Thread 20 TTC #1 - We. Want. Babies.

It might also help if you line them up for your cycle to see if there are subtle differences. At the most basic, if I thought it was remotely positive, we dtd. If it got darker the next day, dtd again until it fades.

Music Luckily I have not been using opks for long so I think I have been quite lucky.

1st cycle (July 16) was when I realised that the surge can last for a very short time but I was also away that I missed it all together.

2nd cycle (Aug) - I was a bit more prepared during FW; I opk'd 2 to 3 times a day and the surge only lasted bank holiday Saturday afternoon. LH levels had dropped by 10pm! I got a BFP for that cycle but mc at 5+6.

3rd cycle (Oct), I opk'd the same way as I did for 2nd cycle as I knew that it worked. Only that this time I didn't know how the mc would affect my usual 29 day cycle; so I temped for the first time. I am not good with cm analysis so I could not rely on what I saw (I can't tell the difference between creamy and sticky). Anyway, I caught the lead up to the surge and the surge itself and it went on and on and on. It felt like forever having only had about 6hrs before. It helped that FW and ovulation fell during annual leave and our wedding anniversary so we were more chilled out lots of whisky bse we drunk lots of it on our honeymoon without the stress of work.

Thanks Mrs and Notyet, that's reassuring. Didn't really want another thing to worry about with imperfect OPK results! That's weird about your last cycle Notyet - how long had you been using OPKs?

Music - Yes MrsG is right. My opks rarely got darker than control line and the surge appeared and disappeared within hours. However, last cycle, the surge lasted for about 48 hours which was a new thing for me. Basically I think that LH vary from each other but also vary from cycle to cycle

I don't think its necessarily a problem that it doesn't go darker than the control line Music as long as it matches it. I think in general women have different levels of LH in their system anyway so some may not be as strong as others. Doesn't mean it isn't enough to make you ovulate, the only way you'd find that out either way is with blood tests I think.

Sorry - I need to catch up on the thread activity but just wanted to reach out to any fellow OPKers for advice!

This is my fourth cycle using OPKs and I've still never had my line go darker than the test line. It has a fade in and goes dark and I then get a temp rise so I have assumed I am ovulating but do you think this could point to an issue with my hormones? Thought I must just be missing the surge so have tried this cycle to do two or three OPKs a day. They've been dark for 24 hours now but not getting any darker. Anyone experienced something similar? Any words of wisdom? My usual testing time is 6pm after holding and not drinking for 1.5-2 hours.

Jem - I found clomid fine. No side effects. But then again I don't think it did anything for me - only had one lead follicle that was 11mm on day I ovulated so think something is wrong there as should be about 20mm. Feeling very fed up.

Sorry geeup hope you're alright. How did you find being on clomid?

That's really late binky I wonder what's going on? Hope you get an answer either way, you must feel ready for the next cycle now.

I've not POAS yet. I've done that so many times in the past and been disappointed. Maybe on Thursday if it hasn't arrived I'll buy one, as I'll be a full week overdue then.

God I've missed so much chat on my holiday! Good luck to everyone waiting to test/af. Skipper you're the closest to my test date so still holding out for you. Sadly I'm out as started this morning - only made it to 11dpo on my first clomid cycle so feeling pretty sad it didn't work. Will call my clinic later today to book in my scan for clomid cycle 2 - cycle 19 in total

Skipper what on earth was your MIL thinking?! I can totally sympathise as I also have a challenging MIL. Sorry she was so thoughtless to you Great new thread rule too. You are so right- I keep trying to remember that just because someone else is pregnant it doesn't mean all the babies are used up, just not my time yet

Nicky great results, LSFX! I have good feelings about cycle 11- and you Jem!

Thank you Starmist - really good advice. Still no AF (7days late) but I know that there is minimal chance I'm pregnant- still find I can't help hoping though. But if I was, hcg would be showing on the tests by now unless I was the one in about 2000 who has a late BFP on HPT. Not likely!

Good luck to those in FW that they get lots of DTD in, and those sperm do some excellent swimming! And you ej and kits, hope AF keeps away and a BFP is yours.

*farty not fatty!

Welcome kits!

Sorry EJ :(

Still waiting for my temp to drop, super fatty at the moment. Know it's a pg sign but I did eat lentils in my meal last night..,,hmmm

Its just so flippin hard not to see womens bumps and be envious. Ive always wanted children and for about 4 years ive been ready to try so i think thats why im taking this so hard. I almost feel further along in the process.

Temperature dropped off a cliff this morning so i guess i better prepare for af and say goodbye to my dream of being pregnant before my friends December baby arrives.

Gosh this process is hard

Welcome kits . have you poas?

Hello all. I try not to stray onto these boards as I just get my hopes up only to have them inevitably dashed. But, oh well, I'm here!

I've been TTC on and off for about 9 years. But a lot of that time has been 'off' due to my husband living abroad for work etc. He also has a very low sex drive so we never make the recommended 'at least 3 times a week.' So I can't say for certain I'm infertile, but there have been months when it would have been possible for me to get pregnant only I never have.

So here I am, on CD 33 with no AF. I usually have a 28 day cycle, very occasionally starting a day early or a day or 2 late. Not usually 5 unless I've been away during my period, as that can sometimes mess it up. But this has been a normal month.

My boobs are a bit tender, I've been having cramps since I was due on, and I've had some sudden dizziness every now and again since Thursday. I've also, since then, been eating very healthily and cooking from scratch every day. Which is very unlike me. I always get a pizza to watch in front of Strictly but this Saturday I cooked sweet corn fritters, parmesan roast potatoes and cauliflower nachos. Honestly, if you knew me you'd think it was bizarre!

The likelihood is my period is going to arrive very soon. Probably tomorrow. And I keep telling myself not to get my hopes up as I've been let down so many times. But I can't help hoping.

Mrs G, I completely understand what you mean. My best friend was so drunk she forgot she had even had sex and she got pregnant and another friend had food poisoning for a couple of days (on the pill) and she also got pregnant! Not fair!!!

It really is hard to ignore, my best friend is one of the only people my age close to me who has babies (another is my cousin) and she fell pregnant with her first in one week when switching from the implant to the pill (seriously?!) before the pill got into her system!

Then with her second baby which was planned, she had the coil removed and was pregnant within a month.

But for every person who falls pregnant in their first cycle there's another who takes a little longer. It's just that we only seem to think of the ones who fall get upduffed straight away!

I agree skipper !
Comparison is the thief of joy!

Hear hear skipper well said

Yes tenner that's how I feel. Putting all the hours in and where are the results?? It's such a lack of control

oh Sk1pper thank you, needed that too. I unfortunately have been broody the last 15 years. Ive always been a 'mother hen' and I'm fascinated by babies and pregnancy. I have a wonderful God son, who's now 12!! I remember watching baby programs constantly when my friend was pregnant and then babysat constantly when he was a baby. I know it will happen eventually in one way or another, I'm determined to expand my family now. x

Great, very similar to me starmist! I'm alright - fertile week for me is usually pretty upbeat. Love a positive OPK enjoy all the sex and getting all the spunk up there at the right time. It's the TWW where it all goes downhill for me! Godamn hormones!

Thanks sk1pper, I actually needed to hear that. Comparatively, I know I'm at the beginning of the journey on cycle 2. I was having a very reflective moment over the weekend and this is what I came up with. I don't deal very well with situations that are out of my control. I've been eating right, exercising, taking supplements, temping, using opks, reading EVERYTHING I can find online about ttc, basically putting in the 'hard work' and there's still a chance it will take an unknown amount of time. In my work life I'm used to results reflecting the effort I put in. Unfortunately ttc isn't the same. Why can't it just be like a test, you study hard and do well frig sake! Grrr.