O on day 12 but shouldn't it have shown on the test that Nurse W did? Could it have not shown because I took it in the afternoon and I had just gone to the restroom? I was told and have read to take it first thing in the morning and to have at least a 4 hour span between restroom visits.

Any thoughts?

I'm going to continue to chart my temps but should I put more faith in the OPK results than the temp charting? I guess I should since that's what my doc wants me to do....he wants us to call the day of a positive test and come in the next day for the IUI. He's never told me to temp but I have so I can see whats happening.

Wow! That was confusing.

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M and I celebrated our birthdays last night at Outback. I was SO hungry but by the time my dinner had arrived, I had no room for it. M and I had already split the bread, bloomin' onion and each had soup. I could only eat 1 of the 3 crab cakes and 1 bite of my potatoes. So needless to say we got a doggy bag. M didn't finish her meal either. Leftovers..yum. We didn't even have dessert! Well not until we got home then it was time for b-day cake.

OINK!

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M leaves this evening for her 2.5 weeks of classes. Blah. I guess it'll just be me and Mundy Dog around the house until the weekend.

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Happy Easter! Have fun hiding eggs!

6 comments:

E and M, jumpingoutoftrees said...

Use the OPK. The temp tracking is so random (too much sleep, alcohol, not enough sleep...) all effect the temp. Keep peeing on those sticks. They will tell you when you surge.

Unknown said...

FF relies on temps and CM - I'm not a good ovulator, but in general, I've disagreed with FF a few times b/c of its CM interpretation, which I have for several days before I ovulate. (We always have to go back and change the inputs to get FF to give good info.) Basically, I'm saying it's a good journal, but it hasn't worked for me in terms of prediction - it doesn't even care about hcg shots etc..,which force you to ovulate. So, just realize what kind of tool it is.

Definitely use the OPK's. Start early enough in your cycle - if your cycle length is consistent, count back 14 days, and that is when you approximately ovulate. Start testing a few days to a week before then for a broad picture. (e.g. 30 day cycle, start testing 30-14-4 ~ day 12.) If your cycles are irregular, you may want to start testing sooner.

We also chart temps, but we make detailed notes of the nights that I had something to drink or nights where I had to get up to go to the bathroom...those things affect the temps (which are really only good in hindsight, not for predicting ovulation.) My understanding is that temps spike b/c of increased progesterone, which only happens after ovulation (and you only see it after it's too late to inseminate.) So, if you are seeing a spike on a consistent day, you have an approximate idea of when you ovulate (usually.)

Sorry this post is so long, but I have a few other notes:

1. My first question would be: are your cycles regularly timed?
2. Are you getting temp spikes?
3. Once you have a better handle on your personal (rather than the "normal ovulation of an 'average' woman"), and you are ready to start trying: you will want to be using OPK's 2 x per day during your possible ovulation window so that you catch it right away and not 12 hours after it happens.

Personally, I found the timing some of the most stress-creating parts of the process. Now it's been determined that my LH is a bit out of whack, so we just use U/S's anyways....

Good luck!

Merr said...

Happy Birthday you guys!!
I would rely on the sticks and do them twice daily. The earliest I have ever had a positive was day 12 which put me ovulating on day 13. The latest I ever had a positive was day 15 which put me ovulating on day 16. I think it can vary. Good luck and don't hesitate to call the nurse and ask questions.

K J and the kids said...

I did EVERYTHING. Temp, OPK, the monitors as well as the strips.
I think what you need to remember is this...the less you are stressed the better you are going to be at making a baby. :) The OPK's take the guess work out of it....and let you rely on them and relax. I recommend the monitor because there are times that you look at the test sticks and wonder....is the line EQUAL or just close. I had months where the line was pretty damn dark for 3 days. The monitor takes the guess work out of it and tells you the day that you ovulate.
If you do get one...get it on ebay...MUCH CHEAPER. You can get the OPK sticks online too. ;)
Hey...save a buck here...you will be happy when that expensive baby comes in to this world.
I hope it's sooner than later.

Kim aka Mommy said...

Thanks for the info and reassurance. I was having a "moment" yesterday.

Sara-Don't appologize for the info. I'll take all I can get. 1. My cycles are pretty regular, 28-29 days. This last one was 30 but I was totally stressed out over my dad and ignorant non-brother. 2. Yes getting spikes but when I look at it I see a different day than FF but of course I may be blind.

Merr-Nurse W knows me well! I'm sure she regrets giving me her number.

KJ-Stress? What stress? :o)

I'm trying. I just need to realize it'll happen when it happens. I'm just one of those people who want what they want when they want it. I'm realizing that's not how this is going to go.

Thanks again!

Ripley said...

Like others, I'd vote for the OPK, using temp charts as a backup. My temp is fairly reliable, but my partner's varies by around 0.7C across the day, so if she doesn't wake up and temp at exactly the same time each day, the ovulation jump can be missed. Plus the jump happens after ovulation - books I've read say that by the time the temp jumps, you've missed the optimum time to inseminate. The sticks give an early warning.

Also, I don't think 12-16 days is that random - fairly consistent, and tallies with what my partner and I have found, that day of ovulation can be quite variable.

Good luck, and hope this helps.