So frustrated with this charting BS & only month 1 *irrational vent ahead*

[rhyb]

Way to go on quitting smoking Alexys
WRT charting Id be hopeless but Im sure theres plenty of people here that can help you with your chart

[Liz]

ooh... you're TTCing! And congrats on quitting smoking!

You should try charting a 50+ day cycle LOL... THAT's frustrating! I did believe my chart tho, as frustrating as it was having a positive opk and nothing happening.. coz I have charted before and I know I see a definite shift in my temps when I've O'd. Are you charting you CM as well? FF relies a lot on CM for fertility times and relies mostly on the temp shift for confirming O. Taking your temp at different times or not getting enough sleep beforehand can change your temps and make them erratic and hard to analyse. I thought I was having this problem (with two kids that give me broken sleep from about 3am onwards!) but I can still see a definite shift in my temps, so it hasn't been too much of a prob for me.

My advice for swaying for a boy (worked for us ) is to use OPK's because this tells you you're about to ovulate and go for it right up until your temp rise.. if you wait for the temp rise.. you can miss the egg altogether.

Good luck with your 2WW.. when are you testing again? I'm testing on Monday

[HotI]

That's how my little Oops is here. According to FF, i was past the fertile stage. So, thought i was safe. Then FF changed my O date. Oops.

[Liz]

Oh no Kate! LOL. Altho I think FF does say not to use charting as contraception

I'm sure you'll enjoy your surprise bundle

[luna moth]

My first charted cycle was like that - tried to tell me I had O'd on CD 7 or something ridiculous, then 17 (correct) and then later told me not at all. now that I've done it for longer though, I know how to recognise the anomalies and outliers that make it happen, and I find it really handy. Well, I did, when my cycle was normal. It'll come back. Soon enough.
Give it some time, the first one might just be rubbish, or a bit of a learning curve.

I hope you get your boy!

[juniper76]

It took me a while to get the hang of charting. At first I didn't realise how important consistent timing was, etc. I also started off originally with a mercury thermometer...

After 2 years of it, I now have a much better idea of when to accept or reject FF's interpretation. For example, this cycle it tried to tell me I O'd on CD12, which I knew was complete rot because I know my post-O temps are over 36.5. Once I actually had 3 temps over 36.5 it shifted my O day to CD16 (which I agree with).

Hopefully you'll get your BFP before you have time to become an expert on charting!