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

Forgot to do the CB OPK when I woke up! Idiot! Guessing there's no point doing it with another wee later today? We DTD last night on day 8, so it probably doesn't matter too much if I don't poas today - will try and remember tomorrow on day 10!

@fsr111 when do you normally tend to ovulate? I usually start CD8/CD9 but I peak quickly and often ovulate around CD12/CD13

I think normally around CD13/14, cycle is pretty much bang on 28 days. Might try a cheap OPK later, just in case! Kicking myself for walking about in a daze on a Saturday morning!

@fsr111 if you dtd last night anyway I wouldn’t worry about missing today as unlikely you will be peaking quite yet. Do you have any cheapies to do later to put your mind at ease?

Yeah, I do, will give it a try I think - just in case!

Hope everyone has lovely Saturday plans! I'm working all day, it's going to be 🥵!

@allgoodthings84 here are my charts from June and July, note the temp rise on 9dpo then the drop on 10dpo each month, then AF arrives 11 or 12dpo.. definitely stopping temping on 9dpo this month as I hate seeing it fall as I know I'm out!

CD13 for me here 👍 BD - CD8 ✅️ CD10 ✅️ CD12 ✅️ just CD14 to go then I'm hoping for a positive OPK CD16 as if it ends up being CD15 I don't fancy DTD 4 days in a row 🤦‍♀️

What CD/SMEP day is everyone one? Can't believe we have 2 in the TWW already!

@fsr111 you could always just try later this morning?

@Aurora81 that's interesting. What was your test like today.

I got my flashing smiley today CD 9 so I'm glad I won't be ovulating any earlier then last month. Looks like it might be similar so probably get peak tomorrow and ovulate Monday.

@fsr111 they'd rubbish you're working. I have a pretty chilled day today then out for dinner tonight with DP

@fsr111 I would go for afternoon after a long hold and no drinks if not your urine may be too diluted.

@Mum2DD89 thank you for showing me. It’s mad how much every person varies. I guess as long as it goes up after ovulation then it’s all good even if a bit up and down (as long as above baseline). It’s probably good I can’t bbt though as I would obsess over it and any tiny drop would stress me out. My Fitbit measures my resting HR which I’m trying not to look at too often. It’s always under 60 before ovulation (creeps up from 56/57 to 59 a couple days before) then is around 60/61 ovulation day then 62 - 64 until day before AF dropping back to 59/60 then keeps going down.

I’m 3dpo but my resting HR is 1bmp lower than it usually is this day but it’s higher than it was on ovulation day and I know it can vary month to month

@fsr111 I'd do one anyway, things could have changed a lot since this am. And you BDd so, all good 😀

@EdinburghGirl1 ah yes that's great, nothing like ovulation catching you unawares. I take it you started BDing from yesterday?

@Mum2DD89 great job keeping up with the BD, can be hard work in this heat.

I'm cd7, so begin tomorrow. Hope to ovulate on cd15 as last cycle. The cycle before it didn't happen until cd22 🥵🥵

@allgoodthings84 what you say about heart rates is very true. I did a bit of research but its not something that has been written about greatly. Before we begun TTC i had been working to improve my HR and noticed the pattern you speak about, obviously knowing v little about the menstrual cycle at the time but I could see my HR would increase at certain times of the month. Wish they'd study it more as there's definitely something to it

@NatGee yes it's good that I've at least got a pattern and showing to be regular. We BD Thursday CD7 and not last night so kinda going to switch it a little and start from CD7. Don't think any harm since I know I ovulate so early. CD7 is actually still in my fertile window (just). We will BD today then see what happens with OPK tomorrow

@allgoodthings84 it's crazy how each person can vary cycle to cycle too! My pattern for June and July was the same but the temps themselves for June were quite a bit lower. That's so interesting about your RHR, mine jumps all over the place so can't really rely on it.. my Samsung watch said my RHR yesterday was 77, yet I've been averaging 67-69 up to then 🤦‍♀️

@NatGee it would be so good to have more research about it, as there is definitely something in it!

How is everyone feeling? Still positive? Keeping everything crossed for us all, I have a good feeling we will get some BFPs this month 🤞🙏

@ffsr111 welcome 😊 I'd try whats been said above, try a cheapie this afternoon after a 4 hour hold. I generally can't quite make 4 hours but I catch mine in a cup and dip the test strip and usually can tell by the colour that it's not too diluted. Let us know how you get on 🙏

@EdinburghGirl1 the timings were given for SMEP are geared towards a textbook ovulation day of around the 14th so makes sense to adapt it to when you know you ovulate

@Mum2DD89 yup still feeling positive. I feel like we will be trying properly this month. Last two cycles I think we left it too late to BD but now I have all the tools and contraptions so yeah, hopeful! How about you? How are you feeling about this cycle ?

Two ladies have got BFPs on a separate thread and I find it so encouraging when people return to share their news.

@Mum2DD89 @NatGee I found it fascinating too. I’ve been wearing a Fitbit with HR monitor for years but never paid much attention to it apart from to check every so often that it’s healthy. Between AF and ovulation I average at 58 but was 56 this month (probably why I’m 1bpm lower than usual at 3dpo).

Apparently my dads doctor told him that resting HR tends to go up a couple bmp in higher temperatures but mine seemed to have done the opposite this month 😂. My dad had a heart attack out of nowhere back in April which is when I started paying more attention to my resting HR which was before we started ttc. His resting HR is usually around 54 but he’s been told it’s not because of that. They don’t know why as he’s fit and healthy and a healthy weight and eats well. One of those things.

I go from feeling very positive to thinking it will never happen then repeat. I’m the most positive in the fertile time. That’s my favourite time and not just because of the sex 😂. It’s a time full of hope then after ovulation it’s out of our hands. That’s what I don’t like wondering if you’ve done enough and trying to ignore any symptoms as you know chances are they are just a rise in progesterone. I’m being more positive this 2ww but will still ignore symptoms. It definitely helps staying positive chatting on here as I have no one else to chat to as we are not telling anyone we are ttc

@allgoodthings84 sorry to hear about your dad's heart attack. Did the doctors find out what the reason for it was? Hope he's on the mend now? It's a scary thing isnt it?

Ha, I know what you mean, you are right, that time before and during ovulation is exciting and then the trepidation sets in and there is ZERO you can do about any of it, its all out of your hands. Will definitely try my best to ignore symptoms as spotting them just drives you mad

We'll see how I feel when I get into my TWW. Unfortunately it seems like Ill be one of the last as mostly everyone on this thread is ahead of me

Good morning ☺️

@allgoodthings84 I am so sorry to hear about your dad. I hope he made a full recovery 💐🙏🏻💐

Looks like I ovulated cd 12 🤔 waiting for tomorrow when FF gives me crosshairs. We dtd cd 6 ✅, cd 8 ✅, cd10 ✅, cd 12 ✅ and cd 13 ✅.

@EdinburghGirl1 I am going to tailor the SMEP plan to my cycle as well. I think the most important day to dtd is the day before ovulation.

@Aurora81 god, what a game of catching the egg!!! you should be OK considering you BDd during your fertile period? xx

@allgoodthings84 wow that must have been really scary, I'm glad your dad is OK!

@NatGee I'm exactly the same, hopeful around now when I'm waiting for ovulation, but I find it so hard not to drive myself crazy in the TWW! I. Will. Not. Symptom. Spot. This. Month! Who am I kidding 🤦‍♀️ my rational brain: its the progesterone.. my baby brain: but 👀

@Aurora81 your chart looks great! Fingers crossed for cross hairs tomorrow 🤞

@NatGee I seem to be ovulating at Cd 12 at the moment. The thing is my opks only turned peak/positive on Cd 12 🤨. I did have a restless night's sleep Cd 12, so I don't know if my temp rose because of that or ovulation. So basically, I ovulated either cd 12 or cd 13, and I simply don't know which to be honest as I was still having ewcm and ovulation pain yesterday 😔

@Mum2DD89 hahah omg, we're driving ourselves nuts! you;re right, its all easier said than done!!!

@Aurora81 from your chart it does look like CD12, but then I am not overly experienced in charting.is the pain gone now?

@NatGee the pain has stopped completely. I usually ovulate 12-24 hours after a peak reading, so considering I got a peak reading at 18.30 pm approx on cd 12, then it would seem that cd 13 would be ovulation day....I literally don't know so, I going to just see what happens over the TWW...lucky me 😅

@Mum2DD89 my temp usually stays up which makes it look like it will be triphasic and then it dips at 13 dpo 😣I am cd 14 and either 1 dpo/2 dpo due to a restless night's sleep and a DH who was snoring so bad...