Preparing to TTC in 2022 Part 2

[WingingIt09]

Wow can't believe we've filled a thread! Looking forward to continuing to follow everyone's TTC journey! Here's hoping for our first BFPs!

January
@Worryant #2 (38)
@OCM19 #2 (31)
@Bear486 #1
@Cavylady #1 (33)

February
@Nyxxie #1 (34)
@QueenBee22 #2 (31)
@lj2022 #1 (27)
@Trixie22 #3 (25)
@FourOclock #3 (32)
@MrsGrealish
@PinkButtercups

March
@Cheekypeach #2 (29)
@hevann #1 (35)
@Gizzy93 #1 (29)
@DanceWithYourBalloon #3 (37)

April
@HippeePrincess #3 (34)
@Dreamingof3 #3 (34)
@Jennifer89 #1 (32)
@Babyjellyfish #2
@tryingtryinggone #2 (27)
@LucyLoopyLu #1 (33)
@PrettyPolly92 #1
@tropicana1 #1

May
WingingIt09 #3 (30)
@Notjustafurmum #1 (28)
@Vasectomyreversalhopeful #2 (33)
@Summerbreeze111 #1 (31)
@Amber17 #1 (33)
@Springblooms08 #1 (29)
@BellaNutella88 #2
@Superstorefan123 #1
@Duckandsarah #2

June
@BlueberryMacaron #1 (30)
@DanisEndo #1 (26)
@Sunshine0987 #1 (30)

July
@NarnieJoy #1 (25)

August

September
@NotARegularMum #1 (32)

?
@excited101

But still no sign of spotting so 🤞🏼🤞🏼

@fouroclock @brightonbelle87
Thanks both, yes it is awful isn't it! I would love to be able to not have to worry about it and cover it up all the time.

@fouroclock - that's such bad luck having two with errors! What a pain! Hope you managed to get something else

I honestly hate Clear Blue, I nearly didn't buy a test but it was all they had in the shop! When I was TTC with my first I joined their trial for the ovulation kit and they were so rude over email during the trial. This has been the nail in the coffin 😂

Sorry to hear that four. I also did the trial with DS and got pregnant that month so had to send them my wee for months . I never had any issues with them so sorry to hear that you had that experience.

@LucyLoopyLu @OCM19 I do recommend the Mirena (when needed!) - I had it in for 4 years and not once had an issue with it - or a period, which is a bit of a blessing and a curse really! Think that's partially as I'm irregular anyway, my friend had it fitted and stayed regular as clockwork! Very odd how these things can affect people so differently.
Although, I think in the 4 years it was in I had maybe 4 or 5 spots and that's all, so that was nice..
Fitting was slightly painful (think awful period cramps then it goes) and the removal was super easy!
@FourOclock sorry to hear about the tests with errors, that must be so stressful!
@Vasectomyreversalhopeful you must be getting excited about the upcoming appointment? I know someone who had this done and him and his DW found out they were pregnant 5 months later! Are your cycles nice and regular so you know where you are with things?

@FourOclock sorry about the faulty tests. Must be frustrating 😕

Talking of skin clearing up during pregnancy, a weird side effect for me was the hair on my legs barely grew. I rarely had to shave them which was very welcome. 😆

@FourOclock how frustrating! Hope your FRERs arrive soon.

@OCM19 @LucyLoopyLu I'll offer an alternative view point on the mirena coil. I had the coil put in after DD2. No problem with it going in and had withdrawal bleeds monthly. About 18 months after having it in, I fell pregnant. Could still feel the threads and apparently it was in the correct place when they scanned me so no reason for it to have failed. Apparently I was just the 1 in 1000 that falls pregnant with the coil. It was a nightmare as unexpected pregnancy and then had a miscarriage, completely screwed with my head so personally I would never have the coil again, but I know my experience was not the norm!

I've had a bereavement in my close family today and all I can think of is if I test and get a BFP it will make it easier to deal with.. However I am only 8DPO so the inevitable outcome would be a BFN which will just make me feel worse!

How do people resist the urge to test early??

I'm sorry to hear that @Nyxxie

I know what you mean though, we've had three family members diagnosed with serious things in the last week and I really want to give everyone some good news to keep us going

@WingingIt09 Sorry you had to go through that with the Mirena hope you're OK. Like I said it's strange how it affects people differently!

@Nyxxie @FourOclock Sorry to hear you've both had bad news, sending love and hopes for BFP's

@Nyxxie @FourOclock I'm so sorry. Sending lots of love to you both xx

@wingingit09 oh no, that sounds like it was awful! So sorry to hear about that and completely understand why you'd never go back to it again. I wish there were more good options for contraceptives!

@dancewithyourballoon That sounds like an excellent pregnancy side effect! Although I don't shave or epilate mine that frequently anyway... oops.

@nyxxie Sorry for your loss 💚
@FourOClock hope you're ok too, sounds like a tough time in the family

@Nyxxie @FourOclock I am really sorry that things are tough at the moment

Looking forward to seeing if there are any squinters for us to deliberate over if anyone is going to do an early test.

I have been having the MOST vivid dreams this week, like I wake up tired because I feel like I'm literally acting them out. Making me think that maybe I'm pg because we did have an accident!!

I'm just waiting for these bloody tests to arrive and then I will take one

Thanks ladies, and I hope you are doing ok as well @FourOclock

I had really vivid lucid dreams last night @NarnieJoy , your comment is making me hope it's a symptom now! 🤣

@LucyLoopyLu I'm looking forward to never doing contraceptives again! Fully intending that DH gets a vasectomy after baby #3 as we are 100% going to be done after that!

@FourOclock we're all waiting too 😂 so invested in everyone's TTC journey here. Don't drink too much as you want a strong urine sample 😂🙈

Not really TTC related (although financial implications of a third baby factor heavily but would love some opinions). We're investigating moving house. Currently in a mid-terrace, extended into loft so we have 4 bedrooms but only one bathroom and downstairs fairly small and no further extension potential. We can get a big enough mortgage to allow us to buy our forever family home, which is good as we have no downstairs toilet here (which is a PITA for potty training) and having baby 3 means either losing my DH office (he works from home) or DD2 giving up her bedroom for the baby and moving in to share with DD1... however the increased mortgage + likely much bigger energy bill would probably put us breaking even with income/outgoings by the time we factor in nursery fees for new baby and mean maternity leave has to be subsidised by our savings.... DH is saying we should just stay here and refix our mortgage for another 3-5 years until baby #3 gets her free nursery hours and frees up £4-500 of disposable income but that'll mean staying in this house until 2026 and I feel like it's a bit small for a family of 5. I'm a bit stuck on what to do... probably is best to stay where we are but I do feel we need more space...

That's a tricky one @WingingIt09 - I think I would opt for the move if you can, if it will be tight while number three is in nursery but not impossible? I really want to move before DS1 starts school but we're in a abnormal/tricky housing situation so I think probably staying put for now and will have to move him mid primary school!

I haven't taken a test. Ended up outside all afternoon and then came in SO thirsty so I've downed so much liquid and now think my urine will be too diluted 🙈 will do it tomorrow!

@FourOclock you could always take a urine sample in a pot to judge how strong before deciding whether to test tonight 😂

I know it's so tricky. I really want to move and before energy bills started rising it was doable. Taking our best guess at the cost of utility bills etc in a bigger house, we will literally break even each month, with no disposable income. We would also have to use savings to bridge the gap when I'm on maternity leave. It makes DH (and me tbh) uncomfortable to potentially have no ability to save for the next 4 years. DH is working towards a promotion, which he should hopefully get in 2024 so that would make a difference but don't want to rely on that. Why are these decisions so complicated!?

Oh that's so tricky, I do get what you mean about being uncomfortable with that, no disposable income is quite a stressful situation to knowingly put yourself in, especially as energy prices could continue to rise, and 4 years is a long time to have to properly scrimp.

@WingingIt09 we are in a two bed at the moment and I have been thinking about moving, but the truth of the matter is that we will be more financially stable to stay here until I get my promotion. Better to save in my opinion, people have lived in smaller houses with more kids and been fine! I know if I moved I’d always be wanting more!

@WingingIt09 I'd take the hit now, if you can, though obviously I don't know everything about your finances. Moving will be easier as a family of four than a family of five. Also, I don't what house prices are like where you are, but a house on my street (smaller than mine) has just sold for £100,000 more than I bought my house for at the end of 2020 Part of me thinks that the housing market just can't continue to rise like it is, but then I though we were buying at the top of bubble because of stamp duty holiday madness. If it will leave you losing money compared to staying where you are though, then maybe I'd stay put. Probably sound really basic, but are there any lifestyle changes you can make to reduce outgoings if you were to move?

@BlueberryMacaron that's part of my worry. Our house has increased 20% in value since we bought it in 2018, surely the market can't sustain the house prices rises and if it goes down then we could loose equity in our house... although that also means the house we will be buying will decrease in price too so 🤷🏻‍♀️ literally a minefield! There are potentially lifestyle things that we could sacrifice - take aways/days out etc. but my DH is adamant he would rather stay put then sacrifice those sorts of things. He says (and tbh I suppose it's a good point) he would rather have the money to make memories with the kids and treat them to do lessons/clubs/days out etc then to have a bigger house.

I've been staring at our budget planner all evening trying to make sense of it all and I think we will end up staying put. I would love a bigger house but I think currently it's just too much of a risky move when we have good financial stability at the moment and can afford for me to take a full years maternity without dipping into our savings. I'm going to suggest to DH we only fix our mortgage for 2 years though and reevaluate in 2024 when he's had a promotion and I'm back at work after maternity. Hopefully that'll make a difference in the finances to make it a safer step up. Baby won't need a room for the first 6 months anyway and after that either DDs can share or DH will just have to put his desk in our bedroom 🙈

I am very excited stars :) I am very regular so am hopeful it will all work.

Sorry to hear your news nyxxie and four. Fingers crossed that you both have BFPs soon.

I can’t believe how fast this year is going. When I joined this group May seemed ages away but now it is the month after next!

@Nyxxie Sorry for your loss.

I put my tests literally out of reach, up high where I cannot reach them so I am not tempted. Easier said than done!

So finally got around to taking a test...