SMEP - feel free to join! :)

@Niisa that's the beauty of threads - I often look back and read the conversations that were had months ago! :)

I hope you get through to the EPU - keep us updated if you'd like. It's such a horribly emotional, painful experience and I hope you get the support you need. x

@ChampooPapi I think I'm going to do the same after reading your message. I'll try not to let my anxiety get in the way like it did last time. At the end of the day, whatever will be will be, and if I find out shit news earlier or later it'll still be shit news. Fingers crossed all will be well though! I just don't have loads of symptoms like I did last time.. but I've heard that pregnancies differ. Trying to keep positive and think of the best, not the worst. How are you feeling today? Are you usually sick with the nausea and how is your back feeling?

@fayy123 thank you so much lovely :) yes try every day during the fertile window. We have done this most cycles (if not all) and it seemed to work this time. I think part of it is luck.

@HE88 I think BD every other day is a good idea, especially if you don't want to temp. When I went to the fertility clinic the doctor said to have sex every other day until my period arrives so that I know I'm covered, in case ovulation date changes at all from the norm (although I had no 'norm'). How are you doing? I think it does take time for our bodies to adjust x

@Littlepeas2 in Toni Weschler's book 'Taking Charge of Your Fertility' (which is amazing by the way and my fertility Bible!) she says that the LAST day of EWCM in your cycle is the day you ovulate as you can have EWCM multiple times in your cycle as your body tries to ovulate, but the last time is ovulation time. How did you think you'd tracked ovulation before that day? OPKs? And which OPKs? It could be that you ovulated later. I'm really hoping that's the case!!

@Niisa of course not, welcome! You've probably gotten to know us if you've read the whole thread - that's dedication! :) I'm really so so sorry to hear of your miscarriage.. I'm sure you'll have read that some of us (if not most) have also miscarried. I was told to wait to TTC until I had a negative pregnancy test (which for me was around 3 weeks after the miscarriage). I also think OPKs can pick up the HCG hormone and will come up positive still even if you're not yet ovulating.

It sounds like you've had such a rough time - I'm really sorry you've gone through this. I'm sorry I have no advice re spotting but keep trying the EPU and hopefully they will get back to you soon.

With SMEP, you have sex every other day from CD8 (I think) up until a positive OPK and then you have sex 3 days in a row, miss a day then have sex one more time. To be honest I only loosely follow this one cycle then decided to go my own way! I track my BBT so what I did was BD every other day from CD8/10, then have sex every day in my fertile window until 2 days after my temp had risen (so because I ovulate late I would have sex every day starting from CD17-ish which would sometimes be until CD33-ish. I hope this helps x

@HE88 remember that with a positive OPK you could ovulate 12-36 hours later (I'm pretty sure) so although it seems early, ovulation might be more like CD12/13? Do you temp? I found that with the CB digital, my temp would rise one or 2 days after I got a peak smiley.

@fayy123 thank you so much!! :) Fingers are crossed it's a sticky one. Just trying to stay calm and positive! Looking forward to seeing your BFP on this thread. Where are you in your cycle now? How are you doing?

@Littlepeas2 I'm really sorry to hear that. Did you definitely ovulate when you thought you did? It might be a case of later ovulation? That is happening to so many women at the moment because of CV stress. I'm really hoping that's the case. How many days late are you? x

@ChampooPapi no, I absolutely did not think that would be the case haha. Did you think the same? You have been so lovely and positive on this thread and have kept me going!! We have a fertility appointment booked at the end of the month for me to potentially have my tubes checked and start clomid - need to cancel that now! But now I have to keep myself in check. Are you opting for a private early scan? Window to the Womb are still open in my area but I'm not sure if I want to venture anywhere with all that's going on. Hoping that little pickle keeps growing so that I have no nasty surprises at the 12 week scan but I also know that I can deal with absolutely anything. I feel so strong today!

Have you told your girls? If so, what did they say?

You have been my rock (as have all of you lovely ladies). I would never have felt so supported and strong had I not had this thread. I am not going anywhere until everyone gets their BFPs on here.

Just for anyone reading, there are things I did differently this month (because I wanted to know when I saw others get their positives). I stopped taking the pre-pregnancy pills a few months ago, so this cycle I was just taking folic acid and vitamin D (1000iu). An hour's walk every day, organic fruit, veg, meat and eggs (have been doing this since November though - was pescatarian but started eating meat then). Oily fish twice a week. No refined sugars at all (no pasta, bread or cakes etc). Loads of nuts, seeds and dried fruit. Didn't paint my nails or use skincare products not deemed 'clean' (read the book 'It Starts with the Egg' by Rebecca Fett and was inspired). Sex every day of fertile window, sex from behind (meant to keep the sperm in apparently), legs in the air, and used preseed (inserted 15 minutes before). Clear Blue dual hormone digital OPKS and BBT temp (have for years). All of this could be absolute woo-woo and not have had any effect at all, but by this cycle I was honestly willing to try anything and everything.

Wishing you all a ridiculous amount of baby dust..keep this thread updated :)

@Pixielou16 I agree, I like hearing other people's symptoms too. Don't be disheartened by lack of cm - I had no cm when in the early stages of my last pregnancy. I think not testing until you're late is a good idea - let us know how you get on. Sending you so much luck x

@HE88 thank you so much x I know, can't believe it! I don't mind you asking at all, so I miscarried in October last year and on the 4th cycle I conceived again. How are you doing? x

@Littlepeas2 @Pixielou16 honestly thank you so so much. I'm still in shock and never thought I'd be the one to post a BFP on here. It still doesn't feel real..! Keeping my feet well on the ground though because of my previous loss, but still have some hope and excitement in there just the same. Thank you so much for your congratulations xx can't wait to see your BFPs now!!

So symptoms-wise I kept track of everything every day (believe it or not I was super chilled this cycle but I found it interesting to keep track because something just felt a bit 'off' and I wanted to log it). Please bear in mind though that I searched SO many people's DPO symptoms and mind never matched up to theirs, and I still got a BFP. What I'm trying to say is, we will all be totally different, and even these symptoms are different from my last pregnancy last year. But here are mine anyway:

5DPO - medium amount creamy cm
6DPO - light amount sticky/crumbly cm
7DPO - very tired, bit of a cold/bunged up
8DPO - very heavy creamy cm, very tired, bit of a cold/bunged up
9DPO - temp dip, very heavy yellow (?!) creamy cm
10DPO - light amount creamy/egg white cm, was stretchy, then later on in day was thick and clumpy, yellow/white-ish. Slight tenderness underside of left breast but barely anything
11DPO - felt like I had a UTI, cm on underwear but had dried. Slight tenderness underside of left breast but barely anything
12DPO - woke up in the night very hot and sweaty (DH wasn't hot at all). Watery cm at cervix which was pink (think this was implantation but not sure). Slight tenderness underside of left breast but barely anything
13DPO - breast tenderness on left side, feels bruised. Both breasts feel 'heavy'. Tingly nipples when brushed but mainly left side. Out of breath when on a walk (we have done this walk for weeks) had to slow down
14DPO - very tired, out of breath when on a walk (same walk as yesterday). 4 positive pregnancy tests

I hope this helps. Don't necessarily think my symptoms were the common ones but I don't think they're totally unusual either.

How are you doing @Pixielou16 and where are you in your cycle? x

@Littlepeas2 have you tested again? We will be here for you no matter what and would absolutely not think you are a crazy lady!! We're all in the same TTC boat together x