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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 baby #1

956 replies

GaaaaarlicBread · 02/10/2019 22:23

Hi ladies . I’ve just finished my period today and my husband and I are now going to start ttc our first baby after having my Mirena removed last week.
Is anyone else TTC this month ? I’ve ordered some ovulation tests after I said I wouldn’t because I’ve read so many success stories on them so I thought I might as well just so I have some in case !

I’d love for people to share their journey with me ! I’m 24, 25 in two weeks . So excited for our journey . I’m trying to figure out this whole lingo on here and stuff sorry! X

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Original poster
GaaaaarlicBread · 30/10/2019 08:11

hey ladies . I’m so confused , I caved in this morning with my OPK, even though I said I wouldn’t do it this month, as DH and I have been DTD as normal , every two days since AF ended on Friday , so we are actively trying anyway so not missed a day . I’ve been getting TMI sorry- CM (more creamy coloured than egg white at the mo but still very stretchy ), last month I got my flashing smiley two days after my suspected period (it was light as it was after my coil removal ). This months AF was obviously super heavy , and ended last Friday . My test today was a blank circle , but app says I should be in my fertile window ? I did it the other day to programme the stick to my regular hormones , so it should be able to pick it up . Shall I just ignore it , keep DTD as usual until AF due back ?? And not bother with OPK ? Help 😩

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TeddyToaster · 29/10/2019 23:14

I'll be super surprised if I'm pregnant this month as everything seems very 'normal'. Hmm Thinking I might look in to Preseed as I've heard some good things. Smile

itsheapsswell · 29/10/2019 18:11

@Konbanwa I completely understand that mentality and I feel like my cycle of trying I felt like crying everyday that I got a negative (and there were many days of testing). How many cycles have you been trying for now? It took my cousin a year to conceive after coming off the implant so I’m sure it’ll happen in good time! I wish I was as chilled as she was, I bet she wasn’t even worried knowing her personality but that’s definitely not me.

To make matters worse we had a sweet, but short ‘oops’ when we got pregnant after only being together a few weeks- this was obviously a long time ago now. I miscarried at 6 weeks that time and I had the coil put in a short while later. TMI but that first time we got pregnant using the pull out method (I know how incredibly unreliable it is now!)- which makes it worse. We weren’t even trying that time and it happened against all odds!! Fingers crossed that this cycle we get lucky again

Konbanwa · 29/10/2019 15:18

@han2291 Thanks for your message! I have been quite stressed at work lately which may have been playing a part in this long cycle but I have no idea really!

I had a bit of a cry to my DH last night as this is making me feel a like my body is broken and that birth control has really messed me up. I'm finding it all quite depressing to be honest but desperately trying to channel relaxed vibes (and failing obviously!). I fully understand the 'googling like a mad woman' mentality!

Congratulations on getting your positive OPK! Now it's just making sure to time DTD right so you can maximise your chances going into the TWW!

Good luck to everyone who is ovulating soon and I'll have my fingers crossed for you all!

notalwaysalondoner · 29/10/2019 15:18

Gosh I wonder if my cycle will be longer too as there seems a real trend here - psychosomatic or something when we know we are TTC our hormones respond! Like how my ovulation was 3 days later than other months this month!

No other symptoms to report from my side, boobs a bit less tender but no signs of AF arriving either. Will just try and distract myself until Thursday!

han2291 · 29/10/2019 10:50

Thanks for all of your tips and tricks on CM checking ladies ☺️ @notalwaysalondoner I'd never thought about it but in the shower seems like the best place to check everyday. Wait until Thursday!! Keeping everything crossed for a BFP for you.

@itsheapsswell I'll try to hold out until the day of/after AF is supposed to arrive and then test.. my first cycle TTC I tested a few times before AF and it just put me in the worst mood.

@Itsemily I'm sorry for your loss 😔 hope you're holding up OK. Yay for the fertile window, the fun bit haha hope your DH is a little more relaxed this month.

@Konbanwa Mother Nature is really playing with you this month, I'm so sorry. Really hoping AF is finally on her way. Have you been particularly stressed or anything lately?

@LeaBri nooo that sucks I'm sorry! While you're at dinner too, talk about timing. I think people are extremely lucky to get a BFP on cycle 1, onto the next one ☺️

I'm on CD16 today and I THINK I got my positive OPK, which is good because it's a day earlier than it was last month. If it's my cycles still sorting themselves out then I'll take that, I've been googling "short luteal phase" like a mad woman for weeks. So in the next few days my 2WW (which isn't actually that long because my cycles are weird 😂) will begin.. yay.....

Original poster
GaaaaarlicBread · 29/10/2019 08:21

@itsheapsswell they seemed to match up with my CM, cramps etc and matched up with when I went for a vaginal ultrasound to find my coil as the technician there said I’d just ovulated too so it all matched up to the previous months ovulation . But I’m not using them this month as I got obsessed last month and it’s not healthy ! They work like a dream for some people but I just didn’t feel relaxed and DH was a bit tense as he knew I was tracking too xx

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itsheapsswell · 28/10/2019 20:17

@leabri exactly the same thing happened to me. I had been having 26-27 cycles since moving back from Australia in ‘17 and a 35 DAYER THIS MONTH!

@Itsemily all the luck to you! Based on last months cycle I’ve got 11 days until my fertile window but we will see, could be more like 3 for all I know. Did the Clearblue OPKs work perfectly for you? I’m weirdly excited to do my first in 3 days!

Original poster
GaaaaarlicBread · 28/10/2019 18:13

@LeaBri noooo ! What a bummer ! Yeah I wonder if there’s a connection ? Hormones probably ! Better luck next month , you can relax now and eat and drink what you want lol

Fingers crossed for next month .
I’ve been eating so much crap it’s unreal , like comfort or something because I’m so relaxed it’s like I just don’t care 😂😂 I’ve said to DH I need to be careful I don’t screw my diet up too much 🤣

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LeaBri · 28/10/2019 17:45

@han2291 @Itsemily loved your story! Can’t believe she didn’t realise she was pregnant the whole time! So last night I was out for dinner and guess who arrives? AF!! Where has she been for 5 days!? Really got my hopes up but clearly it wasn’t our month, weird it’s the first late period I have had ever and it’s our first month TTC, I wonder if there is a connection? Hope someone else manages it this month!! X

Original poster
GaaaaarlicBread · 28/10/2019 14:36

@notalwaysalondoner fingers crossed, stay strong and don't test yet!

I'm so excited for me and DH now that we are entering the fertile window-fingers crossed this is our month eh!

Good luck everyone, sending you lots of baby dust or whatever it's called lol

We have been talking baby names and everything today!! Crazy lol

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Konbanwa · 28/10/2019 11:28

Hey guys! Hope that everyone is having a good Monday.

Still no progress here as AF has not yet arrived and I'm now on cd35!! I have sore boobs, off and on cramping plus lots of cvm so I have no idea what's going on with my body!

I took both an opk and a pregnancy test yesterday just in case and both were negative so I'm hoping that these symptoms are indicating that AF is finally (!) on its way! 🤞

This is unbelievably frustrating as I thought I would be starting the ramp up to ovulation around this time but instead I'm just stuck waiting for my period.

@Kona84 I know what you mean. Long cycles are horrible and it's making me feel so out of control of my body! I have no idea what's going on 😓

@notalwaysalondoner Fingers crossed for you that you get a BFP when you test, but hold out a little longer on testing! You can do it!

CurbsideProphet · 28/10/2019 11:15

Thank you @Itsemily Smile I'm only CD16 (usually have a 25 or 26 day cycle), so we'll see.

notalwaysalondoner · 28/10/2019 09:59

I’m feeling very impatient here too! Am 9dpo and am trying to hold out until Thursday for testing but knowing I am now within the window for early testing (am now 2 days before my normal AF) makes it sooo tempting. Help me hold out!

Original poster
GaaaaarlicBread · 28/10/2019 07:53

@CurbsideProphet I know what you mean but sperm can last up to 5 days in the woman, realistically only about 3. So if you DTD two days before , then there’s still a chance ! Don’t worry yet ! It’s not good to DTD everyday anyway , if you aim for every other or every 3 days you’re in with an equally high chance . Your highest fertility are the days before ovulation anyway :)
CD means cycle day :)

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CurbsideProphet · 27/10/2019 21:49

I'm embarrassed to ask, but what is "CD"? It's all so new Blush

I'm also struggling with impatience. For various reasons we couldn't DTD on ovulation day, only 5 and 2 days before. I'm obviously expecting AF as normal in a week, so it feels like a wasted month. Which sounds like a horrible thing to say Blush Sad

Kona84 · 27/10/2019 17:42

@itsheapsswell
This last cycle and the symptoms and then to have a negative really made me feel I don’t know my body too well. It was extra cruel to have such a long cycle.
Good luck to you and fingers crossed for a November positive

itsheapsswell · 27/10/2019 11:40

@han2291 oh I’m glad I’m not the only one. What date is your ‘ready to test’ date? Mine is 19th November for a FR and 24th November AF is due.

@Itsemily I think if there is a next cycle I will do that, so the cheapies from end of period to around CD12 and start the 10 Clearblue until CD22. I ovulated around CD20 last time but it was a crazy long cycle for me.

@notalwaysalondoner agreed about BBT, for me I used to use as a conception method so it’s something I feel confident going back to, but I’m excited to use my Clearblue test this cycle. As weird as it sounds, I have no idea how to check my cervix- apart from using google do you have any tips? I feel like I have nothing to compare it to at the moment because I’ve never ever gone delving!

@Kona84 sounds like we are in exactly the same position so I’m very excited to keep up with you this month- I’m currently on CD7 but last month my cycle was 35 days (my usual one is 26/27 days but my previous one was 30 after beginning to take fertility supplements).

I feel really good about this cycle and I have my fingers crossed for all of you!

I also watched a Gavin and Stacy episode last night where they found out Gavin had a low sperm count and I found it so emotional. I have only one cycle of disappointment under my belt but I’m already fretting, which I know is silly and counter productive. We were watching it with our friend as well so I couldn’t even air my thoughts on the pressures of TTC and the heavy weight of a BFN!

notalwaysalondoner · 27/10/2019 10:55

@itsemily wow what a story!!! You always see these “I didn’t know I was pregnant” stories in the news but I’ve never known one in real life! That’s crazy, especially when she had tested and even at the doctors!!

Sorry for your loss.

Original poster
GaaaaarlicBread · 27/10/2019 10:46

Hey everyone, sorry been so busy with a death in the family.
Just catching up.

@Kona84 some people test later but I use cheapies to test from day after AF finishes, until around 11, just to make sure I don't miss a sudden early ovulation or something ridiculous , and then from then I use my Clear Blue digital :)
Good luck!

@notalwaysalondoner I haven't ever checked my cervix! Never even thought to but I saw on my ovulation app it asks what your cervix is feeling like etc and I didn't think anything of it!? Haha . When I had my coil put in, had my smear and had coil removed , every single Dr each time told me I have a super long cervix-even then I was like "I've never noticed" lol !

@itsheapsswell hello! Welcome to our rollercoaster of a thread!

@han2291 never before did I even think anything of my CM, EVER! Like I always wear panty liners and just thought it was normal discharge etc, never knew what it actually was. I know, weird, so naive as well. Now I monitor it like I bloomin don't know what! But don't monitor my cervix. I always struggled when I had the coil to check for threads as I just couldn't really bring myself to feel up there (I know, how silly).

@LeaBri This is probably no help whatsoever, but I know of 5 people , yes five!, who didn't get a positive on a regular pregnancy test-mother in law being one of them! The bets one was my friend in school, who felt a bit unusual (no bump or anything though, no massive weight gain , thought she had IBS bloating), kept complaining of funny symptoms , I told her to do a Pregnancy test in case, she did-nothing at all, BFN. She did another one a few days later and still nothing. Went to the Dr after suffering from a few weeks of symptoms, did a urine dip, nothing. Sent her on her way, she didn't bother going back. Her period was still there so she was like 'I can't be PG'. My 18th birthday came around, 9 months later, no joke, we were out for a meal. Suddenly started to get terrible cramps, literally had a baby there and then when we were eating Shock . So, if you have symptoms in a few weeks and still no BFP and no AF, go to the dr and request bloods if AF doesn't arrive. Because sometimes the hormone in your urine doesn't always show!

Right I think I am caught up with everyone! AF has fully gone, DH and I are cracking on with DTD now until AF is due again Wink

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notalwaysalondoner · 27/10/2019 08:51

@itsheapsswell that’s my plan with testing too, to wait until I’m actually one day late or I think I’ll go mad!

I check my cervix when I’m in the shower @han2291. I don’t remember every day though! It took a couple of weeks to notice the difference between hard (not ovulating, feels like your nose) and soft (ovulating, feels like your lips). I still struggle to tell the difference between high and low and have never ever felt if it’s open or closed!

BBT doesn’t tell you when you ovulated until after the fact (once you’ve had a consistent rise in temps for three days), but it’s helpful for definitely confirming you haven’t ovulated yet and also if you ovulate the same day every month. Not sure which approach is better vs OPK, neither is fail safe sadly...

My boobs are still sore, no other symptoms except been unusually hungry at 6am yesterday and today... maybe just bring greedy though! I also “think” I’m pregnant which is weird. But don’t think that counts as a genuine symptom!

LeaBri · 27/10/2019 08:17

@han2291 thank you lovely, I am hoping it’s the case where there isn’t enough hormone to show. Today will be 5 days late and that has never happened in my cycle ever! How about you? Whereabouts are in in TTC?
Will keep you updated!!

han2291 · 27/10/2019 06:58

@Konbanwa I think it's because we're thinking about it more now but sometimes I really wish I could turn that part of my brain off!
@notalwaysalondoner haha that's a good way to spin it - I've also been trying to making sure I appreciate life as it is right now because once we do get our BFP it will change and we'll never get these years back.. deep but it kind of helps to take the edge off of "OMG I WANT TO HAVE A BABY NOWWW!" 😂
How are your symptoms feeling today?

@Kona84 not crazy! I usually feel O on my right side too!

@itsheapsswell hi ☺️ that's a lot of messages for you to catch up on! Let us know how you get on with BBT as I'm considering it for next month (if this month is a BFN) but wondering if it'll be even trickier to interpret than watching lines get darker.

Random question for all of you ladies.. does anyone take notes of their CM/cervix? I read so much about it but I never think to actually check. Whenever I have tried I find it difficult to figure out what it all means!

itsheapsswell · 26/10/2019 20:14

Hi all! Think I’ve synced up with most of you now on CD6 after my last cycle ended up being 34 days which is unheard of for me. This month I’m trying a different method and ditching the cheapy LH strips for taking my BBT and using the Clearblue Ovulation Predictor Kits. The kits don’t come until CD11 so I’ll start then and see how I get on. I also have a brand new box of Preseed I’m going to be utilising this month too.

As for last cycle (and my first trying) I ended going a little bit potty towards the end- I probably took over 20 pregnancy tests (a very expensive habit!) which I will not be doing this cycle! I’ve got a date I’m going to wait until and not mess about with pregnancy tests before then.

@Konbanwa I completely understand long cycle problems. I think my fertility supplements are increasing it and because I didn’t know what day I ovulated last cycle I had weeks of thinking I was pregnant :(

Kona84 · 26/10/2019 16:44

I’m new to ovulation testing.
My average cycle is 30 days. My last 34 day cycle was in June- I think it’s when I ovulate on the right side. I know that probably sounds crazy but i can feel the right side, I tend to feel nausea around ovulation too.
I’m gonna start around day 9 or 10