TTC Feb 2025

Thank you ladies 🤍🤍 you don’t know how much your supportive words mean!

@LivingonaPrayerandGin that sounds lovely! I’ve been Copenhagen once before and it’s a lovely city! It’s exactly what you need to forget about TTC and the stress for a few days!

@Taysonic you’re so right I think sometimes I dismiss the sad feeling and just try tell myself to pull myself together but really I need to allow myself one of those days (eat lots of chocolate 😂) then move on!

I feel very grateful for the life I have so I’ve got to remember it’s not all bad at all. I’m hoping it’s true what they say it’ll happen when it’s meant to happen ✨

@Mama09876 I feel you! I never thought the second time round would feel so rough, it's knocked me sideways! But agree with @Taysonic sometimes we need to wallow in it and accept this is hard and we're allowed to be sad.... and then dust ourselves back off and try again if it's what we want 👏

I've a girls weekend in Copenhagen with a friend who's gone through such a journey ti finally get her little boy, the literal worst, so we're celebrating the end of her Maternity surving that chapter and the ones before. So I'm planning to leave all the TTC stress behind for a few days and come back to start again with OPK and BBT to give it out best shot for potentially the last month TTC naturally ♥️

I agree with @LuckyDuck93 , its looking good so far @Mama09876! Be kind to yourself and whilst I always say: it's okay to feel all you need to feel, I'm also a big believer in consciously doing the things that bring a little extra sunshine into your life when things are feeling tough. So for me today, that means having a Cinnamon Roll for breakfast, or literally getting some sunshine and having a little walk at lunchtime. Or cracking on with a crochet project and feeling proud of my progress.

Focusing on the little things that bring some joy and happiness sometimes can make such a difference. If I feel myself getting into a slump - sometimes I lean into it and just have a bit of a wallow, and other times I'm desperate to get out of it. My partner is really good at this! He'll say 'what do you need to turn the day around?' and then just helps me do whatever it is!

This is tough. It's hard going. And it's also really lonely. And it's frustrating that so much is out of your control, and also that it requires a lot of waiting.

I've started BBTing and OPKing again. I have no idea when I'm even close to ovulating or when my hormone levels will get back to 'normal' so just wanting to be prepared and ready. My OPK looks slightly lighter today than yesterday, so hopefully that means the last of hcg is dissipating and we're starting to get back to normal baseline...

@Mama09876 that temp is still looking good! Funny how some months you just talk yourself out of it, im the same this month, dont think we dtd enough or at the right time! I'm 6/7 DPO depending on which app I believe (I think probably 6) not a single symptom, which I think is helping me keep my sanity!

@Taysonic thank you for your positive words 🤍 I don’t know what’s wrong with me this month. I think it’s cause work is a bit crap at the moment and the more time goes on the more I realise how much I want a 2nd child. God this TTC is difficult! Emotionally and physically!
I keep thinking there’s just such a low chance of it happening this month I must be out but you’re right you never know! I’m getting some quite sharp pains this morning 🤷🏼‍♀️ more of a stabbing sensation than a dull pain?!
BBT stayed roughly this same this morning. There hasn’t been a dramatic drop and it’s still above the baseline but there’s still time.

I’ve decided if af hasn’t arrived by the weekend I’m taking a test on Sunday. I’d rather be off work to either spend the day being happy or sad depending on the outcome!

How’s everyone else feeling? I think I’m slightly ahead at 9dpo.

Aww @Mama09876 - try not to feel down. At this stage, a small dip in BBT probably doesn't really indicate anything. Because you're right: it could be a dip that indicates AF is on way, but I've also heard implantation can sometimes produce a dip in BBT too. Or, it could just be a bit of fluctuation in temp completely unrelated. It's never an exact science.

I know this is the hardest bit to wait and just let time tick over... but don't count yourself out yet. You never know!

God I feel like crap today ladies!
8dpo, CD 24. Had a slight dip on BBT this morning going from 36.53 to 36.41. Not a massive one but I’m wondering if it’s heading down as AF due?
Feeling all the ‘symptoms’ that she could be on her way! Some weird pains this morning and feeling a bit icky all similar to when I’m due on.
App says I’m due on the 8th which would be CD 30 but previously my cycles have been as early as CD25 so wouldn’t be a surprise if I came on the next couple of days.

@LivingonaPrayerandGin I hope the BBT gives you the same reassurance as I found last cycle. It massively helped me - I sometimes worry that it was a bit 'overkill' to do OPKing and BBT but I don't regret it at all. Felt like I was able to give myself a bit more 'control' over it. And if there's anything I've learned about myself over the years, is that I'm an absolute control freak at heart. And being able to focus on the things I feel I have control over massively helps me cope with... well, everything!

Either way, you've got a plan in place. And although will obviously keep my fingers crossed for you ahead of June, you know you're taking positive steps towards that. It's coming. <3

@LuckyDuck93 There's a lot of pregnancies around us at the moment too. It's okay to feel however you need to feel about it! And you've got a safe place here to let off steam or frustration without judgement. We get it.

@Taysonic @lynzmb a keepsake is such a lovely idea, I think we're all so conditioned to keep early pregnancy a secret and actually telling people makes it more real which is something you deserve to have, no matter how early you were, you had visions & plans for the future with that baby and that doesn't make you silly at all.

I feel you @LivingonaPrayerandGin I feel like all im seeing at the minute is pregnancy announcements, and I really never expected it to make me feel this way, but god its hard!

Sending flying hugs to you both @lynzmb and @Taysonic, not silly at all for having all that hope it's what we're all living on! I had similar in Dec 23 and it still hurts, thinking of where we'd be now and the ages etc.

AF came and went and it's hit me like a ton. Seen a pregnancy announcement today and for the first time ever in my 5 years TTC I could cry. No idea why its hitting so hard this time round when we're lucky enough to have a wild toddler to fill our days but it feels heavy this time.

Think I'll try the BBT as suggested as will need a new approach to get through the next cycles! Range the IVF clinic last week to look at timeliness and think we'll aim for being ready for June regardless ♥️

Sending lots of love to all!

@Taysonic @lynzmb Sending you both lots of love! I hope you’re doing as ok as can be. Do whatever you feel is best for you, if you want to start trying straight away again 🤍 I feel like in these situations you’ll know and your body will know if you’re good to go straight in to it again.
I love the idea of the keepsake 🤍

You've summed up my feelings exactly. I felt silly to have gotten so carried away when it's not promised. I don't feel like I've had a lot of bleeding at all.

Yes keep in touch, let me know how your results go this week and hopefully our rainbows are coming soon xxx

It's my first loss too. Funnily enough, when I got the reduced weeks pregnancy test and knew what was about to happen or had already happened, I said to my partner (amongst all the tears): 'I feel so stupid!'

I don't know if he really understood what I meant but I guess it encompassed lots of feelings: feeling stupid for having gotten so excited, for having gotten carried away, for thinking ahead, for not knowing whether I'd already had the loss or whether to still expect the loss to come... When I first went to get checked out: that's what I wanted to know. I just wanted to know whether to expect further bleeding or not.

There are SO many variables. Some people experience bleeding in pregnancy without loss or complication. Some don't. Some experience pain. Some don't. It's really hard when the outcome is so out of your own control.

Be kind to yourself. You're going through real grief, and horrible physical things too. Take whatever time you need to process. And I very much hope to still hear how your journey goes, and fingers crossed we'll both have more reason to celebrate.

Found this pic in my holiday snaps and feel like it's giving me hope. DS drew a little smiley face in a sandcastle, the position of it in the photo is 🥺

Thanks lovely, and to you @Taysonic. Grateful to have this space to chat it though. I did a test last Wed and got a strong +, then 1-2 weeks on a CB last Friday. I'll order some cheapies from Amazon. EPU wants me in for a scan on Friday, but if I test negative before then I've to call and cancel. Weirdly I've been getting sharp pains between my belly button and c section scar, possibly from the internal scan yesterday.

That's such a sweet idea to have a little memento. I think I'll do something similar. We told both sets of parents before the bleeding started so they know, and told a few friends so feeling very supported. Glad that's helping for you too. Have you had any previous losses? This is my first and it's not at all what I expected. I felt really embarrassed yesterday like I should have known the pregnancy had ended. xx

And @lynzmb, definitely do WHATEVER you need to do to process and get through this. Telling a few people closest to me has definitely helped. Made me feel really supported and looked after.

A little thing that helped me... when I got pregnant with my son, I bought a little silver ring with an infinity symbol on. I wanted something that no matter how that pregnancy went, I could look at it and know I bought it when my baby was that size (of the infinity symbol) and would be something permanent whatever happens. Thankfully, he's now a bouncing 8 year old boy.

But last week, when I knew to expect the worst, I was in Tesco and spotted a set of silver infinity earrings. I bought them without even hesitating. And I love now that I have this permanent symbol and reminder of this pregnancy and it brings me some form of comfort. In Tesco too, they also had a Yankee candle on sale called 'To the Moon and Back'. Bought that too, and my partner and I have been lighting it in the evenings. Again, not sure why, but it makes me feel hopeful somehow.

Sending LOADS of love your way. If you don't mind me asking, are your test lines getting fainter or are they staying the same? Hopefully they'll offer you the same as me - a blood test to check that levels are reducing in the way they'd expect. If it helps, for my test today, they'll check hcg level and progesterone level. If progesterone is below 2, that's fine and as expected no matter what the hcg levels are. If progesterone is elevated, they'll get me back in 48 hours later for a repeat blood to check that hcg has reduced by 50% over that time period.

If hcg hasn't reduced, then it points towards an ectopic pregnancy.

But I do think it takes time for your hcg levels to reduce properly back down. I'd say my levels have probably been slowly reducing for two weeks now. And I'm obviously still getting 'positive' pregnancy results.

Thanks @LuckyDuck93im off today so had a day of naps, crying and Below Deck then I will dust myself off 💪🏻 xx

@Taysonic @lynzmb sending so much love to you both, hope you're both looking after yourselves.
@Taysonic Im no expert but id say if you can see you're ovulating then it shouldn't be a problem?

So sorry to hear @Taysonic. I'm in the same shitty boat, no visible pregnancy on my scan yesterday. Hope you're holding up ok. I've asked for a call from midwives to get advice for what's next as was still getting positive tests over the weekend xx

Update from me... not a particularly nice one but it is what it is.

Had a scan this morning which confirmed no viable pregnancy. They've taken some blood to rule out ectopic but seeing as I can visibly see how my hcg levels have reduced on test strips, I'm not worried about that. Think they do it as a precaution as I'm still testing positive even though there's nothing to see there.

Will do a bit of research to see when the best time to start tracking ovulation again... I guess current hormone levels probably would play havoc with testing right now. Some of the advice says to wait until after your next period, but I think that's more so that it's easy for them to 'date' your pregnancy. Surely, if I'm trying to track ovulation and can see when it's happened, that's less of a concern. I don't want to wait.

@Mama09876 I mean it wasn't the best ovulation week 😅 but managed to dtd on ovulation day & the day after, which is something I don't think we've done before, so trying to look at that in a positive way, but also not feeling very hopeful!

hows everyone feeling?

@LuckyDuck93 how did your ovulation week go in the end?

im around 7dpo and literally nothing to report. I think we dtd to early this month. No to say I’m out already 😂 but not feeling hopeful

I’m the same as @LuckyDuck93 i use natural cycles, I use to track every single day but now with a toddler I just try 3/4days leading up to ovulation then 3 days post just so it’s confirmed.
I have mine right next to my phone so when my toddler comes barging in to our room at 6am I grab the thermometer and quickly take the temp before I lift by head.
you can take it 2hrs out of either side of normal wake up.

i’m also in the ‘downer’ mood this month. Must be something in the air! 😂 Just feel annoyed we with myself that we didn’t try harder this month.
I feel you with the pressure! I don’t want it to feel like it’s pressure but there is literally only a few days you can get pregnant and we’re (as in me and OH) aren’t doing a great job at it 😂

@Taysonic i was the same with my first! Before I took a test I thought I could be cause my temp was till really high 14 days after ovulation.

@LivingonaPrayerandGin bbt tracking has really helped me, I use natural cycles, its been so helpful to understand whats going on, we (usually) try to dtd every/every other day in my fertile week until my bbt has been elevated for 3+ days, then I know i've ovulated.
If its any consolation, im down already this month and dont even know if Ive ovulated yet 😅ovulation yesterday/today but dtd is not going overly well, the pressure is not helping hubby and I feel awful because i dont want to put pressure on, but also, theres only a few days of a month to dtd to have the best chance, its so tough mentally, no-one tells you this do they!