Any buddies trying SMEP for the first time this cycle?

[HopeWish]

Hello all!

I am 26, and trying for my first baby. I'm currently on CD4 of Cycle 3. After two cycles of only DTD a few times in fertile window and no result, DH and I are going to give the Sperm Meets Egg Plan a go this cycle.

For those who don't know, the plan goes like this:

-> From CD 8 DTD every other day until a positive OPK.

-> Start testing with OPKs daily from CD 10 (but I will be using earlier as O'd on CD11 last month!)

-> From positive OPK DTD on the day of the + OPK and two days after, then miss a day and DTD again the next day.

We will also be using pre-seed for the first time this month.

Is there anybody else who is doing SMEP this month? Or anybody who has tried it before successfully or unsuccessfully?

After the disappointment of AF arriving early, I'm excited to start a new cycle.

Good morning ladies!

So I am officially in the TWW now (decided not to do that last odd day of SMEP as 3 days in a row was hopefully more than enough).

I am actually quite chuffed that we managed to follow the plan as well as we did. DTD on CD 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17. On CD 18 today and 1 dpo.

Fingers crossed for everybody entering the TWW - it is nice to have some buddies to go through it together!

@hopewish You did so well! I managed CD8, 10, 12, 14 and 15 and hoping for the final time tonight!

Hopefully we'll receive some good news in the next couple of weeks!

Been interesting to see the news that some people think there'd be a baby boom in the next 9 months. I think the one thing I've learnt is that it's really not that easy!

@LottieX @HopeWish great going! Well done.
Definitely not that simple is it @LottieX!

Am CD12 now and no peak yet.

@Seafrontsky sammmmme but CD15. I'm starting to feel rejected by the ovulation sticks🤣

@SmileyT I wasn’t temping as I found taking my BBT to be a bit overwhelming and hard because I like to sleep in on the weekends hehe so OPK strips on there own seem to be a winner for me.. how about you? Do you also use FF?

@Hopefulmummie I agree with SmileyT it’s totally a personal choice, think realistically the only thing to avoid is heavy drinking. I will have some 2% cider post ovulation but personally avoid wine during the TWW. A) because I LOVE wine and prefer to have a glass or two and B) because I feel the alcohol content and dehydrating properties of red wine probably restrict the blood flow to my uterus (again this may be me overthinking but I’m just rolling with my gut)

I am however trying the pineapple core thing! I’ve seen a lot about pineapple core on many forums with women who are doing IVF and thought why not try it? So from 1DPO I’m eating a pineapple round everyday

@LottieX same! I’ve seen so many memes about a “corona boom” or “corona babies” haha but hopefully this thread brings loads of BFP !!!

@Seafrontsky how long are your normal cycles? Are you expecting the peak soon? Hopefully found the corner for you aswell @serialplanner

@gingerglitter4ever I'm being so over the top this month 🙈 so using about 5 apps (inc FF) it's my first full month so wanted to compare accuracy and I am temping aswell, I tried it for half of last month and was all over the place but now doing 5.45am every day 😴 we'll see tomorrow if it shows ovulation clearly x

@serialplanner tedious isn't it?! Am 28 days bang on @SmileyT so expecting today or tomorrow to start ramping up.

What does pineapple core do @gingerglitter4ever? Sounds intriguing!

Also avoiding alcohol but obviously has been on/off last 20 months! Do love a glass of wine too! I've been taking soooooo many vitamins I feel like I'm rattling, and also been doing a liver detox this month so feel very pure!

Surely we can expect some BFP with all this combined effort!

@Seafrontsky @serialplanner I normally get a LH surge on cd12 which is today and got nothing! Bit nervous but I guess there's still time. I hav changed ov tests though, used my last one a few days ago so switched to a different brand and not sure I trust then as haven't had a positive yet. Probably a bad time to switch haha!

@SmileyT can I just say your 'so I just chucked a tad on my cervix' is the best thing I've seen all day!! The things we do!!

Welcome @gingerglitter4ever haven't heard of the pineapple thing, is it just the core?! Or can you eat it all? (I like pineapple).

I read about grapefruit so been eating those, apparently fresh grapefruit juice is rare in supermarkets despite the fact I can get lychee juice, guava juice, blueberry juice, every kind of juice I don't want! Brazil nuts too. I've got a whole new diet these days 😂

Also just read about holding a hot water bottle on your stomach after ovulation to make sure it's warm inside 🤔 hmmmm. Anyone got any others I can add to the list. OH thinks I'm going mad anyway so may as well make the most of it!

@Seafrontsky @Slug123 hopefully in the next day or two for all of us🤞🏽

@cherrychatter I haven't heard of the hot water bottle one. That's new.

@serialplanner here's hoping! I've been getting all the normal twinges so hoping I catch it with a test the next couple of days! Fingers crossed!

Evening Ladies 😊 hope it is ok if I join?

Just noticed this thread and I am going to be trying SMEP for the first time this month. This will be Cycle #2 TTC following a MC in December.

Currently on CD6 started testing with CB Advanced and Femometer OPKs today following the app. Cycles have varied between 21-29 days the last few cycles so still waiting for that to settle. Have normally been an earlier ovulater though.

CD8 will be my birthday too, so another reason to get down to BD 😊. Going to read through earlier posts and catch up with where everyone is at! X

@cherrychatter us girls have to do what we've got to do 😂

Things I've read but not sure how accurate they are;

• Grapefruit before ovulation
• Pineapple core for 5 days after ovulation (apparently can be detrimental to eat too much or to eat once implantation has occurred)
• 1tbsp of sunflower seeds and 1tbsp of sesame seeds post ovulation (ground up) to help with progesterone - google seed cycling
• keeping your feet warm during Luteal phase, warm feet, warm uterus. Avoid cold/ raw food aswell.
• Eat higher protein from animal sources in first half of cycle and really reduce in LP
• Gentle exercise but loads of rest after ovulation
• Calc Flour which is supposed to help with implantation and good for skin and nails etc

I had read that you should avoid hot water bottles as you want belly to be warm but not hot but god knows whether these are based on science at all 🤣

Hey @VP91x good to see you over here 👋

@serialplanner fingers crossed!

@SmileyT love all those wives tales! some have to work surely?!

@VP91x welcome!

Hi @VP91x Nice to have you with us! Birthday BD, good way to start this cycle!

@SmileyT I think the grapefruit juice and pineapple and general healthy eating are going to be my limit. Don't really fancy the sunflower oil & seasame!! It's far too hot for a hot water bottle anyway so I think I'll stick to just generally keeping warmish!

CD12 and managed to get back on track after missing CD10 👌🏼 following your lead ladies!!

Hey ladies!
@SmileyT you are absolutely right! Pineapple core or a round a day for 5 days is apparently full of an enzyme that reduces inflammation and is said to help with implantation. I think the basic principle goes off of injury science. To break it down: a blastocyst is 50% of the mother 50% foreign father material. Just like the site of injury or a virus the body’s natural response is to attack and expel this unknown “parasite”
Enter bromelain the pineapple enzyme. It reduces inflammation, thus decreasing the risk of your body expelling the blastocyst.
Though there’s no study or proof, the IVF community swears by it and it seems logical enough for me 🤷🏼‍♀️ Plus I like pineapple!
The Brazil nut thing is apparently good before ovulation as its known to keep genetic material “in tact” and eating Brazil it’s before ovulating is something your partner can do too, although they may have to wait 3 months to reep the benefits as their swimmers take up to 72 days to mature... haha

I just told DH that we did the SMEP this month and he was like “okay” hahaha

For those of you who are post ovulation, when do you plan on testing? Early? After missed AF? I think I might order an early response just because they are a bit hard to find here in Sweden.. 🧐

@gingerglitter4ever I forced DP to read up on SMEP before we started and he is a forgetful one so he made a little virtual post-it for his laptop homescreen. When he left for work tonight he was like 'don't forget we have one for good luck 2m' 😂

Thanks for the actual scientific info on the pineapple really interesting.

I'm with you @cherrychatter not sure I'll be getting round to all of those things but I am trying to have a generally healthier lifestyle, which can't hurt for when I do get pregnant anyway x

And @gingerglitter4ever I won't be testing until 16dpo if I get that far, so 2 weeks today I think. When will you be testing?

Thanks ladies 😊
I'm loving reading about all these tips, I have never heard of any of them!

Hey @SmileyT nice to see you here too. Love the post it notes from your DP 😂

Morning all!

Still no positive OPK Starting to think I'm not going to OV this month!

@Slug123 same 😞 although I looked it up this morning and you aren't "late" until CD21. So bizarre. It one sense I'm a bit nervous (also read about short luteal phase) but in another sense relieved I use OPKs this month. Try not to worry and stick to DTD EOD until your period. Even though I have no idea how I'll have the energy for that🤣

@SmileyT I’m not sure, but my boobs already feel heavy 😱 I must be imagining things as I’m only 3DPO, it can’t be, I blame the Progesterone haha but if I can get a test by end of next week I may test early 🙈

Hang in there @Slug123! And if you don’t get a positive just stick with EOD until CD20 if you can!

Also thank you for the welcome @cherrychatter ! I forgot that in my “factual” (more guessing) pineapple rant hahaha

Morning ladies! Got my peak this morning so I'm good to go!

@gingerglitter4ever amazing facts, thank you!

Happy birthday! @VP91x

Hang in there @Slug123 and @serialplanner. If it helps you only get one extra BD in if you do have a peak rather than EOD. Still plenty of swimmers in there to do their job.

@Seafrontsky yay for you! Time to get to it!

Thanks for that. So even if we don't get a peak we could still ovulate? Sorry if that sounds silly! I guess we could miss the peak. I test every morning with FMU.

@serialplanner I’ve been reading a bit about OPK tests and the LH surge, it can be as short as 12 hrs and as long as 36hrs, so if you’re testing with FMU and have a shorter than 24hr surge it could be that you “missed” seeing your peak on a test 🙂