The Elderberry Pavlovas are pimping everyday – a lovely thread for 30+ ladies TTC #1 (Thread 7)

Hi Cate. It needs to be a BBT thermometer ie it gives temperatures to 2 decimal places. I think larger Boots may sell them but I got mine from Amazon. It's called 'Baby Mad' and cost just a few pounds. Do you already use an app to track your cycles?

Hi everyone, I haven't been temping but am about to start. I take it you can just go into boots and by a thermometer right? Can anyone give me any tips.

DP has been using various creams prescribed by the doctor, and he got referred to the GUM clinic when it didn't clear up who cut a little bit of it off and did a biopsy (no dtd for 2 weeks after that!) to see if it was something different but they said eczema as well. It comes and goes and he's not had it for a while so it's doubly annoying that they're only now getting to him on the waiting list!

Watching last week's sad OBEM. DP out at the pub with best mate who's getting married tomorrow. I'm frantically trying to knit a bride and groom pair of mice ready for the wedding tomorrow!! Might have started a bit late but the wedding doesn't start until 4!! I'll probably be in floods of tears soon though which won't speed the process up...

Welcome back Peanut. Sounds like a great little holiday away!!

Barking, I had eczema on my privates a few years ago due to stress and my GOD it was painful, and dtd made it even more so. I feel your frustration, but I completely understand that it might be a necessity to get it sorted before much more dtd can actually take place. I used a steroid cream on it, but TMI it never went too far into the sensitive parts so was technically 'skin', not interior, so not sure if it would be possible for hubby to use.

Sidney, I know we've said this before, but cousin's idiot wife sounds crazy. Only 8 months old and already upduffed with another is one thing, needing to get rid of baby weight is another (completely media induced) thing. Crazy lady.

Barking AF is due Monday. This is always the lowest part of the month for me, when I brace myself for something disappointing while still clinging to a bit of hope. I do try to be optimistic but it gets harder every cycle. I have a Gp appt for Friday, and I'm going to ask what we're supposed to do next, and will probably beg for an HSG to check for a blockage. We won't qualify for NHS IVF (DH has 2 children) and beyond just wanting answers, I'm anxious to hit the ground running if in fact we do wind up going private in the future.

Meanwhile my cousin's idiot wife is still eating meal replacement shakes in an effort to lose baby weight from #1 (8 months old), and is a couple of months along with #2. Grrrr.

Berries!!! How are we this evening? thanks for the shag advice, or should that read advice to shag lol

haycorn good news that doc doing tests.

Oh barking I'm surprised you haven't gone barking mad, your poor hubby and poor you!

frog sidI'd love to have twins too to get it all done and dusted as only want 2 kiddiwinks!

Had to take one cat to vets this eve, she hasn't been herself lately and isn't eating much, vet says she is dehydrated and has very high temp, gave her a few jabs and if she isn't better tomorrow they will take her in and put her on a drip all this worrying about a non existent future baby and I forgot about my fluffy baby!

Hi berries! Back from the bonkfest holiday. Dog has been hosed down, so has DH, both cats have accounted for and I'm collapsed on the sofa. Phew! AF considerately remained AWOL throughout, so even though I'm still going mental that she's refusing to show at least she didn't interfere with conjugal relations. Now CD42, lost the inner battle to resist pimping when I got home, still a no (shocker) so just want her to show up now. Although frog I like the idea that longer cycles might mean twins, I might cling to that for now!

Sidney my anniversary is next month, I'm desperate for a miraculous BFP before then as a present. Although I was also desperate for one before Christmas, New Year and my (old) due date. Fail on all counts. Better luck for you

barking poor you and poor Mr Sid. I have eczema down my legs and can imagine that on even more sensitive parts it's I'd also be annoyed though, think it's fair enough - just another straw to heap on the poor old camel's back!

bajas and boodle sorry AF rocked up. Perhaps you could ask her to give me a visit next time instead

pip nice of the friends to be considerate. Better than the sudden picture of a scan on FB which gets me every time, but still don't blame you if you had a little inner tantrum. I would have. But still, IVF appt! Exciting!

Sidney when is AF due? fx for you.

DP has a pre op appointment on the 16th - the day before the fc!! He'll hopefully find out a date then. I'd rather they just get it done now then we can wait and know it's all sorted and start ttc again afterwards than put it off, but not get pg anyway, and then have the op.

I feel bad being annoyed about it when DP has to go through an operation that can't be easy for a man, and I'm selfishly more worried about how it will affect our ttc efforts. He's going to mention ttc and the fc appointment when he goes for the pre op appointment and see what they say.

Good news Pip on your IVF appointments! You're on your way to getting pg!!!! so exciting!

Barking what a horrible spot for your DH's eczema! I don't blame you for being ranty. What can be done, so that you don't lose any more time? Can you just get the clomid now with the understanding being that you'll start taking it once your DH's situation is handled?

Charming I'm pretty nonconfrontational but this situation would be hard to live with. IMO, if you've offered your help to your teacher with all the things that he seems to be failing at, and he isn't taking you up on it (whether from stubbornness, or that he may not even think any of this is truly a problem), then I think it'd be sensible for you to go above him, otherwise your administration might consider you part of the problem. Perhaps the year he's in just isn't his thing, and he'd be better with older students? Those poor kids, and poor you for having to endure it, it sounds a nightmare! You won't be with him next year, will you?

Frog can I join you at the crazy lady table? My dad's side has a pattern of fraternal twins as well, and the dildocam I had 2 weeks ago showed 2 dominant follicles ready to blow. I had high hopes for conceiving twins and never having to go through this TTC bullshit again but yesterday I started feeling crampy, although it's kind of subsided. I can't quite convince myself it could've been implantation cramps, although I suppose it's possible. So I'm back to dreading trips to the loo in case there's blood. Really hate this time of the month & not brave enough to do a pg test. Our anniversary is next week and I had really wanted this to be our gift

Tallyra It's nice to hear of people being considerate of other's feelings instead of being totally wrapped up in their own happy bubble. Still stinks to find out other people are pg though, even when you're genuinely happy for them .
In an attempt to be positive I would say that maybe the house move will take your mind off the ivf a little as you'll be so busy running around like a headless chicken unpacking boxes and switching utilities....

Fingers crossed it all goes well and is as stress free as possible. On both counts. Take plenty of

Sorry to hear that Bajas. I was sure you would be an instadiffer.

As you say Tallyra, it was so nice of them to be understanding.

Af arrived so back to cd1 and ready to start again with thermometer at the ready from Monday. At least I can have a few drinks on weekend away without worrying.

oh no pip on both counts! at least they were sympathetic towards your situation and didn't want to hurt you.

Boodle they were going to give me clomid as I understand its the cheapest and easiest place to start. However in my case they said that due to my age they went straight to checking tubes. I think it's up to your consultant really.

A friend announced that she was pg last night. They are really friends of friends and had told our mutual friends who know we are heading to IVF last week. The newly updiffed couple then found out that we are trying etc and decided to tell us as they wanted to make sure we were ok with it and they didn't want us to just hear through the grapevine.

As for the IVF, first appointment is on Tuesday but then the following two are in two weeks. The problem is that our house move has been put back and I think it is all going to clash!

barking thanks for the advice- have just ordered thermometer from amazon. Think for the peace of mind over 1/2/3 ww it will definitely be worth it!

That's so frustrating about the two appts coming up together. My dh suffers from excema too although fortunately not in that area. I'm sure if you explain to the fc they will advise you to hold off on the cloud until all is sorted which must be hard as you've already waited so long.

On the plus side I've had 3 friends successfully conceive on clonus quite quickly (1 of whom had 3 periods a year, one of whom never had any at all) and they all went on to have 2 more babies with no intervention afterwards.

Oh Barking that is just one big fat law of Sod! Sooooo frustrating for you. Your poor DP too though - that's going to hurt like hell.

what was your curveball barking? I'll probably cross-post with you but never mind!

It's my first month temping & using OPKs so I don't have any comparator data (& the OPKs were all neg) but FF seems to think I may have O'd on CD21 which is much later than I would have thought. My previous 4 post-pill cycles have been quite short (25-29 days) so CD21 would have been worrying but then last month cycle was 31 & I'm now on CD31 today. It might be that they are just settling down into a new routine as hormones settle back down & late O is fine as I just have a longer cycle now than I thought.

And now I've caught up can I please have a rant purely about myself?!

Without wanting to go into TMI, DP has, on and off, had a problem with eczema on his crucial man part. He's been to the docs, been referred to relevant people etc to confirm it is eczema and this has been going on for pretty much a year. The last time he saw a specialist they said the only way to get rid of it completely was to circumcise. This was a few months ago and he's been waiting for the appointment ever since. They said after the op he'd not be able to DTD for at least a month.

Sod's law springs into action. Having finally got the FC appointment (less than 2 weeks now), and my hopes up that something will actually happen, we come back from holiday to find out that they're ready to book him in for the op (he needs to call to arrange), which means no DTD for at least one cycle afterwards. Why could this not have been sorted ages ago?!?! Why is it only now when we might be able to DTD and something result from it that we won't be able to!!!!
And I really don't want to get to the fc appointment and tell them I'd really like clomid, but there's no point as I can't dtd this month!!!! I've waited 16 months, I want to get going now! < stamps feet and sticks out bottom lip >

ARGHH!!!!!!!!

Of course, in the grand scheme of things we'll be among the lucky ones if my short LP is the only thing stopping us (this is of course purely my self diagnosis) and clomid can help, so I should consider myself lucky I haven't got bigger problems (and of course the fc could find all sorts of problems!) and just suck it up and wait a month or two, but right now I'm just p1ssed off at the ridiculous timing of it all!!!

Phew. Feel better now. Can't rant at DP as it would be entirely selfish and insensitive. Can't rant at anyone else in RL as I can't imagine DP would be happy for me to discuss his man part issues with anyone...

Promise I'll go away again now and stop filling up the thread with my long post rambles!!

Argh, knew there was something else I wanted to reply to!

bajas do you temp? Sorry if you've already answered that. I only ask because I have cycles between 24-37 days, and when I first started ttc I was going crazy each time it was a longer cycle, convincing myself I was pg. Since temping, I've realised that my LP is generally 8 days long, no matter how long my cycle, so once I've had O I can predict AF a lot more accurately and I have far fewer crazy days followed by disappointment. If I have a longer LP (longest has been 10 days) I still only have 2 days of convincing myself I'm pg rather than 2 weeks, when I had my longest cycle but didn't know when O was. I had one month I was convinced all the BFNs were just plain wrong .

If I had nice regular cycles and had identified a nice regular O I probably wouldn't bother temping anymore, but I continue each month to predict AF to keep my sanity! I didn't take my thermometer on holiday, but I temped again this morning to check it hadn't risen so I was still pre O, as my AF is potentially due around the same time as my FC appointment, so I really want it to get here just before the appointment so I can go along knowing I'm definitely not pg, but I'm still right at the start of my cycle so I can try anything they might be able to do for me!

Back in the UK and all the holiday washing is blowing on the line! Bear with me while I catch up....

Thanks Boodle for sharing your thoughts about the fc appointment, particularly the progesterone, I'd not thought to ask that. I've just had a curveball hit me about mine but I'll rant about that in a minute...

frog I'm not the berry to keep anyone grounded, I have too many fanciful ideas of my own! I'd never heard of late O making twins though, is that late as in later than usual in your own cycle? I wouldn't be able to track that as my cycles are all different lengths anyway, and if O was much later I'd have a 2dw rather than a 2ww!!

haycorn hooray for newbie doctors who want to cover everything!!

charming - It's a nasty situation you're in there. The trouble is, if you say something to the phase leader/ deputy and they act on it, it's going to be difficult for them to disguise where the information has come from (if they bother trying at all) and that will affect your relationship with the teacher. How is that by the way? Does he take advice from you or see it as interfering? I would definitely try to speak to him first if you can, but also speak to the deputy, just to mention you had a few concerns. I suggest deputy as you mentioned the conversation you had at the beginning of the year, so you could relate it back to this maybe? Good luck whatever you do, it's definitely got to be mentioned. Preparing resources in the middle of a lesson is just ridiculous!! It sounds like all the basics of routine, preparation and organisation are just not there, and it's not going to suddenly improve unless someone puts a rocket up his arse. Makes me when people don't appear to put the effort in. It's not only the kids that suffer, but the teacher that has his class next year that has to try and fill in all the gaps.

Bunny You've got no control over when you give birth anyway, so sods law would definitely be that you waited a month and then got pg and gave birth a month premature. Just do it!

Yes do it Bunny!! And everyone else get pimping!!
Or you could just ignore me as I am in no mans land (7dpo) and living vicariously through others until I can start pimping next week

Yay haycorn. I am really getting my hopes up now so need the Berries to keep me grounded! Just been googling wondering if I did have a late O that means that I could be more likely to have twins. I think I am already genetically disposed to have twins as my father would have passed on the gene that causes hypo-ovulation (sp?) (his sister had fraternal twins & the female twin of those twins (my cousin) also had twins this year). Add in my advanced years as a factor too & bingo

Do it bunny! The law of sod is the only one you can rely on!

I had some good luck yesterday so I'm feeling a bit more chipper at the moment, even though AF is still off on her hols. Went back to the doctor but picked a day when my normal doc (she of the "you need to stop worrying about it" fame) doesn't work. Got given an appt with a complete newbie, who had a proper doc observing her and was obviously not at all sure what to do, so just did everything! Asked loads of Qs and has booked me in for a blood test and said for me to see her again as soon as the results come back and she will do more tests after that. So pleased that something is happening - I just couldn't stand the eternal waiting. Hoorah for learner doctors!

Also very pleased that AF has made her way back to cats and very much looking forward to lots of PIMPing by frog and bajas over next few days!

Bunny just shag of course - that's what rabbits do! I know what the answer would be if I asked my DP anyway!