Sperm Meets Egg #2

[Makingawish]

Here's thread #2! I'll add who I can think off the top of my head for now...

@AllHopeAndNoResults @Carley321 @Skyla01 @tinyole @VenusStarr

Morning ladies, I’m not feeling too great this morning and SMEP has sort of gone out the window this month. We was so ready to get going but everything has just gotten in the way. One night I was so awfully ill I spent most of it on the toilet 🤦🏻‍♀️ Sorry tmi. Another night DP worked late and because he was up with me most of the night he was so tired and ended up falling asleep, I didn’t wake him because of the circumstances, then last night (and this morning 😖😖) I had a really bad headache and had to go to bed early!! I know it’s early days but we haven’t even started following it yet! And I’ve got a new job which I start soon and it’s mostly night shifts! I’m just not sure how this is going to go down.

@firsttimemum55 that’s exciting waiting for the first appointment and getting all your papers and maternity book! I bet you can’t wait to just get started?
My Cm, I think, was probably not as weird as I was thinking. It was clear stretchy and a bit pinky then the next day was sort of more dry and pinky. It was only a little bit not very noticeable at all. In all honesty I think it may have been from dtd the night before, although it was evening when I see the Cm. Oh I don’t know 🤷🏻‍♀️

@Carley321 did you book the hsg? I think it is best to just get it out of the way. At least once it’s done you can forget about it.

@AllHopeAndNoResults sorry you've been feeling poorly! Don't stress over smep. It's s full on regime and is only really feasible if you are both well and around the house the same time (I imagine it will be difficult to follow with shift working). So I would just do what you can. DTD around ovulation is most important, so that's the only time I would really bother if we weren't managing the rest of the month. You've still probably still got a few days to go until ovulation anyway?

@Carley321 thanks! I'm just away to go on holiday for a week. Almost forget to pack tampons. Hope I won't need them!

@AllHopeAndNoResults thanks for your message. I've decided to wait until I have a period, I would hate anything to happen again and I'd blame myself for not waiting.

@Skyla01 thank you and yes you’re right. It’s a full time commitment, I can see why people give it about 3 try’s before moving to something else. I will still try again next month but as you suggested I’m just going to try for ovulation time. It’s weird because I’ve not been so obsessive about the opks either I kind of feel like I’m giving it up without noticing if that makes sense?

Where are you going on holiday? It will be a good distraction and hopefully you will get a good result like @firsttimemum55 and conceive shortly after. The relaxation might help!

@nicola18737 I think that’s a good decision. Just get all prepared for the following cycle and hopefully you will be in full swing.

Hi all! Well I finally got + OPK and also Peak on CBFM yesterday. I've been seriously ill and ended up in hospital so unsurprisingly we haven't followed SMEP or even considered dtd. I'm still not well but recovering slowly.

Anyway, I'm out for this month so I'll just wait for AF in a few weeks then start SMEP again next cycle!

Hope you're all doing well!

Oh it's catsandkid btw - sorry namechanged!

Hi all! Thought I would give SMEP a go this month.

TTC#1
Cycle 3

CD10 and gone from a negative yesterday to strong positive/peak this morning on OPKs.

We started SMEP and DTD Thursday night (CD7 as DH was out CD8) and last night. Should we do it again tonight and next 2 nights as well to cover it?

My DH is worried it will affect sperm count to do it 4 nights on the trot but I figure it can't be a bad thing if it's a recommendation regime!
Thanks all.

@AllHopeAndNoResults sorry you’ve had a crappy start. But there’s still time to give it a go. Don’t feel defeated just yet. As for the Cm maybe the beginning of FW?

Yes I rang yesterday and they will ring back Monday hopefully with an appointment. Although I know the clinic only do the hsg on certain days so 🤞 it will work out.

@poorlypoppet hope your ok? Sorry to hear you’ve been so unwell. You will have another chance next month. Just focus on getting well and fit now x

@Skyla01 ooo lovely have a fab holiday. Keeping my 🤞 for you not to need those tampons 😊.

Hello @Makeafamily19 those are some positive opks. Get to it 😊. I always wonder the same about the dtd for 3 nights in a row.. but I guess it’s in the plan 🤔

I know this is probably a stupid question but....last cycle I was doing opks from around day 11 and was getting an obvious line, this cycle I’m getting the faintest of lines at cd12 it’s obviously negative but it’s barely showing. Does it mean I won’t ovulate this month? Or ovulate later? It’s just a bit weird not even seeing a proper negative.

I imagine it will get darker over the days until you peak? Just happening at a slightly different time this month.

I'm definitely out this month, just had another 0 OPK so must have missed it earlier this month by testing in the evenings. Will have to put lunch time reminders in my work diary - should be interesting if anyone sees!

Hi I have a question for all you SMEP experts :D
This is my first month on the plan, 2nd cycle following a mmc, and second cycle with OPKs. Have been temping since April.

I got a Positive OPK on Saturday morning, but no temp spike yet... I usually O later than this in my cycle - Saturday was CD 16 for me and I usually O on day 20ish. Is it likely this was a false start and I will have another? We have been bding every day since Friday (our EOD ran into our ED!!!) and worried we will burn out before it's actually time!!

Another Q - I realised doing this that had it not been a saturday there is no way I would have seen it as it was gone by the evening... how do you get around this? Are CB digitals better for people like me as you do it in the am?

@SMiles14 I have found that I get temp spike about 2-3 days after + OPK. So if you had a + on CD16, perhaps you won't see a temp spike until around CD18/19 which would then correspond with your CD20 O date that you usually see on the temping side. This is how it is for me, including when I fell pg with DS years ago and we BD on the Peak days (I use Clearblue digital monitor so you get 2 Peak days, which is basically when you'd see a + OPK) and my temps didn't rise until 2 or so days later.

As for OPK and CB digital...I always have preferred CB digital (well...I use the CB fertility monitor, but it's the same concept really) as it takes the guess work out for me. OPKs make me a bit obsessive whereas I find it easy to POAS first thing in the morning, read a clear digital result and then go about my day. When I used OPKs I found myself testing multiple times a day and never really knowing if it was positive or negative! I know lots of people find them simple though, so it might just be me!

@AllHopeAndNoResults When I used OPKs in the past I would get a faint line for weeks then suddenly it would be +. No real 'build up' of line progression - just faint line to bold line all of a sudden! Perhaps you're just O a bit later this month? I was poorly this month and I've O'd a whole week and a half later as a result (though dtd was far from my mind at the time anyway!)

@catsandkid thank you yes that makes a lot of sense! I'm so impatient I just want to see evidence immediately!

I think if this month doesn't work out I might invest in a clear blue digital, will have to do a bit of research. The idea of getting a clear smiley / not smiley and doing it in the morning does appeal..!

@AllHopeAndNoResults mine start off super faint on cd 10ish and gradually get darker then get gradually fainter again. As it's early days I would say you could be on your way up. I have read some women always get a faint line no matter what time in their cycle.

Thanks guys I’ll just keep testing. It’s just strange as I was getting darker faint lines this far along last time.

So a strange update from this morning... I had a massive glob (sorry!!!) of EWCM this morning, haven't had any yet this cycle and I rarely do get it. Usually just have wet slippery stuff.
Today is 3 days after Positive OPK - could I be Ovulating Today?! OPKs have been slowly fading and definitely no line last night. We skipped dtd last night sadly as we had been doing it every day since Friday and DH was tired bless him! still no temperature spike so I suppose this could be it. Will be dtd tonight anyway.
bodies are so confusing!!!

Hello, have been silently watching this thread from the sidelines. I tried a version of SMEP this month for the first time (didn't quite manage all the days I was supposed to ) and just got my BFP this morning. We had been trying for a year (with a MC at 7 weeks back in April). Hope this one sticks

Just wanted to say that I think it works 😀

I'm so happy for you @Kayjay2018 !

It took us a year to get pregnant and I have just lost it. We are going to start the SMEP once I've had a period, but that's so inspiring that it worked first time for you.

@nicola18737 I'm so sorry to hear that. I was there myself in April and I was devastated. We have been trying ever since. Hunk having a 2 week holiday relaxed me. I only took maybe 2 opks (instead of 2 a day!) and just enjoyed DH and I. I wasn't thinking it would happen this month.

Best of luck, make sure you are kind to yourself

Sorry to hear the sad news ladies. But so happy that your feeling positive now and congratulations @Kayjay2018 amazing news. I hope we all get some luck with smep.

How is everyone doing.. the board is very quiet. Where are we all in outlet cycles?

I have a hsg booked for Thursday and I am feeling really bloody frightened over it 😱

Hi all
Sorry to hear about the miscarriages but good to know SMEP works ❤️

In the thick of it at the moment. DTD Thursday on CD7 instead of CD8 as DH was out Friday night. Then DTD Saturday and got peak OPK Sunday so also DTD Sunday and Monday too. Need to go again tonight according to SMEP and then again Thursday but quite tired now haha. Not sure I could do this every month!
So I'm 1DPO according to my apps.

I'm waiting for AF to arrive and recovering from being ill. Quite nice to not have to care about ttc!

I find SMEP quite hard for those (like me!) who get the odd long cycle every few months. My cycle can be 40 days and dtd from CD8 every other day when I don't get a +OPK until around CD20-24 then 3 times in a row after that can become a bit much! We have a toddler plus we both work full time is stressful roles too so that adds to the tiredness! Some months my cycle is normal length (~28-30days) though so I feel like I still need to start SMEP at CD8 just in case!

@catsandkid that does sound tough. I don't think I could go from CD8 to CD 20+! Luckily my cycles are exactly 25 days each month and I normally ovulate CD11-13 so it's not too bad.
Enjoy not symptom spotting this month and relaxing.