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Jenn, Thanks for the info. It does help. When I had my other kids, I never did any of this stuff. It can be a little overwhelming. I started taking my BBT a few days ago but I missed the first few days of my cycle, do you think that will matter? I started on day 4. I think I can usually tell when I am ovulating but I think I will try the OPK next month to see if I am right. Thanks for all the info. It is so nice that those of youwho have already been through this are here to help us. Thanks. Lisa
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I have noticed alot of questions on this topic and thought I would share what I have learned through my TR journey...It is wise to know this info prior to TTC
Temping and OPKs:
Once you start charting you really won’t know what is going on your first time around. There is no right or wrong temp before or after O. Fertility Friend (FF) is a great device to have if you decide to chart. Rules to Basal Body Temping (BBT):
1. Get a BBT thermometer. 2. Take your temp the same time every day or close to that same time. 3. Have at least 3 hours of sleep before taking your temp 4. Be aware that certain things can affect your temp i.e. sleeping with your mouth open, being sick, or adding or taking away blankets, ect.
When you are on cycle day (CD1) one, which is the first day of bleeding not spotting. Some say, that if you have a light flow before midnight then that would be your CD1. Your temp is normally going to be lower PreO and your temp will rise PostO. The only way you will know O day is when you get a temp shift in your chart (0.4 degrees normally shows ovulation). Even charting isn’t an exact science. OPKs narrow it down to 12-48 hours before O. (Check the directions on your OPKs because some say 12-72hrs) None of this will make any sense till after you chart and know your system. Once you get through the first month of temping, you should have an O day through FF. This is important because of OPKs. If you know the day you O it “normally” stays within a day or two of that date (either two days before or after if you have a regular cycle BUT can be later which is normal as well.) There are certain things that can make you O late (Stress, being sick, ect.) However, with irregular cycles your O date can be anywhere within in your cycle.
NOTE: It is wise to test twice a day after 10 am BUT not with FMU (First morning urine) “LH is synthesized early in the day, and is not metabolized into your urine until later. So, as a rule, you are more likely to catch your surge later in the day” (peeonastick dot com) The reason being is that some women have a 12 hour surge.
Example: When I first started Opks…I tested twice a day at the following schedule:
Next day: 1st test: 10 AM Negative OPK 2nd test: 3 PM Negative OPK
So if I wasn’t testing twice a day I would have missed my surge.
***A positive OPK will be darker than or equal to the shade of the control line.***
IF you know the day you O’d last month, you can use that to your benefit. Say you O’d on CD14 last month, this month on say CD10 you can start BDin every other day till you get your positive on OPK.
Once you get a + you will want to BD every day to hit O day and the day after. You will see the temp shift on your chart once you have ALREADY O’d. A word of caution when using FF, when you O you will not get your O day or Crosshairs immediately, FF requires three consecutive high temps in a row before it will give you your O date. (3 Days Past Ovulation or 3DPO)
After you O, you go into your Luteal Phase. This is the phase that implantation happens. Your temp will be elevated in this phase. When you temp, if your temp stays up, that is generally a good sign for pregnancy. Right before, sometimes the day of, your temp will drop when AF is due.
This is due from the progesterone that was chemically sent from the corpus luteum cyst that is created from ovulation.(A mature follicle or egg will be released from the corpus lutuem) Once implantation does not happen the ‘cyst ‘ shrinks and the body starts to decrease production of progesterone. Progesterone is the hormone that triggers the rise in body temperature; also helps to maintain the pregnancy if fertilization has occurred.
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