Thread 27. TTC #1 - we're stressed, we're fed up, we're bitter but I promise this will all be worth it when we're holding our precious babies

[AlexiaB]

Calling all OPK-ers, Temp-ers, Clomid-ers, Femara-ers, IUI-ers, IVF-ers and anyone else on the TTC #1 Bus.

We've been going a while now so the novelty has worn off and we're slightly battle scarred and bruised in the cervix area. We don't get a lot of baby dust in these here parts, we just keep it 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!

Here's our Grad's Thread. May 2017 lead us all to upduffed heaven and the Grad's thread, amen.

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

Key:
HS - have/had sex
GOS - good old shag
ELH - enthusiastic lavatory happenings
LSFX - legs spread, fingers crossed

Sorry Binky
Thanks jam i will practice being the queen of Zen

Binky I'm so sorry lovely Everyone deserves a good old rant when the witch shows up so there's no need to apologise at all! My advice to you would be to start tracking your cycles from now on. Temping and/or OPKs will ensure you know exactly what's going on in there and whether or not you've actually O'd. Limbo is the worst! I've been there many times and it's the most frustrating and upsetting feeling. I know some people think temping and OPKs add stress but I believe they're a necessary tool for those who have unpredictable and crazy cycles. They should reduce your stress levels and give you control.

It's almost the weekend so I hope you have something nice planned with DH to take your mind off things. Lots of love xx

Sorry binky xx hope you are okay

Yes, all going well here at 18 weeks apart from the fact that I have just come down with a heavy cold and we are going away on holiday on Saturday - great timing!

I was glad to hear that you and your DH are now in the system for IVF on the NHS. The wait sounds awful though so I totally understand why you are looking at options abroad. Fingers crossed you can get your appointments moved forward through cancellations.

And pro advice from Alexia, knowing ovulation day helps massively. Doesn't necessarily stop you symptom spotting though...

Hi Music, I'm still stalking you on the Grad's thread. It does get awfully quiet on there sometimes, I so wish there were more of us on there to join in the fun Still hoping I'll be over there before you pop this little one out. Have a lovely holiday and good luck with your scan You can always update us here too.

Alexia and skipper - I'm reading a book atm that had a bit about temping and OPKs in it. It is written by an American economist who has looked at the evidence from papers (about all areas of conceiving and pregnancy) and sets out a summary of what they show. Her review says that OPKs are your best tool for ttc because of the fact that your highest chance of conceiving is the day before and the day of ov apparently. I'll see if I can take a photo of the page and sent it through. I know you know this already but I thought the geeky part of you would like to read it!

Crossed posts alexia! Yes, the grads thread is a lot, lot slower moving than over here - we need some more activity (although I will be the first to admin that I am terrible at posting in general)! I am so sure there will be a load more of you joining us in no time at all (you included) and I can't wait!

Yes please share Music. OPKs are great because they give you a warning that O is very close so you can time sex better. I always ovulate 2 days after a +ve OPK so I can always nail sex on O-2 luckily. Temping is easier than OPKs imo because if you sleep well you just have to take your temp in the morning and not bother with pissing in a pot multiple times a day, or stress over missing the LH surge, and also not drinking for hours a day is annoying! Temping is also the only thing that will confirm ovulation (temp rise) other than a 7dpo blood test. OPKs can detect a LH surge but your body can fail to actually ovulate after this point for whatever reason. You might also get multiple LH surges, only temps can confirm ovulation occurred. It's kind of like how you can get multiple patches of EWCM per cycle and be unsure if/when you've ovulated.

I temp & OPK but it's easy now that my cycles are regular thanks to Femara. I only end up doing about 7 OPKs each cycle over 3-4 days. I now only temp from CD10 to O which is about a week. In the LP I now temp whenever I wake up, no alarm. I'm not really bothered about those temps as such because only a HPT can truly tell you if you're pregnant. Temping is only good for pinpointing O day.

Sorry I know this is long but hopefully someone will find it helpful.

Sorry, cross posts again Music. Yes it's very slow, it's more like an announcement thread lol but I do enjoy seeing how you're all getting on! Are you going to find out the sex? Thanks, fx for all us long-timeys

The day of ovulation? Really? I always thought that was too late.

Missed that part skipper - yes that's not right. Usually by O day CM has changed so is more hostile (for me anyway) and we all know sperm needs time to capacitate. O-3 and O-4 have better odds than O day. Always best to have sperm ready and waiting for the egg!

That's what I thought too alexia and skipper! Can't speak for accuracy but here's the data in the book and a summary of the chapter. If you want more pages then pm me and I'll send photos of that whole section!

Now that you've shown us that Music I've found quite a few websites that mention having sex on ovulation day. My OH and I have gotten into a pattern of doing it four days in a row leading up to o-day but I might off-set it this cycle so that it ends on o-day instead. Thanks for sharing this xx

I'm also still lurking keeping up with you all and keeping everything crossed for everyone...
The grads thread does get a bit quiet but I think we're all battling different things in our lifes at the moment, I know I rarely get two mins to post as trying to reneovate the new pad is taking every spare minute! Hopefully it'll pick up soon!

Thanks music yes hopefully we've got some options. Hope you enjoy your hol x

Thanks jam.
I do find it hard coming on to these threads because I think it makes me think about it a lot more, but then I think I do find it useful on here to remind me I'm not on my own. I have only told my friend and SIL that we are TTC. But my friend doesn't know the full story. SIL is the only one who does and has been a great support but I feel like I'm harping on about it a lot so trying to not go on as much. Wish it were easier to talk to people IRL about it.
How is everyone doing tonight?

That's interesting music - I don't temp or opk anymore, but me cycles are pretty regular now and am hoping EOD is enough. Temping in particular stressed me out a lot as it meant ttc was the first thing I thought of when waking up and opks put on the pressure because I'd feel like we failed if we didn't HS on positive result day and two day in a row after and HS every day was way too much for both of us! Doing both was useful to figure out my cycles though 🙂

It's my birthday today - 36, oh my! Have a nice lunch planned with my work colleagues and dinner with DH tonight. You're all right, the bad feelings are starting to fade - am avoiding drinking tonight though as I don't want to pick a fight while it's all still a bit fresh!

Happy birthday pyjamas! 🎉🎂🎁🎈
Have a great day- you totally deserve it!

And thank you all for your messages last night- you're the best 💜

I've bought a BBT to try with my OPKs this month and am just going to focus on surviving through to my gp appointment for now. Got a lot of crying done yesterday so hopefully back in better form today. TGIF!

Happy birthday, pyjamas!! Hope you have a lovely chilled day

Happy Birthday Pyjamas, hope you have a lovely day 🎉

Sorry AF got you kath and Binky

Happy Friday everyone

Happy birthday to you, squashed tomatoes and steeeeeeeew, bread and butter in the gutter.

Happy birthday to you. Pyjamaaaaaaaaas. And here is cake

Happy Birthday Pyjamas !!!!!

Happy birthday pyjamas!

Sorry for af binky. Think she is on her way here too, at only 9 dpo. Cramps and pinky brown spotting although nipples still hurt so hoping she might hold off a day or two. it means The b50 has helped, now to lengthen my LP...

The month I got pregnant we HS the four days I had EWCM and that was pretty much it. We have not been doing enough GOS since we started trying again so that is my goal for this month. More sex!