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

@allgoodthings84 it's so hard when it doesn't happen easily, especially as we usually spend our adolescence and early adulthood trying to avoid getting pregnant, as we're constantly told it can happen at any moment, and yet when we decide to start trying, suddenly we realise how much more difficult it really is! I didn't realise covid affects sperm, do they know how long for? Perhaps supplements like maca root could help?

@EdinburghGirl1 I've always been awful for looking into absolutely every possibility, I'm an information junkie 🤦🏻‍♀️ I'm trying to stay positive, but I'm an impatient person at the best of times!

@NatGee ahhh that's actually really nice to hear, I feel much less alone 🙂

@allgoodthings84 my appt with GP is today at 14.15 - so will hopefully get my results next week and then will ask today if I can come back to do 21 day bloods, let’s see what they say 🤞
how u getting on?

@NSx best of luck today hope it goes well

@NatGee thanks girl 💕

@NSx hope the appointment goes ok today! Let us know how it goes. No sign of AF here yet. The apps had me down for yesterday. My longest cycle recorded in the many years I have been tracking on Flo is 28 days, and that's today so I'm currently at the popping to the loo for a wipe stage every half an hour (sorry TMI). I started a supplement this month though and ovulation was CD17, so thinking it might have just made my cycle longer. Anyway, back to the waiting I go...! How's the temp today @Mum2DD89?

@fsr111 that is promising! we know what it might mean if AF isn't here :D
and yeah good question, how is it today @Mum2DD89 ?

@NatGee @fsr111 my temp is still up! Couldn't believe it, but I'm still trying to wait until tomorrow to test, although hubby wants me to test tonight. I made a big point of being happy to flush my FMU away 🤦‍♀️ although @fsr111 I'm at the stage you're at running to the loo every half an hour to check, as I've been having some cramping and twinges since Tuesday. Also feeling a little nauseous again today but trying not to read too much into it all! Has your AF stayed away so far? Keeping everything crossed 🤞

@LucyFraser1981 welcome, everyone is so lovely here! Have you tried SMEP before or is this your first time?

@Mum2DD89 looking forward to your results, fx itll be another bfp for the thread

My temp dropped slightly today, so its the third day without a rise. Still miles off the cover line but it could all go downhill from here

I am loving taking my temperature and look forward to it every morning, Also tracking my heart rate and its amazing how one is like the other. ill take a screenshot of my chart if anyone is interested

Here it is

@Mum2DD89 i think you should test 🤞✨ I have a good feeling I don’t know how you’re holding off 😂😂😂💜

@NatGee I enjoy temping too - you get an idea of what’s going on don’t u

@fsr111 i will let you know how I get on ok, it will be pretty routine I’m sure 💕

@fsr111 as far as I know, if you ovulated a little later than usual, then your period would likely be delayed a little as it's our LP that stays roughly the same afterwards, so of it's usually longer than 11 days, you'd probably not be due your AF on day 28? FF is quite good at predicting when AF will arrive if you've charted enough and it has estimated your ovulation. Keeping fingers crossed for you!

@Mum2DD89 thank you! Never tried SMEP before, so hoping it'll work for us 🤞 will start DTD next week! At least it's not roasting like last month, my fertile window fell exactly during the heatwave, so we were DTD four nights in a row and it was NOT fun... 🤦🏻‍♀️😅

I can't believe you're being so restrained and waiting to test!

think a lot of in this group were DTD during that heatwave too @LucyFraser1981 🥵😂 had thought the same about the LP, so trying not to get my hopes up. I'm not chatting, just used OPKs, so only actually know when I got the peak. This group have made me want to chart, love how much data you all have, but not sure it suits my personality type! Haha! @Mum2DD89, your will power is amazing!! I'm keeping everything crossed for you for tomorrow!!

@fsr111 oh I absolutely LOOOOOOOVE me some data, the more the better! I like doing the BBT as it's a much better way of seeing if I've actually ovulated, as opks only show the body gearing up to ovulate, but don't guarantee an egg is actually released, whereas the sustained temperature shift is a clear indication that ovulation has occurred. I may be a bit of an information geek... 🤔 😅

Still, as we all know, until AF shows up, there's still hope! 💗

Oh I bet there were plenty of us sweating away last month 😬🥵🤣

@LucyFraser1981 lol !

@NSx make sure they also check your vitamin D levels. Say that you want them checked because it can impact your fertility if it is low. Best of luck 🍀

@Mum2DD89 best of luck when you test!! 😊 Eeekkk ✨🤞🏻 ✨

@fsr111 fx for you ✨ I hope you get good news when you test again.

@LucyFraser1981 welcome 😊 I will be 41 in 2 months. I had my amh tested a few months ago and I take Coq10 to help nourish my eggs 😊

Just popping on quickly, CD 7 today, so starting my cb digital tomorrow morning. Feel asleep watching Netflix last night 😴

@NSx good luck for your appointment

@fsr111 yeah I'd say if you ovulated later then your cycle will be longer as generally LP is similar.

@Mum2DD89 that seems so promising. I can't wait to hear how you get on and I'm extremely impressed by your restraint. If I'd been temping I'd probably have tested again earlier.

@NatGee that's looking good too. Very excited for you all still waiting to test.

@LucyFraser1981 yes so much better now it's cooled down. My fertile window the previous cycle was in the heatwave 😂

@Aurora81 yay for a fellow 41er! I've got a phonecall with a fertility clinic next week so will likely ask to book in for an AMH test, as GPs won't test for anything at all besides the 21 day progesterone levels 😖

@EdinburghGirl1 ugh, well at least your sweating wasn't in vain! 🥵🤣

@Aurora81 i will defo - thanks for the tip 💜

@Aurora81 i saw a gp before ttc, a hollistic one, who said the same about vit d. I had been deficient last year but supplemented and thankfully all normal now.
I read vit d from the sun is better but obviously the ingested form is also good and definitely better than nothing.

@NatGee your chart looks good too! So interesting your RHR follows your temp as well, mine did before ovulation but my rhr has gone mad since then ha! How long is your luteal phase normally?

Thanks everyone, part of me is really hopeful as I've never had a chart like this before, but for the most part I'm so anxious that my body is just playing tricks and I cant bear to see a negative result..

there's been all sorts this cycle that haven't been great, ovulating 4 days later than normal, we struggled to keep up with SMEP so ended up doing the syringe method on ovulation day, then I did the proov pdg test strips that told me I hadn't actually ovulated so just trying very hard to manage my anxiety. Hubby is so desperate for me to test though, might just pee on the sticks and let him tell me tomorrow 🤦‍♀️

Actually as @Aurora81 said on vit D, but also on iron. My GP said that your levels may well say 'in range' from a blood test - mine did. However you need more vit D and iron for ttc than the level ranges provided. So she recommended I took a supplement for both.

I forgot about this so thank you. I'll take a supplement for iron when I get back.

@Mum2DD89 still, not as nice as yours! yeah i am a little bit worried about how high its been, i like it to stay within the 50s. I have been keeping active perhaps its the heat? I have had two drinking sessions this cycle too so maybe thats why? Only started tracking two cycles ago and they have both been 14 days.

Ovulating late does not have to be something bad, in fact, a short follicular stage can be just as detrimental as a short lp apparently because your egg needs time to mature. Unless I am missing something? It is annoying though to wait longer to dtd, it just stretches the cycle out

What's the syringe method please?

@NatGee ha you're not wrong with it stretching the cycle out, we started DTD on cd8 and I didnt get my first positive OPK until cd19 I think it was 🤦‍♀️

The syringe method is we literally got a cup and a calpol syringe and inserted that way, my poor husband started out with good intentions but then it got in his head and we struggled bless him!

@NSx good luck today. I’m on CD10 so will be ovulating sometime soon. I’ve had EWCM and dtd Tuesday and will tonight and tomorrow night then again Sunday night and see where I’m at then. I’ll be expecting it to happen any time from Saturday to Tuesday. Knowing my luck Sunday as I can’t opk Saturday so will miss my peak 😂

@fsr111 on the odd occasion I’ve ovulated late my LP stayed the same so AF was late too but until it’s here you’re still in the game

@Mum2DD89 @NatGee looking forward to you both testing! Fingers crossed some more bfp’s. I don’t bbt but my heart rate goes up after what OPK predicts as my ovulation and starts to slowly drop just before AF so I reckon mine would follow a similar pattern too