Question
NFP Chart
Hello,
I have been using NFP for several years now, self-taught with CCLI's home study course. I am pregnant with my third child. In the cycle I became pregnant, I traveled to China for a week which I think resulted in a delayed ovulation. Temps were low (96.9-97.4 as is typical for me) through CD 15, peak mucus day was CD 14. On CD 16, my temp was 97.7 and I left for China late that morning (woke and temped at my usual time). I temped while overseas, but that's with a 12 hour time difference and all the stress of international travel. Temps while overseas were 97.8-98.1. I probably shouldn't have counted those temps as valid, but I did and so that put me in Phase III on CD 19, and we had intercourse on the evening of my return, CD 21 and on CD 22. As you can see on the attached chart, shortly after my return, my temps dropped for three days before rising again to a typical to high HTL for me. I got a positive HPT on CD 39 (my 30th birthday, no less!)
By Prem that gives me an EDD of 1/10. If I use the 11 day difference between the start of the two thermal shifts to "adjust" my LMP from 3/22 to 4/2, I'd get a due date based on LMP of 1/7. This was the date I gave my doctor (although I explained I had modified it... it was just easier to explain and gives them an LMP they can put in their wheel.) A quicky ultrasound in the doctor's office at my first appointment, about 10 weeks, was within 3-4 days and so they put an EDD of 1/6 on my chart.
Last week, I had my more thorough ultrasound at the hospital, at 19w3d. They measured me at 21-22 weeks for an EDD of 12/23! My doctor's office called to tell me the baby is measuring in the 97% percentile and so they are somewhat concerned, and were calling to switch my next appointment (9/8) from the midwife to the OB so we could discuss the u/s results and see if we think my dates are right.
Long story short, I want to be thoroughly prepared for any possible disagreement over due dates. Looking at my chart, do you see any reasonable way I could have conceived in the earlier part of the cycle, as a result of intercourse on CD 9, versus my assumption that ovulation was delayed and occurred somewhere in the CD 27-30 range? I do usually have very regular 27-29 day cycles, but I think this China trip threw my body for a loop.
AnswerI'm kind of a self-taught NFP expert myself, so I hope this isn't a case of the blind leading the blind. Anyway, looking at your chart and what I do know about NFP charting and the pattern of signs and symptoms, I tend to agree with the doctor that you probably got pregnant on the 9th day of your cycle.
I think the general rule for the beginning of Phase II is to stop having intercourse after day 6! That covers the early ovulation scenario as well as the longer life of the sperm. The more mucusy the environment in your body, the easier it is for the sperm to last until the egg is released so you were within that slippery window of time for those little guys.
So, you just might have a tax deduction and a Christmas baby! Congratulations!
With cycles of 27-29 days, you have to remember that the post-leautal phase has to be at least 11 days and up to 14 days in order to sustain a pregnancy. So, with a 28 day cycle, 11 days puts ovulation around day 17. Day 9 for intercource gives those sperm 8 days to last - which is a stretch.
But 11 is the borderline for Phase III. More than likely, you had a 27 day cycle, with at least 12 days post-leautal. That means ovulation was probably around day 15 and sex on day 9 gives the sperm 6 days to hang around and that's totally reasonable!
I had my third child at 39. He is a blessing to me and has recently given me my first grandchild - who is adorable. I think I had a similar situation, with the long living sperm waiting patiently for the short living egg to appear. For some reason, I was convinced that this scenario would result in a daughter, but I have a son (plus an older son and a middle daughter.)
