The rats are all going to be jolly well smacked, we are going to have lots of festive BFPs and possibly a mince pie (or three)

[Munkiii]

Welcome to all!

Grab a glittery tinsel wrapped ramekin, grab some mulled wine and join our very lucky thread.

I like it, whimsy! Pg hormones = slimming, someone (Little?) told me a few days ago! Sadly I feel like a whale mainly owing to the constipation I think :(
I have another one ? I am totally unable to remember words today. I am wondering around going, ?what was that called? What was that word? What's a sugary liquid called again?? (syrup, ha! Take that baby brain ). I have also changed my coffee preferences. Today I have a nespresso Brazillian hazelnut (syrup!) latte; previously all coffee had to be black black black, as I find milk in drinks mildly nauseating.

Olives that's an amazing deal! I'd love to find somewhere that offers hour-long head massages I have discovered the joys of getting my eyebrows done for me, though ? I find it such a faff. £10 a month at Arch-Angels in the local Debenhams, and they take literally 3 minutes.

little I'm so sorry it's a BFN. How many DPO are you? It's still really, really good news for your luteal phase

Scrambled - that sounds shit. So sorry. I hope the doctor sorts you out straight away. Let us know - when you feel ready - what's going on.

Oh goodness, smegs :( It could be nothing at all, but I think you're right to go and get it checked out. You can go to the early pregnancy unit, can't you?

Oh Little so sorry. I have a theory though - perhaps your illness delayed ovulation a bit and you are testing too early. It isn't over til the evil witch red lady sings.

Scrambled sounds like you are going through a tough time at the moment. I'm glad you've resigned from your job as that was giving you stress, but I do hope you can sort out your health issues asap.

Munkii good work on the SWI. Be kind to yourself - it's hard going back to work after a mc.

Hello everyone,

Thanks so much for all your kind words yesterday. I feel much better today, I spent most of yesterday fretting about the injections. I had my first one today and it was fine. It stung a bit but was bearable. I'm hoping it will make me feel better overall, apparently the injections are known as energiser shots. Maybe I won't feel so tired all the time.

Anyway enough about me

Smegs well done on quitting your rubbish job. Hope the last few weeks are bearable.

Little am sorry about the BFN but it's still good news about no AF. How long is this cycle so far? Seems like the acupuncture is really helping.

Pop and Whims you two are totally preggo. Just find a pee stick that agrees!!

Oh and I don't think I have said Hello to Green yet. Welcome to land of positivity (well mainly!)
Green what do you do if you don't mind me asking? I read that you work nights.

Oh, whoops - for some reason I thought you were upduffed smegs (well you sort of are )

Oh Smegs you poor love. I really hope the docs can put you on the straight and narrow. Maybe all the nasty work stress has messed you up a bit? Make sure you look after yourself today. I prescribe tea, chocolate, a duvet and a good film.

Little that pesky pee stick. But I am seconding and thirding what is above, it must simply be too soon

Pop sounds like you are going to have an amusing day Any other symptoms to excite us with?

Cupcakes so pleased the injections weren't anywhere near as bad as you thought.

Generic how are you today?

Olives I too would like a lovely facial. And a back massage

I am being so good this month and trying not to symptom spot. Especially as we haven't been trying very hard this month. But this last wait always gets to me

Maybe when is AF not due? Sounds like we could be on for another round of BFPs in the next week or so!

Cupcakes glad your injection was OK - hope it fills you with energy and a baby!

Popcorn hello baby brain!

I'm OK thanks, should get blood results later today. I'm feeling more nauseous now, and no more bleeding, so hopefully everything is OK.

Morning all

Oh Smegs, that doesn't sound great. I really really hope you get some positive action from the GP. Brooking good and proper for you.

Bean your test results sound awesome! Fingers crossed for the bloods - at that point you can totally chillax (my favourite naff word of all time) and go with the flow. Sounds like money very well spent - there's nothing more comforting than peace of mind.

Little, bloody, f*king pee stick. What DPO are you? When will AF not be arriving?

Popcorn - helllooooo preggo! What awesome symptoms you've got going on there. When is testing day when when when when when????

I'm 5 DPO today. Really don't feel like we've cracked it this month, plus I've not done so well on the less-booze front either this cycle so my progesterone will have taken a hit. OH and I have already started planning next month's SWI which is nice, although Christmas may prove to be something of an obstacle. Oh well roll on my February BFP! :)

Should find out next week if I have a formal offer from new job - fingers crossed!

I missed a few posts there. Smegs I didn't see your post about the bleeding. Hope you get a quick appointment. Will be brooking for you.

Generic glad the bleeding has stopped, am brooking for good results later.

Maybe I haven't felt an energy burst yet but have been very hungry and had two breakfasts

Morning everyone. Well, I managed to get up early and go swim. Did 20 laps in 30 minutes, which is pretty good for me. I'm a terrible swimmer though, and people were overtaking me, even though I was in the slow lane... I think I might look into getting some swimming lessons in the new year. I can't tread water, and all my strokes are self-taught and probably completely wrong. I worry that an instructor would make me put my face in the water though, for some reason I've never been able to hold my breath without holding my nose. I even manage to get water up my nose if I put my face under the shower!

I want to phone up about acupuncture, but it's hard to do that in work. I worry they'll ask me what I want it for, or something else I won't want to answer when surrounded by my colleagues (who are all young men - I'm the only woman in the office). For those that asked, my cycles are sort of regular varying a little each month. Don't think I've ever had 2 cycles the same. Summary stats are cycle length from 26-30 days, ov on 14-18 and LP from 9-13. The acu place I've found also does counselling, nutrition, herbs, massage etc. I'm quite interested in a rounded approach, looking at changing diet, adding relaxation, and trying the acu. There's a chance I could get DH along for acu if the problem was on his side, but we'd first have to get that confirmed. He trusts doctors, so would depend if the acu person seemed official and knowledgable I think.

Little - sorry about the BFN, if there's still no AF, then wait 3 days or so and try again? I forget (sorry) are you trying for your first DC? I try and keep a little hope by remembering that because I've never been pg before, I don't know if I need to test late, or are one of these people that never get positive pee tests...

Smegs - that's a very short cycle, I hope the doctor can give you some solid advice, and hopefully a miracle cure. Take care of yourself, get some pampering and enjoy some chocolate and wine. That's my consolation prize every month. I sort of look forward to it too (though would obviously prefer no AF). Also, try and get something positive from your time off. Are they giving you garden leave, or making you work out your notice?

Generic - glad you're feeling better.

Hope everyone else is well, sorry I'm cutting this short, but I have a meeting in 3 minutes!

Af is due tomorrow, Imps

I reeeeally hope she doesn't come but I sort of won't be surprised after my friend's discovery :o (I mean, fancy ttc for ten months on half rations, so to speak )

It appears to have stopped . Clearly the power of No-Brooking is strong on this thread! Thanks everyone .

The pee stick was defective Little , it's the only explanation.

Will read and respond properly to everyone later when I'm able to use a proper pooter, not my rubbish phone.

Half rations? Is that something to do with, er, self relief?! I've clearly missed loads!

Hmmmm Smegs - brief bleeding at how many DPO? Or have you not O'd yet??

No, I think I'm supposed to be ovulating today! Got a positive OPK on Monday, and temps haven't sky-rocketed yet.

I am broken, aren't I?

Morning preggos

Sorry a few of you are feeling down at the moment. Smegs - hope that doctor can get you sorted out - good luck and let us know when you feel ready. In the meantime we'll be brooking on your behalf.

Good luck to those who are approaching testing time!

I just really nipped in to talk to Stasi about swimming! My DH had a similar 'face in water' problem. The trick is you need to blow out through your nose when you face is in the water. This is really hard to explain in a post, so sorry if it sounds all jumbled, but I do quite a lot of swimming (or at least I used to!) and I never really hold my breath when my face is in the water. Rather I breath out through my nose when my face is in the water and then turn me head to the side as I do a stroke to breath in through my mouth.

The faster I was trying to swim (in races or whatever) the more I would hold my breath and if I was doing a one length sprint I could do the whole length without breathing (in my MUCH younger days!) but now that I don't really swim competitively I don't really bother holding my breath so I pretty much breathe out most of the time my face is in the water. I think it's not great swimming technique but I breathe every 2 front crawl strokes now that I'm a leisure swimmer!

And if you're doing breaststroke the same principle applies. I probably have my face so that the water perhaps comes to the top of my nose (I'm actually trying this at the computer without the water ) and then breathe out as my arms push forward, and then breath in through my mouth as my arms circle back and lift my head out of the water. That might sound odd, but the action of circling your arms back sort of helps you to lift your head out of the water and then I breathe in through my mouth.

Could you perhaps try the breathing out through your nose thing maybe just stood at the end of the pool?

Oh, the other thing is my DH reckons he can't breathe out through his nose (and having heard him sleep I'm inclined to agree) so I think he does the same thing now but breathing out through his mouth instead of his nose. If you can breathe through your nose it's easier as you only have to open your mouth when it's out of the water and breath in and then shut it again, whereas if it's open under water too to breathe out you're more likely to get a mouthful of water and start spluttering!

If you can nail the breathing out while your face is in the water it makes the whole thing much easier because if you're holding your breath under water then when you do lift your face you have to breathe in out and in which takes longer, so much easier if you've taken care of the breathing out bit under water

Sorry if that just sounds way more complicated than it needs to be! I don't mean it to and it's hard to explain in writing!

Smegs maybe ovulation bleeding? I had it one month, asked the GP and he wasn't at all fussed. Maybe get checked to be sure though?

Well done on the swim Stasi And I wouldn't worry about being slower than some, give it a few weeks and you will be up there with the rest of them! Hope your meetings aren't too boring.

Imps surely the month you think you haven't cracked it is surely the time for that ironic BFP? I am brooking for that job offer of yours.

That's great new Generic am also brooking for your blood results. Not that any brooking is needed of course

Not entirely sure about AF non due date. I am fairly sure I ovulated on CD17, had EWCM, twinges and felt sick. This is earlier than during my longer cycles, but I ov'd around that time last month too (since my WTF cycle). So who knows. I did have some bright pink CM on my birthday though, which would have been 9DPO...... But my body has played silly buggers before

There is such a thing as ovulation bleeding Smegs. I've had it before, although mine was very light spotting/pink CM. The article suggests that more pronounced bleeding can occur at ovulation too. Still go and get yourself checked out but please don't worry unnecessarily about mid-cycle bleeding. I had one cycle where I spotted on 5 different days between ovulation and the end of the cycle which had not happened in 18 months of being off the pill - however, the GP took swabs which showed that there was no problem - it was seemingly just one of those things.

You are NOT broken!

Ooh cross posts with Maybe!

Two medical experts rat smackers have diagnosed the same issue Smegs and therefore it must be true!

Tee hee, yes an ironic BFP would be nice Maybe but am truly not that fussed. In any event, when it does happen I would like to keep the news to myself and OH until the first scan and it would be very difficult to keep a pregnancy secret if I am not drinking at Christmas (I do like a drink ). I wouldn't mind so much if I could trust my mum to keep a secret but I can't - she starts pretty much every conversation with "I shouldn't be telling you this but..." and told everyone about my sister's pregnancies even though she (my sister) wanted it kept quiet. Therefore I know that the only way I can prevent everyone from finding out is by not telling my family! A January or February BFP would be ideal!

Thanks Impsand maybe, it does sound like ovulation bleeding. Sorry for being so silly . I've never had it before, in my defence, and it was quite a lot - I'd say light flow.

Good swimming tips, Biscuit? Did you compete?

You are not silly at all Smegs I didn't have a clue what mine was either. Maybe the bleeding is because you have laid an enormous egg. All the better to be fertilised I say

I know what you mean Imps if I managed an ironic BFP before Christmas, I would also be rubbish at keeping it a secret. I like my wine too much. And my fizz in the morning

What does everyone imagine their eggs to look like? A small hens egg? A round speck??

I imagine mine to look like a cooked tapioca ball - spherical and translucent!

Imps you always make yourself sound like a complete lush! Whenever I picture you I see you with bottle of wine

Smegs am glad that stupid bleeding has stopped. I haven't heard of ovulation bleeding before.

Stasi im also thinking about giving acupuncture a go in the new year. You'll have to let me know what you think of it.

Biscuits how are you doing? How is the crumb doing (he/she is probably getting too big to be called a crumb!)

Right I'm off to do a bit of Christmas shopping

That wouldn't be far from the truth Cupcakes