STOP TESTING EARLY

[Hopehopefulhopefully]

Okay to explain. I completely respect anyone’s decision to test when they want. It’s your journey, your body, your choice.

BUT I’d like to explain why I don’t think it’s the best decision for us.

I am on my 3rd transfer - 2 BFNs and 1 TBC - OTD is Friday 9th.

1. testing early and seeing stark white is horrible emotionally and you spend the next days worrying and on an emotional rollercoaster

2. even if it is stark white you have to continue with the meds until OTD. I absolutely hate pumping my body with these hormones when I’m pretty sure it hasn’t worked and makes me so miserable

3. try to just enjoy the TWW ignorance is difficult but more blissful than stressing about line progression or stark white tests

4. the early testing on this forum makes people think this is the normal way of doing things and creates a ton of hysteria with people counting themselves out at 5dp5dt!!!!! I mean seriously! 5dp5d5!

I don’t mean to upset anyone and as I said it’s your body your choice but please consider if anything I have said above might make your TWW a little more blissful hoping for the best but expecting the worst but enjoying being PUPO.

You are all absolute warriors this is a tough gig. I’ll report back on ODT!

Wishing your all the BFPs xxx

First cycle for me and I'm actually testing a day later than my OTD as my OH is away. I have enough medication and I figure testing early won't change the eventual result. If I get a stark white on OTD it's pretty obvious it hasn't worked if I get anything else then I have reason to be positive but it STILL doesn't mean it has worked or will result in a live birth. I'm just taking one day at a time.

I'm not even analysing symptoms as I'm taking so much progesterone I probably feel pregnant anyway!

I can't do anything right now, all I know is they put back a good quality embryo and it's really out of my hands if it works or not.

Still I wish you luck on Friday!

OP, I've done both (took 4 transfers to get my little boy), and am still in favour of testing early. In response to your points:

1. I found being shocked with stark white on OTT more traumatic. Testing early allows you to slowly lose hope, so you know what's going to happen but it it doesn't hit you all at once - this is very much personal preference.
2. You don't have to continue - it's not mandatory. My clinic has otd as 14dp5dt. I've read the studies, I know full well that multiple highly sensitive negatives on days 11/12 mean that the chance of a viable pregnancy is zero. Testing early allowed me to stop the brutal immune protocol a couple of days early.
3. It's going to be hell either way - I've never found testing or not testing made any difference to my experience of the 2ww.
4. I agree that counting yourself out at 5dp5dt is silly, but conversely, I think testing early does give you more control over your cycle, and the ability to better manage expectations. The proportion of women who have a viable pregnancy who are negative on highly sensitive tests at 8dp5dt is very small - just based on the amount of hcg needed for viable pregnancies. If it's very unlikely to work out, some women want to know as soon as possible.

As you say, it is completely up to the individual- some people find not testing easier and vice versa. I'm glad you know what is right for you, and really hope this cycle works for you.

I have always tested early for the same reason as @MinPinSins. The shock of testing on OTD and seeing negative would be too heartbreaking for me. I prefer to test daily and let the hope fade gradually. This has always worked for me. But as you said OP, it's very much a personal preference for everyone.

I'm also an early tester, and on three transfers early testing has shown chemical pregnancies or miscarriages, which I might not have known about had I not tested early. That was useful info for my clinic to know that implantation had happened.

I also like to have a gentle let down to a BFN, but it is completely a personal choice and there is no right or wrong.

I do agree that counting yourself out at 5dpt is wrong, there are so many variables at that stage that could impact the result, and there will always be those who implant later.

I'm also a supporter of not testing early. Used to test early, and it was ridiculous, I was testing at 3am when I couldn't sleep and then getting upset. Final straw was having a chemical pregnancy - even when you see a BFP before OTD, it doesn't help. Because then the worry starts - is it real? Will I still test positive tomorrow? Why aren't the lines getting darker? etc etc.

My two pregnancies (DD and current pregnancy) I didn't test until OTD. So I know also feel a bit superstitious that for me, not testing early leads to success

Obviously everyone has to do what is right for them but I (politely!) disagree as on the emotional side personally I'd find a BFN on OTD a lot more difficult than slowly preparing for it, plus I couldn't deal with wondering whether or not it had worked for the whole TWW. Secondly, line progression. Now I know this is far from an exact science but I had two transfers where my lines were not progressing well so I suspected a chemical. The clinic's response was a line is a line congratulations, however I was correct and they were chemicals which I was better prepared for. Next cycle I insisted my progesterone was tested and it turned out I needed more so for me I feel testing early gave me a little bit of extra information.

There is an old thread on reddit about testing from day 5 and stopping on day 8 to check viability of pregnancy: if you get a faint line from day 5, it is very likely a viable pregnancy, but the darkness of that line needs to progress rather quickly.. and if you get a faint line or don't get a line by day 8, then it is quite likely non-viable.

I used that approach for my last 2 and it helped manage my expectations/emotions. The worst positive is a strong one on OTD that fades quickly or even worse, ends late; so it's good to know when you got the positive/when it implanted (and check the b-HCG once you get that positive).

Of course, some people prefer to be PUPO. Everyone is different.

I hope you get your BFP!

It’s so lovely to hear everyone’s reasons for testing early and not testing early and all are completely valid and everyone should do whats best for them.

Thank for the well wishes for OTD on Friday and I wish you all as little anxiety as possible and hopefully success on your IVF journeys.