Hoping to get our BFPs in January ✨

[Decaffe]

All welcome to come along for the ride and lots of support along the way!

Checking in at 5dpo, no symptoms yet!

@CJB92 I’m so sorry to read this. The not knowing met must have been awful the last few days. Hopefully it will mean you are more fertile for your next cycle 🤞🏻

Just tested at 10DPO, not even a sniff of a line and AF due Wednesday. Still have a little hope as it was only an hour hold and drank a fair bit today but if there isn’t a line in the morning then I’m guessing I’ll be out.

@CJB92 so sorry to hear your news. Sending you lots of love 🌈❤️

So glad for you though that the nurse took her time with you and made you feel comfortable after the experiences you've had with other medical professionals xx

Hello
Has anyone had any experience with ovulation strips?
I’m usually regular, was due AF Xmas day but was late - it appeared on the 3rd jan. was hoping it was due to a BFP but no such luck. Funnily enough I had my Booster in November so wondering if it messed up my cycle I started using the strips this week and already had a dark line on the ovulation strips 2 days ago. Now is very faint. How reliable are they??!

@Maddylee I have been using ovulation strips for a while and have found they are generally pretty reliable but I don't often get super strong positive results like some people - either my wee is always too diluted or I don't produce tonnes of FSH. But yes if I test in the afternoons I see a steady rise and then a peak and then a sudden drop off. But I've also been trying to pay close attention to my cervical mucus (lol) and ovulation pain and sort of tune into my body and see what lines up with what. I think I didn't realise for ages that you have to do it at certain times of day, and not pee too frequently or drink too much.

For what it's worth, I had my booster just before Christmas and I'm ovulating two days later than usual this month (very annoying as it's my first month TTC but hoping the sperm from the past few days are still in there!)

Oops I mean LH not FSH!!!

@Maddylee did you test at the same time each day? I have found that if I test with my first wee of the day I get a positive even when it's not time to ovulate yet - our bodies do produce LH throughout the month and it can show up at other times. I think the cheap strip OPK tests I use only work well in the afternoons/evenings

@Maddylee the booster has made me ovulate 2 days late but my period has come at the same time as usual shortening my LP 😒
But I use the strips and find them very reliable

@lakejupiter thanks for your reply. If these strips are accurate then the darker one I had was only 7 days into my cycle based on my AF on 3rd jan. I think the booster has had a part to play. I had a similar experience with my first jab and my cucle was 37 days. Not being negative about the vaccine btw!

Have been testing similar times. The 2nd strip was 7 days into my cycle. Since then I ha e been testing twice a day as they seemed to be lighter and I wanted to make sure it wasn’t a dud strip!

@Maddylee none of those are positive, even the darkest one, so don't worry too much! I am pretty sure LH shows up throughout the month in some quantity but ovulation is indicated by a surge that makes the second line darker than the control line. What day of your cycle are you on now? I would say from looking at those that you have not yet ovulated this month

I def think the booster has probably messed around with those of us TTC at the moment. I knew I had to have it but was sad about it bc I was pretty sure it was going to mess w my cycle! I got such horrible periods after my first jab too.

(I'm also not anti vaccine, I'm grateful to be vaccinated, it's just frustrating re: TTC)

Oh really?! Ok well that’s good to know and I will keep using them! I thought it was abit too early to ovulate. Perhaps I should just pay the £8.99 and get the app but I was being tight

@Maddylee agree with @lakejupiter that none of those look positive (to me). Throughout my cycle I would get a total range usually 25% to 50% darkness, and none were positive until I really hit ovulation which for me was very late at day 20, and it was undoubtably dark (2-3x the control). I'd keep POAS and wait to see what comes. Deydration etc can impact the test strips, I had a stomach flu, didn't keep down fluids and checked LH at the end of the day and had a positive read, but it turned out that it was purely dehydration/concentration of urine and my real positive was a week later.

@CJB92 I'm so sorry 😞

Thank you @madeleine85 and @lakejupiter it is the first time I have used this strips so wasn’t too sure what to look for you but I will definitely keep going with them and see what happens!

Thank you @AlmostLondoner 🤞🏻🌈🙏🏻

@madeleine85 good to know about the dehydration, I know I don’t drink enough so I need to up my water intake!

Well I'm so proud of myself 🙍‍♀️ tested way too early at 8 dpo and am driving myself crazy with what is obviously an evap line. Well done me. Will remove myself from testing til Wednesday. Thank god for work tomorrow

@CJB92 oh I'm so sorry that is so awful for you. I hope you're ok ❤️

Does anyone use conception cups? Heard a lot of good things about them and thinking of getting one for next cycle

@CJB92 what a time you have had recently, I’m really sorry. I have everything crossed that your next cycle is the positive outcome you deserve. Xxx

@Natalie2304 I used the Ferti Lily cup :)

@Natalie2304 I tried a menstrual disc which I think is the same thing. I bought the first thing I saw on Amazon basically lol. I got pregnant the first cycle using it. Can't be sure that it was what caused it, but I think it helped. Definitely test it before using after DTD when things are slippy so you know how to put it in properly, I really screwed it up the first time I tried, it was laughably bad. Good luck!

@CJB92 I'm sorry

@madeleine85 my best friend got pregnant the first cycle after using one after nearly 2 years of trying so hoping they are worth the expensive! I've just ordered on so 🤞🏻
Thank you for your replies everyone xxxx

@Natalie2304 I have heard good things about them and it helps with home insemination which is the route me and coparent are taking. I practiced a few times before my insemination dates and glad I did - even with the practice I hadn't factored in the nerves plus the extra liquid etc and I feel like after the first insemination I really messed up putting it in. But the next two I got the hang of it and it was def helpful for confidence that the sperm were in the right place!