Hellobee Boards Topic: how did you figure it out?

Hellobee Boards Topic: how did you figure it out? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 08 Jun 2026 02:26:12 +0000 rattles on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-506968 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 22:50:56 +0000 rattles 506968@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @LittleFox: This is a great rundown! DH and I found classes invaluable. I chose to use Creighton method. For any considering it, it's particularly great for those struggling with fertility or postpartum. Unlike symptothermal, there's no temping, making it easier to use while on a newborn's schedule. marionberry on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-506365 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 17:23:04 +0000 marionberry 506365@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Like @smurfette: I would set an alarm and make sure my thermometer was right next to it so that I was always temping at the same time. Then I'd either get up for work or go back to bed. It helped keep a solid chart. I would definitely recommend some sort of protection for the first 2-3 months you chart though so that you can find out when you typically o and make sure it's fairly regular. I've seen a couple ladies who have really dramatic o date changes month to month and that could get you knocked up pretty quick if you're not careful. SAHM0811 on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-505489 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 13:21:33 +0000 SAHM0811 505489@https://boards.hellobee.com/ The tutorials on Fertility Friend are easy to read and a quick and FREE way to learn about charting. I highly recommend checking it out! When TTCing #2, I temped the first month and added OPKs and a little bit of CM observations in the second month and got pregnant that cycle. LittleFox on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-505336 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 12:20:47 +0000 LittleFox 505336@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I initially learned through TCOYF and then took a class through the Couple to Couple League. If you are going to use charting for NFP purposes, you need to know it really well and to follow the rules really well. A class is nice because then you have an instructor to check your charts and to fall back on if you have questions later or something weird comes up. Many are run by Catholic organizations because Catholics are more like to use NFP than others (and even then it tends to be a minority of the group), so most classes won't espouse the use of condoms and so forth. There are sympto-thermal methods taught by Couple to Couple and Family of The Americas (online, I think). There are also mucous only methods (no temping) - look up the Creighton method or the Billings Ovulation Method for more information on those. You could also look up the Marquette method, which combines NFP with the use of a fertility monitor (Clear Blue Easy, I think) - you might be able to learn that one on the method's forums, which I hear are pretty responsive. Just thought I'd throw out the class option, since it isn't mentioned a lot and can be helpful. If you're charting to avoid, don't let software decide ovulation for you - rely on your own observations and interpretations and use the software as extra data to consider. Also, be sure not to fall into a rhythm mentality (e.g. "I never ovulate before day 16 and it's only day 10- I'm sure we're fine /I don't have to chart" kind of stuff). Each day you use that day's observations if you want to be serious about trying to avoid pregnancy. Gosh, this turned into a book! Sorry! I charted to avoid for about 2 years before conceiving LO so I just wanted to share what I'd learned through that experience. I'm about to tackle postpartum now and will be taking a refresher class, since my method has different postpartum rules, so this is on my mind. Good luck! cascademom on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-505201 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 11:33:08 +0000 cascademom 505201@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @LindsayInNYC: I just used an Internet cheapie version from Amazon. It worked well in predicting ovulation. Smurfette on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-505200 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 11:32:46 +0000 Smurfette 505200@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @LindsayInNYC: When I was tempting, I would set my alarm for the same time every day, give or take 15 mins. Turn off the alarm, take temp, and then either get up to shower or go right back to sleep. You just need to make sure you don't get up before you take the temp. I would highly recommend TCOYF as well. It was a great read and I really learned a lot. Good Luck! The only downside to charting is you don't get confirmation that you O'd till a couple days after with the higher temps. So I did both temp and OPK's. It is helpful to do the OPK's as well, until you recognize your pattern with temp and then you can tell when you are about to O. mediagirl on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-505188 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 11:29:13 +0000 mediagirl 505188@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I used Fertility Friend but .... it never showed when I ovulated. I just went with my best guess and ....that worked. lawbee11 on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-505187 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 11:27:33 +0000 lawbee11 505187@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @LindsayInNYC: I read TCOYF before I started charting. This is also a great resource: <a href="http://www.fertilityfriend.com/Faqs/" rel="nofollow">http://www.fertilityfriend.com/Faqs/</a> I never used OPKs. I started charting 4 months before we started TTC, and we got our BFP the first month. I O'ed late that cycle, and I don't think we would have gotten a BFP had I not been temping. It takes some getting used to, but I think it's so worth it. LindsayInNY on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-505182 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 11:25:07 +0000 LindsayInNY 505182@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @tororojo - I tend to wake up at the same time during the week (about 5:30, some days 6:30 if I'm lucky) but weekends are totally different. I think OPK might be a better option? LindsayInNY on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-505177 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 11:24:22 +0000 LindsayInNY 505177@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @cascadecherub - From what I've read about charting (sleep cycles, etc.), I think OPK might be a better option. What kind did you use? tororojo on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-505175 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 11:23:45 +0000 tororojo 505175@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @LindsayInNYC: Temping should let you know when you O (just use a basal thermometer, take your temp at the same time when you first wake up in the a.m. and record it on an app/chart/calendar), but the first cycle off BC will probably not give you a good idea of future cycles. cascademom on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-505168 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 11:21:08 +0000 cascademom 505168@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I learned about it on Weddingbee, here, and TCOYF. However, I was a horrible charter. I found OPKs predicted my ovulation best since I always got clear positives on those. LindsayInNY on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-505163 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 11:18:40 +0000 LindsayInNY 505163@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @mrsjyw - Have you been able to figure it out? Given all the post-BC long cycle crap, I think I might want to start charting so I can pinpoint my OD. prettylizy on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-359251 Wed, 24 Oct 2012 21:39:56 +0000 prettylizy 359251@https://boards.hellobee.com/ TCOYF, HB, WB nesting boards and FF :) Grace on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-359226 Wed, 24 Oct 2012 21:20:41 +0000 Grace 359226@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Mostly through random googling and then TCOYF. wahine08 on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-358281 Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:23:59 +0000 wahine08 358281@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I learned through the lovely ladies here on HelloBee and also with the Fertility Friend tutorials they emailed every day haha. Sounds cheesy but I refer to them a lot! Adira on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-358273 Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:21:33 +0000 Adira 358273@https://boards.hellobee.com/ TCOYF was definitely the best resource, plus FertilityFriend.com, like @JoJoGirl said. It has a TON of FAQs and information that was REALLY helpful to me. Plus the ladies here are really helpful! :D @mrsjyw: I definitely don't get the same amount of sleep every night (I tend to stay up later and sleep in on weekends), but I found the temps were always good enough to figure out when I ovulated. tororojo on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-358266 Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:20:02 +0000 tororojo 358266@https://boards.hellobee.com/ TCOYF worked for me! I just tracked my temps on a calendar though, I never used any apps or websites to help. JoJoGirl on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-358199 Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:05:59 +0000 JoJoGirl 358199@https://boards.hellobee.com/ When you register for Fertilityfriend.com, they direct you to a TON of charting tutorials (videos, i think?). I watched/read those and felt pretty much up to speed. spaniellove on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-358198 Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:05:54 +0000 spaniellove 358198@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I started by reading TCOYF and learning from other people on FF, which was really helpful. ladyfingers on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-358185 Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:02:30 +0000 ladyfingers 358185@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I found TCOYF to be really indispensable. Then random threads over at Weddingbee and Hellobee for questions I had here and there. Mrsbells on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-358003 Wed, 24 Oct 2012 11:04:59 +0000 Mrsbells 358003@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I learnt about it mostly from weddingbee and then googling stuff Foodnerd81 on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-357997 Wed, 24 Oct 2012 11:03:36 +0000 Foodnerd81 357997@https://boards.hellobee.com/ TCOYF and the FF app, plus reading about it here and on Weddingbee-- particularly stalking the weddingbee charters threads. I still feel I would need to be better about CM stuff before I could use it with certainty for TTA. We did use it to avoid for a few months before TTC but we weren't super strict. My temps are generally pretty good at indicating O though, even if my sleep is a little off (but, that's off for someone with regular hours and no kids-- once you throw LOs or shift work in, I can't imagine). mrsjyw on "how did you figure it out?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-figure-it-out#post-357963 Wed, 24 Oct 2012 10:54:20 +0000 mrsjyw 357963@https://boards.hellobee.com/ i kind of, sort of learned about it through hellobee and TCOYF, but i still don't really know it like the back of my hand. i'd like to figure it out for natural family planning purposes, but not sure if my sleep cycles will ever be normal enough for me to accurately track it. what did you use to learn about it and get good at tracking?