TTC First Baby! Anyone else?!

[Delilah7]

Hi Ladies.

Anyone else on their first cycle and TTCing?! I'm seeing all these beautiful posts about ladies getting pregnant and how they have bonded with people on here soooo, thought I'd make one at the start on my journey!

@Aims4 at least some positive news on the tests xx

Welcome @FSlater! I definitely recommend taking your temperature every morning too, OPKs gave me some idea but the temp chart definitely helped show I ovulate. Just have to do it at the same time as soon as your alarm goes off in the mornings. It's a fine art!

@Delilah7 dont lose hope yet lovely, just try and ride out this week til you can test xx

So I have this docs appt tomorrow where I'll probably burst into tears like I usually do at the docs lol. Will see what test I can have and what my options are. Won't get the OH involved yet until I've made sure I'm not broken!

I really don't think I would be good at temping (don't get up at the same time each morning, don't want it to stress me out) but I am also fed up of getting negative opks, no fertility app caters for my short luteal phase I am never certain of when or if I ovulate and never sure when my period is due
I have seen the Ava fertility band that you wear overnight and that looks amazing but it's so expensive I couldn't justify buying one!

Thank you @cookiewaffle ! I will try the thermometer. I’ve only recorded three cycles - first was 34, then 27, then 31, and now at least 31! Do you think this is normal? And I understand the best time to test with an OTK is around 10 days in - is that regardless of cycle length? I’m so sorry to be such a dunce at all of this 😂. Appreciate any and all help and answers to my stupid questions!

@FSlater I opk test every single day cause I have no idea what my body is doing glad I did cause I ovulated on CD 20 well got a positive anyway currently 7dpo wish my luck had cramping today so holding on till 11 dpo to test well frer test any way dived CD 20 been doing them cheep strip tests but no joy yet first month ttc and 32 days since stopping my pill so my body is all over the place

@FSlater no worries! I'm still fairly new to all this but basically you would usually ovulate 2 weeks before your next period, so if you had a 28day cycle you'd ovulate day 14.if you have a longer cycle you'd calculate 2 weeks back from your next due date. Last month i started testing and temping after AF finished. I never got a positive on the OPK although 2 days were close but I could see my temps rise so I knew it had happened.

Last months chart

@CookieWaffle hi lovely. thank you. Still feel like even though I did it at right times I won't be :( all this talks of me having what my mum has has made me abit negative! Xx

@CookieWaffle, so you have your appointment today? I hope it goes well.

Welcome newcomers!

Thanks @ChaosMoon!

So I've just come out and it was all very rushed. She said they wouldn't do any testing until a year of trying (even at 40!) but told me to take folic acid. Just eat healthy and exercise. Also gave me something safe for anxiety. Well great. After reading about someone else the same age who was given options straight away I feel a bit cheated.

@CookieWaffle I've heard all this stuff about folic acid, i thought it was to help with the baby not help you get pregnant if it's the second one I'm gonna go get me some 😂😂

AF has most definitely arrived. 33 day cycle this time which also means we probably didn’t try at the right time. So frustrating. Will be ordering OPKs this month.

Some advice from my friend who has just had a baby from third cycle of IVF was not to use tampons and use pads instead. She was advised it can cause problems for conceiving. Ive been doing it for a good few months now and it’s really taken a while to get used to. Just wanted to share in case it helps. I don’t know all the whys but there is lots out there on the web... xx

@Delilah7 well doc suggested to take them when trying as well because it will be needed when it starts to develop. Pack I just bought suggests the same.

Sorry AF came @MrsA89 :( it's all luck I guess. I'm a firm believer in the moon cups, not used tampons for a while now!

@Delilah7 folic acid helps with the baby but can take up to 3 months to properly be in your system so it's advised you start taking it as soon as TTC
@CookieWaffle sorry to hear your docs wasn't much help, I hate it when they rush. I don't like the doctors so feel so cheated when I get all worked up to go only for them to send me away again

@CookieWaffle thats not very fair! Over age 35 you should be tested after trying for 6 months. Im a bit worried when I go to the dr they will just say to try for another year even though iv tried for a year already! No way I can go another year of this.

@Delilah7 folic acid just gives you the vitamins you need to help try to conceive and helps the babies bones develop when you are pregnant. Iv been taking pregnacare and so was my hubby but Im still deciding if to carry on using them as it hasnt really helped much.

@MrsA89 sorry to hear that im currently on cycle day 29 so will be a long cycle for me this month which also means we tried at the wrong times!

@EllaR1 @RanchoRelaxo @CookieWaffle thanks ladies, may purchase some then!! Xx

Hi Ladies, I’ve been to my dr today and she said everything I am experiencing sounds normal whilst my body has been trying to get back to normal after the pill. The late Ovulation, short Leutal phase, periods and even my random bleed in middle of month. All normal. I said I was trying for a baby and I tried using OPK and she said they should all be burnt in a pit as they are based on lab research and not fit for every woman using them. I can see her point. She said best method is sex every two days. Best time is when thicker discharge which is around the ovulation point. She has advised me to try for a few more months and then go back if no change in October (will be 33 then 😢) for blood tests to check ovulation.

Oh and my AF arrived 😭😭😭😭 day 29. So my always on time has just been messed up.

Aww sorry @Saraelle :( though I like your doctor's style! I like the whole charting lark, it's given me an entirely new view on what my body is doing and makes me feel like I have a bit of control (even if I dont!). With OPKs, temps and checking for the ol' CM stuff it gives me an idea of when the right times are.

Hi 👋🏻
This is my first ever post. I'm on cycle 2 of TTC first baby. New to all the acronyms so I keep having to google! 🙈
I'm 5DPO but my AF is never the same so I'm unsure of actual OD. Do you think it's worth getting OPK's or try a couple more months see how it goes first? Advice is always great.

Welcome @MrsSquidler! I've been doing the OPKs and I've never got a positive from them although they did give me an idea of where I was in the cycle. Doing my temperature every morning gave me a better idea of what I was doing regarding ovulation and gotta check for the egg white mucus that also shows you're fertile. I'm onto month 4 now and if you're keen to see what your body is doing, start your charts early so you can compare months. The apps work better when there's more data too. Or you can not get obsessive like me and go for the old fashioned doing it whenever you like method!

Hi @MrsSquidler opks are a good way to get to know your cycle better, they give you an idea of when you ovulate, before I used them I thought I ovulated a lot earlier in my cycle than I do! I do think they put a bit of pressure on though so it's up to you

I have just got a nearly positive opk! Didn't get one last month so this is good news I'm actually feeling really positive about this month for some reason, am really hoping that cycle 5 is our lucky one

Thank you @cookiewaffle I will maybe look at charting, I did a little but not on paper where I could maybe see the peaks and lows. Hi @MrsSquidler, welcome. I’m on 7th cycle and not having much luck. I know it’s all timing but frustrating! My Dr advises to burn OPKs 😂

Thanks guys. @CookieWaffle I've been tracking my periods using Period Diary but it was always showing me as late, so I thought it's not actually analysing the dates I'm giving it!
So I've moved on to Flo and it's much better, gives me symptoms and everything. Becoming a little obsessed! 😕
Also, I never usually cramp between periods but have just got some horrid cramps. Anyone else get this/ know why??

@CookieWaffle how long did it take you to get used to your moon cup? I got one last period and tried it a few times, the feeling knocked me sick at first but it wasn't too bad after a few tries, I could definitely still feel it though and don't think I could get it to go any higher if you get me

@RanchoRelaxo probably 2 or 3 cycles, I moved it up a little higher than the image showed and it works better for me, I don't feel it at all now. I think I actually cut a few mm off the end too. Tmi but if its too high up and you can't reach it, doing a No2 helps!

Grats on the nearly positive OPK! Go BD just in case!

I started with Flo but I much prefer Fertility Friend now, it's not as pretty but it's been a bit more accurate. I even follow a Reddit site for charters and it is getting a bit obsessive now! :)