9DPO Symptom Spotting

[unCliche]

Hey @ButterscotchBabe! Continuing our chat here 😁

I loooove that your temps did exactly what mine did too. So good that AF hasn't arrived at CD26!! Happy for you! When your temps increased last month, was it is to a gradual high or did it jump up again and then AF started? Because if this pattern is new, it could mean good news!

Ours definitely look like the beginning of a triphasic chart. My temps last month started dropping at 7DPO, so it still being high at 9DPO is such an achievement for me and no sign of AF either although my vulva feels AF'y in a weird way. My pulse and breathing rate have also continued to shoot up!! If temps don't tell you AF is coming, pulse rate defo will because it always starts falling a few days before AF for me.

I do suspect chemical but no BFP so can't confirm and nothing else changed that cycle so I can't explain it. Hormones were defo the reason I never took the pill, it plays such a big part in changing your reproductive cycle that of course it would have an affect on cycles after you come off them! 45 day cycles sound like a nightmare - especially when TTC too.

I do have a FRER! I'm always so scared to use it though. I always use rubbish ICs which probably aren't the best thing but I will use my FRER with you!

I like predicting what my temps will do with DH. What do you think will happen tomorrow? I think both our temps will go up again 😆

Thanks lovely. It was just a moment of extreme weakness. Sex just suddenly felt like this thing surrounded by so many negative connotations, representing all the things I struggle to do. My ability to get sexually assaulted which has led to my inability to get aroused, my inability to orgasm and now I have the inability to conceive a child. I was just so overwhelmed with how broken I felt with sex being the root cause of it all. I feel better now though. I want to mould sex into something positive, so DH and I will only have sex when we feel like it.

I googled how many sperm make it to the fallopian tubes and it's only about 1 in 14 million!! DH had a total count of 57 million which means only about 4 sperm make it to my tubes (but 4 could also easily be 0!) 😂😂 What a nightmare of a statistic. Very sobering. So after we've moved house, we're going to look into IUI maybe that'll give the sperm a helping hand to get to where they need to without dying on the obstacle course that is my uterus.

Yeah, DH was really upset that I was upset. I told him how I felt and he suggested we take a break. But the thought of taking a break and it still taking a long time afterwards isn't something I want to go through. I just want to get it over and done with. It's not fun anymore. But we've been laughing loads about the 4 little spermies that do make it 😂 What would you do in my situation? If your DP had low sperm count would you try and increase it or go straight for treatment?

You're right about the COVID and the spiralling down. This is such a hard time to be trying to conceive. Everyone's mental health is on the verge of fragmenting, it only takes very little to go over that edge now. I hope you're still staying strong. You seem to be dealing well with everything and you've been so lovely with me, if you ever need to talk please, please do reach out. You have me on insta but I'd be happy to even give you my number. TTC is tough and doing it in secret and not being able to share it with your nearest and dearest is hard. But I'm here for you! 💕💕

You and your DP must be early birds. DH and I sleep late and wake up late! I love my sleep so much. After kids, I won't have that luxury. I need to make the most out of it while I can! Are you looking forward to doing the school run? I wonder what the playground politics with the other parents will be like? Imagine if it's like school again and parents group together in little cliques. I hope I can make parent friends. It's hard making friends in your late 20s and even harder now with lockdown.

I think your range is good. You need to see a temp difference of about 0.4 between FP and LP to confirm sufficient progesterone, but I've seen pregnancy charts where their temps barely went above the coverline during the LP. Getting pregnant really is random. With only 1 in 14 million sperm making it, we need to get our uterus chock full with swimmers. It's the only way! I still can't get over how abysmal those stats are. I don't know if I should laugh or cry.

Yeah with B6, anything over 200mg is pretty dangerous. 100mg is safe enough but obviously not 100% as nothing is 100% safe. However 50mg still works as well, or so I've read. Every other day with 100mg should be fine either way! Have they arrived yet?

Eeeeee!! Good luck!! I hope you get an interview! How are you feeling about it? Do you know of any others who have applied too?

I'm not sure yet about fastening the dress. I bought two different zippers. I have two options; either the zip is sewn on top of the dress or is encased within it. The fabric is quite thick so an invisible zip didn't work, which is what I would have preferred. I wish fat would go on my legs 😭😭 I used to be called chicken legs 😭 Congrats on losing weight though. I know how amazing that feels. I probably will continue working out. I started last week and my legs were sore for days from the little squats I did 😂 baby steps... Are you working out as well or just dieting?

How's your brother? Hopefully he's much better now?!

The estate agent came and did a virtual tour thing. We tidied up the house so much, I even stored some things in my car so it looked less cluttered! I feel really bittersweet about it all. But I can't wait to move! Do you like where you're currently renting? Maybe I'll send you the virtual tour so you can have a little peek into my house 😂

Hey how have you been feeling today?

I think that's a good idea to just have sex when you want to, not because you feel you need to. You don't want TTC to start negatively affecting your relationship.

Only 1 in 14 million 😱 where do the rest go?? 😂 Silly sperm! Most of the time the vagina is hostile towards sperm, they can only get into the uterus when your cm is watery or egg white. I wonder if that figure goes up when the right cm is there 🤔. In that case IUI should make a big difference as it's bypassing the harsh conditions of the vagina and cervix. I would recommend a medicated IUI cycle rather than a natural one because then they can control your hormones to make sure conditions are perfect. We could end up having fertility treatment at the same time!

I think as you're finding it quite stressful it maybe better to seek help, to help it happen quicker but your DH will have to get his sperm out again, which I know he won't be thrilled about 😂. If DP's sperm comes back low then we'll go straight for IVF, I don't want to hang around any longer!

Aww thanks that's very sweet, it's been lovely being able to go through this journey with you! We'll have to meet up one day with our babies 🥰.

We don't get up too early, normally between 7-8am but much later at weekends! I'm really not looking forward to being woken up through the night with crying! Do you think your DH will be quite hands on or will he leave a lot of it to you?

I reckon parents do get into their cliques, they'll be two sets of potential parent friends, your neighbours and parents of your children's friends. I can imagine it would be really awkward if the kids fall out or there are bullies.

Yes the B6-100 tablets arrived today, they are huge! Took one at lunchtime but as I'm halfway through now I don't know if I'll notice any difference in this cycle. Also they smell funny, do you notice a smell with yours?

Thanks 😊 I'm feeling confident that I'll get an interview but I'll need to practice lots as the interview will be tough. Yeh a few people in my team have applied but there's 2 or 3 permanent jobs going, the 3rd post is dependent on the new financial years budget.

Could you do a button instead of a zip? Does fabric need to be thin for invisible zips to work? Aww! I wish I had less fat on my legs 😂. Some lucky girls just put fat on their boobs! Haha hopefully it will get easier the more exercises you do! The other day I carried some heavy shopping bags into the house from the car (so not very far) and the next day my arms were killing me! 😂😂 I think this lockdown has melted away any muscle used to have! Well done on the squats, I'm not really doing anything other than an occasional walk. Focusing more on cutting calories as that's easier 😂.

Yeh my brother is okay now thanks, we played poker with him and my Dad last night, unfortunately my brother won! Do you like poker?

Ooh that would be interesting haha, I'm sure it's not as good as your new house 😊. How long have you lived at your current place for? We're not actually renting, we live at DP's Mums house but she doesn't live there, complicated family situation!

I'm not sure what to do about charts, I'm happy to keep sharing my chart but if you're taking a step back, I don't want to draw you back in! Would it be easier for you if I didn't post my chart?

I feel much better thanks 💕 Today has been a good day with work as my Alexa programme is where I need it to be! How are you? Busy day?

Exactly, I wouldn't want mine and DH's relationship to just be about baby making. I want more than just his sperm so I think the quicker we conceive the less stress we'd have to go through as a couple.

It's shocking right? I've read many other articles. Some even say out of 200 million sperm, only 10 make it to the egg!!! And that's probably with the right type of CM too!!! I think I can confidently say that not a single sperm has had a chance to meet any of my eggs! And on the rare chance they have, my short LP and AF probably flushed them away! Have you had any inclination that sperm has met egg for you? Maybe some sign of failed implantation? Cramping, spotting, etc?

Hehe! Looks like April/May will be interesting months for us. I don't feel as bad as I did about getting fertility treatment. I'd still prefer to conceive without forking out a fortune but at least the help is there. DH is still taking the vitamins so I hope it does make some improvement on his count. Is your DP accepting of the fact that you guys may need to go through IVF to conceive? I wonder how many celebrities go straight for IVF and don't bother with having to go through cycle after cycle of BFNs!

It would be so special if our kids grew up as friends!! Yours will be the friend they look forward to seeing when we take weekend trips down to Devon (or up to Birmingham!) I was lucky to grow up with cousins that are the same age as me, but I think for my kids, it'll be different as my younger sisters aren't anywhere near ready to conceive (unless they get accidentally pregnant 😱) Did you have friends/family close in age that you grew up with?

7-8am is early. I'm up 9am-10am 😂 I did work up until 6:30pm today, so I have absolved my lateness! I wouldn't say I'm the most on-time employee but I get my work done 🤷‍♀️

Yeah I think my DH will be very hands on! We even spoke about him taking a few months paternity leave while I go back to work straight away and he said he'd do it, bless him 😂 I'd probably be too controlling to allow it though! Do you think your DP would be hands on?

Oh I really hope we have young families in the neighbourhood we move to. Living next door to our current neighbours was amazing during lockdown, we had so much fun! I just worry that a lot of people our age won't be home owners yet so we'll be surrounded by the 40+. It will be interesting to see the sort of friends our kids gravitate towards. Hopefully they're nice and the parents are good people too. I can't be befriending the parents of a spoilt, entitled child. Do you have a lot of young couples around where you live?

Yeah the B-100 tablets are so big!! Did you get the Holland and Barrett ones? I guess there is a bit of a scent but nothing that immediately stands out as terrible. I think it should still have some effect halfway through your cycle. Hopefully your temps will skyrocket this cycle!

Oh it must be nerve-wracking knowing who your competition is! But thankfully there's more than one spot so that increases the chances of you getting the job! Will those who applied be out of a job if they're not successful?

No 😟 I didn't draft the pattern to include buttonholes and I've left the centre back unfinished with the raw edges and without enough fabric to fold back. The fabric doesn't necessarily need to be thin, but around the waistband, there's quite a few layers of fabric that has made it impossible for the zip to go past so it'll be better for the zip to sit on top of the dress instead of inside it.

I'm a boob girl!! I went through a second puberty in my early 20s and my boobs just kept getting bigger. So I'm really worried about pregnancy because I'd look ridiculous if they increased in size anymore! I definitely will get back to the exercise. I love feeling the burn so I'm the opposite to you! I'd rather eat whatever I wanted and workout than the other way around. I hate having to plan food and think about what to eat. Such a chore!

Glad to hear that! I only recently learned how to play poker and I barely know the rules so I'm not the best player but I reckon I'm good at bluffing and if that's all that's required, I'd probably win! Do you play games a lot with your family?

We've lived at the current house for 2 year. It's a nice house, and it has some special features that I will miss. But our newer house is better, if only for all the extra storage space it has!

Oh woooow! Does that mean you're not paying rent? I'd actually be jealous!

Definitely share your chart! I'm still temping and tracking and doing everything!! Wearing a bracelet that does all the work for you is the easy part! 😂 Here's my chart so far - nothing spectacular!

Glad you're feeling better 😊

That's good your Alexa programme is progressing well, yeh I had a pretty busy day yesterday!

I reckon I'm gonna ovulate on CD17 again as OPKs are still showing negative. So we could have a repeat of last cycle and you end up 2 days behind me 🙂.

I've had no indication sperm and egg have ever met, in the past before I met DP and went on the pill, I took many pregnancy tests and all were negative, so there's something wrong with my body, I just don't know what! I wasn't trying to get pregnant before, just not doing anything to stop it. I get cramping and spotting in every cycle so I would never know if it was due to implantation. It would be great if we had a microscope and could follow the sperms journey to find out what's going wrong!

Yeh it feels unfair that 90% of couples get pregnant for free, no issues. When we started TTC DP was convinced I'd get pregnant straight away, I warned him I thought I was unable to get pregnant and it seems I was right. He is now more excepting of fertility help, he's just worried about money because his job ends on Friday and he's still waiting to hear back from jobs he's applied for. Is your DH happy to go down the fertility treatment route? Haha yeh if I was rich I'd just have treatment straight away, wouldn't bother waiting 😂. Reminds me.. it's Euromillions tonight 😉

I'm in a similar situation as you, in that my brother's are much younger than me so it's unlikely our children will be of similar age. If my brother's manage to have kids before I do, somethings gone very wrong! Unfortunately my Mum fell out with her sister when we were kids, so we don't know our cousins very well. That's lovely you grew up with your cousins, are you still close to them?

Haha 7-8am is a lie in on weekdays, when we worked in the office I would get up at 5.30am everyday 😂. Are your work quite flexible with hours?

Once you've had the baby I doubt you'll want to go back to work straight away. It's a shame father's only get 2 weeks paternity leave, the thought of being left alone with the baby for the first time is scary! I think DP will be hands on, although sometimes he can be bossy (he's an Aries) so I can imagine us arguing over the right thing to do! That's good your DH will be hands on 😊.

I think we're the youngest couple where we live, most are 40s+. A lot of young people are having to rent or buy new build homes (which are built awfully) on a help to buy scheme. Is there a school near your new house? Young parents may also try to buy nearer schools.

Yes I got the Holland and Barrett ones, strangely I've had chest problems yesterday and this morning and the only thing I did different was take the higher dose B6. It probably wasn't the cause, could just be a coincidence but I'll have to see next time I take it. Have you had any chest disturbances recently?

Other people in the agency could have applied, the people in my team are on assignment, so if any of us don't get it, then we'll have to go back to our substantive posts. Yeh it probably makes it worse knowing your competition but it's also hard knowing the interviewers!

I'm sure it will still look good with a zip on top, do you have one of the same colour?

Haha lucky you! I'd love to have big boobs and thin legs! I call my boobs fried eggs 😂😂. Yes they will increase when you're pregnant and breast feeding (if you're planning on bf).

Yeh poker is just basically luck and bluffing, we use a website that tells you what hand you've got, so you don't have to work it out, very handy! Not really, only poker online every couple of months. Do you keep in regular contact with your family?

Storage space is so useful! You'll be surprised how quickly it gets filled when you have kids 😂.

Lol yeh we're not paying rent but the bills are quite high here and we have to regularly do repairs. That's how we've been able to save some money towards a house deposit but now fertility treatment is gonna eat into that ☹️.

Oh, your temps are very bouncy! I forget you're 4 days ahead of me. Can't believe we're at this point in our cycle again. Ovulation isn't too far away! I think I'll ovulate on CD14 or CD15 as my temps have started to go up and from the trend I've noticed, once they start increasing, I usually ovulate 6 days later. Either way, I'll start doing OPKs in 2 days!! We've also started DTD and I'm going to make sure I have a little play with my vibrator afterwards to help propel the swimmers as much as possible! 😁

With your previous partners, did you ever DTD around the time you ovulate and did they ever finish in you? I think I'm the same as you as I used to let my ex finish in me once I thought ovulation was out of the way. Little did I know that I didn't ovulate on CD11 (based on a 25 day cycle) so I must have been DTD right around the times I actually ovulated! But never been pregnant! Either lucky or infertile 😂

I'd love a microscope to see inside of me too! 🙁if only we knew exactly what was going wrong, then we could fix it!!! All we can do is speculate based on the information we have.

Oh gosh, sounds like a stressful few weeks for your DP. I really hope he gets the job! You definitely will need your savings while he works on getting a job. Would you consider postposing treatment until after he's been employed somewhere?

Yeah, it was actually DH who convinced me to consider getting the fertility treatment done. I wasn't too keen on paying for a baby! But I think it'll be the best way for the health of our relationship as well as our mental health!

Hehe, have you bought a lottery ticket?? Fingers crossed! 🤞🤞

Boys don't settle down for ages so there's probably another 10 years before the oldest has a child. I don't think you'd wait 10 years before seeking some sort of help! So it's safe to say your child will be the first grandchild in the family! Oh that sucks that you don't really know your cousins, do you think you'd reach out to them in the future? I'm close to all of mine. They were all pretty much in my bridal party and the one that's the same age as me was my maid of honour 😁

5:30am??!! But whhhyyy? Did you have to travel far? Even when I was commuting to the office, I'd wake up at 8am 😂 I don't know if work is flexible with hours, I've just always done what I wanted! I'm rebellious, if you haven't guessed by now!

I really hope that by the time we give birth that COVID will be history because my mum and DH's mum would probably come to stay for a while to help out. It must be so daunting being a new mother and going it alone! I hope DH still works from home then too. Would your mum come to stay with you do you think?

I could never buy a new build! Or use help to buy. It just seems like a bad idea. I'm still annoyed at how difficult it is for young people to get on the housing ladder without help! Yeah, there are a few ofsted-outstanding schools in the area plus it's the poshest part of Reading so definitely a lot of families would try to move to the area. I just hope they're not old and stuck up!

Oh, sorry to hear about your chest problems. Sometimes I get brief heartburn when I swallow the vitamins, but I can't say if it's from the B-complex or another vitamin, but it usually goes away quickly. Hopefully it's nothing too serious for you!

Ok, so if you don't get the job, you'd still have another job to go back to? Hopefully you're not feeling too worrisome!

I've struggled to find a zip of the same colour, so I'll just use a white zip 😢 Not much else I can do. I just hope it doesn't look terrible!

I think I'd like to breastfeed. I heard it really hurts though. Would you?

Ah that's perfect! I never remember the hands so that'll help a lot! Maybe I'll play against you one day. See who the better bluffer is 😁😁 Yeah, I speak to my family regularly. I'm just really rubbish at calling people so it's mostly through messaging. How often do you speak to yours?

I'm sooo jeaaalous!!! I don't want to pay rent!!!! We pay £1200 here 😢 Imagine what we could do with that in savings. So lucky! I think a baby trumps a house. You can always buy a house but you can't always have a baby, and you'll be spending the money on an amazing cause so you shouldn't feel too bad about it! I'd pay anything for a baby too.

I think I might have already ovulated as my temp went up quite a bit this morning. I had a positive OPK at 10am, the last time I tested was yesterday morning and it was negative. I'm really annoyed I didn't test last night as I reckon it would have been positive. Tested again this afternoon and it's started to come down, so I think the peak is over. I guess I'll know for definite tomorrow depending on what my temp does. Also I've had no ovulation pain which I always get, so that's odd. I wonder if this has happened because of the B vitamins 🤔.

I have no idea if I previously DTD around ovulation time as I wasn't tracking anything. Just kinda thought you have sex and get pregnant, didn't know there was such a science behind it! Haha I would say you were lucky and same with me! Life would have been very different (worse) if I'd got pregnant by one of my ex's.

I really don't want to postpone treatment but we'll need to do a sperm analysis and if they're okay, then try medication, so hopefully that will use up time for DP to get another job.

If you've decided to seek fertility help after you've moved house, how many more cycles do you think that would be after? I'm guessing it would be just one more after this one?

Oh wow I'm surprised it was your DH's idea, normally it's the women pushing for fertility treatment. But that's great because at least you know he's definitely keen!

I completely forgot to buy a lottery ticket 🤦, might get one on Friday instead! Do you do the lottery?

Aww that's lovely your cousins were in your bridal party, did they help you choose your dress? I've spoken to my cousin's at family gatherings but we're not close, which is a shame because they're mostly girls and I always wanted a sister! Although they are quite a bit younger than me.

Haha it takes time to shave legs, wash face/body/hair, moisturise face/body, dry and style hair, put on make-up, choose clothes, eat breakfast and make packed lunch. I don't know how I'm gonna cope getting kids ready in the morning as well 😂😂. How long does it take you to get ready?

That's nice your Mum and MIL would come and stay to help out, probably best not at the same time though, they'll probably have different ideas on how best to look after a baby 😂. My Mum wouldn't come and stay, there isn't room anyway. If we got BFP this cycle then the birth would be 8 months away, I'm not convinced covid will be over in 8 months 😕.

Yes most new builds are a bad idea! Greedy developers build tiny, shit houses and sell him for a massive profit. Lovely countryside near us has been destroyed by this monstrousity of a housing estate, currently at 4000 houses, aiming for 8000 😱😱. Sounds like you've bought in a good area, I hope you like living there 😊.

Yes I was a PA before doing this role but it's lower paid and I can't progress, so I don't want to go back to it. Fingers crossed I'll get the permanent position, if I don't, my assignment lasts until July, so I've got some more time to find something else.

Yeh I suppose teal is a more unusual colour, white would probably stand out a lot, maybe black or grey might be better?

I will aim to breastfeed as I think it is better for the baby, especially in the very early days but I may supplement with formula depending on how it goes. Yeh everyone says breastfeeding hurts ☹️, I think for most it gets better but for some it doesn't and they have to stop.

Haha the site is pokernow.com , I normally do okay but just got unlucky last time! Are their any games you're particularly good at?

Yeh I hardly call anyone, I think my grandparents are the only people I phone. My other family members I probably speak to monthly.

£1200 😱 that's expensive for just the two of you! You've done really well to save quite quickly, at least now you can start building equity 😊.

So do you think you ovulated CD15? It's great that it's a little earlier this cycle! I'm not sure if B vitamins prevent ovulation pain. Maybe keep testing with OPKs in case you get another peak. Maybe you didn't ovulate that first time? What are your temps looking like today? Have they increased? That's the only way to confirm, I suppose.

My temps have been weird. I got a sudden drop yesterday! Maybe my bracelet malfunctioned? I think it would be too early for an ovulation dip but I think I did see EWCM yesterday when I wiped, although it was so little it probably didn't count. Shame I'm not tracking CM! I actually read that when a male DTD with the same female, the sperm don't bother going in in droves. Some hang back in the cervix and they gradually go in as there's already lots of sperm in the uterus - or something like that. So maybe poking around in my cervix isn't a good idea. I'll start testing with OPKs today anyway.

Oh gosh, I'm not sure I'd want to share a kid with any of my exes. If I'd had a child with them, I'd probably stay with them... and what a miserable existence that would be... Plus my ex and I are both genetic carriers of a blood disorder so if we had a kid together, they'd be a 25% chance they'd inherit it! So risky! Do you have an ex that you could have maybe made it work with with a kid?

Luckily a sperm analysis doesn't cost thousands, so that's something you could easily do. At least it'll give you some idea of how you DP's fertility is. They'd probably ask you to go in for checks too, which probably won't cost thousands either. Hopefully sooner rather than later. I'll finally get to take my progesterone test this cycle!

So, we'll be completely poor after we've paid our house deposit and everything. We'll probably only have a few thousand £s to our name and my car insurance is due in April too (I might do pay as you drive since I rarely drive anymore), so I think we'd wait until May for treatment, so that's at least 3 cycles away! I think by May, there's a good chance you'd be starting yours too so at least we can talk about it together. I just hope our cycles don't drift too far apart!

I think with his low sperm count, there's not much else that can be done apart from losing weight and taking supplements. The quickest way to get a baby is to therefore get treatment. It makes sense he suggested it. While I was busy blaming myself, he knew the only way to get me out of my head was to give me an out. I'm actually quite excited to get injected with sperm. It's something new to experience. 😁

Nope, I've never played the lottery before. I don't think I'm that lucky! Have you ever won anything? Even like £10?

Yeah, they actually did come to the bridal shop with me! Who would you take wedding dress shopping with you? Oh, so you're the first grandchild in the family like me?? So much pressure!

It takes me about 10 minutes to get ready after I've showered. I moisturise my body. Throw on some clothes and I'm good to go. If I really want to wear makeup. I'll put on some eye liner and that's me done! I don't really need to shave my legs. I'm basically hairless. I've never even shaved my thighs in my whole life.

😭 If COVID isn't over in 8 months then I'm going to give birth in London and stay with my parents. Both my sisters are out of the house, so there will be room. I'm really considering going private. My neighbour almost died as well from an internal tear! And apparently there was a lot of disorganisation. Food orders hadn't been filled out, no one from the different shifts spoke to each other, no one knew what was happening with the patients. Everyone was so busy. Nightmare. Luckily I'll have 9 months to save for it.

An estate of 8000 houses??? Sounds like a horror movie! My friend who gave birth last month bought a new build for close to £625k with HTB 😱 Even though our salaries would allow us to afford such a house I just think it's waaaaaay too much and too risky! Not only do you have to pay an expensive mortgage, you also owe the government money and the only guaranteed way to pay that back would be for the house to increase in value. I really hope it's worth millions in 10 years time. That's the only way this works! Would you consider buying a doer-upper?

Have you heard anything back about your application?

I used the white zipper and just encased it inside the dress. I still need to press it flat but it could look worse I guess... 🤷‍♀️

I don't play a lot of card games. I do like some of the games I suggested to you for Christmas. I really like playing exploding kittens. I've beaten DH a few times 😁 What's your favourite game?

Haha, me too, when I speak to my grandma, the conversation lasts for about 30 seconds 😂 I really want to visit her. Are your grandparents local?

I think £1200 is pretty alright for Reading. I used to pay £600 for a room in a shared house 😂 but a lot of it has been wasted money, so definitely happy we can start with the equity building! We have four couples viewing our current rental on Saturday 😭 I'm so sad! They currently have it advertised for £1250 but they're expecting the couples to put in offers so the rent could be even higher if there's competition! I'll send you the link to the house to see what you think.

So now I have no idea what's going on! According to my temp I ovulated on CD14 but I've had positive OPKs yesterday and today, also ovulation pain has started, so this would imply ovulation is happening today. I think because I've still got EWCM, ovulation pain started today and positive OPK, I think ovulation is happening today. FF probably won't pick it up though because of the temp rise on CD15 and CD16.

That's funny both our temps have done weird things! I agree your dip is probably not ovulation as too early, I see it came back up today, hopefully it will stay around that level, otherwise you'll be like me wondering what on earth is going on 😂.

Haha I haven't heard of that but I wonder how the next round of sperm would know it's good to go?! I think there's still so much unknown around how reproduction happens!

Sorry to hear you're a carrier of a blood disorder, yes good job you didn't procreate with him! I'm guessing your DH doesn't have it? My DP has Psoriatic Arthritis, so I really hope our kids don't inherit it but the symptoms don't start until early adulthood so we wouldn't know for a long time. No way, my two long term ex's were so wrong for me, I would be a single parent now if I had got pregnant.

When I was with my last ex I suspected something was wrong as we'd never used protection so I got some tests done on the NHS and they didn't find anything wrong. I suspected my tubes might be blocked as I had peritonitis when I was 12 but I had a dye test and apparently they're fine. So all that's really needed now is a sperm analysis, if that comes back fine then we're good to start treatment! Yes that would be interesting to find out your progesterone level, I think it will be okay but would be good to have that confirmation!

Yeh I think May will probably end up being when we start treatment, as our first appointment is beginning March and nothing moves quickly with the NHS 😂. I don't think it will matter too much where our cycles are because they will take over control of our cycles with medication, so that they can time everything perfectly.

Haha it kinda turns me on a bit the thought of being inseminated 😂😂, sounds naughty! Also reminds me of horror films where a monster inseminates some poor unsuspecting woman 😂. You shouldn't blame yourself, all the tests have proven everything is normal 🙂.

I think the most I have won is about £10, I've definitely spent more than I've won 😂.

How did you find the differing opinions? Sometimes I can be quite easily led so I'm nervous about taking people, as their views might overpower mine and change my mind on a dress. I'm thinking of taking friends but since covid we've drifted apart somewhat so I need to try and rebuild that connection. I'm the first grandchild on my Mum's side but not on my Dad's, one of my Grandad's is mid 80s so I really want to have a baby before he dies so he can meet his first great-grandchild. My other grandparents are in their 70s and keep asking me "when's the wedding happening?" 😂 Err there's been a pandemic... so might not be for a while... 😂😂 Your wedding must have been the first for your family as a grandchild?

You're lucky your hairless, shaving/waxing is a real pain, literally!

That sounds a horrible experience and awful your neighbour must of had a deep tear. That's why I want to have a caesarean, vaginal birth is so risky - deep tears, prolapse, incontinence. You won't necessarily avoid those risks going private, but you'll get better aftercare.

Wow £625K is such a lot of money to spend on a new build, most of them are built terribly. All the residents from the new estate near us are constantly complaining of leakages, lack of hot water, rubble buried under the garden and cars blocking them in due to lack of space. I think you've done well with your new place, it's a nice area, you've got a good amount of space and it looks a solid build. I watched the video, looks like you can fit a decent sized dining table in the diner area, so you'll be able to host parties and gatherings 😊.

Not heard back on the application yet but I checked my managers calendar and he's not doing sifting until next Friday!

Ah the zipper looks good, there's not as much white on show as I thought there would be. What do you do with the ends of the zipper? Are you supposed to chop them off or fold them down and sew them into the dress?

I haven't played exploding kittens yet, will have to sometime! I like Boggle, mainly because I'm good at it and DP can never beat me 😂.

One of my grandparents is local, the others are in the Midlands where I used to live. Can't remember if I said, my family are from Rutland, that's where we lived before moving to Devon.

When DP and I were last renting, we paid £715 for a 2 bed flat 😂. Surely they're not allowed to view the property as in lockdown you're not supposed not be mixing with anyone? Also four couples coming into your home is going to put you at risk?

When I saw your pic on Instagram of your new outfit, I assumed you'd walked to a lovely river for the photo. Did not expect that to be your back garden! What a lovely view!

Hmmm, looks like you are ovulating today then. Tomorrow, your temps will probably start increasing past FP temps. CD16 is pretty alright! I sometimes ovulate on CD16. It's a day earlier than your last cycle right??
My OPK is at 0.47 this evening so I'm expecting to peak tomorrow!! I guessed CD14 perfectly. But it could also easily be CD15. It means we'll be 2 days apart again which is awesome!

Yeah, it's so strange to see extreme falls and rises on my charts. Maybe my progesterone is sputtering - preparing for ovulation in a few days! DH and I can't DTD today! We both have food poisoning!! And we think it was from some feta cheese. We went into town this evening to buy food at M&S and I could feel my stomach bubbling and I knew I wouldn't make it back home in time, so we detoured at Itsu and luckily their toilets were open. Haha! How embarrassing. I still want him to do his business and maybe I'll self-inseminate again 😂😂 Or we could wait until tomorrow. 🤔🤔 Is DTD the day before or the day of ovulation better...? I'd have to time it accordingly...

I was researching low sperm count and came across a study about the way men ejaculate when with someone they're familiar with vs. a randomer. I'll see if I can find it again. Here it is

Being a carrier is fine. It doesn't impact me in any way. It's just that the combination of the genes can be dangerous and deadly. DH got a blood test done and he's fine thankfully! If I was still with my ex, we would probably have to consider IVF to conceive 😕 Is Psoriatic Arthritis genetic? Does that mean one of his parents has it as well? How does he find dancing with the condition?

You're probably fine physically like me. But could just be hormonal, which I think is the best case scenario as something can be done about hormones. What was the peritonitis like? Just did a google search and it's an infection in the abdomen? Can the infection spread to your reproductive organs? I genuinely still think there's something wrong with me, it's the only thing that makes sense as to why we haven't conceived yet, so if my progesterone comes back normal, I'd be very annoyed!

That's true! 😂 But it would still be cool if I got inseminated with his sperm at the same time you got your embryos put in you. Then we can start our TWW together. Haha you want to be inseminated by an alien monster? 😂😂😂

Well, when everyone saw my dress, they liked it, so that helped. But they mostly went with what I thought so no one actually overtly disagreed with a dress. It would be a good idea to do lots of research so at least you can stand your ground when you come across a dress you don't like. Covid is definitely hard on relationships 🙁 I hope you can rekindle your friendships but I'm sure your friends will understand as everyone's just trying to survive at the moment.

Ah I see. I'm the first grandchild on both sides! I feel the same way as you. My grandma is also in her 80s and she's basically just waiting to meet her great-grandchildren before she chooses to pass away 🙄😂 I'm the only one married too, so she'd want my cousins to settle down and know that they're happy as well. Yess! My wedding was the first in the family! Phew! There's so much pressure to get everything right and in the correct order. Do well in exams, go to a good uni, get a good degree, find a good job, find a husband, get married, have children. Welcome to the pressure pot that is my life. Did family ever have a lot of expectations of you?

I actually read up on which is safer, vaginal birth or C-section and apparently vaginal is much safer 😱 I guess having a child is basically just risky and you can't win either way!

Gosh, you'd think with 21st century technology that they would have found ways to make houses better, sturdier and safer. But it's all about cutting corners. It's terrible! I have another friend who bought a new build. As nice as they look, you're paying a premium for buying it brand new and sometimes, it's just not worth the price!

Thank you! I'm definitely looking forward to hosting gatherings again. I like that it's a kitchen diner too so we can entertain guests while we cook. I think in the future, we'd convert that whole room into a kitchen and make a dining room inside a side or back extension. Maybe rebuild a bigger and stronger balcony and construct a floating conservatory/extension that overlooks the hills and use that as the dining room. The attached floor plans are some of my ideas. Do you think it's weird cutting slightly into the garage to put in a downstairs toilet?

Oooh you have a while to wait before you hear anything back about the job! Gives you lots of time to prepare I suppose. Do you know the sort of questions they'd ask?

Yeah, I'm going to snip off the ends of the zipper. If I had planned it properly, I would have sewn the zipper in between the main fabric and the lining and that way it would be hidden and look nicer on the inside, but it's ok as it is.

Boggle is one I've never played before. Might have to look into it. I like word games. They're fun. I play a few on my phone too.

Do you still have your midlands accent? I just sound like a Londoner 😂

£715??? Gosh and you said where you live is expensive! 😂 We clearly have different ideas of what expensive is. £715 is a dream for a 2 bed flat! The estate agent said everyone will sanitise, won't touch things, etc and we'll be out of the house for an hour or so while they wander about.

Haha! The river is a lovely feature. On the opposite bank there is pathway where people go for walks, so they can see into the gardens. It was fun in the summer because I went onto the river in a rubber dinghy with my neighbour and we could not row and the river kept taking us downstream and people were obviously staring at us 😂 DH went into a kayak and fell in too! Such fun times. I will miss it 😭 But we'll always have our neighbours-turned-good-friends to visit 💕 We actually offered to buy the house but the landlord wasn't looking to sell but I think our new house is better anyway 😅

Do you think when you buy, you'd create a separate nursery for the baby, or will you have them sleep in your room with you? I like the idea of a nursery but it seems like such a waste of a bedroom 😂 But I really want to decorate one as well!

Pretty sure I ovulated yesterday, FF thinks it's CD14 because of the temp rise, so I've had to override it and get it to choose OPKs. Still got quite a lot of EWCM today, so there's no way I could have ovulated 3 days ago. Haven't ovulated on CD16 before, most the time it's been on CD17, so hopefully I'll get a longer LP 🤞.

You must be on CD13 today? Not long now until ovulation! Any sign on OPKs? DTD is definitely better the day before ovulation so the sperm have time to swim up there and wait for the egg. When you've already ovulated, it's a race against time for the sperm to get to the egg before it dies.

Oh no that sounds horrible, how are you and your DH feeling today? That was lucky to find open toilets! The only places here with open toilets are the large supermarkets.

I don't like the idea of DP potentially producing better sperm if he slept with someone else! I guess it's nature's way of ensuring reproduction!

That's good your DH is fine, what percentage is there of you passing it on? Or can it only be passed on if both parents are carriers? Apparently Psoriatic Arthritis is genetic, DP's grandma had arthritis but he's not aware of anyone else in the family having it. Dancing before medication was a real struggle but once he got diagnosed and his medication was slowly increased, the dancing became easier. He can never be on his feet for too many hours though.

It started off as appendicitis but because my appendix was in the middle of my stomach, rather than on the right, when I was having sharp pains doctors assumed I just had a tummy bug. So they left me for 5 days, on the 4th day it popped, I remember feeling it and then the pain stopped, I temporarily felt better. However on the 5th day I was very ill again and was finally taken to hospital because I was 'dehydrated'. They saw my white blood cell count was dangerously high so rushed me into surgery, where they found a burst appendix and pus had leaked all over my lower organs. They had to take my intestines out to clean them and my Mum was advised I might have trouble conceiving. They thought scar tissue from the infection might block my tubes but they are fine. I do wonder if something else from the infection has damaged me.

Yes in a way it will be good if your progesterone level comes back normal but at the same time it's annoying because then there's no reason for pregnancy not to happen. Unexplained infertility is the worst! Not saying you have that btw!

Haha no but it sounds kinky 😂😂😂

Oh no that is a lot of pressure, well you've managed to achieve almost all the milestones, just one left! Are your cousins planning on marrying or having babies soon? My family haven't put too much pressure on me, my Mum put the most pressure on me, she really wanted me to get good grades, go to uni and get a well paid job, which is ironic considering she chose not to work 🙄.

An emergency C-section is dangerous because either the baby is stuck down the birth canal or mother and/or baby are in distress. An elected C-section is much safer as it's calm and planned. If you request a C-section doctors will try to scare you off and give you the stats that include emergency C-sections, however this is misleading. Would you consider a water birth? I imagine that would be nicer and the warm water should help relax the muscles.

No I think a downstairs toilet is a great idea, it's nice for guests and when you have kids you'll want more than one toilet in the house. I love the floor plans, looks quite a big bigger, is that with an extension on top of the garage?

So the job interview questions will be around - achieving results, customers, using initiative and managing financial documents. I just need to practice saying my examples so I know them really well!

Haha I don't know, people don't say I have an accent, it's probably something in between Midlands and Devonshire!

Aww that sounds really fun! I guess you could still do those things with your neighbours if you visit them? Your new house has more space and potential to extend, I think with the other place you'd be limited with what you could do. Also you might not want a river at the bottom of your garden when you've got kids.

Yes decorating a nursery sounds lovely! We'll allocate a bedroom for the baby but they'll stay in our bedroom for the first 6 months then they'll go into their room. That's the plan anyway, who knows what will actually happen 😂😂.

Congrats on an earlier ovulation! I think CD16 is a safe bet with your positive OPKs. So far today, my OPK is at 95%. I'm hoping to test again this evening and get a higher % so it looks like I'll be ovulating on CD14, which is awesome but not unusual for me. This is my 2nd tracked cycle ovulating on CD14. I also have two cycles of CD15 and two cycles of CD16 so it's all pretty balanced.

Usually my temps are around 36.4 when I ovulate so it'll be interesting to see what my temps will do this cycle as they're still quite low. Have you noticed any patterns or trends in your charts?

I decided it was best to inseminate yesterday (CD12) and then DTD as well on CD14. If we only did it today (CD13), then I'd only have one day of sperm, whereas CD12 and CD14 gives me two days of sperm. We'll DTD early tomorrow morning as I'll probably ovulate in the afternoon. Looks like your ovulation pain didn't stop you from DTD this cycle, which is awesome. Hopefully that gives you a good chance. Do you make sure your orgasm after every session?

Also, welcome to the TWW!

We both feel better now thanks for asking. It passed pretty quickly for both of us. Once we'd been to the toilet, we felt fine. So whatever poisoned us probably wasn't strong enough to keep us down for long. I feel like every month, I'm doing something to upset my stomach, I just wish it was a baby upsetting my stomach instead! But I guess food and spice poisoning are the next best things! 😅

Haha you read the article. Maybe there's a study out there about how women produce better eggs around unfamiliar men 😂 I wonder if watching porn and then DTD will have the same affect or whether his subconscious mind would know he's still DTD with his spouse and so release all the rubbish spermies anyway.

I think DH and I are going to do a medicated IUI in Greece as it's cheaper than in the UK, around €600 without medication. I don't know how many follicles could be fertilised but they'll be an increased risk of twins or triplets with the medication 😱 What if we both end up with multiples? That'll be so funny!

Oh my goodness! That sounds really horrible and scary. How did you feel growing up knowing you could be infertile? You've probably had years to process the possibility but it must still feel like an impossible situation to be in? Have you ever been checked for PCOS or endometriosis?

Yeah definitely! Unexplained infertility is 100% worse than a concrete diagnosis. Knowing my luck, I'd probably have that 😂 There's not much point holding out hope for a natural conception - I think I feel much more relaxed having zero expectations. Do you still expect to conceive naturally?

Was your mum a stay at home parent? My cousins are still very much single. I have one that's 28 (19 days younger than me) and her sister is 26, with no sign of settling down any time soon. I'm not really sure when the next wedding in the family will be, but I think I'll be alone in being married with kids for a while 🙁

I think without having given birth before, it's difficult to say whether a vaginal birth or c-section would be better for you. Your body might cope better with one over the other. Would you be ok with having a scar?
Nope, no water birth for me. I hate being in water. I never have baths. My body starts feeling really itchy and the experience becomes very uncomfortable for me, I don't think an itchy body would be appreciated while I'm in the throws of labour. Would you do it?

Yeah, with an extension behind and above the garage. It's probably a long term plan, maybe 5-10 years away as we'd have to save loads for it. In 10 years, the kids would still be young so we wouldn't need 5 bedrooms straight away. If you go on the street view of the neighbourhood, you'll see a lot of neighbours have done double storey side extensions too - some look nice, others look weird.

Will they be competency based questions, like: give an example of a time where you faced some challenges but were able to achieve good results?

That'll be an interesting mix of accents! 😆

Yeah, the river is definitely a risk with kids. I'd forever regret it if they ever fell in. But the new place also has a balcony and steps down into the garden. We'd have to find a way to make it child friendly. I'm thinking of having a gradual slope that leads down to the garden instead of steps.

Will you be starting any sewing projects this weekend?

Oooh I reckon your OPK will be a higher percentage later this evening, normally once mine gets to around 95% then a few hours later it's a definite positive. That's great our cycles will only be 2 days apart 😊.

As your temps are a bit lower this time, I wonder if your after ovulation temp will be as high as before, so you'll have a bigger gap, or if they'll keep the same pattern and therefore be slightly lower. The general pattern in my charts is high at CD1 then a bit jumpy through FP but slowly lowering with a dip on day of ovulation and then jumping up after ovulation. This cycle is very strange, I don't know why my temp would increase 2 days before ovulation. Must be something to do with the B vitamins, as it's the only thing I've done differently.

That's good you have been/will be putting in fresh sperm every other day, that should cover all bases! Yes luckily ovulation pain hasn't been too bad this cycle 😊. Haha no I hardly ever orgasm, I used to have a high sex drive but since taking the pill it completely went and even though I've been off the pill for 6 months now, it hasn't come back. DP is gutted as he always wants to give me one but I'm just not as interested anymore ☹️. I do wonder if maybe that's a side effect of low progesterone.

😂😂 I reckon they'd probably still just produce the same rubbish spermies as they know they're going in the same vagina!

Wow that's much cheaper! Although you will have flight and accommodation costs on top, as well as taking time off work, something to consider. Yes that will be the gonadotropins! They are the most potent and most successful. They might offer you clomid which is similar but milder, so less chance of multiples. That would be amazing if we both had multiples! 😍😍

I can't remember what I thought when I was younger, I was 12 when it happened and I got my period a year later. I do think my decision to not take contraception before meeting DP, was because I wanted to test if I was able to get pregnant. Obviously that's playing russian roulette because I didn't want a baby with my ex's but wanted to know if I was able to conceive. I only went on the pill because DP wanted me to when we first met, I kinda knew I didn't need contraception. I don't have the symptoms for PCOS or endo but I guess once we start fertility treatment, they'll probably look for things like that. It does make me feel sad but I try and think practically, I'm sure a pregnancy can be made through fertility help and worse case scenario, we'll have to adopt. DP has already said he's happy with that, which is a relief!

It's definitely kinder on your mind to have low expectations, otherwise everytime af arrives you'll have heartbreak. I have low expectations every cycle but when it gets close to af arriving, there's always that glimmer of hope, thinking maybe this time could be it!

Yep she was a stay at home Mum, we were quite poor, I only got new clothes as Christmas or Birthday presents. Things could have been quite different if she'd just got a part time job 🙄. That's a shame your cousins haven't settled down yet as it would be nice to share the wedding and babies experience with them. At least when they do get married, you'll get to dress up your children as adorable little flower girls or page boys 😍.

I already have a couple of big scars, one from my belly button down to my pubic area, from the peritonitis, so I don't mind further scars, or they may open up the one already there. I will be pushing for a C-section, if they refuse then I'll go for a water birth, I love baths and find they help ease back pain. That's a real shame water makes you itchy, I've never heard of that before, have you always been like that? Do you know what the reason/cause might be? Did you have a bad experience with water when you were younger?

Ah yes I see the house next to you has done an upstairs extension and the house joined to that has an upstairs and downstairs extension. I think by converting the garage into a downstairs and building an upstairs ontop, your house would be huge and you would probably make a profit if you chose to sell it. Just realised I didn't answer your earlier question about a doer-upper, yes I would be happy to get a house that needed work aslong as it was in okay enough condition to live in.

Yes they'll be competency based questions, very similar to the one you've mentioned!

I've booked Monday off work as I've built up lots of Flexi time, so I plan to make a start on this jacket my Mum wants. I'm gonna make a practice one for myself first, I'm a bit nervous about doing the pattern though as never made a jacket before! How about you? Have you lined up your next sewing make?

I tested 3 hours later and the line wasn't as dark on the OPK. I'll take one more test at 8pm and if that comes back just as light, I'll conclude that I just about missed my 100%+ peak. Must have been a quick surge. I'm starting to get quite sore on my left side too so the pain is either in preparation of ovulating tomorrow or it's happening right now!

Ouuuuuuch! Now I'm suspecting I'm ovulating right now. I could have caught my surge late and it may have started this morning while I was sleeping. I dipped 2 OPKs in the same urine sample at 2pm and got 0.71 and 0.95 so I'm not sure which is right. Would DTD tomorrow be pointless...?? Maybe I'll DTD tonight for good measure and hope his sperm are willing and able. I think our cycles may be a day apart now.

If you hadn't gotten +ve OPKs later, I also would have thought your ovulation day was CD14. Have you ever done a chart overlay to confirm your cycle trends? It would be interesting to see how much of an impact the vitamins will have on your temps this cycle. I think higher temps can only be a good thing.

Yeah, orgasms had never been a big deal for me as I'd never had one before. It's not until recently that I've started trying to relax and let go. I do get them now with a vibrator but I'd also be pretty happy to go the rest of my life without them. They're just not that much of a big deal 🤷‍♀️ but maybe it is a hormonal thing. Such a shame that the pill ruined more than just your menstrual cycle 🙁

😂😂😂 silly sperm!

Luckily Greece is DH's home so there's always somewhere to stay, and flights can be cheap sometimes, we'd have to time it right and go during an off-peak season. Plus we'll be visiting family regardless, so two birds one stone. Gonadotropins 😱 You mean I'd have to inject myself to do an IUI?? There must be another drug that can be taken. Does quick research Clomid and letrozole. Fortunately, neither of them seem to be injections. Phew! I'll leave the Gonadotropins to you 😂😂

Aww I started my period at 13 too. I still remember it was 2 months after my 13th birthday 😁 I don't think it's fair that it was your DP's choice for you to go on the pill. Condoms are always an option. It's not just the woman's responsibility to prevent pregnancy. I think infertility is a sad thing 😟 and we're all entitled to that sadness. You have been really strong, positive and practical about it all 🤗 I do hope you get your own biological children either way.

Hehe that's truuue! My little ones as flower girl or page boy 💕 So cuuute! Sorry to hear you had little money growing up. I think it's always every parent's hope to mould their child into a successful, self-sufficient person. Your mum could have been a stay at home parent for many reasons but I'm sure she still wanted the best for you.

Ouch. Is the scar pretty obvious? Do you still wear crop tops (don't know how this question is relevant to anything 😂) I think I just feel dirty being submerged in water. Baths can be dirty places and I'll never soak myself in one without cleaning it a few times with bleach. But even then, just the thought that I'm stewing amongst my own bodily juices makes me so itchyyy!

Yes, DH is really keen to extend. He reckons it could be worth at least £700k in today's money. I don't agree. I think £600k max. It's still a semi-detached and there's a cap on how much value you can add to it. It might be worth just moving house instead. Let's see.

I think a doer-upper is a good idea. The second house we offered on was a doer-upper. It'll be nice adding your own touch to a property and making it how you want. And they tend to be cheaper so you may get lucky and find somewhere affordable in Devon. Why did you family move from the midlands?

Good luck with the pattern! Message me if you need any help. I don't think I'll sew this weekend. I think I want to do nothing and just watch TV shows all day 😅

-

UPDATE:

I've done an 8pm OPK and got 0.88 so I probably haven't peaked yet. And I think the side pain must have been trapped wind??? Who knows! 😂 I think tomorrow will be O day! I'll have DH save his sperm for then.

Nope, not trapped wind. Still sore. I'll assume I have a huge follicle waiting to push out an oversized egg tomorrow 😅

That's strange with your OPK, I was hoping to see a dark test line against the control line, then it would be really obvious. Maybe it was a quick surge like you say, you'll know for definite tomorrow if your temp goes up. If you have one sided pain that persists and doesn't move then it's not gas, gas moves! 😂😂 If you can DTD tonight that would be ideal as it looks like you're about to ovulate!

I've attached an overlay of my cycles, this cycle just doesn't make sense 😂.

Did your DH give you your first orgasm or did you do it yourself? Do you think your bad experience when young has had an impact on being able to find sex enjoyable? I think wanting an orgasm is definitely a hormonal thing, I used to be very highly sexed for years, when DP and I met, we regularly DTD twice a day. Now my brain just has no interest in having an orgasm. It could also be low testosterone as that hormone pushes sex drive.

Yes that would nice to see your DH's family at the same time 😊. Although do you think they might ask on why you're visiting? Haha yep clomid and letrozole are tablets but are less effective than gonadotropins, clomid is better than letrozole so ask for that one 😉.

Thank you 😊 I hope I can have my own children, I think I've got some good genes to pass on!

Yeh the scar is about 6 inches so quite obvious 😂. When I was younger I used to wear crop tops and I still would now if my belly was smaller 😂. Because the scar is in the middle it kinda sucks the sides in, my belly would probably be bigger without the scar!

Aww baths are so relaxing and really good to get the heat into your muscles. If you clean the bath first then it's only clean water you're bathing in, you could always have a shower first.

It depends what you do to the house which will determine how much it's worth but doing a full extension (upstairs and downstairs) will definitely add a lot of value to the property. Also you'll get to design the build and the decor to exactly how you want.

My parents moved down here because my Dad got a job offer, then my Mum's family followed us.

Thanks, I probably will need some help! I'll draw out the pattern and send you a pic. Doing nothing and watching TV sounds lovely!

I haven't had a chance to do an OPK today but I suspect it'll be -ve. My temp dipped today, which means I'm ovulating today! If it follows my usual pattern, it'll go back up tomorrow to CD13 temps. DH and I managed to DTD this afternoon after we came back in. The estate agent said they'd probably get at least two offers for the house, which is great. I just hope we don't end up homeless 😅 I'm now laying down, trying to keep the sperm in! 😂

Actually, the beginning part of your chart this cycles doesn't look too dissimilar to the rest. The only weird bit is the random increase before ovulation. Plus you didn't get your usual ovulation dip. It could be the B vitamins trying to balance your hormones. My temps are quite low, which could mean high estrogen 😱 I removed the random low temp as it just didn't look very nice 😂 How are your temps now at 2dpo?

I think I had my first orgasm with myself but with the help and support of DH. Although I can't 100% say if what I have are orgasms. I think I'm mini-orgasmic, which is where you have multiple little peaks but never a big explosion. For me, it comes in waves. My vaginal walls start contracting, it then gets really intense and then I come down. Only for it to get intense again. And it cycles like that indefinitely. Sometimes I go deaf and my ears start ringing. I definitely think part of my lack of interest in sex is due to what happened when I was younger. I think it's the shame of finding what happened pleasurable even though it was a horrible experience for me. So to my subconscious, pleasure = bad. Do you think with hormonal help you could get your sex drive high again?

Well we haven't been to Greece since Easter 2019 so visiting wouldn't be something that'd raise questions. Plus DH going to Greece is such a normal occurrence as that's where his sister and parents are so it'll never be weird. I'm guessing your Greek holiday isn't happening anymore?

Haha how do you know so much about the medication? Have you been doing your research? Clomid sometimes gets prescribed to men with low sperm count as well. It's interesting the things it can do.

Girl, you've got some great genes! Your kids will be so lucky to have you as a mother.

I think I'm too far gone to ever enjoy a bath! Showers are fine 😁 I'll only ever need a bathtub for when I have kids, but really, the dream would be a long shower cubicle with two shower heads on opposite ends so DH and I could shower together 😁 I really should add that into my house floor plan somewhere 😂😂

What sort of decor taste do you have. Are there particular styles you gravitate towards? I think in my home, I'd like clean, minimalistic but homely at the same time.

Oh nice! Do you prefer Devon to the Midlands? Or has most of your life been spent in Devon?

How's that pattern coming along?

Yay happy ovulation day! Hopefully they'll already be sperm up there from CD12 but great to put some fresh ones in today just in case! Haha I always lie down too, sometimes I also lift/tilt my pelvis up to try and push them in the right direction! One of the recent times we DTD it took ages for the semen to come out of me once I'd got up, so hopefully that's a sign they were high up there!

I think you should keep your low temp on there, it might be relevant later when you're comparing LP with FP temps. My temp shot up this morning but I did have quite a few drinks last night so that might have raised it more than normal, I'll have to see what it does tomorrow! Oddly I've also still got a lot of EWCM which would indicate estrogen is still high. If fertilisation occurs then estrogen and progesterone rise, so could be a sign! But probably isn't... 😂

Have you got a move out date yet? If you make the tenancy later than the day you want to leave, that should give you extra time incase there's any hiccups getting into the new place.

I've not heard of mini-orgasmic before, if you keep going do you think you could reach a peak? Don't be ashamed of what happened when you were younger, the only person who should be ashamed is that guy! As time goes on hopefully that will become a distant memory and you can enjoy sex with your DH 🙂. My sex drive has increased a little but no where near what it used to be. Testosterone would increase libido but it would also make me hairy 😂😂.

Yes lol I did some research on fertility drugs so that if they offer me something, I can decide there and then if I want it or I can ask for something else.

The holiday is still being advertised on Tui but we haven't booked yet as I reckon it's not gonna go ahead. I can't see covid being over by June 😕. So you might struggle to get to Greece this spring, maybe by end of summer or autumn we'll be able to fly again. Depends how quick they get the vaccine out to everyone.

Aww thanks 😊😊 your children will be very lucky to have you as a Mother!

Similar to you! I like contemporary, I'm not keen on bold colours in a house, I prefer softer colours in a clean and tidy environment but also with some homely touches. Wood helps give a house a warm, homely feel.

Most of my life has been in Devon, we left the Midlands when I was around 8 so I don't remember it much. Job opportunities are definitely less in Devon, that's one of the reasons I want to move back up to the Midlands. Have you always lived in Reading/London, apart from when you were at uni?

Haven't started the pattern yet 😂, been lazy today but also feeling nervous about it, I won't offer to make something for someone else again, it's not nice to have that pressure. Especially when I'm still very inexperienced. I will have to start tomorrow though!

Wooow! Look at how high your temp has gone. 36.8 is amazing! I'm so excited for your cycle! Are you feeling optimistic? I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what your 3DPO temps are, hopefully they're higher. That's quite a big jump, I can't imagine alcohol would have that much of an impact but let's see what happens.

Yup, I too propped my hips up with some pillows. But weirdly enough, nothing came out when I stood up. It must have dribbled out when I hadn't noticed. I was so scared there was no semen in me that I had to put a finger in to check. I wonder what happens to the semen that doesn't fall out. My carnivorous body probably consumed it all. Yummy! Today was actually the first time I wiped and saw lots of EWCM on the tissue. It's only ever at my cervix so I must have had loads today too. I hope I was fertile enough when we DTD.

Yeah, our tenancy ends 15th March. I really hope that a month and a half is enough to complete everything or else I wouldn't know what to do. I'm going to have to really push the solicitors as February is pretty much here!

I'm not sure if I'm stopping myself from reaching an orgasmic peak or whether it's physically impossible for me to. I'm happy with where things are. I think a huge climax would make me explode into a million pieces and I would't like it. Not being ashamed is easier said than done but I think I've come a long way from where I used to be. Maybe I'll take the female viagra to see what happens to my body. Or perhaps testosterone would work for me, although I already feel like a man with the single hair that grows on my chin 😂 Have you found your body has started misbehaving since age 25?

Looks like covid continues to ruin plans. It would have been nice for you to have a holiday with your family, especially with the terrible year we've all had. The news is saying things won't be back to normal until 2024 😱 I don't want that to be true but it means our 20s is basically over 😭

They'll definitely be more opportunities in the bigger cities for sure. Would you look for jobs that are similar to what you do now or would you look to try something new? Is there anything else you'd want to do in an ideal world?

Yeah, it's always been London and Reading for me. My middle sister is studying abroad and I kind of wish that I experienced living in another country. It must be a challenging but rewarding experience. Would you live in another country? Canada is definitely a place I'd seriously consider moving to.

Hehe that's exactly why I don't sew for people. I get major performance anxiety and it really stresses me out and affects my sleep. But hopefully you can overcome your nerves. It's only your mum. She'll love whatever you make!

Unfortunately yesterday's rise was artificial due to alcohol drunk the previous night, it's gone down this morning as expected. Still looking okay though, hopefully it will rise further in the next few days. It's annoying I have to be really careful not to drink too much in the luteal phase, boring! How's your temp doing? Has it gone up confirming ovulation?

"My carnivorous body probably consumed it all' 😂😂😂 It must all come out eventually as the vagina is self cleaning. I sometimes put a pad in my pants as it's really annoying when it slowly drips out and I'm trying to get on with things 😂. I often see EWCM after DTD, I think it's because the willy gets up high enough to poke it around and bring it down! If you saw some then you were definitely fertile 😊.

Worse case scenario you'd have to put all your stuff in storage and stay in a hotel but fingers crossed that won't happen. Does your solicitor know the last date you have to be out? Why does it take so long for them to agree a move date?

Haha you wouldn't explode 😂 but if you're happy with the way things are, then it's okay to keep it that way. I don't know if viagra might mess with your cycle as it will affect hormones?

Oh no haha, I have the odd hairs on my chin or coming out of moles on my face that I pull out with tweezers. My body started feeling older from 26, hangovers got much worse and my fitness in general just went down. I already had quite a few pesky hairs, so that was nothing new 😂😂. Do you find hangovers are much worse now? Although I think you said you don't drink much anyway?

Yes it's a shame the holiday probably won't go ahead. Although I hope my Dad picks somewhere cheaper next time, as it seemed he went for one of the most expensive places! It was supposed to be a celebration of his 50th and my 30th, so it was a bit rubbish I didn't get a say in it.

2024 😱😱 I only have 6 months left until I'm 30, covid has robbed me of my last year in my 20s 😭😭. By this winter most people will have been vaccinated so I think in 2022 there will be much less restrictions. Hopefully you'll get a bit more freedom in your last year before 30! Maybe you could make a bucket list of achievements/fun things to do before 30?? Have you ever been to Disneyland? I went to the Florida one when I was very young so can't remember much but I'd love to go to the Paris one. Maybe I'll have to wait until we have kids so I've got an excuse 😂😂.

I'm not sure what to aim for career wise, I think a job in intelligence would be interesting as I pay close attention to detail, I'm quite good at deciphering evidence and figuring things out. Not sure I fancy a job in the police though as it's low pay. Would you try something different or do you think you'll stick with the field you're in?

I have family in Canada and we've considered moving there, after seeing Britain going down hill but I think I'd miss my family too much to move that far away. Have you been to Canada before?

Haha my Mum will not love anything I make, I told her what I was capable of making but she only took into consideration what she wanted, not my ability. Hopefully I'll get a nice jacket out of this but doing the lining on a jacket is gonna be really difficult. Have you got a room or area planned for the new house where you'll do all your sewing and pattern making?

Just done the jacket pattern, I'm gonna do the front as a whole piece so both sides are even, then I'll cut it down the middle. Also I'm doing the sleeves as full length rather than 3/4.

Oh poo! So maybe alcohol does have a big impact on temps. Annoying! Maybe drinking a little earlier in the evening would have less of an impact than drinking close to bedtime. My temps are ok, they're following their usual pattern with a tiny ovulation dip and then going back up slightly. Things should start rising gradually now.

Haha my body is hungry for those spermies! I generally wear panty liners but nothing has dripped out onto them! 😢 There's probably a patch of semen on my bed somewhere that I didn't notice 😂 How do you check for CM? Do you poke around at your cervix?

Yeah, our solicitor knows when our tenancy is up. At least they're aware they have a tight deadline so I hope they will speed things up! fingers crossed we'll be homeowners in the next two weeks!

Actually it's valentine's day in 2 weeks. Our AFs are due around valentine's day! It would be great to have a BFP and a new home. Do you have any plans for the 14th?

I have no idea how viagra works but I imagine it would be hormonal. At least the female version must be hormonal.

Hehe I sometimes have to get DH to pull the hair out for me. It's so hard to see sometimes! I have special tweezers for them that has a really good grip 😂 I think 25 was the turning point for my body. Now it'll probably only go downhill from here 😅 After childbirth, our bodies will never be the same again either! I think I'm least looking forward to the saggy boobs. What body change would you really like to avoid from pregnancy?

Oh that's cute! That's he'd want to celebrate his big 5-0 with your big 3-0 but yeah, he definitely should have consulted you on the destination. Where would you have rather gone?

Yeah, I've only been to Disneyland Paris as a kid. The Florida one must have been amazing?? There are so many things I'll do and use kids as an excuse for, for sure! I think having little ones will really bring out the child in us - it's going to be great! I'm not sure there's anything I'd wish to do before I'm 30, I think I like how boring my life is. Do you have a bucket list for yourself?

MI5 are recruiting! Go for it 😁 It'll probably more interesting than working in the police too. My dream as a child was to be a journalist or an author but actually in my old age, I'd love to be an entrepreneur. I have a few things that I've done but none has made me rich. Working in IT isn't too bad anyway so I'm happy with how things have turned out career wise.

No, I've never been to Canada, but I would love to. Did your family move there recently? How do they find it?

I'm thinking of using the biggest room as my craft room. There's already a desk by the window, which is quite large and would be perfect for me. But maybe one day, I could build a dedicated crafts room in the garden or something. Your pattern looks cool but make sure the neckline starts at 90 degrees from the centre front and centre back. How did you draft the sleeves?

Oops I didn't attach my chart.

Welcome to the TWW 😊 and the start of crazy symptom spotting 😂

Your comment of semen on the bed reminded me of an episode of Two and a Half Men when Charlie Sheen was the main character, someone died in his bedroom and the police used an ultraviolet light and saw semen splattered all over the bed, the walls and the ceiling 😂😂.

I only check for CM by wiping, I can't feel my cervix, I think because I'm short my fingers are too small 😂😂. Normally enough comes out to see what's going on. That's annoying if nothing much comes out but I think you can relax knowing the CM is up where it needs to be. A good time to check is after DTD aslong as you can tell the difference between semen and EWCM.

That would be amazing to become homeowners and get a BFP for Valentine's Day! DP proposed to me on 15th Feb last year, it was supposed to be on Valentine's Day but things didn't go to plan 😂. Which day do you count as your anniversary, is it your wedding day? At the moment we use the day we became 'boyfriend and girlfriend' as our anniversary but now we also have an engagement anniversary! No plans for Valentine's Day yet, I saw on Facebook a local cake baker was doing a valentine's chocolate selection, which I'm considering getting. How about you, do you have any plans? It's difficult with lockdown as there's not much you can do!

I think I will end up with massive stretch marks, I already have stretch marks on my boobs and thighs and they're not even that big! I unfortunately seem to have the type of skin that gets stretch marks easily. So with a massive belly there's no way I'll avoid them. Would you consider getting a boob job after finishing having children? I might do, depends how saggy the boobs are 😂.

I'm not fussed about the destination, it's more the choice of hotel, he picked somewhere that's £1200pp all inclusive, that's double what DP and I are used to paying for a holiday. He knows we're trying to save for house deposit, he doesn't know that we might also have to pay for fertility treatment, although I may have to bring that up if he questions why we can't afford it. What would you consider a reasonable amount to spend on a holiday?

Yes I did love Disneyland but I was only 6 so don't remember much of it, I want to go to Disneyland Paris and relive that memory 😍😍. Definately, having kids gives you an excuse to be a kid again! I remember throughout our childhood my Dad took me and my brothers to a theme park and we used to play 'it' in the indoor play area (it was a big complex with slides, spinning circles, balls, places to hide), he played too and it was one of the most fun things we did together. What are your best childhood memories?

I don't have a bucket list but I have a poster of things to do when lockdown ends, so that is kind of a bucket list! firebox.com/products/100-things-to-do-after-quarantine-scratch-poster

Yes I did notice MI5 had a finance opportunity, which I did consider applying for but its low paid because you're training and at the moment we can't afford to take a pay cut, especially as DP is now unemployed. I will keep an eye out though as I'd love to work for MI5!

Using your engineering and I.T skills, could you be a private contractor? Or maybe start your own company? Obviously right now that's not a good idea but maybe in the future.

My grandmother's brother and his family moved there about 30 years ago and they've loved it!

That sounds great making the biggest room the craft room! That would be so cool having a room just for crafts 😀. I'm not sure what you mean about the neckline, I was wondering if maybe I should make it wider? My previous patterns have been too wide around the neck, so I've purposely made this one narrower. For the sleeves I just drew round an existing top 😂 I don't know how else to make sleeves.

Such a strange, strange night. According to my fertility bracelet, I had almost 7 hours sleep but it feels to me like I'd been awake for basically the whole night. So weird. Maybe I woke up a few times in the night and it felt like I hadn't slept yet. Is it too early to start symptom spotting? 😁

😂😂😂 Two and a half men was funny! Gosh, I don't want to know what would show up if they shone a UV light in our bedroom. I'd like to think we're careful, but you never know 🙈 I have wipes in my bedside table to take care of leakages. I'm still trying to crack the curious case of the missing semen 🕵️‍♀️ Are you generally prepared for the messes of DTD?

Ah, I think I have a low cervix because I can always feel it, even when it's up very high. But then again, I have long fingers. My cousin got a tampon stuck up there once and it made me wonder how deep a vagina can actually go and maybe mine just isn't that deep. So, you could just have a deep vag! 😂 I tend to get LOADS of EWCM at my cervix opening but nothing ever shows up on my underwear 🤔

Actually, I checked my CM yesterday and it had gone creamy, so ovulation has pretty much been confirmed. The thing I noticed was that it was thicker than what it would usually be at 1DPO. I was expecting the watery milky CM but I got the thicker lotiony one, which doesn't happen until around 4DPO, so maybe progesterone is higher this cycle. I hope so anyway!! What's your CM like now?

My temp is starting its ascent. Yay! How are yours going? Up, up, up?

Haha awww!! What was the proposal like? Were you expecting it? I guess not doing it on the 14th meant you wouldn't suspect anything special was happening. 14th is always a suspicious day for surprises 😂 That's a good question about the anniversary. I'm not sure. We'll definitely count our first year wedding anniversary as one and maybe celebrate that, as that's a bigger milestone than becoming BF and GF. Maybe we'll have a drink to commemorate our 3 years as a couple. We never celebrated our getting engaged anniversary, however I didn't want a proposal so we don't even have a date for it, plus we were married in less than 9 months of being "engaged".

Currently no plans for Vals day. I'd like to plan something but like you said, there's nothing that we can really do. Maybe him and I can cook or bake together. But we spend so much time with each other everyday that the 14th will just be like any other day in lockdown 🤷‍♀️ I think the chocolate selection is a meaningful idea. Can you get it personalised?

I wonder if our pregnancy bodies will be hereditary. My mum doesn't have stretch marks from being pregnant - I hope I take after her. Your body might surprise you and you might not get any stretch marks at all. You can use oils that'll help lessen the appearance if you do. Haha a boob job to fill my empty, dried out sacks? It depends on how self conscious I feel about it at the time. 😂😂

£1200pp?????????? For how many nights? That is a lot! £1200 total is probably how much DH and I would have chosen to spend on our honeymoon. For a general holiday with cheap flights, I think £600 total would be fine for us. We haven't travelled very far yet together. Although, when we went to the US work paid for my flights/hotel and I treated him to his flights, which were £300. The hotel cost like £2000 for two weeks but since that was covered by work I guess we didn't really think about a budget. I think if we had paid for it ourselves, we'd defo choose a cheaper hotel and try and budget around £1500 total for one week, including flights and hotel.

I think my fondest childhood memories are with my dad too. He used to take me and my sisters out and about. We'd go to the park and have family days out riding our bikes or scooters or skateboards. It was nice. It's funny the things we remember fondly. It's always the little things, the times the people we love were there. I just hope that I can be as present for my kids as well. It's nice you had that time to spend with your dad and he got his big kid out too.

Haha aww, I like how the quarantine poster has very simple things on there, like 'visit a coffee shop'. Things that should be a normal part of reality and now we have to rediscover them again. I might faint the first time I set foot in a restaurant. I'll be dazzled and dazed by such a new environment. 😁 I can't wait though! The poster is a good idea 👍

Could you not apply for something you're under qualified for? That's what I did. I almost had a heart attack at my salary and felt bad that they were paying me too much. That's what you need - an overpaying, overqualified job. The imposter syndrome is the best part of it 😂 Go in there with the confidence of a bull and get your money!

Yeah, I could definitely become a contractor. In the future DH and I might combine our skills to create our own contracting company. I'm in networks, he's in data so we'll have all bases covered with our range of knowledge. For now, the security of a job while buying a house and TTC is the best thing for us. Has your DP considered contracting? It might help him get a job faster, at least until he finds something permanent. How's he doing being out of work? Any news from the company's he's applied to?

Haha yeah! Although I wouldn't use the whole room for crafts. It'll be a joint guest room and maybe an office too. But I don't know yet. We have a sofa bed, so that'll have to go somewhere.

So, at the centre front, the start of the neckline needs to meet the centre front at 90 degrees. If you draw the neckline at another angle, when the neckline of the garment comes together at the centre front, it won't be straight. The neck hole might be fine, although it's difficult to say without knowing how thick your neck is. Have you measured around your neck? The sleeve shape is almost there but it needs some refinement. I have a video on drafting sleeves but you could look online for tutorials on sleeves. They're quite difficult to trace from garments as the shape of the cap is a strange one.

Nice rises for us both this morning 😊

Hmm maybe you were drifting in and out of sleep? Sometimes I do that, it feels like I've been awake all night but if I check the time, I can see chunks of time have passed when I must of been asleep. It's never too early to start symptom spotting 😂😂

Haha yeh I have a toilet roll that permanently lives on my bedside table, back when we were allowed visitors I used to have to remember to hide it! We live in a bungalow so it's much easier for guests to end up wandering into our bedroom. Lol I imagine some of it has probably come out and maybe there wasn't much in that ejaculate, although doesn't look like you've had too much sex 🤔.

Deep vag 😂😂😂 I think it's more that my fingers are short as I have quite small hands. For you it's probably due to long fingers! The vagina has a sucking mechanism, so if you put the tampon high up and don't keep the string out, it can be difficult to remove as it's being 'sucked' up there. I find if I put a tampon high up, I have to properly tug on the string to get it out! This mechanism is probably to ensure sperm get pulled in the right direction.

I remember years ago DP and I were doing foreplay with a small, vibrating curved shape thing (it wasn't the shape of a normal vibrator). He was putting it inside me but my vagina sucked it up and he no longer had hold of it. So I had this vibrating thing stuck inside me, I was terrified I was gonna have to go to A&E to get it out, that would be mortifying 😱😱😱. After failing to get it out with my fingers, I sat on the loo and pretended to do a poo and luckily that pushed it out!! I was sooo relieved 😂😂. Do you have any funny/embarrassing sex stories?

CM has gone creamy today, lotion like, that's great you've got it too and straight after ovulation! I had a tiny bit of EWCM yesterday, bit strange I've had quite a bit of it after ovulation this cycle.

I was expecting the proposal as he took us to this lovely hotel, where they had a dinner and dance evening on for Valentine's Day. So I was quite surprised when he didn't ask, I was even a little annoyed wondering why he'd spent lots of money on this night if he wasn't going to propose 😂😂. He ended up proposing the next evening in our bedroom, he told me he tried to propose at the hotel but there wasn't the right moment as it was quite busy and loud 😂. How come you didn't want a proposal? Did he give you an engagement ring?

You could do a baking or cake decorating competition with a valentine's theme? I'm not sure, I probably can personalise it as they're being hand made, I'll have to ask!

My body is very different to my Mum's and I have a different skin type. She didn't get stretch marks which she puts down to keeping herself thin. However this is rubbish because I already have stretch marks and a pregnant belly stretches much more than any other part of you. She's just lucky that her skin type doesn't get them. So I probably have my Dad's skin but you might get lucky and take after your Mum. Haha as you're a booby girl already they might be okay after breast feeding, as mine are already like fried eggs they'll be destroyed afterwards 😂😭.

£1200pp for 7 nights! Yep the most we've ever paid for 7 nights is £600pp, that's why I'm a bit annoyed. Also because my youngest brother is in school they can only go during school holidays which hikes up the price but there are cheaper options. It doesn't help that my second brother who is on a high wage, happily booked it, makes it look like I'm being tight! Did you manage to do much sight seeing in the US?

Ooh you did skateboarding, were you good at it? I briefly tried it as a kid but quickly gave up 😂. Yes that's true, it's definitely the time and people that make the best memories, I can't remember many of the presents I got. I think rather than showering my kids with gifts, we'll try and do more activities together, things they'll hopefully remember.

Haha I'm sure you're worth the money 😊. I'm not very confident, I hate interviews, I really struggle to talk positively about myself. So unfortunately going for something above my ability won't work but good suggestion!

That would be cool to have your own company but yeh whilst having babies it's probably best to be employed so you've got the job security and maternity pay. DP has considered it but I don't know if his skills are advanced enough. He's still not heard back from the jobs he's applied for but he's got an interview this afternoon with the local council for some temporary covid work.

Once you have kids you'll need a whole room for crafts, I can imagine them being creative and wanting to be like you!

Still struggling to visualise what you mean about the neck 😕. I just know with the clothes I've made so far with my own patterns, the neck has been too wide, my bra straps were visible, so I've just tried to narrow it. If I make it too small at least I can cut more material away, whereas if I cut too wide then I'm stuffed. Ah cool I'll have a look for your video on sleeves!