Saturday, July 21, 2012

Thoughts on Temping...

Welcome if you are here from ICLW. For some background on where we are in our journey, be sure to check out my Crib Notes page.
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I'm temping again. I know, I know. I had promised to give it up after February's chart nearly killed me. But, being in a natural cycle with no drugs to obsess over or constant appointments to keep, a girl has to have a hobby. So even though I had  thrown out (all three) of my thermometers, I snuck back to Walgreens and bought a new one. *hangs head in shame*

Just so you know, I am being punished for it. I have a really good looking chart again. Fertility Friend is even telling me it is possibly triphasic. Of course, my body does not want me to get too excited or hopeful, so it is keeping me grounded with lots and lots of stark white pregnancy tests (does anyone else ever get the urge to grab a Sharpie and draw in that second line? Anyone?). So, since my body says "no" and my temps say "yes" (or at least, possibly), I have spent many many maaaaaaany hours combing through the charts gallery. And do you know what I've learned?

Your chart means nothing.

Seriously, I have seen beautiful, text book sample charts that all of a sudden plummet like a depression-era stock market chart.Your temps just do not matter.

Or at least they don't matter until the end. I have decided it is like playing the lottery. Imagine sitting there with your lottery ticket listened to the spokes-girl rattle off the numbers...66, 32, 99, 54 (97.5, 97.7, 97.9, 98.1). And you are going yes, yes, yes, yeeeeeees. But really, it all comes down to that last number. Without her calling the 42 you have on your ticket, you are not the big winner. Likewise, if that last temp comes up as a 97.1 instead of a 98.4, you will not be getting that take home prize of a baby.

Although, maybe that is not a great analogy. Because if you get 4 out of 5 lottery numbers, I think you still get something...a smaller prize amount. Having a good chart that plummets gets you nothing but a broken heart.

17 comments:

  1. I made a feeble attempt months ago...hmmm, actually it was probably more like a year ago, to chart my temperature. I found it worthless and frustrating, and left me wondering who the heck is actually able to chart their temperature accurately. The directions on my kit (I assume they are the same for every kit) said to take my temperature first thing in the morning before I've moved around too much and before I'm fully awake. Um, what?? How can I chart my temp if I'm not awake? I need to be awake to operate the thermometer and awake to record the results. It was a big fat failure and a waste of money for me.

    And, btw, I loved your lottery analogy. : )

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    1. Thank you. I do think temping is a near impossible feat. Not helped by the fact that I actually have trouble sleeping through the night when I temp since I get so "eager" to see the next temp (sad). This will be my last attempt regardless of outcome!

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  2. I relapse into temping again every once in a while too. No shame. I hope that you get that last lottery number and a very big pay off!

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  3. Thanks for visiting my blog today :)
    I attempted tempin during one cycle last year and ended up forgetting to take my temp too many days for it to mean anything. Good luck!

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    1. sigh, I wish I could forget. I think I would have to physically remove the thermometers from the room to keep me from temping when I am in the throws of it (and even then, I would probably temp when I got up and found them and try to analyze what it means). Sigh - I definitely need an intervention!

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  4. I was never any good at all with temping. I wake up a lot in the night, don't get up at a consistent time every day, so I felt like it wasn't doing me any good. Never mind that my charts never made any sense; I guess it just wasn't my thing. I feel a little better about my temping failures though reading this, haha, like that it might not matter anyway. Anyway, Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting on my blog. I look forward to reading more of yours. Happy ICLW.

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  5. Thanks for stopping by. Temping really is a cruel, cruel habit. There are no winners!

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  6. Hi from ICLW. I so understand the obsession with temping. I can't stop...ever! And it's amazing how much it can affect my mood from day-to-day. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who can't trust their chart, but I'm sorry you're getting mixed messages. I hope things get easier for you soon. Wishing you the best of luck!

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    1. It really is amazing how dependent my mood is on my temperature! Thanks for stopping by!

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  7. I used to consider myself a charting queen. I was damn good at it too: never missed a single day, all temps were taken at the exact same time, and I even documented all the extraneous stuff like CM, sex, meds, etc.

    And each morning with a new point in hand, I'd pour over other charts controlling for age, symptoms... the whole 9 yards. My RE told me to stop charting and I told her she'd have to pry my BBT out of my cold dead hands before I would consider that. But, it got to a point where I *had* to stop. For my sanity. I then dropped the BBT and only charted OPKs and CM. Those charts weren't nearly as satisfying or pretty but... they made my brain (and heart) hurt a little bit less.

    So, I get it. And I know what a mindfuck it is.

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    1. It really is. Another temp rise today and another bfn. Sigh. At least I am 11DPO. This can only conceivably go one for about 3 more days. I'm glad we have a plan for the following months though - it makes it a little bit easier.

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    2. I dont want to add any false sense of hope, but 11dpo is still early.

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  8. Ugh I hear you about the charting. It makes me crazy and yet I keep doing it. I, too, pretty consistently have a beautiful chart that consistently leads to the same conclusion - AF.

    Also, hi from ICLW

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  9. I like how you needed a hobby so you went with temping :) I actually never charted my temp because I was lucky enough to have the OPKs work for me. I don't think I would be very good at it either and am sure I would be completely frustrated by the process. Good luck with your new hobby :)

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  10. Thanks for stopping by and happy ICLW! Temping is such a bitch, it can really mess with your head! I know I would sometimes get so depressed just based on that one number, it could end up ruining my day. Often in our 2+ yrs of trying, I'd take a break from it! Never resulted in a "relax and surprise!" BFP but at least it helped my sanity. ;)

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  11. I think I may be in the minority when I say that I really like charting. I'm a scientist so all that data is so.much.fun. However, it can be soul-wrenching and demoralizing, all the same. I too have spent hours and hours studying charts on Fertility Friend, all for naught. I also think your analogy is brilliant. Thanks for stopping by and happy ICLW!

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  12. Greetings from ICLW!

    I concur, temps mean shit. I went the temping route long enough to realize that my body does whatever the hell it wants and O'ing was a nice little fairy tell the internet is trying to sell me. (That, and I have the natural body temperature of a well-meaning lizard).

    Love the lottery analogy. So true.

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