TTC#1 Thread 5. The one where we actually got to January 2016! NOW you can start! TMI alert throughout.

[StarkyTheDirewolf]

Welcome, welcome! And may the pink lines be ever in your favour!

Post your stats, don't be shy, no symptom too gross to share! We are a Lucky thread with lots of bfp's and baby dust and PMA!

All okp'er and ic enthusiasts welcome!

snow I think it's possible to ovulate without a + opk, I'd definitely trust BBT over opk. So looks like you've dtd at the right times.

leonie I know the feeling, DH and I hardly dtd before ttc, so it's a big shock!
Are you using lube? We found that it didn't help, DH said he couldn't feel anything

No, no lube. I thought about it but it's definitely not needed. I think it being too slippery is part of the problem! There's just no friction. We were used to using condoms until we TTC. I was on the pill until August but extremely keen to avoid pregnancy (largely because it wasn't the right time for a baby and I knew that I wouldn't have been able to abort our child if I did fall pregnant) so we used condoms too. FW is now over so had sex for fun last night but DH unable to ejaculate and worrying something is wrong with him. He's putting too much pressure on himself and I think it's my fault. I cried a bit when AF arrived last month (we were travelling and I was so so tired - more emotional than usual) and I think that's freaked him out too!

If my dh has a little trouble from tiredness or whatever with keeping it up during sex, then what works for us is I concentrate on him until things are closer to him ejaculating and then we go back to intercourse so he can deposit the goods. I use preseed after oral to make sure everything is swimmer friendly before he goes back in. Sorry for the tmi.

That's helpful, snow. Thank you for sharing!

Getting pregnant is harder than I thought it'd be!

Congrats Little!! Fabulous news! How are you feeling?

Leonie it is tough work...they feel as pressured as us! I'm trying to keep dtd as little as possible outside the fertile window to keep it interesting rather than something we get sick of!.. Although I know it's still important to keep clearing out his tadpoles regularly to keep them fresh and good quality! Then every second day during the FW. Can you do anything to ensure he gets plenty sleep and eats well coming up to fertile week so he's not too tired? A mini break scheduled around FW is also a good idea!... And maybe try talking with him to normalise the worries we all have...and that there's only a 20% chance every month, and it takes up to a year for the average couple. That kind of thing?

Thanks, ni! Great minds think alike! I've said that the chances are small even if we do everything right so not to stress too much about it! I also suggested another holiday to help him relax. He's just started a new job (slightly different role in the same company) and apparently it's been more stressful dealing with the change than I realised! A little getaway might really help.

leonie my OH is exactly the same. Suddenly the crucial bit of BD is difficult and I know it's because of the pressure. He got quite annoyed about it because I have, unwittingly, put a lot of pressure on him by crying over AF, telling him when my fertile days are etc. It's kind of made sex momentous in a way it wasn't, and that has changed it. And I had promised to be totally laid back and just have normal regular sex without any calculations. I couldn't help myself though - I know all of you will understand that!

But I totally get you and my OH is just the same and it's easy to take it personally. I'm going to try to be more considerate and not inform him of fertile days etc. I figure if it takes an extra few months to get pregnant but we keep a happy and lovely sex life, that's far better than making him feel like a sperm donor and stressing him out.

Thanks ni it feels a little surreal at the moment. I've been having cramps all day but still creamy cm, no spotting or anything. Just very thirsty and need to pee a lot too. Fx for all those waiting to test soon

little are the cramps like AF sort of cramps??

re DTD - i think my DH hasn't had a problem with the increased frequency, and in fact is quite enjoying it... I'm the one finding it harder. I think the pill has definitely reduced my libido, as whilst on it i found friction a big problem, that has actually improved a bit since off the pill (still get comments from DH like "oh so you dont like me any more then huh" which REALLY doesn't help the situation!! But now we're trying, I'm definitely more amenable during fertile week, either my libido increases, or i just want to do it to get pregnant, this week (pre AF) I honestly have very little desire for it.

Congratulations little!

kat yes they are similar. Mine are using really painful but this time just more uncomfortable and sometimes it can feel like a stretching feeling. Apparently it's quite normal to get them even throughout the pregnancy.

Congratulations little

My DH had the same issue last month leonie we only managed to DTD once during the fertile week. He said he felt manipulated into sex and like I only wanted sex because it was FW I think it hurt his feelings. However sex drive definitely higher since coming off the pill so it was only part of the reason! We had a fight and then a chat and he is much happier about the whole thing now. I suppose it would be easy to feel "used" on their situation even though it's for a positive cause

Am asking as I can hopefully convince myself that I might still be pregnant and not having an impending AF, which will just depress me all week!!

Cramping similar to AF is really common in early pregnancy Kat due to absolutely everything down there swelling.

Little well done!!!! Huge congratulations!!!!

I have pre-AF symptoms... very sad.. This 2WW is a nightmare!

Lauren I had a an ovarian cyst removed when I was 19 (which was prob b4 you were born I am that old!) and it was too late for them to do anything but remove the cyst and the ovary - the cyst was the size of a gratefruit. I was assured that my fertility should not suffer but here I am struggling to conceive... I wish I had not waited as long.

Little - well done! Congratulations, such wonderful news!

Leonie - thank you for sharing that, I imagine it wasn't easy. I feel the same pressure with my DH. I have a higher sex drive than him generally and before TTC we dtd quite erratically, and I know he has some self-esteem issues and sometimes isn't in the mood.

For him, I find the best way is to show my affection and attraction as much as possible. He knows about the fertile window and how things work. He often asks when it is and what's happening. I'm truthful, but I try to deflect where possible and not dwell on it. Instead I try to initiate sex by jumping him - showing that I just want him, no matter of TTC. He's very much someone who gets too much in his head, so it's not easy.

Interesting hearing about other people's experiences as well.

Congrats Little that is such fab news!!

On the subject of hubbies mine to gets stressed about the whole dtd he sometimes isnt in mood and then i put the guilt on if it's the time we should be dtd! That generally doesn't help and he just gets annoyed, he wants me to be more relaxed about whole thing but think that's fine for men to say we think totally different! Took a year to get pregnant with my dd so I know it can be a long slog! So to speak....lol

I'll be honest, that's one problem we have yet to encounter although I'm sure we will Dh is generally ready to go at the drop of a hat. He is just getting to grips with the idea of my cycle being an eternal purgatory, I've told him I'm coming on in the next couple of days and he's still half confused as to why I'm not pregnant yet if we've had unprotected sex. He was convinced first time and I'd be up the duff, I've been telling him for 6 months prior to starying ttc that we will probably struggle given my cycle and hormones.

Hi kwick,
**
Sorry to hear that, to be honest one of the reasons I'm starting reasonably young (25) (along with that we are ready, stable, own a house and are so excited, of course) is because I've always been worried it will take me a long time/might not happen at all because of the op. They say not but it doesn't stop me worrying.

Your op sounds horrible, much worse than mine, I was lucky it was infected in a weird way as it meant my symptoms were severe and they found it when it was early enough to take just the cyst.

Sorry to hear you're now struggling, but it's never out of the question, Mother Nature just sucks sometimes making us all wait!! good luck with trying, I'm sure all will work out in the end

I can feel af loitering lazily at the neck of my uterus. Its taunting me like a little bitch! It's going to wait till Tuesday afternoon, I can feels it in my waters! Showing off being all "I'm here but I'm going to let you get your hopes up before I unleash Satan's waterfall of doom!" Stupid uterus.

Hope it's ok to join this thread...

Holly 31 ttc#3 c1 cd13

Waiting for +opk but still Dtd every other day. My cycle can be anything from 29 to 40 days so am peeing on sticks daily as don't want to miss the surge!!!

I keep seeing a lot of people mentioning ovia, is this as good as fertility friend or better? X

I've been quite lucky as DH seems up for DTD whenever I ask. I caught him talking to a friend the other day saying 'trying for a baby definitely has it's perks!' so I think he's rather happy he's getting some regularly! He also stopped the other day mid thrust and said 'we forgot the baby making lube, quick!'

Now that I'm dropping out of the FW, I think he was glad for a night off last night though, bless him!

Now officially in the waiting game. Due to test in the last week of the month. Really, really want to wait until AF is due. Never going to happen!

Hey Holly :) I use Ovia, simply because it's prettier than FF. Although Ovia is very excitable and gets my hopes up a lot :/

Good luck at the docs today choc

Yes, good luck today choc

starky I always start in the evening. It's a bitch!