SMEP-ing our way to a BFP 🍁🍂🐿️🍂🍁

[Aurora81]

Our SMEP plans continue.... The old thread is almost full, so I started a new thread so we can continue on SMEP-ing to a BFP ✨☺️✨

@pomdownunder1 do you take vitamin C supplements? Those can help to increase progesterone and therefore lengthen LP.

@NSx Think I'm out, got the dull achey cramps/backache and just saw the absolute teeniest hint of spotting, so reckon AF will be here tomorrow evening/Sunday. Ah well, nothing if not predictable 🤷‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

Off to the pumpkin patch tomorrow with my son & partner (even though I'm rather pissed off with him!). Meeting our friends there, but only for half an hour or so, then it'll be all the pumpkiny mess in my garden while partner empties them out and gets thoroughly over invested in carving them 😅🎃

@LucyFraser1981 yes already take vitamin C! I've started spotting again this morning and can tell AF is imminent 😞 not a surprise either I guess!

Oo that sounds fun! You'll have to post a pic of the end result 🎃

Morning all! Hope you're all doing ok. Sorry it looks like AF might be arriving for some of you. I'm so sick of TTC. We've started looking in to IVF, I'm just not quite brave enough to make an appointment for the initial consultation yet, keep just hoping, hoping, hoping it might happen naturally... think I will give it until Christmas and then in the new year will have to get the ball rolling. Hope you all have a happy weekend ahead

What dpo are you @pomdownunder1 ?

Ahhh @fsr111 it's really hard isn't it 😔 how many cycles have you been trying for now?

I'm so confused, I'm 15dpo so should either have AF tomorrow or Monday because of my 16/17 day LP. There was the absolute teeniest little bit of dark brown cm last night, almost within a bit of EWCM, had weird achey back and pressure/dull cramps, so was expecting another lower temperature today plus some more brown cm/spotting, but there's nothing, and my temp is still up? The wondfo IC pg test is totally blank still though, so surely if I'd been successful there'd be a hint of a line at least?! 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ may have to give in and order a FRER on amazon if nothing has changed by this evening 🤔

Hi everyone

@pomdownunder1 I take vit c too and vitamin b complex but it hasn’t really made a difference to my spotting. I’m sorry AF seems to be coming I hope it doesn’t.

@LucyFraser1981 I’m sorry you feel AF coming. Fingers crossed not for you too. We are pumpkin picking today but my partner is working so going with my mum and my brother and his girlfriend and her daughter. I am not gutting it though I’m giving my daughter a marker to draw on it 😂 the smell of pumpkin makes me heave

@fsr111 I really hope it happens for you before Xmas. Ttc is the hardest thing I’ve ever done and babies and baby announcements are everywhere

@NSx how are you?

@LucyFraser1981 fingers crossed for you. My IC had that faint line 12dpo but it all depends when implantation happens

Keeping everything crossed for you @LucyFraser1981, temp certainly not plummeting like you expected it to. We've been trying for a year now. The first few cycles were more relaxed, but we're at least 10 cycles proper TTC so definitely losing hope. How are you @allgoodthings84, been thinking of you this week.

@fsr111 I’m ok. Coming to the end of the bleeding now. I’ll start opk’s on Monday. I want to ask at the GP if I can repeat my day 21 bloods to check the progesterone level again as I don’t know if it was so high because of pregnancy. I’m not worried about ovulation but I’m worried my progesterone isn’t high enough to sustain a pregnancy (also why I spot before AF) and is why I lost this one so early. Although I’m not sure what it will tell me as my levels of progesterone are obviously high enough to ovulate which is all the nhs look for in these tests. I need a test at 6dpo and another later on really to make sure it’s not dropping to soon but know the nhs doesn’t do that unless you have 3 miscarriages.

Then again 6dpo would have been a bit early to already be pregnant although I know it’s possible.

Good afternoon ladies 💗
how are u all?
@LucyFraser1981 that’s confusing that you’re expecting a drop in temp but still nothing, mine sometimes drops the day before, 2days before or even 3 it depends - i hope this is a good sign for you though 💕🤞
@fsr111 how old are u if u don’t mind me asking? They say that after a year of trying over 35 u can ask for help from NHS although I don’t know if that’s something you’ve already tried?
@pomdownunder1 how are u doing, what’s the next step for you?
@allgoodthings84 how are u feeling ? im glad the bleeding is nearly over and u can move forward 🤞 it won’t be long before you’re ovulating again - let’s hope this is your month!

im all good over here, 10dpo and waiting for AF on Thursday - that’s about it really x

@NSx, I'm 36 but we have a DD already so not entitled to anything really. Have had the standard tests and a pelvic ultrasound and that's my lot. How's your temp looking today? @allgoodthings84, i'd ask the dr if I were you and your concerned. No harm in pushing for it, the worst that can happen is that they say no, which is unlikely, but if you don't ask, you will always be concerned about it. Perhaps just try and see if you can speak to a different dr about the progesterone concerns and the spotting, I know the previous dr you spoke to didn't think too much about it, but they all differ so much in what their approach is to this kind of thing in my experience

@fsr111 when I booked my original appointment the receptionist put me in with the most sympathetic doctor for ttc issues. It wasn’t my usual doctor I know he wouldn’t be 😂. The nhs just don’t take progesterone issues seriously unless it suggests no ovulation but as I do definitely ovulate think that’s all they will do unless I have more miscarriages

@LucyFraser1981 I'm 10dpo, second day of spotting. AF due tomorrow! How's your temp now?

Next steps are new doctor tomorrow, showing her my blood test results and seeing if she recommends hormone treatment.

@allgoodthings84 I definitely think you should ask to get bloods done again

@pomdownunder1 even if I have them I don’t think it will tell anything as my progesterone at that stage is high enough to get pregnant so isn’t low at that point. In the uk they don’t test any later to check that progesterone stays up they only check progesterone for ovulation purposes so we know it’s high enough at day 21 (6/7dpo)

I’ve looked up levels of progesterone in pregnancy and the first trimester it’s normal for 35.62-286.20 with the lower end being at the beginning I’m guessing and getting higher before lowering again before the 2nd trimester (it’s a lot lower in second trimester). As my progesterone was 51.5 at only 6dpo so unlikely to even be fully implanted by then, I know at that stage it was fine for pregnancy.

I’m not worried about day 21 levels. I’m worried about 5-6 days after that. That I have a massive drop. It might all be in my head though as I’ve had one confirmed CP. It’s only the spotting that makes me worry about it but nhs won’t look into that until 3 miscarriages

@pomdownunder1 I really hope you get what you need for you to have a successful pregnancy

@allgoodthings84 that makes sense. It's hard with the internet at our finger tips isn't it. Sometimes I think it would be easier if we didn't have access to any of it 🤣 I drive myself crazy googling signs and symptoms.

Thank you! AF is well on her way here so I'm out this month but sending baby 🧚 to everyone who's in the TWW.

Bah. Temp still up, AF due tomorrow, stark white wondfo IC hcg test, so no idea what's going on. Have a FRER arriving later so will see if I can get strong enough urine to test, otherwise will test tomorrow morning. I'm sure its just my body trying to screw with my head! Only thing I can think of is that I actually ovulated early on cd13, rather than 12, in which case I could only be 15dpo, rather than 16dpo, so might just get a plummeting temp tonight and tomorrow and then AF on Tuesday 🤷‍♀️ still got sore boobs, but no real cramping or anything else, just occasional dull heavy ache in lower abdomen and back.

How are you all doing today?

@allgoodthings84 what about contacting a private fertility clinic to see if they'd do you the progesterone levels at a later point in your LP? Hope you're doing ok 💗

@pomdownunder1 iO’m so sorry for AF.

@LucyFraser1981 ooohhh fingers crossed for you. We will look at private if I have another loss but there’s nothing local to me and I work all week then have my daughter after school pick up so it’s not something I can easily do unfortunately. If it was more local I could make up a doctors appointment excuse but I can’t as not local so would need a few hours.

@allgoodthings84 I'm 99% sure it's just my chart trolling me, but no doubt will use a FRER later when they arrive just to be sure 🤦🏻‍♀️

Ah that's a shame, I did think I'd need to drive to a city to access a clinic as live out in the sticks, but Bristol fertility clinic has a satellite clinic in a local town, so was only 30 minutes from me. I'm lucky I don't work so weekday appointments for things are much easier. I really hope you get your BFP soon, and have no need for anymore tests 🍀

Hoping we get my partner's sperm analysis results this week and that all's ok 🤞

@LucyFraser1981 my fingers are well and truly crossed for you. My RHR is now back to where it usually is at CD7 so I’m hoping my body and cycles went straight back to normal. I’ll start opk’s tomorrow

There will be one around 40-45 mins away but would mean a few hours off work with travelling time etc. I just wouldn’t get away with it without having to explain why and it’s not something I want work (or anyone in real life) knowing about. If it happens again though I’ll suck it up and tell them as me and my partner agreed if it happens again it’s likely not coincidence.

my partner was delighted not to have to have his sperm analysis as obviously it’s fine as I got pregnant. He did tell me though that when he was 20 his girlfriend at the time got pregnant but they were both at uni and not in a good place (close to breaking up) so had a termination. I didn’t know that until he told me after I got pregnant. He was scared what I would think as he wants it so much now with me. I just told him they did what they needed to do for both of them at the time I’m hardly going to judge something from 12 years ago that they did for the best.

@allgoodthings84 stark white FRER, so guess my bbt is just being a git 🤷‍♀️😕

Would you really need to tell work what it's about, can you not just say you have a specialist appointment in regards to a personal health matter? I don't think you're obligated to give them anymore information than that?

Glad your cycle seems to be back to normal, fingers crossed ovulation is on time!

@LucyFraser1981 oh no that sucks. Fingers crossed it’s just because not long enough hold or something

no wouldn’t have to tell them but they don’t have to give me time off if it’s not something urgent and this wouldn’t come into urgent. It’s our busy time of the year at work. I think if they knew I had had a miscarriage etc and want to look into it they would be more understanding but then they would also know I’m ttc which I don’t want them to know. I don’t have any annual leave left until March next year as it’s all used for when my daughter is off school.

Well I shall give it one more go tomorrow morning if my temp's still up and AF hasn't arrived, but fairly certain it's 99.9% a negative 😕

Well if you did divulge about the miscarriage they'd not be allowed to discuss it with anyone else, so should only be whoever's in charge of allowing time off? Let's keep our fingers crossed that this coming cycle will be the one for us all🍀

@LucyFraser1981 i hope there’s lots of bfp’s here. Yep it’s the main boss who approves time off 😂 it’s not a big company. If I have another loss I’m going private as it can’t be coincidence then and I’ll just have to tell him or wait until after March and use a day annual leave. If they were open Sundays it could be a bit easier 😂. I also haven’t got the spare money for private at the moment. I have a little saved but will need it in the near future so wouldn’t want to use it unless I was sure it’s progesterone. If I have another early loss I’ll be more sure. I’m really hoping I’m worrying about nothing like I was when I was worrying that I don’t even ovulate. I’m an overthinker and worrier. I know it’s really common to have a CP/early miscarriage for so many reasons I just need to keep reminding my brain of that.

I'm a massive over-thinker too @allgoodthings84 I always need ALL THE DATA and information possible 🤦🏻‍♀️😅
I think, although easier said than done, trying to relax and have patience is all we can do for now. But absolutely get some reassurance if things go wrong again, I'd do the same.

Definitely out this cycle, plummeting temp this morning, which also moved my ovulation date to CD13 which I thought was more likely anyway, so AF will arrive either this evening or tomorrow probably. I'm really going to try and be more relaxed this time, but who knows if I'll actually manage it 😅 hoping we get partner's sperm analysis results today 🍀🤞

@LucyFraser1981 oh no I’m so sorry 😞 it’s so annoying when our bodies trick us.