QuestionQUESTION: Hi Brigid,
I am new to actually applying nfp methods which I got from the nfpandmore website. I think that I have a pretty good understanding of it, but I'm not sure of a couple of things, so I would like some insight if possible.
First off is a dry day really truly dry or with an internal examination will there always be some residue? I seem to always have some, so it's difficult to chart my mucus patch if I'm supposed to be dry.
Second, and I know you're not a doctor, but I'm wondering if I'm ovulating or just too difficult to chart. To sum it up, I became pregnant in August 2007 and that pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage and I was diagnosed with a luteal phase defect. I got pregnant again in Nov and was on prometrium for 8 weeks, my little girl was carried to term and is still nursing at 20 months, although I went back to work at 6 weeks, so I pumped until she was 6 months. I was put on the mini pill at postpartum and never had a cycle until Sept 2009 when I was taken off of it then put back on the nuvaring. Of course I had a cycle like clockwork every month once I was on the ring. Our insurance has become ridiculous and my DH and can no longer afford it and I really hate the side effects, so I'm trying nfp. My last ring came out 2/28 and I started my cycle and charting on 3/4. My concern is that I'm at day 19 and I have shown no signs of ovulation and I have no way of knowing if I'm in a safe period (for not getting pregnant) or not. My temperature hasn't shown any signs of elevating nor has my cervical mucus been any different. It has been a very small amount of tacky mucus and I thought last Sunday (day 11) maybe it would become substantial since there was a little stretch (1/2 an inch) but the next day it was gone. Will I continue on like this? Is nfp not a good choice for me? Thanks in advance for your insight and advice.
~Roxanne
ANSWER: i"m sure that NFP will be a good choice for you but right now you have to get the chemical hormones out of your system and allow your body to return to natural / normal. I think you are either not ovulating this month or a late ovulation. It may be that you will have to be patient for a couple of months while you build the history you need to do NFP.
That's what NFP is, history that allows you to make educated judgments. It will get better. But you can't expect clockwork like the chemicals can give you, along with the side effects. Let me know in a couple of months what things look like.
Sounds like you have a good handle on reading the symptoms, and that is really a good thing. You will be empowered as you gain practice and experience and eventually you will wonder how you ever got along without knowing what you now know!!
Thanks for the question. Let me know if I can help you any further.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thank you for the encouragement. I figured that it would take awhile to get back on track, but I also wondered if maybe I'm not ovulating because I'm still nursing. Or if because of my luteal phase defect, if that's why I'm having difficulty interpreting all signs. I guess there is no way to know that for sure.
So, I may have been unclear with your answer regarding cervical mucus. Were you saying that I always have some because of the bc chemicals?
AnswerI can't really say much about your cervical mucus. I think you will just have to keep checking it and get the broader picture over time. It is possible that nursing can interfere with your mucus readings as well as the luteal phase defect. You are doing the right thing, it will just take a bit more time to get the whole picture. God bless and Happy Easter.
