Um hello, newbie, ttc, needing a place to talk to people :)

[Fruityb]

I've been reading the site for ages but decided to sign up as need an outlet and place to talk as ttc is quite secret and it's not something I have loads of people I could talk about it with. Plus I'm quite shy and my ovaries aren't something to bring up at social gatherings!
I'm 31, came off pill in October and me and boyfriend have been ttc since. I didn't know how long it would take to get back to normal as had been on pill for eleven years. Turns out it took four weeks, and am now on third AF since coming off, so annoyingly normal in one way! I'm getting my head round all this tracking stuff but don't want it all to get clinical with the fella as it takes the fun away!
So just wanted to say hi and hopefully share in people's stories. It's not all as straightforward as I always thought, and I'm always the one that would start panicking something was wrong with me. I'm pleased I found somewhere I can just write it down if nothing else.
So, hi, and hopefully can take some good advice away.

Hi misskgb! Ah yes....the acronyms! I think the fact that I now know what they all mean suggests I've spent rather too much time on here recently...
I don't think I'd go for a pre-pregnancy check; mainly beacuse if they did spot something tiny that might be a problem I know I'd obsess over it far more than probably necessary and I doubt being very stressed would help the ttc situation at all. I'd want to have a fair old go of trying before heading to the doctors.

Helen - pregnant women in the wallpaper? Haha! That's brilliant. I'm actively avoiding the children's section of John Lewis at the moment as the tiny, tiny clothes are like a siren's call. I'd probably just stand in front of miniature jumpers until I was told to leave.

We're all three much of the same. I'm 27 (nearly 28), no health problems, normal weight too.

Oh, and Helen - the test stockpile currently consists of a Clearblue digital, a normal Clearblue one, a First Response (I maintain that the double pack was on offer and made more financial sense! Ha), and a Superdrug pack as apparently these are good.

I thought buying them all at the same time would be a step too far....and yet buying all of them anyway, just on separate occasions, seemed absolutely logical and necessary...

I shouldn't be on this forum during work time- I LOL far too much (and this is supposed to be secret!!) Pregnant people in the wall paper is a new one on me!

I was really surprised how quick my AF returned- I thought it'd take much longer than 8 weeks! I'm still trying to figure the app out but it lets you plot your AF and then works out ov dates for you and also when due on. saves me counting in my normal calendar several times a month! It lets you keep track of flow; DTD; mood; symptoms; weight and body temp, but it looks more of a calendar than anything else. There's a forum on there too, but I'm not sure I'll stray! haha. Any other apps that are recommended??

It's even worse with the acronyms when you find yourself freely using them like it's perfectly normal!!

Haha yeah the wallpaper has like gold swirly line things on and I noticed the other day that one of them is shaped like a lovely bump. DH said 'he sort of saw what I meant, but wouldn't have noticed himself', probably should have made my excuses and put my head in the fridge after that!! Yeah, I can't wait for the day when it feels less naughty looking at kids clothes!! Haha Kiki that made me laugh about you being asked to leave. As long as you don't start smelling them you might be ok...!!

Kiki- that's so funny about the logical and necessary reason for buying numerous tests, I think it seems legimate...!! My friend bought one that said 'pregnant' or 'not pregnant' because she said she couldn't hack the stress of trying to see lines! I think I might do that too when I get my first proper bfp just so it feels more real!!

Misskgb- I'm also on this at work and really shouldn't be! It's hard to not to laugh outloud isn't it! Yeah I use a basic free tracker app called P Tracker (really original!) you can upgrade it to get the charts etc but I just want to be able to record symptoms and dates easily so went for something very basic! Might end up with something more detailed if I start properly tracking temp and all that but I hope it won't come to that. Yeah it's a dangerous game to get on too many threads or forums! I am sticking with this one only!!

I can't wait for us all to be able to start testing and getting bfps!!

Hi FruityB and everyone! Glad im not on my own in my insanity! Came off the pil a month ago and have been fraught with pregnancy symptoms since - unfortunately these are of course the same as pre af symptoms - so I'm driving myself nuts!

Helen - that's why I've bought the Clearblue digital one - no lines to be interpreted! I'm saving that one up to use last for that exact reason.

Hi htbftm. Welcome to the insanity!

Hello ladies, can I join in? Husband & I just had our 5 year wedding anniversary (been together 12 years), just finished renovating our house & have finally run out of excuses for putting off kids. I had my copper coil removed just before Christmas, AF arrived 29 December so on CD12. Am not charting or testing or anything (need to keep a few things up my sleeve to obsess about if it doesn't happen straight away!), just trying to go for it (so to speak...) every second day or so. Next AF due about 25 Jan ... Good luck everyone!

Morning everyone and welcome new people!

Htbftm- good luck with coming off the pill. I've found it to be an absolute ball ache so far, but I don't think it's like that for everyone so hopefully you'll settle down quickly!

Gennz- I admire you for not wanting to obsess too early! It'll definitely help you to keep your sanity!!

Kiki- I think that's what I'll do as well, it'll feel more real written in letters rather than lines!!

Anyone experienced minor spotting around when they think they're ovulating?! Had a little bit last night which is a day after getting a positive on an OPK. Would love it to be implantation bleeding, but obviously this is incredibly unlikely unless I ovulated much earlier but I don't think I did! Don't really quite understand the OPKs, do you get a positive for a while or just for the one day you're ovulating or do you ovulate afterwards or does it differ for different women?! So many questions!! Definitely think I'll ditch them if I start back on a regular cycle before conceiving, they're so complicated!

On an aside does anyone know how long after you ovulate you might get implantation bleeding?!

Hi guys, I too am very new to this but can't seem to keep my excitement to myself! I haven't been taking the pill etc but my husband has been using condoms until now so I'm hoping it won't take too long! Its nice to find a bunch of girls the same as me! Looking forward to sharing some stories and getting to know you all!

Hi mrsb87!! like your name, I'm also Mrs B born in 87!!!

Morning everyone, and welcome, Gennz.

I considered starting with opks, but wasn't entirely sure is be able to cope with them so early on in the process. Some information seems to suggest that you should be trying in te few days leading up to your positive opk (which is assume you need psychic talents for if this is your first month using opks or don't have a regular cycle!) and a couple of days afterwards just in case. I think spotting can happen just before ovulation, or during. Why must all of these things be so complicated??

Implantation supposedly occurs around 6-10dpo (though can be up to 12...helpful), so I imagine spotting at any point during that period could be implantation, but then, of course, you'd have to wait at least a couple of days to test.

Hi mrsb87! You popped in while I was in the midst writing another message. Very pleased to see another one of us arriving in the thread!

Kiki- I don't know, it's all such a faff isn't it! I definitely think I'll be sacking them off if I start with a regular cycle. They do over complicate things and then you start googling it and that gives you a million different theories so that doesn't really help!

Yeah I'd read something about the ovulation spotting online. I'm guessing the most sensible explanation might be the change in your hormones after you've ovulated?! I'm hoping it's not AF showing up ridiculously early, because if so I would have absolutely no idea what's going on then! I think you're right, you need to be psychic for all this business!

Yeah sounds about right for the implantation bleeding. But if it's near when AF is due it would be so confusing wouldn't it. Ah well, hopefully none of us have too long to worry about all this annoying stuff!!

How are your 'unusal symptoms' getting on at the minute?!

**unusual

Helen - I think I'm going to be at a loss with it all for quite some time! Although I'd rather everything goes well really quickly then I don't have to worry about any of this bit for while! Argh!

I'm getting to the paranoid state re: symptoms now (yes, it appears I wasn't quite at full on freak out stage before...). The weird being really hot thing lasted 3 nights in total, but seems to have gone away. Very glad, because it was horrible! I've now had indigestion (grim) for a week, for the first time in my life, and my gums aren't happy either despite usual level of brushing, flossing, mouthwash etc.

This morning I had a moment of 'why don't I have stomach cramps?' as I usually have them around this time
Pre-AF. Saying that, I did have them earlier in the week, so no idea what's going on there.

I also really want to eat cheese, but I doubt that's related and I'm probably just using all of this as an excuse to have a very large pizza later!

Kiki- oh god yeah definitely, can you imagine having to feel like this every month for a year or something?! It would be awful!!

Yeah the hot thing sounds really unpleasant. So have you never had that before either?! Indigestion is a typical pregnancy symptom isn't it but what's the crack with the gums?! Don't think I've heard this one before?! My wisdom teeth are coming through though so don't think I could obsessively check that one as my gums bleed all the time!!

Hmmm it would make sense for pregnancy if you had cramps around implantation wouldn't it. Argh it's so hard to not make everything fit pregnancy isn't it!!

I literally can't stop eating this morning, I've eaten so so much but I also am probably just been a greedy cow and looking for an excuse rather than it being anything interesting! I definitely think you should feed the craves and have a pizza though....!!

Helen - nope, the hot thing was completely new. I'm always cold, and have rarely had temperatures (fingers crossed for that to continue!) that transform me ino the furnace I became earlier in the week.

I've been mega hungry too. I managed to happily demolish a whole Toblerone yesterday (a big one, not those little snack sized excuses for Toblerone). Now, I really like Toblerone but I've never gone through one in one sitting. DH was somewhat impressed whereas I was bordering on appalled!

I've decided not to google the gum thing as inevitably it will be 'a sign of pregnancy', just like everything else.

On a slightly related note, I'm so glad I'm not the only one getting wisdom teeth this late! I have one and a half now (well done me at almost-28!). My sister has been making 'I'm wiser than you' statements for the past year or so, and she's two years younger than me!

Kiki- hmm that's strange then and were you otherwise feeling well?!

Haha that's pretty impressive! I like those am I disgusted or impressed personal debates!! I haven't had a toblerone in ages and after reading that I am now fancying one!!

Yeah you can account absolutely everything to being pregnant can't you. Sometimes I google things and then as I start typing google puts "in pregnancy" on the end and I starting thinking ooooh maybe, which is ridiculous when you've googled like itchy foot or something!

Haha yeah I have, I'd say 3 halves of mine and one little corner! Randomly I'm 2 years younger than my sister and she doesn't have any, so maybe I should start the "I'm so much wiser" comments too!!

When do you go skiing?

Helen - ah yes, the joy of google adding 'in pregnancy' to searches. Through reading threads on here, and a few other places I've gathered that everything from sore knees to itchy hands can be a sign of pregnancy.

I did feel generally otherwise; really tired (still am), but I'm still inclined to put that down to a very busy Christmas/New Year period.

We're flying out to Geneva on Thursday, so another week to go - I should probably find time to pack in between all the overthinking and forum reading!

Maybe you should start saying that to your sister. I think it actually coaxes them out eventually!

Right, you have a Toblerone, I'll have a pizza, and we'll call it necessary for getting through the wait!

Kiki- Haha yeah definitely!

Yeah suppose that's the rational explanation isn't it, well done!! Probably good for your sanity to always look for the rational explanation for everything!

Haha writing on this is definitely taking up a lot of my time. I am enjoying it though! I can't wait until testing time, although AF time is going to be depressing if it goes that way! I just keep thinking I'll be over the moon with a bfp but even if AF comes I need to be pleased in a way after the 8 week wait last time!

Yeah, at least packing and having something to do with your time should be a good distraction!!

Mmmm the feasting sounds good. My manager just brought me back a white chocolate and strawberry cookie, it was so nice but so sickly, so I might have to delay the Toblerone until later!!

Yeah I would be happy with one day of horrible pain and them to all grow properly and then no more. It's annoying getting bits of pain frequently isn't it!

you lot need to stop it- LOL ing again at work! Good effort on the toblerone Kiki!! I starting being hungry all the time even before TTC so no excuses for me there. I can't even tell DH that eating more is ok (whatever the excuse) because I've not told him about my affair with you lovely ladies!

Well I'm only on cycle 3, but there were 24 days in between AF 1 and 2 and tomorrow is day 24, although this blumming app I got says AF should be coming today. No cramps yet no nothing and usually get them for a good 2 days before. So.....how long to wait before I class it as late? Probably being stupid given this is only AF #3 but still, does it mean pg? haha- torture!!

Ah thanks guys for the warm welcome!

All this is a little mind blowing right now! The eating thing seems to be spreading as I'm currently in our little office scoffing a bag of randoms...going down quite nicely!

Misskgb- If you knew that your cycles were definitely regular then really you could start testing from tomorrow onwards if you have senstive tests I think. But even if it's a bfn it might change after a few days because your cycles might not be that settled down yet with you just coming off the pill?! You could get prenant on the first cycle, so def don't feel stupid wondering on your third!! I also haven't shared my dirty secret with DH, he already thinks I'm obsessed enough as it is!!

mrsb87- I am very jealous of the randoms, they are soooo nice!!

Hi, so pleased to be able to say hello to people in the same boat. Also finished the pill in October and thankfully started normal periods straight away. Just really started TTC. I'm taking it as it comes but my hubby yesterday was downloading apps to work out when I will be ovulating :) Need to get my head around the abbreviations... have spent lots of time browsing Mumsnet but still haven't picked them up!

Hi all
I'm TTC # 1 and quite overwhelmed with all the information. It's funny as I never thought much about babies and only really came off the pill last month as am 32 and DH is DESPERATE for a baby. But since then have been doing so much reading (obsessively) and now feel much more onboard and eager. Weird - it's like now it's real in that we've taken the first steps i've become more broody. I do love kids and babies tho having about a hundred nephews and nieces, just always quite into career and worried how a baby would impact that.
Had first proper AF yesterday which means a 28/29 day cycle.
Like some of you mention I was also a bit naive about what it takes to have a baby-so many years since I sat GCSE biology that I'd forgotten all
about the narrow window of ovulation!
Will be watching with interest