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 😆

Haha! It's so funny how we share such weird and gruesome things about ourselves!!

Just finished giving some technical training for work. I had to cough so badly during the presentation, so annoying! How are you feeling about your interview at work. Is it next week?

Yeah exactly 😂 I don't mind so much seeing my FP temps as they don't mean anything, but LP is a lot more nerve racking. So now that I've ovulated, I think it's best I stay away from looking at my chart. I did ask DH to let me know when FF confirms it. But I should know when I'm about 6DPO anyway as that's when my boobs start hurting. I just assume that's when progesterone peaks for me. The instructions say take the test 7 days before AF is due, but I don't know when that is as it keeps changing (it could be now with a 9 day LP 😱 which I think is ridiculous) so I think 6DPO is a good bet.

Oh, I didn't know the pill stops ovulation! Then how do you get AF?? Was it regular?

Ah you're so lucky! Last time I checked, my student loan was at £25,000 😅 And now a big chunk (~£200) comes out of my pay every month. Horrible.

Definitely fiction. I love fantasy. All I read is fantasy! How about you??

Thank you!! It was a nightmare of a day but at least the video showed the best parts. So definitely go for a video! It captures a lot of the emotion and vibe of the day. We have photos too, which are somewhere 🤷‍♀️ But right now, the wedding industry is in tatters so not sure when you can properly start planning again.

Had another rise this morning 😀 and I have more creamy CM this time, so things are looking good so far!

Oh no, do you have a cough at the moment or was it just during the meeting? Did the presentation go well other than the coughing?

The job advert hasn't gone live yet but expecting it any day. So assuming I pass the application stage, interview will probably be towards end of January. It's an uncomfortable situation as there's 3 of us in the team currently doing the role but only 2 permanent jobs are available, so we're competing against each other 😕. At the same time anyone in the organisation can apply so none of us might get picked!

Hopefully FF will confirm ovulation tomorrow as you should have 3 higher temps then. The test instructions are probably based on a standard 14 day luteal phase, so I agree I think 6DPO is probably a good time .

When you're on the pill you only get af when you stop taking it, this is called a withdrawal bleed. It was quite handy because I could choose when to have my periods and I often went a couple of months without one. I think the pill works by making your body think it's pregnant, so that you don't ovulate. Then when you stop taking the pill the hormones suddenly reduce and it causes your af to come.

Ah balls that's rubbish, I think university courses should be free and made part of the main education system. It would cost the government initially but it would make it's money back through an improved economy with a more skilled workforce.

I tend to mainly read the news, I have a short attention span so I get bored if I try and read a book 😂. I like being able to quickly switch to reading something different. I also like reading about history and murder mysteries!

Aww you couldn't tell that from the video, it looked lovely! Yeh we've not really discussed wedding plans since last March, as we have no idea when weddings can start again and some businesses may not survive ☹️.

Did you see the news last night? Unbelievable what happened in America, I hope they impeach Trump!

I was naughty and reset my FF password! DH is not pleased 😁 quite surprised it's already at 36.6 at only 2dpo! Did you create a new FF account? I can see you have all the extra info on your chart. You're also almost at 36.7 at only 4dpo so that's amazing news! Maybe this'll be our lucky month! I only DTD twice but I hope it was enough 😔

Just during the presentation mostly. I was just really phlegmy and had to constantly clear my throat to get a word out. But this is the nature of my job so I should have known better and had water with me! But yes, apart from that, it went really well!

Oh gosh! I thought the role was guaranteed for you. I really hope you get it. Are you doing any particular preparation for it? If you need any CV help or anything, I'll be happy to give suggestions, look over yours or send mine over. I was job hunting for a lot of 2019 so somewhat familiar with the whole thing. Do HR know you already? Or at least the hiring manager?

Whaaaaaaat you can schedule your periods??? Is it the pill where you have 3 weeks on and 1 week off? I wish we had a button we could press to turn AF on and off.

Yup, it definitely should be free but now it's a business and they're making so much money from it that I don't think it would ever be free. Companies like Google have created courses that essentially certify you in the industry and I think that will be the future. A lot of virtual learning, gaining degrees in things like IT and being able to get jobs with them. Then university will become redundant.

I'd say I have a short attention span too but books are the only thing that really keeps me grounded. I love it! DH loves history. I just don't get it. What's so fascinating about the past? But then again you could probably ask me what's so fascinating about imaginary worlds 😁😂

It's ok anyway, at least you're keeping your life moving and not waiting for lockdown to be over before taking new steps. Making a baby is a good plan as you're not holding your life up. Getting married - this you can do at any time.

Trump is a terrible person but I was not surprised. He has his fascists eating out of his hands and I don't think much will be done about it 🤷‍♀️ so I pretty much just mind my business where Trump is concerned.

Ooooh naughty! 😂😂 Your temps are looking great for 2DPO! Are the two times you're referring to when you DTD on CD12 and CD15 or CD15 and CD16?

That's annoying about the cough, I don't have to do presentations very often but when I do I can guarantee I'll end up with a tickly cough or hiccups 😂. Does your role involve a lot of training?

I work in the public sector so the recruitment process is a bit different, we have to meet certain capabilities, we can't submit a CV we have to demonstrate how we meet each capability. So the capabilities this role will probably have are 'Data & Information Management', 'Communicates Effectively', 'Makes Decisions & Solves Problems' and 'Achieves Results'. I have to think of good examples in the work I've done, where I can demonstrate I meet each one. Thank you for your offer of help that's very sweet! Unfortunately they like to make it difficult! The only prep I can really do is to go over my examples and practice explaining them in the best way. HR is outsourced to another company so they don't know me, the hiring Manager does as he's my current Manager but there will be two other people interviewing to keep it open and fair. Do you work in the private sector?

If you were job searching for most of 2019, you must have got your role not long before the pandemic? If so, that was good timing!

Yes you can actually schedule your periods, it was great!! I used to have them start on a Friday so the worst part was always at the weekend, not when I'm at work. Yes so 3 weeks on, 1 week off but you can do 6 weeks on, 1 week off. You can take packs back to back, you don't have to have the break after 3 weeks. That's one downside of TTC, lots more periods!

Yes and I also think with the current situation, students studying and adults working from home, that people will look more towards online learning.

Haha I find Henry the 8th quite interesting, especially the antics with his 6 wives! Do you find reading fantasy helps with your imagination?

Hopefully once Trump is out and doesn't have that platform and the protection, he'll become irrelevant!

I forgot to add, I decided to upgrade my FF account and paid for a yearly subscription. I quite like the extra features and it only cost £25 for the year, which isn't too bad for something I use daily. Unless I get pregnant this cycle..

Yeah, CD12 and CD15. I just hope we got to the egg in time. My scan was at 9am and I hadn't ovulated then. Ovulation must have started maybe around 3pm. So I hope we got it before it started dying. I don't want a dead egg 😭😭😭

Haha life definitely knows the right times to start messing up! Yeah, I'm a consulting engineer, so I teach people about our technology and also create technical solutions. If you search me on LinkedIn you can see the company I work at.

Ah, understood. Sounds like a convoluted job application. But practising definitely helps. Your DP can mock interview you to give you a chance to practice out loud. Do you have lots of examples of those capabilities? I guess not having to send in a CV takes away some of the stress but I've seen loads of job applications ask for similar things, like "give an example of a time when you..." I never bother with applications like that 😂

Yeah, I started job hunting around Jan 2019 and started at my current company Aug 2019. Then 6 months later, COVID happened. But I was mostly working from home before then anyway. So not much changed for me. I just wasn't able to meet customers anymore.

Wooooow 6 weeks with no AF? To be honest, I shouldn't complain because mine really aren't terrible 😂 but I still wouldn't choose to bleed monthly!

Haha do you read books about Henry VIII? I haven't done anything history related since school. Hmmm, good question because it's either fantasy helps my imagination or my imagination helps with fantasy. I've heard some people can't visualise what they read but I see everything in my mind. I even find myself remembering different visuals and thinking about the characters and seeing it all in my mind. Like it was real life and I saw it with my actual eyes. Sometimes I think about the characters and feel sad about what they went through 😂😂

I hope Trump gets permanently banned from twitter and no longer has access to people who can easily be manipulated.

£25 isn't too bad and FF has proved very useful. If I didn't have hopes of getting pregnant every cycle I'd buy it too! 😭

Temp went down a bit this morning but I've had quite a lot of creamy CM which I don't normally get, normally after ovulation it dries up and goes sticky. Also got cramps in the middle which I don't think are related to anything else! Although I don't think an fertilised egg would reach the womb by 5DPO, I think the earliest is 6DPO, so trying not to get my hopes up too much! I think I'll do a test at 10DPO which will be on Wednesday, when do you think you will test?

The sperm should have still been alive from CD12, so when the egg was released they should have been there waiting. If not, you've at least put some fresh ones up there on CD15. The egg survives for a maximum of 24 hours, you know you hadn't ovulated at 9am, so it's likely that you did DTD within time. You may not have ovulated until the evening of CD15.

You have an impressive LinkedIn profile! Did you find it helped you get work? Probably good you're not working for that previous company anymore as the UK is starting to distance themselves from them. I need to update my LinkedIn in but I don't think there's much more I can add to it.

Haha I have a few examples but some fit multiple capabilities, so it will just depend on the day what questions they ask and I'll have to quickly choose which example best fits each one.

Yes it was very nice going many weeks without af!

I haven't read books about Henry VIII but I've watched lots of documentaries and read articles online, glad I wasn't alive in those days! I think you having quite a visual mind probably helps with thinking of new clothing designs, it's much better if you can imagine it in your head beforehand, rather than having to start making something and hope it works out!

I've started sketching some designs, what do you think about this fabric for the black dress attached:

www.fabricsgalore.co.uk/collections/dressmaking-fabric/products/swiss-knot-black

I like cotton and viscose, I would prefer to avoid plastic fabrics but I'm struggling to visualise what fabric would look good with this dress. The other dress I couldn't decide what colour to do, so I might just see what fabrics are available.

Implantation can happen as early as 5DPO (although rare)! And maybe that's an implantation dip??! And that's why you're cramping!! Oooo exciting! Wednesday isn't too far away either. I'm looking forward to your results. I haven't thought about when to test yet. I'm not really holding out much hope, if I'm honest. I'm scared we'll receive bad news from the consultant on Monday and then all my hopes will be dashed. Either way, I really hope this is it for you!! Maybe all that extra DTD helped??

I blackmailed DH into telling me if my temps went up or down today and he conceded and told me they went up. So I must still be hovering around the 36.6 area or maybe higher!! I'm just wondering why my boobs aren't hurting when my usual peak temps are around 36.6. Maybe when progesterone hits its peak, other hormones get involved??

I'm just thinking worst case scenario - early death of egg. Very few sperm that die early too 😔 I can just imagine DH and I being very unlucky. Are you ever scared to think or say bad things out loud in case they come true? Like if I'm searching symptoms online and a cancer website comes up in the search results, I always immediately scroll past in case I cement it into my future by accident. I don't want to say or think negative things but it's how I feel sometimes 😔 Sometimes I ask DH if we're bad people and the universe is punishing us somehow. I feel silly.

Thank you! LinkedIn definitely helps with job hunting. I absolutely recommend you keep it up to date. I do get a lot of recruiters approaching me on there but this particular role I'm doing didn't come from LinkedIn, I just applied directly. And yes, I'm so glad I left my last company. A lot of previous colleagues there were made redundant. It really sucks.

To pad out your LinkedIn profile you can think about adding some projects you've been involved in. Maybe detail some of your day-to-day activities with keywords that recruiters search for. Treat it like a CV basically. Now is a terrible time to job hunt but would you start looking for jobs in the West Midlands?

Yeah, definitely being able to see things in your mind's eye helps with the creative process. I've been looking at your design and depending on the sort of vibe you want the dress to have then different fabrics can work. What I can see for a sophisticated look is a thick sateen (satin too, if you'd like) but also a nice luxurious velvet will work. For a more casual day dress/less formal feel, then the fabric you linked works nicely for that. Also, if you want to play with stretch and are brave enough, a scuba fabric will give it a sexy look/feel.

The strapless dress, if you want poofiness at the skirt, You don't need a heavy fabric but you will need one that's more stiff than flowy. Cotton is good for that but you'd need lots of fabrics to either pleat or gather or cut into a circle to create the shape. Poofy skirts are my thing 😉 other alternative is to go for a flowy fabric and buy a petticoat for underneath that'll help it flare out.

Try not to think negative thoughts, it's very likely your DHs sperm test will come back fine but if it doesn't, there are things they can do to help. So whatever happens you will end up with a baby!

I'm hoping DTD lots has given us a good chance but I'm a little worried we might have used up his sperm to far ahead of ovulation. If his sperm count and motility is normal then it should be fine but we don't know yet, we'll have to wait and see!

😂😂 Haha how did you blackmail him? Oooh I wonder how high your temp is! I'm not sure around the lack of boob pain as I don't get this but maybe it will come in the next few days, as you don't normally get it on 3DPO? I don't think there's an exact science that links progesterone level to certain symptoms because symptoms can change every cycle.

Oh no that's a shame you're feeling so down about it all, you're still very early in your TTC journey, you really don't need to worry. Hopefully you'll get good news on Monday and that will help ease your concerns. I do sometimes think negatively but I have to remind myself, I know I'm ovulating and getting EWCM, so the sperm will be able to get through the cervix, it's just a matter of time!

I see on LinkedIn your DH is Head of Data Science & Products, my DP is a Senior Data Analyst and has just applied for a role as a Data Scientist, he's just waiting to find out if he's got an interview. Unfortunately his team are going through a restructure and lowering pay of roles, so he's looking for something else.

Thanks for the LinkedIn tips! My current role is National so I can live anywhere, so if I can secure the permanent position that will be great, as it will be much easier to move.

With the black dress I'm going for a more sophisticated, evening look, so I'll have a look into the fabrics you suggested 😊. With the strapless dress skirt part, can I cut out the fabric by drawing a small circle (waist area) and then a larger circle (end of skirt) around it? So the skirt would be one whole piece. Thanks for the other tips, I'm not starting on this one yet so I might come back to you for more advice!

Have you started on your new design yet? The one where you were going to do a black and white version.

My sewing order arrived today, I don't know if you can tell in the pic but there's shimmery/sparkly gold and silver bias binding 😍. To finish off the attached dress I want to add a zip in the back because the neck and shoulders area is a bit baggy, so I'm hoping I can tighten it slightly with a zip, do you think that would work?

Well if you were in pain from ovulation then you wouldn't have been able to DTD anyway so it's good you were able to get as much sperm in as possible beforehand. And you only stopped with DTD the day before you ovulated so that's more than enough to get you pregnant.

When he asked me for a favour, I blackmailed him by telling him to give me the info I wanted or else I wouldn't do it 😁 I win! I was also able to get more info from him; FF has confirmed ovulation at CD15 and I have my cover line at 36.4.
I just assumed PMS was progesterone-level dependant and since they are higher, I thought I'd feel the symptoms earlier. You don't get any PMS symptoms do you?

Yeah, I guess you are right. I should be thankful that I'm ovulating too and that I'm producing lots of EWCM. It could definitely be worse. I just want to know where things are going wrong. Are the sperm swimming? If they are, are they swimming far and surviving long enough. Is my egg receptacle to them? Is it healthy enough to be fertilised? Is the fertilised egg finding it difficult to implant? Does my period start too soon for it to implant? Do I have enough hormone to even sustain it? I wish I knew.

Yeah he is 😊 He's always working until late and he's forever stressed. That's why I'll never take up a managerial position. I think one of us needs to not be stressed and I'm lucky that my job is pretty chill. Your DP is making a smart decision going into data science. It's such a relevant field and there's lots of opportunity there. I could get my DH to talk him through steps to get into the role but I hope he gets the interview too! What languages does he code in?

Ah that's perfect then! I'm also not constrained to a certain location for my job so that gives DH and I flexibility if he wants to change his job. Is your DP searching in the West Midlands then? Or still in Devon?

Yes, for a circle skirt you can fold the fabric into a quarter and draw quarter circles. Easier than drawing full circles. That's how I made the green dungaree dress. I have a tutorial on it on YouTube actually. You'll need A LOT of fabric. At least 2 or 3 metres for the skirt alone.

No, I haven't started. I've been so consumed in my book!

Yaaay! You even bought a bias binding tape creator thing! Yes, if you create a back seam and add a zip at the back, that should tighten things up. Good luck!

Hahaha good thinking 😂 I find asking for something I want right before we DTD often works too 😉.

It's odd because I think PMS symptoms are related to progesterone but you can have no PMS symptoms and still have good levels of progesterone. I've never had PMS symptoms and I don't think my Mum did either. So I wouldn't worry that your lack of boob pain means low progesterone, your temp is clearly rising nicely 🙂.

You'll have the answers to your first two questions about sperm on Monday. With regards to the luteal phase, you could ask the consultant about it? Might as well get your money's worth and ask lots of questions! There's no logical reason why your eggs wouldn't be healthy and there's plenty of unhealthy people that have lots of kids!

Ah I got the job description wrong, it's Data Architect not Scientist, I think Data Architect is less coding and more designing and modelling for data analysis, I found this description:

Data architects have the capability to “put order in data chaos.” Without this, enormous piles of business data are useless. Data architects design the “blueprint” for organizational Data Management. Each Data Science team requires a data architect to visualize, design, and prepare data in a framework that can be utilized by data scientists, engineers, or data analysts.

I don't know if you understand that but it blows over my head 😂. Thank you for the offer of your DHs help, does he know about the Data Architect role or does he mainly manage coders? DP can do some coding but it's not his strong point, he's better at the data architecture.

That's really handy you have flexibility with your role too! He's not looking in the West Midlands yet as we need more time to save a house deposit. Ideally he'd get a National role but the jobs market isn't exactly flourishing at the moment!

Do you have a move in date yet for your new place? Have you decided what's gonna happen with the rabbits?

I'm sure I've just had 11 hours sleep! Woke up at 1pm! I've been so exhausted recently. I've had very good sleep but I never feel well rested. Annoying! Did you easily adjust back to normal sleeping times this week?

Hmm you're right actually about not everyone gets PMS. I'm going to do a search on that.

"The severity of PMS and PMDD is linked with a sensitivity to cycling concentrations of oestrogen and progesterone" - So I guess it depends on how susceptible you are to hormone changes. And for you, you're probably not susceptible at all! Lucky lady!

I'm going to put together a list of questions I want to ask the consultant so I don't forget any. Do you have anything you want answered?

How are you feeling at 6DPO? Are you still cramping? I've attached yesterdays chart. I hacked into my FF and now DH has completely locked me out of his phone 😂 But I shall get my fingerprint reestablished! 😂

Ah, I see, so he works alongside data scientists, preparing the data in a way that can be used. He must have to work with loads of spreadsheets - smarty pants. I like coding but I'd hate to work with spreadsheets too so I wouldn't do either role!

I'll ask DH about data architects and see what he says. He probably has people like that on his team so might be familiar with the role.

Actually, with how things are changing and the nature of his role, he'd probably be able to find something that's purely WFH and then you guys can pretty much live anywhere! But a lot of people have been made redundant so he'll be competing with those guys too. It's so annoying what COVID has done.

Nope, no move in date yet. We're still chasing the solicitors to get stuff done on their end. We're paying so much money to them, I thought they'd be more competent.
🐇🐇 We'll keep the rabbits and see how they adjust to living indoors. They're not terribly destructive but they are hard to catch and I don't know if I can train them to come to me. Might have to take them to rabbit school and train them in obedience.

Does your DP like animals? And would you get a rat when you buy a house?

Also, I think one of my rabbits has pigeon poop on his face so now I'll have to catch him to clean it off 😪😪

Temp has gone back up 😊 but based on my history I've only got a couple of days left till af arrives 😬.

Whoa 11 hrs! Maybe you'll find you're not as tired this evening. Yes most of the week I woke up around 7 but annoyingly woke up at 5.30 today, typical at the weekend!

I'm either lucky or my progesterone levels are not getting high enough 😕. Are you feeling any different today?

Good idea to write a list! I guess the main concern for me is around short luteal phases and what can be done to lengthen them, thanks!

😂😂😂 maybe you can go back to having control from next cycle? Do you know what your temp did this morning? No more cramping for me, only had a bit yesterday morning then it stopped and no other symptoms so far. I saw recently on here some ladies saying they got a BFP at 8DPO, it's tempting but must hold out till Wednesday!

Yeh DP's current role involves lots of large data spreadsheets, data analysis and report writing. How did you learn coding? Was it part of your engineering degree? My brother is a software engineer so he does loads of coding.

How is your sister doing, the one who is a junior doctor? Is she involved with Covid patients?

My brother has tested positive for covid, he's 24 and only has mild symptoms at the moment, so hopefully it will stay that way.

That's frustrating the solicitors aren't processing the move quicker, do you think you'll still be able to move in March?

Rabbit school 😂😂 I think you might be outta luck there 😂. Yes we'll probably get a pet when we buy our own place, to have a rat it would have to be somewhere without little nooks and crannies where they could hide, so it will depend on the building.

Aww did you manage to catch him and get the poop off? Catching rabbits is always difficult and scary when they start kicking!

I managed to create a FF homepage for myself so I don't need his phone anymore 😈 fertilityfriend.com/home/uncliche
So much for giving away control. I'm terrible 😂😂😂

I think your temps already look better than last cycle's. There's a clearer difference in temps in your FP and LP. Hopefully it leads to an 11+ day LP. I don't think you should expect AF for at least 5 days. Do you find you're reluctant to buy period pads/tampons just in case you end up pregnant? I was so sad when I had to stock up on menstrual products a few cycles ago. So I bought a HUGE pack of pads so I wouldn't have to do so for a long while.

I'm still so tired. My head feels so muffled and I don't have energy to do anything. Ouch, 5:30am 😱 did you get out of bed then too?

Nope don't have any progesterone symptoms today, unless the exhaustion counts. Boobs and nipples feel fine so far. 4dpo is usually uneventful anyway. But you're in the crucial phase so I'm excited to hear about all your symptoms (or lack of).

Yeah seems like on FF many people get their BFP early. Like 8 - 10 dpo. But I think 10dpo would be a safer bet than 8dpo, even if you implanted at 5/6dpo. Only 4 days to go for you! How many FRERs do you have? I think I have 5 🤭

Yeah, I learnt a lot of my coding during uni. Did a bit before uni too. I actually did apply for software engineering roles, but I was competing again people who actually studied software engineering so obviously they were more knowledgeable than me. But I love my current job, so it's fine. How is your brother finding the job? It can be quite isolating sitting at a computer all day.

At the moment my sister is still studying so not qualified yet. She returned to the Czech Republic today. Luckily they're still allowing people into the country.

Oh no! Has he been in contact with you recently? Sorry to hear that but glad he isn't experiencing any adverse symptoms! Does he know how he caught it?

Yeah, I think March is still feasible. If not the beginning, then at least the end but I think we'll really push for late Feb/early March. It'd be so exciting to finally start moulding my home into what I want.

Maybe I'll take a course in rabbit behavioral training so I can train them myself. They're intelligent animals so I hope it won't be too difficult 😅 did you ever teach your rat any tricks? Rabbits are good at hiding too!

Yeah, DH went in and managed to get most of it off. But I had to pick him up to get the rest off. I think maybe it was just mud but he has been pooped on before and I had to cut off a peice of fur with scissors because it was stuck on. And it's always the same rabbit! He's always a hot mess! His brother never manages anything like this!

Hahaha you're like me, you need to be in control and know what's going on! I think it's a trait of first borns, is your DH a first born? My DP is and quite often we come to heads over making decisions because we both want our own way 😂.

5 more days would be good! I've got a stack of tampons and pads, I like to keep stocked up so I'm not running to the shop in an emergency!

Have you gone out today and got your once daily allowance of exercise? I find if I don't leave home for days I get quite lethargic and struggle to concentrate, it does make a difference just going for a 30 minute walk.

Didn't get out of bed at 5.30, I tried to go back to sleep but couldn't and ended up needing a wee and a drink of water. So I took my temp at 6am which is an hour earlier than I've been taking it this cycle, so if I'd taken it at 7am it would probably be higher, as the earlier you take your temp the lower it will be.

I think I have 4 FRERs, sometimes I use an IC at 9DPO just to satisfy curiosity, then I'll use the FRER at 10DPO. 5 is a good amount to have, if you get a BFP you can use them to watch the line get darker 😊.

What kind of things did you learn in your engineering degree? When I think of engineering, I just think of car engines 😂. My brother is enjoying the role, before covid he worked in an office but he's part of a team so I don't think he finds it too isolating.

Probably good your sister isn't working in the NHS at the moment, it might put her off! Yeh I spoke to him yesterday, he said he had a fever and cold like symptoms, he lives by the beach and lots of people come out to walk so he thinks he may have picked it up that way.

Countdown to move-in day! Hopefully the next month will fly by!

No I didn't teach my rats any tricks, didn't really think of it but if I get one again, I might do!

Is there some sort of cover you can put on top of the enclosure so that bird poo can't fall in?

So I've done my first zip! Only took 3 and half hours... Although I had to take off the neck bias and reapply it which took time. It's a bit dodgy and doesn't look perfect, DP says I need to redo it but I really can't be arsed 😂. Any ideas on how I can make it better? I think having different colour bias tape makes it look worse, I could probably have hid the mistakes better if it was the same material.

I forgot to say your bunny is adorable! Doesn't look like he was just covered in poo 😂😂. Does his brother look the same?

Yup DH is first born, which is perfect because I couldn't be with a last born/only child again. Having to baby a grown man 🤮 no thanks. I think being first born and having younger siblings to look after and set an example for definitely adds to the independence and self-sufficiency we all probably have 😁

Any sign of AF? Spotting or anything? I think this cycle you won't have to worry about her showing up early. How's the cramping?

Yeah, DH forced me to go for a walk with him yesterday. It was freezing cold though! Took me ages to warm up after we'd got back in. In summer, getting exercise was easy but now, I just want to stay in and do nothing! Are you taking daily walks?

I'm always worried that ICs are too weak to show a positive at 10DPO but lots of people get hints of a line on them so I always know to expect a BFN on an FRER. But having them helps to stop me from going crazy!

I did a lot on power, circuitry, coding, cellular networks, maths. Not really a lot of what I learnt that I use now. But it helped me get me my first job so I can't complain 😁 is your brother working on anything interesting? I once interviewed for a job at a company creating augmented reality apps. So cool.

I hope his fever doesn't get worse. Is he just resting now? I hope his workplace doesn't expect him to actually work too, even if from home.

The rabbits enclosure is partially covered at the moment although the tarpaulin has been ripped by the wind. It was fully covered but the storms we had pretty much destroyed the other tarp. I haven't replaced it because summer came and it was really hot and didn't want to create a greenhouse effect. And now we're moving in a few months, so they'll have to make do for now.

From what I can see of your photos, it doesn't like terrible. It looks fine! Not sure which bit you think looks dodgy?? The dress looks lovely and it looks to fit well too! Do you have anywhere to wear it to? Not that there's any where to go...

Has your job advert gone live now?

His brother is a little scaredy cat 😂😂

And I've been reading loooooads! So have barely been on my phone. Just finished a 650 page book in less than 3 days 📖 onto the next one!

Hahaha I've never been with a last born or only child, yeh you want a man not a boy 😂.

Temp went down again today, really hoping for a big rise tomorrow! No sign of af yet, normally I get spotting on 8DPO then af starts on 9DPO, so we'll see what happens tomorrow. No more cramping, had a good amount of creamy CM this morning which was exciting but trying to not get my hopes up! How was your temp?

We went on a walk yesterday as well and yes it was very cold! I ran a hot bath as soon as we got home 😊. Not doing daily walks but I try and do 2 or 3 times a week, should probably do daily but it's difficult when it's so cold!

Yeh I've seen some on here have very faint positives at 9/10 DPO, they're nice to use just to satisfy the urge to POAS!

Oooh that sounds complicated! Would you want a role using the skills you learnt at uni or are you quite happy with what you're doing?

I'm not really sure what my brother is working on, he works for a credit card company so I think he codes the background stuff for their apps and products. He says he's just got cold symptoms now so hopefully he's on the mend! He was given Friday off, even though he was happy to work his Manager told him to take the day off, so hopefully he'll get some time off next week as well.

Aww how cute! Did he not mind the lettuce on his head? 😂

The dodgy bit is the top of the zip, the bias binding isn't the same length on both sides. It's a summer dress really so I can't wear it at the moment, when the weather warms up I'll get some nice pics in it 😊☀️📸.

I haven't looked over the weekend as I need to log in to my work laptop to see internal jobs, hopefully the job will be posted early next week if it's not already!

650 pages in 3 days 😲😲😲 you'll need a library soon!

Good luck for your appointment tomorrow, fingers crossed your DH's sperm analysis comes back all okay 🤞.

My temps stayed the same as yesterday - 36.66. Which is higher than previous months but I still hoped it would be higher by now. Your temps don't look like AF is is due. Just looks like the general up and down of the LP. Fingers crossed you get no spotting tomorrow unless it's IB! Some people get BFPs then too so who knows, you may already have a little bean in there!

Tomorrow I'm also expecting sore boobs to show up. If they don't it might be a sign 🤪 I'll be drawing blood for my progesterone test too! Need to prick my finger. Fun!

The only way I'd do a daily walk in this weather is if I'm walking to the gym! I think I need something new to focus on. I'm so bored with my life!! And being stuck at home just reminds me of how not pregnant I am! Do you find sewing enough to keep you busy?

There's another thread I'm on on mumsnet and there are two pregnant ladies who keep going on about their symptoms. I wish they'd just leave now. I just feel sad that they can chat about how sick they feel whilst the rest of us are still trying to get pregnant. I feel like telling them to go away. Should I? 🙈

Well, I was able to get my first job in something related to my degree and my second job isn't so different. It's still engineering but with computer networks instead, which is a bit different. Do you think you'll stay in the environment sector going forward? 🌱

I hope your brother gets well soon! Sounds like he's going to be alright. I'm sure I've already gotten COVID but have been asymptomatic. Have you ever suspected you've had COVID?

Haha he was probably terrified with the leaf on his head. My little miserable escape artist 🖤

That's the dream! A library in my home with floor to ceiling bookshelves! What luxury would you wish for in your home? I wouldn't mind a home gym!

I'm so nervous about tomorrow! Seeing the ladies in the other thread going on about their symptoms just made me feel worse. I'm really just expecting bad news!

I honestly think the doctor thought I was crazy. I could read it in his face. Especially when I was going on about my short luteal phase. I think he's probably so used to delivering bad news that he was probably just incredulous that we'd go to a fertility clinic when nothing is wrong.

Anyway, here's the summary:

• Ultrasound is normal but I have a very small fibroid (which I knew about anyway)
• My AMH is very good - 40.5
• My ovary was polycystic because I have loads of eggs and that's apparently what they look like when you have loads of eggs
• DH's sperm count was 10.5 million and a normal range would be 15 million+ but the doctor said that this can change from month to month (next month his count could be 20 million for example) so there's nothing to worry about as it's not too low.
• DH's sperm are also normal looking/having good morphology and are good swimmers

I asked about the LP and he said that low progesterone is a symptom of not ovulating properly but it's something that's easy to measure. He just said keep healthy and take vitamins.

He also said, with our results we should be pregnant before easter. If not, we can come for further tests, like another semen analysis.

My temp hasn't gone up which is disappointing, not feeling too positive about this cycle anymore, no sign of af yet.

How are you today? Sore boobs yet? Have you done your progesterone test?

Yes this lockdown is getting seriously boring! Sewing does keep me busy at the moment, I think because I'm still learning it's challenging my brain, so it keeps me occupied. I tried sewing short sleeves onto a top last night, omg it was so difficult! I'm guessing making patterns and sewing doesn't keep you busy? Could you find another hobby?

Haha that is quite insensitive of them, you could say something like 'you lucky ladies get to graduate to the pregnancy board now' or if they ask a question you could say 'probably best you discuss this on the pregnancy board' or start a new group without them 😂.

Yes I plan on staying where I am for the moment, my assignment lasts until July, so if I don't secure the role I'm currently doing, I've still got time to find something else.

What makes you think you've already had covid? Yes last year in February I was quite ill with an awful cough that lasted about 2 weeks. I think I had a fever as well on some days but I didn't have a thermometer so I can't say for definite. Someone in my team (not in my direct team but part of a larger team I'm in) died from long covid on Saturday. He had covid in September but has been ill ever since, he was struggling to breathe last week, they gave him oxygen at home but pursuaded him not to go to hospital. They told him "you'll just be left on a trolley in a corridor". He later died at home on his own, he was around 50. If the Tories weren't destroying the NHS I'm sure he would have got treatment ☹️.

Haha I'd probably want a swimming pool and a jacuzzi!

How did your appointment go today??

That's a great result! So your DHs sperm are good and everything's okay with you . Easter isn't too far away! Hmmm that's confusing about the luteal phase because we're both ovulating so I don't know how that would affect the progesterone 😕.

I still reckon your temps look fine. They're sort of hovering and haven't taken a dip past 36.5. Also a temp increase between FP and LP of 0.5 shows sufficient progesterone (or so I've read (even though our LP length says otherwise)) but basically, your temps are still at a pretty good level. Mine went up today, I was expecting it to fall, but it's nice to see it above 36.7. DH said I can now have back control of my accounts since everything is ok with us. Phew! Only condition is I'm not allowed to stress!

Yes, like clockwork, the sore boobs showed up! I was really hoping to do that progesterone test today but the sample label is missing and I can't send off the test without it being labelled. I've called in and now I'm waiting for a response about what to do. If I miss today, I'll have to do it next month instead. Any new symptoms for you?

Will you be peeing on an IC tomorrow? With your cramping, I'd be tempted to test today! 🙈 Good news that AF hasn't shown up though! Let's hope she's still a week away. That'd be the dream!

Hehe! I like sewing sleeves! But the learning part is the best bit and I'm glad you get to discover sewing. It is really fun. I just don't feel the need to sew anything to be honest. I'm not going anywhere and I'm not doing YouTube, so there's nothing really motivating me to create a new outfit. I wouldn't mind a new hobby but I can't be bothered to think of something else to do 😂 I'm so bored and unmotivated! I just need to push myself to sit behind my sewing machine and I'd feel fine! What are you making now? Did you find a pattern that had sleeves?

I just left it. I couldn't be bothered saying anything to them. I just don't respond to what they say because there's literally nothing I can add 😅 I can't wait until we can leave this thread and move onto the pregnancy board though!!

I think I got COVID because after my wedding, quite a few family members had it! DH and I were so exhausted but I just put it down to wedding day stress but maybe it was COVID related! I seriously think so many people have had it. And if we have, at least it didn't escalate to something worse!
That's so sad to hear about your colleague. I'm really sorry. It's bad enough being seriously ill, but going through it alone? It's heartbreaking. I can't believe hospitals are so overrun that it's gotten to that stage. I hope we never have to have a reason for needing to go to the hospital.

I might even purely go private when I'm pregnant just to ensure that I'm given proper care, especially after what happened to my friend. My aunty also used to be a midwife so my mum wants her there when I give birth so that she can check that I'm being looked after properly 😂 I've even had to ask DH to advocate for me during labour because many women just aren't given the relevant attention and sometimes it's the difference between life and death.

I looked into the AMH and 40.5 is crazy high. I'll be fertile until my 90s at this rate! 😂😂😂 But it still tells me nothing about how easy/hard it is to get pregnant. The progesterone thing didn't make sense but I think he thinks my worries were unfounded. Only way to get answers is to do a progesterone test 😕

It's quite impressive we've managed 200+ messages between us!