TTC and a teacher?! Join me!

[HopefulFairy]

Good morning (evening) Miss/Mrs MummyToBe!

I don't know about you, but I'm finding it hard to balance teaching+TTC. Too tired to DTD as often as I think I probably should be+so overwhelmed with the job that I'm filled with lots of negative thoughts+feelings all the time

Everyone keeps telling me that I need to be less stressed if I want to conceive but find that an impossibility.....unless I resign!!

Any other teachers out there feel like this?

[AmelieRose]

Congratulations Riskit. Lovely to have a BFP on the thread already. Let's hope it's a sign of things to come for the rest of us!

[doobeedee]

I have done the same investigations re. Thyroid. My TSH was 4.4 when my luteal phase was AF it's shortest. GP said it was normal but research told me it should be below 2 for conception. I asked FS and he agreed and retested Thyroid. It had gone down to 2.1 on its own and my LP has increased. If it hadn't improved on its own he would have told my GP to treat it. I was about to go back to GP armed with research from the NHS itself that I hoped she would take notice of when it normalised itself. How long ago was it tested? Maybe you should get it fine again. Also, I'm convinced lacking in vit D is a prob. I had my longest LPs in the summer after a holiday to Spain. I started supplementing with vit D and LP has lengthened again. This is a good site:

sites.google.com/site/miscarriageresearch/vitamins-and-miscarriage/vitamin-c

[riskit4abiskit]

Thanks everyone, will have to do another test tomorrow to really believe it!

It will Defo be a sign that you are all next and can keep me company

[Boodle9]

Thanks, doobeedee - I'll have a read of that site. My tests were fairly recent -last September then December. I'm seeing my GP soon as I have just had some hopsital investigations done that were all clear. Last time I saw her she said she'd refer me to an FS no matter what the hospital results were. I think I will do what you did and talk to the FS about thyroid. My levels were 4.6 then a 3.9.

[HopefulFairy]

I would recommend 'Taking Charge of your Fertility', despite only starting to read it today! Even if you don't wanna chart or don't have any particular issues you want some advice on, it's really informative about the cycle as a whole. I've learnt a lot already! Just wanted to take a bit more control over the whole process. The charts do look very daunting+I might start by just charting my temp, but hoping that it will make me more informed+better prepared if a problem does arise. Perhaps a little pessimistic of me but can't help the worry! Still feel I'm guessing a little at the mo so want to take some of the guesswork out, in the hope that I will be less stressed+perhaps can have at least an hour a day when I'm not thinking about it!!

[doobeedee]

You've probably already seen these but they are UK based sites with evidence about TSH being below 2 while TTC and in early preg. Don't have the links at the moment but they're on patient.co.uk and NHS Clinical Knowledge Summaries. GPs and specialists are more likely to take notice of them as they're from the UK/NHS rather than from America. There's also a massive Thyroid thread on fertility friends with some really knowledgeable people. That's where I got most of my info.

[Gooseysgirl]

I used 'Taking Charge if your Fertility' while TTC DD and think its great. I thought I knew it all about ovulation etc until I read the book! I charted temperatures and CM and I'm doing it again this time. I stick the thermometer in as soon I wake up and log the temp on the Fertility Friend iPhone app. I also read Emma Cannon's 'Baby Making Bible' which was good.

[Thatssofunny]

I read "The Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant", simply because I'm not at a stage, yet, where I am worried about my fertility. My cycles are regular, I ovulate, I'm healthy throughout, not overweight, do sports, eat alrightish...I just think we don't dtd. Once we dtd regularly (which is planned for this year...I'll be dammed if we don't at least try a bit harder), I can start counting the months properly. Since I changed schools this year, the months we had a break don't really count as as "ttc", I think. I just didn't think getting pregnant without at least having done a year at my new school would be fair on them...especially in an Ofsted year.
(It doesn't help that I've got issues with having sex in general, but that doesn't have anything to do with my fertility as such. I'm working on that and hope that literally smothering my lady bits with pre-seed will resolve that while we ttc.)

[cherrypiesally]

Hi. Can I join? I am a secondary teacher. DS is 4 now; took us 2 1/2 years and 1 miscarriage to get him. Been TTC #2 since June 2011, had a m/c at 12 weeks in Dec 11, no luck since then.

I am convinced school stress is a factor, but I am sure my age is also against me now,(38).

Am due to have a laparoscopy (second one), on Jan 29th for endo. However AF is 5 days late but no BFP. I blame stress!

[BeQuicksieorBeDead]

boodle I have got that thermometer too, I like that it doesn't beep too loudly so my dp can't moan that I have woken him up with more baby madness! I use pink pad to track it, also free, but stay off the forums as madness will surely follow. Lots of american teenagers asking whether they can get pregnant on birth control.

I have just seen af off, so pleased about that and looking forward to another rollercoaster month (or seven weeks!) Starting with the gp on tuesday. I an going to take your good advice ladies and get a bit pushy - my pretend I am talking to my boss about curriculum budgets. That should do it.

Anyone expecting a snow day tomorrow? We got a really patronising text message about it being our duty to come in if we are able. I think that goes for every day doesn't it?!

[doobeedee]

No chance of a snow day here. Think we're the only place in Britain that missed the worst of the snow even though it's been forecasted all week.

[Boodle9]

Thanks for those tips, doobeedee. I didn't know about those clinical summary things actually...perhaps I need to improve my research skills! I've had a look and think I've found what you're referring to. However, if you do have the links to hand at some point and wouldn't mind sharing, I'd be much obliged!

I agree BeQuicksieorBeDead - the thermometer isn't too bad with its beeps. I think it used to make my DH stir but now he doesn't register it at all. My moggy has learnt that it means breakfast time isn't far away though! Bless my little pavlovian pusscat!

I'm not expecting a snow day tomorrow - our school doesn't really do 'snow days'! On Friday I had a maximum of 16 kids with them trickling in throughout the morning and back out in the afternoon. I expect tomorrow will be much the same.

[doobeedee]

I'll have a look later when I'm on my laptop.

[busyprocrastinating]

Ooo just stumbled on this thread. I don't normally pay too much attention to conception threads as I don't want to obsess over it too much. But can I join in here please?

I'm a secondary teacher in a new school that isn't doing too great and we are expecting the dreaded ofsted any minute now. They are piling on the stress and pressure and morale is so low. Every week someone is getting signed off with stress. I honestly thought I was going to end up on that route before Christmas but I seem to be feeling more positive now.

One thing that is keeping me there is the hope of a bfp! Been trying for a year now but, like many of you have said, am often too tired to dtd and am sure the stress doesn't help. I have a dd so my work at home is done after she goes to bed so am often working late.

[doobeedee]

Here they are:

www.cks.nhs.uk/hypothyroidism#-482792

www.patient.co.uk/doctor/thyroid-function-tests

On the second one, scroll down to the bottom of the subclinical hypothyroidism bit.

[Boodle9]

That's really kind of you, thank you, doobeedee!

[Gooseysgirl]

Hello everyone, trudged to work through the snow this morning, DD loved it.. she was wide-eyed! On 2 week wait at the moment... Fingers crossed

[ILoveMyCats]

Had a snow day today so have been doing some ttc reading! Thanks for all the advice already posted - it's really good to get as much information as possible.
I'm quite worried about my cycle length and ov. I've had 2 AFs since coming off the pill in Sept. both were 43 days & I used OPKs during all 3 cycles that gave a smiley on cd21 ish. From what I can tell, this gives me a very long luteal phase. There is very little information about this in the net - does this sound normal?
Prior to taking the pill my cycles were 35 days, so this is a bit long for me. It also means fewer opportunities to get pg. my real question is, do you think it's too soon to go to GP about long cycles and poss of not ovulating? I've read that you can get +ve OPKs without ov.... I don't want to get laughed out of the surgery, but I don't want to leave it months & months either. I'm planning on temping and charting from this AF (due on 30th jan), and have a clearblue fertility monitor - should I try this first? Anyone know anything about long cycles and fertility? My 2ww is 3, if the OPKs are to be believed.

[doobeedee]

Hi Ilovemycats. I'm not sure that the doc would take you seriously so soon after coming off the pill as it can take a while for cycles to regulate even in normal circumstances. I had a few cycles of 35+ days after coming off the pill before mine shortened. As for your luteal phase, a normal one can be as long as 16 days. If you OV a couple of days after your pos OPK on day 21 which is completely normal, then you fall within the 16 days. I think the docs only do something about long cycles if the go on for ages and ages then they use progesterone to start a period. You're right about having and LH surge then not ovulating. That's why it's best to back up your OPKs/monitor with temping. I would prob try this for a few cycles do you have more evidence if there is a problem when you do see the doc.

[doobeedee]

Oops. I read that wrong. You luteal phases could be 20 days. That's still not far from normal and it's only 2 cycles off the pill.

[ILoveMyCats]

Thanks doobeedee! I agree with you, but nice to be told by someone else! I think I'll keep gathering information. Im getting frustrated by the fact that I don't have a monthly cycle, so although we've been trying for 5 months, i've only had 3 cycles.
As much as I want to get pg for its own sake, I'm also hoping that it happens soon so that I don't have to make a career decision! Wrong, I know, but human!

[doobeedee]

It's the time between ovulation and your next period. Normal ones range from 10 to 16 days although 10 (and some people say 12) can be considered short.