Seeing the pattern when charting

All too often we get caught up in looking at individual details and forget or fail to see the whole picture. This is very true when it comes to charting your basal body temperature or bbt. When charting we get so concerned with marking down every little thing from what our waking temperature was to any little strange feelings or symptoms we might have that we forget to step back and look at the chart as a whole.

One odd temperature in a chart is nothing to be overly concerned about. What you need to be looking for is the pattern of lower temps prior to ovulation and higher temps after ovulation. If you see a pattern of temps that are all over the place highs and lows with no shifting pattern, then you either have a bad thermometer (replace the battery or buy a new one) or you are not taking your temp at the same time each day and/or are not getting enough sleep.

In any case, try to step back and look for the pattern of your charts before you start to panic about one temp that looks wrong.

New Year's TTCing Resolutions

Happy 2008! The new year has finally arrived and with it time to make New Year Resolutions. Here are a few resolution suggestions for all of us that are ttcing.

1. Resolve to have more fun! TTCing can be an all encompassing journey, so much so that we can forget to enjoy life and have fun with our partners. Make a resolution you can keep this year - to have fun with your partner every day!
2. Resolve to see an OB/GYN or RE! Yes, it may be time to see your doctor or to switch doctors especially if you have been trying for a year or longer. Now may be the best time to call and make an appointment so you can start your new year with a solid plan of action and possibly a new treatment plan.
3. Resolve to "baby dance" at least 3 times a week, every week! It may sound odd to "baby dance" when you are not fertile, but the more often you do it the better your chances are of conceiving. It is always possible to miss the window if you ovulate earlier or later than usual, so "baby dance" often.
4. Resolve to be healthier! This doesn't mean that you should resolve to lose weight, or suddenly start working out every day. It just means that you should resolve to make small changes every week that will make you healthier. This could be as small as eating strawberries instead of cookies/potato chips for a snack, or parking a little further away from the store than you usually do, or when grocery shopping, actually walking up and down each aisle even if you don't need anything in it. Small changes can make a big difference.
5. Resolve to learn more! No, you don't have to go back to school, but you should be as informed as you can be about fertility and infertility. Go to your library or local book store (or shop online) and find books about charting your fertility signs, the latest medical breakthroughs in infertility treatment, or books about herbs and other alternative treatments. The more you know the better off you will be when talking to your doctor about what you want to do next in your ttcing journey.

Best wishes to all of you in 2008! May all of our baby dreams come true.