Trying to conceive for the first time...

[julietaboolie]

... and I feel like I know nothing!

Firstly I have no idea what all these abbreviations mean (apart from TTC) so if someone could elaborate that would be great.

I am 35 this year and OH is 44 soon. Neither of us have had a pregnancy before so no idea if we're fertile at all. Realise we're not spring chickens!

Stopped taking pill at Christmas. Unfortunately I developed a cyst (down there) on Feb 1st which put us out of action until 2 weeks ago, so we haven't really had a chance yet. Period in the post, light spotting and pains today. Very light periods, usually last 2 days at the most. Seemed to regulate at 28 day cycle at first after coming off pill but have now dropped down to 23/24 day cycle.

Against us: I'm a nanny and work away so am only home from Friday night until Monday morning and the odd long weekend, Bank Holidays and annual leave. Is this likely to lessen our chances?

If any of this sounds familiar and you have any tips, please post! Am an absolute novice and have no clue whatsoever.

Many thanks, Julie.

[nomoremagnolia]

Hi Julie Welocme to the madness of ttc! Come and join us on the 'in the company of pregnant ladies' thread - we're all first timers there (apart from a couple of interlopers!) the title is a bit cryptic but it's a pun on the no1 ladies detective agency

[artichokes]

You need to get to know your cycle really well. Esp when you ovulate. Once you know when you ovulate you need to have sex lots in the three days leading up to ovulation and over the 24 hours of ovulation.

There are various ways to find out when you ovulate:
Check for bodily changes (e.g. egg white style cum).
Chart your temp (with a special sensitve thermometer (avail at Boots) - your temp will rise when you ovulate)
Use ovulation sticks (like pregnancy sticks - you pee on them and when you get a positive you are about to ovulate).

Once you know you are having sex at the right time you should get lucky. To maximise chances throw your legs in the air for 15 mins afterwards!

[tinkerbelldust]

hi artichokes how are you
i will just add to artichokes great advice above. try and have sex at least 3 times a week good luck i am temping is very interesting and can help you track when you ovulate

[PrePG]

Hi Julie:

I would recommend getting the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility - it explains all you need to know about your cycle and fertility signs.

There are only a few days each cycle that you're able to get pregnant, so I would say that yes, unfortunately being away from your OH the majority of the week MAY work against you. It would help lots if you're able to pinpoint when you ovulate so that you'll know when you need to get home to OH! Artichokes is right about the ways to detect ovulation (although you're not looking at 'cum' - it's cervical mucus). Temping will tell you when you ovulate, AFTER you've ovulated (your basal body temperature will rise when you have) and gives you a great overall picture of your cycle after you've done it for a few months and can see the patterns emerge. OPK's (ovulation predictor kits)will give you an indication of when you might ovulate by measuring the lutenizing hormone in your urine, which is the hormone responsible for the release of the egg.

As for some common abbrievations on here, hopefully this will help:

TTC: Trying to conceive
2ww: Two week wait (your luteal phase or generally the time between when you ovulate and when your period is due. The 'normal' range is 12-16 days, but it will stay pretty much the same in any given woman. For example if your luteal phase is 14 days, then it will usually remain about 14 days give or take one day in every cycle, no matter when you ovulate)
LP: Luteal Phase - the time between when you ovulate and when you can expect your period
BD: Baby Dance ie sex
AF: Aunt Flo, your period
HPT: Home pregnancy test
BFP or BFN: Big Fat positive or big fat negative - the results of an HPT
OPK: ovulation predictor kit
POAS: Pee on a stick (as you do constantly when you're TTC, either for OPKs or HPTSs!
EWCM: Egg white cervical mucus - the most fertile excretion from your cervix, resembles raw egg whites and is stretchy. When you see it, grab your OH and BD!!!!

Those are really basic, maybe someone else can fill in a few more? Good luck! Baby dust to you!!!!

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

Getting to know when you actually ovulate is not as easy as it may appear. All of these methods can show inaccuracies. Indications like rises in temp can be inaccurate (this can happen as well when an egg has not been shed so charting is not completely infallible). I would only consider charting if the cycle is bang on regular every month and then only for 3 months max.

I would actually not chart but have sex as often as often as you can throughout the cycle. Do not put pressure on each other though to have intercourse.

Putting your legs in the air post intercourse is a myth. Enough sperm will get to the cervix from where it won't escape.

BTW any spotting between periods should be checked out by your GP to ascertain the cause particularly if this keeps happening.

[julietaboolie]

Ah, thanks, much appreciated info, some of which I had no clue about.

This may be a bit minging and ridiculous, but I worry because two years ago I had to have five smears over the space of eighteen months, as every time the results came back as inconclusive because inadequate cells had been taken for testing. In the end I had a colposcopy which showed everything was fine. Nobody could explain why it kept happening but I'd been having Depo Provera which I know thickens the mucous, and could explain why they couldn't get the cells. I'm worried that it may not have gone back to normal and any little swimmers may not be able to get through.

Anybody else experienced this?

[julietaboolie]

Well.... have been feeling knackered and had pains and thought it was my period coming - but it didn't, just did a test.

BFP!!!!!!!!

[PrePG]

Congrats! You didn't even need us!