Thread 28, TTC #1 | We may be hormonal giraffes but we don't eat no low fat humous

[Londonjam]

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!

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

Welcome tommy! After a few crazy cycles after the implant then a short stint on the pill, mine have sort of settled around the 26 day mark. My Ov date has moved around a bit, but my LP is always 14 days which is at least one thing to be thankful for.

Sorry to hear about AF skipper - that's some great PMA though 🙂

What an article kerry! Very moving.

Try not too feel too anxious about the drinking Lisa - I'm very quickly learning that relaxing is fundamental to my mental health.

DH's mood improved massively today and he's being his normal lovely self. We both know we still have a lot to sort through as underneath the current loveliness is the fundamental fact that we both still disagree on pretty big things. I think therapy will be hard for him as he's never had it before and talking about things doesn't come easily to him - I'm hoping we'll learn a lot about each other and it'll bring us closer.

I bought a load of new exercise gear today in preparation for my mini all about me trip away next month - I want to do a lot of their exercise classes!

Weirdly, I had spotting today even though my period only ever lasts two days and was done by Friday. WHY is every cycle different?! Who knows what that's about.

Glad you've made up Pyjamas, you'll get there with him. Whether via therapy or even perhaps when you get your BFP. Though he needs to behave himself when you do have your BFP too, we all know what we can and cannot eat but I wouldn't want him being overly critical of the things you choose to eat/drink.

Enjoy your holiday Kerry I 💙 Italy

Great PMA flora

Lisa I've found alcohol affects my moods more since drinking less. Hangovers are much more noticeable. We had friends over for dinner Saturday and got through quite a bit of wine - I was foul yesterday! Hope you're feeling better today and you get your OPK soon

Quiet your comment about being thankful reminded me of Sheryl Sandbergs recent interviews about losing her husband - has anyone read them? She talks about grief and how to keep going and whilst they are very different situations it was a reminder to me to recognise what I do have

Glad your DH is more his usual self pyjamas I really admire how self motivated you are

Thank you ladies! And it's reassuring for me to see that some of you have unpredictable cycles like me. As if ttc is not hard enough ay. I use opks and last month had quite obvious symptoms of ovulation so was easy to pinpoint. But that was 1 in 10 cycles so let's see how this cycle goes as I gear up to FW.
Hope you're all having a good (rainy🙈) bank holiday. X

Alexia he wants me to take it around C15 - cd25 and said my period should start 2-4 days after that. But I am now worried, if I get pregnant during that, will the sudden drop in progesterone cause harm? I can't find much info online for people using it in this way but for spotting. Most people who take it for 10 days then stop are taking it because of really long cycles/no periods. He did know I am TTC but some questions I just didn't think to ask! So annoying.

Hope everyone is having a lovely bank holiday

FIL vacated the building but not before saying he may be staying again next month 😩 Not if we've started IVF he's not!

Just did my HIIT, Headspace and had a smoothie for breakfast - hope I start shifting some pounds soon!

Has anyone here done couples therapy? I'm starting to feel apprehensive about it (still of course going to go). I've been to therapy on my own and there's things I would find very difficult to say on front of DH (embarrassment, fear of making things worse). But, I'm sure that's pretty common.

Flash oh dear I really don't think that's great advice tbh. Firstly, I know you're usually like clockwork but from CD15 (?) what if you actually O'd late randomly? I'm so glad you're temping / OPK'ing for this reason. Starting 2 days after O is confirmed is normal, to be sure of it. You don't want to start before obviously.

Secondly, yes I think it really could make you lose a pregnancy if you stopped at 11dpo for example, and your progesterone level dropped and therefore wasn't high enough to sustain the pregnancy. I just don't think it's worth the risk.

In my previous message I explained the usual process I see. I know I'm no Dr but I've seen a lot of things on FF and I'm confident about this. The majority of people take it until at least 11 weeks! (if P was low in early blood tests, if there's a history of losses etc.) I would only stop taking it at the earliest 13dpo with a negative hpt that morning (preferably 14dpo though) and then AF should arrive a few days later. So 2dpo-14dpo would be 12 days a cycle?

Flash, is it worth ringing/emailing the doc or clinic tomorrow to get some clarity and make sure that you're happy with the advice that you've been given?

Pyjamas, we haven't had couples therapy (other than the mandatory pre-marriage stuff we had to do) but I can totally appreciate where you're coming from. I found it much harder in, eg appointments at the FC, when DH is there too which I know is stupid. I'm sure they'll be used to that though and hopefully set some ground rules at the start of the session so you feel comfortable saying what you need to say.

Lisa, hope you're feeling better today. I always get the alcohol sads the day after a few drinks. It definitely has a big impact on my mental health

Nice work pyjamas I'm fancying a smoothie now. Your FIL does seem pretty keen! Hope your DH can persuade him otherwise if you are starting IVF. Could that be as soon as next month? Therapy - I've had lots solo and love it but never couples. I have thought about it recently though. Since TTC we have definitely fallen out more. I think I'm generally a bit miserable and I think he must be frustrated even though he doesn't express it.

Ugh it's raining now and I don't know what to do with myself. DH is away until Tuesday and my friends are all spending the day with their OHs. I've already cleaned tidied the flat, shaved epilated and done a Headspace!

I'm wondering what to do about my sabbatical too now and wondered what others would do. I've been at my company 5 years and thus get a 6 week paid sabbatical. DH and I are thinking of spending a month in Japan - probably towards the end of the year. Initially we wanted to tag in onto Christmas / new year and then spend January there. Now we are due to start IVF in October , if we don't conceive before. There are so many unknowns I'm not sure what to do. If we conceived anytime soon we couldn't go in January as too close to due date. I don't mind going pregnant if I'm between 3-6 months along, but anymore or less than that feels risky. What do you think?

Impossible to life plan at the moment, everything feels like it's on hold!

No idea whether it could be as soon as next month jam - we're going straight to private so don't know how long things are turned around! We've got our initial appointment to discuss options on the 15th this month so we'll take it from there I guess. I will put my foot down on house guests if we are doing it then though! Was bad enough not being able to relax with AF! Sounds like you've had a productive day 🙂 I know what you mean about not being able to plan either - it's infuriating.

pyjamas that's exciting your appointment is soon - good luck! Glad things have improved with your DH. I've never had therapy but I'm sure concerns like yours must be common and the therapist will be able to help - I'd definitely feel like that too.

jam how are things in your new flat? Are you settled in? Is your DH glad you went for it?! When do you need to start planning for your trip? Could you book it off with work but hold off booking flights for the next couple of months in case you (hopefully!) get your bfp?

Thank you for all the lovely messages. Unfortunately I guess it wasn't just the booze, since I still feel tearful and a bit miserable today. I keep torturing myself by thinking about how if the either of the pregnancies had stuck I'd be x weeks pregnant now, which I know is silly and unhelpful. Looking forward to being at work and distracted tomorrow!

Hi girls. I used to be here under a different name but left as i got to the point when talking about it made it worse. We are now approaching the 1 year mark & have been reffered for ultrasound & blood tests. I'm still working on pursuading dh to go for his checks.

Anyway every month my boobs get sore at 10dpo roughly. This month they are sore the day of ovulation. Clearly not a pregnancy thing but wondered if anyone else has had this?

That's exciting pyjamas things could move really quickly from there. Defo put foot down!

Harriet how are you doing? We are all settled thank you 😊 DH is glad we did it... we both miss the area we moved from but we're only a few stops along on the line so it's not exactly far to pop back. The trip - I think I'm going to have to get it okayed with work and then just take it from there. We should be fine to wait for flights as DH works in the industry so fortunately we can sort those quite last minute. I have thought for some time that my sabbatical would be part of my maternity leave so it's a bit to get my head around that that's not happening and we should do something with it. We won't regret exploring another country pre kids though so it's not all bad. I hope you're doing okay

Sorry to hear you're feeling low Lisa , I know I would be doing just the same with your thought processes. How could you not? I know exactly how you feel looking forward to being back at work - I feel exactly the same! Am distracting myself with a book and instagraming the cat 😼

Willow - I've had that twice in 22 cycles, I don't think it's anything to worry about. Maybe just surplus hormones?

Thanks, jam. I know what you mean about getting your head round things not being as you expected. When we started TTC and I was thinking about work my plans always kind of assumed I'd be pregnant within a year. We're not quite there yet but it's getting closer, and I'm realising that things just aren't going to line up as neatly as I'd hoped.

Hi willow I get the same. That's how I know I've definitely ovulated as i only get it in the tww, although by 11-12 dpo they start to feel less sore so I know AF is on her way, so I assume it's down to the effects of progesterone.

Agree that trying to plan things is so difficult when ttc, especially when you start heading down the fertility treatment road.

I have eaten crap since Thursday and feel crap. Back to work tomorrow after two weeks annual leave, so will start eating better.

Jam what a lovely kitty! We have two. Cats are the BEST

Love the kitty pic jam! Glad you're all settled in your new place and you're right, exploring another country will be great even it's not quite as first imagined.

Can't believe I have to go back to work already tomorrow - feels like the weekend has just started!

Meals are all prepped for the week and my mission is to do half an hour of HIIT every morning before work.

Welcome willow - I'm on cycle 12 now and quite quite believe it's been a year.

FW kicks off again on Wednesday - we've got an away day (cringe) where there's usually drinks but I'm going to give those a miss, FW obviously takes priority! We're out on Thurs and Friday night as well - gah.

Evening all, I'm doing a catch up after the bank hol- hope everyone has had a good weekend?

Skipper sorry AF hit 💐🍫 FX the clomid is the missing link

Hi to re-joiners 👋sorry that you've not been lucky to date, but you are very welcome here

Have a lovely hol Kerry- love Italy! Have loads of lovely food and drink, I'm well jel! That article you shared was spot on ❤️

Tommy I've had longer cycles and recently investigated- turns out I have PCOS (no other real symptoms), maybe worth getting tested?

Lisa how are you doing now? We all get the lows, you're not alone. I have started measuring by my cycles too- but in terms of how crazy I am - first few days- angry badger/ teary sloth, next few days- anxious horse, FW- horny rabbit, 1WW- normal human being, 2WW BATSHIT CRAZY

Glad you've made up with DH pyjamas. I'll be really interested to hear about your therapy session if you don't mind, sounds like a really good idea. I totally get you being nervous but I'm sure they'll be understanding

Jam I think just go for it with your sabbatical and if you can't go because you're pregnant you will not be at all upset, and if you're not it will be an awesome distraction. It's the whole timeframes thing isn't it, thinking back at every milestone and remembering what you thought you'd be doing

Checking in with my health kick- I've been generally more active the last week (not like pyjamas HITT level though) and although I'm not being a saint ive been trying to cut back on carbs (one or two meals per day no/low carb). Today's weigh in I was down 0.5kg however sure some of that was dehydration! But I will take that for now, and hope it motivates me to be active and low carb this week too!

FFS, DH on phone to his friend who he hasn't seen in a while and first things he says- "so, is binky pregnant?" 😞 DH fobs him off and then friend says "I'll try again next month haha" 🤢

I'm so fed up with this!

Hi all, hoping to hop on this thread please? I'm usually found on another but it's all change over there at the moment and I feel like a stranger amongst ALL the very fresh excitable ladies

I'm 25, cycle 11, not a hint of anything so far! I have cyst issues, chronic pelvic pain, bizarre spotting, relatively short LP and autoimmune conditions. Gp appt booked to hopefully start fertility investigations in 2 weeks. In it for the long haul!

waves to pj's and Lisa

Hello there pie! Good to see you here 😊 Hope your GP helps clear things up.

Ugh binky - why can't people just mind their own business?! I was holding a glass of champagne on Sunday and my SIL said 'still no luck then' - clearly not, you fool 😤 Well don't on the start of weight loss though - good progress!

Really can't be arsed with work today. Still a bit of an atmosphere with DH and it just feels like I've got too much on my mind at the moment to concentrate properly.

Me at to say well done of course, not well don't

Welcome all newcomers, lovely to have you here xx

Alexia - what did you say to buy for...dryness? Raspberry tea, grapefruit juice and preseed?