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.

Morning ladies 😊

Good to see there’s some more positive OPK’s coming in, crossing fingers for those still waiting... it will happen! I read a lot 😳 and finally got my head around the LH surge, apparently it normally begins in the early hours but takes some time to show in urine which is why later in the day is often stronger. As I found this month, not all OPK’s are equal and I’d never seen a positive on the ones I had been using but a femometer strip from the same sample was a definite.

3DPO now, felt a bit down yesterday (I think after all the build up to O day it was accepting that there’s nothing more we can do now, it is what it is) but feeling better today. DP’s worked the last 3 nights so very much looking forward to an evening relaxing together 😊 I’ll get some pineapple and keep my feet warm, but beyond that I’m determined to try and stay chilled out.

Hope you’re all staying sane! Good luck to everyone still in the plan!

Thank you @Seafrontsky
Fab that you got your peak!x

Does anyone else use Femometer app? I am finding it so fiddly with the Intelligent Recognition for the OPKs. It has read this one as 'high' came up with varying amounts between 23-30. I wouldn't have thought it was a high reading. Any tips on using it?

I've attached a pic, although I know pics are never great. X

Thanks for the explanations - really helpful. Fingers crossed! It's true we all feel "in control" pre ovulation and then it's the waiting game.

Good luck all x

Good luck ladies! I used SMEP on 3rd and 4th cycles and fell pregnant on the 4th. It is hard work tho!

I've got rally bad boob pain all of a sudden so I reckon it's on its way. I have had a few months where it's been a couple of days late so not to worry!

I use the premom app to monitor my opks and I normally test my first wee of the day. It's quite normal for me not to get a positive but I normally get two quite dark lines around CD12 and the app then tells me the peak was in between which makes sense given your LH surge normally shows in the afternoon.

Fingers crossed for us all!

Hi @VP91x I have been using femometer (first month) and found the same. I think if it detects anything at all it goes into high bracket, then peak when it goes dark up to 200?

Fingers crossed @slug123!

@GiraffeInScarf it's probably exhaustion from all the BD! Not much you can do now but put your feet up and rest.

@GetTheSprinkles congratulations! Love a success story!

@gingerglitter4ever the end of next week isn't too early, I think most implantation happens around day 9 so anything after that isn't crazy, I'm just too cheap to test more than once 🤣

Yay to your peak @Seafrontsky 3 days of fun ahead of you

@GiraffeInScarf just remember that post ovulation our hormones are naturally going to make us feel a bit more blue, don't beat yourself up about it and just try and find a couple things you enjoy to do over the next couple days (obvs in your house though 🙈)

@VP91x yeah everything that isn't blank is high to femometer and depending on the light will make a difference where exactly it drops, id just focus when it gets to peak the rest kinda fluctuate for me. xx

Ahh thank you @Seafrontsky and @SmileyT that makes sense.

My CB advanced was still blank circle today which is expected so it will ramp up over the next few days. Interested to see if I actually get static smileys this month.

@GiraffeInScarf yeah I get. Abit like that in the TWW there really isn't much else to do other than wait! Especially now with all of this going on. Try and start a boxset that makes you laugh or something you enjoy 😊

Congratulations @GetTheSprinkles ❤️! SMEP success x

@VP91x you just reminded me of another old wives tale that apparently watching a clown (or generally laughing more) can aid implantation 🤷🏾‍♀️🤷🏾‍♀️🤷🏾‍♀️

@SmileyT oh, that's an odd one!! A clown specifically? Haha. Maybe it is something to do with endorphins?! X

Thanks for the encouragement @SmileyT @Seafrontsky you’re all right of course... no doubt hormone shift! I’ve scrubbed the house today so literally nothing to do but watch box sets now 😂 I’m ‘back’ to work (from home) next week so hopefully that’ll pass some time 😬

Good luck @Seafrontsky, I won’t lie it was an exhausting 3 days but worth it, you’ll know you’re definitely in with a chance by the end!

@VP91 I found taking a photo of the same strip several times have different numbers... I don’t think it matters as long as you’re consistent with the light levels and background each time.

@GetTheSprinkles thank you for sharing your success and congratulations, always helps to get some positivity 😊

@GiraffeInScarf Good luck for starting back next week. It does certainly help pass the time but can be a little frustrating in the lovely weather!

My kitten left the garden for the first time yesterday and didn't come back for two hours, so I managed to cry for a solid half an hour that she didn't love me, can certainly tell that progesterone has kicked in

@VP91x I lost about an hour of my life after I googled 'clowns and ivf' so many studies apparently medical clowns and pineapple are massive in the ivf circles and help with implantation... I've told DP if I'm not preggers this month it's because he didn't make me laugh enough 🤣

@GiraffeInScarf I definitely think being at work helps, I'm doing reduced hours so 10-4 and busy days definitely stop me googling my life away. Sunny bank hol few days at work and then we are on the final countdown to our BFP or starting a new cycle.

Last night of SMEP tonight even though it seems way too late to make a difference 🤷🏾‍♀️

Thank you @GiraffeInScarf will make sure to take the pic in the same part of the house to keep fairly consistent.

@SmileyT haha google is a wonderful thing! I'm tempted to have a search too! 😂😂 Will get watching the comedies post OV xx

Thanks @LottieX and @SmileyT, I am looking forward to a bit more routine. Workload will be low but we have to keep 2 of my team on duty at a time so we’re rotating furlough between us. My employer is great and paying as normal so I feel very lucky. When do you both plan on testing? I’ve decided on Fri 15th and trying a countdown instead of count up of DPO... 10 days til testing sounds better somehow, and hopefully takes away the temptation to try too early 😂

@VP91x do you know what day you’re expecting to ovulate? Hoping the OPK’s start turning for you soon 😊

@GiraffeInScarf I keep changing my mind about when to test... I have 6 apps (I know I'm a psycho) they are predicting period to start sometime between the 15th and 19th so I'm going to do everything I can to wait until the 20th 😳 which would be 15 sleeps away - you're right that does make it sound better. I think we've all given it our all so🤞 we see some success stories xx

@GiraffeInScarf because my cycles have been a bit all over the place anywhere between CD10-14. I'm expecting it to be more towards CD 14 this month I think. My CB advanced nfed seems more accurate this month so it shoukd catch it alongside normal OPKs. Also tracking BBT 😂 feel a bit over board but the more data the better I suppose! Xx

@VP91x I didn’t have any apps and OPKs are new to me, but the package just said if the test line is equally dark or darker than the control line it’s positive. So if the control line is light but the test line is equally light it’s positive.

@SmileyT @VP91x I will be watching so much content to laugh as much as I can these coming days. Bring on the tears!

Got some unusual pains on one side yesterday evening, not sure what that was about... would it be too early for implantation to start at 5 DPO? I know it takes several days to complete and then another 48hrs to produce some hCG but like could this be the start of something?

CD14 and still no positive OPK for me This is the first month I've had this, should I be worried?

Hi @slug123

You really don't need to worry. CD14 is slap bang in the middle of 'average ovulation', but some people ovulate later - CD 18/19/20.

I ovulated CD 10 last month and this month it was CD 17!

There is always the chance that you may have missed your surge too. As long as you keep dtd every other day you should be fine.

Hi @Slug123

Agree with @HopeWish.

Same boat as you as you know. Just keep on with DTD. If we have missed the surge we are secretly missing the TWW- positive mental attitude!

Ovulation isn't "late" until after CD21 so there's still time too.

Don't worry and go and jump on your OH😂

Love the positive mental attitude @serialplanner! Avoiding the TWW would be a great bonus!

@HopeWish I know you're right I just normally get a peak around CD12 so feels late for me. I have changed brand of OV test this month and, with the latter ones, I'm used to always seeing a second line and it getting darker on OV day but these I haven't had a single second line yet which is also stressing me. Just done another test though and had the faintest, squintiest second line visible so maybe it's on it's way.

@serialplanner I'm sticking to the plan no matter what don't worry!

I also agree with @Seafrontsky, if I don't get a LH surge I'll assumed it hasn't happened and then probably get my BFP! Hahaha!

I've had all the normal OV symptoms the last few days so here's hoping ti shows tomorrow!

@SmileyT wow, that’s impressive patience to wait til then! Good for you, you’ll know you can trust your result and fingers crossed for it being a positive 😊

@VP91x that makes us all overboard then! 😂 honestly tho, I find knowing when I’m going to ovulate with the OPK’s, then confirming it with BBT makes me less stressed in the TWW so it’s all good.

@Slug123 I know how easy it is to start feeling anxious, but day 14 is still quite early even if it’s your normal. So many things can delay it a few days but it’s just the body’s way of waiting until it’s perfect and ready 😊

@serialplanner love your attitude!