Staying Sane - Positivity during TTC journey

[KnitKitty]

Hi ladies,

So, TTC is an anxious and sometimes heartbreaking time and is just a constant roller-coaster of emotions:
Some of us have been trying for a long, long time and just feeling like it will never happen.
Some of us are trying after a previous pregnancy loss.
Some of us aren't seeing eye-to-eye with OHs.
Some of us don't have an OH to lean on and are going through it alone.
Some of us are trying with fertility treatment.
Some of us are trying for our first, and some our fourth
Some of us want to be trying but can't yet for one reason or another.
Some of us are dealing with health issues which may affect fertility or mental health.
And some of us are about to, or have just started trying and might be worrying about how long it will take or if this or that will effect fertility etc etc...

It's just not the funnest journey to be on and I thought we could do with a thread just for positive messages and thoughts.

SO, no negative messages on this thread, but feel free to post:
A positive mantra or affirmation you use or think someone else could use
An idea of how to relax or pass the TTW time
A nice thing that happened to you recently
A success story despite the odds
A picture or word of hope (rainbow pictures most welcome)
A positive message to those who are going through one of the above scenarios at the moment even if you're not on the same journey as they are right now
A nice/positive quote you've read or heard
Or something which brightened up your day

The idea is that anyone having a wobble for whatever reason can come here and soak up some positive energy to help them feel better.

I'll go first:
A mantra I have been repeating to myself at the moment is "Good things happen to me. I accept miracles in my life."

A word of hope for anyone thinking of coming off the pill or who has just come off the pill and who has a history of endometriosis; I have suffered with endo in the past and was very worried that the moment I stopped taking the pill I would get all clogged up with endo again, but I conceived in the second month after coming off the pill and I have a colleague whose wife conceived two children (one the first month after coming off the pill, the second the third month after the pill) without a problem even though she has endo too.

Right, who's with me? Any more positive stuff to share anyone?

Oh how precious! Maybe she was sending you a message through me. Hugs xxx

@Delilah7 oh that made me tear up, that's so beautiful xx

@KnitKitty I'm lucky I'm not a big cake person, if it was a chocolate show I might find it more tricky!

The ovulation pains (that only appeared since TTC!) are in full flow today. We've done our bit. Now time to let nature take its course. Also time to find plenty of distractions!

@CookieWaffle @KnitKitty thank you ladies xxxx

Want this cycle over with so confused with my body 😭😭😭 keeps telling me I'm pregnant again and I'm not

@CookieWaffle I know how you feel. I've been on this journey for almost 2 years now and not being able to have the answer or find the solution is very tricky. Especially when you are told there is not a simple answer. I am working very hard on accepting what I don't understand and trying to remain hopeful and ready for when it is my time! Great news about pos opk. Fingers crossed! I'm hoping I get mine in the next 2 days too.
@KnitKitty aww you are so lovely. What a sweet thing to do donating your blanket ❤ I also love your positivity. Like the idea of teaching growing vegetables- one of the things I'm so proud of at the moment is that we just dug up about 40 potatoes from our vegie patch and our tomato plants are about 6 feet tall! It is making me so happy.
@sweetpea0318 woohoo for static smiley!! Also glad you are feeling better and focusing on good positive self rewarding things. Also love yoga yin and always feel so good after it. Good luck with your PMA!
@Delilah7 that's a special memory. Hope af turns up for you soon. The limbo is very hard.
So we did meditation today at work and the mantra was 'everything I desire is within me'. Loved it and thought it was very appropriate. We have our eggs, our uterus to grow baby, our bodies are designed to nourish baby, the strength of loss and hope and we just need to believe and focus!
The other one I am repeating after what has come up on the other thread with some of us having reiki/reflexology and cleansing bleeds is 'I release all emotional blocks that stop me conceiving a baby'

Morning sunshine ladies. Scan all good this morning, HB seen and bang on for dates. So relieved!!! Feeling a lot more real now. On the topic of meanings- Went for a celebratory maccy Ds with DH and that silly “if it’s meant to be it’ll be” song was on the radio- does anyone know the one I mean? It’s sortof country music. Anyway it’s been on my playlist the last few months and even though it’s cheesy it’s kept me smiling

@Boboelephant Ahh I can imagine how frustrating that has been . Also sometimes you really have to push doctors to help you find answers, sometimes they can't give you anything but you never know if they just won't or can't. So frustrating.

@Eastend2015 glad the scan went OK! I love a good celebratory maccy Ds! I don't know the song but the phase is a very good one and something my mum is always telling me.

@Delilah7 I think your body is telling you alot has gone on. There's some great quotes on here to read through but basically, focus on what good things you have right now, find good things to do, have fun with people you love and don't worry about what you don't know. There's nothing you can do right now, just let your body do what it needs to do xx

I'm finally bleeding wahoo Hahahaha

@Delilah7 that's great news! I'm glad your new cycle is here at last. And that you found your way here. I hope we can help you find ways to keep positive this month.

I love the book idea @KnitKitty. Can we do a follow up, righting the education system? This are all things DH and I have talked about teaching our kids. Whatever happens, girls or boys, they're learning to understand their bodies, their psychologies and those of the opposite sex. Has anyone read The Female Brain? It's all about neuroscience and it is enlightening.

@Eastend2015 that's just so exciting! It must be such a relief to pass that 12 week mark. And how are you feeling physically now?

Today I am insanely happy about granola. I don't know what that's all about.

@chaosmoon thanks but unfortunately it was just a 6 week scan, a while yet til the 12 week marker!

Love the idea of a book too @knitkitty- surprised there isn’t one already!!

Ah, sorry, I'm easily confused at the moment! Still a relief though isn't it. I had a whole 5 days without worrying after my scan at 7 weeks. 😂

Eastend2015 Congrats on the scan. All looking good so far! How exciting! Are you feeling a bit more relaxed now?

ChaosMoon No, I haven't read it, but it's now on my to-read list.
Your love of granola made me chuckle... Of all the things!?!

So ladies, today seems like a good day to have a good day. The sun is shining, I'm on the late shift at work, don't start til 12... finish at 8 which is the down-side, but it means I miss the most stressful part of the day and Fridays are usually weirdly a bit more chill for some reason. And I've got some paperwork done this morning which has been hanging over me a bit so feeling a weight has lifted. Love checking off something on a to-do list!

For anyone struggling to feel like today is a good day, remember every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day... so be on the look out!

What's everyone up to this weekend? (and is it just me or has this week flown by really fast?)

@ChaosMoon I love that you're insanely happy about anything, even if it is granola! 😂

I usually love Fridays, everyone in the office seems a bit more chilled (those few who are actually in the office and not working at home!), probably because most of the bosses aren't in the office on Fridays! However its a bit more hectic today with people being on leave and so much to do. I'm just so glad that now DP doesn't work weekends we have those to look forward to now. We will be doing some house hunting over the weekend, gonna be a great distraction for the start of the TWW!

Also, what's the deal with it being September next week?? Where has this year gone??

Morning lovely ladies!!
@Eastend2015 such great news about the scan!
@Delilah7 it's really positive that af has turned up. Your body is getting back to normal and doing what it should. Hopefully next month is lucky for you.
@Chaosmoon yay for granola! I actually got very excited about porridge the other morning so why not hey? 🥣😀
@CookieWaffle hope you enjoy weekend with DP and house hunting. I love looking at houses! Just been looking a bit of real estate porn myself... the dream houses I'll never afford but oh it's nice to dream! 😂

Feeling good today ladies. Was hoping for ovulation yesterday but was still getting very faint lines on opks. Did one this morning and the test line was darker than the control line! Also was woken up to a cheeky shag by DH. Great timing! 🤫😉

I hope so ladies. Had an awful day yesterday and got some bad news about my dad's heart scan :( xx

I'm so sorry to hear that @Delilah7. How is he doing now?

@Boboelephant isn't it lovely when their timing is that good? I hope it's done the trick.
Real estate porn is my second favourite porn after food porn. 😂 Did you find the dream house?

This year really is flying by ladies. The plus side to this, is that I feel like I can legitimately get excited about Christmas now. I know it's still too early for some, but I've had to fake not thinking about it for months. It's almost as hard as not telling people you're ttc/up the duff.

Morning all, how is everyone? This thread has been quiet recently so I thought I’d check in and share another affirmation of sorts! We have had a lovely couple of days off after a wedding in Sheffield so it’s very hard to get back to work today. I hope you are all doing well

Ps sending hugs @delilah7, sorry to hear about your dad.

Morning Eastend25

Sorry I've been really quiet recently. AF was late again and then quite heavy and painful. I have a telephone appointment to discuss results of a HCG blood test done on Friday today. I think it'll just be him saying it was negative but I'm a bit anxious that I've had a CP. Time will tell.
I also had a stinking cold last week and it set off an asthma attack so I'm still getting over that and dosed up to the eye-balls.

All in all, I haven't been the world's most upbeat person recently.

I am getting back on track again though. A new cycle and another opportunity to get to know my body better. We have OH's parents visiting in a couple of weeks around the time I should be ovulating, so I'm counting myself out this month. I am, however, going to start using OPKs for the very first time and use this month as a trial run to see if I can get the hang of it for October.
I'm concentrating on sorting myself a healthy eating plan again too (not that I eat unhealthily). So I've been researching foods to eat or avoid to help with my asthma and for endometriosis in case that is what's causing the change in my cycles (I have a history of it but haven't had any problems for about 10 years). In my experience endometriosis is really responsive to stress and mind-over-matter really works for it.
Once my asthma is under control again I'll look at what exercises I can do too, but for now I just need to be able to breathe properly again!

How is everyone else doing?

Ahh love I’m so sorry to hear you are having a rough time. Did AF start after blood tests? It’s crummy to have a horrible combo of cold/ asthma on top. Are you able to take some time off work to recuperate? I don’t know much about endometriosis but it sounds awful.

I saw these lovely flowers in a neighbour’s garden and thought of you all. I hope the sun is shining wherever you are and also the second one especially for @knitkitty

Hahaha!!! I'll have to change my name to NickKitty!

Yes, so AF arrived on Sunday and I was awake in the night with period pains which I haven't experienced in over 10 years.

Blood tests showed 8 for HCG, so with the late and painful AF and slightly elevated HCG levels it all points towards a very early loss.

Looking at the positives though it means I'm still looking clear of endometriosis, or at least it's not getting in the way of getting pregnant which is massively positive. I just have to try and keep hold of the next bean!

My cat has also been tremendously lovely and cuddlesome this week (she's usually quite aloof), but she's been coming and sitting on my belly with her paws wrapped round it like a human hug and just sitting purring at me with her chin resting on my tummy. So cute and lovely.

@KnitKitty I'm so sorry to hear about this, did the hospital confirm it was a chemical?
But yes at least now you know you CAN conceive! And you definitely will again! And it will stick!!!!
You cat sounds adorable!!!! She must know what happened! Animals are amazing like that
When I was first pregnant with my little girl- even before I knew I was pregnant- our dog kept coming and licking my belly and sleeping on my belly- I was like wth is he doing!!! But somehow he knew!

He didn't do this with my 3 subsequent pregnancies (which ended in losses )- I thought it was because he was traumatised by my daughter (haha) but! He has been a lot more snuggly this time around- I am really hoping it's a good sign 🤞🏽🤞🏽🤞🏽

@Eastend2015 hahaha that old woman! I desperately want to read the article now hahaha - I mean how do you train cats?!? She is a genius! Hahaha

I’m so sorry to hear that @knitkitty. Will the doctor do any follow up? Everything crossed for a sticky bean in future. Do you have anyone you can talk to in RL? I start counselling next week which the RMC referred me for which I am actually looking forward to.

Our cat hasn’t necessarily been more snuggly but def more interested than usual. Just praying the little bean is still safe in there but another 2 weeks until the next scan.

The GP said I need to do another urine test, which I'll be doing tomorrow morning.
The reason I had the bloods in the first place was because I had a really vague line on a test I took on Thursday (as I was late) and since I was so ill and getting prescribed steroids on Friday he sent me for the bloods to make it a bit more clear-cut.

From what I've read online below 5 is considered not pregnant as some women can have small traces of HCG in their system naturally. 25 and above is definitely pregnant and between those two is seen as a "grey area". But I think this just turns out to mean you're either really, really early on or losing a pregnancy. (Unless you have some other health condition causing the higher than usual HCG, but I'm not considering that option).

I had been getting slight pregnancy symptoms about a week after I could have ovulated but then they started going away again. So I think it was just a sort of slow to give up CP. That's my second CP now since MC. I know they're common, but they suck.

Anyway, onwards and upwards.

@zarala and @Eastend2015 I really hope this is it for both of you! Got all my fingers and toes crossed for sticky little beans for you.