One

We have entered the first month that I am tracking my cycle! So now it’s all about this stuff:

Lesbian babymaking books, fancy digital OPKs (ovulation predictor kits), and cheapie generic OPKs. I’ve had the books for quite some time, but now I’m pouring over all the details that pertain to this part of the journey – how to track, when to track, what you need to use to track, etc, etc, etc.

I’m trying to be laid back about this cycle, knowing that since I just stopped the bcp, anything could happen, but I haven’t been able to help stressing a little about the whole OPK situation – What time to test? What test to use? I drink a ton of water – is that going to effect my results? What I’m reading says a lot of of water can dilute the hormones in your urine and mess with your results, but I always drink a lot of water…so if it’s normal for me, is it still bad? And since I drink a lot of water, I’m constantly peeing – how am I supposed to hold it for 4 hours to test?- etc, etc, etc. I think I’ve got it figured out now – I’m pairing the digital tests with cheapies, and I think I can take a longer break from the bathroom breaks after lunch at work – so I’ve just got to relax. I’ve got three whole months to get the hang of everything before we actually start trying.

I’ve also decided to track my basal body temperature (BBT), just for a month or two. All the books say that this is the only way to know for sure that you are ovulating, and I like that reassurance. So every morning at 5:30…beep beep! It’s pretty annoying, and I am so the type that would get obsessive over it, so I’m only going to do it for a month or two. Feel free to remind me that I said this at the end of June/beginning of July when I’m like, But how can I be sure without temping????, and tell me to chill out, stop obsessing and trust the OPKs.

So this is it. It’s cycle day 1.

 

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Acronyms & Definitions
Okay, so I know many of you who are familiar with the whole lesbian TTC (trying to conceive) world, and thus are down with the lingo.  But I know some others are not and may be wondering, WTF is up with the acronyms and what’s this temping business?  Hence, an explanatory footnote:

bcp: birth control pills
OPKs: ovulation predictor kit - You pee on these and get a positive when your LH (luteinizing hormone) surges.  Once you have surged, you will ovulate in 12-24 hours, so a positive test means it’s time to inseminate.  You’re supposed to hold your pee for four hours before testing.
BBT: basal body temperature – This is your body temperature at its lowest, which occurs when you awake from a full night sleep, before you get up and move around.  Your BBT will rise on the day you ovulate.  In order to track this effectively, you need to test it at the same time every day (5:30 am for me, since that’s when I get up for work).  The thermometer I have beeps.
CD1: cycle day 1 – the first day of your period, the cycle count starts here.

 

***Edited 11/1/09:***
This post was password-protected from the time it was published until 11/1/09.