How the heck do you track your temperature?!

Hey, y'all!

Okay, so I have a totally lame question.  I mean, I know how to take my temperature with the special basal thermometer and all that. 

My question is... how the heck do you read your results?  How do you know when you're supposed to have sex?  I went to fertilityfriend.com and I ended up more confused than informed.

Did you keep track?  How did you do it, and how did you know??

Thanks a bunch! 

I temp in combination with OPKs.  FF won't tell you until it's too late when you O'd.  After you temp for a while, you'll know approximately when you O, so you can BD around the right time.  Some do the "sperm meets egg" plan, which I think is every other day starting a few days after AF is done, just to make sure.  I basically go with BD day before/of/after +OPK (my OPKs get darker gradually so I usually have a good idea when to expect a +) but I also make no EWCM so there's no point in me doing it several days before.

Just take your temp as religiously as possible, put them in FF every morning and FF will tell you (usually a few days after the fact) when you O'd.  I find it more useful for knowing I DID O, vs. knowing when.

 I highly recommend buying the book "Taking Charge of your Fertility".. it's a great book and it explains sooo many things.

You're like the 50th person to recommend that book, so I think I'm gonna have to go buy it! ;)

I also used Taking Charge of your Fertility- they have sample charts in there and explain really well how to use them. I never did think to check for online resources. The author of the book has a website and you can print charts from there I believe. Good luck.

Carrie

I used fertilityfriend and learned how to read my chart easily. You can usually tell when you are going to ovulate because your temps will dip and then spike... Do you have the link to your chart??

And Taking Charge of Your Fertility is a great book. Also Ann and Shari are excellent resources for tracking charts.

I will look at your chart if you link it. A couple of quick tips. Take your temp at the same time every morning before getting out of bed. The most accurate way to temp is vaginally so just stick that thing in about an inch until you hear it beep. Sorry, tmi, but its true...lol And yes...eventually you will see a pattern if your cycles are pretty regular...but using opk's are the best way to make sure you are having sex before ovulation as temping tells you after. Another good way to tell when you are about to o is to check for cervical mucus. Around o time your discharge will be at least wet, but should have an egg white type consistency that will stretch between your fingers. Take a clean hand and insert your index finger gently scooping and pulling out to check. If you aren't comfortable doing that then check your tp when you wipe...a lot of girls can just see/feel it on the paper. Before and after o time your cm will be sticky or creamy or dry. Anyway, good luck. ;0 Shari