What's your NFP charting process?

[Augusta_Sans]

Do you chart on paper? Do you use an online application? Software? An Excel spreadsheet? Tell me about your fertility bookkeeping.

 

[Em_in_FL]

I print up this chart and fill it in by hand.
I have almost 9 years worth of charts (minus my 3 pregnancies) all in one drawer in the bathroom…

 

[perfectpeach]

Right now I will only be using stickers to chart mucous! I don’t chart temps yet because i am up at least 6 times a night.

 

[Lil_M]

Paper. Really the only option for my method at this time, and just as well b/c my computer requires resuscitation every couple months Although it would be neat to have an easier method of comparing data than holding the charts side by side!

 

[2HunnyBuns]

I use a paper chart that’s clipped to a clipboard with all the previous months. I tried using one of the online sites (something w/ 28 days in the web address) but I could never remember to chart on there and there were so many options for everything that it was a little overwhelming. I probably do need to get back to doing either a spreadsheet or online charting since my dh wants to see a spreadsheet (No idea why he doesn’t just look at the chart, but I’m not going to complain since I know he’s not thrilled that we’re doing NFP in the first place.)

 

[Red_Beard]

I programmed www.naturally-fertile.com to help symto-thermal charting couples. It is free, can be used even when you aren’t home, and you won’t lose your charts if your computer crashes or a munchkin finds a pen.

My wife really likes it. You should check it out.

God bless,
Red Beard

 

[Augusta_Sans]

I programmed www.naturally-fertile.com to help symto-thermal charting couples. It is free, can be used even when you aren’t home, and you won’t lose your charts if your computer crashes or a munchkin finds a pen.

My wife really likes it. You should check it out.

God bless,
Red Beard

I’m going to try it out! Can you explain a few things to me?

(1) How do I set Day 1?
(2) Under Menstruation, what means NONE? (0? NA?) What means HEAVY? (4?) Or am I supposed to choose the Day # of m
(3) Under Cervix open, what means most open? (0? 4?)
(4) Under Cervix high, what means highest? (0? 4?)
(5) Under Cervix firm, what means highest? (0? 4?)
(6) Under Mood, should I go by moodiest or least moody?
(7) Will it automatically calculate my fertility as it gathers data, or will it just generate the chart?

(I haven’t charted in several years and am still relearning.)

 

[Red_Beard]

I’m going to try it out! Can you explain a few things to me?

quote=Augusta Sans;6033945 How do I set Day 1?

Click the “May Charts” tab; Enter info (or leave blank, that’s up to you) click “save changes.”
On the new chart page, click “New Observation;” select the date of the first day of your cycle, and any other pertinent info. Click “save changes.”

(2) Under Menstruation, what means NONE? (0? NA?) What means HEAVY? (4?) Or am I supposed to choose the Day # of m

For this one there is more than one way to do it. If you do nothing, enter no information it will stay blank on the chart page. If you enter 0, it will mark the chart as such.
4 equals heavy.

(3) Under Cervix open, what means most open? (0? 4?)

0 equal least open, 4 equals most open.

(4) Under Cervix high, what means highest? (0? 4?)

0 equals lowest, 4 equals highest.

(5) Under Cervix firm, what means highest? (0? 4?)

You only have two options in the drop down box: “soft” or “firm.”

(6) Under Mood, should I go by moodiest or least moody?

The mood scale is really up to you haw to use it, if at all. For women who have frequent mood swings 0-4 could mean the severity of the swing (0=little swing/no change, 4=major swing/big change). For women whose mood is more stable, 0 could be a bad mood that day and 4 could be a really good mood that day. Whatever make the most sense for you.

(7) Will it automatically calculate my fertility as it gathers data, or will it just generate the chart?

Right now it only calculates the end of phase I based on three months of temperature charts. I would like to have it do full interpretations, but there has been so little interest in the site, and it is so much work to get all the rules working right that have not gotten past the first one. So right now it will generate the charts for you, but you still have to interpret your cycle and fertility.

(I haven’t charted in several years and am still relearning.)

Good luck to you. If you originally took the classes with CCL, you have free refresher courses for life. All you have to do is get in touch with them. www.ccli.org

If not, keep working at it. And let us know if there is anything else we can do to help, should change on the site, etc. please let me know.

God bless,
Red Beard
[/quote]

 

[Augusta_Sans]

Red Beard, I have to tell you how impressed I am with the application, especially knowing it’s still kind of in “beta” mode. I’m going to continue using it for awhile.

 

[Red_Beard]

Thank you! It’s nice to hear that someone likes it even though it is very much in “beta” mode. I hope you will continue using it, that would be great!

God bless,
Red Beard

 

[pumpkinbeast]

I chart with Creighton, and I use a spreadsheet on my computer, and fill in the blocks just like I would with stickers and/or info. I love how flexible it is, and since I have longer cycles than average, it’s a lot easier for me to adjust the size of the chart as I need to. Backing it up might not be a bad idea, though… >.>

 

[Augusta_Sans]

pumpkinbeast, would you be willing to share your spreadsheet with me? I’m trying to find the best way to chart. For me it’s NOT paper.

 

[pumpkinbeast]

Sure, can you PM me your email? I’ll send you a sample!

 

[armywife]

I used to chart online, now I am so lazy. I just use the family calendar with all our activities. Luckily I have a very regular cycle so I just use my own shorthand:

PB: Period begin
PE: Period End
F: Fertile sign
the F1, F2 and so one for the three days.

 

[smallcat]

www.fertilityfriend.com

I love it! I used the basic (free) version but you can pay a fee and have access to thousands of charts which are searchable by any conceivable (pun intended!) variable.

 

[Rach620]

I used paper, then went to using a GoogleDocs spreadsheet that I designed myself, but recently went back to the paper. My Creighton instructor wasn’t as much a fan of my computer charting as I was, and told me to transfer everything to the standard paper chart before I went to the doctor for a medical consultation.

After spending 2 hours+ going cross-eyed by transferring my NFP data from the computer to the paper charts and adding stickers, I’m not sure I’d risk it again by going back to the computer only. Plus it’s easy for me to forget about charting when I do it online.