TTC #2

Hi all, hope you don't mind me joining. I've been TTC #2 for over a year now. Tried being relaxed about it, tried being rigid with OPKs and timing and it's just so disheartening. My first took about 2 years but had so many problems with cycles since having him that I just don't think it will happen. In my 2WW and driving myself mad. Trying not to symptom spot or test. Should be 7 DPO now, had so much cramping from about 3 DPO so guessing I'm out and it's gearing up for AF. Been trying to research it and it seems that's the case as too early for implantation. Meh, this is all so horrid 😔

@LemonBitter What would your estimate of current dpo be like if you did ovulate around day 14?
I don’t remember feeling anything through the tww when I was pregnant, then just had an awful headache/mildly nauseous on the day I got a bfp, so I don’t even bother paying attention to any symptoms as I’ve had loads and then not been pregnant plenty of times!

I reckon get a bbt thermometer for next month and at least you should be able to confirm whether you’re ovulating or not, that will be reassuring at least if you can’t find peak again.

Hey guys ☺️ how's everyone?

Didn't catch a peak again @Mummio92.. honestly the whole thing is just getting me down now and I'm worried we have left it too late and it won't happen 😭😭

Not early testing, sick of weeing on sticks and being disappointed but I'm pretty sure I'm out this month as feel no different whatsoever!

Sorry to hear bugs are going round - we've had a load in my daughters school as well 😷

@Mummio92 thats true I suppose I will never know. I will just pause it now and try the bbt next cycle.

@Blue2020 Mine usually starts with a small drop two days before af and then drops below cover line the day before or day of. As I have a 12 day luteal phase, I tend to know it’s not happening from 10dpo.

Sorry to hear you’re not feeling well! No harm in pausing bbt this side of ovulation if you’re fine with waiting until af to know this month’s outcome. I guess whether a cold stops implantation or not is one of those things you can never really know as with so many ttc things

@Mummio92 does your temperature usually drop the day before AF arrives? I only took my temperature all the way through one cycle so I don’t know if that’s standard. The next time I stopped bbt about 5 days after ovulation.

I was doing bbt this cycle but I have just woken up with a horrible cold and it’s made my temp go quite high so I might pause it for the week. I don’t know if a cold would interrupt a potential implantation or not, I hope not.

@NattyPeer Finger’s crossed! I used to be an early tester but hate the disappointment of the blank white strip. I prefer now just using my temperature which I can always see dropping before af comes. And then by the time my period actually starts I’ve usually come to terms with it.

@Blue2020 I agree, I also don’t like doing the whole staring intently, beginning to imagine there’s a line there when there blatantly isn’t, thinking ‘maybe it’s just too early to test’ etc etc.
Af starting at least gives a definitive answer.

@Mummio92 I will wait until my AF day I think. I tested early one month and then just felt sad about it being negative. So I will just wait. Will you test early?

@Blue2020 it does drag doesn’t it, I found being busy last month really helped it fade into the background. Are you an early tester or do you just wait to see if af shows up?

@Pandamonium04 ugh that sounds horrid, I hope you’re starting to feel better. We spoke a while back on this thread about how illness can sometimes delay ovulation (I’ve had it a week late before from a tummy bug). In a way it might be a good thing as I can’t imagine feeling up to doing much baby making with an awful flu. Hopefully it’ll happen in the next few days instead

@Mummio92 i technically should be ovulating tomorrow… but I’ve been stricken with a bad bout of flu for a week now and OPKs are stark white 😮‍💨 not sure where ovulation has gone this month…!

I’m on 5dpo and it feels like it’s going slow.

Hi all, how are you getting on? Looks like I ovulated yesterday - anyone else entering another two week wait?

@LemonBitter did that peak ever show up?

@Mummio92 so confusing 🤷🏼‍♀️ yeah that's a really good point thank you ☺️

Hahaha yeah life really doesn't help with conceiving does it 🤦🏼‍♀️

@LemonBitter I agree that before day 7 would seem very early but you’re right, doesn’t look like there’s been anything yet, very confusing!

I can imagine how stressful it is but I guess just try and remember that it’s dtd that gets you pregnant, not a positive OPK & given that you had a period last time this happened, it suggests you are ovulating somewhere around this point in the cycle.

We never manage to do every day this time round, life always gets in the way, but definitely trying to do more than previous cycles as I know that when I got pregnant last time we did do like 5 days in a row!

Oh and yes DTD CD12 13 and 14 so hoping there's a chance this cycle!! Might struggle many more times with life getting in the way (we have family staying from tonight 😂🥴) xx

Yeah so frustrating @Mummio92 😔 starting to stress me out now! I started testing CD7, wonder if I should try earlier but it seems very early to do that? Here’s what they look like so far… yes deffo in date unfortunately but that was a good idea to check!!

Are you DTD every day up til you expect your peak?

@LemonBitter how frustrating that there’s no peak happening. What CD did you start testing from? And are they seeming to get darker at all?

CD16 here and would expect a peak in the next couple of days so trying to dtd when possible. Have you still been dtd just in case?
Also- do you know if your OPKs are still in date? Should be a date on individual packs or maybe the box. When I first started ttc this time round I was using OPKs from previous baby and they were never getting dark but realised they were out of date, bought some new ones and they were fine.

Thanks @Sevillegarden and @Mummio92 I might add cervix checking to my repertoire next cycle ☺️

How's everyone getting on? On CD15 and no sign of peak yet despite the two strong ones on CD14 on the other two cycles. Seems like it's going the way of last cycle where I can't catch one 😔 if it happens again next cycle I might look at some testing...

@Mummio92 thanks for sharing, it's nice knowing this experience isn't uncommon. I'm 21 months PP and have had 4 cycles since my period returned 7 months ago. Tracking BBT sounds preferable to using OPKs and pregnancy tests for sure. My toddler more often than not wakes in the night and starts the day at different times (although not wildly different) so I've thought that's a bit of a barrier to tracking BBT. I've seen upthread people using smart watches. Something for me to think about in the future if TTC keeps trudging on.

@LemonBitter Im sure if you test before you leave for work and when you get home that will be enough to not miss a surge!

I think Seville and that article have probably covered the cervix stuff but yeah basically as you approach ovulation your cervix gets higher and feels softer (like lips or the inside of your mouth) whereas when you’re not fertile it tends to sit lower and feel firmer (like the tip of your nose).

That, along with cervical fluid becoming more like egg white, are good indicators that you’re getting closer to ovulating/ are fertile.

Once you ovulate, the cervix pretty swiftly goes back to the infertile position of lower and firmer, with no egg white CF. So it helps to confirm ovulation too. (I read this all in the book ‘taking charge of your fertility’).

So as of yesterday evening it was clear from my softer/higher cervix that I’m now in the fertile phase which also lines up with starting to get some ewcm (and the fact that I’m 3-4 days away from predicted ov).

@Sevillegarden I am exactly the same as you, I used to have 28 days cycles (14 day luteal) but since baby, I now ovulate around CD19/20 and have an 11-12 day LP. Until I started monitoring BBT, I was completely missing the timing on ovulation. I thought it’d eventually even out again to a regular 28 days but that hasn’t happened so far (cycle 7ish of trying and 15 months postpartum).
Looking like I’ll ovulate this weekend. I never do pregnancy tests anymore though as I can tell from my temperature around 10dpo that I’m not pregnant and am going to get my period soon. Somehow that always feels less disappointing than seeing a blank test strip

@LemonBitter I've started tracking cervical position the past two cycles, it has been rather illuminating! When you're fertile, your cervix often feels soft (like your lips) and it's in a high position. This article helped me get to grips with it: https://www.naturalcycles.com/cyclematters/cervix-positions-explained

Hey everyone, just catching up on all the messages since I was last here. Hope you're all ok ❤️

I've been quietly driving myself bananas waiting to ovulate. My cycles are longer now and I'm breastfeeding which doesn't help matters. I'm so glad I used OPKs because I didn't ovulate until today - CD23. This is almost 10 days later than before I had my kid so I completely missed it during the last cycles 🙃 luteal phase is shorter now too, 10/11 days.

I'll be testing around 12th July I think. Anyone else in a similar boat?

@Mummio92 yeah exactly. Unfortunately work is getting in the way of me testing twice a day at the moment so could miss it again but hoping not!

Can you educate me on cervix position?!