First month TTC

@PositiveParrot - I know for some people its too much, but if you did want to read a good (and humorous) book about it, I've enjoyed 'The Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant' - Jean Twenge. She basically says, look if you are an 'Impatient Woman' by nature (which I absolutely am), then you mayaswell know these things that might help speed it up - but then also adds in lots of humour and a whole chapter about staying sane in the TWW and looking after your stress levels, if it's all too much. I enjoyed it - but I am a very very impatient woman...Part of reason I've taken up gardening is an attempt to slow down and appreciate the natural speed of things!

[quote PositiveParrot]@Aubyone
Thank you so much! That clears things up a lot more... I may just order some to see IF I am even ovulating and then will have a better understanding of what the heck is going on.
In my ignorance (despite being well into my 30’s) I just kind of assumed you did the sexing and then babies happened 😂 I’m feeling like there’s a whole wealth of knowledge out there that I know nothing about![/quote]
@PositiveParrot
Same and because of that I thought maybe I couldn't have kids 😅 then I joined MN and have a whole new insight

@Hallie91glad it’s not just me 😂

@Aubyone
Thank you so much! That clears things up a lot more... I may just order some to see IF I am even ovulating and then will have a better understanding of what the heck is going on.
In my ignorance (despite being well into my 30’s) I just kind of assumed you did the sexing and then babies happened 😂 I’m feeling like there’s a whole wealth of knowledge out there that I know nothing about!

@RadDarwazeh huge congratulations 🎉 👶🏼

Thank you so so much everyone. I'll be sticking around for more bfp announcements. Baby dust to you all 💕
I feel really excited. Also really scared! But hoping it'll stick and I'll be ok.

Made a pinboard for DH to see later. "everything's cuter in miniature. Baby arriving September 2021"

With the caveat this is just from reading rather than direct experience as I am only in first cycle myself so the practicalities might be v different!

Essentially OPKs give you some info about when you might ovulate, usually my measuring levels of LH in your pee. They help you time DTD best around ovulation. There's two main types of OPKs - standard ones, generally pretty cheap in big pack from Amazon and I believe they have a control line and you get a 'positive' when the other line comes up as dark or darker then the control line. Some people use an app to 'read' photos of the lines. Something like Femometer.

And then there's 'digital' ones which show a symbol - most common Clearblue where they have things like flashing smiley face for 'high' fertility and static smiley for 'peak' fertility (i.e. the fairly short period just before you ovulate when you are most fertile). Generally they recommend you DTD as much as you can (well...) on high and peak fertility days.

I'm finding it interesting, but I genuinely don't think I'll keep it up. Am doing the CB Advanced ones which are far too expensive, and I find it a faff to have to go faff around in the bathroom with first morning pee when I'd rather be cuddling in bed! But I'm hoping that they will help me work out more about my cycle and then I can drop them.

@RedDarwazeh OMG! Congratulations - this has really cheered me up on a grey morning. Let us know how you tell OH! So pleased for you - and this thread is proving pretty lucky so far - hopefully many more to come :)

@Hallie91

I know the feeling... my OH is so tired bless him 🙈🤣

*my cycle - don't know how I typed "my standard" it's early 😂

@emilyylouise ah great news re ovulating for first time! Sending you some baby dust!

I've only got the app to go off atm. My standard is textbook 28 days so I think I'm due to ovulate on Friday or Saturday. But as we're not sure we've just been BDing every day since the 14th. Defo can't do that every month 😂😂

I'm going to do another test tonight as I got a flashing smiley yesterday (high fertility) apparently.. then dtd every other day until I get my static!
I have a good feeling about this month 🤞🏻 first time I have actually ovulated (I think) since November! 😀

@Hallie91

That's exactly why I got the digital ones 🤣🤣 I would be hopeless at doing the strip ones 🙈

@RadDarwazeh absolutely amazing news! How are you going to tell him? So exciting!!

@PositiveParrot I'm so clueless! My strips are stuck in the post but no idea what to do when they arrive. I'm seeing people out on readings like "is this 1.2?" And I don't understand how they're reading it! 🙈🙈

So I’ve scrolled back through the whole group and that’s two wonderful announcements!
@PineappleSun @RadDarwazeh ♥️
Finally getting the hang of how this site works! 😂

If anyone has any time could or would someone explain to me the ovulation kits, how they work etc? And any other tips would be amazing.

What a great, supportive bunch of women!

@RadDarwazeh congratulations!!! Absolutely thrilled for you, how are you feeling?

@RadDarwazeh amazing news! This is wonderful! 😍

@RadDarwazeh Yayyy amazing!!!! Congratulations!!!!

@RadDarwazeh congratulations!!! 😀❤️

I am shaking @Hallie91 I haven't told DH yet

@RadDarwazeh YAYYYYY! Congratulations! 🙌

Girls

@Aprilfox @DizSquiz @Aubyone 😂😂😂 I did the same. We talked about trying and I'd said let's start in spring or summer and he was like no I want to start now... tests ordered within the hour 😂

On a diff note - does anyone else bloat from BDing everyday? I might not be pregnant but I look it right now 🙈

@Aubyone Completely my cycle is so chill normally.

@PineappleSun I'm due AF today or tomorrow so I'm not late yet and will test on Wednesday if AF doesn't arrive tomorrow I think. I have already tested last week Wednesday and Sunday I think it was I can't remember now but they were both BFN.

Good luck @RadDarwazeh let us know how you go. Hoping for a BFP for you :)

@Aprilfox I have been looking at all of the stuff you mentioned but trying to resist ordering it and as I said to @shannonl26 trying to have a "chill" month next one if this month isn't the one. I'm still laughing at myself saying have a "chill" month.

[quote Aprilfox]**@Aubyone* @Hallie91 haha it's hard not to have a strategy of some sort when you're a control freak. I started off like 'we're just casually* TTC' but within a week had ordered a 50 pack of OPKs, a basel thermometer, weird baby lube that you shoot up your foof with a nozzle, and learnt more about my internal workings than I have over the past 31 years. Even my sister who's been TTC for two years didn't know what a luteal phase was.

Go hard or go home is my general attitude to these things

@RadDarwazeh everything crossed for you!![/quote]
@Aprilfox 😂 this is exactly what I did, I haven't bought a thermometer yet but it is sat in my Amazon basket 😅