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What is it about changing batteries that freaks you out? Basic BBTs are not that expensive and Daysy is crazy expensive (like $300, double a Tempdrop), so if you have a serious aversion to changing batteries, you can just buy new basic BBTs when the battery runs out. You'd have to buy like 12 to reach the price of a Daysy. That said, for oral temping I love this thermometer. It's got a backlight and automatically stores the last 60 temps with time and date taken, and is $25. I have had it for 3 years, used it for FAM for both TTA and TTC, and only had to change the battery once, after over a year of using it every day (though I took a year-long break after that due to pregnancy and breastfeeding, and have since gotten a Tempdrop so only use the oral BBT as supplementary temps sometimes). I don't actually love thermometers that sync to an app because the apps are usually crap for charting. I've ended up plugging my temps in to my app of choice anyway (Fertility Friend).
We use the Marquette method which uses the clear blue fertility monitor. While I was waiting for my monitor to come in I started using the Premom ovulation test strips. There’s an app you can use to record your results every day. I ended up liking it enough I continued to test with the Premom in addition to the clear blue strips, just so I had my LH levels documented in my phone for quick reference.
People in this sub will probably advise you to not rely on test strips alone or to mix methods. If you are following TCOYF rules exactly I don’t think there is any harm in also testing for peace of mind, just don’t let test strips give you a false sense of security that you can ignore some of your method’s rules.
If you do use test strips I would recommend starting on CD 5 and testing 2x day. Confirm ovulation with 3 day temp rise 24-48 hours after LH peak. I have not read TCOYF so I’m not sure what the specifics are, but under Marquette I know you can stop testing during your cycle once ovulation has been confirmed.
I use little scissors that I keep in my shower to trim my pubic hair. I also hate shaving. There might be a better way to trim but the scissors have worked well enough, just be careful to not grab skin.
You can find them in the beauty section of your local drugstore, these are what the ones I use look like https://www.amazon.com/Facial-Small-Grooming-Scissors-Women/dp/B07SRM6MK2/ref=mp_s_a_1_15_sspa?keywords=small+scissors&pscroll=1&qid=1661368693&sr=8-15-spons&wIndexMainSlot=29&psc=1
Gotcha. Well it sounds like you just have A faulty one then. If you don't wanna spend hundreds of dollars on a temp drop I can tell you the one I have. It's cheap and I've never had an issue with it. i
iProven, looks like it's on sale for $7 right now
I've had it just over a year and it works good but nothing special! Definitely worth 7 bucks
I second this, this book is the holy grail of women's reproductive health and it goes over every possible detail you need to know about FAM. Here's the link to the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Charge-Your-Fertility-Anniversary/dp/0062326031/ref=sr\_1\_1?crid=B8IAC2VEGXP4&keywords=taking+charge+of+fertility+book&qid=1653402727&sprefix=taking+charge+%2Caps%2C862&sr=8-1
Spinning babies is free! I did the stretches some in second trimester but really did them a lot in the third trimester, along with LOTS of walking, walking feels so good in pregnancy :)
I looked up the exact probiotic needed for babies to be able to digest their milk and this one has it-
That’s a good brand of probiotics- getting on top of nutrition will set the stage for a healthy mom and baby, I’m glad your into checking out that book :) I do not know any doulas, sorry, but that’s a great idea! Just don’t let them induce you unless it’s really really necessary, and try natural inductions if you have too (your close to 42 weeks), the rate of C section after inductions is SUPER high- also the longer you can labor at home the better your chance of having a natural birth, I had all three of mine with no drugs and it’s totally doeable, if I wouldn’t have had a midwife I probably would have had a C section with my first but I labored at home so long I was only in the hospital (transfer because I was soooo worn out and not progressing after 3 days) for 1 hour before my son was born (LOL!) Try to find a good doctor or midwife in the hospital that supports laboring in your own way (not hooked up to the machines constantly) and you express your wishes beforehand. I birthed an hour away from the hospital with my second and everything was great, a good midwife will be able to foresee any issues and get you there in good time if that’s what you choose, I am blessed to have had a very medically aware midwife who had all the tools and drugs and was very experienced, I was in good hands with her for sure. Hospital births can be great too though :) good luck and congrats again!
I switched to Tempdrop after having a baby since an oral just wasn’t doable anymore, but this is the one I used before. It was super reliable and consistent and only ten bucks.
Digital Basal Thermometer, 1/100th Degree High-Precision Oral Thermometer with Memory Recall, Accurate Digital Thermometer for Fever and Natural Family Planning by Femometer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S463JTG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_JF0J1H0E8ZJZ7RXT6XJJ
I have this one: Easy@Home Digital Basal Thermometer with Blue Backlight LCD Display, 1/100th Degree High Precision and Memory Recall, NOT Bluetooth Enabled, Upgraded EBT-100B(Blue) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KG9MNYZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_22FAH8ZTN3CDZH8CTS7N
I use this thermometer.
Smart Basal Thermometer, Adjustable Volume, FDA Eligible, Period Tracker with Femometer APP(iOS & Android) - Auto BBT Sync, Charting, Coverline & Accurate Fertility Prediction, New Package Rose Gold https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VPT7NVX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_SZDMB4Q7QCZ4CQ5TCP9M
I transitioned from the Kyleena IUD to symptothermal method about 8 cycles ago. I started tracking my cervical fluid and BBT like 2 cycles before getting the IUD removed and it turns out I was ovulating with the IUD. That was great because it gave me time to get used to the method while still having really reliable BC on board, would recommend for sure.
I read Taking Charge of Your Fertility and bought this thermometer (really like it). I also started with paper charting so that I really had to rely on my own interpretations of my cycle and chart instead of being able to rely on an app. I liked it so much that that's what I'm still doing.
We only go unprotected during the first 4 days of my period (true period) and then after ovulation is confirmed. I use the TCOYF rules for confirming ovulation. So far no scares at all. When I am fertile, we either use condoms or just have non-PIV sex. Some people like diaphragms and there are other types of barrier methods out there for the fertile times.
Here's the link to it on their site, it's 15$ CAD.
I also saw one on Amazon but the cover looks different than mine, but reading the description and comments I think it has the same info. You can get it for about 3$ US Kindle, 16$ paperback
Justisse Method: Fertility Awareness and Body Literacy A User's Guide https://www.amazon.com/dp/1469959267/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_g_K04HHHFG7QV4GZQE49MX
This 2006 study published in Human Nature states that women's cycles do not synchronize when living together.
I got my Nexplanon out last month with the same intent (prompted mostly by lack of libido). I did want some sort of indicator what my natural cycle would do though since I've been on hormonal birth control for the last 15 years and have no clue what "normal" is for my body now. I ended up researching LH test strips/kits that help predict ovulation and went with this for $15 which can be used with their free app that analyzes pictures of the test strips to determine and chart your levels.
I'm still only on my first cycle after getting Nexplanon removed but it already detected my first ovulation (well, LH surge) and I was kind of surprised it actually works! It's mostly meant for women trying to conceive of course but I and others I saw in the reviews use it for the opposite, and some strictly just for cycle tracking (which has been super easy to log my periods and any symptoms/details). Hopefully after a few cycles I can get a better idea of my baseline. It'll be interesting to see if it accurately predicts my periods after enough data.
I had 1-2 days my first two cycles, then none my 3rd cycle and only one day of stretchy in my 4th cycle.
Next cycle I'm going to try borage oil. It contains gamma linolenic acid (GLA) which is the active ingredient in evening primrose oil thought to increase CM production and quality. It was cheaper and less pills needed using borage oil than EPO. This is the one I'll be using.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AR8PW8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_Ei95FbNNVP26K?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
How exciting! Welcome! First of all pick up yourself a copy of this book. It’s the FAM bible. I’ve been the Read Your Body App. You also need to get yourself a basal body thermometer. And yes, you should definitely take a class, preferably 1:1.
https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Charge-Your-Fertility-Anniversary/dp/0062326031
For charting in Celsius, I used the Geon MT-B231 for years, simple, trusty, no-frills. (Looking for a link for you, it possibly looks discontinued.) Switched to the blue Easy@Home EBT-100 (i.e. not their Bluetooth or roundish ones) for the backlight and 30-day memory which I didn't really end up using anyways lol, I still chart my temp every day. 4 months in it's a really nice therm but some Amazon reviews say the battery dies too fast so I haven't used it long enough yet to give a full endorsement, but I like it so far. It beeps very quietly twice when it is genuinely finished unlike so many other BBT therms that have to be left in after the beep, usually to total three minutes. So that also makes it the slowest therm I have tried, aside from glass ones.
Read Taking Charge of Your Fertility - it's the bible of temping!
Naps don't matter :)
As for the rest, it depends on your body. Personally, my biggest factor is that I temp at the same time every day. For other women, the time doesn't matter, but the amount of sleep they get does.
For BBT, you really need one that shows two decimal places. There's not that much variation between days, so you need the accuracy of 1/100.
Personally, I use the Mabis thermometer, as loads of people over at /r/TryingForABaby recommended it and it was super cheap! Also, it remembers the last reading, so I don't need to enter it into my phone immediately, and the beeps are fairly quiet, so I don't wake up my husband :)
Honestly, I think you should pick one thermometer, use it for a month and see what your chart looks like. It's really the whole month that matters - not the individual days. And there will always be variations between the different thermometers. For one thing, you're waking up and getting more stressed out as you're checking all these different readings!
It's a similar thing to weight loss - I'd be telling you to weigh yourself once a week at the same time. Your weight can vary so much, even within one day, that it's pointless to worry about it on that kind of timeframe! The same thing applies here. Pick a good thermometer and use it correctly for a while - only then can you see if there really are any issues.
I was looking at the Wink as well, but I couldn't justify the price. However, the $7 CVS thermometers were too annoying to use since they didn't light up or recall temperature for later. I got this thermometer a few months ago and I've been pretty pleased with the purchase.
Well, aside from google, the two main books I got the most out of are this and this. The first one probably has more information for you on adjusting from shifting off of birth control and what kinds of things to expect when you are, if I remember right. I actually didn't buy either of these - they were both available at my local library, so I'd check there first before ordering them. They might have things you already know (and probably do if you've already done months of charting), but even when I felt like I had a good handle on it, these books still were more helpful than I expected.