TTC a first

@Bananatoast123 yep we’ve used fertility friendly lube for around 5/6 months now give it take? We alternate between conceive plus and pre-seed

@UserL95 yes I’ve read this! It doesn’t have testosterone in it, just all the vitamins that are good in males to aid their hormone levels! So like all your vitamins and zinc and magnesium etc!

oh! Is it something you put in after? I’ve seen the suggestion of using fertile friends lube to aid conception too - have you tried this?

@ScarletDreams ahhh I feel like I’ve read something similar too but I wasn’t sure how legit it was or whether they just had a better cycle!! I mean it’s worth a go!

@Thatskindafun they’re so helpful!! I bought a kit of 7 day/night ones so my dailies are in the sun side and DH in the night side. Quite fun actually 🤣

@ScarletDreams very interesting I’ve never come across this. Have you tried it yet?

@Bananatoast123 @UserL95 I'll be honest, im not fully sure on it myself . But, when I first joined mumsnet about a month a go I was browsing and reading a lot of different threads. I came across one thread where a girl had tried it. She took 1 spoon on cough syrup a day and noticed an improvement in cm and got her bfp that month. I'd never heard of it before, a couple of other people on the thread commented saying they had heard similar stories and was planning to try it on their next cycle. Annoyingly now I can't remember which thread it was to find it again and see if the others tried it and how they got on.
I wondered if anyone here had heard of it. I didnt know if it was worth a try or if its just a coincidence that they got their bfp.

@Bananatoast123 be careful with anything that has added testosterone for OH as I’m sure I read that it can act as a contraceptive method for men!! Don’t take me on my word though, maybe just read into it a little bit

I also use the 7 day pill boxes to make life a bit easier 😂

Ferti-lily is a conception cup, bit like the Menstrual cups but more shallow. I’ve only used it this cycle every time we dtd in fertile period so not sure if it works. It was messy a little, but it’s meant to help the swimmers stay higher and need to swim less to get to the cervix 🤷‍♀️ I thought no harm in trying!

@UserL95 me too! No what’s that?

my OH is taking a testboost multi supplement that’s suppose to support testosterone… it’s got added CoQ10 too, maca root, zinc etc! But he’s only just started and hasn’t been consistent! I’m so close to buying those mon-fri pots so he remembers 🤣! I’ve got him back into the gym lifting weights so hoping that gives a boost too haha

@Bananatoast123 definitely learning to be more patient as the months go on!!

have you heard of something called Ferti-lily?

also does your OH take any supplements?

@UserL95 so crazy! I’m such an impatient bugger too! 🤣 there was me thinking we’d be a family of 3 at Christmas!

ahhh yes! I did find a private one that does all my tests and all my OH’a and consultation for £565! But it’s still so expensive! I think we’ll do it if we get to feb next year and no BFP!

Other than the day 21 this month I’ve not gotten to anything else that I can try now!

@Bananatoast123 for sure. It’s crazy thinking how far you’ve come, I could’ve popped out a baby any time now from when we first started haha!

internal scan is nhs / that’s why it’s such a long wait…. I looked briefly privately but you have to start with a consultation, pay for that, then pay for the scan, then pay for the review consultation etc and it would have worked out to around £600!!

@UserL95 ahhh yes I know what you mean! I think I’m just at the point where I’d rather be proactive and know now! Is your internal scan through nhs or private? If it’s private it might push me to find out more near me how long the wait is!

Yesss this is the same as me! I do wonder if sometimes I’m overdoing it by focusing so much on being good for my body! I’d read about acupuncture too but not sure I’ve gotten to that level of wanting to pay for it yet!

thanks for that on the vitamins I’m going to have a look! I’m getting the OH to get me the pregnacare ones today whilst he’s at work as I was just taking a normal multi vitamin that had enough folic acid in!

it has been so crazy! I genuinely thought we’d be like 6 months pregnant by now but here we are!!

@Bananatoast123 whereas I’m the opposite and I’m scared to find out more! Sticking my head in the sand so to speak. DH hasn’t been tested, and only day 3 tests for me. But if this cycle doesn’t work out then I think we need to go back for more testing.

Im on the waiting list for an internal scan but gyno waits are incredibly ridiculous at the mo so I’m trying not to rely on that.

im really pleased to hear Gp was good with you guys.

Holistically, I’m trying to keep stress levels for , drink more water, more herbal tea, practice lots of self care. I’ve heard acupuncture is meant to be so good too but it’s finding someone and forking out for it too.

in terms of supplements I did so much research on this. I took pregnacare for 1 month, conceive plus (Mens and womens) for 4 months, and currently both me and hubby are taking:
vit d
magnesium
coq10
omega3 fish oils
b complex
maca root
All have their own purposes and each of them is meant to help fertility in a certain way too. Eg maca root for oxidative stress and also libido. Coq10 egg/sperm health. Vit d is super important when TTC too although I can’t exactly remember why haha! It’s a lot, but they are all things that are good for my body and not just fertility, so I don’t mind!

it would be amazing if we both got bfp at the same time, someone to share this crazy crazy journey with!

@UserL95 yeah I think once we know we are all fine I’ll just sit back and relax! Have you had your DH tested? That’s the one for my OH which cost a lot!

the GP was really good as my OH drinks quite a bit sometimes socially and she was so understanding and just advices what we can do! And just encouraged a few things but said also do what makes you feel good too! I’m the same as you though - I’ve had to really overcome a lot to get back in the gym etc!

Same! I had the copper coil too! My OH has wondered if it’s taking a while because my body is having to adjust to no coil despite there being no hormones! Best thing I can say has helped is the holistic stuff like massages and I’ve heard a few other people say this too! It’s definitely regulated me too!

I do hope it’s just due to chance for us!! Maybe we will both get our BFP at the same time! Which supplements are you trying?

@Bananatoast123 have you tried a magnesium vitamin supplement for painful periods?

@ScarletDreams hi! I’ve not heard of the cough syrup method either?

@Bananatoast123 oo I will have a look at the day21 test too as £31 is definitely affordable! I’m pleased to hear that on rerunning bloods your day3 was all fine.. though sometimes I wonder if that makes it harder, the not knowing why!!

I can’t say that me or DH are the fittest healthiest people and one of the things that worried us about approaching GP is them sending us away to lose weight first- that would probably kill my soul because I have always struggled with how I look and feel in my skin. Neither of us drink or smoke though, maybe socially once in a while. We have been trying to eat more fruits and have take vitamins and supplements as well.

My periods changed massively when I had my copper iud taken out early last year! I’m about 4/5 days but only 2 days of proper bleeding and the rest is very light. I’ve accepted this is my new normal…

@ScarletDreams whats the cough syrup method?

Hi, can I join you too. Ttc#1 cycle 1 and if the app has predicted correctly I should be entering my fertile window this weekend.
Has anyone tried the cough syrup method? I've read on a couple of other threads of people getting bfp after trying it, I think it improves cm.

@UserL95 oh sorry meant to say! I’ve been going for back massages every 2 weeks too and I’ve definitely noticed a difference in my periods. I was getting just 2 days and then an abrupt stop but now they’re heavier (albeit more painful) - I do think I had quite a bit of built up stress from house moves and job changes! It’s been 2 months and better!

@UserL95 yeah I try to keep busy in the TWW and I try not go on the apps to tell me how many days too!
I feel like we are the same person 🤣 I paid for private day 3 too and it said my TSH is slightly up for TTC! This prompted me to call my gp for clarification and she said she wouldn’t class it as high! She then re-ran my thyroid and then vitamins, iron, celiac etc! And they all came back super healthy! She told me to give it a few more months (it’s been 1 since)! The day 21 checks you’re making enough progesterone in the luteal phase so I think it checks your supporting implantation and so on! I’ve found it privately for £31 so that isn’t too bad!

The only thing we are trying now is to get a way healthier lifestyle! We’re doing 6 weeks no drinking (OH has a stag in 6 weeks time) and trying to both lose some weight/ eat healthy! You wouldn’t look at us and think you’re overweight but we both have been fitter and healthier so are going to try get back to that! Have you tried anything like this?

@Bananatoast123 also have you heard of SMEM sperm meets egg method? That tells you to dtd for 3 days after ovulation as well (I think). It just seems like an intense plan. But if this month doesn’t work out I may need to look into it more.

@Bananatoast123 im literally going to hope and pray!!! Lol. And try to forget about it in the TWW as much as I can by keeping busy.
Are these blood tests? And did your GP do them?
My Gp hasn’t done anything yet, I paid for a private day 3 blood test which was all in normal parameters (though Tsh was a touch high for TTC and fsh was on the low side of normal). If I don’t get my BFP this month I might push harder on my gp for more blood work…
Do you know what they look for in day 21 bloods?

@UserL95yes exactly! I’m waiting for the month where I get the “feeling” of being pregnant! We dtd 12,13,14,15,17 and I ovulated CD17 and for us it didn’t work so I’m like I don’t know what else we can do!!

I’ve had day 3 tests taken and they were all good and I’m now thinking on getting the day 21 next month so I’m happy it’s nothing I can do! I’m so so the same with emotions and overthinking and it’s so hard to not think about it all when AF or ovulation are happening! It’s good to know someone my age is where I’m at and I have someone to chat to now!!

@Beth290fox sorry I don’t track bbt so can’t give any advice

@Bananatoast123 im sorry to hear AF is here, but it’s always better to know than wonder. Happy to chat as I’m in the same boat ie none of my friends are thinking about children just yet!
im hopeful bcus we DTD Cd 12 14 16 17 18 and I’m pretty confident I ovulated Cd 18 as I lh surged on cd17. Today is cd19 and I will see if DH wants to DTD again but I don’t want to to start feeling like a chore either. I know it would be good to DTD again today. But at the same time if we do, and we still get a BFN at the end of the month; I literally won’t know what else to try next month. And that’s a scary thought…
gosh it’s crazy how many emotions you go through. And how much I start overthinking and guessing everything I do.

@UserL95 AF has finally come full force so onto cycle 9 for us, I’m okay about it but I’ve felt that it was coming for a few days with my pms… last month was awful as it proper teased me with the usual pms not happening! It’s hard to know whether somethings wrong or if it’s just chance! We have no friends we know are trying so for us we just assume this can be normal?! I’m 29/30 day cycles too and it happens every month and I ovulate too so it’s all very confusing!
What makes you think this month is good? I really hope so for you!!

We're TTC month one and my chart is all over the place. Not even sure if I have a chance. What does everyone think? Super nauseous today ☹️