Charting Questions from New PeakDay STMethod Users
In the PeakDay STMethod course couples begin charting and building the daily habits of taking temperatures and recording fertility observations on their chart. When couples live out charting day-by-day, most couples feel confident navigating fertile and non-fertile days using the PeakDay App or offline, on paper.
As coaches and teachers, we walk alongside couples and review many of their first charts. Certain questions come up again and again during that first year of charting. Here are the top four we hear most often, along with the guidance we typically share.
Question #1: My temperatures are up and down but I am not seeing a thermal shift. What is wrong?
Most of the time, this has to do with how basal body temperature is being taken. Basal temperature is not the same as a regular body temperature. It needs to be taken before you do anything else in the morning. One key factor is consistency. Try to take your temperature within about 30 minutes of the same waking time each day so you are truly comparing apples to apples. If that level of consistency is difficult, syncing a wearable device to the PeakDay app can be a helpful option. Devices such as the Oura Ring automatically track your basal temperature while you sleep. More information about compatible devices can be found at www.peakday.com/devices.
Question #2: In the course we learned that a normal mucus pattern rises and falls like a hill each cycle, going from less fertile mucus at the beginning, more fertile in the middle and then back down to less fertile mucus at the end. But my mucus pattern goes up and down several times in a cycle. Is that normal?
Yes, this is very normal, especially early on. Learning to identify mucus sensations and characteristics is one of the hardest charting habits to master. It takes time, experience, and patience, and it looks different for every woman. The most important thing is to keep charting every day and not skip observations. If you are unsure about a particular day, make a note so you can review the pattern later with your coach. Be sure to refer back to the class workbook, which includes a reference guide to help you choose the correct mucus symbol based on the sensations and characteristics you observe.
It is also important to remember that the Phase 1 Last Dry Day rule cannot be used until after the sixth cycle. Why? It takes time to confidently identify the first day of mucus, so it is better to be cautious in the early months.
Remember, you can make an appointment with one of our Fertility Awareness Based Method (FABM) coaches.
Question #3: Before learning the PeakDay STMethod and downloading PeakDay, I used another app, and my cycles looked different. What should I do?
The answer depends on what type of app or device you were using previously. If it was a basic cycle-tracking app, it likely focused on predicting periods rather than identifying fertility. If it was a fertility app, it may have applied a different method or algorithm to estimate fertile and nonfertile days. Some popular devices, including certain Apple Watch features, rely on the Rhythm method, which assumes cycles are the same length every month. This method is widely recognized as the least accurate approach.
The PeakDay STMethod has more than 55 years of research behind it and is 99 percent effective when used correctly. The PeakDay app applies STM rules so couples can confidently understand the phases of fertility in each cycle. If you were previously using a method or app with an effectiveness rate closer to 85 percent or less, we strongly recommend transitioning fully to PeakDay and the Sympto-Thermal Method for clearer interpretation and greater confidence.
Question #4: We charted a full cycle in PeakDay, but the entire chart is green, with Phase 1 not detected. In class we learned we should see three phases, that are three different colors. So what does this mean?
You are correct that the three phases of the cycle should appear clearly on the chart. In the PeakDay app, these phases are represented by three colors. Phase 1 is yellow, Phase 2 is green, and Phase 3 is purple. If the chart shows only green (see Example 1 Chart), it means the algorithm has not yet detected clear changes in mucus or temperature to confidently mark transitions between phases. But don’t worry…this is completely normal for a first chart.
With time and experience, patterns begin to emerge. Mucus observations become clearer, abnormal temperatures are recognized and excluded, and Phase 3 interpretation becomes evident. As this happens, the chart begins to display all three colors, reflecting the natural progression of the cycle. The transition from phase to phase can be clearly seen in Example chart 2.
Patience
With just a little bit of patience, the few minutes each day spent to record fertility symptoms will become very routine. Many couples compare it to “brushing their teeth” – just a healthy, daily habit. A little bit of time will build a chart you can interpret together with no problem. It’s amazing! Of course, if you do have questions, you can reach out to coaches within the app or forum and get someone to help you with your chart. Often another day of observations or a quick look from a coach is all that you need to get the information you need to become the authority of the gift of your fertility!
Most importantly, we encourage newlywed couples to talk openly about charting habits and shared roles. Reviewing each chart together and praying over it can ease anxieties, strengthen communication, and help couples peacefully discern when they may be called to welcome new life.
Written by Stacey Nagle, CCL Director of Teaching Center. Learn more or download PeakDay at PeakDay.com.