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FAM users
Okay, so I have a weird issue. My thermometer takes FOREVER to work sometimes. And also, my temps are crazy up and down. I am very consistent in how I take it - set my alarm for the same time, have plenty of sleep before hand, and don't get up to take it. I think every once in a while I fall asleep while I'm waiting - because it takes so long to beep - that my mouth falls back open, and that might be part of the wacked temps, but I know some days I stay awake the whole time, and keep my mouth closed, and it'll still be up-and-down. Like, one day, 97.2, the next, 97.7, then back down again the following day.
Any suggestions?
The only thing I can think of is to try a different thermometer and see if that helps. The one I have is the CVS brand, because that's what they had.
Thanks, ladies.
Re: FAM users
So I dont know that I'll be of much help here - but I wanted to chime in because I have noticed that mine thermometer takes FOREVER sometimes too. It too is a CVS brand.
Also how many cycles have you been using FAM? I ask because if you've gotten past the ovulation phase did you noticed your temp spike being higher than your regular variance? In other words if your regular variances are around .5 degrees, is your temp spike .8 or .9 degrees? If so I wouldnt worry too much.
I just went back and looked at my past charts - my first cycle off BCP was ALL over the place - super confusing. Its evened itself out since then but I still have variances anywhere from .1 to .4 degrees. My temp spike us usually at least .6 degrees higher - then again I've only been charting for 3 cycles now so I'm not sure how reliable that figure is.
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I ordered my BBT from Amazon. It's given me no problems and I would highly recommend it.
http://www.amazon.com/BD-524560-Basal-Digital-Thermometer/dp/B001AM43VY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306162729&sr=8-1
Ditto Scarlett!!! Order that thermometer. It's the best. It comes highly recommended by FAM/NFP users. I got it with my kit from the couple-to-couple league, but I know other people who have ordered it from Amazon too. I have no issues with it. It's very consistent.
If digital is still giving you issues, try a mercury one. You have to keep it in for 5 minutes and you have to remember to shake it down the night before or immediately after use.
EDIT: Also, as gross as this may sound, you can take your temp vaginally too. You just have to be consistent with each cycle, either orally or vaginally, no jumping between the two (why would you want to jump between? ick!) That works for women who have inconsistent temps sometimes.
You can also take your temps rectally but I don't think anyone wants to do that.
Sorry ladies, my method does not use temps so my own charting won't help much. I was going to start taking temps for thyroid purposes but we're switching to a doctor who may just want to do blood work instead, so I am awaiting instruction!
I am sure you already know this, Angie, but temps can vary for a lot of reasons (if indeed, those are your true temps!). Drinking the night before, lack of sleep, infections, hormonal issues, coming off the BCP, etc. Also, I do think some women have the ups and downs in temps normally but as Linds mentioned the key is to identify that dramatic temp shift that should (hopefully) be greater than some of these other variations.
Thanks ladies. I think I'm going to order the one from Amazon.
I'm halfway through month 3... Month 1 (second month of BCP) was great, and very easy to see the shift. Month two, I had a shift, but then it dropped below the line I had been using to judge if there was a shift for a couple days, and then was back up... it was just all over the place. So, following the TTA rules, I would have been avoiding for a loooong time last month. But, DH was out of town, so it didn't matter too much. However, he's on his last OOT trip for a long time, right now (hopefully anyway), so I was hoping to have things figured out by the time he was home for good. Based on the first half of this month, it's not looking so good
But I'm going to order that thermometer tonight I think!
And I think I'd probably scrap FAM before I tried other orafices for temping, at least while we're TTA'ing!
ETA: I just clicked through the other suggested purchases, and there's a speculum. Why on earth would anyone want to purchase their own speculum?! hahahahahah
hahahahahaha this just made me lol - wth?!
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Angie, Do you use paper to chart or Fertility Friend?
If you plug in your info into fertility friend, I can take a look for you. Sometimes your temperature dips down because there is a secondary surge of estrogen around 7 dpo, then it spikes back again.
If you had some temperatures that dip below the coverline, it's possible it's because of your faulty thermometer or something else (not enough sleep for instance).
Also, if you have dry cervical mucus for 3 days, it trumps anything concerning your temperature. You just have to make sure you keep checking your cervical mucus daily if you have not had a temperature shift. You'd need to use the pre-ovulatory rules.
Temperature is a secondary sign. Cervical mucus always trumps temperature.
And... I think I'll pass on the speculum.
speculum... lol.
And amen to what catarntina said. Mucus observations trump temps. Mucus obs allows FAM to be a prospective method instead of just a retrospective method (meaning if you rely only on temps, you can only determine ovulation "after the fact" and only about 75% of the time, causing a lot more abstaining! With mucus you can anticipate ahead of time and identify that peak day more clearly. The most recent research also shows that identifying a "peak day" based on mucus obs tends to be the most accurate indicator of the actual day of ovulation). The thing about making mucus observations is that you really need to do this every time you visit the bathroom... not just once a day. Each method has their own way of doing the observations so I won't give any advice there because I don't want to mess you up
but frequency is important!