TTC 1st Baby - Thread 17!

[MrsEG]

Hi everyone! I’ve started a new thread as we are dangerously close to 1000 posts in the last one! I’ll add a link to it now :) Here’s hoping it’s a lucky one!

@MrsEG - I've got loadssss of pregnancy tests inc. FRER's, but never really needed to do them before as the usual tell-tale signs of AF always turn up :(

@starkid Well I will keep all my fingers and toes crossed for you!

@ELW85 Ha at high school for us it was all about how NOT to get pregnant!!

@MrsEG I totally agree about the afternoon off! I work for myself and do invoke this policy on occasion .

@Lozzlepop ice-cream and an iced latte - that's the way to do it! I must just have to pop out for one...

@ELW85 Oh my god tell me about it. Nine months ago I was totally and utterly clueless. Had no idea about the TWW, genuinely thought you could find out pretty immediately. LOL. If not school, I really feel like somewhere should teach people it can take bloody ages.

@starkid Have you got some weekend plans to distract yourself?

@Purplefig couldn’t agree more!! @MrsEG is right, we’ve gone from avoiding it to planning it as much as we can. There almost needs to be a bulletin in your early 20s that gives you a heads up, haha!

Such a good line @MrsEG - congratulations again 😊

@LokiCat the only regret could be not having a sundae!

@Meenabeena ttc when fasting must be so tough. Seems like you have more days ahead if yday was cd8?

Sorry to hear you're out @ValidUser. Hope you get your appointment next week.

@purplefig have also struggled with expectations. Combo of all my friends getting their BFP within 3 months (or accidentally) and being brought up believing that one slip up and you'd end up with a baby

@ELW85 I completely agree about wishing I’d been taught the intricacies of conceiving! The birds and the bees talk didn’t really explain how difficult it can be!

On a slight side note, what does SMEP mean please?

I’m on day 46 today, and had some egg white like CM which makes zero sense. I did an OPK with the cheap tests I had in the house, attached is the result which I’m interpreting as neg?
Definitely investing in some CB ones next month!

@dahlia123 @ELW85 yeah it's tough going when it doesn't happen as quickly as you assumed it would. Only one of our friends have babies and both were conceived first month!!! So by cycle 2 I was like oh the naivety. Have you told anyone else you're trying? At the mo it's just me and DH (and my acupuncturist ) but I'm finding it harder and harder each month. I kind of want to tell my mum because I know she'd be a great support, but on the other hand I feel like it's just more expectations to manage.

@Tashdreams SMEP is the sperm meets egg plan and basically involves a lot of sex - full details are here: spermmeetseggplan.com/smep-step-by-step/

Have you used OPKs before? Some people's 2nd line gets progressively darker as the hormone builds up - so while it is currently negative, it might get darker and darker. I'd keep testing daily and see if it changes. If you use CB you'll also need a monitor.

@purplefig do it, its so refreshing!

@Tashdreams SMEP is the Sperm meets egg plan which is designed to help those who have suffered a miscarriage conceive

From Cycle day 8 BD, plan to BD every other day until +OPK

Cycle day 10
Start daily OPK testing until OPK turns positive

+OPK day
BD today, tomorrow, and the next day.
Skip a day and BD one more time.

If OPK never turns positive, BD every other day until AF arrives hope that helps, you basically want to DTD every 2-3 days until your positive OPK then do it 3 days in a row miss a day then once more for good luck!

@purplefig has done a much better job 👆🏻by adding a link!

@dahlia123 Yup this cycle is basically throughout the fasting month. So I don't have much hope but will try my best to do what I can :(

@purplefig @lozzlepop thanks both!

Thankfully the link explained BD without having to ask more questions - I giggled lots at the baby dance terminology 😂

Day 8 seems like so long ago! With the lines getting progressively darker, I assume we’ll all have some interesting photo albums in our phones 😂

Thanks again for your help & wishing everyone luck xx

@purplefig it's been at the top of my list for ages!! We're off to Botswana! So excited
Re realistic expectations in your other post, I think we all came in to TTC thinking it would be something that would happen straight away. That's what was always drilled into us! Fingers crossed for us all though.

@MrsEG I have to persevere till next Thursday. I should probably follow in your footsteps and ask DH to hide the FRER! I've got the ICs if I'm really struggling by next week 😂

@starkid fingers crossed for next Monday! I hope you manage to hold off POAS till then! 

@dahlia123 I completely agree! I regret not having some of DH's waffles tbh!

A bulletin would have really been useful to know about the possible difficulties in getting pregnant and all the craziness/obsession that goes along with TTC! I've researched so much and yet I'm sure there's still so much I have no idea about!

DH is away for the night so an evening with the cats for me! Hope you all have a lovely evening ahead 😊

@dahlia123 I found out a few days ago that my SIL is pregnant with baby no 2. The kicker is she wasn't trying and they BD just the once thinking nothing's gonna happen. *sigh

@Lozzlepop I was just being too lazy to type!

@Tashdreams oh god, some of the terminology is just dreadful. A link I posted on here the other day had "baby making intercourse". I mean, really. And YES to the photo albums of OPK sticks. I even kept mine one month on a desk and my husband was like...wtf....!

@LokiCat Oh AMAZING! You're going to have the best time! Glad it's not just me with my ridic expectations. Enjoy your night in with the cats, that sounds lush. I've been out for another long dog walk and consequently have lots of work to catch up.

@Tashdreams - I totally see that as on the rise and gearing up to O? :)

@Purplefig weirdly, the only person other than my husband is the coach at the gym, just because I don’t want to over exert myself - 60-80% of women who exercise regularly have their cycles affected by it!

I realise my posts make me sound like I’m worrying all of the time, but as we’re finding out, it’s a lot harder to conceive than I think we’re brought up to understand :)

It’s hard to balance all of this info with relaxing and having fun trying, haha!

@purplefig last year I said to a couple of my friends that we'd start trying this year. They have been so good about it but wish I hadn't said anything. Considered telling my mum but while she'd be supportive I couldn't deal with the expectations and hope!

@Meenabeena fingers crossed for you. Good news for your SIL, though that's got to be tough to hear if she wasn't trying.

Congratulations again @MrsED!

What does BD? Mean?

I have started on the OPK this month and it’s going painfully slowly 🙈 my app says this Sunday but I get home late on Thursday night and my Fiancé is on his stag do early Friday till Sunday so not sure if we will miss this month or not!

@Tashdreams you will pick up on the terminology quickly so don't worry!

@Meenabeena I would take that with a pinch of salt, sometimes I think people don't tell the whole truth when it come to TTC.

@purplefig it was a much better course of action that what I went for and baby making intercourse is just a phrase that should never be uttered!

Counting down till hometime now- not long left 🙌🏻

@Lozzlepop Your right. I wish people would just tell the truth. So glad I joined this place, it's nice to have a support community and know your not going through this alone :)

@ELW85 the whole thing is a total mind fuck. There are all these various factors you need to consider (ultimately, you have to do it at the right time or the chance is nil) but you have to do that and know the info without stressing yourself and being totally zen about it. Impossible.

@dahlia123 Yeah that's exactly how I feel, especially because I know she is desperate for a grandchild. Gahh.

@PippaPug Baby Dance. And DTD means do/did the deed. All code for sex . I prefer to just say sex . For what it's worth, apps aren't always great at pinpointing ovulation dates - it's better to go with your OPKs or other signs like EWCM (egg white cervical mucus).

@Meenabeena If you're having a bad day with the whole TTC, other people's baby joy can feel really hard to bear so you're not alone. I've kind of come to a strange place now where when someone announces I'm both happy for them and a bit sad for me.

@purplefig what does the CB monitor do then? I should just google it shouldn’t I?! Haha sorry.

I’ve been monitoring my BBT since coming off the pill last sept & I found it a great indicator for the first few months until we got lucky, then after our MMC it’s been a bit all over the place, I put it down to shift work over the last 6 weeks, but my temp has gone up yest & today, but as I say, I’m not getting my hopes up!

@meenabeena since my MC two relatives have had beautiful baby boys & it seems like all of my distant friends / acquantances are announcing pregnancy! Lovely for them & so so happy for their bundles of joy, just leaves me wondering when will it be us.

Ah have a lovely evening all - I’m working til 1am so can’t see any BD tonight hehe

@Tashdreams I haven't used one, but as I understand you insert the OPK and it tells you whether it's positive or not (by way of smiling faces...why is everything to do with fertility is so infantilizing?!). Sorry to hear BBT hasn't been as reliable since your MMC. Also 1am. Ooof - that's a late one!

@Purplefig - mindfuck indeed. We will get there but everything is just so contradictory; concentrate, be relaxed. Blah...one of those days for me I’m afraid, haha!

@ELW85 well if it's any consolation, you're in good company. I try and be positive and upbeat, but feeling a bit of an Eeyore with it today. On the plus side, I've just had a right old whinge about everything to my husband and we've decided to go for an impromptu date night to take our minds off it.