TCOYF question...

[mommy_someday]

Well, I started reading TCOYF a few days ago since several people suggested it to me. I'm not sure if I'm definitely going to do it since I'm still BF and it may be trickier in that instance. Anyway, if I *do* try FAM, I'm wondering how to handle the temperature timing. DS is a great sleeper for five months old. He goes down between 6-7 pm and usually only wakes twice, between 10-11 pm and 4-6 am. The problem is this: if he wakes around 6, I can usually nurse him and get him to sleep another couple of hours, so in that situation I'd need to temp at 6. But he frequently gets up just after 4 in the morning to nurse and doesn't always give me three more consecutive hours of sleep after nursing. I *really* don't want a schedule that has me waking myself up at 4 every morning regardless of whether my DS is up or not. TCOYF seems to stress doing the temps at the same time. How do you do this if your baby doesn't get up even remotely at the same time every day??? Do I just need to wait and do something else (barrier method, etc.) until he gets a more predictable wake-up time?

TIA!

[bunnisa]

Does your DH/SO get up for work at the same time every day? If so, you could use that time as the baseline. Get yourself a digital basal thermometer and have him pop it in your mouth and press the button. You can literally temp in your sleep after a while! After a few months of temping you might find predictable patterns, and some women stop temping and just go by physical signs and history.

Just wanted to mention, however, that your temps will also vary based on how much sleep you actually got.

edited to add: the basal thermometer I use records the last temperature taken. So I'd take mine as soon as DH's alarm went off, fall back asleep, and when I got up later I'd turn on the thermometer to see my temp and I'd record it. Minimal sleep disruption!

Bethany
mom to William 6/03
and another little one due late Feb '06!
http://lilypie.com/days/060226/0/8/1/-6/.png

[pritchettzoo]

If you sleep with your mouth open at all, an oral reading may not be very accurate. I had to go with a more invasive ;) method.

Anna
Mama to Gracie (Sept '03)
and a BOY! (coming July '05)

[mommy_someday]

DH generally gets up at 8 on work days. But the problem is, if DS nursed at 6 or after, I won't have had three consecutive hours of sleep. I am often up before DH's alarm goes off. Should I just take it at whatever time DS does his early morning nursing? I'm so stinkin' confused about this!

And, Anna, I'm thanking my lucky stars that I *don't* sleep with my mouth open! LOL!