OPK's, SWI, SS, BFP's, AF's and other acronyms screaming your name? Hide in our wonderfully random and general TTC double decker bus - every stage welcome!

[Fishpond]

This is technically a continuation of an old thread (here if anyone wants to read through) but we love welcoming newbies and there isn't another general TTC thread quite like us

Whether you're waiting to TTC, just now starting, an old hat, or already have your BFP, we welcome you with open legs arms and biscuits.

Accessible seating (Graduates)
Clandy (??) EDD
Sarah5656 (27) EDD
Fishpond (24) EDD 21 July
Kirrin (35) EDD
Cheeser (29) EDD

Standing room only (2 week wait)
SecretSparkle (26) AF due 9 Nov
CherryPie (30) AF due 16 Nov
MinkyMoodles (36) AF due 17 Nov
YorkshireTeaAddict (24) AF due 23 Nov

Back seat naughtiness (SWI / OPK spotters)
TequilaMockinbat Last AF 3 Nov
MakeTea Last AF 5 Nov
Vinolover (29) Last AF 5 Nov
CupofBrownJoy (34) Last AF 5 Nov
Hattifattener28 (31) Last AF 11 Nov

Top deck (Waiting to TTC / just seeing what happens)

Everyone please feel free to add yourself to the list - it got a bit too confusing when I tried to carry on this is the point at which I gave up. Could you lot sitting next to me add your due dates to the list?

wine it took me at least 6 months after going off the pill before my cycle went back to normal. I burned through so many tests in that time.

Morning all,

welcome newbies

I have been lurking for a few days and have been sulking sleeping at the back of the bus. Af being the witch that she is turned up 5 days early and took away all my fun of POAS. On the upside she has now packed up her bags and gone so bring on the SWI.

Minky sorry AF got you was crossing my fingers that one of us would get a BFP. Oh well onto next month.

secret don't give up hope just yet it took me 3 weeks with my last 2 pg before I got a bfp and I had a very bad POAS addiction at the time. So completely understand where you are coming from.

my brothers are twins!! God I hope I don't have twins!!

My mum was under the doctor for stress - she had 3 kids under two!!

Thanks for the welcomes, lovely ladies.

Fish nice hearing updates about the pregnancy, just makes the rest of us want to be in same position am sure. I was a single mother at 25 as other half left me at three months pregnant (oh, yeah, he's a real hero!) and I brought my son up by myself and he's happy and gorgeous so am sure you'll be just fine. But now you've said you want to stay single no doubt someone will come along - it's nature's way!

Well, I'm out this month ladies, evil AF turned up yesterday but at least I'm back to a 28day cycle second month after coming off the pill - sorry you other gals are out too but that just means we get more sexy time (said in sleazy italian accent). Woop!

Ah Secret. You enjoy that coffee and have a bloody large drink aswell!! Your time will come but unfortunately you can do everything right and it will only happen when nature decideds on it!! This is what is getting me down at the moment. I wasn't even going to use OPK this month but decided to because they are there. Im fed up already so I know how you feel. It doesn't help when AF messes you around! Im also very with CB on your behalf!!!

Fish you never know what the future holds. Hopefully you will meet a wonderful DP and you will have as many babies as your heart desires :) One question, how can they tell the sex from the prick on your finger? Or did I read that wrong?

I spoke to the dr today and he said definitely not to have sex everyday but every 48hrs so the stock can be replenished . DH was very happy lol.

Secret I understand how frustrated you must be. As a fellow OCD'er, when we want something to go right and think we've done everything we can and then it all falls to pieces it's more than upsetting. I'm sure there is something to this whole 'relax and see that it happens' process, but they aren't counting those of us who literally think about it all day long. It will be hard now that you want it to be hands off, won't it? Hopefully it will just click for you, or maybe you could force yourself to not buy any OPK's, or HPT's next month, just do the SWI every other day thing?

Vino Sorry to hear about your bloods, hope that the white cells don't negatively impact your TTC. You'll just have to tell DH he needs some extra strong swimmers

The way the gender test works is by 7 weeks after conception (10th week of pregnancy) foetal DNA can be separated from the mother's in a drop of blood. If a Y chromosome is present, that is proof of a boy embryo. If it isn't then it's a girl. I'm quite excited about the prospect. They're also much friendlier here about trying to see the gender in scans than they are in the UK (from my experiences of family / friends) so I'm hoping to be able to at least get a sonographer who can have a weensy look at 12 weeks to confirm. The company I'm choosing to do the finger prick test will refund your money if they get the gender wrong, it's over a 95% success rate, and the other 4.5% are down to the errors of it being a home environment collection (i.e. not enough blood on the test, or a male handled the sample before packaging it which can lead to false Y chromosomes, etc).

Back to work at some point later on today. Have my class but have done absolutely none of my homework, to be quite honest I'm feeling really low about the whole promotion. I have already gotten schtick about it from some people that have been there longer than I have, so I don't think I'll be taken seriously in a higher management position, but beyond that - we are meant to have 100% open availability, so we can be scheduled any time of the day or night (our restaurant is 24 hours). I don't think that's going to go well with a little one and trying to sort out childcare. Plus, I want my baby to have a stable routine So I think tomorrow I may pull my boss aside and explain everything that's going on and see what she says, before wasting more company time / money training me for a position that I now am not sure if I want. Of course, financially it would be better but GAH - frustrated.

TopC and Cherry sorry the witch got you - onwards and upwards for next month!

Can I loiter on the stairs with SecretSparkle?

Dp and I had a chat yesterday and basically agreed that getting pg this month would be a bit of a disaster wedding-wise. It would literally be due on the wedding date. BUT neither of us wants to stop ttc..... so, we're sort of tentatively opk'ing, having swi when we would do anyway, and sort of hoping nothing happens until after Christmas.

Its a kind of irresponsible approach I know (my BF spent half an hour yesterday lecturing me about it) but... I just don't know what to do - I want to ttc, but I also want to get married! And if we lose all our money on the marquee etc cos we've got pg, when we knew that might happen all along.... well, we're fools but I just don't know what to do for the best..... Thought I might try and stop my parents booking anything until after Christmas but we can't really come clean yet about ttc and the wedding has become something of an unstoppable train........

Cup, that's not irresponsible at all! Go you!! I will wave my pom poms for you

Fish, that is fascinating!! Iw onder if they do the finger pricky sex thing here

I have trapped wind today :( I don't even care if it's TMI, feel like y'all are my sisters anyway...

...PARP

thanks for the support guys

Ok so we're not NOT trying and we're not TRYING. We're just standing on the stairs.... like it

I think I will try and drag my feet a bit over this marquee business mind you - my parents will not be best please to lose 5k if they have to cancel it!

I know easy for me to say, but it will happen for you Cup when it's meant to happen! (Although sympathize with the 'wanting it to happen on a certain schedule' happening )

What's everyone up to this evening? (Keep forgetting you are 6 hours ahead of me. Day is just getting started here)

A sure fire way of getting pregnant is to not try Cup. I say still go for it with a laid back approach (literally ) and see what happens this month. I agree about dragging your feet over the marquee!

Oooh, Frilly wind is good! That's the symptom I do NOT want this time though, lol. Not sure my customers at work would be too impressed .

Im up to nothing tonight Fish. DH is off out and the children are going to bed early. Looks like a hot date with the TV for me. I still can't decide whether to SWI tonight or not!?!?!

I just got to my class and someone has stolen my managers book

Evening all :)

minky there will be 18 months between DD and this next one. I'm slightly worried about that, especially as there are twins in our family, but I wanted to just keep going while I'm still up to my eyeballs in nappies and sleepless nights! oh God, what if it's twins

cup I think trying but not too hard is the way forward - it seems a shame to stop when you've already got so exciting about it. and the potentially lousy timing pretty much guarantees you a bfp this month

Fish that early gender test sounds interesting, I've never heard of that. can you really also find out at a 12 week scan though? I've never heard of it over here, we usually find out at 20 weeks, although I had a 16 weeks scan with DD and they were pretty sure she was a girl then.
I also said that I wouldn't find out the gender this time but my resolve is weakening already! What

What about everyone else - will you find out or have a surprise?

*excited
not sure what the extra what is doing there either....

I was certain we wouldnt be finding out this time having found out both times before but that's now changed!

With a baby in perfect position and a skilled Sonographer it is 80-85% certain to tell by 12-13 weeks. You can pay at 14 weeks privately in London!! Which I would totally do! Happier to do the finger prick test though

Secret you're too late, I'm sorry to say! The alien cardie has gone back to the shop . I've swapped it for a tasteful green tunic....

Re: surprise or finding out the gender, I really don't know. I think I would let DP decide, as I know some guys I have spoken to have found it all gets more real for them if they know the gender, and its easier to bond with the little foetus....

Blimey, that's good fish At 16 weeks I was told it was probably a girl but "don't rush out and buy pink stuff!"

cup it makes choosing names easier too - especially if, like DP and I, we have completely different ideas - at least we didn't have to argue over boys names unnecessarily.....

oh names is another can of worms - I'm from Wales and would love my DC's to have Welsh names, but they are totally unpronounceable to a German. I also hate pretty much all German names!

I came up with Isolde for a girl (theoretically of course) as its a German name with Welsh roots, but apparently its a milkmaid's name!

Imagine the German PILs trying to say Iolo, Ieuan or Iestyn!

They can barely manage my first name and its about as normal as they come...!

cup we have the same issue - I'm English, DP is Arabic so we're trying to find a name that works for both. There are more than you might think but none not many that we both really like. Plus, I really really love Erica and DP won't even consider it :(