? for Creighton users

[Lil_M]

I know NFP threads have been done to death but I’m going a little :banghead: here. I either have relatively easy, 35 day cycles where identifying peak is no problem, but mostly marathon ones (40-45 days) where I have NO CLUE. I’m on my 25th consecutive white baby sticker day. My instructor gave me yellow ones for mucus days AFTER peak. I’ve had peak type several times, but just a little, and then a couple days of non, and then more peak type…you get the idea. I dont’ feel like I can tell when it is, there hasn’t been any significant change in a month. FH is very understanding, if we have to wait a couple months till you figure it out, no big deal. But I know this is an ongoing thing for me. I started doing the essential sameness and I just sit there with my chart going, “I don’t know! Some was, some was different.”

I just don’t see the point, if we’re going to be abstaining for 4-5 weeks at a time. That’s the whole reason why we switched, because of the long fertile stretches with symptothermal.

Anyone else about to cry over their chart??

 

[Mary_Gail_36]

I do Billings I understand that Creighton uses the same chart. I had lots of white baby stickers this month. (about 2 weeks worth)

With Billings, there is also the basic infertile pattern that means slight mucus that doesn’t change (use a plain yellow sticker for that) I think to understand basic infertile pattern, you need to chart for about 3 months (always billings) for that.

What you describe sounds perhaps infertile (don’t quote me)

Also, you are probably stressed about the wedding…that might throw mucus patterns off.

Besides, 45 days sounds long. Before I had children, I had some of those cycles. One month no mucus or anything at all (no AF, and then the following month mucus about 2 weeks before AF.
Could be anovulatory months.

What happens when you back track? What do you notice going backwards from AF. If you don’t notice peak type mucus, it could be you didn’t ovulate, or, you didn’t produce enough mucus.

But, I’m not an expert (nor do I play one on TV )

 

[agapewolf]

Few things might be going on here:

I had the same problem and I had a cervical aversion. The NFP teachers have a standardized way of adding in yellow stickers very carefully. At some point, you may be given them for pre-peak as well. Eventually, you CAN learn to tell the difference between the different types. It took me awhile, but then I became expert! If the aversion is your problem, find An NFP-only doc. (Well, find one anyway). I had a “cryo” done and it completely fixed the problem!

Also, stress can cause this too.

Be patient. It is very frustrating at first, especially when things don’t happen the way the book says it should, but eventually you can figure things out!

 

[pumpkinbeast]

I’ve been having one of those cycles, too, but I just came through exams, and I’m VERY sure that screwed up my cycle. All my others have been easy to track. You’re getting married in a month, I don’t blame you if you’re a bit stressed, and perhaps you have other things going on in your life that are messing with your cycles. See if you can’t find some correlation between stress and these long, confusing cycles. If there doesn’t seem to be any, then maybe trying to find an NFP-knowledgeable doc would be a good idea.

 

[Footprints04]

Hi,

I am having very much the same problem. Though some of it I blame on the fact that several different meds have been added and taken away to try and “fix” the problem. I was put on progesterone for 2 cycles, and then I asked to be taken off it since it only seemed to be causing spotting and increased appetite. Now I’ve been put on T3 and I’m really wanting to just “stay constant” for several cycles and I hope things will start getting better…but I’m rather doubtful.

What frustrates me as well is I seem to have several “peak type” days. I am not sure how to identify a true “peak” day, and my instructor keeps getting on me for that. It really frustrates me because its like hey, I’m charting what I say and I can’t change what I see. Just really annoying sometimes trying to figure this out, when in so many ways I don’t see any way to figure it out.

I’ve had long talks with FH as well about this, but we luckily have 19 months before we get married (wedding date 12/12/09). We have decided it will be a lot of “taking chances” on days we feel good about. I know the Creighton model says that there is no such thing, and in our case we just may decide to do that. It is our decision and we will do our best with the cards we’ve been dealt. Do I want to get pregnant right after we get married…no I really don’t. But in the end, I’d rather have a healthy and happy marriage, and hopefully with time we’d learn more about my cycle and understand which days are technically “yellow stamp” days. The other issue we are dealing with is we aren’t sure that I’m ovulating…if that is the case, well the widespread fertile mucus isn’t truely that.

So anyways…a poster above mentioned a cervical aversion. What is that? Also what is the procedure “cyro” you mention? I might look into something like that since I’m not sure if I’ve had something specific like that checked (I’ve had normal exams, but nothing to specifically look at whether there is a problem with my cervix causing the extra mucus production).

Thanks! And I hope some of the things I said might offer some thoughts, even though I know I can’t help all that much. I

 

[agapewolf]

Hi,

So anyways…a poster above mentioned a cervical aversion. What is that? Also what is the procedure “cyro” you mention? I might look into something like that since I’m not sure if I’ve had something specific like that checked (I’ve had normal exams, but nothing to specifically look at whether there is a problem with my cervix causing the extra mucus production).

. I

It’s important to have an NFP-only doc. Found at www.omsoul.com

A cervical aversion, is something like scar tissue on the cervix. A cryo is freezing of the cervix. It is not painful, just awkward. I only had slight cramps after. It almost completely stopped the mucous that gets yellow stickers.

Having an NFP-only doc that can look at your charts really helps.

 

[Lil_M]

With regard to stress- yes, that usually means a marathon for me, but also it sometimes happens for NO reason! Most of it must be infertile, obviously, but since I can’t figure out the diff I have to chart it as fertile. Do you still have peak-type mucus in anovulatory cycles? Footprints, you are lucky you got started sooner than I did. It was just a couple months ago that I thought maybe I should be more serious about this, the wedding was getting a little close for comfort! I know exactly how you feel. Congrats on your engagement, I wanted Dec. wedding too! But FH talked me into doing it sooner

I checked, there is actually a few NFP only drs. not too far away, so I guess if my instructor thinks there’s a problem based on my charts it’s do-able to go there. Sigh, sometimes I wish it was FH doing the charting and I could be lazy!

 

[reganq]

We have been using Creighton for a little over five years now. The yellow stamps can be very frustrating. Especially during the first few months.

We had to use them several months after DD #2 was born. The essential sameness question is tricky to peg down at first. It seems more like a gut feeling/guess the first few months of use. But, we were finally able to get the hang of it.

We were able to successfully able to identify true peak type mucus after about 9 months of using yellow stamps. I was having problems with long cycles, but progesterone helped to clear up that problem after about 3 months. Shortly after really becoming confident with the yellow stamp instruction, we were able to conceive our DS (#3).

The weird thing is that after DS was born, we didn’t need to use the yellow stamps. But, after he was born, I also made some major dietary changes in that I eliminated artificial sweeteners (especially Splenda) from my diet. I am not sure if that is what caused the constant mucus pattern (or virtually constant), but I did notice a huge change after that. (Oh, and my doc checked me, my cervix was not abnormal in any way.)

It may take you a long time to become comfortable with the method. I would say that it took us a good 3 years or a little more to feel like pros at the method. But, our marriage has done nothing but benefit from the constant communication and growing through the struggle, added S.P.I.C.E., etc.

Hang in there. It will get better. This is definitely a test of patience and perseverance. I will be praying for you and your FH.

P.S. I would definitely get FH in on the charting. For awhile, my DH did the stickers at the end of the day. But, we’ve gotten incredibly lazy about that part of it. But, we aren’t exactly charting at the moment for a good reason.