Yogurt pot yuppies, sexy basters and UFO discs - part 3

[eloiseislost]

Starting yet another thread on self insemination before our second one locks down!

Welcome to THE most supportive group you could wish for if you’re starting or you are already on a self insemination journey.
Remember, nothing is TMI and you are not alone. 💖

Calling the usual suspects, in no particular order (and sorry if I missed anyone 😊):
@ComebackQueen
@Makingnumber2
@Janefx40
@AdriannaP
@MrsKin90
@primrosechill
@bigsweetpotato
@Sydney1986x
@Bluey18
@Birchybirch
@Lori23TTC
@Cathie102
@Labrat3
@DinkBoo
@Oilyoilyoilgob

Let it rain BFPs!!! 🐣

Good morning @MrsKin90! I would say if you feel you ovulated, you probably have! I've stopped taking my BBT this cycle because I wake up at different times every morning, and, without fail, with my mouth open! 😯
Currently 5DPO and the symptom spotting is creeping in… No symptoms to spot though! 🤪

@MrsKin90 have you considered buying clearblue digital ovulation test kit? Yes they are very expensive but that was the only way I can reliably predict my ovulation. We can only SI 2-3 times per cycle so timing was crucial for me.

They are cheapest on amazon in my experience.

@MrsKin90 I am right there with you. I think the fact you feel like you ovulated is a good sign! It's frustrating when bbt/opks let us down. Cd22 here, don't know if I ovulated this cycle. I'll do two more opks today and then I am giving them up for this cycle as they are driving me nuts. We did one last SI last night (think my OH is spent, we were planning 2, he managed 4 and one failed attempt) and I'm just gonna cross my fingers and wait now. No idea what dpo I could be but if I make it to the 29th which is when AF is predicted on my app I will test.

Thanks so much @Bluey18 that's really helpful! We will try another SI today but won't manage it until this evening. But hopefully yesterday and Monday's one will have us covered??
@MrsKin90 I think if you feel as though you've ov-ed you have.
@eloiseislost I'm so jealous you're already at 5dpo! The TWW is stretching out before me like an eternity as usual. I've decided this TWW I'm not going to think about it at all or symptom spot etc.... Let's see how well I manage to do that

Hello everyone. Sorry I’ve not been on, I just really needed some time out.

I had to have one of my darling cats put to sleep last Thursday. Despite our very very best care, neurological help and meds and physio, she never recovered. She was 12 years 10 months and we’ve had them 12 years 8 months. With still have her sister with us. I’m heartbroken.

I had my period New Year’s Eve and I just honestly needed some time away from everything.

I hope everyone is well. I’m sorry if I’ve missed good or bad news, I haven’t read any of the thread yet since I bookmarked at page 23. I also posted this on the last thread just before seeing a link to this one sorry x

@Makingnumber2 My luteal phase is 11-12 days so I will know fairly soon if I'm late or not! Sometimes I'm glad my 2WW is not really two whole weeks, but other times, I don't know, it would've been good to be able to hold on hope for a few more days.

@Oilyoilyoilgob It's good to hear from you, I was worried about you. I'm so, incredibly sorry for your loss. 💔 I recommend the Rainbow Bridge poem, I cry every time I read it thinking of my beautiful wee dog, but it also fills me with hope that we won't be apart forever. www.scrapbook.com/poems/doc/2907.html.
I hope you are taking care of yourself! Lots of virtual hugs 💓💓💓

@AdriannaP maybe I SHOULD do OPKs 🤔 I've never done them because I have PCOS and drink loads of water, I worry about being really thirsty all day for the sake of peeing on a stick 😂 I can usually tell I've ovulated from BBT even if I'm not sure when. But I keep driving myself mad every month so maybe I could try some cheapie ones to start.
@eloiseislost am also jealous of your DPO! Fingers crossed for some symptoms you can spot??? 😊
@Bluey18 it's nice to know I won't be alone with knowing where I am! 😊 I'm CD23 and understand the frustration definitely. My hubby isn't up for anymore SI either so I might do the same and just cross my fingers 😂 that well known TTC technique!!

@Oilyoilyoilgob it's so lovely to hear from you but so sad and sorry to hear your news. I hope some time out has helped your frame of mind. And you know you loved her incredibly well, she was very lucky to have you. Lots of hugs being sent your way, as I can imagine how devastating that is ❤️

Aw thank you @eloiseislost I haven’t seen that poem for a while but it’s beautiful. Like you I really do hope that we will all see each other again 😞 I’m positive our energy moves to another place. The kindest decision for my beautiful girl, but the very hardest for me and my husband 💔

I just really needed some time out from ttc and baby talk as since October I’ve been caring for both girls, that’s been tough. Then closing my business again due to lockdown etc just leaves a swirl of thoughts. Luckily my husband has taken this week off so I have lots of loving company and the benefit of not working means I can grieve and be upset as and when I need.

I knew last Wednesday, she’d been mentally great up to then but had wee’d in her bed and pooed in her bed and her face told me it was time-I’d been telling her if she ever felt it was time that was ok, I’ll be there for her.

I’ve still been tracking ovulation which was last week so we did SI up until last Wednesday night. I have a telephone consultation booked for next Thursday with a GP to chat about our ttc journey. She’s told my husband I’ll need a blood test at a particular time of the month and he’s doing a sperm sample. She said due to our ages even if we aren’t covered for ivf under nhs it’s best to have these tests done to show a private clinic. Think we’re going to go until March and then we’ll start looking at other methods on top of SI.

I really hope you and everyone else has been ok. You’ve all been in my thoughts xx

@MrsKin90 thank you ever so much 💚 that’s really appreciated xx
It’s good to ‘see’ you are all still here and keeping positive ☺️

I’m trying to look after myself, I was in my tee up to Christmas so I didn’t drink. Still walking loads but my self care has been nil apart from that....my brain was constantly ticking about my girls. I feel guilty that that headspace of worry for one of my ladies has now gone, it feels very strange after three months of caring for her.

But I’m taking little steps. The big thing I’d like to focus on is dropping a bit of weight to help with a pregnancy, that and drinking more water! Xx

@Oilyoilyoilgob so sorry one of your much loved cats had to be put down. It is absolutely one of the hardest decisions to make- I can still remember when we had to decide to let our much loved family cat of 15 years go because he just had had enough. Was only the second time I'd seen my dad cry before that day in the vets and I was 21.
They do go to a better place and that poem @eloiseislost shared gets me teary eyed every time.
Sending you a big hug

@Makingnumber2 thank you 💚 aww your dad bless him 😞 it truly is so, so hard. This is the first time we’ve had to make that decision ourselves (rather than family pets when mum and dad have had to) and even though we know we can’t outlive them, that thought gets pushed away.

The blessing is, since she cane home from her scans and tests we had 5 weeks 6 days extra with her and like every day she was told she was loved and adored. I know they have had a wonderful life and I feel very grateful I have her and her sister as my girls. I just love them so much.

I hope you are well, it’ll be nice to see this new year how everyone gets on in the ttc journey. I’m very much hoping to read good news this year on these threads xx

I’m now present and accounted for and I keep laughing at the thread name.

@rs2015 welcome my fellow vaginismus sufferer, you’ve come to the right thread, the ladies here are amazing and a few of us suffer from this horrible condition too, so can impart some much needed words of wisdom.

I’m SI and tried it for the first time two days ago but my husband has useless sperm so I’m doing this hoping for a miracle whilst I await my fertility appointment.

It’s weird I managed to get the tiniest little syringe up with preseed and breathing techniques I had learnt but I must say psychosexual therapy really did nothing for me nor dilators but since relaxing a bit and joining this thread, after a few attempts I managed to get something up there without too much of a freak out.

If anything, this thread is a mental comfort for me and I don’t feel alienated or judged.

I think given both my issues and husbands sperm I’ll probably be on this thread a while and more as a cheerleader for you all.

Baby dust and blessings to all.

@Oilyoilyoilgob I'm so sorry for your loss. I've joined the thread since you last checked in. It sounds like you cared for your girl so beautifully and that's such a precious gift to give at the end of life.

@MrsKin90 yes I reckon you have ovulated too! Trust yourself. Like @AdriannaP I also recommend the CB digital OPKs if you can afford them. You just take them once when you wake up in the morning so no need to hold in your pee. Saves having to study lines and they also measure oestrogen so let you know before you ovulate too.

We just had our consultation with the Urologist about DPs sperm. He basically said we shouldn't be going ahead with IVF unless we can improve it.

So we have about 6% totally healthy sperm , 47% has some damage and 36% is badly damaged.

Basically he said when you are younger, your eggs can correct issues in sperm so the 47% that had a little damage would have been viable but now that I'm 43, I won't be able to. So that means only 6% of his sperm is viable. Worse still, although an IVF clinic can easily count out the sperm that is badly damaged, they can't tell the difference between the partly damaged and the healthy so they can't choose the good ones. That means we would be likely to either have a failed cycle or more miscarriages. Bit of a gloomy picture overall!

Not sure where that leaves us really. Not sure if we should even be trying naturally at all.

Oh @Janefx40 I'm sorry the consultant painted a gloomy picture. 😔 I don't have any answers for you, take some time to process the results and discuss with your DH. There are still avenues to be explored, such as donor sperm or adoption, but I know that right now you need time to think about things and those options seem like a failure in and of themselves.
My very optimistic self always thinks that every pregnancy is a miracle and there's been so many times that doctors have been baffled by couples who conceive naturally against all odds. My thinking is "6% is better than 0%". Also I have recently been through a miscarriage and even though it was the most awful, unfair, sad experience of my life, I take comfort in the belief that we created a wee soul that is now in Heaven because it was just not meant for this Earth. And if it's a part of my journey to a baby, then so be it.
I'm sure a lot will go through your mind, but I know you will find the right path for you in the end. And we are always virtually here if you need us. ❤️

@Oilyoilyoilgob nice to hear from you and utterly heartbroken at the news of your lovely cat. Sending lots of love it’s a horrible thing to go through especially on top of everything else that is going on in the world right now.

@Janefx40 I’m sorry to hear you are having such a hard time.. I think keep trying naturally as you never know but what can your partner do to increase his sperm? I’d it diet and exercise or I’d there something he can be taking so you know?

@MrsKin90 I would say you have probably ovulated but you have been SI so you’re covered either way - I would say try not to let it stress you out (easier said than done) have you tried checking your cervix, if you do abd it’s low and firm then you have ovulated. I think I ovulated earlier this month but not 100% sure so I’m in my tww.

@ComebackQueen I’m so glad you were able to get some up there - sorry for the way that sounded. It’s amazing this is helping you to relax more.

@Janefx40 so sorry the specialist has painted a gloomy picture. Like Eloise said there are still other options but of course you’ll want and need time to process all the info you got today first. I do think that if you both still want to keep trying naturally whilst you look at other options then you should because stranger things have happened. Can any of the sperm damage be improved with supplements or diet and exercise? Sorry to be so ignorant about this!

@ComebackQueen that is so fantastic that you were able to get something up there! Well done- it must have felt like such a great achievement. every step forward, no matter how small, is progress and taking you in the right direction for your BFP

Aww @oilyoilyoilgob hello again! So very sorry to hear about your cat. It is so heartbreaking to make that decision, but as you say, sometimes you look in their eyes, and you just know. I hope in the not too distant future, you wi be able to remember her fondly, without it hurting so much.

Ah sorry to hear your news @janefx40. Like others have said, take some time, and then look at exploring what other options you have. There's always a chance, and although 6% seems low, in a room full of 100 people, you could be one of those 6 people....

Thanks everyone. I know 6% isn't 0 so I guess there is always a chance.

The urologist was amazing - very kind and empathetic. Diet and supplements won't hurt but they can't correct this level of damage. The best hope is if he finds an actual condition that is causing it that he can treat. But he also said that it is likely DPs sperm was this bad 3 years ago when we conceived our daughter - so there is always hope (although admittedly I was younger then).

Thanks @eloiseislost I'm sorry for your loss. I will never regret our little 9 week bean either. She was my child just as much as our DD.

Love to the rest of you - we are all awesome for finding ways to conceive despite having various hurdles to overcome. Women are amazing how we circumvent whatever life throws at us to go for it!!!

@Lori23TTC my cervix doesn't seem to behave that way. 🤔 how exciting that you've ovulated a bit earlier than usual! 😊 Fingers crossed for your tww.

Thanks ladies I'll definitely consider OPKs next cycle if this one isn't the one!

I'm getting loads and loads of EWCM. Like a TMI amount! So I'm gently prodding hubby for some "intimate time" even though he's having a shit day. Just in case I haven't ovulated. Then I think I'll relax a bit as we've not done SI since Sunday 😕

@Janefx40 that's super positive if he thinks this was possibly the case with your first? Miracles so happen, don't give up hope! X

@Oilyoilyoilgob I'm so very sorry to hear the loss of your lovely girl. It is always so hard to let them go. My boy had to be PTS 3 years ago at age 14 and I still think of him all the time.

@Janefx40 I'm sorry to hear the news from the urologist wasn't good. Sending you a big hug xx. I think in your shoes I would continue to try naturally just so I could say I tried everything I could. As you said, your DD is here despite everything!

@MrsKin90 I think that would be a great idea. A bonus bonus SI just in case!

As for me, my body is clearly just messing with me now. Did a last ditch opk for this cycle and it's positive. I never, ever, ever ovulate this late. Now to convince DP to do another SI tomorrow (no way we are going again today after doing one yesterday )

@Bluey18 that does look the most positive OPK! Oh dear. What are bodies playing at? Don't they know they're meant to start as they mean to go on this year?! If you SI'd yesterday I think you'd be fine not doing it today and doing it tomorrow instead?