"Charting" for lazy people

[glitzy07]

A while back someone linked to a method of "charting" for lazy people, that basically laid out a plan for when to have sex during your cycle if you don't feel like charting.

Can someone remind me of that link if you know what I'm talking about? I tried googling a few different things with no luck.

This month will be our first cycle actually trying, but I don't feel like charting right away. I thought this might be a good alternative.

TIA!

[Deleted]

It's called the Sperm Meets Egg Plan:

•Starting on CD8 begin having sex every other night.
•Begin ovulation testing around CD10.
•When your OPK comes back positive, have sex that night, plus two additional nights in a row (so 3 nights in a row from the day of +OPK)
•Skip one night, then have sex one last time.
•If you never recieve a positive OPK, continue having sex every other night until CD35, then do a pregnancy test if your period has not begun.

[hannamaren]

For us, I did oPKs starting at day 10ish every day sometimes twice a day. Until day 18-20ish (stoping if I got a positive)
Then we hadsex on days 14-18 (when possible) and definitely on positive OPK day. My cycle was 31 days.
We were lucky.

[mommylikestattoos]

I used the Period Tracker lite app (iPhone). I put in the dates my last two periods started, then it tells you your estimated ovulation date and fertile window. Got it on during that timeframe. We were successful.... no charting, temping, etc. Doesn't get any lazier than that lol!

[glitzy07]

Aug 5, 2012 20:25:56 GMT -5 @msstarry said:

I don't know what you are talking about specifically but using the Wondfo opks are what worked for us. I think I drank too much alcohol for charting to work. Not that I was an alcoholic or anything but my temps were always wacky when I had more than one drink a night before. Then again some people never get a positive opk and get pregnant.

Anyway next time (if there is a next time) I plan on using opks twice a day starting on CD 9 or 10 and then having sex every day after that for a few days, at least for the first few months, in addition to tracking the length of time between periods.

I've read a bit about the drinking thing too. I don't drink all too frequently, but in the summer it's definitely more than the winter and could be difficult with charting.

I've been off the pill for three months, and all three months my cycle has been exactly 30 days. I'm hoping that will work in my favor since I can follow what the FF calendar says mostly. But I'll probably buy some of the Wondfo OPKs. What are the basics of using an OPK? Are they best with FMU like a pregnancy test?

[hannamaren]

No, Ovulation predictors are better in the afternoon because that is when things change.
I dont remember the details.

[CloudBee]

Start using ovulation test sticks on day 7'ish your first month. I usually O around day 10, and would miss a decent window of opportunity if I stuck with day 10 as my start date for testing.

Yes, test with O sticks in the afternoon. Some type of hormone is more prevalent during that time of day.

Good luck!

[thoseareradishes]

Try to hold your pee for a little while before you test, if you can. Remember that the test line has to be as dark or darker than the control line. Good luck!!

ETA: Opps, sorry! Has to be as dark or darker to be positive. I often get faint lines for a few days before.

[thedash]

With the wondfo opk a faint line is normal. Mine get very noticeably darker 2-3 days per month.

ETA by "normal" I mean a non-ovulating day will give you a faint line. Only very dark indicates ovulation.

[curbsideprophet]

Aug 5, 2012 20:00:17 GMT -5 @notquiteblushing said:

It's called the Sperm Meets Egg Plan:

This sounds like more work than charting.

[glitzy07]

Awesome, thanks for all the info on the OPKs. I ordered a pack from Amazon last night and read through some of the reviews there as well, so I think I know what I'm doing now.

[karinothing]

Aug 6, 2012 0:35:55 GMT -5 curbsideprophet said:

Aug 5, 2012 20:00:17 GMT -5 @notquiteblushing said:

It's called the Sperm Meets Egg Plan:

This sounds like more work than charting.

I agree with this! I woke up, popped a thermometer in my mouth, enter temp in FF. The end. (oh well I had sex too obviously).

[schrodinger]

Aug 5, 2012 21:01:17 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

Yes, test with O sticks in the afternoon. Some type of hormone is more prevalent during that time of day.

Most people see the LH spike in the afternoon, but I always caught mine around 10am (SMU). Your first cycle, I would just experiment like crazy, take an OPK each time you pee for a few days. That way you can figure out when you personally have an LH surge. Once you know your peak time, you can slow down to 1-2 per day around your peak time. Wondfo's are cheap enough that you can get away with testing a lot for a few days.

Good luck!