::Calypso::

Riss91

I was wondering if you'd share some of your rules for NFP/charting. I've been charting as well for 6 months (and think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread) and just wanted another perspective. Feel free to PM me if you'd rather answer privately!

- Before O, what CD to you begin abstaining?
- Once you've seen an obvious thermal shift, how many days past the thermal shift do you continue to abstain for?

Thanks!

Calypso1977

hey!  i'll talk about pretty much anything on here, especially if it may help others.

i'm starting my 12th chart - i cannot beleive i've been doing this nearly a year.  i love it!  its so easy! 

all the rules i follow are from TCOYF.  i seem to be ovulating around days 13-14.  we follow the "five first days rule" from TCOYF, which says that the first five days are safe as long as you had the obvious thermal shift in the prior month.  these days, my period is only about 1 day, others may be on their period all 5 of those days (which, i personally dont like to have sex on my period).   then, you are technically safe the evening of every dry day after that.  however, my fluids still appear to be somewhat ambiguous - i am blaming this on the hormones i may still possibly be flushing after 10+ years of pill use.  we generally abstain starting around day 7-8, although i could probably go a few more days - we'd rather play it safe.

As far as after the shift, i wait until the evening of the 3rd day after my temp has stayed above the coverline.   sometimes my temps over at one degree above teh coverline - when this happens, i wait an extra day or two beyond that just to be safe.  once or twice, my temp has dropped below the coverline, so then i start the count all over again.

in theory, there's probably many days we are abstaining that we dont have to, but its imperative right now that we avoid.  and honestly, we work so much that sometimes we go days with out seeing each other anyway, so we cant get the nookie even if we wanted it.  :-)

Riss91

We pretty much use the same rules! I'm a CD14-16 "O"er, but we still cut it off at day 7-8. Then after O, we wait 3 days. I get nervous that the high temps will plummet on that 4th day...so sometimes we wait until 5DPO. I think every cycle it becomes a little bit easier to trust, be we'd rather be be overly cautious at the moment.

Thanks for sharing, it does make me feel more comfortable with how we are going about things

Calypso1977

well, even if you plummet on day 4, the eggs were already released and should be gone.  but a plummeting temp usually comes with your period, which means you would ahve a ridiculously short luteal phase - both problematic, and somewhat unlikely.  all you need is three high temps above that coverline, and you are considered good to go.  in theory, you dont even have to continue taking your temps after that 3 high temp.  i only do it to keep in the habit AND i like to know the day my period is coming. the day i wake up with a low temp, i know my period is coming that day - and it always does.  however, i usually get spotting 3-4 days before that 1 day of actual period so i'd probably still have an idea anyway, but i just like to keep with the routine.  BUT, if i am, say, going away for a weekend and i know i've ovulated, i dont bother bringing my thermometer and notebook with me.  i will forego temping those few days.

but again, if waiting that extra day gives you the peace of mind so that you actually can enjoy sex, IMO, its worth it.  no one wants to spend the last 12 days of their cycle wondering "if".

Riss91

Oh, I was thinking more along the lines of the 1st temp spike not actually being O, and so your temp is still fluctuating, dropping and then it spikes again a few days later. Then you might have timed things wrong. It's me being panicky.

So, if:
-  you have a clear temp shift that's 0.2 or more points above the previous 6 days' temps AND
- your temp stays elevated at that 0.2 points level for 3 days it is pretty much a guarantee that you O'd on the day prio to the shift?

Can it never be the case that your temp spikes high for three days, then drops again and then spikes again and not be anovulatory?

I could just sift through my TCOYF book.....

Calypso1977

its my understanding that as long as you have the .2 or more above the prior six temps (after your period has ended, remember) and it stays there for at least 3 days you are good to go.  now, i have had instances where i've spiked, then it drops to one degree over the coverline.  in those cases, i wait until i get another one at least 2 degrees over.  there is a section in TCOYF about temps hovering right around the coverline, and also check out the stair step increase.  i've had a few of those, and i usually just abstain for a few extra days to be safe.  ive never had three spiked temps with a drop.  my drop always comes the day of my period.

Riss91

gotcha!