Our first month ttc our first

@meganlea temp still really high, still no positive opk (cd26 now) so definitely looks like it was early and that I’m about 11dpo now (tested with a cheapie this morning and bfn). Having some normal pre-af symptoms like bloating and hunger, and being 11dpo would mean af is due tomorrow/Sunday if I’m right. Weirdly feel okay this cycle not working, when af arrives I’m going to stock up on OPKs and vits and pray for a continuation of 4 week cycles 😂

That’s brilliant news about DH! Even just to have a diagnosis would’ve been a step forward but to learn it’s nothing serious is great. Hopefully his chat with the dr is positive and you manage to dtd around ov! What a relief for you both x

@beckyBP Welcome back! x hope AF has left you alone now and the new job is going well!! We managed to DTD the night before last and used preseed for the first time, I only used a right small amount though as I've heard horror stories of using loads and it being like a wet and slide lol. 7 is a lucky number for many so hopefully this will be the one!

@Rice1992 good luck for Wednesday!! What a perfect Christmas gift that would be for you and yours.

@Amy259 Is your temp still raised? It's so annoying that ovulation day could have changed for you when you've known what CD it usually falls on!!

Well CD 14 today and still no LH surge or raised temp so O day still to come, all being well. Think I've had some EW/Cream CM this morning though, so hopefully I'm going into my fertile week. I don't LH test until at least 12 so who knows today could be the day!!

Update on DH, had an ultrasound on his testicle last night and they said there's no sign of infection, no sign of cancer, it's actually a very mild varicocele that is usually caused by compression and we have a big labrador that likes to jump on us when he's excited so it could have been caused by that. Or he could have sat on his ball funny it's quite common apparently. So really good news!! He's on and off with DTD we managed to the night before last with no discomfort and hopefully will try every other day now until I get my surge but will only do what he's comfortable with. Just need to wait to see what Dr suggests is the best treatment, might just be physiotherapy to realign his body with it being very mild, we'll see. Main thing is it's nothing serious. We're worried it could be making him infertile/lowering his sperm count as google suggests but that's a conversation he'll be having next week with his Dr as even if that's the case, it's not permanent and varicoceles are easily fixed. Both of us feeling super happy now, big weight off our shoulders and can really enjoy the Christmas period .....and I'm back in the game (kinda)!!

@justwanttobemum that’s such a tough thing to have to go through, especially hearing it in person. I’m pretty sure my BIL and his wife are trying now too and I’m really hoping if they get a bfp before us that they don’t tell us in person because as much as I’ll obv be happy for them, it’ll be so tough.

@beckyBP hope you enjoyed your time off! Yeah I agree, definitely most relaxed from like CD3-CD8/9 where I know everything is out with my control 😂 my cycle is all out of whack this month so that’s not helped the standard ttc stress.

@Lotty88 the sperm meets egg plan. Basically you dtd every second day when af leaves, then 3 days in a row when you get a positive opk, then skip a day then dtd once more. We’ve tried it twice with no luck unfortunately and it took the fun out of it for us, but it gets lots of success.

@Rice1992 welcome! I was the same month 1, totally consumed by it all. I still am quite stressy but the frantic googling does stop once it feels like you know everything there is to know, I promise 😂 and yeah my husband knows what he needs to and whatever he wants to chat about, but I’m sure he’d freak out if I talked about it as much as I think about it!

Hey, I hope you don’t mind me joining in but we’re on our first month of TTC and I can’t stop symptom checking 🙈 @Amyc94 I could really relate on that front to your message! It’s so hard not to get obsessed, and I haven’t mentioned anything to the husband because he just wouldn’t understand!

My story is really similar to yours @justwanttobemum - came off pill early September and have let my periods regulate since. This is our first month TTC and my AF is due around Christmas Day. But I’ll probably test on Wednesday I reckon, because at least then I’ll have a couple of days to process and have some Christmas beverages!

Here’s hoping our Christmas wishes come true 🤞🏻

Hi, sorry I’m new to all of this. Unsure what you mean by SMEP? I’ve googled and it’s coming up with all sorts of weird and wonderful responses lol.
Thanks x

*onto cycle 7 not "only cycle 7". Certainly doesn't feel like an only 🤦🏼‍♀️

Hey dolls.

Took some time off whilst AF was here to settle into my new job and also not obsess over TTC.

Only cycle 7. I went and bought some pregnacare conception for me and wellman for him and I'm going to get some preseed.

I don't know about you girls but the last day of my period is the happiest/most chilled I am all month. No stress just ready to get on with DTD!

How is everyone? Xxx

Aw @Amy259 it's horrible isn't it like we can't expect them to know cause we don't tell them (and I wouldn't want to tell anyone we're trying) but it's horrible when they unknowingly put their foot in it. I was happy for BIL/SIL but couldn't help feeling really gutted too and that sinking feeling in your stomach we were at MILs house and just wanted to go home and be alone/away from them all. BIL is older than my OH and so in laws are so happy for them and they've been together ages I feel like if were preg they wouldn't be as happy/there would be comments about us being young/not enough money/not together long enough etc

@justwanttobemum it’s so hard isn’t it? My MIL thinks we aren’t trying yet because we’re waiting until I settle into my new job next year, and so obviously doesn’t know that it’s taking a little while. The other day she talked about it as if it’ll happen instantly when we do try, saying I’ll be pregnant for a family wedding we have later in the year. She obv wouldn’t have said that if she knew we were on cycle 5 of trying.. so didn’t mean anything by it, but it made me flinch a little!

@meganlea fingers crossed it wasn’t a fluke for you and you now magically have shorter cycles haha. You’re right, we’ll all get there one day!

@Amy259 I know I'm wondering if mine was a fluke though but only time will tell! If it was I'll be so annoyed because it means testing 3 times a day until around CD24/25 that's another 2 weeks from today. I'm so thankful I'm WFH though I couldn't imagine trying to do these tests in work toilets lol.

It's so weird how mine came early and then yours might have too! This thread is helping us sync up haha.

Aww bless it's hard to see isn't it, especially when it all just starts happening around you. I've got two friends that have just started trying one a month before me and one started last week but they aren't LH testing, temping or even tracking periods! They definitely think I'm a bit crazy for doing all this so I'm so glad we have this thread to come to. Some people are just really really lucky!! It will happen for us all, it will, I have a lot of hope!!

I know I feel like all my friends are either announcing engagements or pregnancies. We now have 4 babies in our group, 2 already 2 on the way. One friend just not preventing and fell in a couple of months and my other friend her bf just looks at her and she gets preg, she sadly had an early loss in summer then literally had sex once and fell again and is about 12 weeks now. BIL/SIL have a 2yo and just announced last weekend they're expecting again. That was a kick in the teeth they were only trying a couple of months as well I believe and he's away half the time!

@meganlea I’m currently out in a field with my dogs and that made me actually laugh out loud - if we’ve just unlocked the secret we could be very rich! Although it happened to you last month too!

At this point I’d prefer it was already done but I guess it’s win win because if it’s still to come we can give it a good go.

I get what you mean with babies being everywhere. 3 of my very close friends had babies this year - all “just not preventing” with their husbands. One fell preg the first month after her coil was out and the other two took 2/3 months. When we started trying in July I hadn’t even really considered I wouldn’t be pregnant by Christmas

@Amy259 I am the same I am not a patient person at all. Both my sisters have babies too one has a 2 year old and the other a 9 month old so I see them all the time and my heart just aches for one now and there's no escaping people with babies!!

Yeah 0.8 is really high the highest I've had is 0.4 and it went back down so all the signs are showing you have already ovulated! OMG, if this turns out to be accurate I am going straight out to the shops for some fish oil haha. We may have just unlocked the secret to 4 week periods!! Fingers crossed because it will save you so much time in the future.
Yeah, check again tomorrow then hopefully you'll know for sure but test in the meantime just in case. At least you DTD so if ovulation did happen earlier you're not out for tww!

@meganlea I hear that - all we do is wait!! And I’m the most impatient person alive so waiting for things I have no real control over is a challenge 😂 I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be for you and DH with his pain going on too.

Yeah I’ve never had a reading that high outwith peak before. I normally sit around 0.2-0.3 then go to 0.5 the day before then peak at 1.5ish.. so I did wonder. I also normally never get much ewcm so that was a surprise too. I just want to know now!! I’ll be a bit peeved if we missed it because it was early, but if I start peaking with ewcm a week earlier in my cycle I’ll also be delighted 😂 not sure if fish oil can do that but I’ll be keeping taking it just in case.

We dtd on 14 so that’s something I guess! You’re psychic because I did randomly check my temp this morning and it was 36.5 which is where it normally sits after ov.. DH came home from nightshift 3 hours earlier so sleep was a little broken, so I’ll check again tomorrow. I’m also bloated today/yest which is normally a tww thing. Who knows!!

@Amy259 Oh god I know, I was devastated waking up I could have slept a few hours longer just to stay in that bubble.
Yeah it'll probably be nothing serious as he's quite healthy but it'll be good to get him checked out. Time goes so slow when ttc every day seems to drag when and I always feel like I'm waiting for something whether it's for him to finish the anti biotics, or waiting for the scan date to come through or even waiting for the next time I get to pee on a bit of paper....it's just one big waiting game!!

Wow 0.8 it deffo sounds like you may have caught the back end of it! It might the fish oil that has made you ovulate earlier? I'd keep testing this month anyway at least until you know for sure whether AF comes or it's a positive test. Have you checked your temp to see if it's raised or low, and compare it to previous cycles? Maybe do that first thing tomorrow morning. You had EWCM as well last Monday and Tuesday so who knows! It's so confusing isn't it! Did you DTD at all between CD9 and CD15 just in case?

@meganlea that dream sounds so lovely, I think would break my heart when I woke up not 19 weeks pregnant 😂
Your poor DH, that’s been ages now! Here’s hoping his ultrasound shows something that’s easily fixed so you can get to the bottom of it.

CD23 today and day 6 of a flashing smiley (no peak) on my CB and no positive opk on the cheapies. So either it happened a week early and I missed it, which would be so weird given it happened to you too, or it’s going to be 5-7 days late. I did have some ewcm and a fairly high (0.8) opk reading on cd15 so maybe peak was cd14 and I caught the end of it. I test 3 times a day but only started on 15 because I normally ov 18-20 so don’t waste tests all cycle.

So I could be like 7/8dpo or I could’ve not ovulated at all/yet!

@beckyBP Aww no sorry AF came. With pains too?! How dare she!! I always say she gets peeved because we're trying to get rid of her for 9 months so she comes back every month with a vengeance.

@rosiej95 I don't blame you having a break I keep having mini ones myself but they only last a few days and then I'm like right I'm just going to have a little look or quickly google this ONE thing and then hours later I'm like argh I'm back. Haha.

@Amyc94 Welcome!! Hope your tww goes quickly and it's just a fly in visit on this thread for you. Fingers crossed. Deep cleaning takes my mind off of everything I'm sad because I love it and you feel amazing after too. Clear house = clear mind. I'm up north in the Yorkshire area :)

@Amy259 As if you haven't had a positive OPK yet that's sooo bloody annoying! Is there a chance you could have missed it like I did last month, how many times a day are you testing? If it is just a longer cycle this time then O day needs to hold back now until the weekend so you'll have chance to DTD without work getting in the way.

I'm CD11 today, no positive OPK for me either yet and with last my last cycle being 23 days I thought it might have happened by now, I test at 1pm, 4.30pm and 8pm every day at the moment so I don't miss it and my temps haven't risen yet. TMI AF finished on CD5 but I've been getting light brown discharge every day (not much at all only notice when wiping) since my period finished usually I only get this for a day or 2 max after AF so I'm wondering if I'm not ovulating yet because AF hasn't 100% finished....but come on, CD11 and it's still happening?!
Also DH is still having the problem with pain in his groin, testicle and back and is just finishing his 2nd course of anti biotics. He has an ultrasound on Thursday so fingers crossed it won't take long to get results back from that. At frst DTD was okay for him but work is aggravating the pain so he's not been up to DTD, we did it once Sunday night and not been able to since so with O expected any day now I don't think we'll be able to try this cycle either. Which is okay because I'm focusing on trying to learn about my cycle anyway atm, but I had a dream last night that I went to the hospital and they told me I was 19 weeks along and I saw an ultrasound of my baby and omg my heart burst with happiness I could have cried. It seemed so real!!

Happy Monday!

@justwanttobemum welcome 💐 here’s hoping you get your Christmas present!!

@Amyc94 my biggest challenge every month is not driving myself mental overthinking. I lost my business during Covid so I’m at home all day whilst DH is at work and there’s only so much you can do to keep busy!! Start a new job on 5th jan so at least if it doesn’t happen this month I’ll be distracted from now on.

@RLou3 ♥️ Hope you’re keeping well!

CD22 and still no peak. It’s never been this late in the cycle! I wish there was a way of knowing if I’ve ov super early on like day 13 before I started checking (started OPKs on day 14 because every month I normally peak between cd17-19) or it’s not happened yet. Why is it never straightforward?!

@beckyBP it is! I'm due AF on Christmas Day so we will see, would be such an amazing gift if I got a positive but I know it's only the first cycle so we will see!

@Amy259 yep! 🙈 it doesn't help that my partner has been away last night so I've just been sat thinking and wishing🙈
I have all fingers crossed that you get the pos opk soon🤞🏻 today I got out for a long walk, sat in the coffee shop, and then cleaned the kitchen top to bottom to take my mind off it, it actually really worked so I think I'm going to do a deep clean of a room each day this week. It's so hard to not think about it isn't it!

@justwanttobemum this sounds exactly like me too. I'm due AF on the same days. Wouldn't that be amazing. I used opks too this month but only on a whim when I thought I was ovulating according to my app, I had two days of positive too, I promised myself I wouldn't track the first month just to keep calm but nope. It's crazy how much there is to it isn't it! All the best with your journey 💛

Hi girls x just to let you know I'm constantly watching this thread and praying for each and everyone of you to conceive very soon ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Hey girls can I join? I came off the pill in sept and we weren't really trying sept/Oct I just tracked my periods on Flo app to see as was on the pill for 10 years. Kinda more started trying nov and dec I bought opks and started trying to use them and now I am just desperate to be a mum and get that BFP. I'm due AF Christmas Eve/Xmas day and would just be the best Christmas present ever. My cycles have been fairly regular 28/29 days so far but don't really know if I even ov, used opks this month and did get 2 days with second lines but don't know if it was a peak or what. Did not realise there was so much to TTC and still feel clueless! Currently I think about 3dpo if I did ov, and on CD19. 🤞🏻

Hi girls! Sorry I missed some chat, it seems to only email me now when I’m tagged.

@rosiej95 welcome back! I hear ya with needing a break, well done for managing to take some time ♥️ I’ve tried before and just can’t switch off from it all.

@Amyc94 welcome! Seems like it’s already starting to send you loopy - you’re in good company here 😂😂 best of luck with your ttc!

@beckyBP ugh, af and cramps?! Just rude tbh. I hope you’re spoiling yourself today.

I’m now cd21 and still no sign of a pos opk.. so either it was super early and I missed it or it’s super late! So frustrating with DH’s horrible work week ahead, really hoped o day would be this weekend x

@Amy259 that's so interesting! I thought FRER were the best but clearly not!

Totally know what you mean about knowing and just being able to enjoy Christmas.

@Amyc94 welcome doll! It's so much easier said than done not to get stressed and wrapped up in it all isn't it. Is this your first TWW?

Hey @rosiej95 nice to see your name pop up and TOTALLY understand the need for a break. It's SO SO hard and just much more than we ever knew it would be.. I expected to be over half way through a pregnancy by now 🤯

AF came for me today and amongst other stuff (wedding/new job/house sale) I just feel totally overwhelmed. I had a little cry about an hour ago, had a shower and now I'm getting my shit together 😂

Being a girl is so hard 🤦🏼‍♀️

And the AUDACITY for AF to bring cramps when you already feel crap enough!

@rosiej95

yes it's our first cycle and I promised myself I would keep calm, looks like that went out the window pretty quickly 🙈

I can imagine it's such a crazy journey and consumes your every thought

Is anyone else based in Essex/ Herts?