TTC Feb 2025

Erm... So I have an update.

So last week on Wednesday evening I had some spotting. And by Friday, AF had turned up in full force. Ate all the minstrels. You know the score.

Today, my flow hasn't seemed to slow as it would usually by this point and my temp was still quite elevated so just to rule it out more than anything... I took a pregnancy test this morning.

I'm pregnant.

Don't know what to make of all the bleeding... No idea if this little bean is going to stick. Head is RACING. But I'm obviously thrilled. And just... Keeping all my fingers crossed.

Morning ladies,
How are you all? I think we're probably all coming up to ovulation or at least fertile week now, once again convincing myself that i'm going to be chilled out about it, husband was planning to be away with work next week...I swiftly cancelled those plans 😆

@Mama09876 thank you! I'm CD21 today so a week to go! Really keeping it crossed this month as I've planned a girls weekend first weekend in April without looking at dates and I ovulate the Sunday 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ We said if nothings happened by May we'll go back to IVF so I really can't afford to mess with dates - and will have to tell my friend I need to cancel/reschedule 😢

How are you? How's everyone?!

@Mama09876 love that positivity!!
I'm going for high dose vitamin C & E atm, been reading about vitamin B6 and l-arginine too, but going to try C & E first and see where that gets me, supposed to promote blood flow to the uterus...watch me have the heaviest af next month!!

I hoped for the same when I stopped drinking..if only it was as easy as when i was in my 20s

@LuckyDuck93 @Taysonic that’s strange with the slight spike? I need to start tracking mine again! Plan on temping this week.

What supplements have you started?

I feel you with being healthier! My snacking has got out of control 😂 I’ve usually pretty good and have been trying to be a lot more conscious on eating better but I gave up alcohol a while ago and similarly was hoping for a miracle and I’d just slip back in to how I felt in my late 20s/earlier 30s but I’m still knackered and not go round to working out 🙈😂
My other half could really have a better diet but he’s been very stressed with work at the moment so don’t really wanna bring it up.
I do worry a bit more as we get older, needing to look after ourselves a bit more!

@ToysRus56 if af hasn’t arrived you’re not out yet! Got everything crossed.

I hoping to go in to this month feeling positive girls! So I’m going to try keep spirits up! This will be our month 💪🏻

@Taysonic strangely I also had a couple of spikes, CD2 I woke up and it had gone back up by 0.4, not sure what was going on there!
I said the same to my husband about just being healthier in general, I wouldn't say we're unhealthy but could definitely improve our eating habits I think.

@Mama09876 good that hubby is back just in time this month, fingers crossed for you!

@ToysRus56you're very much allowed to feel that way, its rubbish when you want something so badly and it feels like nothing is working, look after yourself over the next few days ❤

Hello xxx Day 27 here but I'm pretty sure I'm out. I'm feeling pretty down, but also feel very lucky to have you all - love the positivity and humour in this group xxx

CD4 for me today - still waiting for AF to calm down. Seems a bit heavier than usual.

Weirdly, I've seen a big spike in my BBT the last couple of days. Had a couple of restless nights and haven't been that consistent in the time I'm taking my temp, so putting it down to that and trying not to read into it that my hormones are cray-cray.

Not feeling work today. Mondays are the worst, am I right?!

Fingers crossed for your next fertile window, @Mama09876! Sounds like the timing is good for you guys this month so keeping all fingers crossed. @LuckyDuck93 - chin up, lovely. Let's give it our all this month and fingers crossed for some positive news. I definitely feel like I could do with just being healthier in general. Since cutting out alcohol, I honestly thought I'd bounce back into my previous shape and fitness, but it hasn't quite worked out like that..! All the Minstrels probably don't help..!

Hi girls, hope you all had a lovely weekend too.

I had a little sulk before the weekend, then put my big girl pants on, been doing a lot of research as i've come to realise my periods are super short after coming off the pill a year ago. Been doing lots of googling about what that can mean and how I can try and improve that, as a thin uterus lining is definitely not ideal, got lots of supplements lined up now in the hope that might do something.
I think youre right about planning, I spent so long waiting for different events to be over before we tried, now ive decided we need to be selfish and just do what works for us x

Morning ladies!

@LuckyDuck93 @Taysonic so sorry to read this wasn’t your month 😔 it’s so rubbish when af arrived but I’m hoping you both had a lovely weekend of relaxing and lots of minstrels!
We go again this month! Nice to know you’re both going to bite bullet and try in March as well even if it’s Xmas baby I’ve given up trying to plan now and just going to keep trying each month we can 🥰 and I’m really really hoping this is our month ladies! Lucky number 6? 🤞🏻

I’m due to ovulate this weekend and luckily Mr is back from working away just in time!

Just catching up on the other posts!
@LivingonaPrayerandGin Welcome 🥰 I’m guessing you’re in your TWW now? How many DPO are you?

@0rangem0nster sorry to hear, who knows a rest might be all you need. It's alot on your mental health sometimes so fully understand. Good luck and hopefully you'll be back with some good news soon ♥️

@LuckyDuck93 thank you. I did another OPK later that day although I know it's not as accurate but it looked alot fainter, so I'm trusting the app! I think if AF arrives this month, I'll test from CD1 just to compare... sounds like you've a lovely weekend planned! 🥰

@Taysonic that's a shame they changed the match but with the weather we've had, a night in front of the tv with minstrels sounds like a result! We're off to see Teddy swims in Manchester on Sunday night so have Monday off. I think I'm more excited about the lie in at a hotel than anything else 😂🙈 our two year olds taken to waking at 6am after being a late riser all this time.

How has the TTC journey been for everyone so far?

Well, AF just arrived in full force, two days early. 😟
That was my last go for a while, we’re going to leave it now until 2026. I need to take a break from this endless cycle of disappointment and focus on me.
Good luck everyone, I hope you get there well before I do, if I ever do. 🤞🤞🤞

@LivingonaPrayerandGin Welcome, hoping this is a lucky thread for you after all you've been through, could you do another opk today to see if is going up or down? might give you more of an idea.

@Taysonic hink today will be CD1 for me too, i've had spotting and cramps since last night, just wish it would hurry up now so i can start again. Decided we're not going to take a break this cycle, if a xmas baby is meant to be then its meant to be, I can go abroad any xmas! Got a nice relaxed weekend with my family & husband this weekend, lots of walking and fresh air so that should help to clear my head a bit ready for the next cycle. Might treat myself to minstrels tonight too! Being inside with snacks instead of out in the cold sounds great!

Welcome @LivingonaPrayerandGin - hoping this is a lucky thread for you and that we're all soon celebrating success. Sorry you've had a difficult time of it, really hope that there's lots ahead for you that will bring joy and light.

After a couple of days of spotting really, AF really PROPERLY arrived this morning (so counting today as Cycle Day 1). Going to whack open that packet of Minstrels with a cup of tea this evening. We had booked tickets to see a Liverpool Women's game this weekend (as a Christmas present for my partner from my son) but the game got rearranged from Sunday to tonight as it's now being shown on TV. We couldn't get to the game this evening, so we'll be watching it in the warmth of the lounge with ALL the snacks instead.

After a really busy work week, excited to take the foot off the gas this weekend and just enjoy life at a slightly slower pace!

How is the weekend shaping up for others?

@LivingonaPrayerandGin I've been doing a similar sort of thing with an App for about 6 years and I've figured out that the only reliable thing is that my luteal phase is 13 days - 13 days of sore boobs. So I know that the day I get sore boobs is the day after I have ovulated. Not much good for TTC but at least I know when my TWW starts! 😂
@Taysonic have you got through the whole bag of minstrels yet? I've eaten an entire Dairy Milk Caramel bar and AF hasn't even turned up (but I'm feeling crampy as I usually do a few days before so she must be on her way).

@0rangem0nster thank you! Sorry to hear you've been through the same ❤️ But that's really interesting about OPKs! Makes sense but I've never heard of it. I've been using the same app for about 10ish years I'd say, and I just find alot of the time AF comes a day ot two early or later and it's meant ovulation was out 🙄🤦‍♀️

@LivingonaPrayerandGin hello! I feel for you with the MC - I had one 12 months ago after no luck for ages and a further year of big fat no luck since.
With your OPK, I’d try not to set too much store by it. Women with “unusual” hormonal systems or “subfertility” are often advised that OPKs may be unreliable as their hormone levels may not fall into the category needed by the OPK to show a good result. For example, some cycles, I could have constantly “medium” lines on an OPK, and other cycles, it could be blazing positive for 35 days straight.
The only thing I’ve learned about this journey is it isn’t easy, there’s plenty of strife, but all it takes is one success and hopefully that will come to us all.

Hello!

Can I join? 🙏 I'm currently TTC #2 with a 2.5 year old born via IVF on our first attempt 😇 We've unexplained infertility and have one embryo left, however had a natural pregnancy Dec 23 that ended in miscarriage soon after. Bittersweet as we never thought we'd conceive naturally, so have decided to give it 12 months before having to go back to IVF. I've also had a hernia op to have done so that's stalled things as we'd to avoid pregnancy 🙄
Now CD 16 and in our 2WW, feeling we've only another 2-3 shots left.
I was due to ovulate on Tues according to my app but randomly did an OPK this morning after doing none all month... would you still take this as fertile?!
It does not get easier 🤦‍♀️

@0rangem0nster oh god, he's worded that totally wrong hasn't he, whilst he probably meant "i'm really enjoying life with you and trying to help you see that in a positive way" he's basically just let those words fall out without seeing how they will come across to someone who is a) probably hormonal b) desperately wants it. Honestly, men!!

@Taysonic sorry to hear that, hope you've treated yourself to some minstrels after that cry. Sounds like you've got a good plan for the next month though!

Who knows what it means for me, I know really a test would tell me either way, but i also dont want to deal with the disappointment again when i'd already told myself i was out this cycle, what a whirlwind.

Gosh, it's so tough to read what you've written, knowing I could have written the exact same thing a few years ago. Those feelings of frustration and getting angry with yourself. I used to get stuck in the rabbit hole of 'THIS IS WHAT MY BODY IS LITERALLY DESIGNED TO DO!' and getting annoyed and feeling 'faulty' or frustrated by 'failure'. It's a dangerous slippery slope though, so let's try and get you out of that thinking (whilst still recognising all the emotions that come with it!).

Maybe your partner is just trying to soften the blow a little bit? Trying to frame it positively to make it easier to deal with? Can see how it's upsetting though... not totally the same, but when I was trying without success with my ex-H, I remember us having similar conversations. He definitely wasn't as wedded to the idea of a second as I was, and didn't seem that fussed. And so I very much felt the sadness and disappointment each month was only my burden to bear? If that makes sense? Made what can be a very lonely experience anyway feel even more isolated. And I definitely resented that! And I think there was always a little part of me that doubted whether a second child with HIM was actually a good idea. I think I always knew if it happened, I'd be shouldering most of the emotional and physical responsibilities... if that makes sense?

I think partners definitely experience the whole TTC experience very differently. And the concept of having a baby is very theoretical and a bit abstract... whereas it's WAY more tangible to us. It's VERY physical. It's our bodies. It's our symptoms. Our hormones. It's a lot more immediate.

@LuckyDuck93 this is what I mean, you can’t trust any symptoms, not even the “medical” ones! I hope it means a positive for you!
I'm going nuts, I found a normal 25mlu test in the back of the cupboard and tried this morning (11dpo) and was bfn. No matter how much I try to believe it’s too early or whatever I just know I’m out, for sure. I’m always out, my body just doesn’t work any more. Grrrrr. Also last night, my partner suddenly came out with “I don’t know what the rush is anyway, I’m enjoying life now”. It made me really angry. After being quite excited and wanting to conceive, where did that come from?

Eeek!!! That sounds promising...!! Keeping everything crossed for you. Hope you get your answer (and a BFP!) soon.

I am most definitely out. AF turned up last night. Had a bit of a cry in the bathroom and that's that. Onto cycle #3. I know in the grand scheme of things it's really not much of a long time to have been trying (compared to my own previous attempts especially!) so will just continue with the temping and OPKing (I found it useful) and go again.

I did take the opportunity to have a glass of fizz last night - after my mammoth week a while ago writing that post-graduate dissertation in a week... got the email yesterday to say I'd passed!

Er, in a weird turn of events after my pity party yesterday, my temp has gone back up, not by loads but still 0.3 above my baseline...no sign of af yet & due today or tomorrow..obviously writing this means it will arrive as soon as I hit post!

@LuckyDuck93 I think the more I go through this, the more I learn that really, the only way to be sure is a test a week after a missed period, like it used to be 20 years ago before all these stupid early tests came out. It’s all just a marketing scam designed to make people spend more money on them 😅 And yet we fall for all this baloney every time, don’t we!

@0rangem0nster I think thats the problem though, every symptom I google "could be early pregnancy, could be af" like how is that useful?