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!

[minniecat2406]

Thank you @ChaosMoon. If it helps I have never had any visible CM at all, no PMT symptoms with my period anyway and no symptoms of ovulation etc. So just because the signs aren't there doesn't mean you aren't :) Got my fingers crossed for you all

[ChaosMoon]

Thank you @minniecat2406, I needed to hear that! How are you feeling now?

[Sessy19]

Very late to this thread-newbie!

I’m 36, TTC DC #1. On 2nd cycle, but DH will be away with work for ovulation window, so not going to happen for us this month 😐

I’m using Ovia, but generally pretty in tune with my (fortunately) very regular cycle.

Done all the ‘right’ things, but for once in my life, this is not something I can control so feeling a bit...well, you know...out of control! 🤦‍♀️😂🤓

Is anyone using the single use OTKs, and if so, when in cycle do you start testing and what time of day? Xx

[minniecat2406]

@ChaosMoon okay thank you! It still hasn't quite sunk in for either of us. Came off the pill in February so we weren't not trying (if that makes sense) and I was using Ovia to tack period dates, but I really didn't expect it. I only did a test because I happened to have one in a drawer. Did the biggest double take when I checked it ten mins later! X

[BambiOnIce80]

Welcome @Sessy19 🙂 I'm a fan of OPK's, purely because I feel like they give me back just a tiny bit of control in a process that is beyond my control! It depends on which OPK you buy as to when the manufacturer advises you to take them. I prefer the cheap One Step ones off of Amazon, which recommend you start off testing at CD11 to begin with, picking a regular time to test between 10am and 8pm. They're not as consumer friendly as the fancy Clearview ones but they do the job 👍

[Virgo89]

@Chaosmoon Morning. I fell pregnant surprisingly quickly. I'd been on the pill for 11 years and came off it in October to give my body some time to "get back to normal" before we decided to TTC. We were using condoms for a while and then a few months later my OH decided he didn't want to use them anymore so we obviously knew that we may fall pregnant. I thought I may have been pregnant in April as AF was 5 days late and that's never happened so I got a BFN. We were both quite sad as we thought I was pregnant so that made us realise that we do want a baby. The following month was when I got my BFP, yay, so we were both really happy about it. Then when I thought I was 9 weeks I went to the EPU and was told that the sac was empty which they would expect from a 5 week pregnancy, not 9 weeks. So yeah, we were both really sad about it. Had to go back 10 days later for the second scan to confirm it but I knew because I'd had what seemed like a period in the meantime which would have been the start of the MC. So yeah, I got my BFN at the beginning of July and have been patiently waiting for AF to arrive (she did 5 days ago) so once she's piddled off, we're going to try again 😊 What's your "story"?

[ChaosMoon]

Welcome @Sessy19.
That must have been a wonderful moment @minniecat2406!

@Virgo89 I'm really sorry to hear that. But if you can get pregnant once, you can again. I hope you aren't waiting long this time either. I've wanted kids for years but DH wasn't ready. He wanted to travel first (which I can't complain about as I had an amazing time too!) Now we're on cycle 3. All my friends are beating me to it and falling pregnant first time. I have a family history of infertility and miscarriage so I knew I wouldn't be that lucky. Tried to talk to a GP about it a while ago and he couldn't have been less interested. Now, DH and I are toying with the idea of private fertility testing, just to see what's happening. (I'm 35 this summer and feeling the pressure somewhat.)

In fact, @BambiOnIce80, did you find any reliable information online when you were getting tested our did you get your information through your GP?

[Delilah7]

Hi ladies.
Very near to when AF should be arriving apart from spots on face and tighter trousers ( probably down to being off pill ) no real symptoms anymore. Cm has stopped. I would imagine I'm out so I'll let you know Wednesday! sending you all baby dust x

[BambiOnIce80]

Hi @ChaosMoon 🙂 I'm kind of fortunate because I'm a scientist by trade and therefore knew where to look for the clinical guidance on infertility and could digest the information contained in it to arm me in case the GP wasn't helpful (if you know what they should be doing it's pretty difficult for them to send you away without doing anything 😉).

In short, the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance document on infertility recommends that women up to the age of 36 should be investigated after 1 year of TTC. However, if you're 36 or over or are likely to have infertility issues for any reason (which you could possibly argue about from your family history), then they recommend investigations after 6 months of TTC.

I'm 38, so I'll certainly be heading to my GP's in 3 months time for blood work to see if anything has changed since I was last investigated when I was 31. They couldn't find anything wrong with me then (which is called primary infertility), but something could have changed... Just going to have to wait and see 🙄

[Sessy19]

@ChaosMoon I had fertility testing last year at Create in London (Bank), I found it really reassuring and the consultant I saw was really helpful. It cost £280 for ultrasound and the results were explained. Bloods cost a bit more on top, but the results are quick so I can recommend them. They do a package for couples as well, if your DH is keen to be tested as well.

[BambiOnIce80]

Sorry @ChaosMoon - I realise I've harped on about when you can get tested on the NHS, but not covered what it entails! To start with they normally do 2 or 3 blood tests on you at different stages in your cycle to try and establish if you're ovulating and what your egg reserves are like. If that's all normal then they go on to test your DP's sperm. If that's normal, then they'll book you in for a scan called an HSG. This is a lot like a 20 minute smear test where they fill your uterus with a solution that allows the radiographer to see if there is any issue with the shape of your uterus, if you have blocked fallopian tubes and that you have ovaries present (who knew you might not, right?!). A lot of people complain that this one hurts, but it didn't bother me at all. If that's normal then the final bit of poking and prodding is an internal ultra sound to have a good look at your ovaries (look for cysts, etc) and to check your endometrial lining is ok. That's again like a 20 minute smear test because the probe has to go in through the closest opening!

I personally would wait 3 more months if you can face it and have the investigations through the NHS (it's quite a smooth process when you get into it). Having the bloods and sperm tests done privately probably won't cost megabucks, but the consultants fee and the scans probably will. You've got to do whatever is best for you though. Give me a shout if I've still not answered your question.

[Fae28]

Hi @BambiOnIce80 i have a history of ectopic and cin3 on a smear. Do you reckon theyd do testing for me straight away? Im on cycle 7 now.

[BambiOnIce80]

Hi @Fae28, I'm really sorry to hear about your EP 😔 Someone I knew suffered the same and they were given IVF after 1 year TTC. With your CIN3 it couldn't hurt asking if your GP would start investigating now. From all the different stories I've heard, there's quite a bit of variability between how helpful GP's are (flipping post code lottery 🙄), but it's worth finding out the lay of the land with yours with your combined factors?

[donna474]

Hi everyone, I've been trying ttc baby number 1 for 6 cycles so far. Have two wonderful step kids but we're now after a bio of our own and a sibling for my little bonus kids. Just finished AF so now to commence obsession with ovulation sticks!

[Heebyjeeby99]

@donna474 also have two little step kids and just got my BFP. Can't wait to tell them in a couple of months! Good luck, I'm equally scared and excited about our little blended future family!

[CookieWaffle]

Hi ladies just trying to catch up a little. On the CM subject I just don't get how people can track it as I rarely see any except a day or 2 in fertile week. No CM on the CP one either.

I had my bloods done last month, was done on the wrong days so they took my hormone tests as perimenopausal but was actually just me about to ovulate. I had the day 21 test as well to check that I ovulate and that was normal too.

After all these charts and testing it turns out that I'm boringly normal! Which is fine with me! I just need to keep DTD!

And hey to more new people! We're going to need to start a new thread soon!

[MissG2MrsB]

Hi everyone 👋🏻 I’m a newcomer to this thread, was on another before but it went quiet. @donna474 I’m the same, ttc our first and have just started cycle 7. Came off the pill last summer and it’s taken almost a year for my cycle to start regulating itself. Hope there’s lots of positive stories soon 💐

[MissG2MrsB]

Have just had a look through previous posts - @MrsC87 I’m the same. I came off the pill last July after we got married but we couldn’t start ttc until January due to Zika so although it’s only been 7 months, it feels like a year!

[Delilah7]

Thinking I'm out. Took one of those small little flimsy stick tests that you can get from amazon and it was a BFN. I'm due Wednesday so I'm sure I'm out. Again :( 3rd cycle.

[AmyLouise94]

Hi girls.
What a crap week. I'm sorry I haven't been on much I was celebrating my pregnancy just to be told today that I've miscarried at 6 weeks 😕didn't last long but I'm just glad I didn't get too far on and then it happen. So I'm back to the ttc journey again. I just feel so drained. We tried for 9 months and finally got that BFP just to be told after bleeding that I've lost my baby!! But we are trying to stay positive, move on and look to the future. Hope you guys are OK and are doing well on your journeys. It's definitely a bumpy one xxxx

[Delilah7]

@AmyLouise94 So so sorry darling. :( xxxxx

[AmyLouise94]

@Delilah7 thank you for the support! I just never thought it would be this hard. I finally had it and lost it. It happened so quickly. We are just scared it won't happen again did another 9 months but at the same time we can't be negative! Ahh! How are you feeling darling xxx

[Delilah7]

@AmyLouise94 I can completely understand why you're feeling negative now. I'd be feeling like my worlds crashed, so give yourself time. You'll feel
Positive again soon. And not rush, take your time getting back into it.
I'm sad, guess I hoped as I was young fittish and eat ok it might of happened quickly. But 3rd cycle and took a test from amazon and BFN. Af to show Wednesday xxx

[BambiOnIce80]

So sorry @AmyLouise94 😔 Sending you much love and hope we can be a comfort if you need us.x

[CookieWaffle]

Oh so sorry @AmyLouise94, I almost know how it feels after this week. I'm heartbroken for you. This is such a cruel journey xx