Brooking now arguments for BFPs for everyone in 2014. Get smacking those rats or sniffing those dogs!

[NoCupcakesOrCocktails]

Come on Brookers I want BFPs for everyone this year and I am brooking no arguments

Geek I'm loving your experiments. Ever considered a career change?

Is everything ok Dino?

Beedle I had no idea that was law where you are. I only ever got positives on OPKs in the evening.

Geek, fab experiment! Can I just double check (because I'm stupid!) - the trigger is hCG, yes? So the idea is that after a few days it'll work its way out of your system? Do you know how long..? Or will you always get BFPs because they'll seamlessly flow into your obvious updiffedness? :)

Beedle sorry to hear about the lack of smiley faces. OV tests are downright odd. I had nothing but faint lines on afternoon tests, but suddenly got strong positives on morning ones - but not sure if the days in between meant I missed the actual surge, if you know what I mean.

I didn't realise you had shares in FRER Geek ;) I was waiting for a prescription yesterday and happened to be standing right in front of them... was rather tempted! (I didn't have any last time).

Hope you're ok despite all the mentalling Dino.

Have you had smiley faces before beedle? I'm just wondering if maybe they don't work for some people, a bit like CBFM sticks? Do the clinic insist on smiley face ones being used? Brooking for a nice strong positive next month for you.

maybe I'm keeping my options open

musical that's right, the trigger is HCG because it works on the follies in the same way as LH, but is cheaper or easier to synthesise or something along those lines. This means the HPTs will turn positive until it has all been metabolised, which can be up to 10 days after the injection according to the instructions. Last time, I had positives on FRER on 11, 12 and 13 (FMU) days post trigger, but negative with 2MU on 13 days post trigger so I don't know whether I was just picking up the trigger due to it leaving my body slowly, combined with using very sensitive tests, or whether it was an actual BFP. This time I'm testing the trigger out with FRER - expensive, but good for my peace of mind. Of course, it could be as you say, and I never get a negative if my own HCG kicks in as the final trigger units are leaving my system.

So how's everybody else doing?

I've never used smiley face ov sticks before geek (I'm cheap). The clinic recommend using them but I think I'll order another box of them from amazon and some more cheapy ones and go for am and pm testing next month. The clinic have told me to test in the morning as they would want me to ring in the afternoon with the result, and I'm not really sure I would want to test at work. No-one ever takes their handbag into the toilets here, so it would be a bit hard to manage :o

Hope the mentalling isn't too bad dino

I like your plan beedle, sounds almost like an experiment to me

The Great Trigger Testing-Out Experiment - Day 2

pic on my profile

Test Stick 1 - FRER
A line started to emerge at 2m 30s. By 10 minutes, it could be seen in most lights as a clear, though faint, line.

Test Stick 2 - Superdrug
The hint of line did not start to emerge until around the 6-7 minute mark. The dye moved across faster than yesterday, making it easier to see the potential for a line earlier, but it never really got darker. By 10 minutes, it was still faint and was only clearly a line under very bright light, with the potential to be missed when viewed in any other kind.

Test Stick 3 - CBFM ovulation test stick
Estradiol line (on the left) slightly darker than yesterday, indicating a slight drop in levels. Very faint LH line, indicating background levels of LH only. Unable to detect the hCG levels present, as yesterday.

geek x

beedle what if you have your period? do you shove tampax up your sleeve like we used to at school?!

Geek you're amazing. Please say your tabulating these results in a spreadsheet....

Keep!

Geek I understand now, thank you! Like today's results. I especially like timing the FRER - I think that will be particularly useful.

Keep I remember doing that at work, let alone school

Actually keep I have done that, but as we only wear casual clothes to work I mostly have pockets available. And luckily I prefer lillets type tampons (easier to hide in a pocket) not tampax as I don't think its very easy to find applicator-type tampons here. I had never noticed until an american friend asked me if I had ever seen them in the shops as she couldn't find them - she was quite horrified at the thought of not having a cardboard tube to help!'

Excellent work geek

maybe, do you seriously think that geek isn't using a spreadsheet?!

beedle, sounds like it is like being a teenager at school again, hiding the tampons. I remember when, in Primary 7, the girls were taken into a separate room to get a talk about periods and tampons and then we were told to hide the free samples from the boys!

I am now a GPEPP. Had to see her earlier than I would have liked as I need a referral for an 8 week scan etc, so things are getting going!

Congratulations Dino :) How exciting!

Go GeekEmby and Geek!

Dino, yay for being a GPEPP! Is the 8 week scan just for peace of mind, or can they tell if things are ok at that stage?

Cups, I'm so sorry to hear your news.

dino how exciting!! lovely to have an early scan, just to check? presuming no issues would show at that stage?

Dino, hope the scan goes ok. Is it very low odds of history repeating itself?

good luck with the scan dino

Brilliant news on the scan Dino, peace of mind is priceless isn't it?

Too!!

Geek where's our next instalment?!!

Also looking forward to our next Geek installment!

Sorry ladies, technical hitch. Am currently dismantling my phone. Normal service will be resumed shortly

The Great Trigger Testing-Out Experiment - Day 3

pic to follow on my profile

Test Stick 1 - FRER
A line started to emerge at 3m 30s. By 10 minutes it was still very faint, but clearly visible in bright/natural light.

Test Stick 2 - Superdrug
The hint of line did not start to emerge until around the 6-7 minute mark. Again, it never really got darker. By 10 minutes, it was incredibly faint and easy to miss. It is most visible in indirect but bright natural light. It shows up more clearly in the photograph than in real life.

Test Stick 3 - CBFM ovulation test stick
Estradiol line (on the left) about the same as yesterday, still showing high levels. LH line almost non-existent.

beedle I am just - and too - really?! I make a point of taking my handbag to the loo every single time so that I can mnet because I once heard two guys from our office talking about 'so and so must be on the rag, she just took her handbag with her' so I like to confuse them as much as possible now

congrats dino on being a GPEPP! Good luck with your 8 week scan.

Went out for our anniversary meal yesterday. It's official, 13 years Lots of quite strong womble cramps for the last two days, spent yesterday popping paracetamol like they were going out of fashion. That was only 4&5dpec though (ie 4&5dpo on a standard cycle) so must be a hangover from the transfer. Back to work on Monday, need to make the most of what's left of my last day off!

Wow @ 13 years Geek, congratulations! Pleased to see today's experiments too.

Lots of womble cramps and general odd stomach ness here too. Such fun..

Back to the GP today as I've developed food poisoning, after DD and then DH were vomiting. They both got better within a few hours, but I've been much worse and have spent the day in bed.

I was (and am) pretty terrified that this is Listeria and it is going to do something bad to the baby, but my GP has seen me (and almost admitted me to hospital but I managed to get enough fluid down in the two hours he gave me before I had to call him again), and he's discussed things with both Gynae and Microbiology and everyone's happy with just fluids at home. Keep Brooking please! The next 3-4 weeks can't pass quickly enough!

keep, the 8 week scan is to check my dates so that NT is done at the right time, although I am very grateful for it as I couldn't wait 2 months to see if there is a heartbeat. It won't show any problems in terms of DD1's issues though.

geek, congratulations on your anniversary. I hope next year's one is very, very different!

too, do you think any of your colleagues have noticed? "I'd be careful around Too today. Have you seen she's wearing pockets!"

Brooking lots Dino. I'm so sorry you're ill - hope you're miles better after a day in bed, and that it's not listeria. If you're still struggling though, maybe hospital wouldn't be the worst place to be..? Brooking that the next few weeks fly by.