Temping - help?

[Roxy1212]

I've been tracking AFs & CM and doing OPKs (which may not be as reliable as I thought with PCOS - oops!) as well as keeping a note of anything else (cramps, sexy times, etc.) with Ovia but it's so hard to pin down a possible O that I would really like to start temping - I put it off for ages because it seems hard to get an accurate BBT figure but my DH says he'll just wake me up by sticking the thermometer in my mouth (clean your minds, ladies!) so that might help keep things consistent but I'm concerned that either I'm 'doing it wrong' (is that possible?) or that the my therm is broken because I just did 4 tests one after the other and got: 35.88, 37.03, 35.84 and 36.93 - lots of big differences there!

I know I won't get my BBT in the middle of the day but I can't imagine my temperature is fluctuating that much while I'm sat at my desk? I'm just wondering really if I need to be consistent about where it is (EG under/over tongue, mouth-tightly shut or not...) etc. or if I just need to buy a new thermometer

Would love some advice!

The reason bbt is taken within such rigid time perameters is because of this, as I understand.

Id love to know the answer on this as I'm also clueless!

Sorry that doesn't help you!

STEP AWAY FROM THE THERMOMETER NOW!!!!

Only take your temperature the moment you wake up- otherwise you will, indeed, get wacky and conflicting readings. This is precisely what I did when I first started temping, and it drove me insane.

Yes, you do need to be consistent re: position- tucked firmly under your tongue. There's no harm in buying a new thermometer- they're pretty cheap after all- but I bet the one you have is just fine (yep, I did that too ).

Have you read "Taking charge of your fertility"? Chapter and verse on temping, and all the rest. There's also a connected website- www.tcoyf.com.

Remember, you're looking for a pattern, not just one reading, so it will probably take 2-3 cycles for you to get the hang of how it (and your body) works. I loved keeping paper graphs, and obsessing about tiny fluctuations...

And then one day, you'll have the satisfaction of seeing the line on the graph go up, at the point where, in all your previous cycles it went down, and then go up a little further than ever before, and....bingo!

(currently 30 weeks pregnant at 41, and the thermometer has been firmly retired).

Ah yes, stubborn stains, the beauty of the triphasic chart! Will you not continue to temp afterwards anyway, just to know what is going on? I think I will.

I just started temping this month after saying I wouldn't and it's surprising IVE not forgotten yet! Finding it so fascinating watching what it's doing!!

Haha, thank you everybody! I will certainly take your advice on board (and thanks for the reading, stubbornstains) - I actually had a BFP last night so I'm REALLY hoping it sticks but I've bad luck so far and will definitely start temping if I need to try again. FX I don't need your helpful comments though!!

Wow co granulations!! X

Congratulations Roxy1212!!!!! Wishing you a happy and healthy nine months!

For those who are just starting temping, I would agree with all stubbonstains said. I have been temp-taking for years now, it does take some getting used to initially.

The website fertilityfriends.com is good too. Great information as well.

You do need to be consistent with how and what time you take the temperature. Some have to switch to taking vaginal temps to get less fluctuations in measurements (I never went that far, but my graphs do fluctuate at times, but over the years it has become easier for me to interpret in spite of this)

It gives another thing to obsess over nicely - enjoy!!!!

Ha ha HA!! Congratulations OP!

Ah no guyropes, temping after your BFP is also a one way ticket to madness....everybody on the TCOYF forums are very clear about PUTTING THE THERMOMETER AWAY after you get your BFP. Needless to say, I ignored this, got a huge temp dip a couple of days after my BFP, and was in absolute bits, thinking I was about to miscarry (I didn't).

ps- no way I could take vaginal temps, as DS comes into my bed for a cuddle every morning, and insisted on copying me and taking his temperature too...,

Ah well, a BFN with the FRER - your advice will come in helpful after all! Thanks everybody for your tips, it's good to be surrounded by people who know what they're doing around here :D

Oh dear roxy, sorry to hear that....are you sure though? Have you started bleeding?

stubbornstains yeah, had another BFN this morning and then AF soon after - such is life!

What a headfuck. So sorry