TTC with SMEP

[SmileyT]

New thread for our SMEP adventures ❤️

Cycle days 1-7
◦ CD1 is your first day of full flow
◦ Stock up on Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPKs)
◦ Stock up on Pregnancy Tests
◦ Mark start dates on your calendar:
◦ CD8 = BD (“Baby Dance”/have intercourse/”try”) every other day until you receive a positive OPK (+OPK)
◦ CD10 daily OPK tests
Cycle day 8
◦ BD, and plan to BD every other day until +OPK
Cycle day 10
◦ Start daily OPK testing until OPK turns positive
+OPK day
◦ BD today, tomorrow, and the next day.
◦ Skip a day and BD one more time.
◦ Mark test day on your calendar: +OPK day + 15 = test day
◦ If OPK never turns positive, BD every other day until your period (AF or “Aunt Flo/Flow”) arrives or until CD35
Test day (or CD35)
◦ If AF has not arrived, take a home pregnancy test
◦ First morning urine (FMU) does not always yield the best results, you may wish to try with your second morning urine (SMU) or an afternoon test after a 3-4 hour hold (no liquids)

Anyone feel free to join us ❤️

Bless you @smileyt you are now in charge of the thread! Great job! How are you? I always feel a ton of stuff during this week, it's my least favourite part of the cycle!!

@SmileyT love this intro 🥰 thank you xx

I am out this cycle. No temp rise at all, it’s gone back down and I had mid cycle bleeding yesterday which was horrible. I rang the dr but she said it sounded like hormonal imbalance and nothing they can do as they would usually fix that with the pill. Really confused and frustrated as I am over the 12 month mark now. I have my first acupuncture appointment today.

Mornign :) cycle day 11 for me. Started ovulation test CD6 as I have had the odd short 26 day cycle. They can vary between 26-31 days. Using SMEP and preseed for the 1st time this month though I'm on month 19 of trying. How you all feeling with so much dtd? So far OK but I don't want to put too much pressure on us this month. We've booked in for some private infertility tests for after my next period. £395!! I hope I catch before that so I don't have to pay ha. Nice to meet you all xx

Morning :) cd5 for me. Think we'll start today - my cycles are short and I ovulated on cd9 a couple of months ago but last month was cd12. I'm taking cyclogest from 7dpo and need to test on 14dpo to see if I need to stop it or up it.

Good luck everyone :)

Well done @SmileyT! How are you doing?

@Jilly1988 sorry to hear you think AF is coming. That all sounds very stressful and frustrating. Hopefully the acupuncture will help. I know me and @Hoping41 rave about ours but they really are amazing. I posted my bbt chart last week but found one from back in October when I started acupuncture. Its pretty all over the place compared to this month (although not sure what yesterday's dip was!). I have also found conventional medicine a bit unhelpful but acupuncture and fertility massage/diet have worked wonders. I hope you find what works for you. Don't give up, you can do this.

Welcome @Vea1601 and @VenusStarr great to have you. Pace yourselves is my only advice as I've run out of steam a few months!

@serialplanner don't go! We need your moral support and want to know how you're getting on. Plus you're part of the original clan! Hope you're doing OK?

Thanks @Seafrontsky - we did do smep last year and I did concieve, so I know it works. We've been ttc for 2.5 years now. We're on route to ivf but giving this a good shot. I've had 3 losses, so trying cyclogest from 7dpo and keeping our fingers tightly crossed! :)

Thanks @Seafrontsky it doesn’t seem to be AF it was one day of spotting and now it’s gone. Does anyone know if you don’t ovulate do you get your period at normal time? I’m quite excited about trying acupuncture as I’ve heard a lot of good things and there’s a massive difference between your charts. You know the dip could be implantation, I’ve read that can happen. Fingers crossed.

@Jilly1988 did they not offer you any further testing as you've been trying for 12 months? I've been offered an ultrasound as a first steo by my GP because I had a MC six months ago and my cycles are still irregular so they should definitely offer you something. Hope you are okay xx

@Seafrontsky oh that is a big difference in your temps. Nice dip there in this months! How are you feeling?

@VenusStarr good luck for this cycle - what does the cyclogest do? X

@seafrontsky I was also going to suggest implantation. It seems around the correct time for it! 🤞

Welcome @vea1601 I hope you get answers from your tests. I must admit I didn't manage smep this week and just went for every second day instead. It can be hard work if you're busy in the real world too. Best of luck to you though, I found that I felt confidence by following a plan someone said worked!

@VP91x I had an ultrasound and blood tests at the start of the year and my husband had sperm tests. I had mid cycle bleeding at the end of last year so they gave us tests but everything came back good and that there was nothing wrong and they discharged us. I think some months my hormones are better than other months. I’m glad I had this acupuncture app booked in. I’m just more confused about when my next cycle starts if I didn’t ovulate.

@Jilly1988 oh that's good that you got them done, hopefully it is just an odd month. I had an anovulatory cycle last month too, hoping all is okay again xx

@VP91x it must be common enough. We obviously realise more because we track everything. did your AF arrive at usual time after your anovulatory cycle?

Yes, in the period power book she mentions that 20-30% of 'normal' cycles are anovulatory. It seems very high to me it is something to take comfort from when you get one.

Thank you @VP91x it is progesterone. My consultant has a theory that the type of missed miscarriages I've had might mean I need to increase my progesterone - willing to try anything at this stage! X

Hi all, DH and I are trying SMEP for the first time this month, on month 19 of TTC for baby #1.

I'm making a slight tweak as I use core body temperature instead of OPKs so will be looking for ovulation confirmation from my ovusense.

I think my problem is low progesterone, and I'm set up for a progesterone test on CD21, DH is lined up for a sperm analysis, and once they're done we'll be referred to fertility clinic. However I'm still not giving up on naturally getting pregnant!

Are acupuncture appointments going ahead? The ones round me still seem to be shut due to covid. I'm at the stage of willing to try anything that seem to work.

@PlanBea wishing you the best for this cycle. How are you getting on with the ovusense? I've seen a bit about it!

@Jilly1988 it came a little earlier I had a 29 day cycle and the last two cycles before that were 31 & 32 days. That is quite a high % @Hoping41 but you're both right before tracking we would have never noticed x

@VenusStarr oh that's so interesting, I hope it works for you. I also wonder if that might be an issue for me post-MC tempted to get a 21day test online xx

I'm sorry to hear you've had a mc too @VP91x ❤️ we've had testing and no answers so hoping this might give us a chance. Just need to get pregnant first, which has also been an issue of ours! X

I'm sorry to hear about your losses @VenusStarr, that must be very hard for you. I hope the progesterone works, I've heard lots about MMC being caused by that. Fingers crossed for you, it sounds like you are giving it your all.

@Hoping41 @VP91x oh I read somewhere implantation almost never happens this early (7dpo) but who knows. I'm feeling quite zen about everything this month and very much feeling positive it will happen when its time. Let's hope that lasts! Keeping busy with kids/work/building works is helping though!

I don't think I've ever noticed what happens with AF in anovulatory months @Jilly1988. Definitely would never have noticed before TTC I'm not that in tune with my body! Hope it sorts itself out for you and you find some answers. Is there another GP you can talk to?

@VP91x I've only completed one full cycle with it but it seems to give more accurate readings than my BBT tracker. It picked up my ovulation last cycle when BBT said I didn't ovulate. I was a bit unsure about having it in all night but it's comfortable and doesn't give false readings if I get up in the night to go to the loo haha

Hello lovely ladies... I set up the thread but then got seriously distracted with work today 🙄

I'm doing good thanks, I've decided to test and ordered my first ever FRER but have had some shooting pains in my tum area today and femometer is predicting period tomorrow so maybe the smart ass is right 😤

@Hoping41 you still testing on the Thursday? How have you been feeling? xx

@Seafrontsky 1st week of TWW nearly out of the way 🙌🏾 you managing to distract yourself? xx

@Jilly1988 from what I've read on these threads you really have to push most GPs to investigate but I'd definitely go back... my temps were low after my expected ovulation but seemed to rise a few days later this month 🤷🏾‍♀️

Hey @VenusStarr and @Vea1601 and @PlanBea 👋

Hi @SmileyT, typical buying a FRER would encourage AF to start. That seems to be what happens to me! That or wearing white pants haha. Hopefully it's not AF and you aren't out this month yet!

@venusstarr I hope it works for you, as you say, trying anything feels worthwhile at this stage.
@seafrontsky I'm not too sure about implantation but that certainly looks like the dip I've seen on some graphs. It'll be interesting to see what it does tomorrow. Well done on your calm approach! Your mindset seems very healthy.
@smileyt I've had none of my usual symptoms this month but I'm not feeling confident. Af is due Friday or Saturday depending on what app I look at. I started so much new this cycle that I'm aware it will be feeling different because of that. Good luck with your new purchase of frer!