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?

@Firsttimer16 I would lean towards not worrying about doing it too much unless there's a known male fertility issue (and even then in some cases like low morphology it's better to do it more often). However, if you've tried that approach and were aiming for something different this time then stick with SMEP and see if it works! Which OPKs are you using?

@Bas27 my OPKs confuse me so much that we just keep DTD anyway! I might go with skipping a couple of days after a temp rise as that would be the rough equivalent of 3 days after a positive OPK. Though ovulation would be long gone by then! Maybe it's in case the OPK isn't accurate? I might have to do some googling!

@NoseringGirl I'm using IC and clear blue digital (just the one with circle or static smiley - not the advanced one with flashing smiley). I think I'll skip tonight but if I still haven't had positive day after tomorrow (as well dtd tomorrow anyway) then I think I'll keep doing it daily just incase! Ohhhh the waitingggg!

@Firsttimer16 there is a ridiculous amount of waiting involved in TTC! I constantly feel like I'm just waiting for stuff! The bit between AF and the fertile window is the dullest though. At least we have these forums to keep us entertained. Bring on the TWW and symptom spotting!

@Firsttimer16 @Bas27 oh my gosh I didn't even think of that! This whole time I figured the line just got darker as the LH got stronger towards ovulation....not necessarily that there was ALWAYS LH present. I guess that's what happens when you only OPK for 4 days in your cycle

I've attached a picture anyway....due to us starting SMEP I've done an OPK since CD7...here you can see the offending three! Would you class those all negative then?

8.5 is the evening of the one I mistook for a positive...you can see it's fainter.

Oh wow @Kelsoid they are all very dark second lines - I would've counted them as positives too to be honest!! Are you 100% you're not pregnant as apparently they can also pick up pregnancy? I can see why you were confused!

@Kelsoid I don’t know much about the ics as I’ve never used them but they seem super strong lines compared to other pictures I’ve seen on here so I agree with @Firsttimer16

Still a flashing smiley today (CD 14) so will BD tonight to stick to plan. Had my static smiley on CD 15 last month so hoping for it tomorrow (although that will mean 4 days in a row.... )

Peak fertility today on the clearblue monitor but my temperature jumped quite a bit this morning so hope I haven't missed ovulation. We've been BD Eod anyway on SMEP so fingers crossed! Bad timing - we have guests this weekend!

@JustLikeTheySaid good timing for the weekend! Cd16 here and no positive yet zzz
I didn't ovulate until cd24 last month - but that was after a Cp so def hoping it's not that late this month! Oh well it's Friday 🙌 and so will enjoy some wine while I can!

@Kelsoid they look positive to me! I would agree with doing an HPT if there's any chance you could be pregnant as that does produce positive LH tests as well. It could just be that you ovulate early though! How many days were they taken over and how long is your cycle? A normal luteal phase is anything from 10-16 days so it could just be that you're on the longer side of that.

My temp went up again this morning, not by a lot but it's heading upwards. I normally stop doing OPKs now but I think I'll do them today to see if they get any darker as I never seem to get fully positive.

@Kelsoid yes good positive opks! I conceived DS CD8 so it's very possible you're ovulating. But if the opks don't get faint anytime soon I'd be doing hpt!!

@becca444 @noseringgirl Im glad we decided to do smep because ovulation is messed up this month!! CD20 another flashing smiley this morning but ic opk about 75% as dark as control so I think I will do another CB opk this evening x

So I did another ovulation test as while my temps are heading up they're not that high and I'm pretty sure this one is positive. I was also curious about whether it would go positive as I'd usually stop testing at this point.
You can also see from our 'BD' days that we've been really bad at SMEP 😳
So have I not ovulated yet do you think? Usually when my temps start heading up I'll get AF around 10 days later so if I'm ovulating after start creeping up, that's a worryingly short LP.

@Bas27 Hope it goes quickly! I'll keep you updated - I started getting symptoms in the 2nd week of the TWW last month, but sadly wasn't a sticky bean 😔
It is a huge adjustment without the implant, I only had it for 3 years and it was a big change. 🤞🤞 for BFPs this month!

@Angelmiracle Thanks! We only missed BD last night due to DP working but I feel like it was probably unnecessary- I ovulated on Sunday, so surely Thursday wouldn't be the likely day to conceive? Of course if I get a BFN this month that's what I'll blame it on!!!
I say go for DTD tonight anyway, especially with EWCM and then if you get a static smiley tomorrow that'll be 4 days in a row which is what we ended up with! Good luck xx

Hi lovelies, how is everyone doing? Slightly bizarrely, I'm now in the Republic of Georgia with a suitcase full of poas tests - I took 11 with me.

Tww is driving me officially crackers but can use a frer to test tomorrow according to Ovia.

It's my first cycle so think it would be a miracle but still holding out for I've 🙏🙏🙏

@WaitingforDaffodils 🤞 for you!!

Frustrated with no lh surge yet but will keep dtd in case x

@angelmiracle ach that's hugely frustrating. Maybe you just missed it because of poas timing?

Have you been doing smep all cycle then? That's impressive! Wishing for good things for you this month! 🤞🤞🤞

@Firsttimer16 @NoseringGirl @Becca444 @Angelmiracle I did read that somewhere...about LH mimicking HCG. AF was bang on time and regular length...took a test this morning anyway and it's a BFN cycle length is usually 27/28 days so maybe it is just a longer luteal phase? Those tests were taken over two days.

Also did another OPK this morning and STILL the same second line. I'll keep going for the next few days and if there's no change in LH maybe I'll test again. Probably just wishful thinking that AF was implantation bleeding!

Definitely felt queasy when I woke up this morning; and I've got the worst backache ever. Both of these are not ovulation symptoms for me...who knows, maybe AF really was a real heavy implantation?!

@Kelsoid they look like good lines :) when did you start bd from?
@NoseringGirl your stamina is impressive!! Not exactly in line will smep... but very comprehensive.

Hi @WaitingforDaffodils - keep us updated! :) 🤞

I haven't exactly stuck to smep either...

You guys have so much sex! Every other day is waayyyyy more than we would normally do.

Please read this 🤣 "...it is now believed that the egg actually chooses who she lets in or not.

The egg appears to give preference to sperm with intact DNA, producing a compound that softens the outer layer of the egg to allow specific sperm to enter. These studies also suggest that the egg may even actively bind sperm to its surface, thereby not giving the sperm any choice in the matter, trapping the sperm it has chosen. Once a sperm has made its way in, the outer layer of the egg hardens, which prevents entry to any other suitors.."
Typical woman 😉

@WaitingforDaffodils sounds like the best way to travel, with a suitcase full of pee sticks 🤣 best of luck!

@Kelsoid hope you get answers soon! I know some people with PCOS have constant higher levels of LH. Maybe a faulty batch? Could just be a long LP and you get lucky with the timing this month now you know!

@Bas27 I hit my mid 30s and my sex drive went through the roof. In my less rational moments I worry I'll hit the menopause early and this is my body's way of desperately trying to get as many babies produced as possible before then 🙈 SMEP is difficult to stick to, I also worry about skipping nights in case we don't get a chance the night after! Definitely going to do the 3 days after this positive LH test if we can then try the skipping one and one last time. Will see how it goes!

@Angelmiracle it's all so clever! When I started reading more about all the things that have to happen for conception to take place, I was amazed the human race could survive!

cycle day 14 i got my high reading in the fertility monitor, meant to bd today but dh isn't ho e till 11 and i'm too tired

Well look who decided to appear tonight Little Miss Static Smiley 😀

Dtd last night so can this be 2nd night on a row? DH thought it was his night off too 🤣