Yogurt pot yuppies, sexy basters and UFO discs - part 3

@Oilyoilyoilgob nice to hear from you and utterly heartbroken at the news of your lovely cat. Sending lots of love it’s a horrible thing to go through especially on top of everything else that is going on in the world right now.

@Janefx40 I’m sorry to hear you are having such a hard time.. I think keep trying naturally as you never know but what can your partner do to increase his sperm? I’d it diet and exercise or I’d there something he can be taking so you know?

@MrsKin90 I would say you have probably ovulated but you have been SI so you’re covered either way - I would say try not to let it stress you out (easier said than done) have you tried checking your cervix, if you do abd it’s low and firm then you have ovulated. I think I ovulated earlier this month but not 100% sure so I’m in my tww.

@ComebackQueen I’m so glad you were able to get some up there - sorry for the way that sounded. It’s amazing this is helping you to relax more.

We just had our consultation with the Urologist about DPs sperm. He basically said we shouldn't be going ahead with IVF unless we can improve it.

So we have about 6% totally healthy sperm , 47% has some damage and 36% is badly damaged.

Basically he said when you are younger, your eggs can correct issues in sperm so the 47% that had a little damage would have been viable but now that I'm 43, I won't be able to. So that means only 6% of his sperm is viable. Worse still, although an IVF clinic can easily count out the sperm that is badly damaged, they can't tell the difference between the partly damaged and the healthy so they can't choose the good ones. That means we would be likely to either have a failed cycle or more miscarriages. Bit of a gloomy picture overall!

Not sure where that leaves us really. Not sure if we should even be trying naturally at all.

@Oilyoilyoilgob I'm so sorry for your loss. I've joined the thread since you last checked in. It sounds like you cared for your girl so beautifully and that's such a precious gift to give at the end of life.

@MrsKin90 yes I reckon you have ovulated too! Trust yourself. Like @AdriannaP I also recommend the CB digital OPKs if you can afford them. You just take them once when you wake up in the morning so no need to hold in your pee. Saves having to study lines and they also measure oestrogen so let you know before you ovulate too.

I’m now present and accounted for and I keep laughing at the thread name.

@rs2015 welcome my fellow vaginismus sufferer, you’ve come to the right thread, the ladies here are amazing and a few of us suffer from this horrible condition too, so can impart some much needed words of wisdom.

I’m SI and tried it for the first time two days ago but my husband has useless sperm so I’m doing this hoping for a miracle whilst I await my fertility appointment.

It’s weird I managed to get the tiniest little syringe up with preseed and breathing techniques I had learnt but I must say psychosexual therapy really did nothing for me nor dilators but since relaxing a bit and joining this thread, after a few attempts I managed to get something up there without too much of a freak out.

If anything, this thread is a mental comfort for me and I don’t feel alienated or judged.

I think given both my issues and husbands sperm I’ll probably be on this thread a while and more as a cheerleader for you all.

Baby dust and blessings to all.

@Makingnumber2 thank you 💚 aww your dad bless him 😞 it truly is so, so hard. This is the first time we’ve had to make that decision ourselves (rather than family pets when mum and dad have had to) and even though we know we can’t outlive them, that thought gets pushed away.

The blessing is, since she cane home from her scans and tests we had 5 weeks 6 days extra with her and like every day she was told she was loved and adored. I know they have had a wonderful life and I feel very grateful I have her and her sister as my girls. I just love them so much.

I hope you are well, it’ll be nice to see this new year how everyone gets on in the ttc journey. I’m very much hoping to read good news this year on these threads xx

@Oilyoilyoilgob so sorry one of your much loved cats had to be put down. It is absolutely one of the hardest decisions to make- I can still remember when we had to decide to let our much loved family cat of 15 years go because he just had had enough. Was only the second time I'd seen my dad cry before that day in the vets and I was 21.
They do go to a better place and that poem @eloiseislost shared gets me teary eyed every time.
Sending you a big hug

@MrsKin90 thank you ever so much 💚 that’s really appreciated xx
It’s good to ‘see’ you are all still here and keeping positive ☺️

I’m trying to look after myself, I was in my tee up to Christmas so I didn’t drink. Still walking loads but my self care has been nil apart from that....my brain was constantly ticking about my girls. I feel guilty that that headspace of worry for one of my ladies has now gone, it feels very strange after three months of caring for her.

But I’m taking little steps. The big thing I’d like to focus on is dropping a bit of weight to help with a pregnancy, that and drinking more water! Xx

Aw thank you @eloiseislost I haven’t seen that poem for a while but it’s beautiful. Like you I really do hope that we will all see each other again 😞 I’m positive our energy moves to another place. The kindest decision for my beautiful girl, but the very hardest for me and my husband 💔

I just really needed some time out from ttc and baby talk as since October I’ve been caring for both girls, that’s been tough. Then closing my business again due to lockdown etc just leaves a swirl of thoughts. Luckily my husband has taken this week off so I have lots of loving company and the benefit of not working means I can grieve and be upset as and when I need.

I knew last Wednesday, she’d been mentally great up to then but had wee’d in her bed and pooed in her bed and her face told me it was time-I’d been telling her if she ever felt it was time that was ok, I’ll be there for her.

I’ve still been tracking ovulation which was last week so we did SI up until last Wednesday night. I have a telephone consultation booked for next Thursday with a GP to chat about our ttc journey. She’s told my husband I’ll need a blood test at a particular time of the month and he’s doing a sperm sample. She said due to our ages even if we aren’t covered for ivf under nhs it’s best to have these tests done to show a private clinic. Think we’re going to go until March and then we’ll start looking at other methods on top of SI.

I really hope you and everyone else has been ok. You’ve all been in my thoughts xx

@Oilyoilyoilgob it's so lovely to hear from you but so sad and sorry to hear your news. I hope some time out has helped your frame of mind. And you know you loved her incredibly well, she was very lucky to have you. Lots of hugs being sent your way, as I can imagine how devastating that is ❤️

@AdriannaP maybe I SHOULD do OPKs 🤔 I've never done them because I have PCOS and drink loads of water, I worry about being really thirsty all day for the sake of peeing on a stick 😂 I can usually tell I've ovulated from BBT even if I'm not sure when. But I keep driving myself mad every month so maybe I could try some cheapie ones to start.
@eloiseislost am also jealous of your DPO! Fingers crossed for some symptoms you can spot??? 😊
@Bluey18 it's nice to know I won't be alone with knowing where I am! 😊 I'm CD23 and understand the frustration definitely. My hubby isn't up for anymore SI either so I might do the same and just cross my fingers 😂 that well known TTC technique!!

Hello everyone. Sorry I’ve not been on, I just really needed some time out.

I had to have one of my darling cats put to sleep last Thursday. Despite our very very best care, neurological help and meds and physio, she never recovered. She was 12 years 10 months and we’ve had them 12 years 8 months. With still have her sister with us. I’m heartbroken.

I had my period New Year’s Eve and I just honestly needed some time away from everything.

I hope everyone is well. I’m sorry if I’ve missed good or bad news, I haven’t read any of the thread yet since I bookmarked at page 23. I also posted this on the last thread just before seeing a link to this one sorry x

Thanks so much @Bluey18 that's really helpful! We will try another SI today but won't manage it until this evening. But hopefully yesterday and Monday's one will have us covered??
@MrsKin90 I think if you feel as though you've ov-ed you have.
@eloiseislost I'm so jealous you're already at 5dpo! The TWW is stretching out before me like an eternity as usual. I've decided this TWW I'm not going to think about it at all or symptom spot etc.... Let's see how well I manage to do that

@MrsKin90 I am right there with you. I think the fact you feel like you ovulated is a good sign! It's frustrating when bbt/opks let us down. Cd22 here, don't know if I ovulated this cycle. I'll do two more opks today and then I am giving them up for this cycle as they are driving me nuts. We did one last SI last night (think my OH is spent, we were planning 2, he managed 4 and one failed attempt) and I'm just gonna cross my fingers and wait now. No idea what dpo I could be but if I make it to the 29th which is when AF is predicted on my app I will test.

@MrsKin90 have you considered buying clearblue digital ovulation test kit? Yes they are very expensive but that was the only way I can reliably predict my ovulation. We can only SI 2-3 times per cycle so timing was crucial for me.

They are cheapest on amazon in my experience.

I'm losing hope for this cycle 😴 have I laid an egg, have I not? Who knows. I haven't had a proper nights sleep in over two weeks so my BBT is everywhere. I FEEL like I've ovulated. 🙄 Not that that counts for very much 😂 I don't know why I bother to track actually as I just decide for myself when I've ovulated every cycle anyway. Ugh.

Welcome @rs2015 😊

I've hugely lost track of where people are now. Are the majority of people comfortably in their tww??

Hey folks. Loving the new thread! 24 messages already!

Welcome @rs2015 good luck with the tests. I'm an IVFer so have had every test under the sun pretty much. Trying SI in between

Xxx

@Makingnumber2 also to add, it's perfectly normal for the opk to be back to negative by the time you actually ovulate, the hormone has finished surging at that stage, so don't let the light test today put you off.

@Makingnumber2 I think they say you usually ovulate 24-36 hours after the peak so you most likely ovulated today if it was yesterday that you got the positive OPK (I'm far from an expert I'll add, haha). Ideally they say try the day of, before and after ovulation. I know for me, my OH would never manage that so in your shoes I would be trying for one more SI either tonight or early tomorrow if possible! It sounds like you have an excellent chance already since you SI yesterday

Quick OPK question ladies.
So, on your excellent advice, DH and I SI-ed yesterday because I got such a strong OPK. I tested pretty much 24h later after 2.5h urine hold and the line was faint again.
So this cycle my OPKS went:
SAT cd13-no line on OPK
Sun CD14- faint line
Mon C15- V strong line (like a record breaking strong for me)
Today CD16- faint line again, similar to sunday.

So- when do you think I ov-ed? Would you say today or yday? Usually I get loads of EWCM but have hardly had any at all until a tiny bit yday- none today. I also usually get pains on one side but not really had anything of any note.

If we Si- again tomorrow will we have covered all bases do you think?

@AdriannaP congratulations!! I wish you a healthy pregnancy xxxx

Hello everyone 👋🏻 Great to have a new thread.

Thank you @primrosechill, I never realised how common it was until I attended group therapy on it with a bunch of supportive women recently, I've made more progress in that month than I have in the past 5 years on my own!