I honestly don't know much about this at all, but am hoping some of you all might have some advice.

I'd like to be able to keep tabs on my body post hysterectomy. I will most likely still experience some emotional and physical symptoms of PMS even though I'll no longer experience cyclical bleeding. I also want to keep tabs on where I'm at hormonally and in regard to peri-menopause and eventual true menopause.So I'd like to have an idea of when I would be cycling each month. That would help me to chart any symptoms, etc.

I no longer have cervix either, so not sure that tracking cm changes would be applicable. Would taking basal temps help? I should still ovulate sometimes as at least 1 ovary is functional.

Any ideas about reading material? Since fertility/conception is not longer a concern not sure if any of the books I've heard about like TCoYF would help at all. Doc doesn't seem to have any suggestions except coming in for bloodwork periodically, which isn't my pref.

TIA :-)

Hi Beth! [welcomehi] It's so good to see you back! I had been wondering how your surgery and recovery went. So happy to hear that you're doing well!

If you want to take temps, a temp rise would show when you are ovulating, and eventually would show when you were annovulatory. After a full year of annovulation, I guess that you would be all the way into menopause officially.

Thanks Ruth! So a temp spike would single ovulation and I could count days from one ov-day to the next? Would I then cut the time between the two ov-days in half to find out when AF would have come? My cycles were highly irregular before surgery. Does temp drop or spike again when AF comes (guessing many would not temp through that time, but I could now)?

Sorry I'm clueless *blush*.

Roughly 14 days after the temp rise, would be the time when you would normally expect AF if you were still cycling.

My luteal phases are typically between 12-15 days. So in other words, the first day of raised temps is the first day of your LP and then you continue counting until your temp drops down to your pre-shift levels. Does that make sense at all?

I think so.... Any easy and free way to look at some sample charts? Not sure when to start temping either. Would any old day work? Best thermometer to use?

fertilityfriend.com might have some sample charts.

I suppose that any day would work to start temping. A basal digital thermometer is the type to use. You can find them at Wal-Mart and similar stores.

Keep me posted, I am very interested to see what post-hysterectomy charting looks like.

Will do, thanks :-)