Who’s trying SMEP this month?

[Firsttimer16]

Support thread for those giving smep a go this month! I’m CD6 so going to start soon. All fingers crossed that this works for us all this month.
Debating whether to buy CB OPK or just stick with IC - might do IC until around FW and then see if I can find a few old CB lying around to confirm a positive.
Anyone else giving this a go?

@TheMagicTorch wooooo! Cycle buddies ❤️🤞❤️
This will be super interesting for a cycle buddy POV! Sorry about last month 😩
Fingers crossed for this month being waaaay better. 🤞🌈
I have a slight emoji addiction.
No idea when I o either and first time using opks so this will likely be a steep learning curve.

Hi, can I join? We're trying SMEP too.

My info:
TTC #1
Cycle 1
CD 8

Hopefully July will be a good month for us all!

@cobaltrose and @hettiepeg huge congrats on your smep success!

Everyone else hope you (and your DPs!) are bearing up.

I'm 2 (3?) dpo and am sure I've had little pinches in my left ovary. I have also traveled over 16 hours in the last 72 and haven't had a single can of G&T - that's dedication!!! [grins]

@Bas27 I remember my first period after having my implant out. It had been years for me too. Felt like I was dying!

@Beaglemum93 hello! I'm CD8 as well!

Currently trying to convince DS2 to go to sleep. The heat is really messing with his sleep patterns. Need to find a gap in him finally going to sleep and him waking up again. Ahhh the romance of TTC when you already have children!

Just got this from Amazon - will really help feed this ttc obsession 😂

I done ic opk cd10 the test line was beginning to get dark but the last 2 days the opks are getting fainter and fainter!! Could I have ovulated already or could it just be a false surge or something. Last 2 months Ov has been cd20 & cd18 so technically I should be gearing up to ov. Just found it strange. And I tested 3 diff times each day 😁 who doesn't love poas or in a cup as it were 😂🥃

@angelmiracle - that would be quite early to ovulate if you’re normally later - I think you can get little surges as it gears up so don’t worry. I guess that’s the beauty of smep that even if you did, you should have covered it.

Let us know if the book is any good!!

@noseringgirl - kids sleeping in the heat does not work! My ds sleep has also gone out the window!

Here’s a question for you all - do you do any certain positions to try and help improve success or just whatever you feel like? Does it really make a difference?!

And how about all this lying with your legs up malarkey?!

@angelmiracle I ovulated on 10-11 of my cycle this month much to my surprise. I only found out because I've the clearblue fertility monitor (bought it for cheap on eBay with some sticks not realising how expensive the replacement sticks would be!). But it does give me piece of mind that I haven't used OPK wrong or wrong time of day etc. Hopefully you'll ovulate later in the month? When did you start dtd? Might have worked anyhow!

@Firsttimer16 - Even though I read loads of doctors saying the position doesn't matter and that lying still for 5 minutes is helpful but otherwise legs on the air doesn't matter either...I still go for good old fashioned missionary and lie with a cushion under my bum for half an hour - the other night DH went and got me a McFlurry while I was waiting

Also, for tww obsessive symptom spotters I discovered women telling symptom by dpo - sadly I have none of them at all but they make for interesting reading!

www.twoweekwait.com/bfp-by-dpo

@Firsttimer16 DP is treating SMEP this month as an excuse to try different positions 😂
Afterwards I always lie for about ten minutes with a cushion under my bum and legs against the wall. Also read on here that a "pedalling" motion helps but who knows! I was worried DP would find it kills the moment a bit but its actually lovely we just lie and chat.
@WaitingforDaffodils I need to get DP better trained! A Mcflurry 😍

@Bas27 Thank you ❤️ Hopefully this month works out, I read a few anecdotes online about being more fertile after a chemical pregnancy but not sure how accurate that is!
🤞

@WaitingforDaffodils yeah all being well I ov as usual! It was first month testing so early so maybe levels of LH fluctuate- time will tell!
We coincidentally started cd6 so hoping every other day covered any early O lol.

DH has come down with a sore throat and cold and in bed early 😞 it's dtd night! I didn't want to say anything as he'd feel bad about it. But I took 3 opks today - cb was empty circle and 2 super faint ics so I doubt there's much harm missing tonight.

Do you guys think it is a stroke of luck and when and how you do dtd doesn't really matter as in it'll happen 'at the right time'? I feel this is true but nevertheless will be tracking O and ensuring regular dtd anyway lol.

@Firsttimer16 - a friend who had much trouble ttc dc1 initally (now on her third pg!!) Advised with tilted uterus to dtd doggy style and to lie on your tummy with a pillow under. She said do not move a finger - no getting up not even to toilet! DH and I trialled this one night and it didn't feel right plus it felt like more stuff came out afterwards and dtd that particular way really made me feel I had to pee!!

What feels right for us is kinda missionary lol maybe there's a proper term but I'm lying on edge of bed DH is standing- we've super king bed it's perfect height for this. Then I swing legs around against headboard with cushion and towel underneath 😂 last month our 4th and 5th sessions nothing leaked at all!! Even when I got up to pee 1hr after. I was so convinced we'd done it 😣 Same friend advised she knows she's pg when nothing leaks out afterwards but we didn't get bfp. We're keeping up with this position plus the legs in the air - I just won't get myself so excited this time 😑

I have a retroverted uterus (tilted) and on my hands and knees is definitely the only way to keep everything in afterwards. If I'm on my back it comes out almost instantly.

My doctor did say that most of the stuff that comes out is just the liquid surrounding the sperm not the sperm itself. I'm still doing legs in the air and bum up though!

Is anyone else using preseed this month? I bought it as my new thing to try this month (still using OPKs, grapefruit juice etc) and used it last night... not sure if I like it?

Tube says 3g but I only used 1g last night as only cd8 and it made everything ridiculously wet?! We never ever use lube normally so I'm wondering if maybe I don't need it after all?

My logic was that it can't harm if it gives sperm more to swim through.... but now I'm not sure?

@angelmiracle I've FX for you! I think it's 50/50 luck and planning. Like, we can do all the things we can: know when we're ovulating and make sure the sperm actually gets a chance to meet the egg but after that point it's just mother nature doing her thing (which isn't stopping me eating pineapple core this week - haha).

@JustLikeTheySaid we use preseed and likewise never use lube. I liked using though (especially in the later more, um, intensive days on smep!) I think it's meant to just provide something with the best Ph for sperm to swim in so figure it might help and can't do any harm...got it for this cycle because I saw so many women raving about how they put their BFP down to it! FX crossed for you

Hope the rest of you are doing well today. I've a four days until my horrific deadline is over and then off on holiday with about 10 FRERS packed in my hand luggage. Had shooting/hot pulsing in my left boob and so am now googling all the symptoms focussing on my deadline

@justliketheysaid I bought conceive plus lube rather than pre seed and I like it 🤭 we don't normally use anything, hopefully it helps.

I'm CD12 and still an empty circle on clear blue. As much as I hate the TWW this is bugging me more 🙄

@TheMagicTorch really hoping for a + O for you soon 🌸

Hope you don’t mind if I join? TTC #1 and cycle #2. Trying SMEP this month and CD 8 today (✅) how is everyone getting on?

@Waitingfordaffodils thank you!! Best wishes really hope you get your BFP on holidays 😁🤞

Haven't used preseed internally not sure if I feel like adding it ?? But maybe as smep ends could try it.

We used preseed/conceive plus (tried both) when TTC our other DC but haven't got any this time. I've since read that it's only really needed if you'd use lube anyway as regular lube (I have an irrational dislike of that word and even typing it is making me cringe ) is bad for sperm.
Then again, so many people seem to say they got their BFPs whilst using it that maybe I should invest in it again!

tmi alert

So I'm on cd12 and -ve opk. But now ewcm. I thought it was sperm at first but do the water test and it's super stretchy.
Not got a digital opk because they are expensive! £ but hoping I am using the ics correctly and +ve opk is on its way.
Does anyone know if the line gets darker and darker as you get closer to ovulating... or is it all over the place?
Mine has been fainter today than yesterday...

How often have you been testing @Bas27? Maybe you missed the surge? Some people so have quite short ones.
I also very rarely get a fully positive test on those OPKs. I tend to drink loads of water and I think that has an impact. It'll go just about positive then I'll get a temp rise and it'll start fading out again.
They can go up and down if your body tried to ovulate but then doesn't manage for whatever reason as well.

@Bas27 I'm having exactly the same!! This is first month with ic opks. I took one on Tues CD10 was getting dark but not as dark as control. They've been getting fainter and fainter ever since. But last 2 days I've just noticed really stretchy cm but I was trying not to obsess thinking is it just the weather or something?! I generally Ov CD18-20. I started using the CB dual opk from Thurs and it's just had an empty circle (negative) so It all feels a bit strange tbh!

None of it will matter any way DH still sick so we've now a 3 day gap between dtd. Really hope the cm hasnt meant Ov yet....

@bas27 j have to admit I always had the same on IC too! I actually had pretty much no line until one random test in the afternoon when it was pretty dark (but still not as dark as control) and then no line again! Digital arenexpensive but could you get them andnthen only use maybe 5 or so around when you’re expecting ovulation? That’s what I’m doing this month.

Welcome @becca444! I’m cd11 today - getting there slowly through the month!

I’m going to amazon prime some pre seed - anything to help!!

@waitingfordaffodils your positive vibes worked yesterday and got my static smiley this morning! Thank you 😆
Last night was our BD night too so that'll be 4 nights in a row by Tuesday - DP will think we're back when we first started going out!

@NoseringGirl I've been testing once a day. Test was much stronger today than yesterday. I read that you should test twice a day so not to miss the surge but most days with my work I don't have that much time on my hands! The opks I have take 30 mins from time of poas or piac in my case. Hope I didn't fail to ovulate!!! 😱

@Angelmiracle cm is difficult to read! Especially when it's so contradictory. Hope that your DH feels better soon. Anything up to a 5 day gap and you should be covered just obviously not as well... 🤞

@Firsttimer16 - you swayed me! I just primed the digital opks. (And a few extra frers 😂)
They will arrive tomorrow so I hope is not too late to tell. Apps reckon I will ov on 5th.
This is only my second cycle off the implant though so it's really hard to predict...

@Becca444 welcome!

@TheMagicTorch good job cycle buddy!
Does the static smiley mean high but not peak?

So thinking about trying this smep this month. Just had a flashing smiley. Now what??

I'm cd7 today by the way and not DTD since AF finished. I ov early as have 24 day cycles.