So where do I start?

[OceanPrincess]

Hi ladies,

Looking for some general advice. Thinking about starting charting next month, if AF arrives this month.

Where do I start? I need to buy a basal thermometer I think? Where do I get them?

Do I use Fertility Friend for my chart? What else do I do??

Thanks for any help!

[sportychick]

I suggest you buy a mercury BB themometer - they are more accurate and although they take longer, I always thought it was worth it. You can buy them at the chemist but sometimes they haven't heard them called basal body thermometers and respond better to "ovulation thermometer". The mercury ones can be a lot harder to find than the digital ones though, which you will find in just about every chemist. Pity you are in Melbourne, otherwise I'd give you mine!

I always used fertility friend because paper just seemed like too much hard work. You can get away with just using their free stuff, although I paid for an upgrade in the end, because it took a while and I liked the cool graphing extras - but you don't strictly need them.

That's all you need, really. Good luck!

[OceanPrincess]

Thanks sportychick! Here's hoping I won't need it at all

[titti]

First GOOD LUCK!!!
I don't know what is the general opinion, but I used the Maybe baby to find out when I was ovulating... and it worked for us. We knew when I was approaching the 'fertile' period and we knew exactly when I was ovulating... and the result is that I am pregnant...
My friend is charting through temperature and she is happy with that, even though now she decided to give the Maybe Baby a go ( I lent her mine, since you can use it as many times you want).
I am not saying it works for everybody, and I am not saying that everybody will get pregnant at the first try as us, but it worked for us and we are happy.
I really hope you will have great news soon!
xxx

[lisjay]

Hey there, new to froum, me and my partner are wanting to have a baby, we have been together for 3 years now, and i have been off the pill for about a year and a half, we dont really get a chance to do alot of bedroom things due to us living with parents. We have got one of those ovulation test before but when tested came back negative everytime. so i guess we may have had dates wrong. i usually go 28 days between. Does anyone have any advise should we see a doctor and discuss this, or is it a matter of dates being right and away you go? Any response will be good. thanks lisjayv

[sportychick]

lisjay, the best thing to do would be to temp for a while. That will help you get an indication when you usually ovulate, and then you can use OPK's for the week around ovulation to help pinpoint it more accurately. The length of your cycle on its own doesn't give a clear indication of when you ovulate, because you may have a long or short luteal phase (the part of your cycle after you ovulate) and therefore ovulate before or after the halfway through your cycle mark. There is heaps of info on this site about temping and charting - have a good read, get yourelf a thermometer and have a go.