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!

Morning ladies, temp dropped again and cervix softening last night so looks like I'm due af tomorrow - which fits in with me ovulating the day after my second positive opk.

I have acupuncture lined up for Thursday lunchtime, I've got hormone blood tests to do this week and then we're off to Devon on Saturday for a week. Going to eat lots of lovely cheese and drink lots of fine wine.

And I think this cycle I'm going to try Agnus Castus and see if that helps shorten my cycle. 41 days isn't bad, but could be better.

digi I hope the next cycle is better for you. What is Agnus Castus supposed to do, exactly? And do you know what hormone tests you're having this week?

Still no positive OPK (cheapies) for me and I'm now on CD14 of what will probably be a fairly short cycle. Have had EWCM for 3 days now, though. Mysterious. Maybe I'm just not ovulating? This is my chart so far. Any thoughts?

I suspect I have PCOS although I had a testosterone blood test last week which came back normal - although I know it can be normal in women with PCOS, so even though it's fab news, I'm still convinced I have it!

Also - I'm a truly terrible sleeper, I rarely sleep for 3 hours in row (and my god, do I wish I did!). As a result, it's proving hard to get a reliable temperature - when I woke at 5am this morning after about 2.5 hours of sleep, I took my temp and it was 36.12, then I took it again at 6.30am, and it was 36.27, then again at 7am and it was 36.30. Which one is more reliable? Seeing as I'm not always awake at 5am I don't see the point in taking it then. But I have usually got up for a wee about 3.30/4, then wake up at around 6 (I wish I didn't!). Our little son also wakes us up a fair bit - he was in our bed last night and I was woken up by him kicking me in the face this morning

Most of the temps on my chart are from 7.30am apart from the two open circles which are 7am. The earlier temps I took after getting up to go to the loo, which I later found out you shouldn't do. Am I being too pernickety? Just seems the difference is quite significant between the times in my experiment this morning!

Sorry for waffling. How are you all? And does anyone know where LittleSilver, our OP, has gone?

beach AC is supposed to help balance your hormones more effectively, which I need help with as it takes a while for my body to ovulate after each period. Supposed to help shorten long cycles and lengthen short cycles.
I cant remember all the hormone tests on the list but there's a load of them. Will check when I get home and let you know

Only had time to skim through this thread - busy busy busy - sorry.

Just quickly - can't remember who asked what question but here are my thoughts - in no particular order (as they say on TV).

1. I don't think it has to be 10cm stretchy - blimey it would be escaping down everyone's legs . Mine is usually anything from 1 - 4 cm (that's a guess - I do not measure it!) As long as it's nice and gooey it should work.

2. Ov pains do often feel like period pains (I have been confused in the past).

3. Thanks for offering to hand hold through FF. I will think about it and have a look at the site, but I am actually quite happy using my trusty pencil.

4. I have read that we always have a small amount of LH in our wee so we should ignore faint positives on an OPK. BUT, I always find that I get a faint positive for a couple of days then i get the biggy followed by a couple of days of faints again. So I use the faint as a way of determining that a positive is on it's way. I have been known to do an OPK and get no second line, not even faint - so that disproves the bit about there always being a little bit of LH - IYSWIM.

As for me - my temps have been a bit eratic and I haven't actually been recording them - just checking for the temp increase. But then again this cycle is the WTF cycle for me - a term they use on the MC thread - it means What The F... First one after MC.

beach just checked my blood test form and they're going to test:
Oestradiol
FSH, LH & Prolactin
SHBG
Testosterone

RTD turned up properly this afternoon, so at least I know my temps are readable, despite me taking them at different times in the morning.

Have bought AC and EPO, will see if they make any difference to my cycle length.

Hi guys, I looked back at my charts to see how I was feeling one week after ovulation.

Looked at a month when i didn't get pregnant and I felt crampy with endo pain and weird boobs. Looked at May when I did get pregnant and it says I felt crampy with endo pain and weird boobs.

So here i am once again a week after ovulation and you can guess how i feel - crampy with endo pain and weird boobs.

So - I know nothing!!!!

Hope everyone else is fine. Hope you're all remembering to stick your thermometers in the right orifices

xxx

Oh dear Hippy!

Well I am on CD56!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! temp is back up to 35.78 after the huge drop which I hoped was ovulation!

I have been rubbish and have not booked an appointment at the docs yet but I am going to do it tomorrow as I am feeling exactly like I did when I first stopped the pill (heartburn, nausea, hotflushes, dizzy etc) I am actually starting to get a bit worried now, I hope I have not started early menopause! Can they tell that from blood tests?

On a brighter note I have thought 'sod it' and cracked open a bottle of wine which I am happily slurping!

I hope everyone else is ok. xx

www.fertilityfriend.com/home/2e3054

Hi everyone . Haven't been on for ages and just skim read the last few pages.

beachtent, the pictures of ovulation are fantastic (no wonder it stings a bit!). How unbelievably lucky was that surgeon?!

Sorry you're no further forward dani. Choccie and Hippy give great advice re. the GP. Hope it went/goes well. And remember you can always change GPs if you find they are unsympathetic/a bit useless.

And to whoever it was saying that they did EVERYTHING this month, so why weren't they pregnant (sorry, can't remember who it was) - I remember thinking EXACTLY the same - drinking water, sex everyday, taking EPO and guafenesin and using PreSeed. Unfortunately, the biggest factor is probably luck so try not to be too disheartened. I read the statistic of 20% for perfectly fertile couples, too. Good luck for next month

hippy at least you're consistent!

danilou when I had irregular cycles they gave me a test to check if I was menopausal.
wine sounds fab - i am jealous!

digi I had similar blood tests last cycle but have to have my thyroid & progesterone tests redone as they were a bit on the low side (but not low enough for the Dr to do anything about)

stretchy EWCM? - mine has reached the water in the loo before!

Do any of you know anything about Kinesiology? When I told my accu lady about my low-ish test results, she suggested I went to see another lady to try to get my thyroid sorted out....

bessie at your eggwhite. There's no missing it for you then!

Wow that is EWCM I am jealous of!!

Guess what?

FF SAYS I HAVE OVULATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lets hope the temps stay up!

Dani congratulations!!! That's very exciting! Did you have a positive OPK as well?

Bessie EWCM to the extreme! Wow. I've had to rummage for mine, it's not even made it as far as my pants - god I never thought Id be envious of someone else's cervical secretions!

That's fanastic news dani! I just saw your chart and swung by to say fabby-tastic. But, hun, make that doc appointment anyway: 56 days is way too long to go through every cycle.

bessie I am at your EWCM. I am now drinking grren tea and loads of grapefruit juce because I read somewhere these things help. Both are a bit . BTW, I can't see your charts - are you sure you have your homepage set to public viewing or automatically updated? I've linked up with you though. It's nice to have everyone's charts on the 'friends' features where I can easily find them.

I've never had endo pain before hippy but it sounds really horrible. Poor you. x

I'm not sure when to record AF as arriving....??? I had very very light bleeding (but probably more than spotting) yesterday afternoon, with flow kicking into day. Do you think today is CD1 or is it yesterday?

I just ate leftovers that had been sitting in a pot for two days on the stove! I NEVER do that but was so hungry, and it was nice. Waiting for ailments to kick in.....

Congratulations dani! What a relief to finally have something happen.

choccie I would say CD1 was yesterday for you. My flow usually is heaviest on CD2.

bessie I'm somewhere between deeply impressed and utterly horrified at EWCM 2 feet long!

Has anyone seen empty around recently anywhere? Hope she's ok.

Just had a quick look behind the sofa and empty isn't there - so am out of ideas

Pop on empty and let spilt know you're ok - can you honey???

Love the idea of EWCM in Guinness Book of records - hilarious.

Defo think 52 days for a cycle is too long (especially if you are trying to SWI every other day (exhausted and bored face). But am glad to hear that you did ovulate dani.

choccie thinking of you - hope you've sorted out your dilemma

Hi all ,

yes I am off to the docs on monday. I am still sure that it was the EPO that messed up my cycle! I have been ovulating on CD20 before I tried that which although long is better than 56!!!

Will see what the docs say.

dani do you think EPO messed up your cycle? Why? i was thinking of taking it, but I feel hesitant now!

beaming at thought of World Record

I must confess I was sitting down at the time, so not quite the 2ft someone said - perhaps maybe 1ft!

doesn't seem to be doing me any bloddy good though grumble grumble

dani excellent news on egg hatching! Fingers crossed that you get more good news in two weeks time.

So, got my blood test results today and apparently my hormone profile is completely normal. So I do not have PCOS. Just long cycles. Although 40 days isn't too bad, I (and I imagine you too dani) wouldn't mind if they were under 5 weeks.

Had acupuncture today too and mentioned us started taking Agnus Castus and EPO. My acupuncturist said AC is supposed to be very helpful for ovulation but epo was more of a symptomatic remedy ie good for pms. So will stop taking EPO but continue with the AC.

She also mentioned my pre and post ov temps looked pretty good so we know the progesterone is doing everything it should. Just need sperm to meet egg and get on with each other now.

Hopefully a week in Devon should create a relaxed atmosphere.

I'm sure I saw empty on another thread recently.

bessie I had ewcm like that the cycle I conceived dd2; remember it fondly!

digigirl enjoy your hols! Where in Devon, I, er, know that part of the country well

beachtent it just seemed odd that I thought my cycles had regulated and then I started taking EPO and have had this mammoth long cycle!! I have heard other stories of it effecting peoples cycles but then again have also heard positive things aswell

littlesilver staying near Okehampton, but will hopefully be doing day trips all over the shop. Have early supper booked at Riverford Field Kitchen (we get the boxes so looking forward to getting those veggies even fresher). Will go to the miniature pony centre. Prob stopping off at the Waie Inn on the way down. Have been told Simmons Park in Oke is good too. Hoping to do a day round Bude and a day round Dartmouth. Any other suggestions??

Oooh Dartmouth lurvely! Shame it burnt down in city centre a couple of months ago, can you tell me what it's like when you come back? You can do a fabbish boat ride over the harbour, I would recommend it!

Miniature Pony Centre all good fun, rubbish weather at mo though so take your raincoat (how many DC do you have?)

I'm a big fan of pond skimming on Dartmoor (old quarry near Haytor) because I'm tight it's so very educational. Lots of newtlets (is that a word) and frogpoles at the moment. That's fun, depending on the age of your DC. Umm, what else? Escot Park near Ottery good, really uncommercial and tasteful unlike Crealy. Not a massive fan of Bicton. If you're heading over the border then Eden Projects not too far away. I hope you have a lovely time!

digi have a fab holiday. Never mind all these lovely things you've planned - it's SWI 24 hours a day for you girlie!!!

I don't know how you ladies cope with long cycles - mine are very short. i'm very lucky to usually ovulate on about day 12 which means it's not long after the disappointment of AF before I'm back to SWI - I feel so sorry for you long cycle girls .

I thought EPO was more about mood swings etc than cycle length - but it may have messed you up a bit dani.

digi when you get pg on holiday you are going to have to call your child "Devon"!

dani - so pleased to hear you pushed an eggy out!

choccie I can't see your charts either!
Under "Sharing -> Home Page Setup" I have checked the "Auto Update" option, but can't see anything else to set...

can you access my chart directly?