Sperm Meets Egg (hopefully)

@AllHopeAndNoResults I think smep can still work for you, just with a long cycle it's more effort required DTD-wise. So if you have the stamina still go for it! Otherwise perhaps delay starting it? I think the smep plan starts day 8 which is very early if you have a longer cycle. Maybe start day 15 instead? Remind me, do you always have long cycles?

@tinyole so I'm not actually following the smep plan. Forgotten how I ended up on this thread! Will use smep in the future if my cycles are shorter/regular. Currently DTD every 3rd day. Got flashing smiley on cb today which means start of fertile window. Maybe should be DTD more often now? But don't want to run out of steam. Waiting for static smiley which = peak fertility. Might wait for that or ewcm then start DTD daily.

@Jen306 sorry I think I missed a few messages and just went back and had a look! Yay for peak day! How often have you been testing with the opk day?

@tinyole I’ve already started although not 100% on plan for various reasons! Got my peak OPK today!

Hi everyone! Welcome @VenusStarr

I've had a busy weekend and AF is almost over so I'm excited to get going with SMEP!

An update on Ava- I've been drinking all weekend and it totally messed up my BBT chart but Ava still recorded a net lower temperature as would be expected with AF so I'm definitely loving it. At the moment I'm still taking my temps as well so I can compare and probably will do till the end of this cycle so I can see differences but I'm feeling fairly good about it so far!

How are you doing @AllHopeAndNoResults? I'm excited we'll both be getting going soon so lots to smile about!

When is everyone else planning on starting with SMEP or who has started already? @Jen306 @Skyla01 @Constance1234

@Skyla01 yes I think so - they say 24-36 hours after Lh surge, so I think sometime tomorrow most likely. I’m on the lookout for other signs eg twinges and cm - although I find cm harder to monitor though now we’re having sex so much more often!

Think I’m going to see if we can try tomorrow morning before work then maybe Tuesday evening. We get up quite early for work so don’t usually dtd in the morning on weekdays but I feel that might be best way to get in right before ovulation and is a different tactic for us to try!

@Jen306 I'll be so excited to see a static smiley! Does that mean you're most likely to be ovulating tomorrow? If you can keep it up for a few more days then at least you know you can have a break after that!

@VenusStarr welcome. Sounds like you've had a tough journey so far, sorry to hear that. Smep is a great way to maximise your chances this month! My cycles are long but if they were shorter I'd be following smep myself. Good luck!

@AllHopeAndNoResults sorry to hear AF is around the corner. But I would feel optimistic for your smep plan next cycle!

Hi everyone, can I join? I've been ttc for 18 months, had a mmc in April but no other pregnancies before or since.

I'm under a fertility clinic and had an hsg last month so was hopeful for this cycle but af arrived on Friday, so am cd3. My cycles are only 25 days.

We've decided to do smep this cycle as a last ditch attempt before I have a hysteroscopy in August.

As my cycle is short, we're starting on cd7, fertile week is next weekend. I'm just using cheap opks, they should arrive in the next day or so.

Am also taking ubiquinol as am nearly 36 so convinced its my eggs. Dh's SA was all good. I have multiple fibroids, but hopefully the hysteroscopy will sort those out.... But if smep works I won't need it 🤞

@Skyla01 yes I know what you mean it’s hard to find the balance- I also don’t want my husband to feel like the only reason I want to have sex is to make a baby which is hard when kinda working to a schedule of dtd.

Got my static smile this morning and dtd will try to again tomorrow too. Not sure we’ll manage Tuesday as well but I might have to try! Serious seduction tactics might be needed

@Jen306 that's useful to know. I started using them yesterday and got 1st flashing smiley this morning so quite excited! Hopefully to be followed by a static smiley later this week. Wasn't expecting too see the flashing smiley so soon.

@tinyole I think it's a good idea to save reserves for when they are needed. Cycle tracking is good for planning that. My OH is up for the task whenever but if we've been DTD a lot he can't always finish. So this cycle I'm trying to keep dtd regularly but also make sure we're doing it when it really counts. Bit of a tricky balance!

Thanks @Skyla01
Last month I had 4 days of flashing smiles before getting the static one on cd14, now on cd11 and got my 3rd flashing smile this morning.

@tinyole I think ava would be really useful to get that data, and it's an easier way to take your temperature for sure. Don't think I want to cough up all the £ though.

Welcome @Jen306. Glad you've found cb digital useful. I've just started using it for the first time this morning so hope I'll get some smiley faces soon.

@Jen306 to be honest I don't know if it confirms ovulation but I'll you know.

I'm like you, we usually DTD once a week so it's a lot for us. My DH can't really do two days in a row, every 3 days is pushing it so we have to pick and choose our days. But we're planning on saving it to closer to ovulation and max out then.

I'm also like you and haven't really told anyone so it's great to have someone to talk to about the whole process

@tinyole no I don’t think I’d be disciplined with temping either and certainly not doing it at similar time each day and before/without moving etc, whereas the Ava I read it really is as long as you’ve had a 4hour stretch of sleep it’ll give you that data. It’s just the cost and not sure if it’s actually any more use than OPKs - do you know if it can confirm that you have ovulated as well as predict ovulation?

So far we’ve been dtd roughly every other day or like 3rd day, then maybe twice in a row around ovulation. Tbh it’s quite a difference from our pre TTC days when it was more like once a week!

@Jen306 hi welcome!!!
Always welcome to join the conversation. How have you been going about trying so far? Just DTD every so often?

I think temping could work if you're disciplined with it. I've read that you just need to have been sleeping for 4 hrs so if you wake up at night just record your temp then but I found I couldn't be disciplined.
I'll let you know how I get on with Ava! So far I love how it takes the work away from me and it's super comfortable to wear.

Hi ladies sorry to join in half way through a discussion, hope you don’t mind.
This will be our 5th cycle of ttc our first child after I came off the pill at the start of the year. My cycles gone back to normal. Started using cb digital advance OPKs last month I found it reassuring to see changes through from low - high - peak, I’d quite like to temp as well but not sure about it like i often wake at 4 but not up till 6, sometimes get up an hour or 2 before alarm goes off to go to the loo etc then go back to bed. I have considered buying an Ava too so be interested to see how it helps you?

Sort of trying the SMEP this month too. Only we dtd cd7 and 9 because hubby worked a night shift cd8 and didn’t see each other! Now cd10 has a high OPK cd9 and today so will keep dtd every other night till I get a static smile then try for the 3 days in a row.

Last month I’d really got my hopes up so just feel like I need to really make an effort. Feeling quite alone in this as not telling anyone (in real life anyways!)

Just nice to know I’m not alone in how I feel about this process! Weird how you spend so long worrying about not getting pregnant then the moment you want to it’s far more difficult than you imagined!

@Skyla01 I've been temping but I pee at night so it's probably been messing things up for me. Regardless I have to admit I've seen a pattern. I bought the Ava just because it predicts ovulation while temping just tells you after you've ovulated which I haven't found useful.

I used the cheapie ovulation tests and found those good but I stopped testing and I ovulated late 🙈😂

Sorry, it stands for clearblue.
No, I would like to try bbt but I'm a pretty terrible sleeper so I think with all my tossing & turning it would mess my temperature up. Do you temp?

@Skyla01 thank you! What does cb stand for? Are you recording you bbt at all?

Sorry to hear about af @tinyole but glad to hear you're upbeat and all good to get going with smep.

I'm cd14 so going to start using cb opk from tomorrow morning (as long as I remember!). I also keep an eye on cm, and no sign of anything fertile. So looks like I'll be waiting a while again for ovulation this month. Wish my cycles weren't so long- fertile window takes forever to come around!