TTC FIRST BABY - Thread 11!

[FlapJackered]

Hi all, thought we needed to start a new thread!
@KatBeCool
@cupcakesandglitter
@MrsAW2018
@Crossfitgirl
@EltzBee
@TrashKitten10

Wow this is such a lucky thread at the moment! Huge congrats to @DogMum24 and @FivexFive and anyone else I’ve forgotten!

@Bettythecat that’s really good advice from your therapist. I will try to remember that myself, I’m still only on CD6 of cycle 1 and I’ve told myself I’m going to try and stay super chilled with a ‘what will be will be’ attitude but I know if it ends up taking a long time I will turn into a crazy TTC monster 😂🙈

Sorry if this has been asked before but can anyone recommend which OPKs are best? Not sure whether to splash out on the clear blue or stick to the cheapies?

@OhMarnie - I'd say the cheapies are fine for a while :) the One Step ones from Amazon. Can do a couple a day around the time you think you might ovulate as they're cheap so no worries about wasting them. I have a couple of my clearblue ones error and they're so expensive it's very frustrating!

@starkid Thankyou!! I will order some today. So do you just start using them around the time you think you’ll ovulate? I have quite long cycles and last month must have ovulated around CD28 but I don’t want to miss the surge if I ovulate earlier this month. Such a complicated business this TTC isn’t it!! 🤪

So, day 9 of flashing smileys for me. Been testing morning and evening. I’m gutted and so worried that maybe I don’t ovulate. I’ve had some EWCM but I guess it’s just fx for next month

Good morning ladies!

Huge congratulations for the BFP’s!

This is my first cycle of temperature checking. Any advice from those of you that a bit more experienced with it?

Also, reading through the posts and seeing the comments about how we’re conditioned to think even looking at an unprotected penis or taking our pills slightly wrong will end in conception, is just crazy! Those ‘happy accidents’ are superbly timed and really are not true for the majority of us.

I also feel the newly married pressure around me. I’m sure every time I see certain friends/family they’re waiting for a clue. It’s quite upsetting as I feel when/if it happens I will get the “oh about time” response.

@OhMarnie I had the same attitude about just seeing how things go but I'm at CD24 of cycle 1 and already deciding to buy OPKs, analysing my temps like mad and making a note of every cramp, twinge and sore boob moment, the TTC madness has hit me quickly!

@Lola871 I also have around 35 day cycles with polycystic ovaries. The doctor said that longer cycles just give you fewer goes each year but other than that you have no less chance. I've also read that the important thing is your cycles being regular for you, so if they stick around 35 days each time that's good, but it can be more tricky if they are 24 days one month, 35 the next for example.

@DogMum24 Congrats! What lovely news

@FivexFive I bet you're chuffed seeing it spelt out on the digital :)

@OhMarnie you use them from about 5 day before your predicted ovulation. The instructions on the One Step tell you how to calculate it based on cycle length. I used them this month from about day 8 when I usually O on CD14-20. I'm glad I did as I got my positives on CD11 and 12. I would really recommend them over the CB ones as you can use twice a day as they are so cheap plus I like being able to see the lines which show if there is any LH in the urine so you can see your levels build. The CB are pretty binary which I don't find as useful.

@Bettythecat thanks that’s really helpful. Let the madness begin!

@OhMarnie I used the ovaview OPKs from amazon and started testing about 5 days before my Clue app predicted ovulation. Got a really strong positive on the day Clue predicted ovulation, which surprised me as I wasn't expecting to ovulate as predicted given I'd only just come off BC.
Has anyone got anything exciting planned for today? Or anything to distract themselves from TTC thoughts? We are having a lazy morning, waiting for our HelloFresh box up arrive, then we should be popping into my parents before going to a first birthday party.

@BostonFern sounds like a lovely day! How do you find HelloFresh? I’m intrigued about these things but not tried them myself.

Unfortunately my day will consist of marking and planning as I’m a teacher 😫

@OhMarnie both myself and my OH are teachers! Have somehow missed the Sunday full of marking this week though.
We love HelloFresh, started getting them when we went back to work in September, it saves us so much time in terms of shopping and even just deciding what to eat. We have been eating much healthier too. If you're interested I'm sure they sent us a referral code recently.

@BostonFern we are waiting on our Hello Fresh Box coming too ☺️ @OhMarnie you should give it a go, give you lots of good ideas ☺️

@BostonFern Oh snap! You must just be a lot more efficient than me, I tend to spend Saturday lazing around and then panic on Sunday because I have done any work 😂

We have a fairly good system at the moment with our weekly meal plan and we split the cooking between us but I might just have to look into HelloFresh...might be a life saver when we do have a baby!!

Is anyone looking at testing next weekend? AF is due for me next Monday. Was thinking of testing Friday and if negative I'll just wait for AF to arrive 😕. Argh the wait is agonising isn't it! I'm currently buried under a pile of dogs so thinking I might take them for a nice long walk! Pass a bit of time x

@Lozzlepop our box has just arrived, really looking forward to this weeks meals!
@thumper59 AF is due Thursday, not sure when to test, part of me wants to have the patience to hold off until the weekend so I don't have to go into work disappointed in the week, then the other part just wants to know (hence the v early testing yesterday).

@BostonFern that makes sense, it's hard to wait! Even though I've been telling myself it's so unlikely to happen first time I can't help but get my hopes up 😬. However if AF does come and it's when she's expected my cycle will be back to normal first month off the pill so that is a win too I suppose! It's all just a wait and a worry isn't it...

@BostonFern have you been feeling any pre AF niggles? Do you feel any different at all? I think I do but I don't know if I'm just imagining it (likely) or my emotions etc are more under control with not being full of false hormones

I love seeing the positive test photographs - they fill me with hope! Thank you for sharing ladies. And congratulations!

@thumper59 my AF is due Friday so if she hasn't arrived il be testing. But I have just bought loads of testing strips so depends if I can hold out till then, probably the same as you @BostonFern x

@OhMarnie I have always been in the habit of chilling Saturday, working Sunday too. Recently though I realised that I'm not truly relaxing Saturday as I'm preparing myself for and dreading all the work Sunday and Sunday I'm working so neither day is relaxed haha. The past few weeks I've been cracking on Saturday and at least getting to truly switch off on Sunday. I'm a worrier though so having work hanging over me stresses me out. I'm getting fed up of the work in general and pledging to do the majority of planning at least in my PPA. Fed up of spending PPA doing anything but planning, preparing or assessing. Also know it's not realistic to work so much if we had a child so trying to get into a more 'I can only do what I can do' mindset rather than taking too much on and getting anxious. Are you Primary or Secondary?

@thumper59 I may test next weekend if no sign of AF. My cycles have been 35ish days and next weekend would be day 30, however FF seems to think I ovulated really early so may be worth POAS

I’m an idiot, I got my static smiley just now! Tested by peeing straight onto the stick instead of dipping... wonder if it made a difference (tmi )

Weirdly had a temp rise this morning but opk is still positive? Anyone have any ideas why this might be. I think I am just going to take it as a anomaly temperature as I wouldn't have already ovulated if I still have a positive opk would I?

@Kittyhop I once had 14 days of flashing smileys, I would keep going if you can bare it as I am sure you will get your static eventually. It's so frustrating isn't it. I was ready to throw the damn things out of the window by the end of it!

@FivexFive there it is in words!! So exciting!!

@DogMum24 congratulations!! 🎉🎉

Welcome @Lola871 😀

@DayDreamer1707 @TrashKitten10

Quite a few of us due all around the same time then. Fx'd for us all it's been a lucky thread so far!

@TrashKitten10 that’s a very good point, I definitely wouldn’t be able to sustain this level of work with a little one. That said, I guess your priorities change and maybe I wouldn’t care so much about my lessons being sub-standard 🤣 I also know that I tend to let work seep into all hours whereas when I have more limited time (like if we are away for the weekend or something) I still get it done I just work efficiently.

I am secondary, what about you? I am head of department but am a solo department as it’s a mainly sixth form subject and I’m already dreading what will happen when I go on maternity as I’m such a control freak I can’t bear the thought of other people teaching my classes 😂🙈 I probably shouldn’t get ahead of myself though seeing as we’ve only just started TTC!! Bit of insight into my crazy brain there!! 🤣

@Kittyhop cross post! That's great you got your positive!