woohoo!

When I was a teenager I used to have perfect 28 day cycles. Then I got pregnant with Addison, and I've had wacky cycles every since... usually around 35 days, ovulating on day 21 ish...
Since I've had Isla, they have been between 35 and 40 days, with ovulation more like day 26 to 30
Which means I've started having really short luteal phases.

Anyways, this has been a pain in my butt for charting and tracking my cycle, since my ovulation has been really unpredictable!
Last month I started taking vitamin B6 in hopes to regulate my cycle and guess what??

Fertility friend just told me I may hace OVULATED! on day 14!  
I didnt really have any other symptoms except for the temperature shift... not a lot of EWCM or anything, but my cervix was open. I'm still kind of surprised cause I didn't feel all "ovulation crampish" like I usually do after two drawn out weeks of pending ovulation symptoms... but time will tell if it's accurate!

So I just need to wait it out now and see when AF shows up, if she comes on day 28 I will be absolutely thrilled! Predictable cycles are my FRIEND. lol

Anyways, just thought I'd share my excitement. lol My Ovulation Chart

That's awesome!

Charting looks so complicated. What exactly do you do?

Quoting Meep:“ That's awesome! Charting looks so complicated. What exactly do you do?”

You take your temperature at the same time every morning before you get up, after at least three hours of sleep.
I always set my alarm earlier than I need to get up, so I can take my temp and then go back to sleep. That way I know I haven't gotten up and around yet.
I keep my thermometer in my pillow.

I also keep track of my cervix position every day, as well as how it feels... and what kind of cervical fluid is present.
It's not hard to keep track of, once you get in the routine of it.
It's something I notice during the day, and can check easily when I go pee.

I just made an account at Fertility Friend and their estimated dates are nothing close to what My Monthy Cycles gives me. Bah, I guess I'm getting a damn thermometer then. I feel like I've been wasting my time following wrong dates.

Quoting Meep:“ I just made an account at Fertility Friend and their estimated dates are nothing close to what My Monthy ... [snip!] ... Cycles gives me. Bah, I guess I'm getting a damn thermometer then. I feel like I've been wasting my time following wrong dates.”

OOOH yeah. you definitely want to chart it.
Cause every woman's cycle is so different!!
Taking your temp and keeping track of your fertile mucus will alert you when ovulation is approaching, whenever it occurs, even if your cycle doesn't fall into the "routine" timeframe.
Even if you only ovulate twice a year, you can catch it if you're charting properly.

How long are your cycles now?
You should take the free e-mail tutorial from FF, they explain it all in great detail so you know what you're doing.  

Quoting Sharonblueyes{EBFB}:“ OOOH yeah. you definitely want to chart it. Cause every woman's cycle is so different!! Taking ... [snip!] ... now? You should take the free e-mail tutorial from FF, they explain it all in great detail so you know what you're doing.  ”

Well my average cycle at MMC is 31 days, FF says 29 lol. I triple checked and the dates are the same on both. Been charting since 10/07.

Quoting Meep:“ Well my average cycle at MMC is 31 days, FF says 29 lol. I triple checked and the dates are the same on both. Been charting since 10/07.

I find that taking the temp works really well because you can determine the exact day of ovulation with accuracy.
So you can tell then if you're having short Luteal Phases, or whatever the case may be, you know if you're ovulating on day 14 or closer to day 20.
It helps you determine why you're not getting pregnant, whether it's because you're missing the real fertile window, or if it's because your LP's are so short you can't get a good implantation.
Then you can know how to proceed.  

If you're having short LP's you should try the B6! I hear it works really well to regulate that.
Seems to be working for me so far!

Quoting Sharonblueyes{EBFB}:“ I find that taking the temp works really well because you can determine the exact day of ovulation ... [snip!] ... having short LP's you should try the B6! I hear it works really well to regulate that. Seems to be working for me so far!”

Thanks for explaining. So I'm guessing you're not trying for him this month?


I figured out where the mess up was. I didn't have a period in May 09 so for some reason it's counting my April period as 1 day cycle.

Do you have the VIP membership?

Quoting Meep:“ Thanks for explaining. So I'm guessing you're not trying for him this month? I figured out where the ... [snip!] ... have a period in May 09 so for some reason it's counting my April period as 1 day cycle. Do you have the VIP membership?”

Yeah I have the VIP membership. It's not to expensive.  
We decided to wait this month, cause it's just hard to predict my ovulation date and I don't really want to have two babies in the same month. Is that dumb? lol
So we're giving it a cycle to see if the B6 will regulate my cycles for me, so they are more easily predictable. Then we'll see about next month.

Quoting Sharonblueyes{EBFB}:“ When I was a teenager I used to have perfect 28 day cycles. Then I got pregnant with Addison, and I've ... [snip!] ... thrilled! Predictable cycles are my FRIEND. lol Anyways, just thought I'd share my excitement. lol My Ovulation Chart”

YAY!!!!! Sending you tons and tons of baby dust!!!!!

woohoo for regular cycles! I'll be tracking from now on lol I got my thermometer before I got pregnant so now I can finally use it

It took me a couple years after getting off of bc to have normal (28 ish day) cycles again. But I'm so glad I did. I was bc-free for 8 years before conceiving, and I'll take the reliability --cramps and all. I will never be on the pill again!

Sharon, were you ever on hormonal birth control? I don't know when you could have been, but just wondering if your body is regulating back from that.

I have been having the most wacky periods since I got off BC...Do you think if I took B6 then it would help regulate my cycles?? As of right now, sometimes I will skip a month all together, sometimes my cycles are 45 days apart...What do you think? Thanks in advance!

Quoting MamaBot {EBFB}:“ It took me a couple years after getting off of bc to have normal (28 ish day) cycles again. But I'm so ... [snip!] ... on hormonal birth control? I don't know when you could have been, but just wondering if your body is regulating back from that.”

I was on hormonal BC for about six months around the time I got married...
nearly six years ago.  
I was off of it for a good 8 months with normal 28 day cycles before I got pregnant with Addison, so I'm confident that has nothing to do with it.  

But that crap killed my sex drive! I won't ever use it again, it messed with me really badly.

Quoting \\Michelle Marie//:“ I have been having the most wacky periods since I got off BC...Do you think if I took B6 then it would ... [snip!] ... now, sometimes I will skip a month all together, sometimes my cycles are 45 days apart...What do you think? Thanks in advance!”

It definitely might.   It can't hurt anything, it's just a vitamin that we all need. And it's safe for pregnancy too, it really help some women with their morning sickness.