Charters Anonymous Volume 6. Charting and shagging our way to victory!

We can all be hatching versions of the new Messiah! Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend. I'm distracting myself from lack of symptoms by drinking lovely V&Ts and choosing what I want for dinner!

I'll be on the Christmas baby bus soon.

Christmas baby sounds perfect!

bossy you have some stamina, I would be shattered if I did it every day! Before ttc I probably only did it once a month . Sorry you are suffering with bad AF pains :( I find that I am either psycho bitch from hell or have really bad pains.

A date with pain relief! As soon as it settles down and af tails off thats it im going for an everyday approach as every other day has done nothing for me so far and its the last cycle before I see the gyn again so why not try something different!

Just arrived at work - long drive in today!
I'm finally CD1 proper today and got woken in the night with painful cramps so not in best form.

Twizzle - Christmas babies, yay!!!!
As for your Meds, if you want me to put my pharmacist hat on let me know what you're taking and I'll let you have my thoughts. You can PM me if you want or if you'd rather just follow up with your GP, I won't be offended!

Hello everyone else - any exciting weekend plans?

Thanks guys you're all so lovely, I poas again today bfn. So def not that when I spoke to dr he said my meds could mess up AF so need a blood test.

Due to that I have fiddled with my chart and am counting first day of spotting as a light period therefore cd 1 so am currently cd3 (v v brown now so think I'm nearly done ) temps low today, i think yesterday was blip?

Off for non preggo treats today. Friends, wine, shopping and lunch.
Now who's up for a Christmas baby?

I also want to say that I don't think you have anything to worry about, but as i don't know the impact of your meds, i guess i'm advising to be on the safe side if it's causing you to worry

thizzle I spot for two days before AF arrives proper, pretty much every month. Some could argue that it's light period, but it's always brown so i go by the rule book that says your first day is when you get red bleeding that requires a tampon or a towel. My temps seem to support that. So, seen as you temp is up again today, why don't you poas in the morning, at least count pg out if nothing else and if it continues tomorrow then call your gp or practice nurse. Or NHS Direct if your practice is closed over the weekend. They'd probably want you to test too, just to confirm. Then again, you might get a positive test...

Yay If! looking good :)

Yey, text book cycle so far... www.fertilityfriend.com/home/2de1f3

Hi ladies and sorry for ERTD's unwelcome arrival. I also like Scrummy's rules and have a similar approach myself. I always think of a 'silver lining' every month. This is usually something that I wouldn't enjoy as much or couldn't do if pg so it softens the blow a little. It can be little things like being able to enjoy the free bar at my work Christmas party to being able to fly for my friend's hen party in September (because I wouldn't be past the magic 24 week point!)

This month ERTD is due when we are going away to a very snazzy hotel and if it does arrive it means I can enjoy lovely wine, anything at all off the menu in the michelin starred restaurant and indulge in some of the spa treatments that are 'banned' when pg*

• disclaimer - should I be lucky enough to get a BFP instead, I will happily and 100% willingly give up all of those things too!

So I've had a job interview this morning and unfortunately I don't think it went very well We are hoping to move back to the Midlands at some point this year and that relies on me finding a suitable job. I have been putting it off for months, hoping I'd get pg and we could time moving with mat leave but it now seems silly to avoid making decisions for something that might not happen.

I'm kind of hoping that I jinx myself and the minute I start a new job and therefore don't qualify for any enhanced mat pay, I will immediately get up the duff

Big weimy licks to jaggy & essence so sorry :(

I like scrummy's rules a lot. I get to go horse riding this afternoon!

Mrsden my period starts just like yours.

weight wise I wuld like to loose half a stone but am so tired I can't seem to do anything about it. Congrats on your fab weight loss newgolden!

I am ttc my first but have been practicing n the pack. BTW I've got a pic of them on my profile if you want to see where the weimy licks come from!

thank you for all the kind words, ttc for 17 months though did feel empowered after reading TCOYF, with that and charting I had wondered how many of those months we actually stood a real chance. Expecially now realising I ovulate on cd11 I may have missed the boat completely on a few occasions.

I felt great filling in my job application form yesterday but feel miserable now as financially we need me to get a job, a few letters confirming bills are going up and yes I really do need to work but I really want a baby and dont want to stop trying. I guess I could try and get a job and still ttc but just feel bad about taking a job someone else could have had when I could end up on maternity leave soon after starting as I wouldn't be returning to work afterwards.

Newgolddream you have made me feel better.

I think the stress of waiting for results is getting to me. I got referred to a gyn for bleeding between periods and aches and pains, failure to conceive was another symptom but not the reason I was there. I am plased to be having the fertility tests but still worry that there's a real problem causing the symptoms and yes im thinking about cancer. I need to take my own advice and only worry when I actually have something to worry about but easier said than done.

what does your chart say twizzle. Have your temps dropped?

I would count that as spotting twizzle. I count as CD1 the day with red blood where I have to wear a proper towel, I normally get a couple of days before that with brownish blood but only when I wipe or specs on a panty liner.

If I'm only getting blood when I wipe and tiny amounts on a pantyliner is that spotting or a light period would you say? This is the second day, no cramps still feel like due on, heavy/full feeling.

Don't know whether to start new chart or not on FF I don't know what my body is doing

i reckon I've about a stone more to lose. lost a stone and a bit compared to pre DS weight, have probably put on nearly half a stone of it back on in the last three months.

it is funny the thoughts in your head when you're back to cd1. i feel lucky too to have DS, but didn't realise until the months started rushing by how much i wanted #2. was at baby + toddler group today and i hope it wasn't obvious that i was :( (and a bit i suppose) at all the wee babies! a bit pathetic i know.

ttc sure makes you a bit hormonal stressed sometimes.

essence - sorry you have joined us with AFs arrival. . No -one fails here, its just taking a bit longer - it will be worth the agonisingwait.

I do feel incredibly lucky to have my 3 healthy boys and this can make me feel a bit guilty sometimes reading some of the posts here from people desperate to conceive a first baby, but due to the length of time it took for DS2 plus the chemical pregnancy I had to, being "fat and forty" and now my insane desire for a fourth I get obsessed its not going to happen. Its not even a girl Im desperate for (as Im sure a lot of people would think, which is why no-one knows Im ttc) - just another baby before its tool ate. My DH is so good with the boys (hes a stay at home Dad) and I just feel my families not complete yet.

But I really dont any anyone thinking Im being smug or anything like that - and Im also acutely aware it woudnt be the end of the world for me if I didnt ever fall pregnant again, well maybe for a wee while!

Everyone here will fall pregnant - eventually. And then it really will be more special because of the time, effort and work put into conceiving that special baby. Charting I dont feel is too obsessive, just taking a bit of control over our own fertility and empowering us with the knowledge of exaclty what our cycles are like and what is going on insdie our bodies.

Ps I do WW online to and have lost nearly 2 stone, has took a year mind you but Im getting there! Good luck to everyone trying to lose weight.

All I know is that if its implantation bleeding then it can take up to a week for a bfp to show up. I think it could be a wait and see approach. I spot all the time thats the norm for me, I was still being hopeful as 3 days of very little spotting peeing like mad, feeling sick etc but heavier today.

I also like to poas after af just in case it was implantation Every cycle is different for me these days, always something new to report to gyn - it means I can symptom spot all month long!

working again. :)

Eek. FF site doesn't seem to be working!

although my cd2 temp isn't especially essential, i am strangely annoyed!

I know what you mean by career, I accepted a promo couple of months back and although I enjoy it, I still wish I'd be pg instead!

I've lost weight with weight watchers in the past - works every time. You can now do it online too so no need to attend meetings if that's not your thing (more online charting though)

thizzle I'll have a look at your chart properly when I gt home tonight (on phone)

Thanks Scrummy - I am lucky as I already have DS. I'm trying not to be as obsessive as when ttc him but it's hard! I am really focussing on losing weight as I'm 12st5. Started trying to eat better 10 days ago and started weekly sessions with a friend who's a personal trainer and weekly Pilates. So far lost zero weight though
As for work, I feel v schizophrenic as at work, I'm career Richards and talking to my boss about development into my next role but inside I'm hoping I'll be going on mat leave!

I guess we all have similar feelings but it is good to be able to share on here :)

essence you did the right thing in getting some sleep and me time. I get terrible PMS and the two days leading to AF I have to hide myself from the world, cos i just cant cope. Always in floods of tears. but luckily it does go as soon as AF starts proper.

And there are no such things as failures when it comes to baby-making. I think we all fall into the trap of thinking we can somehow control it by making changes and charting each day, but we all know it doesn't work like that. So, here's the rule s I TRY to stick by:

1. you are doing everything you can, I.e. I'm doing my best! My best is good enough. The rest is up to my body (and DH).
2. It might not happen,so imagine how amazing your life can be even if you don't have children, travel, looking after your elderly, helping friends with theirs, charity work, career
3. Do your best for those things you CAN control, work,home,hobbies
4. Make plans for fun stuff you can look forward to - regularly!
5. Laugh- as much and as often as you can

I also think that charting does put some extra pressure on you, so maybe a break every once and a while is what we also need.

Morning!
Thanks for the hugs and chocolate thoughts last night! Sorry I disappeared, I decided best thing was to just go to sleep so I could wake up for another day. Feeling a bit better thanks. Temp dropped as expected although not below coverline and flow light/spotting so maybe tomorrow will be CD1 properly.

Do I buy myself...

Clearblue Fertility Monitor Test Sticks - 20 Pack
Clearblue Fertility Monitor
Getting Pregnant - Faster - Marilyn Glenville;

???

All sitting in my basket on Amazon... CD3 and think i need to take control... have eaten a box of Thorntons today