Newbie looking for some support

[Peachycream]

Hi ladies,

I’ve been lurking for a few days, just seeing what the deal is, trying to work out some of the terminology used, mostly going to post but then getting scared and carry on lurking haha.

I don’t really have anyone I can talk about the TTC journey with in my real life as we aren’t telling anyone as it stands so I’m hoping maybe I can make a few friends here that I can obsess and stress out with 🤣

I’m currently CD 7 in my first cycle so tracking with OPKs every day right now so that I can get a clearer picture of my cycle each month.

I’m 30 and this will be our 1st,

If anyone has any advice/is in a similar position to me or just wants a natter I’d love to hear from you 😊

Xx

I think the one step ovulation tests are cheaper too than the easy@home! I do love the easy at home ones though. Not sure if one step has an app!?

With the easy@home you can download the premom app and take pictures to track ovulation. It's pretty decent! I sound like a sales pitch 😂

@KayL1988 I really like them too, more for the app though! I like uploading them and seeing them all together!

@Peachycream how did you get on with your CB ovulation tracker thing? I bought the normal CB one today just to verify my Ovulation today (to make sure the sticks were not playing tricks on me!) and.. looks legit! I just have not peaked the first time.

Hey sorry I’ve only just caught up!

I use the easy@home one as well and in all honestly, I’m not a fan, I like that you can upload them to the app but they don’t work the same way for everyone, so where as you might get a lead up of the test like getting darker as LH rises I’m seeming not to get that, for some people they’ll just have nothing and then show a peak all of a sudden, which, if like me you need to plan ahead because of work schedules it’s not useful, value for money though is great, I got 40 tests and 20 pregnancy test for like £15 I think it was.

I’ve only been using the CB for the last 2 days but I really like it, it’s clear and easy to use and it just Bluetooth connects to send the result to the app on my phone, so I can pee on it, put it away and forget about it, I don’t have to hang around for 5 minutes waiting for a result, I can just look on my phone.

It also compares cycles for you as well showing estrogen and LH levels to predict the highest 2 days for O. Its more pricey, granted, but for me, who likes as much information as possible, as quickly as possible it’s worth spending the £34 on. It’s virtually the same as the CB fertility monitor, the only thing you can’t do is pregnancy test or buy replacement tips for it.

Hi everyone, mind if I join? I am 33 and just started cycle 8 so feeling fed up and very lonely as no one knows we’re trying!

Welcome @GingerTea333 it’s nice to have you on board our little boat 😊

Thanks! Have been watching these boards for a while but thought I’d finally take the plunge and join! So nice to have people to talk to. Anyone else flip between feeling really positive and really scared it won’t happen for them (and sometimes both at the same time)?

@Peachycream sounds like it works really well for you, especially if you’re time sensitive!

Hey @GingerTea333 welcome 👋🏻 I feel it all, it’s so uncertain isn’t it? 🤞🏻 We get some BFP in this group soon!!

@HRP1990 yeah I really like it so far, hopefully it will work for me, there’s loads of reviews on Amazon of women saying they got pregnant first/second cycle using it so finger crossed 🤞

@GingerTea333 all the time! I also flip between really excited and then really nervous wondering if I can do it

Total honesty, there have been times when I’ve sat and thought maybe stopping TTC, it’s a HUGE commitment and a massive change, which I don’t think anyone ever fully understand until baby is here, and I sometimes talk myself out of it. Maybe I shouldn’t feel like that? Maybe I should stop?! 🙈

Hi @GingerTea333 ☺️ Sounds like you're in the same boat as the rest of us with nobody knowing!

@Peachycream is it the clear blue fertility monitor that you have?

@Ksamson555 no hun it’s the Clearblue connected

Welcome @GingerTea333!! How've you found it so far? Are you ovulation tracking or anything? Completely understand the lonely feeling - so glad to have somewhere to chat about stuff!

@Peachycream I know what you mean but I keep thinking there’s enough time to get used to the change once you find out you’re pregnant. I’m not sure anyone really gets it until it happens to them!

@HRP1990 Hi! 👋🏻 Glad others feel the same!

Because I am obsessed I am using the easy@home / Premom strips and the CB monitor thing. I like how the CB gives you a high reading a few days before O but also like how Premom shows you the actual readings so you can see the lh levels rising. Don’t even want to add up how much money I’ve spent though!

Like everyone else said @GingerTea333 were saving on other things, like wine etc 😂😩 I’m not sure I want to know what I’ve spent!

Thanks @KayL1988! Finding it tougher than I expected, so nice to have people to talk to / hopefully let out the TTC psycho to so I don’t show it all to my boyfriend 😂

I like the easy at home for value for money but I'm also a clear blue convert - I like convenience and also I like the option to pee on a stick as opposed to have to catch and dip. I would usually buy a few nice bottles of wine a month, so I'm basically seeing that money as being reinvested in clear blue trackers!

The connect seems really good. I managed to get a second hand CB fertility tracker from someone who bought it and found out they were pregnant shortly after (so it's never been used and has a full unopened box of sticks). Will let you know how i find it - I like the idea of a machine telling me when I can test - otherwise I feel I could easily become obsessive 😅

@GingerTea333 It's actually quite stressful isn't it 😅 When I came off the pill I thought I'd be pregnant that same month!! How wrong was I 🤣
It is so nice being able to speak to other people going through the same thing. I don't think my boyfriend really understands the stress bless him... and I don't want to stress him out by moaning constantly about wanting to be pregnant 🤦🏻‍♀️

Also, I don't know about you guys but my Facebook and Instagram is full of people having babies 🤯

@GingerTea333 you have all the gear!! I feel like I did the exact same thing - I find it fascinating!

I feel like my husband will definitely be glad I have somewhere else to talk about TTC!!!

Yes @Peachycream it's so difficult to describe - my OH said it affects the woman so much more than man and it really does. Even TTC there is so much more a woman has to do - so completely understandable why we feel like this.

One of our friends recently told us they are pregnant (just had their first scan) - apparently they went off birth control thinking it would take a while and they got pregnant first try - maybe not being overly optimistic is key!!!

@Ksamson555 YESSSS!!! In the last 6 months 4 of of my good friends have had babies, two more friends pregnant. And it feels like babies and bumps are everywhere!!

I almost feel better not looking too much especially in run up and during AF😳

Yes I know what you mean! I've had the odd 'down' day where I've actually come off my phone to stop me looking at social media 🤦🏻‍♀️

I actually don’t use FB/insta at all (other than sometimes checking peoples birthdays!) because I found I was just comparing myself all the time to them. Stopped a couple of years ago and have been much happier!

Definitely sounds like we are all in the same boat. I think the hardest thing for me with my boyfriend is that he wasn’t ready to start trying for ages, so feels like I had to put it on hold and in the meantime I just got older, so it’s hard not to resent him sometimes.

Feels like a full time job sometimes. I def put more energy into TTC than I do into my actual job 😂

@KayL1988 oooh let us know how you get on with the monitor, I thought about buying it but you have to buy the sticks separate and adding it all up was over £100 and I couldn’t justify that amount of money when desperation hasn’t kicked in yet 🤣 maybe cycle 5/6 I’ll get one.

You’re right about it being more for the woman to consider, it’s everything, body, work, money, care.....now I’m listing it is it just me or does the man just get to lay there? 🤣 it’s a lot and my mind tends to be in overdrive at the best of times let alone such a high stress period in life.

Awww @GingerTea333 that must've been really hard with him not being ready.
I always think it's not a pressure for men as they have all the time in the world don't they really!

@Peachycream I definitely agree 🤣

I sometimes feel like I get to the point where I'm nagging for it too as bad as that sounds 😂🤣 the week leading up to ovulating anyway haha