TTC baby no.1- totally have this sussed right?.. wrong!

[Lellis92]

Hi everyone, totally new to this but feeling a bit confused and hoping to find some people in the same boat!
Aged 28, current mama to only fur babies 🐶🐶TTC baby no.1

So we are due to get married in May and have been holding out for a year til an acceptable time to start trying for a baby as we are both desperate, held off til now as we thought on off chance it happened first time I wouldn’t be too far gone by the wedding... have been using OPK for the last 6 months and an app to try and get an idea of my cycle, average 30 days with positive ovulation tests so far always on days 14 or 15 .. totally Sussed my cycle right?? WRONG!
First month of trying currently on day 16 and no positive ovulation tests .... whats going on?!
Worried I’m not ovulating or something’s gone wrong somewhere - anyone had similar experiences or in the same boat starting the journey?
Get involved please 😘

I can imagine - yeah I bet it’s so annoying when people ask like just let it happen and we will tell you when we’re ready! Haha.

Yeah my AF is only ever 2 days long- I have a little bit of brown at the beginning and then two days (one where it’s quite heavy and the second is light)
But I’m not usually early espescially not 5 days early, I’m so confused!
I had my some spotting on Friday and again yesterday but it’s only when I wipe and very small amounts - what on earth is going on lol?!
I find myself going to the toilet all the time just to check 🙈

I have a confession ladies, I caved and tested and now I’m afraid I’m seeing an evap! Lol this is why I shouldnt test early 😅

Dark photo was taken in time frame and light photo was after time frame. I’m 10dpo today. What do you think? I’ve been so convinced this morning even as testing that it would be stark white!

@Lellis92 I hope it’s not af, maybe implantation or something

@Nmew omg I can totally see a line!!!!!
Ahhhhh I’m 10dpo today too but I’m too scared lol!
There is definitely something there though- ahhhh congratulations May be in order I think! 🎉🎉

@Nmew I really hope mine isn’t AF - I’ve read that you can have spotting through the first trimester and it’s fine so I’m hoping I’m still in with a chance!

I get married in May too! We're currently debating whether I should come off the pill now, or whether we wait until after the wedding so that I don't have a period over our honeymoon... but I cannot wait to get started!

Fingers crossed that this isn't AF 🤞

@Nmew I can definitely see a line too! Its much more obvious in the light photo but I can still see it in the dark one! Are you close to any supermarkets today to get a first response early test or clearblue early? would be good to see if you can see something faint there too... if you can, i would defo rule out an evap line and say its something positive!

@Lellis92 Keep thinking positive, it has every chance of being spotting during pregnancy!

I have my fingers crossed for you! Really hope it’s just a symptom for you xx

I still don’t trust it, I really hope it is a bfp, will test again on a better test later I think

I have a first response in my drawer @Balbaby but I’ll have to hold and not drink anything and test in a few hours. If I see something on that test I’ll believe it more!

@Nmew how exciting! Good luck to you, I really hope it shows something. But remember if it doesn't, it's not a definite bfn and you've can try and again in a few days!

Will look forward to hearing more later on

@RestingPlaces hi! Oh really how exciting- yeah we were the same tbh I wasn’t sure what to do but I thought it may take a few months and by that point I wouldn’t be too massively pregnant at the wedding if we did conceive before it! Good luck in whatever you decide- Thankyou!

@Balbaby I really hope so - just been to the toilet again and nothing now - this is messing with me too much lol!

@Nmew thanks! Ah I can’t imagine how you feel right now it’s so scary isn’t it - I think when I do a test I’m not going to look for a while 🙈😂
Definitely try another test either later or tomorrow morning and let us know!!

Hi...do you mind if I join in as well?

Hubby and I are TTC our first baby for the past couple of months. I was just trying naturally so didn't use OPK's, just an app where I had been logging dates and then they tell you expected ovulation dates. I am all new to this...so any advice you can give would be really helpful...do you think I should use an OPK and if so what do you recommend? I am beginning to panic that I have left this all a bit late....both late 30s.

Any advice is welcome.

Well ladies I held for 5 hours and tested on a first response early and I can’t really deny that line. I’m shaking in pure shock!

Wow @Nmew congratulations! Your right theres no denying that one :) How exciting!!! Are you at work now? If so its must be such a struggle trying to act normal! What did dh say?

No thankfully I’m off work today, thank goodness because I’m all over the place now haha DH is excited he’s been talking all about bay names and how long we have to wait to tel people. I’ll have to get booked in to the docs and see what they say!

Thats handy being off :) Haha how lovely for you both! See there is some positives in testing early... I know its a risk but at least this way you have put yourself out your misery much earlier and you can now start celebrating. You've saved yourself another few days of wondering.

You will have to keep us updated still with your progress/symptoms etc. When are you thinking you will be due?

Hi @Wearyandfeelingold I didnt find the apps that useful to start off with but that was mainly because I had no idea of my natural cycles so they didnt really have any historic data to predict from. If you know your cycle dates and they tend to be regular than I think the apps should work well. The cheapy OPK sticks from amazon are ok, but a few of us have said how you end up convincing yourself of the change in colour... its not very black and white.

I would recommend the clearblue digital ovulation tests, but you have to start them at a certain point in your cycle (their website recommends when based on your usual cycle length).

I dont think late 30s is too late at all, I know plenty of people who have conceived in that time!

@Nmew wow congratulations! So exciting for you - I’m still going to try and hold out a few days longer although seeing your test has really made me want to test right now!!!

@Wearyandfeelingold of course!
Ah I work as a nanny and almost all of the families I have worked for the parents have been mid- late thirties having their babies definitely not too late!
I agree on the clear blue OPK they really help me, I also have an app called Flo that I then log all of my symptoms/period dates/ ovulation tests in etc so it’s all in one place!

Hi @balbaby and @Lellis92, thank you for the welcome! This is all new to me so I thought this would be a good place to get some advice. How does the clearblue ovulation test work...do you test every day or just certain days? I have been on Folic Acid + Vitamin D for the past few months and have just tried to be quite laid back about everything but now I am thinking that I definitely maybe need to monitor things a bit more to make sure we are dtd at the right time. Lol! Though I read somewhere were they suggest every two days can increase your chances too rather than just around ovulation time....

Glad to hear that you don't think we have left things too late...hope it all goes ok....

@Wearyandfeelingold Me too, I'm always reading through for advice and reassurance :) Its a lot to get your head around isn't it!

From what I know (although Im no expert) the clearblue digital test is unlike other OPKs because it measures two types of hormone to flag ovulation. It says it measures your 4 most fertile days, which is the two days before ovulation and then the day of ovulation and 24 hours after.

You usually start it from cycle day 5 - 20 depending on the length of your normal cycles. I didn't know so I started on day 7, although they do have a calculator on their website to recommend what day you start. It then measures the levels of hormones and gives you either a circle symbol which means low fertility, or a flashing smiley which means high fertility - the flashing smiley normally lasts for 2 days before you ovulate although I have read on some forums that the flashing smiley can last up to about a week it depends on different people's hormone levels. Then 24 hours before you are meant to ovulate when the hormones peak, the smiley goes static and stays like that for 2 days. You then stop using the tests until the next month again (well hopefully you wont need to the next month :) )

I've read dtd every other day is better too - I think its good to do every other day in the build up to ovulation and then a couple of days in a row when you see your peak result - but I am literally going by what I've read not my own experience.

Thank you @balbaby....there definitely is a lot of information to get your head around and I am trying to not get too caught up in it all and just be relaxed...but then I keep thinking about it, so not sure that is working! Lol!

I will probably get the Clearblue Ovulation kit if you think it is good...did you buy online or where is the best place? I have no idea if dtd every other day is the way to go...again I am just reading and taking advice, but will give it a try this month and see what happens. I hope everything goes well for you @balbaby...so much information to take in!!

@Wearyandfeelingold thank you same to you! I got mine from amazon but I've seen them in Superdrug and other supermarkets too for the same price :)

Yes good luck! There is so much to take in -but we are all in the same boat and there’s lots of support around!
I’m dieing to test it’s killing me 🙈!

@Lellis92 you are being very disciplined I must say!

@Balbaby thanks haha! I nearly cracked today but really want to wait as long as I can so I’m more likely to get a positive if i am- worries if I test now it’ll be negative and il get caught up and end up doing loads!