Thread 21 TTC #1 - The one where all our cycles went haywire but we DID NOT GIVE UP

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Calling all clomid-ers, OPK-ers, temp-ers and anyone else on the TTC Bus.

We are long past cervix prodding (in fact we know where it is at any given time just by closing our eyes) and we have ditched the Gregorian calendar in favour of the TTC Cycle Day calendar. We don't do baby dust, or baby-dancing, we just keep legs spread and fingers crossed (LSFX) We love a baby bomb from a prior bus-mate, but if we get told to 'just relax and enjoy it' ONE MORE TIME you will get a punch in the face. You get kwick-cake if you behave, and talked down from the ledge when you need it.

Hop on board, post your stats and prepare to be dazzled by the wealth of TTC knowledge we long-timeys have to share....

Morning ladies. I'm turning into a paranoid person who does a pregnancy test every morning to check the lines are still there... does this happen to everyone?

Lines on two different cheapies were stronger this morning though, the squinter on my IC is a proper squinter now and not just a shadow of a line haha.

We've decided to keep it to ourselves until Christmas Day and then will tell our parents. My auntie and uncle will also find out on Boxing Day because they'll ask why I'm not drinking!

Yeah it happens to everyone MrsG. I had a mega faint line on an internet cheapie yesterday, to the point where it was worrying me a bit. This morning though? Temp's lovely and high and even the internet cheapie is giving me a nice strong line. :) Doesn't stop you freaking over every little twinge though. I also appear to be ultra gassy - woke DH up in the middle of the night with the most almighty great fart. It's proving uncomfortable to hold in in the office!!

to you Kwick - I hope you're not out. You've helped so many of us here ... my feet have been ultra warm and cosy this last month thanks to new slippers I got with your advice in mind! I eschewed the pineapple though in favour of my morning apple and banana though I am rather partial to plenty of full fat milk. Jam is right though, stop with the microwave lifting!

Alexia, just wanted to send you hugs. Thanks for the congrats - it means a lot. I hope so much it will happen for you too.

Sorry kwick really hope it's too soon. We are all willing you on

Ooh we've got Christmas emojis

Aw london your cat is gorgeous! I've got a big tabby monster who does the same!

Can I ask, are any of you taking B6? I have quite a short luteal phase (I think due to my thyroid issue) of 11 days (12-14 normal) and apparently b6 helps lengthen it. Silly question but does that mean your cycle overall will be longer?? I started taking 10mg a day this month which I don't think is a huge amount. But AF was due yesterday and no sign, and I appear to have EWCM today?! alexia and kwick I feel like you might know about this stuff!

Harriet you've hit on my specialist subject for this cycle! I have a LP of 8 days currently and am trying Vit B complex for the first time this cycle. On gee's recommendation I have only taken it since I ovulated but I will probably take it for the full cycle next time.

I have read a lot of threads. As well as lengthening LP (for some people) it does also seem to change the day that you O as well. For some people it brings it forward, others back and some seem to stay the same so really anything is possible!

The things I have learnt are that you should take a B complex as opposed to just B6 as the B vits need each other to be most effective. Also 10mg is a tiny amount. Most people start on 50mg of the B complex and up it to 100mg if they see no change after a couple of cycles. Although you shouldn't take more than this because it can cause nerve damage in high doses!

If AF was due and hasn't come doesn't that just mean that your LP has lengthened? Do you know when you O'd?

Also, to provide some comfort, a 10 day LP and anything above aren't considered short so 11 is totally fine. Also, there isn't actually any scientific evidence that having a short LP makes it harder to get pregnant (apparently) which is why GPs won't investigate it if you ask them about it. Although, having an 8 day LP myself I find this hard to accept as it seems so far from normal...

Hope that helps! It's nice to be able to share the results of my excessive googling.

kwik - so sorry that you haven't had a BFP yet. You really deserve one and if you need to have a third round I feel sure that it will be third time lucky for you.

Alexia hope you are feeling a bit less down today. It's only right to give yourself time to grieve and then back on track with PMA. I love hep's sentiment - every day we are one day closer to our BFPs!

kwick I'm so sorry lovely How many dpo are you now? I'm hopeful for your next round of IVF though, and I'm also very jealous of your beauty calendar

Thank you Star, Jam and Wanting. Really appreciate your kind words xx

Jam Glad you made it home. Loving the Xmas emojis

Hep good luck with the house, hope you get it sorted before your guests arrive. We've been renovating on and off since we moved and it's a nightmare!

Mrs all very normal! Hope everything keeps going smoothly

Thank you so much Kav, that's very kind. Best of luck to you lovely xx

Harriet- Music has given you some great advice already I take B6 complex every day and my LP is around 10 days. I think 11 days is actually okay considering implantation happens between 6-12dpo but adding B6 complex won't hurt. 50mg as Music suggested would be better. You will only know if it's lengthened your LP/cycle if you know exactly when you O'd. If you always O on cd14 for example, and your LP lengthens to 12 days, you would expect to see AF on cd26 not cd25 if that makes sense?

Music Yes I'm feeling a bit better today Getting in the Xmas spirit! DH said his knee is feeling better this morning so hopefully BD is happening tonight, and hoping to see my opks progress today too. How are you handling the tww?

music, alexia wow thanks for the advice! My LP is 10-11 days usually so feel like it'd be good to get to the 11-12 mark if I can. I'll look into the vit B complex. Atm I have the boots b6 and they come in 10mcg tablets and says not to take more than that - should I just ignore and take 5 at a time? If 10 is a small amount I guess it would be weird for it to change my cycle after only a month but AF is now 2 days late so looks like it has! There is so much conflicting info about this online I'm not sure what the best thing to do is.

Wow congrats mrsG and wanting!

Very jealous of it only being cycle2 for both of you!

harriet echo what the others have said - 11 day LP is perfectly fine. I started taking a B50 complex which has 50mg B6 in it and I started taking 1-2 a day back on cycle 4 as I was sometimes getting an LP that dipped under 10 days. The first cycle I then had a whopping 36 day cycle (normally 27-28) but never had that much of a difference since. Up until my current cycle I had been taking one a day every day, and LP varied between 9 and 13 days. This cycle I keep forgetting to take it, and have probably averaged 1 50mg tablet every 4 days or so, and I'm currently on CD28 so either AF arrives tonight as expected and it's not adversely shortened by LP again, or it arrives in a few days therefore becoming one of my longer cycles.

I also get EWCM at various points in month other than FW so wouldn't worry about that either :)

jam - I should technically be testing this weekend on 4th but I don't think I will be getting that far! Expecting AF tonight if indeed she's not already snuck up on me!

Ah sending hugs to everyone. I think we need some long termer to get their BFPs soon. I'm really keeping my fingers crossed yours turns positive kwick!!

I bought new fluffy super warm slippers yesterday from MUJI. Absolutely love their slippers.

DH is ready to jump me when AF buggers off which is lovely and surprisingly I only had 1 coffee yesterday. Haha.

Also interestingly if I ovulated at the last positive OPK I had an 8 day or lower LP. Bugger.

Warm feet is a must ladies! I also drank a glass of disgusting pure grapefruit juice each morning from cd 6 until 2 days after I ovulate as apparently it helps with cm. I'd never noticed cm before I did this but once I'd started drinking it just appeared when I wiped (sorry tmi) so I really do think it worked for me. Then I ate a fifth to a quarter of pineapple every day from ovulation until about 10 days afterwards, which apparently helps with implantation. Again, I don't know if there's anything in it but they are the two main changes I made this month.

How long have you been trying wanting?

Kwick - I'm really sorry to hear that you got a BFN. You are always so chipper and positive, a true inspiration to everyone on here and I really hoped that this was going to be your month. Don't ever give up Kwick, we're always here to support you and if it takes another round of IVF, so be it!

Hep - Good luck for your 2ww, I know your environment has been in turmoil these past few weeks but maybe its been a good distraction and you'll get a surprise BFP this month. Don't envy the cleaning though...

Harriet - I see others have responded regarding the B6 and I'm no expert but taking fish oil supplements reduced my pre-menstrual spotting last cycle, so it may be worth doing some research into the omegas too?

Wanting - thanks for the tips. I will try anything right about now!

2 cycles gee , so may be absolute old wives tales but I didn't do any of this on my first cycle and dtd much more. Second cycle was once the day the ovulation stick went dark and then again 4 days later. I really do think the grapefruit helped the cm.

Winging where did you buy your B6 from? I actually don't know now if mine is 50mg. It's only B6 complex from Aldi lol.

Harriet I wouldn't advise taking extra tablets but maybe see where Wing gets hers from or check your local supermarket? It's good news your cycle is longer though, any chance you could be pregnant? (pull out method?)

Good tips wanting, anything is worth a shot except grapefruit lol but luckily my CM is fine, and I use preseed or conceive+. I reckon you're just super fertile and that's amazing

Yay I have EWCM and an almost positive OPK (it's actually about as dark as it gets for me usually, though). Looks like Femara, despite the pain, is doing its job Only issue is we haven't had sex since cd9 so I'm off to get pretty and hope DH's knee behaves!

Boom Alexia!!!!! Get bonking!!

I'm a naughty girl and I should go stand in the corner. I've not been taking my prenatal vitamins the past week.

Do any of you forget? I think with AF making an early appearance I freaked and forgot.

Mouse - I wouldn't worry too much, maybe set an alarm in the evening so you can at least get your daily intake of follic acid?

I'm so nervous about tomorrow. We're going to the doctors for the results of all our tests, bloods, SA, swab and ultrasound (though ultrasound was apparently okay). Half of me doesn't want to know...ignorance is bliss after all.

Thanks so much all for tips and advice!

alexia don't think I could be pregnant unless ovulated at a totally different time than usual - we've been avoiding DTD in FW (according to ovia so maybe no wholly reliable but does always match up with my CM...). Also I have no symptoms of any kind, even my usual AF ones, so think it's def just a random longer cycle. Will see and keep you posted obviously!

winging yes, where do you get your B vits?

alexia get shagging! Ha

Hi all, keeping a bit of a low profile as AF still a no show (3days late) and BFN again this morning. Feeling quite blue with it all Realistically know if I was preggers at least a little smudge should be showing by now. Weird nausea, heartburn and sleep must just be linked with the longer last couple of cycles. Do you think I should see GP about that? Since coming off the pill in Feb id been consistently 30-32 days, but last cycle was 38 and this one is currently 35.

Just wanted to say good luck for those testing/ awaiting AF in the next few days and ..

Fingers crossed for tomorrow skipper-will be thinking of you, let us know how it goes

Kwick I really really hope you're not out. I'm rooting for you. When do you see the team next?

Hep I hope the house keeps you distracted in your 2WW and then excellent news comes your way. Hope everything is settling down for you

And alexia- can't imagine how hard it must be. Keep taking everyday as it comes I hope you manage to get some DTD in but most importantly have some loving time with your husband and take care of yourself lovely

hep you made me cry - such lovely words - fanks.
The chemical in pineapples can be bought in tablet form
Please don't over exert yourself cleaning - 2ww and all!

geeup

mrs I was still testing every week up to week 8. But be warned HCG does not last forever!!!

kavan or shoud I call you fartalot???

harriet I was taking a vit B complex just as if you are taking one B vit (I think folic is a derivative) it can put the others out of whack but have had to stop as it seems a side effect can be itchiness - which I have been suffering from in spades. Do not know about LP - sorry!

I do not have the Christmas emojis

Today is day 15 from IUI - OTD is tomorrow Alexia

sk1pper you made me cry too - thank you

In fact THANKS to all of you lovely ladies for cheering me on... you all say such nice things about me!!! It really helps keep me going.

wanting I may well try the grapefruit - can it be juice?

sk1pper FX for tomorrow

Alexia you need to be on it, like a car bonnet!!!!

Binky, since you're sooooo close to a year id make an appointment to see your doc and insist on starting tests. Unfortunately irregular cycles can be a major factor with infertility. Especially since you've come off the pill you might have other things going on which is effecting things?

Good luck for tomorrow sk1pper hope it's all ok

Great news on the positive OPK Alexia!

According to my app AF due 23rd December for me but the way my cycles have been it could happen at anytime just hopefully not Christmas Day!

I've had a rubbish day at work, looking forward to the weekend now. Off to go buy myself some grapefruit juice haha

Yes alexia get on it !

Everything crossed for you tomorrow skipper how long have you been trying now?

Ah binky can't help but feel a bit excited you might yet get a BFP this cycle.. fx

Kwick what are these pineapples in tablet form of which you speak?

Ahh Miranda really hope you don't get AF on Christmas Day! I've already been joking with DH as my next ovulation is Christmas Day. We willl have to bonk pre turkey as no way I am afterwards!

Hi all you lovely ladies

London - just over 15 months, its got more serious as it's progressed but none of my cycles have been wasted or lost for any reason. I think if I'd had a few casual/missed cycles at the start I'd be less worried.