Anyone else in the early stages of their TTC journey for baby #1?

[Ivylilac]

Hi everyone,

We’re early into our TTC journey and are currently on cycle number 2 for our first baby. I’ve also never been pregnant before.

I’m currently on day 14 of my cycle but my cycles are around 25-27 days on average, so my Flo app predicted I’d ovulate on day 12 based off symptoms of ovulation from previous months which have been quite consistent. We dtd on day 7,8,10 and 11 and haven’t been able to do it again since due to clashing work schedules, mega long days and then being exhausted in our free time as a result, so I have no idea if we’ve done enough this cycle.

Either way, it would be nice to chat to others in the same boat who are also only just starting their TTC journey! :) I told myself this cycle I wouldn’t count down the days or symptom spot like I did last cycle, but it’s hard not to already!

Absolutely, welcome! These all sound like positive signs for you and hopefully that was a false negative. Try not to symptom spot though as it completely drives you crazy. Month one I was fully convinced I was pregnant and was looking online at little gifts to be able to tell our families and stuff and then I got a BFN and AF arrived two days later, so whilst that hopefully isn’t the case for you, I know how easy it is for the mind to notice any differences in your body! Try and make some plans if you can between now and testing, so that you’re not focusing on it as much. I’ve found that has really helped me so far this month!

Amazing, thank you! I’ll look into that. That’s so good that you were able to use a lower dose. I’m the same, I’m in tears most months from it and nothing seems to touch the sides. I’ve even had prescribed painkillers and they still don’t help. Being a woman is hard work!

I know right, I’ve been trying not to google it but everything you do google seems to be an early sign of pregnancy 😆

It’s honestly driving me insane - I’m trying not to think too much about it but the urge to POAS is so strong…! I can normally distract myself during the day with work and the dogs but first thing in the morning there’s always a part of my brain that is just like… maybe today is the day 🫣

How are you doing?

Hahaha I can totally relate, even though I’ve been better this month I got really bad joint pain yesterday, in my ankle, my knees and one of my forearms and when I googled it said something like “even your ankles can hurt”, so of course I went down a rabbit hole of thinking this must be it 😂

I tried to remind myself that I’ve had these thoughts 3 months running now and it so far hasn’t been it, but now I’ve got it in my head that this month will be the one because we didn’t DTD that much and it’ll be one of those pregnancies that you weren’t expecting. I can’t win with myself, this journey is very mentally exhausting 😂

Evening ladies 😊
Officially in my TWW today 1dpo - finally!
This is a long cycle for me so I mentally and physically checked out about a week ago tbh but we will see how we go…

How is everyone? I’ve lost track of what stage everyone is at x

I’m good! A bit grumpy tbh 🤣 entering my fertile window and have already taken 3 OPKs and I’m already sick of it, then dreading another 2ww. Must be more enthusiastic! It’s not even been long I’m just ridiculous 🤦‍♀️

Last month my positive OPK came 4 days after ewcm so I feel pressure to keep testing as I don’t really think the mucus is telling me much

How’s your OPKs looking today? I feel your craziness I was testing 3 times a day eventually and didn’t get peak until CD20 (last 3 cycles were 12/13/17) this was 5 days after EWCM.

How long have you been TTC?

I can relate. I think my period must be brewing because I’ve felt very irritable about the whole thing the last couple of days 😂

It’s not ridiculous at all, it’s incredibly frustrating when something like this is out of your control and you can’t just speed the process up! I’m on CD20 now and AF is due next Saturday, so I’ve still got a little while before I think a test would even show anything up. I’m anticipating a BFN though and not getting my hopes up, as we barely DTD at all in my fertile window. I felt better about everything earlier in the week, but this is also why I think AF is round the corner as everything is now seeming overwhelming and frustrating again, which is very typical of my mood in the week before my period. Never realised what an up and down rollercoaster this would all be!

@Crocs30 welcome! Those definitely sound like positive signs. Sending lots of baby dust your way!
@Couchtattie sorry to hear the OPKs are frustrating you. Hopefully you get your peak soon.
@mummm2 YAY! Glad you made it to the TWW. I’m about halfway through mine atm. Fingers crossed for you!
@Ivylilac dint count yourself out until AF comes! We’ve still got another week to go and a few days before testing madness!

@mummm2 I have been off the pill since October but only properly trying since New Year. Don’t really know how to count it because Jan I took vitamins and my cycle was a riot so missed my fertile window I think, Feb I DTD on peak day but period came, March I only managed to DTD 4 days before ovulation day due to travel commitments, had a chemical pregnancy earlier this month.

Yes OPKs feel more of a pain in the arse when u ovulate later!

@Ivylilac it is such a rollercoaster of emotions! Good luck, hopefully AF doesn’t show and it’s just pregnancy hormones making u irritable 🤞🤞🤞

I was at a wedding today so no updated OPK but I have had lots of mucus so DTD anyway.

How’s the TWW treat you @Ivylilac and @mummm2. Anyone else waiting now? I’ve managed to get a cold, cramping like AF is here and have a massive BBT drop-the lowest since I started charting so I’m not feeling hopeful today. One more week to go…

My period arrived today, too early as per usual but at least my body is consistent I guess! Hope everyone is doing OK this weekend!

@Couchtattie sounds like you haven’t had a sound month of actually trying yet then! So sorry to hear about your chemical 😞 how were OPKs today? Do you think you’re near your peak?

@PearOpal i’m 3DPO today, been bloated the past few days but that’s most likely down to eating so late in the day as I’ve had such a busy weekend!
BBT is looking good (I think) not done it before so nothing to compare to!
When is your AF due? Is it normal for BBT to drop before it arrives?

@tiutinkerbellsorry to hear! onwards and upwards, hopefully a Feb baby for you instead x

@mummm2 AF due Saturday so I’ve got awhile. I’m not sure if this is normal or not since this is my first month tracking but it dropped below the pre-ovulation numbers. I guess it could be impacted by the cold in getting over. I just feel all out of sorts but not willing to say that’s a pregnancy symptom 😂.

@tiutinkerbell sorry to hear about AF but there is definitely something to be said for consistency. Hopefully this next cycle is yours!

@PearOpal I’ve been cramping a lot today too and got all excited but then looked back at my Flo app and realised I’d logged this last month too, so I’m not getting my hopes up. Still feeling very up and down emotionally. One minute I’m really irritated, the next sad, the next happy, but again all typical of a pre period week! I’m due Saturday too, so I’ll maybe test Friday or Saturday. When are you going to test?

@tiutinkerbell sorry to hear AF arrived! How are you feeling?

@tiutinkerbell I thought I was in my luteal phase but then AF appeared two days earlier than anticipated as well. Trying to parse what my 27 day cycle means, if anything! Previously been 29-31 days.

I went for my appointment with the POPPY study on Friday and they seem to think I’m in decent cardiovascular health to support a pregnancy, so that’s positive at least! We tied the knot civilly this week, obviously the big wedding with our families and the church etc is not for a few weeks but it did still feel special.

@Ivylilac isnt it funny how that works? It’s so hard not to see what we want to see. I think tracking over time will be helpful to kind of temper excitement but it’s impossible not to get your hopes up. I’m taking it day by day trying to keep myself distracted. I didn’t use OPKs so I’m estimating I’m about 8DPO and I’m going to try to hold off until 10DPO. Do you know when you’re testing?

@LuellaB Congratulations! Did you perhaps travel or anything like that during this cycle? It’s interesting how it can really just change on us from one month to another.

@PearOpal thank you! I actually had two work trips (only a short flight) but one after the other and a trip to where we are having the wedding. I did travel a bit Jan-March, but probably less overall. I am trying to temper my expectations for June because in all likelihood it won’t happen first month but I’ve been telling myself for so long that at least I’ll have a baby by next spring that I actually don’t know how I’ll feel if I don’t. I have wanted to try for years 🙈

@PearOpal tell me about it! I think I’m about 8 or 9DPO too. It’s difficult to tell because I got my static smiley on the Thursday morning, but I don’t know exactly when I ovulated after this. I really don’t know about when to test. Part of me can’t be bothered to test early and probably waste another test getting a negative, but then the other part of me wants to know. Flo recommends testing a week tomorrow, so maybe I’ll just do that? When are you planning on testing?

Hope everyone is doing okay in the TWW! Sounds like those waiting are hanging on in there and not testing too early, which is so hard.

I'm around 6DPO and today was my sushi restaurant day! Definitely helped having something to look forward to half way through the TWW 😊

@Ivylilac @PearOpal agree tracking will be helpful regardless of what happens! I'm still not 100% sure of what's normal for my body when, as it's only been three cycles now since coming off contraception. Definitely getting to know it better though, which can only be a positive.

@mummm2 no peak today and lower than yesterday! Hoping I get a higher reading tomorrow 🤞 yeah I think it’s taken me a while to actually understand my cycle and know when to start taking OPKs etc so it’s just been a bit of a learning curve. I seem to get a quick surge so it’s been harder to track it.

In a better groove now though! Thanks re the chemical ❤️

@PearOpal I’ve read that BBT is sensitive to so many factors so think a cold would definitely affect it, also a dip in BBT can sometime be implantation?