Starting again (CD1)

[blackfriars]

Anyone else right at the start of a new cycle? I could do with some cycle buddies.

I'm 32, cycle 5 and TTC first baby. Regular cycles of 27/28 days.

Feeling bummed today - I really thought this month could be our month after all the DTD! Had my first TTC cry yesterday. Is that pathetic after just 5 months?!

@Louise190 sounds like you're definitely in with a chance, and as you say at least you've sped up the TWW!

I am now on day 7 of the flashing smiley! So confused as to whether I just won't get a peak at all or whether the tests have somehow missed it? Also wondering if this means this cycle will be longer? That would be odd as my past 5 cycles have all been 27/28 days....am I in the TWW already? And if my luetal (I can't spell that) phase is really short does that limit chances of implantation!

I seem to remember people saying you want your luetal phase to be longer, does anyone know why that is?

So many questions!

@blackfriars I believe a luteal phase shorter than 10 days does affect chances of implantation as I think the lining of the uterus doesn't become thick enough, but I'm sure there is remedies to take to lengthen it. The only way I discovered my luteal phase was longer than the average was by temping.

@Louise190 speeding up a tww is idea 😂 hopefully you've caught ovulation this cycle 🤞

Fingers crossed for you too @Skyla01 🤞

@Dweebette I test afternoon and evening with my opks and have always caught the surge in the evening. Could you have ovulated earlier? Any other signs of ov such as ewcm? If you aren't lucky this month I'd maybe start opks from cd13. My apps predict me ov'ing on cd 16/17/18 but last cycle I was day 15 🙈 It sounds like you've covered your fertile period 🤞

@Wishing56 did you get your positive opk? x

Well I have no idea where I am in my cycle 🙈 deffo cd15.... no idea if I've ovulated or not! We've managed to dtd once so far this cycle as I've been working (nights) and before that we were camping. Honestly.... ovulating always happens at a stupidly busy time.... typical.
Looking forward to seeing some BFPs in the next couple of weeks 🤞🤞

@Peachyx2505 yes got a positive this morning. The test line was darker than the control line which made me think it was invalid.

This was it...

Thanks @Peachyx2505, good to know the evening works too. I'm just going to keep testing daily now and see what happens. It would be very unlikely that I ovulate earlier as my shortest cycle has been 31 days but who knows!! Honestly if I'd known the pill messed you up this much I would have come off it much earlier!

Sounds like a few of us are in the same boat- not sure if we've ovulated/ is it still to happen?! Will make for an interesting tww...! Today I'm thinking it'll be interesting to see when exactly AF arrives, then I can count back and see it was when I ovulated (unless I get bfp of course, although not feeling hopeful for that). Things might become clearer in a few weeks!
@blackfriars I don't have advice really I'm afraid, but perhaps you should just keep DTD until smiley disappears? I wonder if your surge was missed? Or maybe you've ovulated later this month? I think luteal phase is usually 14 days, and a late ovulation would push your cycle length longer. You'll just have to wait and see I think (like the rest of us...!). Looking forward to seeing if any of us get BFP this month!!

@Wishing56 oh no, I'm a POAS addict. I used an IC this morning alongside the OPK just for funsies! 😂🙈

Yay for a shorter TWW! Although one app is saying AF is due 11th and the other 12th so I don't actually know when I'm due. I'm leaning towards to 12th as that app seems to be a lot more logical in its algorithms 🤷🏼‍♀️ I'm not sure if I feel more chill this cycle or if this is just the calm before the storm!?

@blackfriars perhaps your levels just haven't reached high enough for the test to register a static smiley? That's not to say you haven't or won't OV though! Yes, a longer luteal phase is better as more chance of sticking but I'm not sure of the parameters!

Certainly sounds like we're all having a confusing cycle! We'll have to stick together to keep our sanity!!!

Ugh yes does sound like we have some confusing cycles going on here! I had yet another flashing smiley this morning - that's day 8! Guess we are just going to keep DTD and testing, though we've only been managing to DTD every other day rather than every day. TBH I don't think I have ovulated as no sign of EWCM which I usually do get around the static smiley...

I've got to admit I'm not feeling very hopeful about this cycle, and feeling generally a bit bummed today!

How's everyone else doing?

I'm ashamed to admit I'm looking forward to Love Island tonight to distract me!

@blackfriars maybe this could be a long cycle and you've yet to ovulate? If you are DTD every day you'll catch it. You need to pace yourself- dtd every day can get tiring! I'm still keeping an eye out for ewcm, otherwise guess I ovulated some time over the last 5 days.

@Skyla01 - sounds like are equally in the dark this month, but hopefully we caught it. I hope you're having a lovely holiday anyway!

Thank you, yes it's a nice distraction from ttc waiting time. Although OH isn't with me so will be annoyed if I ovulate now!
Not sure how to time this tww! Might give it 3 weeks and if no AF (or further ovulation signs) by then do a test.
Are you going to keep doing OPKs? There's a chance your static smiley could still appear I guess.

Yeah I think I'll keep testing - tomorrow will be day 9 and the clearblue website advises testing up to day 9 anyway so might as well give it a go!

I've got no idea how to time TWW either....all my other cycles since I had the coil out have been 27/28 days so I think I'll just assume AF is due as normal on 13 June and see what happens!

@louise190 I shall be taking another OPK later despite yesterday test result. Becoming a POAS addict with you.
Being the first month using them I am intrigued to see what the line does throughout the month.
My pack of 15 OPKs wont last more than this month at this rate!

When does TWW normally start the day you get your positive OPK or do you start counting from a couple of days later?

I normally just wait until day 36 to POAS as thats the longest my cycle has ever been but that would mean waiting 19 days post positive OPK. Not sure I can wait that long!

@louise190 you start your TWW from ovulation, so probably 24-36 hours after positive test kit.

I've just got EWCM so looks like I might just be ovulating late after all - I've text DH to tell him he is on duty later!! Maybe I'll even get a static smiley tomorrow.

Thank god work is quiet as this is taking up a lot of head-space!

@blackfriars thanks. Will start counting from tomorrow, which would mean testing on 18th.

Ah thats good news! Fingers crossed for that flashing smiley!
All our husbands/partners must be loving this last week having to DTD so often 😂

I sometimes find myself giving my OH daily cervical mucous updates...! Luckily he takes it in his stride and he's happy to get down to business. Never thought we'd be having these conversations...!
Fingers crossed for solid smiley for you tomorrow @blackfriars!

@blackfriars I am looking forward to love island as well! I need something trashy and easy to get stuck in to - something uncomplicated and simple! Poor DP isn't looking forward to t though!!

@Wishing56 I ordered 2 packs of 30 OPK I think because I know what I'm like! As it's my first cycle testing I took at least one every day of my cycle - just to see what happened! And I am really none the wiser!!

I am 5 or 7 DPO, depending on which app we look at, and I have been having cramps the past couple of days. AF due 11th/12th, I do normally start to get cramps about 7 days before AF so I do think I'm out again!

How long does an OPK stay positive?
I have just done another one and its positive. Just had alot of EWCM too (sorry tmi).
Ovulation is so confusing!

@Wishing56 - the test should indicate you will ovulate within 12-36 hours (well, the ClearBlue ones do - maybe check the instructions with the pack to check yours is the same?) so your prime time to DTD should be from the day of the positive test and the following two days usually.

Today I got day NINE of flashing smiley face!!! I'm almost past being annoyed at this stage. The instructions say if you get nine days stop testing until the next cycle so I might just do that. I reckon I missed my surge TBH, but we have managed to DTD on CDs 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 17....might have one more go this evening and then have a rest! I'm not feeling too lucky this cycle, but the one good thing about all this confusion is that AF is now due next Thursday, barely over a week away, so its made the TWW less painful!

At least we have Love Island eh!!

Just to confuse myself some more, I thought I'd enter my info onto the fertility friend app. That app thinks OV was the 25th, CD9!?

For reference-
Fertility friend - OV on CD9
P Tracker - CD13
Glow - CD11

I think this cycle is a dud!!

@Louise190 have you got any idea what that app bases it on? Do all these apps just look at your cycle length or do they look at symptoms too?

I feel like this cycle has been cursed for a few of us!

@blackfriars I have only put in my BBT to fertility friend, of which one day was missed due to no sleep. I think a combination of things has thrown all my data out this cycle. I'm just going to have to wait for AF, or by some miracle, BFP! It has certainly made the TWW more interesting!!

@Louise190 have you entered opks and ewcm into fertility friend? You can change the settings which may give you a different ov date. As long as there was three days of high temps then you probs ovulated when it thinks. Can you screen shot and post a pic of your chart? X

@blackfriars I think you've covered it well. Do you test twice a day with the CB ones? Maybe your surge was short and happened between testing?

@Wishing56 my positive opk sometimes stays that way for 24 hours. It can be less depending on when I caught the surge. Glad you got your positive x

@Dweebette any positives your end? X

This cycle has been a complete wash for us. I'd assume I was in the tww, but I genuinely have no idea. I've not tracked anything 🙈 I'm going to expect AF from around the 17th I think xx