My fertility chart does not make sense...can anyone help decipher?

Question

I stopped taking my birth control pills in mid May and I had been on it for 8 year straight.

When I went off the pill my first cycle was really long; my period was 15 days later than I expected.

This month is my second cycle and I thought everything was right on target after I started my period according to what fertilityfriend.com predicted. But then today my BBT started droping only 7 days past ovulation, and it's been below the cover line for 2 days now.

I got my period 7/2 and it only lasted 2 days of medium flow and 1 day of light flow and a little spotting a few days after that (rare because the medium flow usually lasts for about 4 days and then tapers off). My chart shows that I ovulated on CD 14 and my BBT stayed above the cover line for CD 14-19, and then dropped on CD 20 and 21. What gives? I think it's too early for my period and I obviously don't think I'm pregnant if my temps are dropping.

Answer 1

It may take a few cycles for your body to regulate coming off the BC pills.  Since they are hormone based they can do fun things to your cycle when you do start TTC.  

The first month that we started TTC this time I skipped the entire first month!  I thought for sure I was preggo even though my temps were all over the place lol.  I had a long cycle of 38 days and my luteal phase was the longest at 26 days!  Yes folks you can have a 26 day luteal phase;)  

Charting your temps is tricky.  I found that out from the get go.  Like I said they were everywhere and fertility friend finally figured out when I ovulated then changed it on me... it was a mess.  However, when I got used to temping and what not to do it was a lot better.  

For instance, always try you VERY best to take your temp at the same time before you get up for anything.  I had been getting up so much in the night to go to the bathroom.  

Make sure that you wear or not wear the same type of clothing at night, blankets and so on.  I learned that too can effect your temp.  Some nights I was more cold (this was back in March)  and others there would be little on and few covers if any.  There was a huge difference when I started keeping track of how many covers and so forth.  

Lack of sleep can also throw off your temps... there are so many factors.  They say that temping vaginally is more accurate.  I tried it once and hated it but if you want to give it a try it may help your chart.  

I would say that it would be highly unlikely you were pregnant if you are staying in the lower... that usually means a drop in progesterone and the onset of your period.  

If it becomes too stressful only temp to discover when you ovulated then leave it and just have fun.  Sometimes when we get to charting we can get a little crazy and stress ourselves as well as our hubby's (experience)  ;)

I wish that I could see your chart and see if there was anything that stood out... it's been a long day and hard for me to visualize but hope that helped.  Let me know if you have any more questions.

In the meantime if you have not already I really encourage you to sign up for the free lessons on FF via email.  They have been most helpful to me.  

Best of luck and blessings :)

Answer 2

The answer from the first responder seems really accurate and applicable. The only thing I'd want to add to it is that a drop in your BBT  after ovulation (one that lasts for more than a few days) can denote that your progesterone level is not high enough. This can cause many problems when TTC because it can prevent your body from being able to withstand a pregnancy, resulting in trouble TTC or miscarriages.

However, before you worry about this, I'd wait and make sure that your body is really back into the swing of things after getting off of the birth control. This could take anywhere from 1 month to a year. You will be able to know from seeing a pattern in ovulation and regular cycles. If this drop in temperature keeps occuring each cycle, you should talk to your doctor. If this is a problem for you, there are simple hormonal therapies that can correct it.

As for now, wait and see if your temp goes back up. A drop for a day or two could be okay and mean nothing. Then monitor your upcoming cycles to make sure this is not a recurring pattern. After that, you should have some kind of answer, either a regular cycle or a starting place to consult your doctor.

TTC is VERY confusing at times, and can cause a lot of stress. Trust me, I've been doing it since November 2007, and have had 11 cycles during this time. I've been through countless highs and lows so far. Just remember that it can take time- sometimes a lot of time- but that you have to keep level-headed and handle each day at a time. I can't tell you to not stress because while stress can make things worse, telling you not to doesn't change a thing. Instead, I say to just take things as they come and process them as best you can, and find an outlet. Talking to others who are going through the same thing can be a great way to find things out and find comfort. Good luck in everything!