The Turkey Baster Gang (gobble gobble)

@eloiseislost he is a stunner!! Beautiful colouring- what kind of cat is he? Sorry your peak hasn't arrived yet- I'm sure it will be here in next few days. Today has felt particularly gloomy and grim for me too- not sure why, thought maybe it was the weather being such a contrast from the lovely blue sky and sun we had yesterday. I think it's all the lockdown stuff that's getting to me a bit- life is feeling like a bit of treadmill/groundhog day currently.
Hope your peak is soon too @Bluey18- my DD was born in 2018 as well, May How are you finding lockdown 3.0 with toddler??

@eloiseislost Ahhhh, he is beautiful 🥰🥰. I am a crazy dog lady, but I love cats too, that cute face has really cheered me up

@eloiseislost he is perfect! Oh I love him 😍 what a cutie!! Sorry you guys are feeling down... just think this time next week hopefully you all would have ovulated and will be feeling more positive, I wish my period wasn’t 4 days otherwise I would be around the same time as you! X

@Bluey18 I'm the same, my longest cycle last year was 32 days and my luteal phase is 11 days so maybe I could ovulate within the next 7 days or so. Plus, with the MC in December, maybe the next few cycles will be a bit off. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I'm just really frustrated because I'm getting the covid vaccine on Thursday and I was hoping we'd be done with SI for this cycle!

Off topic, but I'm a crazy cat lady so here's the cutest photo I've ever taken of my cat! 😻 He cheers me up so much. 💖
@Oilyoilyoilgob I hope your cats are doing OK!

@eloiseislost oh that's so annoying if it's normally consistent for you. My peak used to be bang on CD13, but it's been really erratic the last few months, it could easily be another 5/6 days for me going off previous cycles. I hear you about Mondays, I'm just feeling bleh tonight.

CD13 for me as well @Bluey18! No signs of peak yet, which is unusual for me, my OPKs are the faintest they've ever been. 😞 No SI tonight, we'll keep going with the SMEP and do it tomorrow. I feel a bit crap tonight to be honest, just very tired and drained. I hate Mondays!!

I never went back on birth control after my DD was born in 2018 but not a hint of a pregnancy (Chance would have been a fine thing ). 12 cycles of opks, this is only my 2nd cycle of SI tho.

I'm having horrible flashbacks to eating pineapple core by the bucket load years ago, I don't think I can go there again . Genuinely think I might have permanently damaged my taste buds 🤣🤣

Hopefully this isn't AF @sydney1986x, you aren't out until she shows 🤞🤞

Cd13 for me. No peak on opk yet but we are going to do SI tonight, I'm so paranoid I'll miss ovulation!

This is our 17th cycle so almost a year and a half and I actually can’t remember when we started SI but I think it was just over a year ago, never been pregnant but hopefully this is our year 🥰 only started using soft discs last month tho and they are a game changer🤞

@Janefx40 I get what you were trying to say despite the typo and made me chuckle 😆 I feel the same way!

@Sydney1986x Cramps can go either way, as @MrsKin90 said, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. 🤞🏼
I started SI in September 2020, got pregnant on the 3rd cycle but miscarried, so I'm trying again now. Overall it's been 4 months (3 unsuccessful cycles + 1 MC). Quite new to it really!

@Sydney1986x nothing to be embarrassed about at all! For many of us, since we are teens we have spent our whole lives desperately trying NOT to get pregnant and all the sex ed at the school I went to was about how to avoid pregnancy. I was the same as you- had no clue about LH surges, ovulation pains, CM, BBT nada- until I came off the pill and started tracking ovulation as part of the rhythm method before we started TTC our first DC.

Thank you both @Makingnumber2 and @MrsKin90 - it’s so easy to slip into negative mindset and VERY annoying that AF and pregnancy symptoms are so similar lol.

I should probably clarify with the 18 months TTC- I was very naive for first year in not checking ovulation, in fact over last 6 months is the time I’ve really started tracking and understanding my body better. It’s crazy really as a 32 year old I was so out of touch with CM, ovulation etc.. quite embarrassing really but I suppose I had no reason to until recently! Xx

@Janefx40 glad your first SI went well and the bolster bit did make me chuckle. TTC is absolutely not the most dignified thing in the world- but all good prep for pregnancy and birth which can also be very undignified too!

@Sydney1986x sorry you're feeling crampy- but as @MrsKin90 said it could go either way. We've been TTC for 6 months and this cycle with our 2nd cycle of SI. Thanks for the advice too MrsKin about best time to try and insert- it's good to know that if I don't get a chance for a pre-practice that after SI could still be just as good for a first go!
@eloiseislost I would be good at those tests as well if they don't require a second line to ever show up!
Hope SMEP does the trick for you @Lori23TTC!

@Sydney1986x don't give up! Cramps could go both ways 🤞🤞
I've been TTC for 17 months but with long cycles and only syringing for 12 months. I worked this out a million pages ago and think I've only had 9ish cycles since I started that I'm confident I ovulated.

@Janefx40 I didn't see your reply! (Going blind at 30 clearly 😆). I love your yoga use! Rolling off will just help the sperm move around surely?! As will the laughter resulting I assume 😂 I was definitely directing my SMEP comments at Eloise as it's not for us! Hubby can't cope with that, neither can I! It's far too intense 😳 we have managed every other day for six days across my fertile window for the past three cycles and it's made no difference so going for a less stressful approach and doing every couple of days if possible this cycle. Goodluck if you try it! I'm glad SI feels like the right thing to include for you both 😊

@Lori23TTC yep, January can eff right off! I like the idea of a pineapple smoothie 🤔 I'm extra sensitive to it and tend to hand bright red tongue and cracked bleeding lips after any pineapple but I just love it so much 😂🤦

Morning everyone,

stomach cramps have started.. feel like AF is going to make an appearance any time soon 🥺.

If everyone feels comfortable would you mind sharing how long you’ve been trying to conceive via SI? I think I saw this a few pages back but would be good to see again if everyone is happy to share 😃

For me 1st cycle SI - overall TTC for 18+ months.

Xx

@eloiseislost that was meant to be a hilarious joke but as always I mistyped. I meant to say "finally a test I'll be good at. I NEVER get a second line". Think I will give up on the comedy!

@Lori23TTC good luck with SMEP. Great idea about putting pineapple core into smoothies too. X

Hey everyone!

@Janefx40 welcome! I’m glad you’re first SI went well and you are feeling more relaxed, it is weird when you first decide to do it but if it takes the stress of an already stressful process then why not and nobody needs to know apart from you and your partner. Good luck!
@eloiseislost I did the pineapple core for about 4 months and then gave up - it made my mouth really sore - now I just cut up the pineapple core and all and shove it in a smoothie but I won’t be going back to eating pineapple core alone again 🤣 I also eat 3/4 Brazil nuts after I ovulate for about 5 days too. I also have so many vitamins that cost a fortune. We have both been taking boots trying for a baby for about a year and after this month I’m not bothering with them. We now take DHA and Q10. The DHA is about £13 per month and the Q10 is around £30 and as we both take it (good for his sperm) it lasts 45 days. I will just take folic and vitamin D once I stop the boots ones. I also was taking Evening primrose but I’ve ran out and couldn’t get any more this month so I’m going to stop that to. Im surprised I don’t rattle when I walk! Xx

We have started the SMEP this month (first time trying it) first SI was yesterday on CD7 so just got to be patient and wait for ovulation which should be around this weekend!

@MrsKin90 I also hate Mondays! And January 🤣 xx

@eloiseislost £19.89😱 I just can't justify these things! Definitely worth it if they work but I already hate spending £5 a month 😂 I usually get lots of symptoms of Ovulation but nothing so far. So who knows. You're covering your bases whenever you ovulate though so try not to stress 😊 I do the same tests for work, you've reminded me I forgot to do one, it's funny isn't it? A reverse feeling. Have to keep reminding myself this one should be negative!

@Makingnumber2 there's nothing wrong with individual supplements, other than it feels like a lot to swallow! 😂 Definitely give yourself opportunity to practice or do your first SI and use it after you've finished having your legs in the air? That way you're already lubricated enough for it to go in without it panicking you and it doesn't ruin your SI if you struggle with it?

Happy Monday! I hate Mondays personally 😁 got to be done though..

@eloiseislost Finally a test be good. I NEVER get a second line on anything 😂 Also I'm a big believer in following your gut/day dreams so if doing it on your birthday means something to you then go for it! Happy birthday for Wednesday.

First SI was good. I decided to put a yoga bolster under me as I usually prop up on a towel which isn't too effective. Only challenge was that I kept rolling off which was quite amusing! Other than that it worked like a dream. I think this is the way forward for us. It saves really stressful sex which ends with DP miserable and me with cystitis. I think we'll probably mix it up but use SI to give DP a break and ensure we can have sex when we actually want to.

@MrsKin90 I think SMEP is a great idea - only reason we've not done it is stress on DP but now we've discovered SI am totally up for it. Good luck with it all.

Thanks ladies again for the warm welcome xxx

My brain is so conflicted 😐 The covid rapid self-tests I have to do for work are exactly like pregnancy tests, only you don't want to see a second line! 😁

Good morning everyone, hope you all have a good start to the week! ❤️

Ahh thanks for explaining the pineapple core @eloiseislost- you really are an absolute trooper eating that! I would also be pushing for an Si on 11th just to keep all bases covered can't hurt can it?!? Those vits are really supercharged! Makes my individual zinv, vit d, folic acid and mutli vit vitamins pale into insignificance- I do keep thinking I should just buy a singular supplement which will have high levels of all of those things but we've sort of accrued all these individual bottles over the last few months so I've never got round to streamlining. I read that cruciferous veg can boost fertility so I'm ploughing through broccoli and cauliflower every eve at the mo.
Good luck with your Si too @MrsKin90! I said to DH we were going to do SMEP this cycle but it's fallen by wayside a bit... I am sure your peak is just around the corner and I will keep my fingers crossed that this is your lucky cycle!
My soft discs arrived this afternoon- I haven't yet opened them to have a look or practised with one but will do next weekend. I'm also going to order a moon cup thing. Thought perhaps I could build up to the ziggy . Soft discs and moon cups are a whole new world to me- and I hope I get on with them ok. My FW doesn't start til next Sat so I feel like I've got aaaages to practise with all the new gear and get ready but I know it'll come round in a flash and I'll be cursing myself as I am trying to shove a disc in in a rush- can see it now.
I figured I can at least re use the moon cup for AF as well as SI purposes which has made me feel v environmentally friendly haha!

@MrsKin90 Thank you for being a believer! 💓 It's nice to have a safe space to talk about all the things that go through my mind during TTC. 🙂

@MrsKin90 They are significantly more pricey than the Seven Seas, I get them for £19.89 from Amazon (30-day supply). I'm on my second bottle now, fingers crossed I won't be needing another! 🤞🏼
I don't think not taking supplements will stop you ovulating, but you could start taking them now if it's going to give you some peace of mind?
I hate how unpredictable ovulation can be, for me it seems like it's coming out of nowhere! No signs, no warnings beforehand, one day I just get a bit of CM and a positive OPK. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Wow they are supercharged aren't they?! That's interesting! Are the conceive plus ones more expensive?!
I really hope not taking the seven seas ones this cycle doesn't make me not ovulate or make it really really late. No signs of ovulation for me yet 😕 we shall see. Hopefully you get your peak as you usually do 🤞
I like your crazy logic! You never know, it makes sense to me! 😊 SMEP is all well and good but if you can do tomorrow I would as I'm a believer in the crazy!

@MrsKin90 In terms of supplements, the Conceive+ ones seem to be supercharged compared to the Seven Seas I used to take, I'm posting the ingredients and %NRVs for reference. I was going to go down the route of buying separate B-complex, D and folic acid but these seem to have more than enough of everything.
The only thing I might change is add a folate supplement -a more easily absorbable form of folic acid.