Just want AF to arrive so new cycle can begin...

[CaribouCarafe]

AF due in 3 days.

Am sure I'm out this month - negative FRER today and I have the usual PMS acne.

Just want my period to come already so that I can get this useless cycle over with and have a commiseration beer.

Just frustrating as have been taking pre-conception vitamins for months, cut out caffeine, no alcohol during TWW, have DTD every other day, tracked ovulation and with no success.

Anyone else fancy a moan whilst waiting for AF to show up?

I know the feeling! 8th month of trying for first baby, currently in 2 week wait (only 2dpo)
I spot for 3 days before my period comes so as soon as I see spotting I know Im out for the month and it really gets me down, I feel abit better once period has finally came and then it's repeat all over again 🙄
Hope you get that bfp soon xx

I’m 10DPO and did a digital yesterday that was a BFN but lots of people have said it’s too early to pick up on a digital but have been in the worst mood since. Never thought TTC would consume me so much.

I genuinely never expected to get so wrapped up in TTC - I'm usually a relaxed, laissez-faire person and always was of the mind that "if it doesn't happen naturally then I'll adopt".

Am tired of symptom spotting (without meaning to), of compulsively pissing on sticks, and of timing sex.

Also, tired of cutting out the things I enjoy for 3 weeks each month (caffeinated drinks, sushi, beer to name a few).

At school it seemed like pregnancy was guaranteed if not using contraception, now part of me wonders what was the point of using contraception at all!

Am just grumpy, but am glad that other people feel similarly!

Hope you both get that BFP this month! Negative on 10DPO can still result in an eventual BFP! Fingers crossed

Waiting for my period to arrive so we can start our first month of properly trying! I have my clear blue digital ovulation kit ready and waiting and I'm going to get some cheapies as well!

I have annoying cycles though, so AF could start in a weeks time or even two weeks😩

I average 32 day cycles and they feel so long. I came off the pill in December but used protection until April this year.

I honestly feel exactly the same as you all. This is only cycle 2 and it’s already consuming me. I symptom spot constantly (not even on purpose). Honestly so so much respect for people who have been going through this for a long period of time, I feel so down today and I’m not even out for this month yet. All of my friends fell pregnant first try and I’m convincing myself there is something wrong with me. Honestly had no idea it would consume me so much. I have a busy job and still think about it 60% of my day 😞

I feel you all 🙄🙄 I never thought I'd feel so consumed or focused on something that I was unsure about previously but here I am. Symptom spotting, vitamin taking, sex timing and everything else.

I got my AF on Sunday and going to try and relax come next month. It's tough going and I think I'm only finding it harder with being furloughed 🤷🏼‍♀️
I've been off the pill since January and wasn't really 'bothered' in a sense until March. And now I feel it's magnified massively.

Nice to see other people feeling the same @caribuCarafe @introv3rt @Littlebee1990 @doublecheeseburgermediumfries ....wishing baby dust to you all ❤️

@MyGossip yeah I'm only working half days at the moment due to CV-19 and all that means is spending more time thinking about TTC!

Every month the fear grows that I'm infertile and just don't know it yet, but then have to remind myself that we haven't actually been TTC for very long at all:

• we had a casual "let's not use a condom" approach for a year but it was with irregularly-timed sex which tended to be after my fertile window (for some reason I feel sexiest just before/during my period!
• we've only been actively TTC for 2-3 months now.

@Littlebee1990 my best friend and my SIL both took a year each and ended up with lovely healthy babies, so that helps me sometimes just thinking that it'll take a while but will happen eventually. Your friends must be super fertile .

@doublecheeseburgermediumfries I remember gleefully doing my OPK's during the first month. I'm a data analyst by profession so tracking my period and ovulation appeals to my geeky nature . Hope your period comes soon so you can start your journey!

Oooh I'm with you all ladies 👋🏻

I'm only on cycle 2 and I've always thought I had realistic expectations after coming off the pill but - and you already said it @cariboucarafe - it's amazing how deeply embedded in our minds the "if you have sex - you get pregnant" message has stuck from the teenage years!
Ironically, if I had come off my pill for a month at 18/19 years old, I'll bet you I'd have an 11 year old in tow right now 🤣

Expecting AF on Monday...here's hoping she's a no show this time!

Babydust to you all ☺️✨

@CaribouCarafe similar to my approach then! I wasn't really doing much other than paying more attention to my ovulating days on Flo and trying to time it a little more around that but nothing like I am now. I have that fear too that I am infertile but like you say, we just need to give ourselves time. I know lots of friends who have taken just over or under a year to conceive and I'm going to try and keep that in mind.

Are you tracking with OPKs? Or using any apps?

@mrswilso ha! Yes I think you're right, sods law would have got me pregnant at 16 otherwise!

@MyGossip I'm using Flo at the moment, but am thinking of maybe downloading a second app to track my OPKs (maybe Premom?).

I decided against using OPKs this month as I thought it would be less stressful to just do the 'every other day' approach rather than trying to translate the runes on my piss sticks. But it didn't actually relieve any anxiety any more - in fact it added to it because then I didn't know where I was in my cycle!

Next month I'll be doing the OPKs properly again, and probably do the SMEP plan.

@CaribouCarafe I use Flo too and then downloaded Premom and found that they were showing different days for my ovulation by two days. I started using easy@home OPKs and you can upload them to Premom and it gives you an indication of your ovulation levels from the picture. It's pretty helpful I must say! I done it mid month as they didn't arrive in time but I'll be ready ready month and hope to catch my ovulation date properly 🤞🏻

@cariboucarafe 🤣 "translate the runes on my piss sticks" has me actually pmsl hahaha

I really feel you all. I actually started my journey because two close friends took over a year to conceive their children so I wanted to get ahead on it but it still pains me every month it doesn’t happen.
I’m on cycle 5 now and I can’t bear to think what I’ll be like in another few months time. This month just seems to be worse, I’ve had absolutely nothing in my TWW, not even my normal AF symptoms, feels like my body has just missed an entire cycle 😞

@mrswilso you’re right, I wonder why I spent so long trying to avoid getting pregnant if it’s this difficult to do!

@CaribouCarafe I did some day 2 blood tests this month to try and stem the pressure I kept feeling that I was infertile and that’s was why it wasn’t happening and they were expensive at £79 but it did put my mind at ease a lot!

@ls2020 I'm like that this cycle too - last month had everything, bfn. This time I've had nothing that I've noticed. Bodies are weird 😕

@mrswilso yes that’s exactly what I’ve been like. Last month had it all, the aches, nausea, cramping and was so excited and then AF arrived 3 days early. Then this month silence, and still BFN. I know the logical aspect that even if I was pregnant that my HCG wouldn’t even rise until AF so I’d have no way of knowing but it’s just nice to feel something is happening!
I promised myself I would try have a chilled out cycle this month and now I’m down a Fitbit RHR rabbit hole upset because I’ve managed to keep my HR calm and therefore can’t be pregnant because my HR isn’t rising 😂

@LS2020 I hadn't considered getting tested so soon, but it might be useful just for sanity's sake. Were they just checking your hormone levels?

@mrswilso I remember reading a post once where someone had said that for all the success they've had with pregnancy tests, they may as well piss on a piece of cardboard and draw a single pink line on it! That one made me giggle - absolute money saver!

@LS2020 I had convinced myself I was pregnant this cycle because I fainted last week and have had really sore boobs for the past week.

Pregnancy tests (including the FRER and Fortel Ultra Sensitive ones I took) have all said 'nope' so far though, and over the past few days I just feel PMS-y so I'm certain AF is coming. Gah!

@LS2020 I had convinced myself I was pregnant this cycle because I fainted last week and have had really sore boobs for the past week.

Pregnancy tests (including the FRER and Fortel Ultra Sensitive ones I took) have all said 'nope' so far though, and over the past few days I just feel PMS-y so I'm certain AF is coming. Gah!

Oooh @ls2020 - I'm absolutely OBSESSED with the Fitbit RHR thing! I was actually just overanalysing my graph for the millionth time again today just now haha! This cycle does look very different from last month at this time... 🤞🏻
I've had a dip at 7dpo and risen again today so naturally I've convinced myself it's implantation 🤣 will update the Fitbit thread in a couple of days if I start seeing anything else that's different from my usual!

@cariboucarafe yes they check LH/FSH/testosterone/progesterone/oestrogen and thyroid so felt comprehensive. For me, I was looking at Ava and some weird moon cup but for swimmers which were £150-£200 plus, as started to feel desperate (again ridiculous for such a short time but similarly we’ve been off contraceptive since July last year and nothing) and I saw someone else mention and I thought well I don’t want to spend x amount and then get a year down the line and find out it was a hormone imbalance and then wasted the time and effort. I think I was really worried about this because I was on depo for over 10 years so wanted to know my balance was back to normal too. My results were back in 48 hours and got GP review on it and was so reassuring with some advice so was worth the money for me.
Honestly I don’t think there’s one body part left on my body that I haven’t googled is looking odd in the TWW and could it be a secret symptom 🤣 I did have a google because was very bloated on Sunday but had to face the fact my local Pizza Hut had reopened and I’d eaten half a large cheesy bite pizza and half a bottle of wine which may have more to do with it!!
The soreness is supposed to be a good sign though so hope so for you!

@mrswilso I’ve loved it every month because mine rises and rises until the day before AF and it would drop but it would give me so much hope! I had a big dip at 5dpo and then a mini dip at 7-8dpo but it’s only gone up 1bpm since then and stayed there 😞 fx for you!!

Hi everyone...

Haha sounds like we are all the same! I stupidly thought as soon as I came off the pill that I would be pregnant. Honestly I never ever thought I would be checking a forum constantly, spending hours researching ovulation, and desperately trying not to take another pregnancy test, this time 6 month ago!! Yet here I am!

I'm a week late and 4 negative tests deep!!

Anyone heard of using ovulation strips as pregnancy tests?

Oooh @dogmam - fingers crossed for you, hopefully you just need another couple of days - maybe you ovulated later?
I've heard of people using them, never personally but I'd always want to confirm with a HPT x

@mrswilso well I tried to put the possibility of being pregnant out of my head after the 4 tests and decided to check if ovulating today instead but then I kind of stumbled across a YouTube video of someone who said a positive OPK could mean either positive pregnancy or ovulation.. but because mine was negative it was just another reminder I'm deffo not pregnant!!

Ooo what's the RHR thing? I don't have a fitbit but I have a garmin which does the same, only thing is I run a few times a week so not sure if tracking RHR would be accurate?

@dogmam there seems to be a pattern in rhr that links with stages of the cycle and a lot of girls have discovered they're pregnant because of the changes that happen to that pattern when they conceive! It's fascinating and I'm obsessed with watching mine haha 😂
I'm on a thread about it - I'm sure it's called fitbit rhr and bfp or something like that. I'm sure you could track it with your Garmin too!

Ah right I'll have a look, thanks! Yeyy, another thing to obsess over haha