Charting things satisfies my OCD

temperature chartSo because I love to share just about every excruciating detail of my life with perfect strangers, here’s my basal body temperature chart so far.

Today’s temp is a little high. Am I getting sick, or is that normal?

It actually might be wrong, because my sleeping pattern has been a little screwy lately. The first time I took the temperature, I got up and went into the bathroom to do it. The second time, I did it lying in bed. The third time, I was up really late. I woke up about half an hour before I was going to actually get up and went potty, and then thought, “Crap, I’m supposed to not do anything before taking the temperature, and it’s supposed to be after a long chunk of sleep. Will an hour or so be enough?” So I decided to sleep in for another three hours, and I went in to the office later than usual.

And last night I was also up really late. I woke up a few times and thought that I should take my temperature, but I wasn’t ready to get up yet. I did want to go potty, but I didn’t want to screw up the temperature, so I forced myself to stay in bed. I dozed for a long while, and then my phone rang and without thinking I got up and took the phone in the other room and answered it, pacing around and talking. After the conversation I realized what I’d done, so I went back to bed for another few hours hoping that would make it okay.

So who knows how accurate this all is. It’s really annoying to destroy the scientific process like this.

Anyway, according to the charts I’ve seen at FertilityFriend.com, with which I created the chart to the right (thanks Will!), you’re not normally supposed to go up in temperature two days in a row; you’re supposed to spike once, and that’s the sign of ovulation. So it’s one of the following:

  1. I’m getting sick, which is throwing it off.
  2. I haven’t been consistent enough with my temperature taking, which is throwing it off.
  3. I’m pregnant!
  4. This thing isn’t going to work like a normal cycle chart because my ovaries were damaged by chemotherapy.
  5. It’s too early to tell anything. I mean geez, it’s only been four days…get over yourself, Heather Meadows.