Newbies: anyone else just starting TTC#1 ?

I get my mirena coil removed next Thursday! Super excited about it! I'm still hoping to be pretty relaxed about it all and avoid buying OPKs and all that and just see how it goes. But I'm thinking that might not happen!

Hello Goldilocks! I thought I was going to be completely laid back about TTC... clearly I had forgotten what a neurotic control freak I am!

OPKs give a more accurate result if you haven't urinated for the last 4 hours and if you are on the dehydrated side, so the urine is more concentrated. Luteinising Hormone is made in the morning, which is why many of the instructions tell you to test later on in the day. (I believe some tell you to test in the morning though, so that must be right for that brand - confusingly!) I did mine at about 2 or 3 yesterday afternoon without waiting for 4 hours just because I was home alone and bored! Today I did one when I got home from work at about 6.30 and had waited long enough (still neg, as expected!)

I use Woman Log to track my cycles. I'm sure there's plenty of choice!

Hello ladies!

Hope you don't mind me muscling in .. I'm very new to all of this so it would be great to chat to people in the same boat. I'm 29 & TTC for the first time.

I'm in a similar position to dillydollydarling .. I had my Mirena removed in July (after being in for 5 years) and my husband said the same thing to me .. 'We'll just get the coil removed, forget about it and see what happens' ! .. Yeah right.. I can't help but get excited! So my first AF arrived 10 days after the Mirena was removed. We waited a month just to check if my cycle would return to normal, had my 2nd AF after a 32 cycle in Sept & we've been TTC since then. Had my last AF at the beginning of Oct & after using the Clearblue Digital Ovulation test think I ovulated today.. So fingers crossed! I'm also using the Fertility Friend app to track my cycle which I've found really useful. I never knew there was so much to it!!

Good luck all..

Ahh thanks ladies for your advice. I actually hadn't considered the condom route...! So long since we've used them haha!

Letting my cycles return to normal and then learning to understand them is going to be interesting-I've always been irregular pre-hormone contraception. Will be interesting to see if anything has changed over the years! Something else to start researching... Any recommendations of the different methods? What is OPK?!

TheProof - I am planning on try out my first OPK today too - can I ask what time of day did you do it? On the instructions it says best time is between 2pm and 8pm but other say it doesn't matter...bit confusing!

AF supposed to come on wed... (Day before my bday ??) but still getting CM! Is this normal?? Would rely like my body to be normal again!!

How grumpy/stressed do SMT look? That should give you an indication of results!

Our local practice do early morning and later evening appointments, which is really convenient. Although it does help to book in early to get to see your favourite doctor!

I did my first OPK today! It's still early in the cycle, so was negative as expected. It was fun to practise!

Flybynight I was going to reply with exactly the same response as TheProof. Speak to your doctor, but personally I'd use condoms to allow cycles to return to normal.

TheProof Thank you for your comments. I'm hoping the schools results are okay - we've not heard yet... As for AF being AWOL - I'm going to register at my local doctors in half term (next week). I moved house a few months ago and am still registered to my old doctors (about half hour drive away). Annoyingly the new doctors say I have to register by bringing in my form between certain hours (no idea why). On the plus side this doctors is open for longer and on weekends, so fingers crossed it makes actually getting an appointment not as difficult!

Hi all! I haven't posted for a few weeks as I have been away. So, my first AF off the pill arrived CD30 which I was really pleased about. Going to start tracking now and see what happens...

Hi Flybynight As far as the previous miscarriage goes, it actually puts you in a better position: you already know that you can conceive.

Most women return to a regular cycle by 9 months after being on hormonal birth control, and many within just a few months. However it usually does take a bit of time. If I were you I'd use condoms from when the implant is removed and take the time to get to know your cycle.

I must stress that it is just my opinion and I am not your doctor! Talking to your GP about it is probably the best course of action!

Hi ladies!

I'm brand new here, getting excited about the future!! While we're not currently ttc, we're trying to work out what our next step is, so would appreciate some opinions from others!

I've currently got the Implanon implant and it's due to be removed next month after 3 years. We had wanted to start ttc mid-late 2015 so I was going to get another implant put in because I liked the fact that they say it doesn't affect your cycles once it's out (rather than the pill which can linger) but is it worth having a new implant for just 6 months?! The more I read the more I'm concerned that it'll take longer than we expect to get pg so maybe we should just start ttc as soon as this implant is out...?!

I'm 30 and he is 28. We got pg accidentally a few years ago at which point in our lives we weren't ready for it, and I guess nature knew best because I miscarried at 11 weeks. I'm concerned also that that will have some detrimental effect on our ability to conceive??

We've got a few things happening in our lives the first half of the year with work schedules and we're doing some pretty major building work to our home (pre-nesting I guess you could call it!) plus we want one more baby-free holiday before we have a baby, but I think if we got pg straight away we could manage.

Basically if I go down the pill route, what are the sort of times people are experiencing in ttc vs implant? Anyone had an implant for just 6 months??

Just reading through these posts I can tell that I'm going to be POAS and doing OPKs constantly! Even though both my OH and I have said that we don't want to be like that! He said 'get the coil taken out and then we'll just forget about it and see what happens'.

He said this last night and since then I've been googling TTC and pre pregnancy diets and supplements etc. it's going to be a long 9 months!

Ainat you have my heartfelt sympathies. I am a former teacher, so I know the horrors of Ofsted. At least they have been and gone now and you can get on with life again. I hope the school's result was OK, so there's not increased pressure for the rest of the year. Is it worth a trip to the doctor about AWOL AF?

Welcome chubbocat and dilly!

I'm now on CD6 - boring! AF has buggered off, getting psyched up for a DTD-athon over the next couple of weeks. I might try cracking out the OPKs later to have a practice (I bought a bumper pack of 50!).

Any other news, ladies?

Hey! My OH and I have decided to TTC for the first time! I've been on the pill for 7 years and then had the Mirena coil fitted this year. I'm making the appointment tomorrow to get it removed! We're getting married in July 2016 so have given ourselves until July 2015 and if no sign of pregnancy by then, I'll be back on BC until after the wedding.

I've been so broody for years so I'm hoping that 9 months will be long enough to conceive. It's reassuring knowing that other people are in the same boat! We aren't telling anyone anything yet but I'm so excited that had to say something to someone!

Good luck to everyone else TTC :)

Hi everyone.

Sorry I've not really updated this week - though to be fair nothing to update on! CD 48 now and no signs of anything! OPKs are all negative whenever I take them (granted I've not been using them daily...) and POAS this morning just to make sure - BFN as I expected. I'm getting more and more impatient by the day.

I guess it doesn't help that I've been extra stressed this week - I'm a teacher and my school had the dreaded Ofsted call this week! As well as a serious lack of sleep I've been living off junk food this week. I need to get myself back on track. Starting with a meeting with my mentor at the gym in the morning.

Hope someone has some good news soon to cheer us all up a bit. :)

hello! I am also trying TTC for the first time! I was on implanon, but had that taken out about 8 months ago, have been waiting to try until my periods were in some kind of regular patten and me and husband were in some permanent employment. Its very exciting! would love to have a positive first time, but tying to remember it can take a year! I am 29 and my partner is 46.

I normally am such a lurker on forum boards! feels nice to contribute to one!

Ahhh was wondering what the K stood for!! I got some cheapy pregnancy tests at the same time as those.. nothing like being prepared!!

It sounds like a good plan, Mary! (Yes OPKs = ovulation predictor kits - those ov sticks)

My OPKs just arrived today - I was pretty excited!

Proof, I've got the cheap ovulation sticks from amazon (are those OPK's?), so we'll just have lots of sex around the time I think/they tell me I'm ovulating.. seems a good place to start!

My periods are very regular so I'm hoping it won't be too difficult to pin point when I am actually ovulating. I do have PCOS though so fingers crossed that won't make things difficult.

If in doubt DTD!

I'm glad AF arrived early rather than late. The waiting was doing my head in. I also feel good to have got the first cycle under my belt now. I feel less like a clueless newbie. I kind of know what to expect and how I'm likely to feel throughout the cycle, so I might be able to cope with it better this time. Although with OPKs thrown into the mix, who knows?!