Diary of a crazy woman: earliest symptoms leading to a BFP?

[purplecolouroffunk]

Hi!

What were some of the first signs before you got your BFP?

I’m 11dpo. AF due to arrive in 4 days. Negatives on easy @ home tests so far (I know, I know).

Some of my “symptoms” are:

• Cramps basically every day since ovulation - twinges and pulling feeling
• Slight nausea especially when hungry - bit more hungry than usual
• Light pink bleeding from 6dpo - still going now but super light
• Shooting pains in boobs
• VERY changeable emotions - laughing and perky one minute, next minute crying because I can’t find the inbox on a new piece of software
• Bursts of energy
• Feeling and needing to pee more (is 11dpo too early for that?)
• Headaches nearly every day

I know there are literally hundreds of women on here wondering the same thing, but at least it passes the time eh? 😂😭

@purplecolouroffunk thanks - I think 12 dpo is the latest so you it could still be. I've been getting them about every 5-10 mins all day, some are mild some stop me in my tracks. But it's also probably nothing!

Fingers crossed for Thursday!

@purplecolouroffunk thank you, last year was a bit of a write-off 🥴 but I'm doing much better now.
@Confusedddddddd sorry to hear about your experience, that sounds rough x

I'm exactly the same with sleeping - usually so cold in bed but this week I've been really warm! I wondered if it meant anything, or the weather is just changing?!

I saw something recently that said that what people say are implantation cramps are usually not actually to do with implantation, but the hormones affecting your digestion and that's what causes the cramps. I'm not sure if that's just bollocks though, there's so much conflicting stuff out there!

I've just seen that I have really light pink spotting today, 😓so i think I'm out this month. It's really early for me at 9dpo and I've been sooo good this month, not drinking and eating super healthy and not overdoing exercise etc... I've started having acupuncture in the past month, which i hoped would help but maybe it's going to take a few months for it to have an impact.

just goes to show even if you do everything right you can't make things line up. it's so frustrating!

@Confusedddddddd it's weird isn't it!! I've just generally had loads more light cramping this month but I bet it's just a weird change in my cycle.

I asked my friend who is very recently pregnant and she said she had cramps for like 3 weeks before BFP and constantly felt like AF was coming. But I guess she's just one person as sometimes people feel nothing!

@chutney1 oh interesting about the digestion thing. I guess that makes sense too. Bodies are so weird!

You're in the implantation phase so your spotting could be that? I've had low level pink spotting for about 6 days now, which is not usual for me, but it's other symptoms that are making me wonder this month. But maybe I'm just in full-blown denial 😂

When I’ve been pregnant it’s only after a missed period (like a PP having a break and not tracking), and felt very nauseous and immediately known.

I seem to have the strongest symptoms before my period when I’m not pregnant! A few months ago I was tired, heavy breasts, nausea, etc and was convinced I was pregnant before my period. This has happened about 6 times in the last 18m. Not pregnant though!!

@Wictc dang, must be that pesky progesterone? It's a pain in the arse 😂

I didn’t get super tired or nauseous until I was about 6 weeks pregnant, I did have cramps from 4 weeks which were strong enough to feel like my AF was about to start.

Yes all before bfp. Oh I also just remembered I got raised bumps on my nipples too really noticeable they have a name but I can't remember what, that was before bfp also.

@Atomickittyxx you're giving me hope - I'm shattered today!

I don't remember having tiredness with my first before BFP, and with the ectopic I was super ill anyway. But again they say it's different everytime.

@Wictc I'm the same, the months I was pregnant I didn't feel as symptom-y before my missed period, and i was always very happy and zen - not like lately at all!

I've started my period super early this month - only about 9/10dpo (although I'm normally only a 12 day luteal anyway). So frustrating! I've been sooo good this month and even eaten some eggs when I'm usually vegan as my acupuncturist said that might help me.

Has anyone ever heard of soy isoflavones? I've been doing some insane researching this morning and think i might try these this month to see if i can get my ovulation to start a bit earlier and hopefully lengthen my luteal phase a bit.

good luck everyone waiting, i hope we get some good news soon!

@chutney1 ahh I'm sorry to hear about AF arriving early. It's so annoying isn't it.

Interesting you mention being happy and zen. I feel soo much more calm and happy this month in the run up to AF (due tomorrow or Thu). I'm usually a bit of a mess. Part of me wondered if it's something to do with increased progesterone as I hear that can help to lessen symptoms of PMS. I have loads more energy too (not good as a pg symptom 😅). I'm wondering if it's because I started taking B6 a couple of weeks ago, and trying not to get my hopes up that it's pregnancy 😂

Aw I'm vegan too!! I totally understand why you'd try giving eggs a go if it might help. Has acupuncture had any positive effects for you?

I haven't heard of soy isoflavones but of course I am now going to Google the hecking toot out of that... 😂

@purplecolouroffunk ah yay a fellow vegan! I haven't met anyone else TTC vegan so it would be great to chat about any different things you do. At the mo I'm taking Conceive plus fertility support, algae omega 3, extra D3 and just started taking B6 too after reading about this! do you have any other recommendations?

Here's what I've found about soy isoflavones:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/conception/2206677-soy-isoflavones-yes-or-no

i ovulate really late in my cycle, like day 16-18 of a 28 day cycle (this one only 26!) so i think it could be worth a try at least. it's definitely a long shot but i think it's worth a try

with the acupuncture, it's hard to say, as this month has been an earlier period and quite painful compared to past ones. i wonder if it's getting worse before it hopefully gets better?
generally i think the acupuncture has definitely helped me relax, and i feel like i'm a bit healthier, but that's probably down to a lot more lifestyle changes, like I've cut down on alcohol a lot and exercising more etc.

feeling calm and happy is definitely a good sign for me! oooh i hope it's your month. have you done another test?

@chutney1 I haven't met any other vegans on here yet either! Glad to have found a comrade 🙂

At the moment I'm taking a general multivitamin, folic, algae omega 3, collagen, and B6. I stopped drinking alcohol last Feb which I have to say has done wonders for my general anxiety!

Ooh I just read the whole thread on soy isoflavones. That is SO interesting. I had no idea such a thing existed! I generally tend to ovulate around at CD14 so I'm not sure if they'd be suitable for me as read it can mess your cycle up. But that sounds really positive for your late ovulation reading the success stories!

Interesting re the acupuncture, I've always wanted to give it a go. I was thinking about speaking to a herbalist too - one of my friends had really good success with erratic cycles/bleeding after she'd seen one.

Well at the very least the calm and happy has been a welcome relief this month 😂

I haven't tested since Sunday (11dpo)! I've decided I'm going to test Thursday morning if no sign of AF. So that'll be day AF is due and 15dpo. Getting BFNs at 10 and 11dpo made me so disheartened, so want to try and avoid that again! How about you?

There were a couple of things for me before my positive that made me start to think I might be.
I normally struggle to sleep with my PMS and that didn't happen at all this cycle. I was sleeping really well.
I also usually feel really lethargic and lacking get up and go but again this time I had tons and tons of energy first thing in the morning (that's gone now at about 5 1/2 weeks).
The other main thing I noticed was I had a huge eczema flare up when it had been settled for quite a while.

@Pixiedust25 thank you!

This is actually really great to hear. I've had so much more energy than usual for the past few days, and I'm also not a morning person. Quite often I'll fall asleep on the sofa as soon as we stick a movie on, but haven't been doing that.

It's totally demoralised me cause all you hear about is people being knackered in the run up to a BFP.

I know what you mean! I was confused by how bright I was feeling after everything I'd read! It was purely because it was so out of character for me that I didn't lose hope completely.

I just got a positive test 10dpo. My symptoms were sensitive nipples since ovulation, mild cramps and today slightly nauseous

@NavySwan congratulations! Fantastic news 😀😀

@NavySwan congrats!
Out of interest did you test before 10dpo? I'm 9 and having maybe an extremely faint line

Yes I got an extremely faint line! Alot darker today x

ahhh congrats ladies! 💚

@purplecolouroffunk how are you feeling? still holding out on testing?

i decided against the isoflavones because they can mess with your cycle if you do ovulate apparently, but i just ordered some progesterone cream to apply in my next TWW and see if it helps lengthen it at all - not sure if it will make any difference but worth a shot! I'll report back next cycle.

@chutney1 I've just realised I never got back to you! AF got me in the end this month :( Nearly over now, so onto the new cycle :)

Let us know how the progesterone cream goes!!

aawwh sorry to hear it showed up xx yes all the positive vibes for this next cycle!

I actually DID try the soy isoflavones this month, and I got the progesterone cream and aspirin for after ovulation, so I've gone all in with the cycle tweaking... lots of info on the soy stuff here and updates from some of us trying them https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/conception/5014169-soy-isoflavones-advice-pls?

@chutney1 cool! Let us know how you get on with it all!

When is predicted ovulation day for you this month?

@purplecolouroffunk my main symptom was feeling hot from week 3 to week 4 and nausea starting 2 days before af was due. I ended up miscarrying and I’m now in the first tww after mc currently 4 dpo my bbt is lower than usual but I’m experiencing all my pregnancy symptoms I guess my body is confused a bit.