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 😆

I think we'll take a break, focus on the new house for a bit and then go straight for fertility treatment afterwards. DH is sad too, we felt like we did everything right this cycle. Not sure what else we can try so I give up. I'm tired, my head hurts and I'm fed up of crying. Kudos to those women who have been battling with their fertility for years. They're definitely stronger than me.

My progesterone is just another issue to fix, so I'll leave it to the experts. I really can't be bothered anymore. Maybe I'll POAS tomorrow to salute this cycle and the end of TTC naturally 😅

ANYWAY! How are you? How's your AF? It must be over now? Lucky lady! One more cycle for you then you can get started with your fertility treatment! I'm jealous! 😁 You'll have to keep me updated on your cycle though. I won't have anything to report unfortunately. I've put my vitamins away (minus the folic acid). I'm quitting OPKs and saying goodbye to my fertility bracelet.

I don't think we'd be able to afford to buy in London any time in the future unless house prices plummet - which I doubt will happen! Lots of people tend to move to seaside towns when they retire. Maybe we'll consider a slower paced town in our old age.

You have loads of stuff to look forward to. Enjoy the excitement! I know you'll get everything you've dreamed of and I really hope your happily ever after is right around the corner! You might as well continue wedding planning as well. I might need to conjure up a new dream - become a body builder perhaps?

Ok, I'll be on it! We'll start packing this weekend! I'll probably donate some clothes to charity too. How many places have you lived in? I've moved around Reading quite a bit. Thank God I have a car now though! Do you suggest I let the movers take the big stuff and I transport the little stuff myself?

Oh they're getting back to your DP quite quickly. That's really good. I completely forgot that I applied for my current role and when they called me for an interview I had no idea what the job was and when I had applied for it 😆 I also hope your DP hears back about the data architect role because I know that's what he really wants to do.

How was your temp today? Any sign of AF? My temp went down this morning so estrogen is obviously on the rise! Here's to cycle 8 🙄... Counting down the days until our fertility appointment. I'm really busy at work at the moment and now got an interview to prepare for, so that's helping keep my mind off it a bit.

Don't blame you for taking a break! You have done everything right, this is not your fault. Unfortunately some of us just aren't as lucky as others. But there are other aspects of your life that have gone very well, this one is just gonna take a little longer.

I'm not bothering with vitamins either this cycle, I don't think they're able to make a huge difference. I'll keep doing everything else though. I find it odd when I read on here some women saying they've been TTC for 3+ years, I think why haven't you seeked help already?!

My af has almost finished, still light bits coming out but it's mostly gone. Based on my previous charts I normally get a estrogen temp dip on CD7 or 8, so as it's happened on CD6, I wonder if that means ovulation will happen a bit earlier.

A body builder 😂 you'd have to make yourself a new wardrobe! Also your DH might get jealous of your muscles 😂💪. I can't really plan the wedding when everything is still so uncertain, I would be nervous handing over £1000's to any business right now. You're lucky you managed to get married right before lockdown, although I know it wasn't perfect for you.

Life's just a bit shit at the moment! I think all we can do is focus on the good things we do have and start making practical steps towards having a baby. At least we've got age on our side, it would be a lot more concerning if we were 35+.

You could revamp some of your clothes, see if you're able to turn them into something else? I guess that would only work with bigger items that you can cut down.

I've moved 10 times since leaving home and that doesn't include living at my Mum's or Dad's inbetween some of those moves. Once we buy a place the plan would be to stay there for a while and extend. I recommend you take anything in your car that you don't want getting damaged (photos, vases) and anything that's small of high value (laptop, speakers).

I thought that was quite slow, they've done all the interviews now, DP was the last one, so I expected them to make a decision quite quickly! Yeh it's pretty rubbish they still haven't got back about the data architect role. Haha that's funny you'd completely forgotten about the role, they obviously had no idea 😂.

Temp went down. 36.4-something. I've paused my FF account so can't take a screenshot. AF started this morning too. Pretty sore cramps but I'll live. I've paid for an appointment with my fertility consultant so I can discuss everything with him on 26th Feb which is the day we get the keys for the house - oops. I just felt at such a loss yesterday, between DHs low sperm count and my low progesterone I just don't know where to start. This feels like it's way beyond me and I don't know what to do so I just want to talk to someone who knows stuff.

Yeah, you're right. I guess I can't expect everything to go my way. It's just that this is the one thing that does have a time limit. Anyway, we'll get there eventually... I hope.

Maybe some women are convinced it'll happen naturally. I always get buyers remorse when I book a fertility treatment/consultation because I question whether it's even necessary and a waste of time and money if I suddenly and spontaneously conceive. Also, some men are egotistical and don't want to admit or find out that something could be wrong with them. For other women, they maybe already have kids, or have a partner with kids, or could be too young/old to qualify for help on the NHS. And without the NHS, they probably can't afford treatment. Some people may not even want the help. They may not want to feel "broken" and would rather find every way possible to conceive naturally than go down the assisted fertility route. Some women are religious and would rather go to God than turn to science. Others may view assisted fertility as unnatural. I don't know. TTC is a touchy subject, you never know how some women rationalise things when they're in the depth of their despair.

Ooo interesting pattern. I'm intrigued to see if you do ovulate earlier. Since temping, I find I can predict when I'll ovulate based on what my temps do 6 days prior. I can also tell when AF is coming, so not always fun.

I wish he'd get jealous of my muscles, maybe it would motivate him to get fit too. You could still plan your wedding without spending money. Maybe brainstorm some ideas. Mood board some thing you'd like to buy and collate links of where you can get the things you need, so at least when the time comes you have everything you need at the click of a button.

Life sucks balls right now. Did you ever dream of running away as a kid? I did. I wish I could do so now but I'd probably get fined for stepping out the door 😅

Maybe I can upcycle some of DH's clothes and make them feminine. Like a new dress from an old shirt or something. But I think I'd rather just get rid of the clothes. It's probably time to start decluttering. I have a half day at work tomorrow so I'll start then. Would upcycling be something you think you'd do? Have you ever tried knitting? I did. I made a wonky square ◼️ maybe I'll try to learn to knit again 🧶

Oh that's a lot of moves. Have you ever gone travelling around the world? Yeah it's a good idea to think about purchasing a house for the longterm. You can put as much work into it without feeling bad that you'd have to leave it all behind after only a few short years. Ok that's a good idea. Fragile items and valuables with me. Thanks!

To be honest, after my final interview for my current job, I got the offer like a week after, so that's fair enough. It's the getting the interview part that's actually slow. I hadn't actually forgotten about the role; I didn't know I applied for it! Well, I'm keeping everything crossed for the both of you! Power couple'ing together 💪

Sorry your af started yesterday ☹️☹️, have a stiff drink tonight, if you haven't already! I'm on the prosecco 😂. I hope you're not feeling too sad, I know how disappointing it is having af arrive. I think that's good you've got an appointment booked with your fertility consultant, at least it's something to look forward to and a step towards achieving a pregnancy. Have you got an idea of what you're going to ask and what you want to do? Is the 26th Feb the move day?

Well if you do suddenly and spontaneously conceive then you'll be so happy, I don't think you'll be too bothered about having booked the fertility appointment! Maybe that's what it takes to make it happen 😂.

Yeh I see what you mean, there are lots of reasons why someone might not go down the fertility treatment route, personally I think that's silly, they're just prolonging the pain, when there could be a simple solution.

Haha! Yeh DP could do with building some muscle but I can't say much as my figure isn't that great after a year of lockdown 😂. I had already planned every inch of the wedding based on our original venue, however things will change as we now need to book somewhere cheaper, so I'll just scale down what I've already planned.

I did briefly run away, I went to a friend's house and my Mum called the police, it was a bit awkward when I returned home but not much happened. 😂😂 Yeh you probably would get a fine but you don't want to leave home, home is now a loving place for you and your DH 🥰.

Yeh it would be nice to have a clear out and would make moving lighter and easier! Also the more clothes you give away, the more you can make 😍. How did you get on today? I have some tops I don't wear so I'm thinking of chopping the arms off and making something new out of them! Nope not tried knitting, I'd love to be able to make a jumper. A wonky square 😂😂 Aww yeh give it another go! You could make a cute baby hat or mittens.

Nope not travelled the world, DP wants to but we need to work full time to buy a house so we can't take the time out anymore. I'd like to see the Grand Canyon, Northern lights and the Fjords in the Nordic countries. Have you seen any of those?

Haha well it all turned out okay! You and your DH are a power couple! We might be one day if the economy isn't destroyed 😕.

I've cut out the fabric for my second 'practice' jacket, fingers crossed this one fits better! I'll start sewing it tomorrow 🤞.

AF pretty much finished today. I really wonder why my periods have gotten shorter. I used to be able to average a solid three days of medium flow and two days of light flow. It could be the vitamins regulating things (or making things worse), but I'll have to ask the consultant about it. I'd be interested to see how my cycle changes now that I've quit the supplements.

26th Feb would probably be the collect-keys day. And since we don't have to leave our rental property straight away, we can move the week after during an off-peak day. We visited the house yesterday. Took some measurements for our furniture so now I need to plan where everything will go. I've also been thinking about the garden and what can be done to it.

How are things with you? Are you starting OPKs on CD12 again?

I guess you can use this time to rethink what you'd want from a smaller wedding. How many guests were you planning for before and how many do you think you'll have now (assuming there are no more restrictions in 2+ years)?

Haha oh dear! How long were you away for? It must have been for at least a day for her to call the police?? I don't want to leave home. I just want to run away from life. I know there's worse things I could be suffering from but I think lockdown is just exacerbating everything! I've been playing Sims4 for the whole of today and it's the only escape I have right now. At least I can live someone else's life and avoid mine.

How have you been getting on with your jacket? Does the new one fit better?

Nope, haven't seen any of those but I would looooove to see the Northern Lights! It's something I must do before I get too old. DH loves travelling so he'll probably drag me all over the world and make me do touristy things. Once you guys have your house, you can then start saving towards travelling the world.

Happy valentines day! Hope you have something lovely planned 💕

Happy Valentine's Day 🥰, we're eating M&S food and drinking prosecco but I'm kinda all prosecco'd out as drank it Fri and Sat as well 😂. Are you guys doing anything special?

Strange your af has finished already, that's 3 days? Mines only medium flow for the first 2 days then very light for the remaining 3 days. I'm guessing it means we're not building up a thick enough womb lining, probably because of low progesterone. It would be interesting to see what your consultant says, he may offer you medication to improve the ovulation.

12 days until you are home owners!! At least with having to be at home all the time, you'll have plenty of time to decide how to design the place 😊.

Yeh I'll prob start OPKs on CD12 but I'll do it twice a day from the start, to make sure I don't miss it! It was confusing last cycle when my temp went up before the positive OPK. I'm just ready for this cycle to be over, not expecting anything different!

It's so difficult to plan when we don't know when this pandemic is going to end or when restrictions will be released. If they release too early we'll probably end up with another lockdown in a few months time.

It was only over an afternoon, I returned during the evening, I think she was just looking for attention 😂. Aww yes lockdown is definitely making life harder, all you can do is keep yourself busy and focus on positive things. It won't last forever, we just need to get through the next year.

I love Sims! I used to love making a family and building houses and an entire town 🤩. Made me want to be an architect for a while 😂.

The new jacket did fit better until I added darts in the back and now it's too tight, so I'm gonna have to undo them and re-add them thinner. I think the hardest part is gonna be the neck line. Have you got anymore sewing makes in the pipeline?

The Fjords in Norway are beautiful, if you go to see the Northern lights I would recommend seeing the Fjords in the same trip. That's what we're gonna do at some point!

Nothing particularly special to be honest! We've gone out for a walk and that's it really. We have food we've ordered in so we'll get started on that in a bit. Did you manage to order those valentine's day chocolates for your DP?

It was a more of a two day medium flow and then nothing on day three and nothing today 🤷‍♀️ it does seem a bit problematic so I'll have to see what can be done to sort it out. I just don't get how I can go from 5-6 day AFs to just two days... What have I done to myself??? Has your flow always been like that or just ever since you came off the pill?

I feel like I've lost inspiration and motivation to even think about the new house. I should be excited but I actually just feel very indifferent about it. Maybe my feelings will change once I've moved in. I definitely do consider myself lucky, I just don't feel it right now. Maybe I'll spend the time training my rabbits instead. I'd rather spend time with them.

I'm ready for this cycle and all subsequent ones to be over too. But with the way this year is already flying, it'll be March soon and you'll finally have some direction and goals towards getting you your dream. Have you thought about all the things you want to ask and tell the consultant?

I'm not sure what I'd do in your shoes either. I have a huge family and wouldn't want to exclude anyone from my wedding, but at the same time, I wouldn't want to wait years and years before getting married. I think you're doing the best thing and keeping your life going. Maybe DH and I would still buy a house and try for kids before becoming husband and wife.

Oh wow, just an afternoon. She must have really missed you 😂😂😂 How old were you then? Because if you were five, I'd totally get it.

Haha, the sims is great. I still prefer Sims 3 to Sims 4 though, but they're both as addictive. I always create the most dramatic storylines. My favourite being, one of my sims, who was a fairy, was adopted by a genie and the fairy was gay and had a human husband. Then his niece, who got around quite a bit and fell pregnant with any Tom, Dick and Harry, seduced his husband and fell pregnant with his baby. It was a whole drama but I love it! Most recently, I made my sim sleep with her daughters husband and she got kicked out of the familial house and her daughter divorced her husband. Both her and the husband are both dead now.

No, I still haven't finished my dress. Not sure if I can be bothered anymore. Good to hear you're making progress with the jacket though! Hopefully it manages to fit well soon!

Hope your valentine's food went down well 😊, I didn't end up buying those chocolates as we've had several conversations about needing to save money, so I thought I best be sensible!

Have you had anymore af or was it just those 2 days? It is strange to go from a 5/6 day af to only 2 days, I don't think that's normal but hopefully there's a simple fix. I just thought, it might be worth doing an IC just in case, some women have light bleeding in early pregnancy! I remember my period was heavier before going on the pill, so it probably is a hormone issue.

Oh no, I'm sure your excitement will return once you move in and it all becomes real! The bunnies will like being inside and it will be easier to play with them 😊.

I'll tell them about my short luteal phases but the conversation is probably gonna be led by what they ask and what they recommend we do. SA is gonna be the first thing, I would like to make 2 plans with them, one for if sperm are fine and one for if sperm are not fine. You'll probably end up ahead of me with treatment as you've already done SA and your appointment is a week prior.

I think I was around 13/14, so it really wasn't necessary to call the police, maybe I told her I was running away as I left, I can't remember!

Oh wow that is dramatic! Sounds like a soap 😂. I dont think I did anything too crazy with mine, I didn't like making them upset 😂. Have you used the house building mode where you have a blank canvas and you can make a whole town? I used to love doing that and it was easier than trying to monitor everyone's relationships 😂😂.

Aww you haven't got much more to go until it's finished! Might be worth getting a picture in the dress before you move, so you can make the most of the lovely garden background 😊.

Aww!! It's the thought that counts anyway plus the important thing is that you're shown love for the other 364 days of the year! I'd take that over a box of chocolates any day!

Yeah it was just those two days of bleeding. I was really surprised to wake up on day 3 with an empty menstrual cup! Last night, I was emptying the bathroom bin and the FRER I took feel out and I looked at it and there was a really faint line and I felt so sad that the closest I'd gotten to a +ve on an FRER was an evap line! There's no use testing on an IC, the bleeding wasn't light, it was proper red and I was a cramping like I normally would with AF. Plus I haven't recorded temps for days either! But I think they'd be quite low anyway. A good thing to check would be my cervix though (off I go to check) - cervix is high, medium firmness, and closed. CM is non-existent with yellowy clumpy bits in there 🤷‍♀️ which basically tells me nothing 😂

I think I'd prefer hormonal issues because they are easily fixed. If I had endometriosis or something, I think I'd have to go through a lot of doctor referrals to sort the issue out and sometimes there's not much that can be done about it! So I think, as far as "infertility" goes, we're still in a good position. Hopefully all you need is medication.

Hopefully, they give you a good course of action but I'm sure your DP will be fine either way. With his dancing and his healthy eating habits, his swimmers are probably doing ok. I want to see what the consultant suggests about the combination of my low progesterone and DH's sperm count. If he says we can still conceive naturally but I'll need medication, then I'll brave another few cycles. Maybe I'll give it a year then we can go for IUI. Let's hope I can stay sane for that long though!

There are a lot of things in the house that I'd like to change. All the taps are really old and just terrible. But if I'm changing taps, I might as well put in a new bathroom 😝. I also want to change the floors throughout the house but we wouldn't be able to before moving our furniture in. The garden, I'd love to take a sledgehammer to certain bits too. But a lot of what I want to do requires money we don't have! So I'll do the easy and cheaper things first, which won't make the house look that much better.

Did you see the thread from the lady who wanted to give up TTC after 2 cycles and she said she wouldn't want any medical assistance because it would be even more stressful 😂😂😂 2 cycles isn't long and I think I was still hopeful at that stage but even now, at cycle 6, although I am fed up, I wouldn't stop trying. Even if we had to go through IVF! Do you feel like giving up sometimes?

Haha omg oh dear. Bless her! I think motherhood is just constant worrying. I don't think she'd call the police if she didn't think you weren't in real danger. Maybe when we have kids we'll look at the situation differently 😂

I definitely prefer the stories than the building. I'm not really good at creating things like that. I've tried building houses from scratch and they'd come out rubbish. There's actually a TV competition where avid Sims fans compete against each other to create buildings, sims and a good storyline. It was actually quite good. It's called "The Sims - Spark'd" If we were in that competition, you could design the buildings and I'd be the storyteller 😂😂😂

You're right! I do need a photoshoot with the dress before we move! How far did you manage to get with your jacket?

Hey how's your day been? My work is crazy busy at the moment which really isn't good timing as I also need to practice for my interview next Friday! DP got the civil service job 🎉 however the recruiter for the data architect role has contacted him and said he's got an interview but doesn't yet know when. The data architect role is much higher wage but DP is gonna accept the other role in the meantime. Typical two jobs come at once!

Not much is going on fertility wise, no cm yet but that will probably start from tomorrow. Temp has been a bit up and down but nothing out of the ordinary. You still planning on not doing any monitoring this cycle?

That's interesting you saw a faint positive on a FRER and some people have had heavier bleeding when pregnant. I'm saying that because of your af being so short, always suspicious of anything not normal!

Endometriosis is a nightmare, I pray neither of us have that! I don't think we have the symptoms so should be unlikely 🤞.

IUI has around a 10% success rate per cycle, whereas IVF is around 30%. However IUI is much cheaper, unless it doesn't work and you have to pay for IVF as well. Just something to consider. I'm really hopeful that medication will fix us!

Aww it will take time to get the house exactly how you want it, just doing a little bit each month would be good progress. I recommend taking lots of before and after pictures, so you can see the difference! Ages ago we did a load of work on the garden but forgot to take 'before' pictures, it was gutting because afterwards we had nothing to compare it with.

Give up after 2 cycles?! Jeez I bet she got some unpleasant comments! I think some people need to have more realistic expectations, I know we haven't made the 1 year mark yet but we have identified clear problems with our hormones. I'll never give up, even if we have to adopt, we'll still keep trying and keep saving for more IVF, could end up being an expensive life goal! I would never forgive myself if I got to menopause and knew I hadn't tried as hard as I possibly could.

Haha I didn't know there were Sims competitions! That would be cool! 😂😂

I've been too busy at work to do anymore on the jacket ☹️, I may spend some time on it this weekend. You'll have to post your new dress photos on Instagram 😍.

Oh gosh! You'll have to use this weekend to get lots of interview preparation done. Plus utilise your remaining weekday evenings if you can. Is your DP helping you out with some practise scenarios too? That's really good news! He's one step closer to the data architect role but having the civil service job is great too! Good things are happening for the both of you 🎉🎉

Yup, I've done zero monitoring. I genuinely don't know what CD I'm on. I'm thinking CD7 but that's just a guess. I do know the dates of my fertile window though, I made sure to check 😆 But I'm leaving the initiating of DTD to DH. How far away are you from your fertile window?

😭Unfortunately it was just an evap. I'm 100% not pregnant - I took an IC like you suggested and BFN. I'm not so sure what's been affecting my AFs. It could be the vitamins but who knows. Have you ever had an evap before?

Yeah, I think we're definitely safe from endometriosis. I'm not sure if it's possible to just suddenly develop it. I hope not 😱

That's what I worry about. The success rate of IUI being quite low. I want to think that it'll work for us, but at the same time, I just feel like we won't be so lucky. You've never considered IUI before have you?

Once spring arrives and the sun starts shining again, I'll probably start sorting out the garden. It's quite hilly so I'd love to flatten it. Back in 2005 a planning application was submitted to extended the house at the side and it was rejected because the neighbouring house also has a side extension and if our house was to be extended too then it would create a terrace effect. So I worry we'd get rejected if we applied again. So we might need to look to move once our family starts growing.

Yup, the responses were not kind to her. I'd have to find the thread for you. Here it is. I 100% agree. I'd feel the same way as well if I reached menopause without children. I hope that won't be the case for us. I'd love to still start a family while still young. Being in my 50s and having my first child would not be ideal nor would it be fair for my child.

I've managed to get hold of a load of capability interview questions, so I'm gonna hand them to DP and have him ask me them! We were supposed to start tonight but ended up drinking wine 😂.

I was surprised this morning when I realised I'm on CD13, I really haven't been keeping track of it. I've been entering my temp but not really looking at my chart. It's helped time pass quickly but that might also be because my mind is currently preoccupied with work! I think you were 4/5 days behind me so you're probably on CD8/9. My fertile window is from now until around Monday/Tuesday depending on when I ovulate. Your fertile window should be just after the weekend?

Okay well at least you know for def, it is odd to only have a period for 2 days, I would be interested to know what your consultant thinks the cause is! I'm thinking it has to be a hormone issue... I've never had an evap, always been stark white!

I've thought about IUI but the way I see it is, all IUI does is put the sperm into your womb. Aslong as you have EWCM and the sperm are swimming in the right direction, there's no reason why they couldn't make it into the womb on their own. There's still a long journey for the sperm and egg to go, so it's more likely that the issue is further down the line. I've recently found out from reading posts on here that the female immune system could be preventing pregnancy by seeing the embryo as an invader and killing it, the only way to stop that is to take immune suppressing drugs.

How would you plan on flattening the garden? Would you dig out the top end or fill in the bottom end? Ah that's annoying that because the neighbour has an extension, you can't, seems unfair! I've seen lots of houses listed as detached but the houses are joined by their garages.

I looked at that post and I'm actually surprised that most comments were quite soft, I was expecting a lot more shitty comments 😂.

Just realised your fertility appointment is the same day as my interview, next Friday will be interesting!

I had a strange dream this morning, looked it up on Google and apparently the sea represents your emotions, what do you make of this (I wrote this when I woke up so I wouldn't forget):

I was trying to swim out from the harbour into the sea, carrying a huge amount of bait (much bigger than myself) to attract large fish. I was scared of the deep water and waves, I wanted to get out but I couldn't swim against the current. The current ended up pulling me quite far in a different direction. The force of waves pushed me out of the water and onto another area of the harbour. Somehow I ended up back where I started but still couldn't get to safety, I was stranded on a small part of the harbour that went into the sea. Eventually someone I briefly knew from 10 years ago came and saved me.

Do you ever have any really strange dreams that make you think your mind is trying to tell you something?

I had a bit of alcohol to drink too on Thursday. A little drunkenness just to add something new to my day. My sanity is seriously waning 😫 How's your interview prep going? Do you feel ready?

You guys started DTD early. DH and I have only done it once so far. I think I'm in my FW now because my CM is very watery. Feels like it might be an early ovulation but I won't be able to tell until after it's happened. I'm already counting myself out for this month because I really cannot be bothered to DTD.

You'll being starting your TWW soon! Can't believe we're here again. You're right, it is flying by! It's so much better when you have things to keep you busy. Then at least TTC isn't the only thing on my mind. I haven't been thinking about TTC much either. Yay! Your OPK should be turning +ve now right? I like not knowing where in our cycle we are. It brings a new level of peace.

I've had a few evaps in the past. Two on an IC and this last one on an FRER. They really suck! I just want a proper BFP. Are you finding any changes to your cycle now that you're off the vitamins? I've been cramping through my FP but only mildly, which makes me think my body is falling apart around me! Really can't wait to fix whatever it is I've broken 😂😂

Haha I actually told DH that maybe I need to start taking immunosuppressants because I'm probably too healthy and my white blood cells are killing off all his sperm. I'm never ill so that could be a possibility. In cases like that, as well has with low sperm count, IUI could help. I actually believe that despite it all, sperm is meeting egg and the issue is with me. DH has strong swimmers so at least a few must be making it to the right place. Maybe you're like me and you have lots of eggs. I reckon it gets really crowed in my ovaries so the dominant follicle can't get as big as possible to produce enough progesterone. So I probably have weak follicles and weak eggs. Well, that's my theory anyway. But it could be going wrong at any stage!!

Yeah, next Friday will be an interesting day! Hopefully we'll both come back on here with good news: you telling me how well your interview went, and me telling you there's hope for mine and DH's fertility yet! We probably won't complete on the house then. There are some delays and it's really annoying because all we need is a yes or no response from our mortgage lender and my solicitor is struggling on getting one. Hope we don't end up homeless!

Haha linked-detached houses might as well be called semi-detached. I don't really like them because if you extend on top of the garage the extension won't be able to touch the neighbouring house so it'll be really narrow. With the garden, I think I'd probably take some earth off the top and fill in the bottom. Spring is going to be a fun season of gardening!

Oooo interesting dream! I often have strange ones that I try to decipher. I've written a few down in the past.

I think maybe you feel lost? You're trying to find something bigger than you. Something worthwhile. But in your attempts you keep losing your way because life keeps dragging you in various directions. Eventually you find yourself back where you started with little progress made and you're not sure how to move forward. So perhaps you're now looking to the past to a time where you got a helping hand and were able to get to where you needed and that's what you need - some guidance and someone to help you get where/what you want. 🤷‍♀️ What do you think?

Interview prep is going well thanks, we're doing an hour a day practice so hopefully I'll have my examples well structured by Friday!

On CD16 now and no positive OPK yet, also I've had no EWCM which is unusual. Looks like it's gonna be a late ovulation this time, we'll probably ovulate around the same time! I've continued to take folic acid with vit D and take the vit C and zinc every so often, when I remember, not being too strict about it. Unfortunately wasn't able to take my temp this morning as drank quite a bit last night 🤦.

How are you doing? That's odd you're cramping in the FP, don't know what would cause that! Has your CM turned to EW yet or still watery? I know this cycle feels hopeless, I'm certainly not expecting anything but try to DTD at least once near ovulation so it's not a wasted cycle. You might end up feeling more upset after ovulation if you didn't give it a chance 🙂.

If you're never ill that could well be a possibility with your immune system working too well. You'd need to have the womb cells tested, they'll be looking for the NK (natural killer) cells. However not all clinics offer this, some don't believe in it, I'll be asking about it in my appointment.

If a weak ovulation is the problem then medication should be able to fix that, I hope your consultant offers you some, so that you can try and see if it works. They might also suggest doing a HyCosy test to check your fallopian tubes aren't blocked.

Oh no, why do you think the mortgage lender is dithering? Surely they have to provide a reason as to why they're not making a decision? I hope it gets sorted soon for you, when do you have to be out of your current place?

Spring is a great time to do gardening as everything will grow quicker 😊.

Thanks for your interpretation of my dream 😊, the strange thing is the person who helped me at the end of the dream came from quite a dark time in my life, so I'm confused why they were helping me 😂. Yeh I think you're right about me struggling and feeling like I've made little progress. I think the outcome of this interview will make a big difference as that will dictate the next path I take.

That's good to know. I have no doubt you'll get the job. When does your DP start at the new company?

CD16 already? 😱 what's the latest CD you've ovulated? Are your OPKs at least getting progressively darker? Maybe they'll turn +ve tomorrow. You have watery CM which is still a good sign of high fertility but let's see what happens tomorrow. I think I'm 3 or 4 day away from ovulation and I don't think yours would be delayed for that long! We might just have a 2 day gap like usual. I forget to take my folic acid so I've quit that too 😪

I'm not sure if not taking my vitamins has changed anything yet. Either my ovulation date could drastically change or my LP could get shorter or longer.

I haven't checked my CM today because I DTD yesterday with DH. Tomorrow would give me a better idea of what my CM is like. Hopefully I do get EWCM. I might DTD at least once more in the new week. Not that that'll help anything but at least I'd have given it a shot. Do you feel more relaxed this cycle?

Do you think you're super healthy as well? Sugar, processed foods and alcohol can compromise your immune system so looks like I need to get on the cupcakes and fizzy drinks 🧁🍫🍭🍿🥤🍹😂

Yeah, my consultant did say the next step would be checking my fallopian tubes so I'd probably get that done. But I really hope they'll believe medication would be enough to help us.

They're not dithering. They're just hard to get in touch with and seem to not know who the right people to help with the query are. I just hope this week it can be sorted because this is literally the final thing we need and then we're pretty much done.

I hope you get the job. It seems like subconsciously, it's something you really want, so I'm sending out positive vibes and all the luck in the world your way 🍀

DP hasn't got a start date yet, he'll end up having a few months break between jobs. I'd love a couple of months off right now 😂. Although I have made him a jobs list to keep him busy 😂😂.

Still haven't had a positive OPK yet! The test line has got a little darker but not enough to be positive. The latest ovulation I've had so far is CD18 but as I'm now on CD17 and not had high LH levels yet, I may not ovulate until CD19. I've had a tiny bit of EWCM today but it's strange because I had loads last cycle. I'm guessing as you're not doing any monitoring you won't know when you've ovulated?

You should try and take the folic acid just incase you do get pregnant, I think it takes a while to build up in your system. That reminds me, I need to take mine 😂.

How's your CM been today, any EWCM? I wonder if not taking anything will make your ovulation later, as it has mine.

Yeh I definitely feel more relaxed this cycle, it helps knowing my fertility appointment isn't far away and I'm no longer hoping for a BFP, I'll still give it a shot but absolutely expecting it not to happen. It sounds like you're doing similar, have you found it easier and more relaxing not hoping/expecting to get a BFP?

Haha I wouldn't say I'm super healthy, the last time I was ill was Feb 2020 but I think getting ill once a year is probably normal? Sugar and alcohol is supposed to not be good for fertility but then nothings happened yet so could be worth a try 😂😂.

If you have your fallopian tubes checked, I recommend taking some co-codamal before the procedure, I found it very uncomfortable and painful at times.

Aww you're so close to moving in! Hopefully this won't be much of a set back and they'll get a date sorted soon 🤞🤞.

Thank you 😊😊, managed to get lots of practice in today, not long now! 😬

Haha what sort of jobs are on the list? Cook me breakfast, cook me lunch, cook me dinner, vacuum clean the house, clean the bathroom, change that lightbulb that has never seemed to work, iron all my clothes and build me a desk? Well at least that's what mine would be 😂😂 Any news on the other role?

Ok, it's looking like you'll get a +ve OPK tomorrow hopefully. Really weird that your cycle has changed because you haven't really changed anything. Is there anything new you've done this cycle? Could be the brazil nuts, although I don't think they'd have much of an impact on when you ovulate or on your CM. You might need to really get in there with your finger and have a swipe at your cervix to see what your CM is doing. But you could just be having a randomly off cycle.

CM is the only thing I can check tbh, but I won't be able to tell I've ovulated until it turns creamy. I've had loads of EWCM today and it's been a bit pink, so looks like I'm spotting too, which is new, although I had that random brown streak a few cycles back. From my intuition, I'll probably have a CD15 ovulation. I've DTD today, so will try and do it again in two days. How's DTD going? have you started getting ovulation pain?

Yeah, I think I have. I do get randomly sad that we might not conceive naturally but having no expectations has been the best thing for my mental health. I do really hope that fertility assistance will give us the helping hand we clearly need 😂 I think I've even stopped desperately wanting a baby. I just don't give an F anymore 😂 (until AF shows up and I have an emotional breakdown). It's my one year wedding anniversary at the end of this cycle too 😅 fun....!

Well considering the physical state of those who get pregnant so easily, their diet can't be all that great and yet they still manage it. I've had a chocolate bar today so I think I'm doing a good job. About to order pizza too 😂 Loads of people have boozy weekends just before they find out they're pregnant, so better stock up on the alcohol while you're at it. Yeah, getting ill once a year is actually really good. I'm the same. We probably ate a lot of dirt as kids. Do you think you'll let you kids get down and dirty when they're playing outside?

Gosh, I hope so. I don't think DH can deal with the stress of house buying anymore. I've been pretty chill about it but I think I'll start to panic if we're faced with homelessness.

Are you watching anything interesting right now? Started watching Behind Her Eyes on Netflix. It's been trending on social media so I'm interested to see what the hype is about.

😂😂 not far off! Some of the jobs were clean the bathroom, clean the kitchen floor, dust the living room but he's done those now. Remaining jobs are clean fridges, hang up bathroom picture, repair house name sign, sort through clothes, clean door handles (they have masking tape stuck on them from when we painted ages ago!). Good excuse to get some house jobs done 😂😂. Not heard from the other job in a while, I reckon they've got problems approving the funding for the post, there's no other reason why they'd take so long to arrange the interview.

I still haven't had a positive OPK! Really don't know what's going on 🤷. Temp dropped this morning which indicates ovulation is happening today, so I guess if my temp spikes tomorrow then ovulation must of happened and maybe I just missed it on the OPKs. I've had tiny bits of EWCM today and yesterday but nothing like I've had previously, very strange!

I haven't been eating Brazil nuts, I ran out of the chocolate ones I made, I need to make some more!

That's odd you've got spotting again, some women do get spotting at ovulation but it's not common and you only got it for the first time in your last cycle? Definitely something to mention to your consultant. How's your CM today? I haven't had any ovulation pain so pretty confident it hasn't happened yet.

It does feel very unfair that it hasn't happened naturally for us yet, I was reading a post where this woman got pregnant after the condom broke and was 'considering her options'. Made me feel angry that she would consider aborting when there's plenty of women desperate for children but I don't know her situation, maybe she has good reason.

Aww have you got anything planned for your 1st anniversary as husband and wife?

Haha I'm quite girly, I don't like mud or getting dirty, that's why I got so annoyed when that muddy dog jumped on me. So I'm not sure how I'll feel about my kids getting muddy, I'll probably have to say to DP, if you get them dirty, you can wash their clothes! What about you, how are you with mud?

You might want to start making a plan just incase the dates don't work out and you end up with a few days or weeks with no home. Your furniture can go into storage but you'll need to arrange a temp home for the bunnies. Hopefully that won't happen but you want to be prepared just in case!

I recently watched The Serpent on BBC, that was interesting but also pretty scary and shocking. Not heard of Behind Her Eyes, sounds like a psychological thriller?

Haha you go girl! Make the most of your personal Fairy God Lover 😂 shocked he's agreed to do everything you've listed bless him! HR are pretty useless in most companies so I'm not really surprised about the delay. At least he's got a job lined up now.

😱😱 What's going on?? I thought surely you'd get a +ve OPK today. From past cycles, how long does it take to get a +ve OPK from when they start hovering around 40%? Really strange what's going on. Fingers crossed it isn't an anovulatory cycle 😱🤞 although they do sometimes happen. Let me know how your temps do tomorrow. They could zig-zag a bit before you finally ovulate.

I got spotting, I think, 2 cycles ago. It was just a random brown streak. But this one is different. It's more mixed into my CM and pink. I'm not too worried about it. I don't think it means anything bad. I haven't checked CM today. Haven't really thought about sticking my fingers up myself today, strangely enough 😂 but now that you've mentioned it, I should check. Hmmm... Not sure. Looks watery creamy?? Maybe I've already ovulated. I'll have to check tomorrow.

Some people don't understand how lucky they are 😭 it really isn't fair. I still remember the story of a hotel room keeper who stole sperm out of a guests used condom and inseminated herself. Then she got pregnant and took him to court for child support and she won! Ok fair enough, it's a crazy story but what I want to know is HOW she got pregnant??????? Could she teach me? 😂😂😭 Abortion is a tricky one and people have their reasons. I could never consider it but each to their own.

Hehe no plans yet. It's DHs 32nd on the 5th so I need to think about what to do for that first. I have no idea what to do or what to get him. I threw him a surprise party for his 30th and I'd love to do something like that again. Any suggestions on how I could surprise him? Any gift ideas?? I'll be 8DPO then (assuming a CD15 ovulation) so I don't think a -ve HPT would work 🤔

I'm not too keen on germs and avoid getting in contact with dirt if I can but with kids, I think they need that exposure to help build their immune system. If they start eating mud I'd probably have a heart attack but the rational part of my brain would know it won't kill them. I'm ok with mud though. I don't mind being one with nature as long as there are no bugs 🤢😱

I have faith we'll complete before mid March. I'm not too worried right now. But you're right, we will need a plan. Our first course of action would be to see if we could extend our tenancy for a week or two. If not, we would probably ask the vendor of the house if we could move in and rent it out for a few days until we complete. Last would be moving furniture into storage and going to my parents. I'd take my rabbits with me wherever I go. They're my babies 🥰

I completely get the hype around Behind Her Eyes! 😱😱😱😱 It's shocking. Yes it's an absolute psychological thriller but you wouldn't think so at first. Definitely recommend. Is it worth watching the Serpent? Just had a look at it and it looks interesting.

Do you have plans for the end of lockdown? I'm starting to think about working out in the garden again. Time to get my body back 💪

Just checked CM again this morning and it's definitely creamy. Looks like I must have ovulated yesterday. I had a lot of pain in my lower abdomen (definitely ovulated from my right ovary as I've been feeling twinges for a few days on that side so not surprised) so I'm taking today as 1DPO. I was not expecting this 😱 good thing DH and I DTD when we did. This is the first time we've DTD without the pressure of ovulation. I wonder if CD13 is my normal ovulation day without vitamins 🤷‍♀️

Any sign of your ovulation today?

I finally got a positive OPK! Although strangely my temp went up this morning, so it's doing the same as last cycle, temp has gone up before ovulation 🤷. So ovulation will be tomorrow on CD20 which is the latest it's ever been! So that means you'll be two days ahead of me, did not expect that!!

That's great you DTD in time! Is CD13 earlier than normal for you? I think as you had loads of EWCM on Monday and today it's creamy, that's a good indication you've ovulated 😊.

Gosh I'm surprised that woman got pregnant, the sperm must have been out in the cold for a few hours! I'm even more surprised the court took her side when she stole his sperm 😱.

As you've ovulated on CD13 does that mean you'd be 10DPO on 5th March? If so, you could do a pregnancy test? For other gift ideas... maybe a sexy outfit from Ann Summers, an engraved or photo keyring? Or there's this cool website that makes unique books and you can personalise the content:

thebookofeveryone.com/uk/personalised-books/the-book-of-everyone?

That's good you've got some plans incase the completion doesn't happen soon enough but fingers crossed it will!

Ooh I love psychological thrillers but I don't have Netflix, so might have to wait until it comes out on DVD! Yeh I'd say it's worth watching The Serpent, it's basically about a psychopath and his accomplice and it's based on a true story 😬.

Definitely gonna go to the pub and have a few meals out! How about you? I find it hard to believe all restrictions will be lifted by 21st June, kinda forgotten what life without restrictions was like! I've just ordered some resistance bands so will start using them to try and tone up the legs and bum! Working out in the garden will be nice, especially now the weather is starting to get better 😊.

Yaaaaaay! Finally! Better late than never 😁 maybe your body is still adjusting from the pill? Hopefully things will start settling down soon. I'm really surprised that I'm ahead of you for the first time ever 😂 I wonder what this means for next cycle. Maybe we'll be back in sync and ovulate on the same day.

Yes, CD13 is the earliest I've recorded ovulation. This month my body didn't follow my usual pattern. I get 4 days of EWCM before I ovulate but I only got it for one day! Luckily it was the day we DTD. All unplanned 😅 I'm actually loving the not-knowing because all I can do is speculate!

Right?? Like how many dead sperm must have been in that condom? How powerful were those sperm? How many days away from ovulation could she have been? Getting pregnant must seriously be the easiest thing in the world 😱 which only confirms that mine and DHs genetic material suck! 😂😂😂

Nah I think I've quit pregnancy tests. What's the point anymore? He does like me in sexy lingerie 🤔 a keyring would be nice too 🤔 he'd love a personalised book! I think I'll go down the personalisation route. It'll mean more to him, even if it's something simple. Thank you!

Good news with the house! We got a response from the bank and we should be able to complete next week. Phew! We're cutting it pretty close. I've taken the week of the 8th off work so we can sort everything out. We're trying to book in movers for that week too. And then cleaners on the weekend. Return keys on the 15th and then we are finished with this current place forever!

Gosh, it's crazy to think real life psychopaths exist. I've never come across anyone like that before. But actually there was this one time I was at a customer meeting at work and I just got bad vibes from one the customers. He was really smiley and jovial but something in him made me really suspicious. Like he had abusive tendancies or something. Have you met a psycho before?

How are you feeling about Friday. Not long to go now. Are you better prepared?

Woooo! Freedom! I'm not sure what I'll do but it'll definitely involve me being out of the house all the time. I'll organise loads of meetups with my sci-fi/fantasy group and just see people. Host loads of gatherings and generally enjoy life. Resistance bands are great. They really helped me add variety to my leg workouts when the gyms were closed. Finally something to look for wtf to though!

Eeeeee I'm actually finally feeling excited about the house. I'm going to start packing things and dismantling my rabbits enclosure!

I've had a pretty bad day with ovulation pain, this morning I felt sick, had a headache and was in a lot of pain around my left ovary. The nausea and headache has now gone but my ovary area is very tender 😣. Hows your ovulation pain?

Unsure if my body is still adjusting from the pill, it's my 8th cycle so I would have thought it would be sorted by now 😕. I reckon our next cycles will probably start at the same time but you will probably ovulate before me, so we'll be the opposite way round 😂.

It's funny how this cycle you've had your earliest ovulation and I've had my latest! Glad you've enjoyed this cycle more without having all the monitoring and tracking. You have your fertility appointment tomorrow! Are you looking forward to it? I hope it goes well and you can get a plan of action in place 😊.

Yeh I understand you not wanting to do pregnancy tests anymore but you'll have to do one to get your BFP!

Yay that's great news on the house 🎉🎉 not long now! You're about to start a new chapter in your life, moving into your own home and starting a family 😊. That's good you've booked the week off, that should make the whole process less stressful. I also have w/c 8th March booked off, I had leave to use before my annual leave resets and I need a break 😂.

That's interesting you sensed something wasn't right about that guy. I haven't knowingly met a psychopath but they're often very clever and good liars so I probably wouldn't know if I did meet one! However I have come across sociopaths and narcissists.

Managed to do some more interview prep this afternoon, I was really worried I wouldn't be able to when I felt ill this morning. Still a bit nervous they'll ask me something I can't answer but I've practiced my examples lots now, so hopefully I've covered all bases!

Haha yep can't wait for freedom! I just hope enough people are vaccinated and we don't get another rebound and end up in lockdown again.

Sorry you're not feeling too great! At least you have some confirmation that you're ovulating. Is the pain usually this bad? Sounds like this one is especially terrible with the headache and nausea. I hope you'll be fine tomorrow for your interview.

I think for some people, it takes a good number of months to adjust from the pill. Do you remember what your cycles were like before you went on the pill. Obviously you wouldn't know ovulation day and LP but do you remember the general cycle length? The flow? Ovulation pain? Anything different?

I'm quite perplexed about this cycle but I wonder if this is normal for me without vitamins, but my boobs are sore already. I vaguely recall getting sore boobs straight after ovulation in the past but because I wasn't paying attention to my cycles back then, I'm not 100% sure. I also wonder what it means for my progesterone levels. I'll probably test again at 7DPO to check. I wouldn't think that the vitamins would have been suppressing my hormones...?

I was reading a post on facebook today (in the Ava bracelet group) that asked women who were diagnosed with unexplained infertility whether they ever got an explanation and one that really surprised me was a lady who was allergic to something that kept causing inflammations inside of her and once she cut out the food, she got pregnant. What if we're secretly allergic to something 😱 I've started looking at nuts sideways, although I've just eaten a Snickers bar 😁

That reminds me that I need to write down questions I want to ask the consultant. I think when AF shows up, I spiral and look for every way possible to fix whatever's broken. So, I suppose speaking to the consultant was something that I needed to do at CD1, but now that I have zero F's to give I feel pretty chill about it all. Maybe it'll help me have a factual conversation instead of an emotional one. Your appointment isn't too far away either. Will AF have started for you by the time your appointment comes around? You're pretty level-headed and knowledgeable anyway so you'll probably carry the whole conversation with expert calm 😁

A break is always great. The new year has barely started but it seems like work has been crazy for you. Do you have periods where it's really hectic and periods where it's calm? My Alexa app has been getting a lot of hype at work and I've had to do loads of demos and I was given recognition and awarded a day off. I'm not sure I like all the attention. I prefer being invisible at work and just getting on with things 😪

I'll be able to give you updates on the move at least. I'll let you know how everything goes. Hopefully nothing else delays things!

Do you think evil people know they're evil? Or are they just deluded? I can't imagine ever hurting a living thing on purpose (except bugs and especially mosquitos.) But some people are born evil. I still remember reading this.

Good luck tomorrow! Let me know how it goes although I know you'll be fine. Do you know when you'll hear back about whether you got the job our not?

How was your interview?? Really excited to hear how it went. Are you feeling better today?

We've been given a completion date for the house for 5th March, which is DHs bday! Such a great present for him and I've also decided to buy a chair body massager for him.

Spoke to my consultant and was able to ask him all the questions I wanted.

1. Having more eggs means they have a better chance of maturing. During my scan, my dominant follicle was 21mm which is really good apparently

1. Me having low progesterone with DHs low sperm count could impact me getting pregnant but he's more concerned about DH than he is about me and my low progesterone

1. Earlier PMS symptoms (as they started 2dpo) could mean stronger hormones this cycle

1. Spotting during ovulation doesn't mean anything

1. IUI is a possibility but he doesn't want me to work myself up into doing unnecessary treatment.

So to conclude, I still have nothing to worry about but if I want, they can prescribe progesterone pessaries as it wouldn't hurt. I said yes! 😂😂 So I'm getting a prescription sent to me. Yay!