No more Pill!! This is it!! Starting a JULY-AUG 2012 bus...

Hehe - I am not actually sure if the OPK and obssessiveness all the rest ups the chances (I certainly hope so!!). I'm not sure if he'll be directly present at the birth, probably not, but he will of course come see the littlie in hospital. And no, not too many questions - in fact I hadn't even thought of whether he'd be there at the birth before you asked [hblush]. I promise I've thought this all through!!

I mean about changing his mind about the involvement ( alert )

Ooh, what's pre-seed? I have never heard of it.

oh fish I was going to ask about that but then changed my mind. I'm sure he'll fall totally in love when he sees him/her

fishpants will he see the DC at all when its born? Sorry if I'm asking too many questions, I'm naturally a nosey cow curious.

I've heard this "20% chance each cycle" stat - is that even if you opk and all the rest?

X-post Cauldron. Much more succint explanation you did of the terms

Donor so far says he would love involvement with the little one - I'm planning to play it by ear, as I have a little bit of concern around the situation - I would love for DC to see his/her father but worry that if/when he decides to get married and have a family of his own, my DC would be pushed aside. I highly doubt it as I've known him for eons, but my mother bear instincts are on alert! I really hope that once DC is here, he falls in love with him/her and wants to be involved lots

Cool :) Me too, nice to meet someone in the same boat

oh x post sorry!

Hehe - OPK is an ovulation predictor kit, yes. Pre-seed is a lubricant that is supposed to mimic your own natural EWCM-type secretions and safe for sperm to swim in, as opposed to the regular market lubes which are harmful to sperm. I've heard of couples using it to TTC and it being helpful, but jury's out on whether it's better to use that or none at all. Here's a link to their own website.

AI is artificial insemination. My 'donor' is a lovely childhood friend who is single and doesn't want parenting responsibility / financial responsibility. He comes and donates his swimmers into a sterile container, then after he leaves I pull them into a syringe and basically do a version of the 'turkey baster' method . I've read up as much as I can without my eyes crossing about it and think I've done most everything I can to ensure success, but there is only about a 20% success rate per time (but I think it's cumulative, so after 6 months there's a 90% success rate) of AI, so here's hoping

Stupid iPhone making me look like an idiot...I meant #1 or #2!! Anyone else trying for #1? :)

wannabe I'm ttc #1. Never ttc before, never been pg, never had a "scare" so I'm a total beginner... OPK is ovulation predictor kit, pre-seed is some kind of lube, AI is artificial insemination.

fishpants what a great friend to offer to do this with you! He must be one in a million! . Will he have much involvement once your DC is here?

FishPants, that sounds intriguing!!! I am intrigued!

cauldron you are funny! I think TTC makes everyone go slightly insane . Lets hope you wont need to use your opk!!
XX

Is OPK something to do with an ovulation kit thing? What is pre-seed?! And AI?? Oh the questions! Fingers crossed Cauldron! Just off to have a bath and shave my legs before DH gets back from work! Cauldron, are you TTC %231 or %232? X

Cauldron I laughed out loud at the mistaking hunger pangs for being pregnant. YAYYYYY for your OPK's having arrived! Now you can join in the 'how dark is dark enough' debate that I've been raging over the last 24 hours

Oh and to answer your question - it's all a bit awkward really - he comes in and donates the swimmers in the bathroom while I wait. Then he leaves and I do the rest myself. He's a good friend, it would be way too weird for him to see me nekkid [hgrin] and I'm sure off-putting at sticking syringes into dark places.

oh and opk's arrived today!! Hooray!!

Its so exciting to log in and hear everyone's news!

skepsis - Welcome! I think we're about on the same timing, I'm now in the 2ww too (if I've got my sums right). I'm frankly breathing a sigh of relief a bit as all the swi over the weekend has left me exhausted and with a uti!

fishpants that is so exciting. Massive thumbs pushed for you! Is the donor there while you do it? Sorry if tmi to ask but you've piqued my interest... I am totally getting the overanalysing every twinge thing. I thought I could feel ovulation but actually its gone on for 3 days. Now I think I'm even mistaking hunger pangs for being pregnant!!!

wannabe hopefully we'll be the lucky ones

I've been reading about pre-seed on another thread but haven't used it. I think I'd like to keep the actual act as relaxed and natural as possible iyswim. Maybe I'll try it if I need extra help in a few months.

Funny ttc story of the day - I made two chocolate cakes for DP's restaurant, but got the recipe wrong and ended up having to chuck all the mix (tons of it!) down the sink. I then proceeded to have a total meltdown, involving throwing the recipe book and flatly refusing to ever make another cake again. DP then concluded that I must be pg because of my reaction! I had to break it to him gently that no, I'm just a stroppy unreasonable git sometimes

Good luck *fispants8.
With regards to pre-seed, my friend swears by it and so ofcourse I just had to buy some! I have used it twice this cycle as I have been quite dry but I would have used it if I wasn't anyway I think . DH didn't like it and I did asthough I had wet myself but im willing to try anything!

Welcome skepsis. I had a + on sunday morning and a - this morning so we are at the exact same stage! I have a strange sense that I have missed the boat this month though. Im so that I had to get ill yesterday! Still, I had a lovely pamper day today which involed a facial, body exfoliate, massage and wrap. It's certainly helped me unwind.
Xx

Well, last night was my first attempt at AI with my donor! It was all a bit awkward but managed to do it just fine. Have been uber-disappointed the last 7 days with negative OPK's, BUT!!!!!!! this morning, after AI, tested and got an almost-positive! It's not exactly as dark as the test line but pretty close. So I'm assuming O-day will be tomorrow, CD17. Yay!!!!! Looks like we got the timing pretty well spot-on. Planning another go at AI tomorrow night if OPK is positive, if it's negative obv will have been too late and just have to go with what we had last night.

Gah I'm so excited

Have had some abdominal crampiness today, wondering if that's O-related. I think it possibly could be as I've had O-related crampiness/bloating before. Or I might just be overthinking it as I'm TTC now.

Have any of you had experience with Pre-Seed? I seem to never have EWCM. I mean, not ever. I have thought that Pre-Seed, which helps to apparently mimic natural secretions might help the spermies to swim but I don't know if that's better than no lubrication at all, so to speak? (Definitely not a plug for the product, btw, just asking for opinions).

Hi everyone, can I join?!
We have just started to ttc#2. Got +opks Sunday and Monday and a - one today so have had lots of swi (just trying to get used to all the abbreviations!). So I guess I am now in the 2ww. This ttc stuff is new to me, I didn't realise it could be so complicated - ds1 was a surprise!

I think the "settling down" time varies from person to person. Some people are really lucky and get straight back to regular AF's, which it sounds like you guys probably will if that's how it was before, and others are irregular for a while. I am not too sure how my body will react. I was on the pill for 12 years and only took my last one on Friday, i can't really remember how regular i was before, although i do remember them being painful. As for the pill coming out of your system, i think it's almost immediatley and i have read that some women get a fertility surge when they first come off and so it is good to start SWI straight away. I am currently waiting for my final withdrawl bleed so that we can get down to business. Poor DH won't know what's hit him!

Cauldron I know what you mean! My TOM (time of month) was regular to the hour before I was on the pill so it makes me wonder if it makes a difference? Also, how long does the pill take to get out of your system? I was on Yasmin...so glad to be off it. Don't know about you ladies, but I always feel much more 'up for it' when I have my week off the pill for the withdrawal bleed!! Bodes well :) My poor DH won't know what's hit him the next few months!

I've been off it since the beginning of October, more or less wannabe. I know that's early days yet...

in fact that reminds me of another question - what do people mean by your cycle "settling down" after coming off the pill?

I came off the pill a while ago (not to ttc) and I didn't notice any "settling down" as far as AF was concerned, ie my cycles seemed monthly straight away.

I've also only been back on it about 4 months after 3 years off. If my cycles were always regular straight off the pill last time, does that mean I won't take long to "settle down" this time?

Oh, and it is great to have people to tell! I know it's the first step but it is just nice to have likeminded people to talk to. My DH (understandably) won?t let me tell anyone and I am having trouble containing my excitement!