We are all jolly well going to smack the rat this month and grow a baby and we'll brook no argument. And probably eat some cake too.

[Imps7]

Ladies....begin.

((( munkiii )))

Munkii am very sorry to hear that. I know nothing I say will help but am thinking of you and your DH. Hope you are both able to take it easy for a few days

Think I may well smack the rat then ladies! Why not eh?! I can't do it in the morning as it will mean waking DH up at 5 which I don't think he will be happy about.

Scrambled sorry your job is so rubbish, good luck in finding another one. I'm not happy at work, I'm desperate to reduce my hours but have been hanging in there waiting for ML first.

Pop I think it's a good idea to POAOPK just in case

I'm really so, so sorry :( Take it easy, and look after yourself Munkii. (((big hug for Munkii)))

I have noooooo idea what my body is doing. OPK was negative, but it was a strong negative which is as close to a + as I usually get, and the same result as I had on 19th, despite having a definite negative OPK on 22nd. I did a pg test as well just incase but it's definitely negative.

Is it possible to almost ovulate and then your body try and have another go???

By strong negative I mean the lines were almost the same shade, but the test line was fractionally lighter than the control line. I've never ever had it go darker, and usually put this down to poor test timing.........

Munkii my love, I am so very sorry. Can't wait to see you here again and brook on your behalf when you're ready.

Popcorn, deffo possible - I've had delayed ovulation once before due to stress - took my cycle to 40 days that month!

I am so going to buy smilies faces next month. Waaaay less complex.

40 days!

Oh Munkiii, I'm so sorry. Take care of yourself, and we'll see you soon. x

Popcorn it's possible to ovulate twice in one cycle, so I'm sure that almost ovulating, then having another go can happen too. Sounds like quite good timing now your FIL has gone home, go smack that rat! Cupcakes you too!

BTW do you test twice a day, Popcorn? Someone on here mentioned it upthread, and since I have a very short surge before ovulation I've decided to do it in future.

Smiley faces rock!

If I put raised temps into FF for the next 2 days, it reckons I OV'd yesterday despite today's OPK (obv I didn't test yesterday) - which will have been 4 days since we last DTD, sob. 4 days!! I've missed it. Noooooooo! :(

I was when it was + on CD19 smegs, after far suggested it. I think I shall persevere with twice a day in future and not stop until my temps are definitely, definitely raised :(

Sorry I've been AWOL - got back from work thingy last Wednesday, then back in to work on Thursday, day off worked from home Friday, nice weekend with dsis and family, then proper day off yesterday. Am trying not to mental too much this month, so I suppose I've stepped away from MN a bit.

Sorry to hear sad news from Munkii - it's a horrible thing to go through and I hope you will feel better soon.

Hope Bartlet is doing OK.

Sorry you didn't get your clomid BFP this time, Solars.

Sorry your AF came too Farfalla but enjoy all the holiday shagging.

Popcorn sounds mysterious to me - hope you didn't miss it. I'm sure I heard swimmers can last 5 days...

I think I'm 9 dpo but I am definitely not peeing on anything until I'm properly late.

Hope all the ill people/children get well soon.

Pop apparently your body can gear up to ovulation giving you a positive but it can be delayed for a number of reasons. Sperm can last for 5 days. Get smacking that rat ASAP and hopefully you'll be covered anyway

I think I'm using the same OPKs as you, I'm trying to use them up so I can justify the smiley ones as I'm sick of the uncertainty

We have missed yooooou :o

Yes you're right, I'm just panicking I think. I also searched FF and there are charts for people who go upduffed SWI the day after ovulation, so I hope today will do the trick :o

Who is due to announce their pg next? :)

Oooh - temping fanjoly? Didn't even know it was an option. Do DHs/DPs enjoy this aspect of TTC or are they usually still snoring at this point in the day?

Good @ knitting then Pop? You must be if you can do socks! I'm a rubbish knitter. Much happier as a hooker myself.

May services happily resume in the Popalot household. Now I must get away from this darned computer and re-lax.

Thanks for the AF consolation smegs, cupcakes et al

cupcakes get rat smacking, morning sex is meant to be the best, something to do with rested swimmers.

Sorry to hear about your job smegs, it sounds awful!
I must say I luurrrve my job and its the one thing that has kept me sane during this TTC insanity so I sympathise with the hating the job bit, more reason to get updiffed asap!

muunki I am so so sorry, I have been there, its crap and that is all I can say. I know nothing anyone can say will help at this stage. Take care of yourself and we are all here when you feel ready to try again.

I am the twice a day OV tester obsessive, works for me as I also have a short surge at times. I OV pretty consistently on day 13-15 (apart from this month on day 17!!!) so its not too expensive. I also 2nd the smileys, I could never interpret the cheapos.

popcorn smack that rat good and proper now tonight, ok?

I am off on Friday, woo hoo!

generic you are well sensible, FX for you this month!!

Bean I now leave mine in the bathroom cabinet, sneak downstairs and do it there. I know you're not technically supposed to even move before you temp, but I figure the exact same amount of activity pre-temping each morning probably cancels itself out?? My thermometer beeps otherwise I'd just do it next to Mr Snorey-pants.

I love to knit and crochet, sew, spin, weave... but I work on craft mags for a living so it's par for the course. I'm not amazing at it as I like to dabble in so much stuff, but what I lack in knowhow I make up for in the skill of "bodging" :o

Please explain short surge times my lovelies? I have tried testing on the evening of cd11, negative. Always get a smiley face in the morning of cd12 (apart from one freak cycle when it was cd15 and AF was suitably late). Have tried but not had a smiley face on the morning of cd13. Should I be testing on the eve of cd12 to check length of surge? Or should I carry on assuming that I am oving on cd13 as AF usually arrives on the evening of cd27, tho' last month morning of cd28 (which felt like a good thing for some reason)? Sorry for the neurotic query...

Popcorn - that's cool, you're a crafty mouse. Always appreciate an intro' to a really good crochet mag. I use books and re-taught myself crochet after DS was born as I am more home-bound than I used to be. Have made toys and clothes and am quite smug about managing it by just reading books (my Gran taught me the basics when I was 17 and I hadn't done it since). Nothing like being an artful bodger... the world is run by confidence tricks along.

Munkii so sorry to hear your news, look after yourself.

Bean I think the idea behind testing twice a day is that sometimes you can miss the surge all together. If you never get any positive results, then test twice a day and you may get a positive - implying your surge doesn't last 24 hours, but only say 12 or 18 which you can miss with testing once a day.

Popcorn what magazine, if you don't mind me asking? Or if you have any books etc to recommend. I've really got into knitting recently, but would love to learn some crochet as well. There are so many books out there on knitting and crochet now, I just don't know how to choose!

Generic fingers crossed for you this month, and also good luck with the self control. I always tell myself not to test till I'm properly late, but never manage it. AF either turns up when expected, or I test the day before. Unfortunately all aspects of my cycle are variable, so even knowing my ov date my lp varies by 2-3 days. The plan is to always wait for 18 dpo, but I never expect to get that far, and something about doing a test makes it possible for a bfp... like buying a lottery ticket.

I read somewhere that the best time to get pg is with sex at 6am. Not sure if there was any science backing it up, or where I (and DH) read it. We are never, ever up at 6am though, so that doesn't happen in our house. DH does prefer morning SWI to night time though, however I like to lay down for a while afterwards (so the swimmers have gravity on their side) and morning is a bad time for that, unless it's the weekend.

I can't really say, stasi, it would out me majorly and the last thing I want is my boss googling the mag and finding this thread! Especially because I'm about to say......

If you're just learning, don't bother buying "how to" books. Instead, find yourself a reasonably easy pattern (like a blanket if it's crochet) and then search each stitch on YouTube. It's an excellent way to learn, and waaaay easier than snapshots in a book.

:o

Popcorn understood, no worries :)

I ended up teaching myself quite a lot of knitting through youtube. The problem is the conflicting styles and methods, I generally just find the one I actually understand best, and go with that. I'm knitting a nice easy jumper for DH just now, not sure what the pattern is called, it looks like a waffle almost with rows of K, P, K1P1, P1K1, K, P, P1K1, K1P1 and repeat. Hoping to have it finished before next Christmas.

Stasi that's precisely it. I think my surge probably lasts around 18 hours or so, but it starts in the evening so morning testing only ever gives me one smiley face.

Popcorn I learnt to knit from 'Stitch & Bitch' Never managed it before that, despite my grandmother and mother trying to teach me for years. I'm currently trying to learn how to use my sewing machine properly (want to make cushion covers) but can't seem to get the hang of it. Any tips for good sites to use for advice?