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Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

TTC when DH works away

88 replies

SingingSoftly · 16/06/2014 14:40

So DH and I are now officially TTC :-) Although, according to my phone, it was pointless, because this is not a fertile day. July and August it won't line up either. He will be here for one fertile day in September. We won't have a really good opportunity until October. It's so frustrating - I'm so excited and just want to get on with it now the decision has been made!

Anybody else in a similar situation?

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calibee · 03/08/2014 17:55

Hi all....my DH has just left for 7 months. We have been trying for 2 years (1mmc) but I worked out we have had about 7 chances out of 20 (I'm not always regular) due to him being away!!
Our fertility consultant has been brilliant and arranged to have DH's semen frozen so we can have a go at IUI whilst he is away this time. Fingers crossed.
Congrats to Claire...how I long to see that second blue line xx

NewLeafExpat · 03/08/2014 16:26

what cycle day are you? I would test 3-4 days before period due. I use the most sensitive tests u can buy that are internet cheapies.

offhand I can't remember what sensitivity they are but apparently quite reliable.

I am due on Tuesday/Wednesday and tested today. bfn... how annoying. I'll test again on Tuesday if no AF but I had some AF-style cramps yesterday so pretty sure I'm out.

funny how TWW goes from 1-3DPO symptom spotting and excitement.
4-10 DPO convinced its another bfn month.
10dpo+ AF symptom spotting...

oh what we put ourselves thru... :)

Original poster
SingingSoftly · 02/08/2014 10:06

I'm not feeling like I'm pg this month even though the timing was so great - he was here when I ovulated! But I have no symptoms! I have just bought a thermometer too but only took it once this morning out of curiosity. It was under 37 so I was thinking low temp = not pg even though I suppose you really need to know what your normal temp is to compare. I don't know if it is worth starting to record the temps now or if I should wait til day 1 of next cycle.

I don't really know when to test if pg but the box I have says you can use them from first day of missed period, but this is no help to me with my irregular cycles. Do you need special ones to test 10 dpo or can the normal ones pick it up?

Hi Spangila! I was going to ask if anyone had gone to the extent of travelling to their DH's place of work during ovulation. It's not on the cards at the moment but if I were faced with months of dates not lining up for us I think it would get tempting!

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Spangila · 01/08/2014 17:31

NewleafExPat - I bought a 'BabyMad' one from Amazon for a fiver and it arrived next day. I've only used it once properly so not sure how accurate it is. I suppose later in the month...

NewLeafExpat · 01/08/2014 06:34

hi spangila! welcome!

I started temping halfway thru this month although I'm not sure I have a very good thermometer... just a normal one to one decimal place not two. so far its confused me more than helped me but I guess u need a couple months info not just half a month ;)

happy weekend to all u ladies! x

Spangila · 31/07/2014 15:11

Hello, can I get on the DH works away boat too?

We haven't been trying too long and my job is flexible in that I can plan my diary to be where he is when we need to DTD - but so far we've only managed to be together two fertile periods in the last six months.

Just bought myself a basal thermometer so I can plan EXACTLY when we need to DTD!

NewLeafExpat · 31/07/2014 11:40

hi ladies!

singingsoftly when are you going to test? FX for you!!!! do you test before AF is due or do u have some patience?

swimming argh! that must be so frustrating! i guess just keep monitoring that CM/temping and try figure it out that way, or just DTD as much as you can!! my cycles never shorten just lengthen and AF is super light so sometimes i think i haven't had a full reset (if that makes sense!) between cycles.

today is CD29... going to test on sunday even though I'm only due on tues/wed. i felt i had all the symptoms... and now, nothing. feeling a bit despondent and down about it all. must pick myself up and stay positive!!

DH is back tonight for one day then off again for four days. at least i can do some sneaky POAS action on my own to feed my POAS addiction...

SwimmingBee · 30/07/2014 21:44

how is the tww going newleaf? i wish i knew where i was in my cycle Sad was meant to ov last week but from Thursday, cd15 to Monday i had what i would describe as a really light period two weeks after my last one which was 3 weeks late. so don't know whether have started a new cycle or not. so frustrating.

any ideas welcome......

NewLeafExpat · 29/07/2014 15:28

haha.. he was probably testing the water to see your reaction!

yes the last time we were in the UK I bought a pack of forty cheap pregnancy tests from Amazon... so I've usually tested around 10dpo onwards just because I'm impatient, bored, wishful! Blush Blush

I really hope this could be our month, suddenly feel impatient again and we were relatively lucky with Dh's schedule fitting in this month.

fingers crossed and good luck to everyone!!

Original poster
SingingSoftly · 29/07/2014 13:20

Hm well I read somewhere that the two days prior to ov were better than day of ov itself so sounds like good timing NewLeaf. The countdown to testing begins! So do you test before AF is due?

Couple of people at work are off on mat leave. Today my boss said, 'We'll have to put it in the contract for you women, no going off having babies.' He was joking of course, but I felt bad, like I had a guilty secret!

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NewLeafExpat · 27/07/2014 11:16
Wink since ov .. way way more CM than usual. sorry tmi! headaches!! i haven't had such headaches since stopping the pill! and I cried at some makeover program on TV! it must be! Wink Wink 9 days til testing Wink in seriousness though I thought we timed it well, then Dh went away for our days and the first two days he was gone I think I ovulated (late). hopefully enough swimmers were still around Hmm who knows!

anyone else symptom spotting?

Original poster
SingingSoftly · 27/07/2014 10:59

Smile what symptoms to report so far? I'm awaiting ovulation then I can join you!!

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NewLeafExpat · 27/07/2014 05:43

the symptom spotting has begun and is in full swing!!

time to get overly excited (crazy) for the next week!!

Original poster
SingingSoftly · 24/07/2014 09:05

Three weeks late SwimmingBee! That's brutal. Your head must have been all over the place.

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SwimmingBee · 23/07/2014 20:58

*back Friday!
stupid predictive text

SwimmingBee · 23/07/2014 20:58

lets keep the positively going! Smile

although after last month i am not holding out much hope! should have ov today but no signs. maybe if its late we might catch it when dh is cal Friday!

NewLeafExpat · 23/07/2014 02:19

hi swimming!

I don't think anyone has any good news yet but I am feeling positive! I think/guess/estimate I am 1DPO/cd22 today and soooo hoping this is our month!

DH is away for four days now so fingers crossed we don't miss it!

2ww countdown starts NOW! Wink Grin

SwimmingBee · 20/07/2014 15:11

hi everyone. sorry for not posting for awhile been a hard few weeks waiting for af to arrive, which it eventually did 3 weeks late Angry i really wasn't well during that time but af has been and gone and hopefully we are back in the game now, so onwards and upwards!
hope everyone is ok? do we have any good news? x

Original poster
SingingSoftly · 18/07/2014 14:33

Go for it Butler! Wink

Yes NewLeaf there seem to be a few bumps and births in our friendship group at the moment as well. We met up with a couple with a 6 month old recently and he was so lovely, just makes me so broody! Luckily DH seemed quite charmed as well - I sometimes do wonder if he has keen as me. Snap with your story about moving abroad and thinking I would stay 6 months ... I have 4 years now!

Swimmingbee when we last heard from you you were still awaiting AF! Any good news?

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Butler4 · 18/07/2014 11:56

Hi yeah dh got home on wed night so we are in the fertile dtd window just now. Then we are out until October so not the best but we will survive. Hope you are all well and making the most of time with dh'

NewLeafExpat · 18/07/2014 10:17

swimmingbee how are you doing?

and butler are you making the most of july? I saw you said july lines up with DH's schedule and mother nature, otherwise you're out for a while!? Get busy! Wink

Its like creating a bloody spring/neap tide trying to align DH's schedule with ovulation...

NewLeafExpat · 18/07/2014 10:11

hi singing

Damn! sorry it wasnt your month. Onwards and upwards and if its only cycle one then hopefully you can jump on it next time.

Yeah we are TTC#1 since January this year, tbh we havent been trying that hard, but from being 'carefree' this month actually it seems we are trying harder!! hopefully the timing is right....

i bumped into a friend last week who is 4.5 months pregnant!!! we moved abroad 3 years ago and met here thinking we would live in this country for 6 months (3 years and counting now..), got married here around the same time... now shes 4.5 months pg... Hmm ive got some catching up to do...

my cycles have been around 32 days but last month was 38 days or something. im not using any ovulation sticks, other than checking CM and using a calendar and guesswork so last months long cycle has thrown me a bit as to when im ovulating this month... scatter gun approach?! Grin

Original poster
SingingSoftly · 16/07/2014 08:22

Sad No! Not PG! Disappointing, but hopefully I will ovulate next time DH is back and we will have another, better, chance.

OMG New Leaf that website is amazing!! I will have to try to prevent myself from reading until the next 2ww! (And then imagining myself into all the symptoms!) So are you TTC your first DC?

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NewLeafExpat · 14/07/2014 09:32

Well I hope for you that you dont drive yourself crazy with the wait... Grin I've been there!

My first few cycles I was teetotal, convinced I was PG, symptom spotting like mad (and had stronger symptoms than more recent cycles!). I'm not sure whether to tell you this or not, but have you heard of the website "countdowntopregnancy" its a symptom spotters dream/nightmare based on symptoms specific to each DPO.

anyway. I always say i'm not going to test until day X but end up POAS 'just to see' a few days before the time limit i impose on myself. this is always when DH is away like my hidden pleasure!

good luck to you my fingers are crossed and you have to let us know Wink

Original poster
SingingSoftly · 14/07/2014 04:22

Good on you for being carefree! I have been frantically googling symptoms... I normally don't have a very good sense of smell, but I seem to be assaulted by smells all over the place just now and a little queasy, but then again it could all be in my head! I know we would have to be pretty lucky to have success in the first month, but who knows. If no AF by the weekend that would be a good time to test, however DH won't be here so don't know if he would want me to wait for him... maybe I won't ask him!

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