The Great Big Conception Experiment.- Ladies in white coats in here......

[Thandeka]

Okay in an attempt to stop me obsessing and to try and make this more fun (well the BDing is fun the other bits are annoying!) I have decided to look upon TTC as an experiment where each month I am going to try something new which is supposed to help me concieve. Obviously if its just me then its not a fair test so anyone up for joining me? We can also post tips and ideas for conception.
Some of the ideas and things I want to try are:
Much Healthier diet
Give up alcohol & Caffiene
Increase water intake
Increase exercise
Massage
Reflexology
Accupuncture
Using pre-seed

(There are 8 things there- I am hoping it won't take me 8 months to concieve but since the average is 7-8 months TTC then this seems reasonable).

So always one to start on the easiest (and not quite ready to give up alcohol!) I am starting on the massage this month but I am also going to increase the exercise too (Need to have a pain and reward thing going on!).

So who is with me? (Oh yeah and I am on Cycle 2 CD8 of TTC#1)

I did! wow! I could feel it as soon as the needles were in. Just got home now and I feel euphoric and this is going to sound odd but "unblocked".

It took AGES though as it was a student but he was very good and it was all supervised and only cost £15 so I am not complaining.

I am going to see him weekly for the next 10 weeks and we are focusing on regulating my cycle and getting rid of the painful periods. He also reccomended rooibos tea and no tampons (i couldn't quite bring myself to ask if a mooncup would be okay!)

Think its just you and me on this thread now pinkie- ah well we will experiment together. Erm no that sounds wrong! hehe.
xxx

Hi

I am sooo pleased that you like it. I have always had a good response and therefore am a firm believer that it works.

This last time i could feel the "unblocking" sensation in my legs and 2 days later i got my LH surge on the OPK.

I know the clomid should be working and i shouldnt need to use them but whats the point in the clomid working if i get the dates totally wrong.

I didnt know the tampons werent good, did he give you a reason. Hopefully we wont need them soon but guess its a matter of using pads until we get those BFPs

i have to change my app for this week and i am hoping that it will be able to change otherwise will have to miss. Its half term and noone else to look after DD

Keep well XX

Hello everyone, this is a good thread. Thank you. Well, another month, another try for me (and him obv!). I am sick of being sensible already.

Two non-sensible things I've been considering are:

a) doing it round the back of Wetherspoons with someone I met half an hour previously. This worked for MANY of my friends in the 90's.

and

b) getting a job as a BBC weather girl. They are always up the duff. I think it has something to do with the magic wand thing in their hand they keep pressing.

ok- I'll be sensible again now... xxx

NIce of you to join us gracie

any of your conception tips and experimental ideas are greatly appreciated. If you have read up we are currently trying a combination of things.

I am also on clomid which compicates my experiment but we try to ignore that fact

How long you been ttc

Gracie I LOVE your suggestions.

I met my husband in a wetherspoons and was on the BBC on Thursday and Saturday of this week being interviewed for something (so not talking about the weather unfortunately) but thats kinda halfway there already! Just need to put my best weathergirl outfit on and drag OH round the back of the local wetherspoons and it should be my month!

Hehe. I am currently trying to get through to dr's to find out my scan results from my painful ovary area but they have been engaged ALL morning. Bah I have a good mind to go round there.

Hi Ladies, sorry for the absence, I have been on a hen do in a place far far away!
It's a sure fire way to stop obsessing! No time!
I am at the end of my cycle now - due in a couple of days, but not getting my hopes up. I am going to acupuncture next week, so it may be the middle of period, or beginning of new cycle. Im getting quite excited though from what you girls have said. It sounds Fab!
hope you are ok.
How are the ovaries thandeka?
Lou

Hi Lou,

Still got the pain, massive panic on monday when I phoned for my scan results and the stupid woman on reception said I had to speak to a dr (but I was phoning at wrong time) read out the following line "cyst, needs rescanning in 6 weeks" cue hysterical panic from me- once I had calmed down I phoned them up again and demanded to speak to a dr. In the end it turns out it was a corpus luteal cyst so entirely normal. Got another dr's appointment tommorrow morning. AF still not quite arrived but am sure it will be here any day now (am on day 33 but am pretty sure I didn't ovulate this month- so I wonder whether the corpus luteal cyst was from last cycle)

Bah for the dramas. Anyhow as soon as AF is here am doing the following as my experiments this month- NO ALCOHOL. Limit caffiene and sweetner and accupunture and massage. For the quitting of evil stuff that tastes good I am going to try and do one a month and build them up- cold turkey might kill me.

Am spending a lot of time on my wii fit too, want to start going swimming too but the accupuncturist was worried about it worsening my "cold uterus"!!!

Thandeka

Weird that the acupuncturist said that - mine didnt but i have stopped swimming when was soooo tired with clomid side effects last month and have been too lazy to start again

Def. not going back now, guess it makes sense though cos they are warming the uterus by increasing blood supply and helping the egg to stick and cold wet costume against stomach = cold. V CLEVER ACUPUNCTURIST we like acupuncturist.

Hopefully the acupuncturist can also help with whatever is causing the pain OUCH.

When is your next app. mine is tomorrow afternoon.

Keep well

WAHEY I got auntie flo today! Unusual to be so excited about it particulrly on a TTC thread but this hopefully means we can start trying again after last months ban! I am going to very very carefully examine my flow (or Flo tee hee) this month as the accupunturist was asking all sorts of questions about it like about clots and stuff and I didn't really have a clue! Will take the poor man a sheet full of notes to my next appointment. Which is a week on friday (so day 7 of cycle so a good day for accupunture) am going to have it weekly after that so fingers crossed something works this month. But if not wont be too devastated as it would mean an August baby and everyone knows September babies are cooler (me being one!).

I dont think I'm going to know if I'm pregnant or not by tues when my appointment is - it wont do me any harm if i am will it?
Sorry - probably stupid question!
Lou xx
Yay for AF Thandeka

Hi Lou

I have just been for acupuncture and its cd22.Today she did relaxing points and kept away from uterus etc, she explained that at this stage she just keeps everything relaxed and flowing.

It was odd though it was like there was a pulling sensation going up my legs and warming up my hips and lower stomach. Now my stomach feels like its swollen.

I have also had a session on cd27 and she kept away from stomach and uterus dealt with bodily fluids and head and other points. I wouldnt worry they all very used to dealing with fertility and they know what to do on all the different stages of the cycle.

My one next week will be on CD26 and i guess she will do the same as today. I wonder if they know from your pulses and your tongue if you are pg before you know

thandeka she explained the swimming thing and was adament not to go apparently mustnt chill the uterus area.

How is the pain YEAH to you for the AF am really enjoying that the few of us are going through the acupuncture cycle together makes me feel like we all agree It is brilliant.

Hmmm so period is kind of interesting. I had a day of spotting before it arrived with its usual vengence- normally it just arrives. Pain was just as bad and so far it is progressing as normal but we shall see what happens, am so fascinated by whether the accupuncture is altering things!

Just had a full body massage which was lovely and she is coming again on day 13 of my cycle to make sure I am all relaxed for hopeful conception this month- she did lots of reiki type stuff around the womb/ovaries- which while I am not really a believer I defo felt the "energy flow" thing again. She is studying aromatherapy too so she is going to do a fertility aromatherapy oil for my next massage! Oooh am sooo excited!

Right must go an chug down another pint of water so the ewcm is nice and juicy! perhaps a bit too much prep going into this months ttc- am going to be gutted if it fails!

Accupunture on friday- will report back then.

Hurrah I have accupunture this afternoon on day 7. I am going to do some time on the wii fit this morning too. My experiments have possibly gone overboard this month as I am taking agnus castus (to try and get ovulation day closer to day 14), EPO to try and increase EWCM, pregnacare vitamin. In about 5 days I plan on starting taking cough medicine containing guaifenessin to help with the mucus. I am also drinking so much water than I would normally and have cut out alcohol and most caffiene- am chugging down rooibos tea like theres no tommorrow. Have also informed OH that as well as having sex alternate days in the run up to peak day - he is in for sex morning, afternoon, night, what the heck maybe even middle of the night!

Hmmm me obsessing? Never?! Another girl at work is pregnant as kept it sooo quiet which is understandable but I felt silly because I had been talking to her loads about TTC, so I was a bit sad last night- not helped by OH saying "its not a competition you know" "there is no need to get so OTT about it"- I nearly killed him- boys just don't get it do they!? I am aware I am a bit of a fertility nightmare but I am still working hard on regarding this as a groovy experiment. I imagine a few months down the line this will start to wear very thin. One more thing I should probably add to my experiment this motnh is listening to my relaxtion cds and chilling out!!!!

How is everyone elses experiments going?

Babydust to all.

Cor this thread is quiet. I'm hoping its because everyone is too busy BDing or they have had a BFP but they want to keep it quiet for the 12 weeks!

I'm on day 16 and no O yet but predicted for day 18 so at it like rabbits! Weird pain in my ovary is back with a vengence (so I think i may also be ovulating that side again) but accupuncture and no booze is going well. Got an essay due this weekend so stress levels aren't great but fingers crossed.

Hope everyone else is okay- I feel like I am talking to myself in here!
xxx

Hello - have had 3 acupuncture sessions now and it has been a really emotional 3 weeks. Hopefully i am finally letting go of the grief about the baby. the acupuncturist thinks that is partly why i am not pregnant, because i havent let go after my miscarriage.
I love it tho - not painful, but feel fab afterwards!
hope all ok xxxxx

Ok so have been spotting for last two days and temp started to lower so AF is on her evil way- annoyingly day 11 was when spotting started- normally have a luteal phase of 14days- since trying to concieve things have gone a bit bonkers!

So this month I tried EPO to increase EWCM- didn't work still had nowt really. Agnus castus to try to bring ovulation day earlier (normally day 19 so brought it to day 17/18 so possibly working? Robitussin to increase EWCM but again had none & water intake but nothing. We tried pre-seed because of the lack of EWCM. Had no booze all month but my diet was a little unhealthy (if I can't have a glass of wine I need chocolate!). I had massage and accpuncture.

Hmmm I think my priority this month needs to be reducing stress and relaxing- unfortunately my job (teacher, consultant, doing masters etc etc) is very stressful (and DH is in middle of revision for evil exams which don't finish until Nov next year) but this month Christmas holidays start at the time I am ovulating and most of the 2WW will be on holiday so hopefully that will help.

I am also going to try reflexology and make a proper go of the medititation cds. I will stick with the stuff to help with EWCM (need to be more comitted to the water drinking though). As its Christmas I ain't giving up booze entirely but it will be in moderation this month, healthy diet part of my experiment is on hold til after christmas!

Anyone else starting a new months worth of experiments? How are you guys doing Pinkie?, Lou? Gracie?

Okay another month- another AF. Didnt try reflexology and only did the cd's once as it made me laugh too much.

This month am going to try not temping except day 12-22 which should catch ov. No temping to see how many high temps I have after ov and NO symptom spotting!

Also trying to sort my head out about this TTC malarky as clearly it is affecting me more and more- every month of FTC is killing me. Have started a blog to try and offload too.

Am sticking with accu for the time being but will have to also increase healthy lifestyle else it is a waste of money.

What's everyone else's masterplans for the experiment this month?