I've decided that taking my temperature daily and closely monitoring physical signs just isn't for me. My friend Heather recently suggested that doing that may lead to more stress, and in fact her friend's doctor encouraged her to STOP charting her temperatures because it was causing more stress (and we all know stress makes conceiving less likely). I was already leaning towards that, and had never began the process. To me, it's too much to look into, every.single.day. So other than taking note of my monthly cycle, I wasn't doing anything.
This month Brad and I want to have more fun together and this baby madness is making things stressful, so we've opted to stop talking about pregnancy and conceiving. WHAT A GOOD IDEA. As much as I want to be pregnant, like, yesterday, and want to have my children close in age, it's not happening right now and that's out of my control.
One thing we've talked about doing though is taking ovulation tests so we know FOR CERTAIN when I am ovulating. In the past, every day I've had one symptom or another and assumed I'm ovulating. Or if we don't have a chance to "try" for a baby that day, I worry that I was ovulating that very day and we missed out and can't try again for another month. It's all too much. One of my friends who took a bit longer to conceive her second child went this route and had good things to say about it. She recommended this test kit, and I think it's worth the $30. It would simplify trying and take out the guess work that is making me crazy. It would take the pressure off and help me know my cycle better. Sounds like a plan! I'll buy it next month, when/if I begin my cycle again.
Have you ever used ovulation/fertility predictors?
This month Brad and I want to have more fun together and this baby madness is making things stressful, so we've opted to stop talking about pregnancy and conceiving. WHAT A GOOD IDEA. As much as I want to be pregnant, like, yesterday, and want to have my children close in age, it's not happening right now and that's out of my control.
One thing we've talked about doing though is taking ovulation tests so we know FOR CERTAIN when I am ovulating. In the past, every day I've had one symptom or another and assumed I'm ovulating. Or if we don't have a chance to "try" for a baby that day, I worry that I was ovulating that very day and we missed out and can't try again for another month. It's all too much. One of my friends who took a bit longer to conceive her second child went this route and had good things to say about it. She recommended this test kit, and I think it's worth the $30. It would simplify trying and take out the guess work that is making me crazy. It would take the pressure off and help me know my cycle better. Sounds like a plan! I'll buy it next month, when/if I begin my cycle again.
Have you ever used ovulation/fertility predictors?
I don't have any experience using predictors, I was working on understanding my fertility and correcting issues for too long, it would have gotten really expensive for me. I ended up coming across a really helpful book early on in the process and I used the software for awhile but eventually just printed the charting sheets and did temps. If you are relatively regular you can cut it down to just charting temps the two weeks around when you usually ovulate. Not sure how often you have to test with the kit to make sure you don't miss the days?
ReplyDeleteI don't know which technique will help you relax about it more but even with the kits there will be the daily decision of whether you need to use a test to check that day. With trying to get pregnant it is really hard to be proactive but also nonchalant at the same time. I was not very good at this at all during that phase of our lives but I think the amount of activity one has to do (daily, weekly, now and then or multiple times a day) isn't as much of a factor as the struggle to hold it in an open hand and keep perspective. There were times when I was charting temps every morning and we were trying on a schedule and I was getting surgery and taking medications but my heart was full of hope. There were also times when I threw in the towel and refused to think about it for days but my heart was full of discouragement. It is such a challenging journey, my heart goes out to you.
So I guess I don't have much practical help since I haven't tried the kits and I'll be interested to hear if anyone has help to offer who has tried both and could say what the difference in their experience was. Thinking of you girl and praying.