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CBFM with long or irregular cycles? Advice please!

a little about me .....I came off the pill in May 09 to start ttc. I had been on the pill for 10 years and prior to that I always had long, irregular cycles.

Since coming off the pill I have had two cycles - CD130 and CD 50. I'm pretty certain I ov'd both times as I have been temping. I'm now on CD 8 and I'm hoping this cycle will be a bit shorter but I'm pretty certain I'm never going to be a regular 28 day cycle kind of girl!

The most frustrating thing is not being able to predict when I'm ovulating (temps only help pinpoint it after it has happened!) and with such infrequent opportunity to make a bean I wish that I could know when i'm fertile in advance and make the most of it;\)

A friend lent me a CBFM but I was reading the instructions and it says it should only be used with cycles up to 45 days - do any other BE ladies with long cycles that use CBFM and have found that it helps with predicitng ov?

( btw I also bought some angus castus today to see it that can help sort my cycles out a bit-fingers crossed!)

Replies

  • hello

    my story is quite simalar, so i hope i can help

    after 10 years on the pill i had very irregular cycles, i temped for quite a long time before i invested in a monitor.

    my cycles ranged from 37-66 days, i used the monitor by starting later in my cycles so CD1 for the monitor was usually CD 15-20 for me. i found it fab and concieved first time after 10 months of irregular cycles, i had to use 20 sticks (the most it lets you use) it will ask you to start to POAS from CD6 first cycle so it will give you until CD 26 of the monitor to ovulate and pick up the peaks , you need to adjust when you start to catch when OV might roughly be.

    agnus castus did nothing for me but its certainly worth a try!

    good luck
    PP
    32+1
  • ooh congrats piggypops! that is exactly the reply I was hoping for! I had been wondering whether it was possible to delay the start, rather than start on my CD1, but i thought it might cause CBFM to have some kind of meltdown! I'll do my sums and maybe start using it in the next few days. thanks for your help and good luck with the rest of your pregnancy- not long to go!

    lbx
  • thankyou! it really does only seem like yesterday i was on here moaning about my long cycles!!!

    i gather by temping you know your lueteal phase, you can ditract that from your longest cycles (i would discount 130 and hope your next is roughly 50 or less) and thats when you would expect ov so try that as midway in your 20 day testing window

    you may get quite a lot of highs with long cycles, i got 16 highs before my first peak! also after your first peak stop putting new sticks in as it automatically gives another peak then high so its a waste of sticks just insert a used one, i carried on temping as well for reasureance.

    remember to reset the monitor if borrowed or it will still go by the last users information and not give you accurate results

    good luck x
  • HI Littleb.
    Ive had irregular cycles from 45 days to 85 days. its been just over a year now and currently having weekly blood checks to see if i ov. i know i do cos i check my cm and then do opk's.
    I found this the most easiest way to spot ov. After a no2(tmi) when you wipe you do noticed ewcm just before ov.
    Cos of such long cycles bding every 2 days its to much!!!
    I did buy a CBFM but it didnt work for me far to much poas for no reason.

    Sorry to ramble on.
    Lea x
  • thanks lea - i completely agree! as much i love mr littleb bding every other day for months on end is too much for me(i'l sure he'd be fine with it though!!). good luck with the blood tests

    haven't been as observant with cm as i perhaps could have been so will start paying more attention

    piggypops - thanks for the advice. can i borrow your brain for a while longer.....according to temps my lp is a little shorter than av- about 10 days. so if i subtract that from 50, last cycle i must have ov'd at about day 40. when abouts in this cycle (currently cd8) should i 'switch on' the cbfm for my first day do you think?
  • a LP of 10 is fine, mine was always 12 days less time to wait to test image , for CD40 OV you would need to start around CD19 then you would have CD 25-45 POAS and catch OV

    xxx
  • thanks piggypops. i order my new pack of 20 test sticks today so i'm good to go once i get to cd 19 - fingers crossed i get my peak and make the most of it!!!
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