TTC number 1 & new to this so limited abbreviations!!

[Fox82]

Hi, I'd like to hear from others who are also trying to conceive their first baby but are new to all of this and don't understand a lot of the abbreviations! (I did see a list of abbreviations somewhere, but still struggling!) I'm 30 and my husband is 33. After getting married in January we started trying straight away but had no luck so far. Naively thought it would just happen! I don't really want to get into ovulation testing etc just yet as want to feel as relaxed as possible as apparently getting stressed doesn't help? But starting to think maybe I should as lots of others on here seem to be doing all sorts of tests?! Love to hear from others in a similar situation

Hi Fox, I'm trying to conceive for the first time. I just stopped the pill a month ago and have no idea what my cycle is like (still waiting for my period). However, I think understanding your cycle could increase your chances of becoming pregnant, like angus said. There's no need to test. Try keeping track of when your period is. For most women on average, two weeks before that you will have ovulated, which means that if you have sex every two days before and after that crucial time you could get pregnant. Because you might not be ovulating around the same time every time, you can also try to have sex every other day after your period has ended. Or if you want more accuracy, you can start taking notice of your cervical mucus changes and perhaps the position of your cervix, which could indicate when you ovulate. If you google these things there's loads of info out there.

Thanks both of you and congrats Angus! Think I need to start taking more notice of things to give us the best chance. I think we just need to dtd more often first of all! We're going to try for every other day this month. Blue - you mentioning the position of the cervix is interesting. When I went for my smear test the nurse took ages to find the neck of my cervix and when she eventually did she said its because it was way off to the side and to mention this at my next smear to make it easier for the nurse. I hadn't thought of this before. Does this change anything for ttc?? Thanks for the advice.

Hi Fox, I don't think it matters for conception, the sperm goes everywhere, so to speak, so it doesn't matter if your cervix is more to the side.

What I was referring to is that when you ovulate, your cervix changes position. This website explains it (it includes pictures of a cervix). This one explains it too, but without the pics.

I am brand new TTC (trying to conceive) no 1 just come off pill and getting to grips with abbreviations, im same as blue amber. My OH (other half) has a son from previous relationship who is now 9 years old so Im hoping that he shouldnt have issues but at my first and only smear nurse said there was quite a bit of mucus and i have in the back of my mind that could cause problems. Any ideas anyone

Thanks Angus I've ordered some pregnacare! And thanks blueamber for the advice - that puts my mind at rest about the cervix and I'll look up the cervix position when ovulating then, thank you!

I'm the same with the mucus vikki and under the impression it doesn't cause a problem

Thank s guys its really reassuring to talk to others im really glad I stumbled across these threads

Hello, another one ttc for first time and getting to grips with abbreviations. I am 31 this year and husband 34. Came of the pill in April and had one period since. I am totally clueless about cycles, have been on pill since I was 15.
Really glad to have come across this and to have some people to chat to!

Good luck! Me and my husband will be 31 and 34 this year too! It's nice to have people to talk to - I don't want to go on to my husband all the time as he'll only worry and probably think I'm obsessing! (I'm only obsessing a little bit!)

Good luck to you and to all to! I must admit I feel really clueless having read a lot today. Think I have confused myself even more. Have downloaded a couple of apps, embarrassing how little I know about cycles etc. I have been on the pill so long it's weird not taking it.

I know what you mean re people to talk to. It's lovely.

Hi Fox I'm in a similar situation. I'm 30, DH is 31. I came off the pill in November shortly after we got married; to begin with we were having unprotected sex in a "no pressure, let's just see what happens" sort of way, and have been actively TTC since March (as in taking more notice of my cycle and trying to have more sex on what I think are my fertile days). No luck so far!

I'm also wondering if i should be doing more. I'm reluctant to start all this business with ovulation prediction kits, basal temperature, etc because having a 'regime' is exactly the sort of thing that I would get obsessive over once I started, and I also want to try to keep myself relaxed (and not drive DH mad!). However, when my period has arrived the last couple of times, I've had that awful thought of "I could have tried harder this month". So I just don't know what to do for the best.

I've worked out my cycle is around 30-32 days, so I have an idea of when I ovulate. I have made some small improvements to my diet and exercise, and have been taking Centrum Pregnancy Care tablets since I stopped the pill.

I'm also thinking of trying a fertility lubricant but I don't recall seeing these discussed much on Mumsnet compared to other ways to supposedly improve your chances, so I don't know if they're genuinely helpful or not?

I'm glad to have found your thread - some days I'm excited and hopeful and other days I'm totally frustrated, but when I've looked at some of the other support threads in Conception and realised that some people have been trying for years to conceive, I feel ashamed for feeling so impatient after just a few months :(

Good luck to all of you!

Hi FringeEvent! Nice to see someone in a similar situation! We've been very laid back so far too, but AF is just about to leave so I've told DH we need to step it up and are going to go for every 2-3 days this month! I luckily have regular cycles too of about 28-30 days which helps a little to try and work things out. I've got some pregnacare on order but that's all I've done so far to try and help things along

It's making me worry a bit reading about ovulation kits etc! Maybe if we've had no luck by the end of the year we'll look into all of that, but like you I know that if I start I know I'll obsess. I've also thought I've not tried hard enough when AF has arrived the last couple of times so determined this month. It's hard though when - TMI - neither of us have a very high sex drive, which we accept is fine for us, but when ttc we actively need to dtd more and it feels a bit unromantic as we know why we're doing it!

You're right - some people have been trying a lot longer so we need to be patient. I'm sure our time will come. It is frustrating though, especially when some people don't seem to have any trouble at all conceiving!

Fox, I haven't tried the clearblue kits as thought they were a bit expensive, but I bought some OPK singles off of amazon that were reasonablly priced which I'm giving a go this month to see what happens! AF left Thursday, so started testing Friday just to be safe, nothing detected yet but will see if their worthwhile!!
I couldn't hack the BBT charting every morning!

misseskimo - how do the OPK's work? I mean, how do you actually use them, and how often?

Let us know how you get on misseskimo!

Hi FringeEvent, their alot like the early pregnancy test kits (stick and dip), my understanding from both reading the small print and advice from my friend who used them herself (she'd been TTC for over a year then fell within 2m of trying these!), is that they tell you when your LH levels are elevated and the theory being that you should ovulate within 12-24hrs of the surge showing up... my guidebook says to use them from day 10 of cycle until you get a reading, then obviously do the business, but my friend said she did hers from day 9 as her monthlys were irregular, and then tested twice, sometimes 3 times a day, but once in the morning and then again when she got home from work between 5-7pm, that way you don't miss your window if you only do it once it could be your 12hrs have already passed and you've already ovulated, so would be no point DTD. It's also recommended to combine this with cercix/mucus (TMI sorry!) and BBT to get the best chances, but my theory being that at least I might be able to pin-point a rough day in my cycle the big O happens!

It's very easy to do, collect a small urine sample pref same time each day, then dip the stick in upto the line for 10secs, lay it down and the results appear in about 30secs, one line (negative) or two (positive). I'm doing mine at 7:30am and 7pm atm to try and get in every 12hrs - so keep fingers crossed for me

hi fox and others too :)
I'm 33 and partner 36, we started TTC our first, I came off the mini-pill end of March 2013, so have had two periods since then, no luck yet. Am pretty sure am ovulating at the moment (mucus consistency, and also according to the mydays app) - so fingers crossed for this month... x

Hi princess and good luck!

Can someone tell me if you can get mid stream opk's or if they're only available where you dip them? I don't really want the hassle of dipping if I can help it. I've just had a look on amazon by searching "mid stream opk" and lots came up, but didn't appear to actually be mid stream tests as although they said they were in the title, the picture showed the test being dipped?!

Hi! nice to finally find this thread! me and husband been on laidback approach since getting married last may but are now ttc as well as both our jobs allow :( i have polycistic overies and arthiritus and im not very regular but have started taking boots own preconception tabs to try and help. im 25 and OH os 26. hope i can get some help from you all :)

Hi SkylerRose! We've been thinking laid back approach is best too but it's nice to see what everyone else is doing. Just broached trying ovulation predictor kits (opk's) next month with the husband and he didn't seem too keen! We're going for dtd every 2-3 days this month but we tend to give up! Fingers crossed for this month. I'm sure others will be able to give you better advice, but sounds like the opk's would be a good option for you as you're not so regular? Best of luck!

Hi & Welcome Princess & SkylerRose! Good luck to you both also :)
Fox, I tried looking for mid-flow OPK's too, and the only thing I came up with was the Clearblue monitor... If you find something though then let us know! I must admit it is a bit of a pain, I had a moment last night when doing one, got my sample, put it on the side of the bathtub (as you do) whilst I opened the sachet, and my kitten comes bounding into the room and jumps up onto the side of the tub before I could grab the pot... Needless to say I was scrubbing the bathtub for the next hour! But thankfully the kitten didn't get covered, or else that would have been an awkward one to explain to the husband!! Haha
Skyler, I too am quite irregular, that's why I've decided to use the OPK's cause I worry that's why I haven't had any luck as my calendar would be giving me the wrong window dates!
Good luck though!

Haha misseskimo that made me laugh with the kitten! Probably wasn't funny at the time while you we're scrubbing the bath though! Will let you know if I manage to find a mid-flow OPK.