One of the biggest misconceptions about charting your cycle is that there is only one way to do it.

And this is pretty limiting because if you believe this and think you don’t fall within that certain method that you can’t chart.

But there are so many different, amazing methods, variations and not to mention all the new technological advances that have been made.

I really do believe that there is a method for everyone.

I started with the sympto-thermal method, which combines temperature and fluid. In the beginning I also used paper charts before switching to charting apps. I then used a fluid-only method for awhile, then temperature-only with the Daysy.

So, what have I currently settled on for my Goldilocks charting method?

I use the sympto-thermal method combined with the Daysy fertility monitor. The reason I like this so much is because I get so much confidence and security from both the sympto-thermal method and Daysy separately. So, using them in conjunction with each other has been really reassuring.

With the symptom-thermal method you take your basal body temperature every morning at the same time. Two rules to note beyond having to take it at the same time is that you have to do it first thing before getting out of bed, even before just hanging out in bed for 30 minutes before getting up. The other rule is that you have to take your temperature after at least four hours of sleep.

I used to just take my BBT (basal body temperature) with a simple BBT thermometer from the drugstore. But since getting the Daysy, that has become my thermometer in every sense.

Not only does it calculate your fertility on its own, it also provides you with a temperature (after syncing it to the app) that you can then use in a more traditional charting method.

And I take that temperature from my Daysy each day and put it into the Kindara app on my phone, where I also chart my cervical fluid each day, along with a slew of other things.

So each time I go to the bathroom I will quickly check my fluid before going to the actual bathroom. It takes an extra like 5-10 seconds. Easy.

Some days I wish the Daysy had a digital screen that displayed your temperature, but usually I don’t mind spending the extra 30-60 seconds it takes to sync it to the app in my phone where you can get the temperature.

All in all I’m very happy with my current method, and I love knowing there are a variety of methods and technologies for charting.

Charting my cycle has taught me so much about my body, and I love that I can use the same exact method when the time comes that I am ready to try and get pregnant. Which is when a lot of women first start learning about their menstrual cycle.

[Disclaimer: This post does not teach you FAM. I mention how to take your temperature and fluid, but don’t mention any of the rules.]

[Use the code “FEMME” at checkout to save some money on your Daysy]