Charter's Anonymous

[LittleSilver]

I thought I'd start a thread for all of us who worship at the shrine of Toni Weschler, spend whole seconds analysing cervical mucus, slip over in the shower checking cervical position and spend two minutes every morning flicking their heads from side to side in a valiant attempt to stop a baby pulling the thermometer out of their mouths. Ladies, this thread is for all of us, may it see many many BFPs!

Hi all! I have moved house and am now thoroughly stressed and tired, what with it, I think, also coinciding with my window of opportunity for SWI. We got all stressed out and argued loads over the move so only managed to SWI twice in the last 5 days, but pretty sure I can put my feet up now as had cramps yesterday and my temp rose a little bit this morning.

I am in work having a sneaky surf because we're not getting our internet connection switched on at home til next week, so have not got time for much in the way of replies to individuals, but enjoyed catching up with the thread and had a good giggle. beachtent, I am also "fat and hairy", it's a joy, isn't it? I am taking drugs which seem to be sorting it out slowly though, although they are making me sick as a pig, still, after nearly 3 months on them.

I am glad to report though, that if I have indeed ovulated over last couple of days, this would mean I'm on for a relatively normal length cycle (CD19 today), so they are getting shorter and shorter! Hurray! I am going to become evangelical about Agnus Castus if this keeps up

Guys, if any of you have the time can you pop over to this thread and see if you can add anything helpful to the OP? Think I may have been a bit brief. Thanks.

Hi ladies, I think I'm going insane! My temp took a nosedive this morning so I'm fully expecting the RTD tomorrow (so much for being relaxed helping!) I think I've reached a point of utter confusion - I don't think there is anything 'wrong' with my body with the exception of my irregular cycles. I can deal with them though and out of my 5 chances I've caught the egg 4 times. What I'm saying is why am I still not pregnant?! I am literally doing everything I can - temping, AC, EPO, OPKs, pre-seed and still no baby.

I'm going to the local hospital early next month for my first consultation and I'm seriously considering taking up their offer of councilling as I have no one in RL to share my despair with.

Sorry to be so gloomy, it's just so bloody hard isn't it? I may have only laid 5 eggs but it's been 9 months now!!

teason i'm sorry it's not working for you... I read somewhere (in one of the bloddy million fertility books I've read) that you've only ever got a 25% of getting pg every month (even if you do it at the right time) - which is why it can sometimes take so bloddy long

I'd defn take up the offer of counseling, and anything else that was offered that might help. Even if it's just helping to keep you relaxed. Hopefully the people at the hospital will have some more ideas & be able to help.
Maybe you could try one of those funny reflexologists hippy mentioned?!

Keep the faith! I think I said the other day, but my friend's cycles were about 6months long & she has a beautiful daughter now

Thanks Bessie It took me a year to get pregnant with my little boy (only 5 eggs in those 12 months) so I've still got some hope I suppose xx

Oh teason how very frustrating for you. I remember looking at one of my charts where we had SWI'd perfectly, OOAOTW couldn't have faulted our timing and still a BFN. I remember feeling like yelling at DH's sperm "How could you MISS the bloody egg?"

Hope it happens soon, I really do.

silver what the heck is OOAOTW? (I'm guessing the last bit is Toni Weschler?)

speaking of perfect SWI - I've just paid up for the all singing-all dancing FF and entered a years worth of data
Now, I don't have very good records for the early cycles (just temps really) but I'm a bit concerned that the SWI analysis is only ever giving me "good" - do you have to do it every single day to get a "high"?

my charts are all here if you want to have a nose & pass judgement

I just phoned to get my progesterone results & got told I had to make an appointment to discuss them. Luckily, I'd already made one for later this arvo so at least I don't have to wait too long to see what they say. I'm guessing I'll have to have them re-done as I don't think I O'd last cycle.

Ou One and Only Toni Weschler (I decided she really needed an acronym of her own!)

Have been lurking here as have started charting temps this cycle. Am 11dpo according to my cervix. But 12dpo according to my temps. Anyone know which is more accurate?

Temps have been steadily rising in the luteal phase. But tested with an Internet cheapie this morning as it was negative. Up till then was feeling very positive this cycle. But now thinking I'll probably get my period next week. Last cycle's lp was 16days, so got to Wed/Thurs to wait. Have day 2-5 blood tests to do for pcos as well then a week away in Devon to forget about it all.

teason did rtd come? Apologies for taking an unhealthy interest in your cycle. I share your frustrations, luckily i have managed to conceive twice in the 6 cycles we've been ttc#2. Unfortunately the bean didn't stick around. Next month will be 12 months of ttcing.

digigirl I'm not really sure. temps can of course be delayed in reflecting ov. Initally my answer would have been I think temps more accurate, but the more I think about it I think that if you are really confident in your cervix (what a weird sentence) then that might be more accurate for you. Are you actually going to to wait your whole LP to test? Serious kudos to you says the woman with the patience of a three year old

Haha littlesilver I tested yesterday and today and will most likely test everyday until either rtd comes or it's really obvious that it's on it's way. don't think having internet cheapies in the house is a good idea.

wow - i must get more in touch with my cervix!

digigirl i wouldn't worry too much about whether you are 11 or 12 DPO - just remember most people don't get BFP until around 17DPO! (i'm sure I saw a graph showing that on FF?). I reckon that after a few months of charting you would be able to see how your temp rise corresponds to your cervix doing it's thing! Shame you're going to get a BFP so you won't be able to tell!
Where are you going in Devon? We need to find somewhere to stay with DD (21months) for a week at the end of Aug, so any suggestions would be appreciated!

beach I would imagine a "traditional" veggie diet (lots of fruit/veg & more good fats than bad) would be good for the body (and so fertility), but I know some veggies who eat loads of dairy & no veg, so I don't think the "not eating meat" thing is doing them much good!

I'm feeling disheartened - my cycle is around 24 days long (plus or minus 5 days), so now I'm on CD11 but showing no signs of ovulation at all - no temp change, no CF, no positive OPK (cheapie). NOTHING. I feel miserable!

I hope I'm just doing something wrong. My period (6 days) only finished on Monday. Would that have anything to do with it?

I feel your pain beachtent! I would love to go back to a time (when I was on the pill) when didn't have any worries about my cycle or fertility!

I am now on cycle day 51!!! and still no signs of ovulation or AF I am feeling very miserable too I really thought my cycles had sorted themselves out esp as there were no signs of PCOS when I had my scan!

I have decided to try some reflexology now that I have 6 weeks off (I am a teacher)to see if that helps at all!

Danilou22 best of luck with the reflexology - I've heard mixed reports but some very positive about using it. Let us know how you get on!

Cycle day 51 must be very disheartening indeed. Poor you. Hopefully unwinding over the summer will help.

I have a book about PCOS which says that sometimes people with the syndrome don't have polycystic ovaries, but have a lot of the other symptoms of the syndrome. If you still fit the clinical picture, then it is worth pushing for further tests. There are lots of different tests you can have, the book lists them all. It seems PCOS can show itself differently in every woman, so not everyone fits the classical picture of over-weight, hairy, irregular periods. It's a good book generally and is very positive.

digi what's happening with your cycle now? I'm very impressed you can tell where you are by monitoring your cervix! Hat off to you!

dani poor old you - day 51 must be so totally shit.

I am a great believer in reflexology. It's wonderful.

Go with an open mind and be prepared to be impressed. Enjoy

danilou much sympathy to you. I had a mc in April and the following cycle (if counting the first day of Mc bleeding as day 1) was 60 days long. I've never had a cycle that long, I did actually manage to ovulate about day 42, and despite lots of swi at the right time there was no bfp. I decided to go back to acupuncture, the first session coincided with day 1 of this cycle and it looks like I'm on course for a 42 day cycle which is a massive improvement. I conceived DS the cycle after I had weekly acupuncture, on day 19 (probably the earliest I've ever ovulated).

beachtent I've always had long irregular cycles, and when ttc DS I remember getting a positive opk but no rtd for 4 weeks (and I wasn't pg)...so I have been charting my cervix position to cross reference cm and opks. It spends the pre-ovulation phase confusing the hell out of me (going up and down opening and sort of closing) and then it's really obviously closed post-ovulation.

bessie have just googled the sensitivity of these internet cheapies. Apparently the 25ml ones aren't properly accurate until after a missed period...so you are right. I'm going to wait now. In hope.

Thank you all for your kind thoughts! The whole PCOS thing is so frustrating. I am a little overweight but I eat like a horse so I am not sure it is medical, I am not even remotely hairy and I don't have achne. One doctor who saw my results diagnosed a possible PCOS and another said he didn't think I did have it . Am going to go back to the docs I think and see if anyone can shed any light on the situation for me.

Morning ladies.

Does anyone fancy looking at my chart? I didn't chart temps last cycle, but I did get two positive opks, and then got my period 17 days after the second opk which I'm taking to mean I have a 16 day luteal phase.

Since I only started charting the day before I ovulated FF hasn't given me a cover line. And I actually think it's more likely I ovulated the day after the second positive opk (CD25). But cervix didn't close till CD27, so part of me is thinking that maybe I didn't ovulate till CD26.

Does anyone else have a long luteal phase? And if so do you temps stay high all the way through, or do they start dropping a few days before AF?

Sorry it is me again!

I know you shouldn't worry about individual temp readings but mine wend down to 34.78 today! That is really quite low! I am getting a little worried now

dani perhaps you've got a low-thyroid? Or do you sleep with your mouth open? In any case you've definitely got grounds to get your cycles checked out by a specialist - if not for fertility at least to test for a low thyroid (think it's hypothyroidism, but don't quote me). Have you asked your gp for a referral?

Dani that certainly is a low temp! Did you take it twice? Is a low temp indicative of anything else other than hypothyroidism?

Also, with the PCOS thing, you don't have to have any of the obvious symptoms to have it. I wonder if they will do further tests? Apparently something like 1 in 10 women have PCOS and many don't realise it. I know there are probably heaps of other things that could be influencing things with you, so I hope the investigate fully. Don't be shy to pester them!

I have a question about EWCM - does it have to stretch for inches and inches to be counted as EWCM? or is one inch enough? And if it's white-ish, is that ok, or does it have to be clear and really stretchy? Like this? (BTW that's not mine! It's Google's!)

The thought of google having EWCM has made me giggle!

They have tested my thyroid as that was the first thing they did as both of my sisters have thyroid problems.

Will make an appointment at the docs next week.

I think EWCM varies from women to women!

dani The stress of TTC is bad enough without having the added stress of not very helpful medical support. I would be going out of my mind if I were in your shoes. I am so sorry for how you must be feeling. I had a look for a bit of info on PCOS for you (I know nothing about it). My suggestion, based on my experience with GPs, is to go in armed with info - print out important info and highlight the salient points. This article here, for example, spells out that PCOS is not a cut and dried diagnosis. And what that really means is someone needs to put some effort into helping you properly before it can be totally ruled out.

Here's a UK site with the quote you need: "Therefore, it is possible to have polycystic ovaries without the typical symptoms that are in the syndrome. It is also possible to have PCOS without multiple cysts in the ovary."

I don't think you should leave until your GP has referred you to a specialist who will spend time working out what's happening. My GP wouldn't even tell me if spotting at the end of a cycle was normal or not because, she said 'she was a generalist and not able to give such specific information' . My DH's GP refused to give him any insights at all into his SA results for the same reason. So there is no way your GP should be the person trying to sort you out... they not fully trained in this.

And... it would be unacceptable for your GP to leave you with one person thinking its PCOS and the other thinking not, but I'm afraid that they will if you don't force them to move it forwards.

I am not good at pushing in this way at all (usually end up getting teary), but I now take my DH in with me and we gang up on the GP together. Can you get your DH to come with you to nail this down properly and sure you leave with proper help lined up?

I've also started putting my thoughts in writing to my GP because I think these letters must go into my file somewhere so if they don't respond there's a proper record of my concerns that I can later point to - I do seem to get a better response when I've done that.

I hope I don't sound stroppy in this, but I might do, because when it comes to dealing with my GP I am 80% of the time very irritated and I am feeling really on your behalf. Really hope you get some help. x

choccie I totally agree about writing letters to your GP, especially if things don't seem to be moving forwards in a helpful way. I get on with my GP quite well, in fact he's charming, but a bit ineffective. I also turn completely thick when I go to the GP. Because of this and several ongoing mysterious health complains that he's failed to fully investigate, I wrote him a letter, and miraculously, after months of visits to him, I had two specialist referrals within one week.

So, don't let your GP dismiss you, dani. If you go and they try to fob you off with some vagueness, go home, write a letter, and if you struggle with that, please ask me (and by the sounds of it, choccie) for some help.