SMEP - anyone giving this a try this month and want to join me?

[Mum2DD89]

New to mumsnet 🙋‍♀️ and I've seen loads of threads where everyone is so lovely and supportive so thought I'd post. This is our 4th cycle ttc #2, 1st cycle giving SMEP a try as I've seen so many success stories. With our first, we got so lucky and ended up pregnant on our first month trying so this waiting is a bit of a shock, although I know out 1st was the exception not the norm! Would love to hear any success stories, or any other ladies that want to compare notes this month x

Hi I'm going to try SMEP this month. I'm CD1 of 3rd cycle ttc#2. I tried last month but it didn't work. Didn't manage the extra day at the end but did do 3 days in a row. I ovulated quite early at CD11 so was glad I was trying every other day leading up anyway. I conceived my first on the 4th cycle but that was 6 years ago with my ex husband. I'm now 37 so aware I'm older now too. This will be my partner's first. How old is your first?

@EdinburghGirl1 I’m 37 too ttc #2 with my partner who has no children. My daughter is 7 now so I’m also a bit worried about my age

I did SMEP last month but it didn’t work. We also had covid too so could have also had something to do with it. We will try it again this cycle though, well as close to it as we can as certain nights aren’t possible

Had to look the acronym up, learn something everyday! We're on cycle #2 and if not successful will be doing this properly for cycle #3. Can I join you ladies? Good luck !!

@allgoodthings84 wow such similar situations. I've heard Covid can really mess up your cycles so maybe had something to do with it. Good luck for this month. What cycle are you?

@Edinburghgirl1 my little girl will be 2 in September. We really were spoiled with falling so quickly with her, I think that's why I'm overthinking everything this time around! My sensible head knows this is only cycle #4 but my overthinking brain is going nuts ha! Im 32 but husband will be 47 at the end of this month and I'm hoping he's still young enough his swimmers will still swim..

Keeping everything crossed for us all ladies, be nice to have some company, I'm CD5 so 3 days to go, where are you all at in your cycles?

Hi girls💕
I’m cd4 cycle 2 ttc#1 after losing my girl at 17 wks end of may.
I did SMEP last cycle to no avail, I fell with my girl cycle 2 in feb - but I’m worried it won’t happen that fast the second time around 😭 fingers crossed everyone … I will start checking for ovulation cd8 aswell as DTD that day
good luck everyone ✨

@EdinburghGirl1 @Mum2DD89 I’m CD7 on cycle 3. I keep worrying it’s not going to happen which I know is silly to think that at this early stage especially as I have had a child before but I just worry

covid definitely set my ovulation back by a week so AF came a week late too but I already knew that any virus delays ovulation and LP is always around the same so knew AF would be late. I’m more concerned that my partner had it too as apparently it affects sperm for 3 months after! I’m hoping it’s not a definite thing but who knows. Can only try.

For the last few months I was really lightly spotting for 4-5 days before AF so I started taking vit c and vit b complex and the last cycle I only had 2 days of very light spotting and had a heavy longer period like I used to so I’m hopeful it’s doing something and not just coincidence. I’ll know in around 3 weeks if I get less spotting again. Well hopefully I’ll get a bfp 😂

I hope we all get our bfp this cycle

@NSx I’m so sorry for your late loss.

I’m CD8 tomorrow and starting to opk tomorrow afternoon. I did a month without opk and it stressed me right out not knowing so think I’ll stick with them. I just use the cheaper easy@home ones. We dtd yesterday to empty the old sperm. No idea if this makes any difference 😂. For the first time ever I bled a bit after but I think it was because we did it the day after AF flow finished which we never usually do and AF lasted a day longer than it has for ages. It seemed back to the length it used to be which I’m hoping is a good thing

@allgoodthings84 thanks girl 🤍

I’ve just bought a fertilily online - after reading the girls chat about it in another thread - I will legit try anything to get that BFP 😅😂🙏✨

@allgoodthings84 ha we are similar, we DTD (of sorts) to get rid of the old sperm CD2 😂 got to try these things, right? And I use easy@home LH strips as well, I don't think I couldn't test, you're braver than me! I also temp as I am a definite type A personality and must have. All. The. Data. Debating stopping temping after about 9dpo though as seeing that temp drop before AF is heartbreaking.

@NSx I'm so sorry for your loss ❤️

@NSx i wish it was as easy as they made out at school 😂

@Mum2DD89 thank u 🤍 …
I temp too 😂 OPK strip and also clear blue dual Hormone OPK 😂 … Im basically into it all 😂
I’ll update on the fertlily when it comes !!

@allgoodthings84 — all those years of taking the pill to avoid pregnancy as if it’s as easy as that 😂😂 who knew 😭

@Mum2DD89 oh trust me it wasn’t a choice I couldn’t as was on holiday with my dad and it was hot so wouldn’t have been able to explain not drinking for hours every afternoon 😂. I didn’t like not knowing at all. I would love to BBT but I wake a lot in the night and have to get up different times different days. I see a rise in HR on my Fitbit though and it falls when AF arrives so think it’s pretty similar. I try to not look at that data from around 9dpo either though as it’s depressing as I then know AF is probably on the way. I didn’t have a Fitbit when I was pregnant before though so no idea what it will do when I am but I’m guessing it won’t just drop

@NSx i know right! It’s so unfair it’s not as easy as deciding we want a baby so dtd and wham bam 😂

@allgoodthings84 i feel the more u obsess about it the harder it becomes and the less likely however it’s imposible to stop obsessing over ttc and that pink line 😭😭😭😭

@NSx i keep telling myself that it will happen when it’s meant to happen and as long as I’m dtd at the right time it’s out of my hands but I like to be in control of my life and feel it’s out of my hands (which it is) I like to plan ha ha

I haven’t taken any pregnancy tests yet as I’m not allowing myself to until I’m at least 2 days late for AF (AF is 13dpo so 15dpo good earliest) and that’s not happened yet.

@allgoodthings84 you have some will power 😃😅 this month I’m not going to test until AF is due because last cycle I was 3 days late and I tested like 10 dpo onwards & it’s was horrendous 😞 all the BFN.
im not doing it to myself anymore - I’ll wait and save my frer’s 😅

@Mum2DD89 that's great that you fell so quickly first time.

@allgoodthings84 I totally get you. I was worrying too maybe since I'm older but I know it's silly and it can take time and only cycle 3. Really hope Covid doesn't affect things to much for you snd your partner. That's good the spotting has reduced though. Empty the old sperm. This is brilliant 😂 OMG yes you spend your adult life trying not to pregnant and thinking any unprotected sex could make you pregnant then months of it and nothing happens 😂

I used CB OPK last month snd will again this month as good to know when you might be close to peak. Only 3rd cycle after coming off the pill so I know cycle might vary. I do get ovulation pains and EWCM though so I kinda know when I'm about to ovulate. I don't BBT and don't think I'll bother as it's another thing to obsess over and my DD often wakes me up early and I just don't think I'd manage to take it when I first wake and then have to explain to her what I'm doing 😂

Worked for us nearly 2 years ago now.. I’m still absolutely knackered from it 🤣 we were lucky to only try for two months, if I don’t count the first month coming off the pill as I hadn’t had a proper period yet. The first month I did ovulation tests and we tried but it wasn’t very targeted at any set time. The second month I went all guns blazing, read all about SMEP and we did it so many times I don’t think I could have not got pregnant 🙈 it was so dull though but needs must! We now have a little boy. We also used preseed along with it and I think we kept ‘trying’ until 2 days after ovulation just in case

Now I’ve seen things about what sways blue or pink and looking back we pretty much did everything that sways blue and sure enough, got a boy. So this time I think we’re going to go the other way and not ‘try’ so close to ovulation. We aren’t in such a rush this time though so I’m kind of geared up for it taking a while. Might get impatient and go back to SMEP after the first month 🤣

@Goodnewsday 😂 I'm already tired just thinking about it! Great to hear your success story though! Trying so hard not to get my hopes up and think what will be will be, but that's hard..

They just scare monger you in school telling you how easy it is to get pregnant. I really think it's just to stop any 'accidents' but not once was I told that it could take a perfectly healthy couple up to a year to conceive, and now here we are, all having varying levels of anxiety about it 🤦‍♀️

Keeping everything crossed for us ladies 🤞

@NSx one thing I do have is willpower. I lost 8 stone 12 years ago and still in a healthy bmi. It’s very hard at times as I’m very short and love food 😂

it was easy with my daughter as we weren’t actively trying just not being very careful and we only had sex once a week (some weeks missed) on a Friday night 😂 our marriage wasn’t right although we didn’t realise it then. So I know we got lucky as we must have only dtd maximum of once during fertile times. I know the time when we conceived we were hardly together that month as busy with separate friend groups so was very unexpected which is why I didn’t realise until I was nearly 7 weeks pregnant!

i just keep reminding myself it’s only cycle 3 now and we haven’t even got to the fertile week. I’m just so worried I can’t give my partner a child as he wants one as much as I do. I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t leave me because of it but you never know as I never thought my ex would have an affair when our daughter was just 10 weeks old so you never fully know what someone would or wouldn’t do however long you’ve known them

I’m CD8 now so although I’m not due to get a peak until mid/late next week I’m going to start opk this afternoon to get a good baseline as mine suddenly shoot up

@Goodnewsday what do they say about conceiving boys or girls?

@allgoodthings84 oh my I’m so sorry your last relationship was hard , im sure it will all work out this time and you will get that BFP. Keep your hopes and head up, it will come 💖🤞
i always keep a note of when my fiancé and I DTD when I conceived with my Angel baby we only DTD 3 times during the fertile window, the 3 days I got 2 flashing smileys and static on my CB digital OPK .. so I don’t think it takes lots and lots of tries, think u just have to get the right egg and sperm together and it works, sadly for us she didn’t make it as she had chromosomal issues but that was just a fluke of nature I was told, so I too am very nervous about getting pregnant again, but it’s still early days!
im putting pressure on myself to be pregnant before my due date in November because I’m dreading it & also because my partners best friend will have just had their baby and also his sister will be having hers a week later 😭and I want to be able to enjoy their babies when they come without being devestated.
life is hard, but we just need to be hopeful dont we 🤞 x

SMEP worked for us, after 2 miscarriages - good luck all x