...cycles.

 [ Disclaimer ]

This post may be too much information for most of you... (like for our parents...or potentially our siblings...or even perfect strangers)...I guess that's the downside of having a non-anonymous blog...but if you care to read, please do! I know in trying to get pregnant that I love reading on other blogs about how other couples planned or didn't plan their pregnancy... timing... what they did... advice... and how its not always as easy as it sounds. And it's refreshing to hear real stories, brutally honest and all. So here is what I am up to...             

Ovulation Kits!
I chose to buy an ovulation kit because quite honestly I don't know what the heck my body is up to...like I've mentioned before. My cycles (which I now call them cycles instead of the ever so discouraging and constricting term "month") are anywhere from 23-52 days. Sweet, right?! Right. So when I tell people we are trying to get pregnant, they are kind enough to check in and ask again a month later with excitement in their voices...are you pregnant?! And... I have yet to even complete one cycle, nor do I know where I am at in that cycle...half way?! near the end? close to spewing all over the floor?! I haven't the slightest.

[ this is how the LH surge picked up in OPKs correlate to ovulation, found here ]

This month I couldn't bear to spend $126 for the clear blue monitor that I talked about here....nor the $30 for the 30 test strips [prices found on amazon]. I decided to go a much cheaper route, for now. I bought Target's (big surprise there right?!) Ovulation Predictor Kit (or the abbreviation OPK - I am new to all these TTC terms -Trying To Conceive). Its about $15 for this 20 strip package. I thought it was a good deal for an at-home science experiment.

 [ the kit contents ]

[ detailed instructions of positive vs. negative and what to do ]

 [look at this cute little container to hold all the strips]

I have been doing these OPK strips for this whole cycle so far (currently on day 17 of ?!)... and its been about the same result within the negative realm. Its kind of fun, its like taking a pregnancy test without the pressure...or shelling out the big bucks.

 [ may 11... negatory ]

[ may 18...also pretty negative ]

Basal Body Temperature

Ok... I have been majorly fighting this internal debate as to whether or not I should subject myself to daily temps. I know, I pee on a stick daily, why couldn't I just take my temperature?! Well I'm going to start. With the encouragement from jennifer- from girl of the grove, my acupuncturist, a few nurses at work, and many other TTC blogs...I will be trying this. I love making lists, and I also love making spreadsheets as it turns out. So I made an excel spreadsheet to chart my daily temps, cycle, work schedule, exercise, stressors, any "symptoms", and lots of other categories that I managed to squeeze in there. Its like journaling.... but easier and compact. So now, with my shreadsheet, temperatures are all of a sudden fun! I will keep you updated on what I find... if I was right about being all over the place with my irregular sleep schedule or if I was judging the method a little too quickly. I will however still refuse mucus checks.

Oh... but what did I decide to do about my night shift dilemma?! Well according to here, they said that after my night shift and I go to sleep in the morning/daytime...then after at least three hours of non-interrupted sleep I can take my temperature upon waking.

And what am I going to do if I get a dip in my temperature or a positive OPK?! I don't really know. I guess I will do some mad google searches at that point. Regardless of anything, we are doing the rabbit thing every other day... so do we need to change that schedule based on these science experiments? I haven't the slightest...

[ snapshots from the wksheet, I couldn't get the full wksheet in an image ]

If you happen to want my spreadsheet that I adapted from babyhopes that you can modify yourself... then email me! Otherwise I will be alone in this crazy worksheet world, color coding my little heart out :)

** update... I got a positive OPK test today- monday. I'm thrilled. That means (potentially) I'm ovulating. Sweet!!**