Sex & Romance
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Charting Question
I am just beginning to start charting (after being on the pill for at least five years) and I was wondering what the most reliable method (for TTA) was.
DH and I took a class on the Billings method and the instructor taught us to chart mucus only. She said temps were not necessary/reliable.
Although, I am now reading "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" (as recommended by many of you) and she teaches three fertility signs, mucus, temps, and cervix(optional).
To those who chart, what has been your experience? Is more better?
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Re: Charting Question
I chart to TTA and I take my temp and monitor my cervical fluid. As discussed in the book, the two measures work together. It's hard to know when you're about to ovulate if you don't monitor the fluid and it's hard to know when it's happened if you don't watch your temp.
Considering that we're not quite ready for a baby right now, I'd rather do that and have more certainty than always wonder if there's a chance.
I chart all three signs. I'm still trying to find a readable pattern in my cervical fluid (and when I first started charting I was taking allergy meds which really affected it for me), so the temps help me see whether or not I have ovulated and verify for me whether or not my interpretations were correct.
I try to chart cervical position, but I'm still getting the hang of that as well. I can tell it goes through changes during my cycle, but I have a hard time making the call of what to classify it as on my chart. I'm also one of those people who stress about choosing "1" or "2" at the eye doctor. ;-)
We're TTA because there are financial/career goals we would like to meet before we have children, but we would be excited and just adjust our plans if it happened now. While I try to take a wide berth around my fertile times and use back-up then, I'm not as strict about charting as I would if we 100% didn't want to get pregnant right now.
I would also recommend checking cervical position as well. TCOYF says it is an optional symptom, but I find it one of my most obvious and reliable symptoms. In the days leading up to ovulation your cervix will get soft, high, open and wet and as soon as ovulation is over it dramatically changes - it closes up tight, and gets low, dry and hard. You have to have a certain level of comfort with your body to check this, but once you get used to it, it's no big deal.
If you are really wanting to avoid I would say chart all three - temp, mucous, and cervical position. I've been avoiding for almost 3 years with no problems at all. You can never have too much information when it comes to this stuff right?
Good luck!
Billings and Creighton are mucus only methods just as FAM (the method in TCOYF) is a temps and mucus method. You need to make the choice of which to do. Whatever you choose, at least stick with it for the entire cycle.
For TTA, I would do FAM so there is no question about if you have ovulated or not. Once you get familiar with your body, you can go back to Billings if you like as long as you keep in touch with your teacher.
I started with FAM over 5 years ago and about 2 years ago I switched to Creighton, for both tta and ttc.
*PCOS bio* *Cold Hands, Warm Heart*
Thank you for all the advice! Yes, right now we are abstaining until we are comfortable with this method. I have read that genital contact can confuse beginners when it comes to determining a CM reading which is why we chose to abstain as opposed to using back-up (which we will prob switch to later)
Thanks again!
I think it's the fluids that can be hard to decipher. At first there can be difficuty knowing the difference between semen and cm. I'm not too sure how sex with a condom could effect you outside of there being the presence of a lube, or vaginal fluid, which you can avoid by checking at times when arousal/sex is unlikely (like at work).
At any rate, I use all 3. I'm tta, and it's important to get the full picture. For example, I never got eggwhite fluid this month, but becuase I chart my temp, I still know exactly what day I o'd. I personally find that my temps are a more reliable way to know when I o'd and when to expect my cycle. I use the fluids to let me know when I'm going to o. By using both methods you will know when you are going to be, and when you are no longer fertile, which each method done seperately can not do.
Any chance you took the class with Dr. Hanna Klaus? I've been trained in STM and Billings. I used Billings after the birth of my son to help navigate post-partum return of fertility. It was useful then because temperatures are irrelevant until your cycle returns. I was able to detect my return of fertility and when my cycle returned, I started using STM, which I prefer.
Dr. Klaus taught us and was insistent temperatures aren't necessary. I think it's personal preference, really. She was one of the founders of the method, so I can understand why she might feel this way.
BTW, if you're interested in a great NFP forum, they've got a great one on Delphi. For the record, I've been using for it almost 6 years and have used it to achieve and avoid pregnancy (just found our we're pregnant with our 2nd child!) Best of luck!
Congratulations on the great news!
Yes actually, that is exactly who I took the class from! It was really informative but I'm nervous that there is nothing to double check with the CM.
She said temps were so erratic that they weren't necessary (but you have a good point about why she feels so strongly about this) but I feel like it can't hurt!
I think I will go check out that board. (I feel bad filling up the Sex and Romance board with more BC stuff!)
Thanks!
Funny! What a small world! Her help was invaluable and she was always available to check my charts which was really nice. Do you belong to a parish in the area? I found out about her through mine. The Delphi board is very helpful.
And thanks! We're thrilled!
Yes, we go to St. Bernadette's in Silver Spring actually.
She did seem very helpful but she is going to be gone all of Feb. and the end of Jan. and we are just starting so it would be right around the time I need her to check! (eek) Which is why I'm a bit nervous