Day 13 of Cycle - Gearing Up

Over the weekend I got to sleep in and I had a temperature that was higher than usual.  It came in at 98 degrees, whereas normally I am around 97.6 degrees.  I thought, holy cow, I am ovulating early.  But it was just because I slept in.  That extra two hours of sleep let my body temp rise .4 degrees.  So I went ahead and looked online at how big of a jump to expect when ovulating.

So the shift actually happens after ovulation by a day or two although it should start climbing immediately after.  And the shift is only .4 to .6 degrees.  I am also looking for the cervical mucus to indicate that I am in a fertile time period. 

So over the next couple of days, I should begin to see an increase in mucus and then by Friday I should see an increase in temperature. 

Day 8 of Cycle - Same old, Same old

Which is fine, there should be nothing exciting happening on day 8 of your cycle.  Just come off of my period and gearing up for the midmonth "work".  I am taking my temperature every morning.  I have been running at 97.8 or 97.9 degrees.  I should be up .4 to .5 degrees when I ovulate. 

We were talking tonight about how the kids still aren't quite sure about the whole "baby in the belly" thing and how all that works.  Jac at one point this summer said something to the effect of Mommy was in Daddy's belly, Jac was in my belly and Mia was in his belly.  Sort of psuedo Russian dolls.  Of one thing he is sure, he definitely came out of my belly.  How the rest of us got here, well we may never know.

Day 5 of Cycle - Started Basal Temp Readings

Yesterday was a good day.  I finally was fully convinced that I was not pregnant.  I started my period more fully, no more just spotting so of course that helped.  I also got some cramps, also a good sign.  I began to feel normal as the day wore on, very good.

This morning I started taking my basal temperature.  It was 97.9 degrees.  I run very cool during the first part of my cycle.  I started taking my temperature, maybe,  a year before I wanted to get pregnant the first time.  I had it in my head that it would be very difficult and I wanted to set myself up for success.

I tracked my temperature for a long time and it really helped me get to know my body.  It is good that I am doing this again.  I will get a better feel for my cycle as it stands now, because it has definitely changed since my first pregnancy. It is shorter and less predictable.  I will have a  little more assurance that I am ovulating because of the temperature swing.  All very good things. 

Day 4 of cycle - Feel Odd

I just feel odd.  The test was negative and I don't feel pregnant, but I do feel odd.  Next month I am going to assume that I have two fertile days.  One when I would normally ovulate and one when I could have a lunar ovulation. 

This is kind of odd and not widely accepted.  The theory is that you can ovulate any time during your cycle with the phase of the moon that you were born under.  I do think you have to be actively trying to conceive in order to spur your body to ovulate again.  I was born on a full moon, so I have a chance of ovulating everytime there is a full moon.  This month that will be on the 18th day of my cycle, which would be much later than a normal ovulation.  So we are going to give it a go on that day also.

The other thing that I am going to do is take my temperature.  This is helpful because it will keep me from spending too much money on tests.  I did take my second test this morning, because I just hadn't really started yet and sort of still had it my head that I was bleeding from implantation and the test just couldn't detect my hormone levels yet.  So with taking my temperature I will see the drop in temp and know that I am not pregnant even if I don't have a full blown period, just spotting.

The key with temperature taking is consistency.  I have to take it in the morning, before I get out of bed to get my basal temperature.  Then when it goes up, that means that I am ovulating or close to ovulating.  It will only go up a half of a degree or so.  Then it should stay elevated until the end of the cycle when it will either stay elevated because I am pregnant or it will drop because I will start my period.

So I am going to do both of these different things in February to see if we can have a successful month!  We'll see.

Day 28 of cycle - Negative Test

So I woke up early this morning to pee on a stick and got the old "your not pregnant" result.  No big deal, I think.  Maybe after six months of this I won't be so laissez faire, but today it is really okay.  We get to try again and this will mean an October or November baby which is very good.  I am not sure what will happen if we go two months without getting pregnant because I am not so sure I want a December baby.  But at some point I guess I will "take what I get and not throw a fit". 

So next month, I don't really have major things that I will change.  Potentially not excersizing so hard during ovulation.  I don't know, can you shake it loose? 

Day 27 of Cycle - Still Don't Know Yet

I don't think that I am pregnant.  I am not 100% sure yet though.  I actually have been spotting since yesterday, but it could be implantation bleeding.  This sounds far fetched to some of you, but really there is such a thing and I had with Mia.  Really  light spotting 6 to 12 days after ovulation.  The only problem is I could actually be starting, since my cycle is so short it is impossible to tell.

With Mia I actually thought it was my period and didn't think I was prego.  I took a test a few days later when Jeff told me I was acting pregnant.  This time however, neither one of us feels like I am pregnant, so I am probably not. 

But if I don't know by Saturday morning I am taking a test.  Either the bleeding will stop and I will take a test or it will get heavier and I will be on my period.  Only two paths to go down!

Day 19 of cycle - Headache

I woke up today with a headache.  I don't get many headaches and when I do I have a hard time functioning.  When I was pregnant with Jac I especially remember the headaches, not so much with Mia.

I am on day 19 of my cycle and could be pregnant by 6 days, that would mean that implantation could be occuring in four more days on Sunday.  More than likely this is the beginning of a cold or flu and not pregnancy hormones as they aren't supposed to really kick in until after implantation.  We'll see.  I felt great yesterday and today I fell yucky. 

I am going to go drink a glass of water.

Day 18 of cycle - Counting Down

I am counting  down the days until I can take a pregnancy test.  I should start my period on the 11th or 12th of February.  So I think I should be able to test this weekend.  We'll see, so far no other symptoms and my boobs don't really feel sore anymore.

I have been trying to work out pretty hard in January, but now I am starting to worry that maybe I should have taken it a bit easier the last couple of days.  Can you shake anything loose?  On TV they always tell you that you should lie back and relax for awhile and not do anything vigorous for days.  Who does that?  Really, can you be in a prone position waiting to be prego?  Yuk, I had to go on bedrest with Jac for one week and that was tough enough.  But to feel perfectly healthy and to lie back and rest for no apparant reason seems absurb.

I asked my doctor's nurse practioner when I was in last what type of exercise and food I should avoid.  She looked at me like I was crazy.  She said, everything in moderation.  You can do anything you want in moderation.  Then she came back and said, no contact sports like boxing of course.  She looked at me like I was an idiot for not knowing that I shouldn't box during pregnancy.  I really like her, she is old school.

Day 17 of cycle - Sore B**bies

I don't know why I didn't want to put boobies in my title, it just felt explicit.  Regardless, I think my boobs are sore but it could all be in my head.

On another note.  I found out a friend of mine who has had fertility issues and been trying to have a baby for I believe four years now had a big disappointment yesterday.  They found out that she won't be able to complete this cycle of IVF with an egg donor.  They have to wait to sync back up with the donor which will take four to six weeks.

I am so blessed to have to wonderful children.  They are happy and healthy and if God blesses us again that will be fantastic, but if it doesn't happen; that is okay also.