Newbies: anyone else just starting TTC#1 ?

[Joey0805]

Well that's it. After 13 years of being on the pill I am now not. For various reasons I didn't come off a few months ago to allow my cycle to get back to "normal" (who knows what that is when I was on the pill twice as long as I had periods naturally) so I have no idea how long it'll take me to ovulate. Anyone else in the same boat? Having spent my whole adult life assuming I'd get pregnant just by looking at a boy without BC I am now realising it might actually take months or even years to conceive. Plus I'm not talking about this with friends; they either got pregnant vv quickly or are no where near that stage. So, would be great to hear from a few of you in the same boat...

Hello! So AF actually hasn't shown up yet, it's getting pretty annoying that we can't just get trying now the time is right! I even did a test (BFN, of course, because we've been using contraception!)

Good luck to you all figuring out your pill periods/real periods!

Went to see my doctor today, I'd read somewhere it was a good idea! She's got me to have some blood tests to check all my hormones are doing the right thing. There's no evidence that they aren't doing the 'normal' thing but I wasn't going to argue with her. At least it will solve the panic of wondering if so many years on bc have done any damage. Anyone else mentioned it to their docs?

Yikes I wasn't going to take my temp or use ovulation sticks! Was just going to come off pill & see what happens... Do I need to be more scientific?!

Count me in! Mirena out post wedding and currently in the very I dignified 'pillow under bum' pose willing the little swimmers to go forth and fertilise...

You don't need to but it can help. There's only a tiny window each month you can conceive. The tests from boots are quite pricey, but if you look on amazon you can get really cheap ones.
I'm a scientist and I just can't help it! I'm restraining myself from using a spreadsheet....

Yes, I went for a work up. Seemed like a sensible thing to do.

Ems - I'm planning to just see what happens for a few months (keeping an eye on CM and a record of my cycles to time DTD in the right ball park). Then if after Christmas we've not been lucky I'll get some OPKs. I fear it could quickly get expensive if I go down that route straight away. I also think I'd be pretty bad at doing my temps, so there doesn't seem much point! This is the current 'just be relaxed about it' plan... we'll see how long it lasts!

I thought OPKs only tell you once you have ovulated, so unless you DTD a day or so before then you've missed your opportunity. Is this not the case?

I'm not sure I fancy OPKing. I could be tempted to temp though. If I don't get results!

BBT only tells you that you have ovulated when you get a rise in temperature. If you chart for a few cycles and are regular you can then use it to estimate when ovulation should happen. With CM it gets stretchy just before you ovulate, so you can use it to predict quite reliably. OPKs also predict ovulation as they detect lutenising hormone, which reaches its peak the day before you ovulate. OPKs are the most reliable method.

Also the chances of getting pregnant are around 30 per cent if you DTD on either the day before or the day of ovulation. Afterwards it's too late and more than 5 days before is too early.

I've just been reading Expecting Better - it's fascinating stuff!

Hi baffers OPKs give you a run up warning...the level of the hormone they measure peaks before the egg is released. (I'm a phd human genetics and biochem scientist.)

Haven't read that, pudding, is it good? Would you recommend? This is my first time trying to conceive. I've got the science and theory down stat but a little real world advice would be nice too ! :)

Pudding, go on amazon and look at the cheap test strips. They cost pennies and are fine- we use them in our clinical trials. Just put ovulation kit into amazon, you'll see them. I spent about forty quid ( the cost of one single month of clear blue where I live) and got 120 OPKs and 90 HCG tests

Sorry to change subject but is anyone else feeling really run down, i have a few spots and i never get spots I've also got mouth ulcers and generally feel very tired. Reckon its the hormones? X

Could be emily, could be stress, hormones,etc. spots indicate hormones, mouth ulcers that you're a bit run down. I've had some funny symptoms since I had my mirena removed, even though I got on very well with it. Any other issues? I think when you're ttc or pregnant you need to be a bit less stoic and see you doc if you think something is truly wrong. Otherwise, not much you can do for a cold other than take it a bit easier and top up on vit C and zinc. Doesn't help much but it shortened cold by a day or two.

And yes...I felt rotten for about two weeks after I had my mirena out. Just grumpy, cramps, and generally down in the dumps. I'll be I trudged as to when I ovulate after...is anyone in a similar situation? Did you have removal bleeding? Did your periods stop when you had the mirena? How long did it take your cycles to normalise? Were they different post mirena?

I have had a withdrawal bleed and i think im ovulating, my boobs hurt, im grumpy, im nauseous and all the things i said above, i know they are similar to preg symptoms but i can't be preg yet!!

I was taking the Yasmin pill before and i only ever felt like this if i was on my period x

Sorry for another post but just now Im having full achy cramps in my lower back and tummy. I only had a period two weeks ago. Im starting to get a bit concerned. But i think that's only cause im thinking too much into it. Unless i have inplantation cramps? Wahhhhh!

Both of you could be. It's so variable. You can get knocked up literally the moment you stop the IUD or any pill. Or you can wait months. Or it could be your hormones just trying to sort themselves out. You may be, you may not be. Good luck to you both! My boobs have been really sore since I had my iud out...it's horrible!

Don't be too concerned emily. It could be a short cycle, withdrawal bleeding etc. if you do start to bleed and it is much heavier then normal, see your doc. My hormones have been climbing the walls since I had my mirena out, so much for a tiny localised normal effect! As always, if your gut says 'this isn't OK' go see your GP. They are so used to first time mums and their concerns, and they'd rather see you unnecessarily and put your mind at rest than deal with ignored complications.

So.. I'm a bit confused.. I weed on the little ovulation stick that you buy on the Internet and on Saturday and Sunday I had two very dark lines and the egg white stuff (I've forgotten the acronyms). Did that mean I ovulate on the days when I had the lines or do the tests show that you are about to ovulate? Which day was I supposed to have sex¿¿in reading a book that says it should be before you ovulate.

Hullo mrssb82. The ovulation sticks tell you when hormone that matures and makes your egg release is getting to it's peak. When the line goes darker than the control line, it means your LH (lutenising hormone) levels are peaking. Then just after that, you release the egg. What this means is that when you see those two lines (with the test line almost as, or dark as the control line) get busy! It means your body is about to ovulate. So when you see that sign, do it. The sperm can live a few days in your body but the egg only a day or so. So... When you see those lines, have sex once a day, pillow under the bum, etc. good luck to you!

Emily spots and feeling run down? Sounds like your hormones are working! I tend to get spots in the run up to my period, but everyone's different and will have their own symptoms. I've just recently realised that I often have ovulation pains, nothing serious or debilitating, but I definitely feel something around that time in my cycle. Our bodies are weird and wonderful things!

Skipton As a scientist you probably would enjoy it, although it is very much written in layman's terms. Just over a year ago I had a bit of career about-face and at times wondered if I should have gone into genetics instead of what I did. I did biology at A level and really enjoyed that part of it along with microbes and disease. (Actually there was nothing wrong with my degree -languages- it's just what I did afterwards!)

Oh yes, and when I thought AF was on her way, she wasn't. She finally showed up today, so it's CD1 of cycle 1, which is very exciting!

Thanks pudding, I will check it out! So how long did it take your period to turn up ? ( sorry if TMI..) I'm still unsure if the bleed I had a few days post removal was a true period or just removal bleeding. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

ThenewMrs my OPK sticks get 2 lines on day 17. I got them mega cheap from eBay!

We DTD day 12, 14, 16 and 18....fingers crossed. Had the day 21 blood test today that the doc recommended.

Great having another scientist on here skipton :)

Hope all your hormones are getting in check! xxx