TTC baby no1. Looking for fellow crazy TTC friends!

[CAG14]

Hey

This is my 9th month TTC my first baby and I'm 33. I got static smiley on Friday on OPK, and now I'm in my TWW - again! I'm currently on furlough so the wait seems even longer and more painful and I definitely end up going a bit crazy 🤪

Anyone else in similar boat and need keeping sane?! Also any TTC tips you've heard of? I will literally try anything at the moment haha.

@Pippy20 that's how I feel too! I started testing yesterday and I get excited doing it lol

No bleeding today. It was bright red last night. Honestly not a clue what's happening. Just hoping i still ovulate this month at least 🤞

@lt103 and as usual mother nature tries to mess with our emotions. Sorry for the BFN. Fingers crossed for a BFP in the next couple of days.

@Nellyk84 I know what you mean. I feel like things are normal when my cycles are regular and my sticks show ovulation as I think things are working down there!!

I am confused today though as got flashing smiley again (I'm on CD15 and usually ovulate between CD14-16) but I always do an IC alongside the clear blue and it has got a lot lighter than previous days making me think that I've missed my peak or didn't ovulate as LH surge is getting weaker. I will just DTD anyway today and hope that the solid smiley turns up tomorrow but it is just weird! Attached are my IC in order (some days I've tested more than once to try and catch) I started getting flashing face from CD12

@CAG14 I’m not familiar with those tests I’ve only ever done the clear blue digital opk, so is the line supposed to be really dark when you’re at peak ovulation? There looks to be a strong line there to me

@LMA27 yeah it has to be the same darkness as the test line which none of them are. Usually they get darker each day as your body builds to a peak

@CAG14 I'm the same as you, I do a cheapie strip one alongside my CB. There are some months where it aligns exactly as youd expect, faint line appearing on opks just after getting a flashing smile and gradually gets darker with the darkest being same day as static. But some months it really hasnt aligned like that and my strip ones get lighter before I've even had static. I'm not sure if it's something to do with the CB detecting the 2nd hormone but strips only looking for the LH surge.

Incase you arent aware do you know you can upload the photos of strip tests to the femometer app and it intelligently recognises the reading. I find it really helpful coz some days I'm like is that darker or lighter Haha. I've uploaded a photo so you can see what I mean. I just found that feature really helpful and you can obviously upload any brand of strips.

@Mia1985x thanks Mia that is really helpful. Every other month they've aligned with each other and had the darkest line on IC same as solid smiley. But this time it seems to be getting lighter. I will just continue to DTD just in case. I was worried I'd just missed it as that can happen apparently but hopefully DTD covers it anyway. I'll download the femometer app thanks for the advice and sharing your photo.

@CAG14 Ohh ok. Fingers crossed it just pops up on you like “heeeey I’m here!!” soon 🤞🏼

@LMA27 haha yeah hope so!! I think the longer it goes on the more DTD seems like a chore haha. Sandpaper and all that....

@Mia1985x thanks for writing about the femometer app I didn't know it recognises all strips I've got some about to arrive and I'm entering into my fertility window for this month so hopefully that will be handy xx thanks 😊

Morning everyone, hope you're all good.
@LT103 sorry about your BFN :(

I was up until 2am reading about SMEP and people's success story, I'm hoping to try that this month. I saw some people mention it in this thread a few days ago. Has anyone had any success in the past with it?

Hi @Jadeb1995 I think that may have been me? Trying it this month - it was quite exhausting especially as I ovulated several days later than normal 😂. Really hoping it works - I’ve read good things and I think everything is worth a try!

One annoying thing I’ve only really thought about lately is that opks detect the surge but even then you don’t actually know when/if you’ve ovulated. I was thinking of trying temping if this cycle is unsuccessful. Has anyone tried that? Seems like a bit of a ball ache and I’m pretty sure my husband would not put up with a thermometer beeping away at 6am when I wake up every morning lol.

I’m pretty sure my AF is on its way - got a pounding headache today and ‘that feeling’ :-(. Only good thing I guess is that I can enjoy a hot bath and a drink or two this weekend in the sun! 😊 🌈

@Jadeb1995 I’ve not read up on SMEP, I’ll have a look as I know a few people have mentioned, I don’t even know what it stands for!
I might try it with you... I’m in TWW at the min but I just have a gut feeling it’s not my turn this month.
The fact that @Pippy20 said it’s exhausting has made me even more curious haha
I hate ‘that feeling’ just before AF but silver lining like you said, you can enjoy a couple (of bottles... 😂)

@LMA27 it’s the sperm meets egg method! The idea is you start doing the deed on day 8 of your cycle and every other day until you get a positive opk - then you do it 3 days in a row, miss a day then one final shot! After that you will be positively KNACKERED and hopefully pregnant!

@Pippy20 I just had a little google (supposed to be working but shush) but I don’t know if OH will go along with that yet, he said he doesn’t want to feel pressured so I think I’m going to have to wait a little longer before I suggest that to him. He usually knows the right time and makes sure we DTD enough so I can’t complain in regard to his effort (yet haha)
It sounds like there have been some good success stories though so it’s definitely with a go isn’t it!

@LMA27 haha yeah it’s hard trying to strike a balance between the gentle art of seduction and quick! get upstairs I think I’m ovulating! 😂 I haven’t really explained the smep to him I just ensure I make the first move! He really wants children though so he’s pretty happy to try anything - he’s been taking the wellman male fertility vitamins, and has been since we first started ttc. Not sure how much they affect things but I’m sure it can’t hurt - just keep thinking what a fluke it was that I got pregnant so quickly when we first started trying! No point dwelling on it though as I guess it’s just ‘one of those things’. Really really feel for people who have been at this ttc business for years - I really don’t know how they have the strength to do it

@Pippy20 my OH takes them too :) his approach is much more laid back, but after a drink he has confessed he’s just trying to not put too much pressure on us so we don’t get disappointed, which is really sweet. I’m happy to do it his way for now but will definitely need to change it if it’s not working. I guess only time will tell.
It will happen for you 💕

@Pippy20 I feel the same with those trying for years. I've been 10 months and find it hard enough and my sister in law it was 7 years and 5 IVFs (she has a beautiful boy now on 5th try). I don't know how she did it I have so much admiration for her. It is totally hard to find the balance of seduction and just getting down to it. Me and OH have agreed that sometimes it just isn't romantic and that is fine, if it is just quick and gets it done that it is also fine. I definitely isn't romantic when I'm putting conceive plus up me before and the ferti.lily Cup up me after haha.

@Pippy20 I track my temperature and at first it does take a bit of getting used to but after the first week it literally just becomes habit and I do it without thinking. It def helps me to know when I have ovulated as I always follow the same pattern with my temp. I will attache a photo so you can see what I mean. Coz you are completely right the OPKs tell you that your body is gearing up to ovulate but your BBT confirms if you actually ovulated. This month is actually the first month since we started TTC 14 months ago that my temperature hasnt followed a very specific pattern. Think I may have either ovulated late this month or not at all (which I know can happen from time to time so is inevitable at some point)

I might try the SMEP this month. We are usually there or there abouts with what they suggest but I have never actually followed it to a tee so worth giving that a shot.

I took a FRER this morning as going a minute break with family tomorrow and I gave in to my impatience this morning. It was a BFN. But depending on when I ovulated I am only about 8 or 9DPO so still very early but I also have the feeling it's just not out month. AF due sunday according to my app so will do another FRER Friday morning just incase as we have a celebration planned for friday night.

Would help if I attach the photo 🙈🙈

I've screenshot last month as I said this month is the first not to follow this exact pattern. So from AF right until the day before ovulation my temp plods along around the same. Then day before I ovulate I pretty much always get a temp dip. Then day after ovulation it spikes right up and stays up until start of AF. I literally know in the morning AF is going to arrive that day as my temp drops back down.

It only took me 2 months of tracking to see and know my pattern and now it's like clockwork (typically until this 1 month)

Hope this helps

I'm having an absolute mare today!! Photo now hopefully finally attached. Haha sorry everyone for the barrage of messages.

@Mia1985x oh Mia I have done exactly the same as you!! I gave into my impatience yesterday as I had one frer test left - also only 8 or 9 dpo and also got a BFN. Way too early to test as the box itself says something like only 60% accurate or something from 9dpo so I don’t know what I was thinking as I knew what it would say - even as I was unwrapping it I was like why are you even doing this?! Flo also predicts AF Sunday for me so we are both in the same crappy little paddle boat 😂

Annoyed I broke my ‘never test til I’m late crap!’ Sometimes it’s just too hard to resist - however now I have no tests In the house and all the usual AF symptoms have arrived so I’ll just have to accept this month hasn’t worked and move on to thinking about the next cycle.

Have you had any symptoms? Not that that really means anything as I had no idea I was pregnant previously. Thanks to the movies I always assumed pregnant = vomiting like clockwork the next morning 👍🏻

@Pippy20 I also started temping after my miscarriage, I'd used opks in the past but never temped. It's been really interesting! Also the beeping isn't loud, it's never woken my OH. Sometimes I've drifted off while lying waiting for the reading and then the beeps waken me which is handy or I'd be late for work since I'd turned my alarms off 😂

@stabal @mia1985x @pippy20 hmm interesting. I've always thought temping wouldn't work for me as I have a drink at the weekends and they say that affects the reading? I mean I could give up drinking for a couple of weeks but probably not the whole month at the moment haha!

Sorry for the BFNs still early though so every chance. Don't beat yourself up for testing early we've all done it. It is so hard.

Still no solid smiley this morning and the IC are not darkening either. It is CD16 so I will continue until CD18 testing but I'm worried I've missed it or not ovulate this month - eek.

@Mia1985x What termometer do you use? I have literally started tracking temp and OPKs this week.
I only had my coil out on Sat and it was in for three years so no idea what my cycle is.
I just wanted to make sure I was tracking right at least. My thermometer isn't a specific basal temperature one, just a cheapie.
My OPKs read as 20% yesterday but I couldn't see any line but 0% today...but I could see a line. I'm going to invest in the clear blue one when I have better idea of my cycle cos these cheap ones are hard to work out!

@butterfly5291 you need a basal one because it has to read to 2 decimal points. I use the femometer one that syncs with the app. Really handy!

@CAG14 I've definitely noticed a spike up the next morning when I've had a drink but it's usually just on a Saturday night so I know what that reading isn't going to be accurate. I also don't get a block of 3-4 hours of uninterrupted sleep so I didn't think it would work but it seems to be pretty accurate so far in going with my cycle. I don't think I'm going to ovulate this month so I'm interested to see what temping says. You've been under a lot of stress with work so try not to get too disheartened if you don't ovulate this month, I know that's easier said than done but it's so easily thrown 💕