Charting 1st cycle

**~ Mylitta ~** · December 29th, 2007, 09:48 PM

Hi, I'm just new to this forum and to charting and was hoping that I could ask a couple of questions about charting my first cycle?

I've just stopped taking the contraceptive pill and my 1st cycle is about to start (tomorrow is my guess). I found the "FertilityFriend" website and am planning on doing my charting through their site. Do you girls recommend that site?

Also, do you recommend starting the charting during the 1st cycle after I stop taking the pill, or does it take a month or so for my body to get back into my natural rhythm. If so, would charting my 1st cycle be misleading for future cycles?

I've already found soooo much information on this site and in the forums! Any help anyone could give me about this would be fantastic too!!

**Patooties** · December 29th, 2007, 10:11 PM

Hi Krystie - welcome to bellybelly

I would definitely recommend the fertility friend site. With my first two children i had no idea about when i was ovulating etc and just happened by chance. When i was trying with my third i joined FF and found it sooo beneficial. I actually knew what my body was doing for the first time in my life!!
re when to start, i would say that it wouldn't hurt to start charting now. It will be good for you to compare the following months. (hopefully you won't have to chart for too long )
good luck on your ttc journey.

**satya** · December 30th, 2007, 03:55 PM

I would start charting straight away & I loved FF. I used to think I had a 28 day cycle and then discovered it was more like 26 with a short LP - I didn't know these things before hand. Good luck.

**Rumpleteaser** · December 30th, 2007, 04:25 PM

I started charting a couple of weeks before stopping the pill with FF. 5 weeks after stopping pill I got first AF, but actually turned out I was already PG. Temps were always quite high above 36.60. Didn't even see the classic temp drop before O. Some people say that it might take a few months for body to get back into cycle after stopping pill, but also extreamly fertile in that first month. Unfortuneatly for me that PG was not ment to last. Thought after m/c I have been a regular 28/29 days.
Good luck in your TTC journey.

**Shanti** · December 30th, 2007, 04:44 PM

Krystie - welcome to BB

It's a good idea charting your cycle to get to know your cycle. There are other ways of charting without going onto FF such as recording signs and symptoms each day etc and just following your cycle day (cd) from cd1 (first day AF full bleeding) its up to you and what you feel comfortable with.

I went off BCP's in March and used other contraception until October when we have started trying. we are into 3rd month ttc now. It can take your body months after BCP's to get regulated again or for others it can take only 1 mth! My cycles were all over the place coming off the pill... 47,38,43,36,28,30 etc and only now, 7mths later, they are 28-30 days but not 100% sure! So be patient after coming off the pill as it can take a few months for your body to get natural again (or it may not take long at all).

I wish you every success and hope your TTC journey is very short! *babydust*

**~ Mylitta ~** · December 30th, 2007, 11:15 PM

Thank you all so much for your warm welcome and your advice. It's all wonderful advice and makes me feel really good about going ahead and starting my charting (I added my first data on FF this morning!!).

Renstar, it sounds I am doing something similar to what you did. I have gone off bcp to become familiar with my cycle etc, but we are not planning on trying to conceive until around May/June next year (after our wedding/honeymoon in March). I'm just so excited about everything and wanted to make the best possible start

**feeb** · December 30th, 2007, 11:49 PM

Good luck with it all!!

i came off the pill june last yr (start of 2nd week of honeymoon) and got preg in the august unfortnutaly i has a miss carriage in the october.

I started charting on fertility friend this yr in about june and got preg in oct!!!
soo good luck temping and ff i became obsessed with looking at charts and recording stuff!!

even if it takes a while think of all the practice u get!! (as long as practice doesnt take to long as then u just get jack of it all!!)

hope wedding plans are going well!!

**~ Mylitta ~** · December 31st, 2007, 12:21 PM

Thank you, the wedding planning is going quite well.

Sorry to hear about your misscarriage, but congratulations on your current pregnancy!

I've got what might be a silly question, lol. I've noticed that if I take my temperature more than once in the morning when I first wake up, the thermometer will give me slightly varying results (36.31, 36.35, 36.33 yesterday). Should I just use the first reading, or should I take 3 readings one after the other and take the average?

**AnnaBelle** · December 31st, 2007, 01:42 PM

Hi Krystie,

The most important and accurate temperature is to take the first temperature you measure on waking in the morning - you are measuring your basal body temperature - you must do it when you wake up before you get out of bed!!
But If you get up say at 4am to go to the loo and then go back to bed that is totally fine - just take your temp when wake up again that morning as long as you have slept for at least one hour (I have seen 3 hours but I have been told at least 1 is oK)
So the temperature you take on waking is the only one to take note of and I have also been told vaginally is the most accurate - gross - but I purchased one solely for charting !!

Good luck & Happy New Year

AnnaBelle

**Mrs P** · December 31st, 2007, 03:21 PM

Hi Krystie,
Welcome to BB! Just wanted to wish you all the best for the next few months, and also to let you know not to get too stressed out if AF doesn't arrive straight away - it can take up to 6 mths to return following the pill. I did a similar thing to you and went off BCP to let my body 'adjust' prior to falling pg - unfortunately the pill was camoflaging fertility issues for me - I hope that's not the case for you, but I think it's always a good idea to allow some time prior to TTC for everything to return to normal! Good luck!

**Kailz** · December 31st, 2007, 03:29 PM

Hi Krystie,

I def recommend FF! After a few months of charting, you get to know our body and don't need to temp etc, and you know what it's doing. It's really beneficial for the future too

and once you get the hang of it, its soooooooooo easy peasy!

Good Luck!

**feeb** · December 31st, 2007, 03:46 PM

Thanks very much.

First one in the morning as soon as you wake up.

I used to keep mine on bedisde table so i would roll over still with eyes closed turn it on and put under tongue and often read number later as sometimes would fall back to sleep, as u need to take it with miniumum 3 hrs contuinous sleep.
Good luck

**~ Mylitta ~** · December 31st, 2007, 04:20 PM

Ahhh!!! After reading those replies I've just realised the importance of the digital thermometer that remembers the last temperature taken!! The last two mornings I have struggled to see the reading and write it down using the light from my phone so as not to wake up my fiance, lol! Now I just need to find the beeping volume control

But in all seriousness, everyone's advice and well wishes have been fantastic. Thank you so much again!!

**blueiris** · January 1st, 2008, 07:46 PM

Hi there

,

I'm also new to this site.We plan to start ttc shoon,no specific date as yet.Next monday is our 1st anniversary.

I too went off the pill long before we planned to start ttc to give my body time to adjust back to it's natural cycle.I went off it mid january last year & it took 11 months to get into a natural cycle,mine is 35 days.

During that time i kept notes in a diary of when AF arrived & when i noticed signs of O.I haven't ried FF yet.

**tiggerlinda** · January 1st, 2008, 08:13 PM

My Ap Recoommended a digital ear thermommeter for me to make sure I got it right it is great and also has 10 memory spots GL and welcome

**Loqua** · January 14th, 2008, 10:41 PM

I stopped taking the pill a few months ago, after being on it almost consistently since the age of 16. We're not planning on TTC until at least later this year, but figure it's a good idea to give my body a chance to do its own thing, along with getting our diets organised in terms of nutritional needs, etc. (Plus, it's quite fascinating to pay attention to my body, for once.)

It hadn't occurred to me to chart my cycle, other than noting AF in my diary. But now I'm all excited about getting a thermometer, and will have to organise myself to sign up to FF. Can't hurt to be that little bit more aware!

**SamiH** · January 15th, 2008, 02:25 PM

Hi, I too am doing my first chart for ttc#3 - after #2 I have had 2 miscarriages and am now 36yo so decided if we are going for it, go all the way as I don't want to waste any time!!

I am charting based on CM only, should I really go for BBt too since this is first month??

Any help appreciated too!

**Heaven** · January 15th, 2008, 02:44 PM

Hi Sami.
It depends what you want out of charting I guess. From just charting cm you will know approximately when you O and will be able to time DTD. The advantages of charting your temp are that you will know exactly which day you ovulate (and therefore know your due date more accurately), you will know what day to expect AF, and what day to test. Although when charting your temp you can tend to get a bit obsessive and the stress might not be good, lol. But you're more likely to find out if anything's not quite right sooner, e.g. if you have a short luteal phase.
Good luck!