[silvek1978]

I know this question has been asked before but I am keen for fresh replies. I am keen to start charting temperatures again (haven't done it for 6 years) but this time I have 2 little people who:
A) continually steal my thermometer from the bedside table and hide it
B) Wake me up at various times of the morning
C) Often end up in the bed with me

In addition to this, if the thermometer is out of reach from the little people, then I completely forget to take my temp in the morning as it is not in view to prompt me, plus I need to get up at 5:30am on my work mornings, and can't bring myself to wake at 5:30 on my non-work days.

I am thinking it might be easier to use OPK's or Maybe Baby (although this would be an even better object to hide and mummy seek). With loooong annovular cycles though, I feel like that might be a bit arduous.
Is there anyone else in the same situation? What method did you choose?

[clm1982]

I use both.

I do sometimes have to get up to my DD in the middle of the night and she does end up in our bed sometimes too, she doesnt hide the thermometer though.

I wake up at 7am weekdays and on weekends i set my alarm for 7am temp then go back to sleep is that an option for you?

[silvek1978]

Yeah I could set the alarm for 5:30 every morning I suppose. I have read somewhere that you should be asleep in bed for at least 3 hours before you temp. That is unlikely for me. One of the 2 kids would have me up in the wee hours.

[futureself]

It's tricky because to get a truly accurate picture of what you're body is doing you do need both. As you may know, an OPK detects the LH surge pre-ovulation BUT doesn't guarantee ovulation. You can surge but not ovulate. It's then seeing that sustained temp rise that will confirm ovulation and progesterone levels and length of your luteal phase. Tricky with the little thermometer stealers though!

[duck-o-lah]

If I were you I would do both, as pp said in order to nail an O date you need a predictive (opk) and retrospective (temping) indicator of ovulation.

If you're having issues with temping, maybe just keep going, but use the temps as a rough guide only. Record the time you take your temp and if you've been sleep deprived, so when you're looking back at your chart you can rule out any dodgy temps that don't really fit the pattern.

I don't take my temp at the same time every morning, so my chart is pretty jumpy, but it's still sufficient to pinpoint O.

As for the thermometer pinchers, I don't know what you do about that! Could you blu-tac the thermometer to your bedhear or something?

[Bubble11]

As PP's have said I'd do both. Temperature readings aren't supposed to be very accurate with less than 3 - 4 hrs uninterupted sleep, but should still give you some idea.

Personally I find OPK's easier, cause don't have to remember to do it when I wake and am groggy. If you have long cycles I'd get internet cheapies, some good ones I use from ebay, otherwise could get very expensive. I've heard good things on here about fertility 2 family who are aussy (sell through ebay and also own internet site), I use fertilityplan but they're in the UK and tests can take a couple of weeks to get here - they do quick postage, but costs a bit more.

[silvek1978]

Thanks ladies,
I didn't know that you could get a +ve OPK with the LH surge but not actually ovulate. Thats def a motivator to chart my temp as well and find some way taking temps each morning. This morning for example, DD decided that 3am was a good time to let me know she wanted to be in our bed, and that 5:30am was a good time to wander her hands all over my face. So i took my temp then and rolled back to sleep until 7! Charting is so much harder the second/third/forth time round.
I have bought some cheapy OPKs. Will see how it goes.

[*Katey*]

Yup, I use both as well.

I have been using OPK's for the last 4 months, but only started temping the last 2.

I was assuming that I was ovulating the day after a positive OPK, but upon starting to temp, it has become apparent that I actually ovulate 2 days after my positive OPK.

So I was miscalculating ovulation. I was out by a whole day.

So temping really does help. It can confirm ovulation for you, whereas OPK's can't tell you which exact day you ovulate, and also can't confirm ovulation.

This post has been edited by KateyDee: 30/03/2012, 01:21 PM