2023 TTC 35+ Part 4

[VixFromThe6ix]

New thread, ladies!!!!

Hope you can all find it.

Feel free to tag others to continue the conversation.

@Floralsandsmiles huge congratulations to you on your positive result ❤

@SnookyPook I had exactly the same last cycle. Period was 3 and a half days late which never happens and just as I was about to test, it arrived. That's triggered me to get on here as I was feeling so sad and so alone. All that being said i have not gone through what you have and so can't begin to imagine how difficult it must be for you. I totally get wanting to take a step back and find more Zen. It's only a small thing and might not be for everyone but I have found practicing Mindfulness with Headspace app really useful. They have some specific mediation for TCC on there too :) also journaling and writing down my feelings just for me, has been a great help. Not going to result in pregnancy but just helpful from a mental health point of view.
All that being said, I realise you will probably have had every piece of advice going thrown your way and sounds like you just need a break from it all and to concentrate on you and your wellbeing. Please know that I am thinking of you and everyone on here who struggles in whatever way that might be and whether you are active on here or not. The internet is a weird and wonderful place for making random connections eh! We are all warriors and amazing in our own ways💖✨👑

@MrsBP15 thank you for the lovely message 💗 I find journalling helpful too! Will make some time for that later. AF should never be late - tww is bad enough without extra torment!

Aww @SnookyPook I'm sorry to hear your struggles and how you are currently feeling but we have all been in a space, at some time or another, where we have needed time out. So take all the time you need, we will be here when you return and are silently cheering you on for the duration and during absence. Sending love xxxx

@SnookyPook that was me last month, 2 days late which I've never been in my life before and then AF arrived. Its arrived today too so that's me out. Totally understand your feelings, my original due date was last Saturday. I'd really hoped I'd be pregnant by then yet next month marks a whole year since we started trying again and I've gotten no where. Saturday felt really sad, we were both quite emotional. I'd been given a memory box from the hospital with a card in, I finally felt up to writing a message in and taking a look at my scan image. As hard a day as it was I feel that was the last big hurdle to get through to close that chapter.

@SnookyPook @RoseH36 Sending my heart out to you both with the due dates and milestones of the babies you’ve lost. I completely understand sometimes needing to take a step back, it is wonderful to have the support of others that are going through similar things but also is a reminder of difficulties too.
I wonder if it would be better if I wasn’t aware of all of the temping and OPKs and timings. It must have been a totally different world before women had access to these tools (and contraception). We are fortunate to have all this at our disposal and yet it feels all the more cruel when it doesn’t work when or how you want it to.
Now in cycle 4, I am losing some of my initial optimism and starting to come to terms with just how irregular my cycles are and that I’m showing signs of the start of perimenopause. Feels cruel that we have only just felt financially and emotionally ready for a second child yet could be just too late for it to happen. We will see…

@CurlyWurly1991 thank you. I know what you mean, in some ways maybe it would be better without everything at our disposal as it takes over your life. You start questioning every month why you aren't pregnant yet when you're tracking everything so feel surely it should be working.

Sorry to those of you struggling. It’s shit! Personally I don’t know how it’s possible to make it not stressful whether you are tracking everything or not. If you want to get pregnant you really want to get pregnant! I’m yet to encounter anyone who is truly chilled about whether they conceive or not.

On another topic, is anyone using clearblue digital opks? My holder malfunctioned this morning after I’d flushed my wee so the test didn’t work. Instructions say to drink normally and test again in 4 hours. Has this happened to anyone and was the result reliable? Im
paranoid about missing the peak result because I need to take my hardcore meds after ovulation, and if I take them too early it can prevent ovulation so totally ruin this cycle 😭. I’m CD13 today and have had 2 days of flashing smiley so was expecting peak today or tomorrow (though not much EWCM yet so possibly later).

Snookypook - not tagged you in case you are having a break but understand the need to step away, take care. I often step away for part of my cycle and come back.
@Ifyouknowyouknowyouknow about 10 cycles now. Might look into vitamins a bit more so I can feel I am doing something different. We didn't manage to DTD on peak days this time so lower chance. Some months just don't quite work out,.life gets in the way though we try hard

@Ifyouknowyouknowyouknow my clear blue has never missed a peak though if I start testing too late in the cycle it has missed the flashing smiley. You could get hold of another holder maybe if it doesn't work?
And save some wee in a pot in case it malfunctions in 4 hours to give you time to get another test. Sounds stressful

Hi ladies, stepping in here. I'm 36 next week. We've been trying since April and fell pregnant in July. Sadly I miscarried last week. Bleeding has stopped today so I'm going to start tracking OV again soon just to check how my body regulates it's cycle again but then we will be trying again.

Hope you are all well xx

@Ifyouknowyouknowyouknow you can repeat the testing with the clear blue anytime of day. Infact I’ve repeated it twice in a day before to catch a peak fixed smiley and no problems.
@BB2023 so sorry to hear about your miscarriage, I had a MMC in June and it’s really hard to go back to trying again. I hope you have been able to take sometime for yourself to rest and heal although I totally get that drive to just start trying again as I was so impatient to do so…as all the ladies on here experienced when I couldn’t wait for AF to return! I know you will get lots of support in here xxx

Thank you @Pineappleapple and @Eirlys1986 I’ve just retested and got flashing smiley again, which I expected and is a relief!

For people using digital opks, how many days of flashing do you typically get? This is day 3 for me.

@Ifyouknowyouknowyouknow I was just coming on here to ask exactly the same question!

I used my first digital opk today alongside my usual strip test one. I got a flashy smiley and am due to ovulate (according to apps) on Sunday so I'm thinking this tracks? Strip test was getting darker too. Interested in what others say.

Also, I always test for ovulation with first wee of the day and have always seemed to catch a positive this way (although perhaps not as it hasn't technically worked yet) but everyone says to test in the afternoon? Last cycle I did two tests a day in the lead up to when I was meant to ovulate and I always had a negative in the afternoon. I guess there's no harm in doing twice a day from here on in but I just wondered if I'm a total freak for getting my (potential) positives in the morning?😅

@Ifyouknowyouknowyouknow I have had times where it’s flashed for only a couple of days and cycles where it has flashed at me for 6 days 😂. I think ideally you would test same time daily but some evidence shows late morning to be better for LH due to something to do with its metabolism overnight so doesn’t always show so well on first pee of the day. In reality I can’t do that so have always tended to check mornings when I get up before work and then sometimes evening too when I feel things are imminent and I’ve never missed a peak to my knowledge

@MrsBP15 i’ve always tested first thing in the morning too as it just worked out better for me. On the days when I’ve had an almost peak LH or just felt a bit ‘ovulatey’ then I’ve tested later in the day too to make sure I catch it ☺️

I use CB digital ov tests. I usually have 4-5 days as High before I get my Peak. I only ever test in the morning x

Thanks @MrsBP15 and @Eirlys1986 and @BB2023!

Ok so sounds like a 3rd day of flashing smiley isn’t anything to worry about. We’re off on holiday this week (with 2 kids in tow, so will not be relaxing!) so I hope I can fit in the testing and dtd as needed.

Afternoon ladies!
I hope you are all ok? I'm having a right mare of day!
Hi ladies!
So I'm 12dpo today and got my bfp on 10dpo. I took tests yesterday and a CB weeks one and got 1-2 weeks.
Anyways this morning im wanting to get a stronger line and did a easy at home one and got the same faint line as yesterday. I panicked and went out and got a boots early one and this was bearly even noticable! So i was petrified i was having a CP.
maybe I took the boots early test, too close to the morning wee at 9am this morning (on easy at home). And maybe that's why the boots early one didn't work? I have attached a pic of the boots one.

Anyways I have taken another easy at home this afternoon (1pm) and its stronger than this mornings one. I have then attached both this morning and now easy at Homes. And a pic of yesterday's easy at home (11dpo) with the 2 tests from today. It looks good progression now?

So in conclusion, I have no idea what's going on with the boots early detection but hate those tests! The easy at home are far more sensitive than we give them credit for.. and I have no idea why no symptoms today?! FmL today!! Lol xxx

Sorry and here are the pics.. xx

@Floralsandsmiles i totally get the worry, but it all looks good to me. Your tests are all definitely positive! At this early stage it takes 48hrs plus to see good progression between tests so I’d give it another couple of days. Stay strong!

@Ifyouknowyouknowyouknow mine varies, I've had low straight to peak, 2 days of flashing then peak and then 4 days of flashing. Panicked the first time it seemed to drag on but does happen so I'm sure you're fine. As others have said it can be worth testing a second time to catch your peak. I've had an error on my holder before but like you it was then fine when I popped another test in.

@Pineappleapple I've just ordered the Proceive tablets to try. Couldn't justify the price of the sachets. They've got much higher quantities of vitamins/minerals than the Pregnacare Conception max I'd been taking this month.

@BB2023 so sorry to hear about your mc. Just be kind to yourself. The first cycle afterwards is always hard as you may find you feel extra emotional (I certainly did after both mine).

@Floralsandsmiles I'd just ignore the Boots one by the look of it but don't become too obsessed with testing, so many things will cause the lines to be darker/lighter. Fingers crossed everything goes well for you 😁

Thank you so much! I just can't believe how bad the boots early tests are! Gave me a shock of my life!! The first day with the bfp was CB on 10dpo, and that was good! obviously easy at home are showing up sensitive too! So no one buy the boots early tests! Xxx

Snookypook, take all the time you need. How you're feeling is completely justified. TTCing is emotionally draining and it's great to step away sometimes and give yourself the needed break. We are here when you need us.

@BB2023 I'm sorry about your Mc. Sadly many of us here know what you're going through and how tough it is. Remember to be kind to your body. It may take some time to get back to normal but it definitely will. Hope you're feeling alright 💕

@Floralsandsmiles oh my, that sounds so stressful!! I heard all these tests could be so unreliable and some are not very sensitive which is so misleading. Especially in these sensitive early stages. Your pictures look good, though! Sending you peace of mind 🙏

Thank you @VixFromThe6ix! How are you doing? Xxx

@Floralsandsmiles I'm good. this week I'm starting to take some hormone pills day 3-5 of my cycle. Next week I got an appointment where I think they are going to do blood tests and do an internal scan. Then I gotta track ovulation and come back for an IUI procedure when I'm ovulating. Crossing fingers this works. This whole TTCing journey is getting exhausting if I'm honest or maybe I'm just getting old 😅
Did you schedule any blood tests or appointments to see an obgyn? Do you have to wait a certain period beforehand?
Also what's a boots test? 🤔 is that the name of the test? I keep seeing this on these forums but not sure we have this in Canada. If I say cheapie tests I think easy @home is that the same thing?

@hime