Elderberry Pavlovas Unite - the over 30s TTC number 1

[Bunnygirlie]

Hi y'all, Welcome to our new meeting place :-) Let's refresh as usual -

Bunnygirlie - 32, married, TTC since June, due to OV this week according to app

Evening all! So who is left in my gang and where are we all, ov? DTD? 2ww? Poas?

I will start poas (ov ones) this weekend and DTD when we can, unfortunately hubby has stressful job and we are both stressed over building work so sometimes it doesn't happen as often as we'd like or need ;-)

Those of you lovely ladies who have used the little dippy ov sticks when do you use them? I read on here you shouldn't use first wee of the day but then I'm at work all day so last month I used first wee after work, will that be ok do you think?

winkle if you ^TMI absolutely don't have a dryness problem then you might want to approach conceive plus cautiously :) I overdid it one evening and well, things got very slippery^. Almost so slippery that the job might not have got done IYSWIM.

I agree zombie. Only a tiny amount of CP will do!
I was using ov sticks after work and that seems ok. I'm now using cb ones on first wee and some leftover ones after work but no smiley yet.

Hi purple I trying to restrain myself from POAS until at least Saturday by which time I'll be 13 dpo. Only symptoms to report are some mild twinges/cramps and even they may be imaginary!
Bunny I used dippy Op sticks as soon as I got home from work and they were f

Hi purple I trying to restrain myself from POAS until at least Saturday by which time I'll be 13 dpo. Only symptoms to report are some mild twinges/cramps and even they may be imaginary!
Bunny I used dippy Op sticks as soon as I got home from work and they were fine. Switched to the CB digital ones this month though as far more reassuring to see the

Oh my, that's a long time to keep my fingers crossed for! Best of luck, this does seem to be a lucky bfp thread!

Bunny much trial and error showed that it needs to be the second wee of the day for me. Get up, wee, wash, breakfast, wee before leaving for work, test that one.
I suggest testing every single wee around ov time and you should see a pattern. You'll then know which one is best for you.

So we've got potentially 2 bfps to look forward to at the weekend, hurrah.

Anyone else getting the pg symptom of waking up early and being WIDE AWAKE? Most unlike me. I dunno if it's because I am going to bed earlier or waking up needing a wee or what but I am much more up n at em than in normal life...!

Janey that is rubbish about your doctor. The only reason I am worried about hospitals is because we are walking distance from a very good maternity hospital where we are now, but if we moved the options would probably either be St Thomas's, which is excellent, or one of a few slightly more iffy ones in South London. St Thomas's I have heard are so popular they often can't take late referrals, hence me wondering if it's just better to start off there (it's not too far to travel). I'm a bit hospital phobic hence worrying about it already...

quod - I'm exactly the same. Last night I was in bed asleep by 10pm (too tired to stay up for the US election - most unlike me!) but woke at 1.30am for about half an hour, and then was WIDE AWAKE at 6am. And tonight I shall be falling asleep on the sofa by 9pm again. It's driving me mad that I'm just too tired to go to the gym in the evening - but only clicked on the way into work that I should get up at 6am and go then, instead of lying in bed failing to get back to sleep. So that's what I shall be doing tomorrow...

If it's not too far to travel in the short term, I'd aim for St Thomas's. If it's what you want then you may as well - and travelling a long way will be easier now than at 9 months pregnant!

All the hospitals near me are rubbish I think, so I'm just choosing the one supposed to be less rubbish... And to be fair with my mmc last year (forgive me if I've said this, appear to be losing my mind) I was admitted into A&E at my nearest hospital, who told me I'd have to wait a week for a scan to check what was going on, whereas the next morning I rang the hospital I'd asked to be referred to, who scanned me within an hour of the call, and after the bad news offered to operate the very next day. So I'm going there - if anything should go wrong again I know I'll be better looked after, and I can't help but think if it all goes well they'd probably be much better too...

If you're that scared of hospitals have you considered a midwife led unit at all?

Got fingers crossed for all the POAS this weekend - I think we're due another BFP or two....

I am POAS T-11 days. Feels like the slowest two weeks of my entire life. Not even manic workness and busted boiler is distracting me!

Re hospital choices, if you have a choice, choose the one you would be most comfortable going to. Where I am, there actually isn't a choice. Used to be a birthing centre, but that's closed.

The good news for me is that the one maternity hospital for 30+ miles is about half a mile down my street.

Hmm shouldn't think there's much choice of hospitals here in the South West either, it's either my local one or travel for an hour I suppose. I have to say, I hadn't really thought about it!

To be fair though purple, I think most of the crappy ones are in London

You ladies are very organised thinking about hospitals already!

I've just read this which suggests we've only got 5 months left at work rather than 7. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121107085656.htm
I can't see my boss being too pleased!

Ah but that's Norway, probably expected there that you'll take sick leave for the last month or so. In my original country you actually have to start your maternity leave 30 days before the expected due date. In Switzerland on the other hand you're expected to work til contractions start

Hi all, just checking in. Bunny I am currently waiting in the post AF hiatus. I'm all kitted up with OV sticks, Conceive Plus and a really useful chart booklet that my friend sent me - all colour coded and pretty.. I also got a thermometer so I really am going for it this month. After a year of fairly relaxed actually totally obsessing but keeping it quiet from DH TTC, this is our last attempt before DH has to go and shoot one off into the plastic cup for people to count his swimmers.

I reckon I'm due to OV around the 16th. so far my temp has been below the level of the chart (!) and I've only done one OV stick to get the hang of it - no point using them up yet.

Much like you, Bunny, my DH has a super stressful job and we've been living in a building site for 2 years, so it is really has been a case of trying when he has the energy and having to maintain zen-like calm when we miss a cycle due to exhaustion etc. My deal this month was that if I can be really exact about when I OV, he only has to find the energy to DTD for a couple of days.

Fingers crossed for everyone!

My friend told me the other day that babies are delivered at 38 weeks in France so if that's true Hazle you may not get as far as contractions starting on their own?!

I haven't looked too much into maternity yet but I assume I will have to take my full year's annual leave before it starts as I plan on taking the maximum 1 year, so by the time I go back it will be the next holiday year? My company are a shit boys' club and will not allow holidays to roll over. There is not an option to be paid for them rather than taking them so I assume I will have to take my full leave before the start of maternity, which is a bit crap!

Captain My temperature chart looks like a heart-attack patient's ECG so I wouldn't worry too much. As long as you get that all important rise after OV that's all that matters

Rach someone else claimed earlier on this thread that they had heard the opposite - that they're more relaxed in France and you can easily be 2 weeks overdue and not induced, so I'd guess one or the other rumour is correct

Oh yes and I'll get full 3 months maternity leave here, how generous..

I get zero maternity leave or sick pay as I am self employed. Oh and the biggest project I've ever done and am co-leading on culminates a week before I due. Can't really afford financially for me to have any time off which is scary...

Before I AM due!

3 months is terrible!! Is it on full pay though and there an option to take extended leave unpaid? Seems very short if not.

I think the last 3 months of maternity leave here is unpaid but employers still have to keep your job open if you choose to take it.
I just looked up Statutory Maternity Pay which is all my tight wad employers are willing to pay to their hard-working and loyal female employees who require time off to further the evolution of the species and apparently it's 90% of salary for 6 weeks and then a whopping £135 a week for the next 33 weeks, which is absolutely appalling considering the amount of sodding tax i've paid in over the years!! No wonder people say babies are really expensive... prams, cots and nappies cost next to nothing compared to the amount of lost earning potential!

Quod Can't you claim SMP direct from the government if you're self-employed? Not that it's really worth having! Do you think you'll feel ok to work right up to due date? I know plenty of women do

Yes, 3 months full pay and in principle you could take more unpaid, but I doubt that would be possible in my case.
In my original country we get 3 years, 1,5 on full pay, paid by state (parental leave, so can be shared by mum and dad as you wish), so imagine my shock when I started working here.
Lot of women in Switzerland just quit when they have kids. As I'm the main earner, I won't have the option (nor would I want to), but luckily DH can stay home, so at least we don't have to put this tiny 3-month old to nursery or anything.

Hey captain I have been inputting my dates on 2 diff apps on my iPad and one says 14th the other 16th so sounds like we're in sync lol.
I'm gonna start using ov sticks from this weekend onwards I think and also trying to DTD every other day. Just hoping that hubby has a less stressful week next week so he's up for it (so to speak) ;-)

Whoopsie AF creeping up it would appear!!
Hysterical smiley