TTC First Baby Thread 22

@orangeloo hahahaha I like that! Some of the positions are crazy!!

@Kiza thank you lovely X

I feel the same relief when fertile window is over. I think it's natural when your 'trying' so hard. I've seen a lot of advice to keep DTD as natural and non scheduled and as fun as possible but that is absolutely easier said than done!! A piece of research said the more wild and fun the sex is the more and fresh sperm a man releases. Might try the position of the day approach next month.

@orangeloo don't apologise for sharing... we are all on this rollercoaster ride together and give each other permission to express what we are feeling 💜

Welcome @WeeScottishWife this is a lovely supportive and knowledgable group.
@MIW01 totally understand and accept your advice, it makes a lot of sense and we hear it often.

On CD6 so about to enter SMEP again, I feel like we are now only DTD during fertile window and relived at the rest of the month of not needing to. DP bought me a 'position of the day' book for my birthday so there's a position for every day of the year. Made last month pretty fun!

@ValidUser thank you. X

Welcome @WeeScottishWife to someone just starting out I would say try and keep it as stress free and non scheduled and as natural as possible to begin with as it can be a real rollercoaster.

@MIW01 and @Lozzlepop officially, I could have gone for ivf about 3 months ago, but because I have actually been pregnant we said we'd keep going. I've spent about €1000 and it would have been closer to €15000 if I'd had early losses with ivf! Knowing about the clotting problem really helps.

@orangeloo rant away. It's necessary sometimes! Not spoilt at all. X

@WeeScottishWife Welcome!

Hi folks,

joining in with my first MN post!

I'm 28, and been off the pill (Lizinna) for a week today. I've got my withdrawal bleed at the moment, if it follows my normal pattern then I'll be done at the weekend but since that was the pattern when I was taking the pill, who knows what will actually happen now! Husband & I are excited to be starting this journey, but also telling ourselves we'll try not to stress or be disappointed if it doesn't happen straight away. I'm not sure how long we'll stick to that tbh, but let's see how things go!

Realise how spoilt and hard done by that sounded, sorry. I'll put my violin away now

Evening ladies, hope you are all well? I am feeling pretty frustrated today. I had my latest thyroid tsh levels back and they are even higher than August, 4.02 and should be below 2.50 for conception. I'm sure doc will put my meds up but all these past months it hasn't happened may have well been down to that and feel like all my efforts have been wasted. Once my levels come down again I'm gonna see if I can push to get them checked every three months. as I'll be a year in and as my area won't refer me to a fertility specialist yet feel that's the least they should do for me.

@XjustagirlX I dont think there's any harm at all in taking that approach and see what this cycle brings then you can take it from there in terms of booking in with the GP etc

@whatsthecraic91 currently waiting on our appointment at the recurrent miscarriage clinic which should be at the start of December when we should hopefully be getting some answers.

@ValidUser glad you are feeling calm. Is IVF the way forward due to the clotting disorder?

So sorry to hear that @ValidUser - I hope this is going to work for you and as you say, plenty of time!

I just want to point out @XjustagirlX @whatsthecraic91 @orangeloo @Kiza @PaintingOwls I'm not saying reducing stress is the answer for everyone! Of course if you have a fertility disorder then no matter how relaxed you are, all the meditation in the world probably won't solve it.

I also know a very chilled 'so laid back they're almost horizontal' couple who have discovered the he's 'firing blanks' and decided to go down the adoption route. So it does happen sometimes unfortunately it's the card nature dealt!

I just thought it was worth mentioning stress as in about 90% of cases of unexplained fertility, it's the major cause!

Hope everyone is well this Wednesday morning.

Hello everyone. Hello again @PaintingOwls! I've had 3 chemical pregnancies now and have been diagnosed with a clotting disorder.

Cycle 17 or 18, cycle day 2 here. Back on injections. Second last shot on the hormones before ivf. Still 29, so not doing too badly on the time!

Feeling calm about our plan.

@Lozzlepop I’m really good! Taking a step back definitely helped! How are you doing? They aren’t as bad today but they were seriously sore yesterday, a first for me!

@lozzlepop no I’ve not really been stressed. The only thing I really stress about is obsessively tracking bbt and ovulation and symptoms.

I wonder if I should track my bbt and make a note of it but not put it on the graph. I can’t then obsessively look at lots of graphs. We can just DTD every other day from about CD10 to CD23. Then I’ll plot the graph just to check I’ve ovulated.

@XjustagirlX have you been stressed about anything? As @orangeloo suggested maybe see what this cycle holds before going to the gp?

@Kiza just need it in writing now ☺️ Fingers crossed!

@whatsthecraic91 welcome back it’s nice to see you back, how are you? I get really sensitive nipples around OV time but only some cycles 🤷🏽‍♀️

@Paintingowls nice to see you back too, sorry to hear you’ve been having a rough time but the gym is a really good distraction and you’ll be getting nice and buff 💪🏻

@MIW01 that’s great, massive congratulations to your friend!

@MIW01 wow that would definitely put the pressure on with all that baby making super power!! 😳
We hear this so often don't we, the moment people stop trying they seem to fall pregnant!

@PaintingOwls welcome back to the thread, I understand what you mean about the 1 year mark. I was so naive in thinking it would work for us ok the first cycle but like a few others here... now approaching cycle 14 and counting.
I also went through a really dark phase around cycle 6-8, feel much better now and hope I don't get to another dark place as time goes on

@MIW01 that is a nice story thank you. I do love hearing stories like that! that's tough with a family like that in the way that they will not understand the struggle my mum and sister don't either. and if my mum tells me not to get stressed about anything one more time ...

@PaintingOwls I remember you I think we were on the June bus together, we have been doing the same, yes these threads are so so supportive and I love that but at the same time you see everyone getting their BFPs and it makes you wonder when your turn is going to be! It really messed with me but I’m in a better place now.

Age 28
Cycle 10
CD 18

@MIW01 that’s the approach we are taking at the minute and have been the last 2 cycles no luck yet but hoping for a BFP for Christmas/New year or its off to the GP as it will be officially a year. But my mental state is far better and TTC hasn’t been consuming me like it had been.

Hello @PaintingOwls welcome back. @orangeloo @Lozzlepop @whatsthecraic91 @Kiza @XjustagirlX and anyone else this applies to! You all have my deepest empathy how shit it is no matter how long you've been trying.

My family are like fertility factories and it is absolutely demoralising that DP and I both have fertility issues! DP was conceived despite his parents using hormonal, barrier AND spermicide methods! My Mum had 4 (1 aborted) accidents, my sister had an accident and my SIL had 2 accidents (1 aborted) + 1 planned conceived without trying cycle 1. So I'm surrounded by a certain type of attitude towards reproduction!

So now for a happy story to cheer everyone up this chilly Tuesday morning! My friend with ME I mentioned earlier was trying for 1 year, she used all the OPKs, BBT tracking etc. And nothing. So after a year of actively trying they decided to take a break from TTC but continued to have unprotected sex and bam! The very next month she was pregnant!

@PaintingOwls also welcome back and I remember you haha

@MIW01 I love this about what you put about doing nothing and allowing your body to feel safe. I agree and am going to do more of this!

@whatsthecraic91 I have sore nipples too atm and am ovulating it's a normal ovulation symptom I think.

@PaintingOwls bless you, sounds like you having a bad time atm. On Thursday & Friday I cried about six times about babies or lack of. Don't worry about sounding dramatic, you're not being dramatic- it's shit. I too have had the thoughts that it happens too everyone but me and find it comforting to know others sometime feel this. However the rational side of me- as quiet as she sometimes is. Says I don't really have good enough reason to think this yet. Babies happen to people a lot! even people who have had fertility issues and problems for years. So you can't give up hope ever. Allow yourself to feel sad and then get on with the gym and ttc and life. And about holding back with travel and opportunity etc I have told myself in the last month I must stop doing this because if it doesn't happen anytime soon we can't let life pass waiting. We all need to keep living and hopefully we'll get our two lines somewhere along the way. X

I don't know if anyone remembers me, but I've been staying away from these threads for a few months to try to r e l a x and let things just h a p p e n n a t u r a l l y ... an approach which has cheerfully failed me!

I went to the Conception board to start a depressing new thread about the fact that this month was officially 1 year of TTC ... then I saw this thread and recognised a few names! Sorry to hear you're still up shit creek, long-timers.

Age 27
Cycle 12
CD 6

There is something about one year that feels heavy and pertinent. Not depressing, desperate and sad like at 9 months when you think This is when I should have had a baby! - but somehow more serious and worse. A year is when healthy, young couples should start to worry. A year is when you start to tally up the drinks you've deprived yourself, the jobs you've not pursued and the opportunities to travel you've not seized.

At the risk of sounding dramatic, I am seriously thinking that I will never have a baby. I've always felt like I watch life from behind a glass screen, things happen to other people but never to me. Maybe this is just one more thing.

I have lobbed myself into the gym as a distraction and something to focus on in absence of a BFP and with plenty of smug happy pregnant women around me!

Hi ladies, how are we all? I have been off the conception boards for a couple of months, I recognise some names & I see there has been a lot of BFPs! Congrats to all!

My last message pretty much said we were moving house & taking a break from TTC, which we have been doing we are still having unprotected DTD when we want to not scheduled (!!) but I’m not tracking or obsessing! My mental state is definitely a lot better!

But I just want a bit of advice! I am only logging my AF on the apps - I’m not tracking ovulation or anything. Today I have had the sorest nipples - like excruciating - I went on my app to see where I am and today is my Predicted ovulation day! Why are my nipples so sore!! I’ve never had this before any other cycle - what does it mean!?

@MIW01 you just reminded me I bought Ashwaghanda a couple of months ago and it's in the back of the cupboard! Thanks for the reminder 😄 and also the info re: clomid.

@Lozzlepop glad you got an answer, looks like we will have our appointments around the same time ☺️

@XjustagirlX this is such an individual thing for everyone as @Lozzlepop said, there's so many stories where couples give up TTC then it just happens! And @orangeloo is spot on, stressing about stressing and 'doing more' to de-stress just defeats the object.

I'm no expert but personally I think nutrition is a great place to start. Make sure you are eating real food! Cut the CRAP (caffeine, refined sugar, alcohol, processed food) as these all put hug stress on your body. Supplement wise I take Ashwaganda and Maca.

When it comes to rest and relaxation I think the best thing is not to do but just be! Allow yourself real time to rest and not do anything. Your body needs this to feel "safe" enough to give the energy for reproduction.

I was the above to manage my ME and my friends who have ME who've got pregnant and have kids have passed on this advice to me!

@XjustagirlX maybe see how this cycle goes but your gp should have something to say and perhaps do some form of tests if they don't level out soon. as anything over 35 days isn't a normal cycle. It could well be down to you being ill. FX for a shorter one this cycle. I find exercise and making time for things you enjoy are best for de- stressing.

I have had a lot of stress in the last year and I also find focusing on not being stressed is in fact stressful in itself . so i do things to help me relax and try just take each day as it comes and whatever life may through at you n not dwell on the things that are stressful. Oh and don't be afraid of saying no to things.