Mo 3 Wk 4 (Cycle 2 CD 17)

Not a whole lot has been happening these past few days. My temps though do seem unusually low...I don't know if that because of Lunaception or maybe a thyroid issue...I hope by next cycle it's better.

As far as CF...I think Lunaception has been helping to produce more EWCF, but I haven't seen it do much at all for the other types like dry, sticky, and creamy. I still don't have any days with the first two. I had some EW on the 12th...not sure why as I only had it again like 5 days later. I'm hoping I get some today too because tomorrow I sleep with the light on. It's a full moon on the 19th. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I ovulate on one of the days that I use a night light. It would make me oh so happy lol, especially since last cycle was so long. I definitely want this one to be shorter.

Wow...I think this is my shortest entry yet! Well I hope I have good news for next time!

Mo 3, Wk 3 (Cycle 2 CD 10)

I think the length of my period this time is another confirmation that I ovulated. Again, maybe it was just time after 139 days, but I can't help but to think that using the light for the first time after 3 months was a contributing factor because I ovulated 3 days after the last night that I slept with a light.

I was a bit disappointed with the length of my period because it was heavier than usual in the beginning so I thought it was going to be shorter, since Lunaception can do this to your cycles, but no, still 7 days.

My temps have also been pretty steady these past few days, but they still seem on the low side for me. It makes me think that my thyroid isn't functioning as optimally as it could. But I don't know how to fix it and nor do I want to introduce any variables right now into my experiment. I guess for now I'll just ignore it.

So this month the full moon is on the 19th. Only 8 more days to go before I start sleeping with the lights on.

In regards to CF, I still haven't really seen a change in this part of the cycle. I still feel like my CF is watery and Egg White (EW) when it's supposed to be dry. I was hoping Lunaception would clear up my obscure CF pattern. Maybe next cycle?

In regards to symptoms, I don't think I've been feeling any different. Some people complain of vivid dreams when they begin doing Lunaception but most of them are sleeping with eye masks instead of a dark environment. I think the eye mask may have something to do with it. A while back I slept with an eye mask for a couple of nights and those nights I did have very vivid dreams. However, with sleeping in total darkness I've never experienced that.

Cycle 1 (146 Days, O=CD 140)

Current Status: Day 101 of Lunaception

I think I FINALLY ovulated! I can't say with 100% certainty but it looks probable....

The day after my last post I started spotting again, Christmas eve no less. I had 2 temps that I marked as disturbed because I had a fitful sleep and thought the temperature was higher than usual due to that. The day after my last post I started spotting again and thought it was all going to be down hill from there, so imagine my surprise when I notice my temperature starting to creep up! Now, my luteal phases are usually 14 or 15 days and my temps usually go into the low 98's, but it has happened once before (in 2008) that I had an 8 day luteal phase and my temps were pretty much in the same range you see on my chart above (the 26th - 31st). So a 6 day luteal phase, after such a weird and long cycle looks plausible, especially since my temperature dropped when the bleeding really started coming. A progesterone deficiency looks like a possible explanation for the short L.P.

I'm pretty sure the bleeding that I got on 1/1 was my period because it was much heavier, and continues to be heavy, than any of the days that I previously had a period like flow in this cycle. This might actually be a +1 for Lunaception and I'll explain why a little more down below.

If this is the case, then I ovulated 3 days after last using the light for the first time after my 3 months of darkness (or 4 days after the full moon). It could have been a fluke...after all I was on CD 139 and maybe it was just time, but I did notice an increase in EWCF on all the days I used the light. We'll just have to see during the next full moon.

So here's the summary of this cycle:

1st Lunaception cycle data:

• Total length: 146 days (-1)
  
• Ovualtion: CD 140 (3 days after last using the night-light, or 4 days after the full moon) (+1)
  
• Luteal Phase: only 6 days and period came 3 days before new moon (-1)
• lots of EWCF after sleeping with lights on (+1)
  
• No back pain when getting period (+1)
  
• Very heavy flow (+1)

Because I took so long to ovulate, I counted that as a negative for Lunaception, but finally ovulating only 3 days after the using the night-light and getting a lot of EWCF after the first night of sleeping with the light, was definitely 2 points in favor of Lunaception. If you look back to my second post, one of the things I am expecting to achieve with this is a shorter period. Louise Lacey states that Lunaception often does shorten your period, however, it's at the expense of a heavier flow. I guess it's kind of like when you play sports. Your periods often shorten up, but get heavier. I wear a divacup and normally change it 4 times total on my heaviest day (about every 4 hours). However, it's only 5:00 pm now and I've already had to change it those 4 times (with about 1 1/2 - 2 hrs in between 2 of those changes). I'm hoping that this heavier cycle means less days total. If so, than like a said, that's a point in favor. Lunaception supposedly decreases PMS symptoms...I'm hoping that's why I did get the lower back pain I normally get when my period is about to some....I'll verify next cycle though....

I'll post my new chart next time. Until then, happy new year!!