Day 77 (CD22) - An example of how travel can mess up your temperatures!

So who wants to take some bets about when/if I've ovulated?

CD20 - woke up at 3am (EST) after getting about 4.5 hours of sleep
CD21 - woke up at 6am (CST)
CD22 - woke up at 4am (CST)

All three of these nights were following very long, stressful days, and I've had lots and lots of EWCM throughout, including today (CD22).

Option 1: Completely unadjusted temperatures, no ovulation yet... might have to mark CD21 as disturbed later to get an accurate shift
Option 2: Adjusted temperatures, showing a shift, but no ovulation because of my continuous ewcm
Option 3: Adjusted temperatures & put on "temperatures only" setting, shows ovulation on CD19

#1 #2 #3

Put your votes in now! ;)

Day 71 (CD16)

Well, due to some unforeseen events, I'll be needing to travel from CD18-22, so in order to avoid frustrating temperature disturbances right around ovulation, I decided to start trying to trigger ovulation early.

So, last night I slept with the blinds open and without my eye mask. I didn't feel as rested when I woke up, but my cervix was quite open, and I continued having creamy/wet mucus, so I'm really hoping it works. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Day 45 (CD34)

Finally! My temp this morning was a 97.6, the highest I've seen in quite a long time. Between that and less-fertile mucus and cervix position, I'm fairly confident in a third high temp tomorrow, verifying that I ovulated on CD32, officially my latest ovulation ever.

Last night I did sleep with my eye mask on again, and was glad that I did; I felt quite well-rested in the morning. My plan during this luteal phase is to be sure to get sun every day to hopefully balance out my seratonin/melatonin levels before beginning the next cycle. I'm hoping for a fourteen day luteal phase again, which would put my next menstruation on Friday, July 4th.

Day 43 (CD32 - second night of light)

Last night: Second night with no eye mask. Falling asleep with the additional light was not any easier last night than the night before, and I slept quite restlessly. I'll be very glad to use the eye mask again on Friday night.
This morning: Still no temperature shift. I spent a few hours this morning (between rain showers) out on my balcony trying to soak in as much sun as possible.


I think that I've been producing too much melatonin to ovulate. Perhaps going from our normally-light bedroom to the complete darkness of the eyemask was too drastic of a transition? So, of course, I had to do a bit of research:

The effect of melatonin on reproductive systems can be summarized by saying that it is anti-gonadotropic. In other words, melatonin inhibits the secretion of the gonadotropic hormones luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone from the anterior pituitary. Much of this inhibitory effect seems due to inhibition of gonadotropin-releasing hormone from the hypothalamus, which is necessary for secretion of the anterior pituitary hormones. (link)

That same article states:

In various species including humans, administration of melatonin has been shown to decrease motor activity, induce fatigue and lower body temperature, particularly at high doses.

In my research, I found a couple of other articles as well that also explained that melatonin is probably the cause of my drastic decrease in BBT this cycle (my average coverline is 97.7 - this cycle it is 97.2) (link, link)

So... what I'm going to do about this? Besides trying to get as much daytime sun as possible, I have no idea.

Day 42 (CD31 - first night of light)

Today marks CD31, which has, up until this point, been my latest recorded ovulation ever. With that in mind, last night I experienced my first "light" night of my Lunaception journey.

Going to bed without my eye mask on was a bit weird. I hadn't realized how much I had gotten used to it, and I had to consciously keep my eyes from opening every five seconds to look around. We get a lot of light into our apartment at night, since we are city-dwellers, and since we have so many large windows. Even without a single light bulb on, after my eyes adjusted to the lack of light I could fairly clearly make out everything in the room. With a combination of moonlight and streetlights shining in from the large window beside the bed, I hoped that would be enough to trigger ovulation.

I didn't sleep well at all, which I guess was to be expected. I know I tossed and turned quite a bit, even after I fell asleep (which took longer than usual). In the morning after I took my temperature I was so tired that I rolled back over and slept another two hours... not a very restful sleep. I don't remember having any dreams, either.

Just in case that wasn't enough light, I sat out on our balcony this morning for nearly an hour before it started raining and I had to come in. All day, I've been trying to get as much light as possible -- at least, as is possible while still getting stuff done around the house and while it's raining outside.

Tonight is the full moon, so I'm really hoping for ovulation today or tomorrow. I had all of the classic ovulation signs today -- eggwhite mucus, a wet vaginal sensation, an open, high, and soft cervix, and even a dip in temperatures. This afternoon I thought I may have even felt a twinge from my left ovary (which would be VERY odd, since I never have ovulation pains)... of course, maybe that was just wishful thinking.

I'll keep you updated.

Day 40 (CD29)

No ovulation yesterday. I think that if I don't have a definite temp shift tomorrow that I'm going to go without my eye mask for the next three nights to try to trigger ovulation... CD31 was my latest ever ovulation, so I'm getting a bit sick of waiting and anxious about inadvertently turning this into an anovulatory cycle.


Also, I've been talking with some other Lunaceptors recently and one very unexpected side effect that we've all been noticing is very vivid dreams, so I did a bit of research about the link between dreams and darkened sleeping quarters.

As we know, the light/dark during the night effects the production of melatonin (link). It's been noted by others that people who take melatonin pills to help them sleep very often also experience very vivid, bizarre dreams (link). We also know that our most vivid, easily-remembered dreams take place during the REM cycle of sleep, which is enhanced by melatonin (link). So basically, it all comes back to the effects of melatonin on our sleep. I find it so interesting that I think I'm going to include in my chart next cycle the nights that I have vivid dreams.

Day 33 (CD22)

I didn't ovulate yesterday. I'm now moving out of my "normal, but early" (ovulation on CD18-20) phase and into my "average" (ovulation on CD21-23) phase.

CM - Surprise! More creamy mucus! I actually thought it might be ewcm, since it had a very lubricative sensation, but nothing clear/stretchy/eggwhite-like at all. Oh well... at least it was distinguishable by external checks!
CP - My cervix today was definitely in a ready-to-ovulate position... high, soft, and open!
BBT - This "wave" shape that I'm experiencing has now reached its trough and is beginning to make its way back up towards the crest again... or so it would seem. This also pushed my coverline down another 0.1 degree, though, which puts it at 0.2 degree below any previous coverline. I just hope I have a distinguishable enough temp shift when ovulation occurs so that I'm not second-guessing myself with low post-ovulatory temps.

Sleep observations - Even after only four and a half hours of sleep, I seem to have gotten an accurate temperature reading this morning. Kudos to me. On a related note, I'm really tired now!

Day 31 (CD20)

So... I didn't ovulate yesterday. Don't you somehow get the feeling you'll be seeing that message on here a lot? I have hope, though... one of my Lunafriends (yes, that's one of you other people who recently started trying Lunaception) recently ovulated on CD22 without any nights of light. So... we keep waiting.

CM - creamy, only after checking internally... same as yesterday
CP - a bit higher again, which is a good sign
BBT - Why oh why does my basal body temperature keep dropping? This is completely bizarre... or, as M. Night Shyamalan would say, "What a twist!" (If you have no idea what that's a reference to, check out this video)

Sleep observations: I woke up early again this morning, though only a half hour earlier than usual. I'm not sure what that means, if anything, especially since I take my temp and then proceed to fall back asleep for another few hours anyways.


For my own curiosity's sake, I checked back in my previous charts to try to find other charts which showed similar pre-ovulation patterns of a sharp, steady drop in temperatures like I'm experiencing this month (currently a drop of 0.7 degrees in 8 days) To my surprise, I found a few that looked somewhat similar.

Cycle 2 - Though a sharper drop than my current one, in this cycle I dropped 0.9 degrees over 7 days, and ovulated a week later.

Cycle 20 - Again, this had another sharp drop in it. In total, it was a drop of 0.7 degrees in only six days, with ovulation five days later.

Cycle 30 - This one had three drops of 0.2 degrees or more... a total drop of 0.9 degrees in six days, with ovulation only two days later.

In each of these, I had a short period of slightly-higher-than-the-dip temps before ovulation actually occurred, and in two of those three months, my cervical mucus pattern did not match up with ovulation. So, it looks like I may have a while to go yet before ovulation, but at least I know... and we all know that knowing is half the battle.

Day 30 (CD19)

Once again... I didn't ovulate yesterday. I've now given up all hope of ovulating closer to the supposed norm, which, in my case, would be earlier than usual. For me:

• "early" = ovulation on CD17 or earlier (has occurred four times)
  
• "normal" = ovulation on CD18-26
• "average" = ovulation on CD21-22
• "late" = ovulation on CD27 or later (has occurred three times)
  

So... now I'm shooting for something in the "normal" or "average" range.

CM - Still looking for this excess cervical mucus that other Lunaceptors (yes, I just made up that word) keep talking about. At this point, I'd be content with any cervical mucus actually discernible from external checks.
CP - Dropped WAY low today... like, "Oh... well HI there, cervix!" kind of low. But, it's still partially open (as always) and of medium firmness.
BBT - Still dropping. It was actually a ridiculously low 96.7 this morning when I woke up at 5, but I adjusted it to account for the earlier waking time. If I were to assume that my CD15 temp were the same as the days before and after, my coverline would actually drop down to 97.4, which falls in the "low" range for me (in fact, my current lowest three coverlines ever are at 97.4). For me:

• "low" coverline = 97.4 or lower (has occurred three times)
  
• "normal" coverline = 97.5-98.0
• "average" coverline = 97.7-97.8
• "high" coverline = 98.1 or higher (has occurred once)
  

Sleep observations: I slept really well last night. I know that I had at least one dream, though I don't recall all the details. I ended up waking up at 5am (when I temped) but was fast asleep again before the 6am alarm.


And for your research pleasure, here's a new study about how the blue light rays from electric lights suppress melatonin.

"In clear, instructive prose, Hansler explains how the blue rays in ordinary lights block melatonin, the hormone which makes sleeping easier and helps prevent cancer. But there is an easy solution to this problem, Hansler suggests. By using such simple things as blue blocking glasses or non-blue light bulbs, melatonin can be maximized. This increased melatonin has many other benefits as well, including ameliorating bipolar disorder, ADHD, SAD and even postpartum depression."

Here's another link with info on what they call "The Blue Light Hazard." Definitely something to think about, considering how melatonin production has been linked to a "regular" menstrual cycle. Could my longer cycles be linked to time spent on the computer or watching TV in the two hours before bedtime?

Since moving to our new apartment (I'll use those, since the change in environment may have been another factor with other cycles) my longest cycles were in November and December, undoubtedly the months that I spent the most time indoors in the evening (since it got dark here so early), and was probably spending many of those hours on my computer or watching movies. Connection?

Day 29 (CD18)

Well, I didn't ovulate yesterday.

CM: creamy, internally only... again. Where's all this excess of eggwhite mucus that people say that they get using Lunaception???
CP: high, medium firmness, partially open... only slightly more fertile in quality than yesterday
BBT: And they keep on dropping. While my temps do sometimes seem to drop a bit before ovulation, I'm not again hitting 97.0, which is quite low for me.

Sleep observations: I slept better last night, only waking up once before the first alarm. We took a walk again today, so we'll see how well I sleep.

Day 28 (CD17)

Well, I didn't ovulate yesterday.

CM: creamy, internal only
CP: high (hey, maybe ovulation is on its way!), firm, partially open
BBT: I changed yesterday's to match closer to what today's is... that makes my second "only one hour off" temp this month which made more sense adjusted.

Sleep observations: I haven't been sleeping as well lately and am starting to realize that it may have more to do with my physical activity throughout the day than Lunaception itself. Right around the same time I started using my eye mask, my husband and I also started making a daily habit of walking 30 minutes to an hour every day. This past four days we haven't been able to get out on our walks, and through those nights I've noticed I've been increasingly more restless, and in the mornings increasingly more tired. We took a nice, long walk today, so I'm interested to see if that improves my sleep.


I also did a bit more study into where my ovulation and period occur in regards to the moon cycles, and I ran across this fantastic moon phase calendar on The Old Farmer's Almanac Website. Not only does it show dates of significant moon phases, but it also documents the percentage of illumination for each day. Fabulous! So, I went back and looked at my ovulation and menstruation dates and made up this more concise chart based on the percentage of illumination on each of those dates:

(click for larger view)

It's an interesting pattern, with ovulation tending to occur at about the same illumination as the menstruation of two cycles previous. This pattern also seems to be the strongest during times when it occurs closest to the New Moon or Full Moon. Now, it could just be a mathematical coincidence based on the fact that the lunar cycles are about 28 days long whereas my cycles are normally about 34 days long, but that kind of math makes my brain hurt. If that pattern were to follow for this cycle, I would ovulate somewhere around the next 60% illumination night, which happens to occur on Tuesday, June 11th, which would for me be CD24. We'll see if that prediction comes true!

I also observed that ovulation and menstruation are both equally as likely to occur during the waxing phase of the moon as during the waning phase (14-16 times each). I have menstruated twice on the new moon, and twice on the full moon; I have ovulated once on the new moon, and twice on the full moon.

Day 26 (CD15)

Arriving home late last night + no work today = very bad charter with no basal body temps for today.

Sleeping in always reminds me of the Postal Service song (found here thanks to Allan's World Music blog found via Hype Machine). And every once in awhile, especially after a long week, sleeping in feels really nice.

Of course, there are obvious disadvantages, such as the fact that I have no basal body temperature to report today, though from my internal-only creamy cervical mucus and medium height, firmness, and openness of my cervix, it's pretty safe to say that my temps would probably not have changed much since yesterday. That's where charting multiple signs definitely comes in handy.

Day 14 (CD3)

I'm psyched. This chart is out to a great start, with another 97.1 this morning, just like yesterday. It's a bit lower than my usual pre-ovulatory temps (which usually hover right around 97.4), but it doesn't really matter to me as long as they're consistent.

I've been falling asleep so much more quickly, and I only remember waking up once last night with my eye mask slid up over my forehead. Other than that, I had a really restful sleep until the alarm went off.

I've also requested a separate Lunaception cycle gallery on the Ovusoft website. I'm hoping to help encourage others using Lunaception to post their charts there as well so that there will be one place where people can go to see what difference it has made in others' cycles. Perhaps it will encourage people who have cycle issues (such as short luteal phases, erratic temperatures, anovulatory cycles etc) to at least try out Lunaception before resorting to other solutions that may actually mess up their cycles more. For instance:

• hormonal birth control pills to "regulate" cycles -- often take awhile for body to regulate afterwards and have many various side effects depending on type and dosage
  
• Clomid to encourage ovulation -- can cause a lack of cervical mucus, as well as minor side effects like mood swings, insomnia, nausea, depression, or weight gain
• B6 supplements for longer luteal phases -- can delay ovulation, as well as cause fatigue or loss of appetite

Just something to think about if you're considering one of those (or many other options) to aid fertility.

Day 9 (12dpo)

Well, today I got my SIXTH 97.9 in nine days! I'm so psyched for my next cycle to start so I can see what it'll do for me over an entire cycle! And I thought I had fairly steady temps before!

I don't recall waking up at all between when we went to bed and when the alarm went off, which is definitely good. Even if the only benefit would be to give me a better night's sleep, it would be worth it!

Day 8 (11dpo)

Guess what my temp was this morning? Yet another 97.9. If it weren't for those two mornings waking up late where I had higher temps, I think I'd probably start wondering if something was wrong with my thermometer!

Last night I slept well, but woke up one time when it was still dark out with my eye mask slipped up over my forehead. This morning when the alarm went off at 6:15, I felt incredibly awake... and that's coming from someone who up until a week or so ago was used to sleeping in until 8am!


Some more observations...

I made up this chart awhile ago, but it doesn't exactly follow in line with the "less light = shorter cycle" theory (which is what they say should happen for Lunaception), because according to that, Nov/Dec are the longest.
But when you look at what actually happened those months, it's rather interesting...

We moved to our new, MUCH lighter apartment in August, so cycle 28 (Sept) was my first in this apartment.

OVULATION DATES -
Previous September average : CD18
Cycle 28 in lighter apartment : CD22

October seemed normal.

Previous November average : CD21
Cycle 30 in lighter apartment : CD31
Previous November LPs: 13 days
Cycle 30 LP: 12 days

Previous December average : CD22
Cycle 31 in lighter apartment : CD27
Previous December LPs: 13 days
Cycle 31 LP: 12 days

January had a slightly later than normal.
February seemed normal.
March & April had shorter LPs than normal.

Obviously, that wouldn't explain why June would have my shortest cycles ( s on CD18, 19, 18), but I did think it was interesting.

Day 7 (10dpo)

Another 97.9 this morning! How about that! That makes four out of six and every single undisturbed temp so far while using my eye mask. To be honest, I'm a bit surprised... I didn't really expect it to make a difference right away -- and honestly, it could be a fluke... I have had fairly steady temps before.

I've been having less issues with dry eyes using my eye mask, too, which is good. I started waking up once during the night, and then after I temped at 6am I had a hard time getting back to sleep, but we did go to bed early, so maybe that was just as much sleep as my body needed.

Day 3 (6dpo)

Just a quick note on how my eye mask has been working for me...

I've been putting it on every night with the strap adjusted tightly, but at least once a night I wake up with it off. One night it had just slipped up on my forehead; one night it was on my pillow; and last night it had somehow made its way to the floor. I think it's trying to escape.

As far as my sleep... I've found that I do fall asleep a lot more quickly and have been waking up less often in the mornings before the alarm goes off, but thus far haven't felt especially more well-rested.

And as far as my cycle goes... well, it's still too early to tell at this point, especially since I'm in my LP already and just started using it at what looks to be 4dpo. So... we wait and see.