Newbie TTC 2021 club!

[Wondergirl1111]

Hi girls - looking for a little crew to share the ttc journey with - we are newbies this year - decided on Jan 31st to start trying after 12 years together! but had literally just missed my ovulation day for that cycle, so even though we had some fun over NY we are properly starting next cycle around the end of the month - just have to wait to finish this cycle now, and I've never wanted a period to come so quickly haha!

So - any cycle sisters out there who will be trying with me on or around end of Jan? I'm Cd21 right now.

And feel free to share stories and ages!

I'm 34 and have been off the pill for about 2 years now - we don't really use protection just pull out lol and never had a scare so I'm a little worried we could have a bit of a long journey. Although my mum conceived me first time trying so I'm praying it's in the genetics lol!

Not sure about you but I'm already getting obsessed which seems to be pretty normal lol but it would be good to have some pals to talk to rather than my cat or my husband, who I think I could quite quickly freak out if he knew just how many mum'snet threads I've read!

Also... What are you most looking forward to being pregnant?
Xx

Hi guys! Hope you don't mind me hopping on this kinda late! We had a hols booked to Barbados so we weren't going to start TTC until summer (ugh, Zika virus) but now yet isn't happening we are full steam ahead!!

We made the decision to start try two weeks ago, just after my fertile window, so annoying! Just waiting for AF to finish so I can't start with those OPKs and get to business!

Wishing everyone the best! So nice to read everyone's stories and have some company on this journey! Xx

Hi @HopingForBabyM2021 👋 I was on here but disappeared for a bit. I'm on cycle 2. I had a chemical on cycle 1 last month. I guess that's what you call it? Positive tests....followed by a bleed. It really affected me but I'm feeling better now. On cycle 2. Day 17. Feeling positive! @HaresHoping I think I saw you had a chemical too?! Sorry 🙈 On the same cycle day as me too. Best of luck this month 🤞❤️ I'm doing every other day this month. I got a "dtd schedule" from a fertility doctor on another thread. I'm happy with how it's going. Il share the pic for others it might help. So....the black writing on top is for a "normal" 28 day cycle. The underneath is for the girl who posted the pic as her cycles vary between 25-28 days. Mine is 30 days so I'm dtd day 15,17,19,21,(maybe 23 to be safe). Apparently this doctor swears by this. We shall see. Hope everyone is doing ok 😁

Hi everyone I was posting on this thread when I was TTC last month! Which sadly I think as a chemical. I haven’t caught up fully as I’m on the school run in the car 🤣

But this week we didn’t “try” only DTD a few times scattered and I didn’t check when I was ovulating etc. And now I’m 3 days late!?!

Should I wait a bit long as I have had 32 days cycles in the past. I’ve been to boots for a text but I know early morning is best. Really don’t know what to think. I’ve told myself don’t test If my period isn’t here after dinner tonight I will give myself the go ahead 🤣
Not sure why I’m telling you all - sorry! Just in shock at the mo. Has anybody else has altered cycles after chemical??

So I thought I had PCOS and just had blood tests and a scan. Got told I may have been misdiagnosed as I have normal looking ovaries. But my progesterone (day after smiley face) was 4.4 and should be 15-30. Doc said I’m not ovulating. Testing again this month. Wondering how to boost my progesterone

Hello,
I had my daughter 8 years ago. Came off the depo in November to begin ttc 🙏🏻🙏🏻

Hey ladies, so my issue is actually doing the deed. Husband doesn’t like to feel the pressure and wants it to be FUN. The issue is when I know it’s the day to dtd and he says he isn’t in the mood, I’m saying well sorry but we have to today. Which isn’t sexy or fun. And I’ve tried (physically) but his mind isn’t then in the right place so then I get frustrated. To be really brutally honest and specific... I don’t know how much longer I can suck on a soft 🍆. I tried to explain that for it to not be stressful for me, we have to do it when I say. But I think too many of his friends have warned him to not let it get perfunctory. I dunno guys I’m struggling

@Ninarina7 that's really strange. Maybe you need to just not tell him when you are ovulating. At all. Ever. Keep it a mystery. Don't inform him on tracking stuff etc. Say you aren't in the mood/feel unwell on days you aren't fertile and then he will initiate on the right days because it will have been a while. Failing that I'd have a serious conversation with him about whether he or not he wants a baby because it should be a team effort.

@lottieb92 hope you got your BFP 🙏 I had a chemical last month. This is only my 2nd month TTC so I don't know yet if my cycle will be different! 8DPO now.

Oh @sack83 I'm sorry to see it was a chemical darling. Me too. I'm 5DPO now and on cycle 2 as well... let's hope we both have a good second month! Hope you're okay xxx

@HaresHoping thanks! Fingers crossed for you too 🤞🤞 If it's not this month....next month would be Christmas/New Year's Eve babies 🙈😂 id almost take a month off to avoid it, I don't want my imaginary future child to not have proper birthday parties ☹️😂

@sack83 oh god! My birthday is four days before Christmas as well already. If that happened I think my husband's head would implode 😂

Ps don't worry I am a drama Queen who insists on an entire birth month 😂

@HaresHoping 😂😂 true enough we could just agree the entire month of dec/jan is their birthday so they won't miss out even if the actual date is 25th or 31st etc 😂👌 fingers crossed it's this month and it's not an issue 😛

@sack83 yeah exactly! Hopefully we won't need to make the choice 😂 I like having a christmassy birthday but would prob think differently if my birthday was on actual Christmas Day. Nightmare

Hi,
Jumping on if that's okay.
Cycle 2(ish- didn't really know what we were doing the first month). I think I'm now CD16 and 3DPO (dpk strip test) but I never paid any attention to AF at all before starting this so no idea of cycle lengths or anything. Which makes it difficult as I don't want to test early and risk a chemical- but not sure when early/late even is! Any advice when I should test (if I even get that far without a visit before then!) Xx

@Sparklestars86 hi 👋 I'm just starting my 3rd cycle, chemical on the first. On my 2nd cycle I didn't test at all. Waited 2 weeks and sure enough on the dot AF arrived. No BFNs necessary! From here on out for me anyway I'm going to wait if AF arrives. If I'm late I'm going to test, but only if I'm late! Because like you say...chemicals are no fun ☹️❌

@sack83 Im sorry about your first cycle I'll keep everything crossed it's third time lucky for you!
I want to do the same as you and wait until I'm definitely late- if I only knew when that is for sure. The app I downloaded predicts AF on 7th April so Im going to try (if I can make myself) wait until the weekend after if nothing arrives before then. Xx

@Sparklestars86 yeh typically AF is due 14 days after confirmed ovulation. Everyone is different. I have a 30 day cycle. My AF is always exactly on the 14th day after my confirmed ovulation. So that's a rough guide. You see people getting very faint positives at 9DPO but it's not the norm. You also see a lot getting faint lines that then disappear. I think 12 days after ovulation is a pretty safe and reliable time to test! 👌

Hi everyone ☺
Still ttc baby number 2 , feels like I'm not getting anywhere but we are testing ovulation and I am taking supplements also.
Juat wondering how and when you chart basal body temperature?
I feel like I'm out of my depth and don't really know what I'm doing. Everyone seems to be getting pregnant around me but we are still waiting. Just seems so stressful 😫
Soea anyone have any advice on what I should be doing when trying? How they used the ovulation sticks and when did you have sex before or after? Any help would be great because I have no idea 🤣
Our little boy was concieved without trying and I had a miscarriage last June which was awful and now it feels hopeless x

@SISSON19 I recommend the premom app to help you use OPKs & to track temperature. You can use any ovulation tests with it or buy their easy@home brand ones on amazon. With OPKs you are looking for a surge. When you get a positive (the test line as dark or darker than the control line) that means you are about to ovulate. I highly recommend that app you can scan them in and it helps you know when you've reached peak. Hope that helps xx

Hi guys! Totally new to this first time trying for a baby and I can see how easily you can become obsessed with it all! Hope you don't mind me jumping in on an established thread!

I need to kindly ask for some advice, is there a certain time to carry out an ovulation test? I atarg work at 5am and I ways wake up at 3am and that'll be the time of my first wee of the day. Is that too early to test? I also use the OPKs with the red lines. Would it be easier for someone like me (who's quite obsessed sitting there waiting for a dark line) to maybe get OPKs with the smiley faces instead? I was also contemplating getting the clear blue fertility monitor.

Sorry for going on, seems like a really good place to find out so much information. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my mini essay rollseyes xx

@Nai86 this thread is actually a bit dead I think #RIP 😂 I think a good few (including me! Woohoo) got out bfps 🤰🏻👌 If you search for June TTC 2021 you might find a more active threads.

I'll give you all the advice I did learn in my 4 months TTC! I started off using the clearblue digital OPKs with the smileys. I did that for month 1 & 2. Month 3 I started using BOTH the clear blue digital opk AND the Easy@home opk strips that go with the premom app. The app scans them for you & keeps track I found it excellent. You can use any opk strips with the premom app just make sure when you are scanning tests you do so in the "other" section. It makes a difference. With a 30 day cycle I personally would start testing around day 10. The clear blue digital tests are fine to use with first morning urine. So in your situation I would probably just use one of those after u wake up every day (if you opt to use those). Other OPK strips in general are best used NOT with first morning urine, it says that on the instructions of a lot of strips (inc the premom ones). Apparently LH doesn't synthesize at night or something! No idea! But there's a reason 😂Apparently you tend to get peaks in afternoon. If you are using OPK strips (not clear blue) start testing a good few days before ovulation. Say.....every day in the afternoon after work after holding pee 2-3 hours. Whenever works for you. When it's getting close to being positive u really need to be testing 2-3 times a day. So maybe 2nd morning pee, on lunch hour, and then later in afternoon. I'm not sure of your schedule. This is only when you think you are going to get the peak. When you do get the peak......keep testing for 2-3 days after once a day to make sure it's gone! You are fertile for up to 72 hours after peak. Peak indicates you will ovulate in 12-48 hours. The egg survives another 24 hours once you ovulate. You should be trying before that anyway but focus on those few days 👌 I used CB Digital for 2 months WITH opk strips. This is what I found.... the day I got my static smiley on clearblue..... I peaked on opk the following day. So 2nd day of static smiley I peaked. Both times. So if you have a difficult schedule for testing it's a good option but keep in mind everyone is different. I hope all that helps. I made another thread on here about SMEP (Sperm meets egg plan) if u search it that's also interesting. I got my positive on that. Good luck! Any other questions I will help 🙂 i also highly recommend bbt tracking so look into that!

@spttc I'm so new to this lol! I'll have a search for that thread after this last question (worried I won't find you again lol!) The advice sounds amazing I'll have to keep reading it over to digest it all! Can I just confirm one thing .... with the clear blue digital tests did you do those ones daily aswell? I think I might start testing from day 6... just to make sure I just don't miss my window. Thank you so much for helping me x

@Nai86 no problem.

Yes so you've 2 options basically. (I only used both because I was curious! lol)

OPTION 1 CLEARBLUE DIGITAL - test once daily in the morning only. First morning pee after u wake up. You don't need to test again. If u look on the instructions it tells you what day to start based on your cycle length. Super simple. I think the clear blue digital is a really handy option if you are on the go and can't be peeing in cups all day 😂😂 like I said though the static smiley stays on the screen for 48 hours for a reason. It means you are going to peak in the next 48 hours. Some people think It means you're ovulating currently. It doesn't! Could be anywhere from 1 hour after u get it to the full 48 hours. In my case like I said I seemed to peak about 36 hours after I saw the static smiley. So in my experience. Dtd once you start getting flashing smileys, every 2nd day, whenever u can. Then when you see the static smiley you know in the next 48 hours you'll ovulate. So you have those 48hours + 24 hours that the egg survives so 48 + 24 = 72 hours. So you have those 72 hours so give it all you've got 😂 a lot of people see the static smiley and think they've ovulated and stop! Not the case. It's so important to keep trying for the next 72 hours.

OPTION 2 OPK STRIPS - if you use these they're best used afternoon, a few times a day 👌 say 2nd morning pee or lunchtime or whenever suits and then one a few hours later. Like I said I found these great to combine with the clearblue as I learned a lot. I'll link the SMEP here and then you can see me talking about using the 2 side by side and what I found etc! You don't have to use these. Clearbue is so handy really to just do once in morning. But I had the time for these so I did them!

Then seperately...... The SMEP is basically a plan to encourage you to start trying earlier in the month and finish later. So widen your fertile window because for all kinds of reasons ovulation can be early or late. There's a free amazon ebook on it you can download I learned loads from that. It's only a short booklet. Maybe 20 pages!

I also used a great supplement called proceive max. I swear it's what got me pregnant 😂 I started that just after my fertile window on cycle 3. So I was just finishing my first box when I got pregnant on cycle 4. If you read the reviews so many people say that in their review! It's given me great energy aswell & my husband was on the men's one and said the same. He was asking me should he just keep taking it even though we aren't ttc anymore 😂 and it's a bit gross but...... people drink pineapple juice to try increase fertile cervical mucus (ewcm, you'll see people talking about it on here) .....let me tell ya you don't need pineapple juice if you take proceive max 😅😬😬😬 I really think it made all the difference as gross as it is!

Il keep following this thread, you can ask me any questions if you can't find it elsewhere no bother. I'm actually just so grateful the amount I learned off these threads and online that I'm happy to share the wealth!

@Nai86 here's the thread.

TTC April/May 2021 - Sperm meets Egg Plan "SMEP" www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/4225926-ttc-april-may-2021-sperm-meets-egg-plan-smep