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!

Sorry to hear about AF @Wiennetta, make sure you do something nice for yourself!

I've told my husband my plan from now on is to go for sushi half way through the TWW as something to look forward to as it's my favourite meal, but can't have it if pregnant. So win win - I get a last sushi if pregnant, I get my favourite meal if not pregnant 😂

@tiutinkerbell how odd! Hope the scan goes okay and yes female body can definitely be frustrating.

Hope everyone else is okay! I'm officially in the TWW and feeling flat; always seem to have a couple of days where I'm quite down post ovulation. Female hormones can be tricky can't they!

Ah sorry to hear about AF @Wiennetta. I understand you wanting to take a break. It just takes over sometimes!

@tiutinkerbell good luck at your scan!

How is everyone getting along? What days are you testing if you’re in 2ww? I’m only on day 12 and normally the earliest I ovulate is day 16 so I’ve a while yet!

@CouchtattieOnly just got my peak today CD19!! This is sooo long. last cycle was day 17, ones before were 12/13.

DTD CD18, 16, 15 so we’ll see! x

@Couchtattie Im officially DPO3 and telling myself I can hold out to DPO12 but realistically I’ll cave early depending on how I’m feeling and how distracted I can keep myself. Hopefully I can hold out without getting my hopes up and being too disappointed.

Thanks so much @PearOpal for the info on BBT. It’s easy to see the dip on yours so sounds like even without being really strict on taking temps it’s still useful! I’m going to try it next month. This month I’m not going to test at all and just see what happens.

Thanks to everyone too for the kind words when AF arrived. Did feel sad this week but on the positive side my luteal phase is two days longer than usual this month - from 11 to 13 days, which should help, and AF wasn’t painful at all - usually get bad cramps day one. This is the first month I’ve taken magnesium so hopefully it’s that and it’ll continue. Was worried about my luteal phase and this whole process is definitely helping me get to know my body.

Good luck to those in 2ww!

@Wiennetta my luteal phase is 9 or 10 days. I’ll try the magnesium!

Thanks for all your good wishes for the scan - turns out I literally ovulated yesterday so on CD23! Good and bad news - good as I did actually ovulate but bad as AF is excpected Day 26 - so that is three days of a lutual phase. Another slight disappointment that my body is not doing what is supposed to.

LOVE the idea of sushi dates, I will also be doing something similar I think as sushi is my fave food :)

@tiutinkerbell I ovulated day 23 last month! Normally have a 26 day cycle and ended up a 32 day cycle. Wait and see, you might just have a longer cycle this month. X

how is everyone feeling today? I woke up this morning with an oddly high amount of CM. It’s a tad early to symptom spot (not that silly things like science will stop me) but I’ll definitely be making a note for future cycles.

Sushi dates sound like the best idea! DH is traveling for work this week so I’m in the TWW on my own- perhaps a solo sushi outing is in order 🤗.

I’m roughly 5DPO and had a few cramps today, but I really think I’m looking for it. We only DTD on day 9 and 10 and my static smiley came on day 10 (could’ve been the night before but I didn’t test), so I don’t know realistically how good my chances are this month. Having got my hopes up for 2 months running, I’m trying to focus on other things and not symptom spot, but my goodness it’s hard!

@mummm2 so pleased you finally got your peak! That must have been a relief for you.

@Wiennetta that’s positive about your Luteal phase. Did you find the magnesium helped with your period pain a significant amount? I get terrible pain each month so I’d try anything to make it bearable!

@Couchtattie I promised myself I wouldn’t test before my period is due next weekend, but I don’t know if I can wait that long. Especially when I’ve got the early detection tests at home…

I had that as well this morning! Which CD are you? I’m CD17.

I correct myself, I got my static on day 11 apparently looking back…

We DTD on day 9 and 10, so who knows!

@Ivylilac oh interesting!! Do you normally have they around this time? I’ve never paid much attention to the timing of my CM beyond EWCM before this cycle so I have nothing to compare it to. I’m CD18 today so I’m right there with you!

@PearOpal I normally get some each day, but not enough to actively take note of and some days I don’t get anything, but yeah this morning and yesterday morning I noticed a lot of CM, so who knows what that means! Ahhh we’re close in timing! Which day will you test from? My CB app says I can do so from this Sunday with the early detection tests, but I think that’s too early personally, so unless I have very obvious symptoms by then, I think I’ll wait maybe until midweek next week.

Yeah it’s something I’ve never tracked but then again this is all new so it’s hard to truly know what is normal for your cycle and where might be a symptom. I’m also just super skeptical of getting lucky. based on some past medical history DH and I are anticipating a long road ahead but you never know.

I’m going to attempt to hold out until Tuesday but everything is telling me I can test Monday. I’ve got a few tests with me at the moment so I’m going to have to ration them out over the week. I’m hoping I’ll either get some really abnormal (for me) symptoms or implantation bleeding that might help decide on timing. When are you thinking of testing?

@Ivylilac @PearOpal good luck! Hoping that your similar symptoms and timing is positive!

Well I thought my peak was yesterday morning 1.25 but it actually peaked this morning 1.29. So now ovulation isn’t until tomorrow CD21!

This is the exact week I conceived my youngest so I’m actually nervous now to DTD again as I don’t think I like the idea of my kids having the same birthday. I thought if I ovulated earlier it wouldn’t be as bad as would be due 2 weeks before… who knows. This must sound really silly!

Glad to hear you’ve found your peak! Nothing silly about it! Your feelings are always valid because obviously they’re on your mind and that means it matters! Do what feels best for you and hey you never know not all babies arrive right on time. Perhaps even if this cycle works out you still might not have to worry about similar birthdays.

@PearOpal thank you! I know i hate even thinking it really as I want another one more than anything but also would feel selfish about it knowing they could be same day and still actively trying! Tbh both my children were 10/11 days late 🤣 so I’ve always said I’ll add that onto my next due date.

How long have you been trying? Is this your first? x

You know your body and your mind best - particularly since you’ve done this before. If skipping one cycle will avoid a pregnancy full of due date stress and a lifetime of birthday party deconfliction perhaps it’s worth it. I truly feel like so much of this is just about what feels right to each of us.

This is cycle #2 TTC #1 so I’m honestly just trying to learn and enjoy the process for now. This is the first cycle DH and I have stayed put long enough that there was no significant travel and in around the fertility window though so in some ways this is our first real attempt.

@PearOpal yes your right think I’m going to let it be now and see what happens.

ooh so exciting! 🥰 I’ve learned soo much in the past 3 months from tracking and can’t believe I’ve never done it before , it really is an eye opener!

Hopefully it’ll happen for you faster than you’re expecting.

I'm thinking maybe Wednesday next week? Or maybe Friday? If I can wait haha. I’m the same, I keep hoping I’ll get a really obvious sign. I’ve also had very bad joint pain today, but who knows if that’s anything worth mentioning!

This is our first month. Got the okay from all doctors involved in my care that we were safe to proceed on March 10th and started tracking ovulation on cycle day 6 (April 4) with clearblue advanced and supplementing with premom ovulation tests (figured I'd use those when I got the flashing smiley). Got flashing smiley starting CD10 and continued testing through CD18 still with flashing smiley only. Tested LH with premom on CD10 (2.5), 16 (5), and 25th (10). Managed to DTD CD11 & 15 but unfortunately dx UTI on CD18 and all testing, tracking, and trying was paused until I completed the antibiotics this morning so not to complicate matters more:(. Was hoping to at least test properly and frequently through month 1 but we will hold our breath for month 2, aka my 35th birthday month!

Hey! I hope you don’t mind me joining in - I am literally driving myself insane here 😆

This is our first cycle TTC #1 and we decided to just take it very chill to start with, no tracking and just see what happens. We DTD fairly regularly but I wasn’t massively hopeful anything would happen.

Cut to Friday and I started feel nauseous, chalked it up to one too many Easter Eggs, but I didn’t really go away. Since then I’ve been hiccuping all the time; been really saliva-y, had a really funny taste in my mouth and some light cramps…. All unusual for me… 🤦🏻‍♀️

I know I’m on CD24 but I’ve got no idea when I might have ovulated and my cycle is never the same length, it ranges from about 28 - 34 days. If I had to guess I’d say AF due maybe 2nd - 4th May but that is a total guess.

I did a test yesterday and this morning, of course both BFN but I don’t know if that’s because it’s too early or if I’m symptom spotting and drawing conclusions.

So now I’m trying to convince myself not to test again until Sunday - but I know I’ll cave. Anyway I just needed to get that off my chest, I’ve not told any of my friends and I’ve been going slightly loopy 😆 I hope you don’t mind me joining in

Welcome! Sorry to hear your first month of trying didn’t go to plan. You never know though, you DTD before a potential surge so it’s still possible, but if this month doesn’t work out you can start afresh next month and get back to tracking as you were. If there’s anything I’ve learnt so far in these three months of trying it’s that nothing seems to go as you expect it to haha, so you’re not alone!

@Ivylilac I really hope the magnesium is helping with the period pain. It’s probably too early for me to say for sure as I’ve only taken the magnesium for one month. But last month I had awful pain (I was in tears with it, 800mg of ibuprofen didn’t do anything). And this month I had very mild cramps - all I took was a single 400mg dose one night and that worked. So for me this month has been really manageable pain. I guess if I get AF next month I’ll have a better idea if it’s really improved and I didn’t just have a random easier period this month (can keep you updated!)

I think the evidence is a bit mixed but it’s probably worth a shot! This is the one I got and I take 2 tablets a day.
https://www.nutritiongeeks.co/products/magnesium-glycinate-3-in-1