Silly question alert: BCP or charting? Confused!

[mamasboys]

Hi all,
I am on the fence about either HT or swaying for a girl, but all of the pink sways have made me rethink going HT. I see some women conceive a girl after stopping the BCP...I haven't been on birth control for about 10 years, but I am thinking perhaps it would help? However, how do you carry on with charting, etc...if you aren't actually ovulating? Well, you can't - so, is one more effective than another? Should I go on the BCP for a month and then start charting after I come off? I am confused and I am sure the answer is simple, but I can't come to any sense regarding this matter. Perhaps women on the BCP never charted? I don't know!
Thank you in advance for answering this silly question :S

[YayBaby678]

I don't think you chart while on BCP because you're not actually ovulating... I would start charting once you're back off of it.

[atomic sagebrush]

If HT is an option, I strongly urge you to GO NOW. The reason is, swaying will always be here. But HT, your odds drop like a stone as time passes and so if you envision having a sway that produces an opposite and then figure you can do HT in 3-4 years...well, you've really shot yourself in the foot because your odds of succeeding at HT are just that much lower by that point.

You don't need to chart to sway and in fact I prefer that people who do not already chart, DON"T chart. I feel like charting simply makes people stress and obsess over their bodies and temps and that kind of incessant attention to detail sways blue . Timing doesn't sway, and even if it DID, as Toni Weschler (the original charting expert) will tell you, you can't use charting for swaying anyway because you cannot predict in advance 2-3 days before O. It is impossible to do that and all the people who claim it's possible are lying or mistaken. I never charted and I have a girl after 4 boys.

Now, in terms of going on BCP for swaying, yes, it may help, but if you go on it for a month or two it's not going to sway that strongly anyway (as opposed to those on it many months or years) and it may end up messing up your cycle. Personally I'd not even bother and would just do diet and exercise for the same time period but of course that's everyone's choice to make.

[mamasboys]

If HT is an option, I strongly urge you to GO NOW. The reason is, swaying will always be here. But HT, your odds drop like a stone as time passes and so if you envision having a sway that produces an opposite and then figure you can do HT in 3-4 years...well, you've really shot yourself in the foot because your odds of succeeding at HT are just that much lower by that point.

You don't need to chart to sway and in fact I prefer that people who do not already chart, DON"T chart. I feel like charting simply makes people stress and obsess over their bodies and temps and that kind of incessant attention to detail sways blue . Timing doesn't sway, and even if it DID, as Toni Weschler (the original charting expert) will tell you, you can't use charting for swaying anyway because you cannot predict in advance 2-3 days before O. It is impossible to do that and all the people who claim it's possible are lying or mistaken. I never charted and I have a girl after 4 boys.

Now, in terms of going on BCP for swaying, yes, it may help, but if you go on it for a month or two it's not going to sway that strongly anyway (as opposed to those on it many months or years) and it may end up messing up your cycle. Personally I'd not even bother and would just do diet and exercise for the same time period but of course that's everyone's choice to make.

Thank you!! HT is an option, but I'm 37 - so realistically, I can't imagine I would ever be successful even though I've never had a problem conceiving..I'm just not that naive. I just can't imagine tanking $25K when I honestly believe it won't take. Anyway, thanks for all the tips. I can't be bothered with BCP if I don't need to be - just one more question - if you didn't chart, how did you know when to DTD? Oh and when I say charting I simply mean using a fertility monitor - sorry, don't mean recording temp, etc etc. Thanks again

[atomic sagebrush]

ah yes at 37 the rules are different since going in you will already probably have lower odds of success with HT anyway.

I have gotten pretty good at reading my signs of impending O at this point and also have regular cycles so it was very easy for me. After I had gotten 3 boys with cutoffs I saw no point in trying to repeat the madness LOL and so I just BD when it was possible to do so in my fertile window. This worked out to be late at night on the day before O Day (so technically O Day) but that wasn't intentional and I didn't even know when I Oed for a few days after that, just the time that hubby and I happened to have a moment for BD.

Oh ok charting actually means the temping and keeping track. If you're just using a monitor that is fine, you'd BD the day of second flashy/high reading if you want timing, and then on the first day of solid/peak if you don't.

[mamasboys]

ah yes at 37 the rules are different since going in you will already probably have lower odds of success with HT anyway.

I have gotten pretty good at reading my signs of impending O at this point and also have regular cycles so it was very easy for me. After I had gotten 3 boys with cutoffs I saw no point in trying to repeat the madness LOL and so I just BD when it was possible to do so in my fertile window. This worked out to be late at night on the day before O Day (so technically O Day) but that wasn't intentional and I didn't even know when I Oed for a few days after that, just the time that hubby and I happened to have a moment for BD.

Oh ok charting actually means the temping and keeping track. If you're just using a monitor that is fine, you'd BD the day of second flashy/high reading if you want timing, and then on the first day of solid/peak if you don't.

Awesome thanks so much - I'm going to commit to swaying I think, so I'll purchase a plan soon Thanks again!!