Day 32

Today is day 32 of my cycle, Since my last cycle, my first off of birth control, was 32 days, I thought this might be the day I’d have some answers. Truthfully, I expected to see my period today, and I still might. But usually, there is a drop in temperature on the day my period comes. Instead of a drop, it was 98.4 this morning, the highest by .2 it’s been all cycle. Two days ago it dipped to 97.8, making me think my period was coming. But since then, it has shot up .6.

It’s common to have a dip before ovulation. Perhaps it’s the same before implantation. A spike at the time of implantation is definitely a strong sign.

As for symptoms, the only thing that remains constant is burping. I tell myself it’s not happening, and then I get these light burps, which are very out of the ordinary for me.

At the same time though, I’m not feeling well – runny nose, itchy throat, frequent sneezing, light cough. Perhaps allergies, perhaps a cold, but I imagine either could cause a temperature spike. I took an Allegra because it’s reached the point of miserable. If I am in fact pregnant, it will be one more toxin this poor embryo has been exposed to. If not, I guess it would be good to know so that I can take my medicine, eat sushi and lick the cake batter bowl without guilt. We’ll see what happens. I’ll probably wait another 4-8 days before breaking out a pregnancy test.

Early signs

Though it’s only day 26, there are some preliminary positive signs on my chart that indicate perhaps I could be pregnant. My temperature moved up another notch today. It’s not as large of a jump as happened upon implantation last time. But it’s within the 7-10 day after ovulation timeframe.

I could probably take a pregnancy test and perhaps receive confirmation. But I’d rather figure it out myself. I do like asserting the nominal control I have over the knowledge of my body and it makes me feel good to be able to figure out what is happening with no intervention beyond taking my morning temperature.

If it moves up any more, or stays at this higher level until day 32 (the length of my last cycle) that will appear positive. If it remains there to day 40 or so, I’ll be convinced. Last time the symptoms begin precisely on the day of implantation and within a few days of that, the nausea set in for the long haul. Right now I can’t say I feel any symptoms, other than a slight headache, and being a bit tired. But there are plenty of other potential causes for that – including allergies, work stress and a busy weekend.

I find myself happy with the positive indications. Definitely not excited about the process of pregnancy. Definitely bummed about what my poor stomach would have to endure. Not at all looking forward to not being able to sleep on my side. But glad to have something moving forward in my life.