TTC First Baby Thread 22

[MrsH497]

Thought the old one was getting a bit full so I'd start a new one. I'll attempt tagging as many as I can
@Larrydavid @Anny27 @cupcakesandglitter @flossy12 @DuchessofPemberley @ELW85 @Lemonysherbet @LokiCat @Lottiepink @Lozzlepop @MIW01 @whatsthecraic91 @ValidUser

If I've missed anyone sorry!

@orangeloo I was totally the same last month thinking we've done everything right with the supps, had a chilled month with lots of fun and laughter, work had thankfully been easy for both of us and we completed SMEP successfully. I was then really annoyed when AF arrived 🤦🏼‍♀️
I think the hardest thing is that it's completely out of our control!
@MIW01 sounds like a great weekend! Glad you had such a good time

@orangeloo @Kiza @MIW01 thank you so much!

I feel better having started the route but I just feel there's going to be a long road ahead, but who knows! Went for first bloods this morning and they couldn't do that as my veins are a nightmare... always have been, no idea why, so back tomorrow 😕 any ideas what could help? Other than plenty of fluids, I drink lots of water anyways.. hopefully tomorrow is a better day!

Hope you all had a fab weekend!

Evening ladies,

Sorry I have missed quite a lot of posts over the weekend was out having a Lovely time with my best gals lunching drinking wine and cocktails- the perks of not TTC 😂

How is everyone doing? What have I missed?

Oh sorry to hear about the bloods fiasco @Lottiepink nightmare! Hope it's successful next time. There's no guarantee about the length of the road but whichever roads you take the journey will hopefully mean you arrive at the same destination!

As mentioned before my family are fertility factories so I had no idea this TTC malarkey would be so difficult! I hope everyone gets their wish eventually.

@Lottiepink did they manage to get your bloods yesterday?

Felt like I had loads of symptoms and have been needing to wee very frequently so I caved and POAS at 9DPO this morning BFN. Whhyyy What a day ruiner. On the other hand I thought my hopefulness and symptom spotting was taking over my days and almost felt like I needed a reality check now so I'm not to devastated when AF comes. what a rollercoaster. Dreams every night that I was pg too

Thanks @MIW01 and @orangeloo

I couldn't go yesterday in the end, my boss had a meeting arranged that I couldn't get out of, I'm going to have to try and go tomorrow. Which isn't ideal for day 21 bloods but with me ovulating later it might be better in the end?!

@orangeloo aww no sorry for rgr BFN, still early to test tho, don't let it ruin your day!

@MIW01 it's just not fair sometimes is it 😕

Thanks @Lottiepink 21 day bloods are called that as based on standard 28 day cycle. Should be 7 days after you ovulate- whenever that maybe. Most GP's don't acknowledge this I think. So yeah prob will work out better In The end. Good luck

Ugh it's such a pain. Having said to everyone else how important it is not to stress, I'm stressing! We've done SMEP for 2 cycles now and tbh we are pretty on it with DTD during fertile window and some most of the time!

I know we missed last month fertile window cause of campylobacter but we've even stepped up an extra notch DTD while AF is here as she stays around 7 days in total so started SMEP CD4 just to make sure we weren't missing any opportunity!

Honestly, if it doesn't happen for us this month I'll be really concerned as I've been reading up and most people doing SMEP who don't have issues make it happen for them! This month is cycle 5. Today is CD 14. AF is due 13 November.

@MIW01 I'm cycle 5 and have done SMEP the last 3 cycles so I'm with you on that one but it still doesn't guarantee anything :( so I wouldn't say something is wrong just because you have followed SMEP and haven't got a BFP.

@MIW01 it took me 4 cycles of SMEP (plus an extra two cycles of almost-smep like DTD) to get pregnant. I reckon it definitely improves your chances but still only to about 30% per cycle. I don't know if this is helpful or not but I know how hard it can be to feel like everyone doing their first round of smep falls pregnant straight away. Keep at it x

@MIW01 totally with you on this one! DP is also eating a tablespoon of tomato purée daily due to the lycopene apparently being great for his swimmers. Trying to keep SMEP fun and light hearted is so difficult as often it can feel contrived and forced

@Kiza with you with the contrived and forced. Everything about ttc is hard and I hate the forced ness of fertile window sex but there is just no choice. I think I might take December off tracking and do it whenever. Feel the need for a bit of time off. Also think my desire for a baby won't actually allow this though haha.

Thank you @Makeafamily19 and @Larrydavid I can't emphasise enough how reassuring that is. I think I'm just feeling a bit overly anxious about it all after reading about SMEP being so successful first time round for so many and watching fertility Ted Talks! (That was silly). I don't think there's enough honest conversation about it not working, people just don't talk about this stuff!

@Kiza tomato puree is a new 1 on me!

And @orangeloo sorry I forgot to tag you earlier I know this is having a big impact on you too.

@MIW01 no worries, really try not to overly read into it though. just think it's good you are doing smep but that's still not a guarantee.

I watched this documentary on YouTube 'the great sperm race' may seem weird at first but I found it soo interesting and actually a comfort because those experts acknowledge it really is difficult for sperm to catch that egg and that everything has to be just so.

It's like 50 mins by the way so a proper watch.

@MIW01 I was convinced there was something wrong with me - all the stuff on SMEP kinda lets you believe that. I looked so hard on google for "smep fails" and couldn't find anyone saying that it had just taken a few attempts - it was always fall pregnant immediately or there's a problem. It's still early days for me but it did happen. Best of luck with it - I love my partner very much but it's definitely hard work 😂💛

Thanks @orangeloo I think I've watched this already a while ago and you're absolutely right and logically I know there's only 30% chance of conceiving even if timing is as perfect as possible!

But then I read about every other bigger getting prefers 1st time they do SMEP and I think ugh, what's going on?! I think I'm more anxious cause I know after our results we'll both find it more difficult to conceive.

I'm being very impatient which I am aware of but I don't like waiting for things at the best of times! Waiting triggers my anxiety. Which is not good cause stress won't help my progesterone levels!

Though when I think logically it would be more sensible not to get pregnant asap as we have big and expensive renovation plans for the house!

Thanks @orangeloo going to watch that this weekend.
I'm a bit frustrated as not sure if I've missed my LH surge or it's late?
I normally get +opk cd13/14 and lots of ewcm days leading up to and a couple of days after.
However now on CD15, not +opk, very little ewcm and my cervix is soft and open but only medium length up rather than really high where it usually is?
Do you think I missed it?
Usually my +opk lasts a couple of days also...

It's possible you've missed it but it could just be later @Kiza I would keep testing and keep an eye on your cm. FWIW I ovulate CD 16-19.

Hi ladies, looks like i will be rejoining the thread unfortunatley as i'm going to miscarry. Currently 9+5 but baby only 6 weeks with no heartbeat. Wont be ttc for a month or 2 but back on this crazy journey with you ladies xx

@Anny27 so sorry to hear about your loss, hope you and your partner are doing as well as can be expected. It's such a heart wrenching journey x

@Anny27 so sorry to hear this. Be kind to yourselves. X

Hi ladies, can I join? New to TTC world...
I am 32, been trying last 2 months.
I have stopped BC pills 3 months ago, so my cycle is still all over the place, but I am logging every single detail on Flo app. So... this month we have finally caught Ovulation (clear clue) on the day 25 of my cycle. Day 34-36 ( 9DPO) I had a very light spotting ( some would say bleeding) but not enough to call is a period ( for sure...). Period should be due today according to my app calculations. Every day since, I have been testing with high sensitivity as well as cheap pregnancy tests, but no positive. Yesterday clear blue digital strips inside had two faint blue result lines with darker line on the edge, but test itself said "not pregnant". I keep hoping ...
On a side note- since the ovulation and especially last few days I was constantly feeling some sort of mild soft cramping and pulling in my lower abdomen, been having bad headache last few days and feeling a bit lightheaded. I might be just trying to find these symptoms ( when one wishes for something- it "appears"..). Also, last few days I had a creamy liquid soap like discharge and I can see a little pink in it at times too. Sorry for the visual description...

Can you share if you recognise this in your experience and if it led to a pregnancy?? Please 🌻

@SunnyFlover hi and welcome. I've never had a BFP so I really can't say but you're just gonna have to wait it out and test again if no AF today 9DPO is still early. FX for you.