The Official TTC Thread!

[fisherofmengirly]

Pandora! How very, very exciting! Congratulations, girl.

I would have been going nuts to get my hands on another test if I were you over the weekend!!



Things are going well here. My cross hairs are still there (just logged the weekend temps into FF). I did do a dip, though. Sunday, which would be 5 days past ovulation. It has dropped below the cover line (look at all the terms I''m learning!!), but just a tiny bit. So, at least my cross hairs have remained.

How exciting!

I keep trying to tell if I *feel* pregnant, even though I know likely my egg wouldn''t have even implanted yet. This next week will be worlds of fun for Paul, I''m sure.

Good luck to those still waiting to test!!

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 9/7/2008 6:40:44 PM
Author: mela lu

I loathe my brothers GF too - so hopefully we''ll have more than that in common this month

I have a few dumbo questions re: Fertility friend.

Dumb Q#1: According to FF, AFF is scheduled to show up (that red ball with the creepy eye) on Thursday Aug 11 - based on a 14day LP. Thursday would technically be 15DPO. However, if I was to simply count 28 days since my last period, then AFF would come on Saturday Aug 13th. Now, from what I understand, the LP never changes, so I should go according to FF''s creepy red eye and expect AFF on Thursday. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight?

Dumb Q#2: On my FF chart, there is a line that says ''stats''. What is that? ETA: I answered my own question. FF says ''The stats line also displays when appropriate a countdown (numbers from 5 to 1) to the test date starting 5 days before the recommended test date.'' Mine seems ''off'' versus my expected AFF date because this is my first month temping and FF has no test date benchmark to give me.

Wow! That chart looks amazing! I have a good feeling for you here.

I''m a 14 day LP as well - although FF couldn''t tell me either as it was first cycle charting temps. I just worked it out on when the other signs said I was probably O''ing. I think if you have clockwork cycles it''s easier to monitor things like that without the temps to a pretty accurate degree. FF told me to test 18DPO which would have made me 4 days late - no way I could wait THAT long (killed me waiting till 8DPO).



I got my first ''I can def. see that line without squinting too much'' line on the ICs this morning at 13DPO - when are you due to test next?

I was quite impressed with this brand of ICs in that they didn''t seem to do evaps or false positives (like those wretched blue dye things

). I bought them from a shop called ''Baby Mad'' on the UK ebay site - 99p for 20...

I might have got an earlier result with a FRER, but at $20 for 2, it was expensive last month!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

LL,

I hope Cricket is feeling better today! I hope you and hubby are, too. September has just begun, hopefully the month will be better the closer it gets to October.

Today my temp dropped again. I''m thinking that means I''m not doing the normal LP thing, staying above the cover line. I was sad about that this morning and Paul said maybe my temp was lower because I went to sleep last night with my hair wet. I love that boy for being as ridiculous as I am in finding nonsense reasons for the little things I let worry me. At least FF didn''t take my cross hairs away. I still feel hopeful that I could end up pregnant one day because of that.

I read some stuff (mostly on here) about implantation dipping, but I''m assuming that is one sudden drop, not a drop over two days. So, that doesn''t account for it, either. My coverline appears to be right at about 97.47 or so, and yesterday''s temp was 97.42 and today''s was 97.29.

I guess we''ll see what my temp is tomorrow, then, and maybe it will shoot back up over the cover line.

Good luck to anyone about to pee on a stick (I think I read last night that Lindsey was coming up on it, but that was late late at night after driving for hours, so I have no idea if that''s right or not).

 

[tiffanytwisted]

Fisher- can you post your chart? How many DPO are you? It isn''t unusual to have temperature dips below the coverline. My temperature seems to plummet on the day AF is coming.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

I''m only 6 days into DPO, though.

 

[Pandora II]

I don't think that looks bad at all - implantation can take quite some time. Looking at my chart, the dip in temps was quite late on - FF didn't recognise it as implantation at all.

I would be more worried by low temps like those if you were 11 DPO. 6DPO is fine!

What is your usual LP?

 

[Dreamer_D]

Fisher Usually the dip you see in the LP will be a one day drop in temps, sometimes two days of low temps, which is followed by a return to higher temps right away. But your temps over the next two days will make things clearer. If they shoot up and *stay* up above the cover line for a good 5 days or so, then you can assume this was a dip after ovulation. However, if your temps stay low or only go up agan for a day or two and then back down again, it is possible that you did not actually ovulate yet this cycle

I'm sorry to bring this up, many women have such cyles once in a while and with your history of really long cycles it is a possibility. So I hope that temp goes up, but either way, you are gaining useful information to help achieve that baby goal!

ETA re Pandora's comments Pandora, you never had a true dip, your temps were always well above the cover line, your temps just showed normal LP variations.

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 9/8/2008 8:25:04 AM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
Fisher Usually the dip you see in the LP will be a one day drop in temps, sometimes two days of low temps, which is followed by a return to higher temps right away. But your temps over the next two days will make things clearer. If they shoot up and *stay* up above the cover line for a good 5 days or so, then you can assume this was a dip after ovulation. However, if your temps stay low or only go up agan for a day or two and then back down again, it is possible that you did not actually ovulate yet this cycle

I''m sorry to bring this up, many women have such cyles once in a while and with your history of really long cycles it is a possibility. So I hope that temp goes up, but either way, you are gaining useful information to help achieve that baby goal!

ETA re Pandora''s comments Pandora, you never had a true dip, your temps were always well above the cover line, your temps just showed normal LP variations.

Ah, so your dip needs to go below the coverline to count. I thought it was just a dip in the general scheme of things. I wondered why FF didn''t think much of it. Thanks Dreamer.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 9/8/2008 8:45:00 AM
Author: Pandora II

Date: 9/8/2008 8:25:04 AM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
Fisher Usually the dip you see in the LP will be a one day drop in temps, sometimes two days of low temps, which is followed by a return to higher temps right away. But your temps over the next two days will make things clearer. If they shoot up and *stay* up above the cover line for a good 5 days or so, then you can assume this was a dip after ovulation. However, if your temps stay low or only go up agan for a day or two and then back down again, it is possible that you did not actually ovulate yet this cycle

I'm sorry to bring this up, many women have such cyles once in a while and with your history of really long cycles it is a possibility. So I hope that temp goes up, but either way, you are gaining useful information to help achieve that baby goal!

ETA re Pandora's comments Pandora, you never had a true dip, your temps were always well above the cover line, your temps just showed normal LP variations.

Ah, so your dip needs to go below the coverline to count. I thought it was just a dip in the general scheme of things. I wondered why FF didn't think much of it. Thanks Dreamer.

I guess to be totally accurate it doesn't have to be below the cover line, but it is usually a one day drop in temp that is at least .3deg F, where temps afterwards go immediately back up to the pre-dip higher range. Your temps trended down and reached a low of .3deg below ther highest, but is wasn't a one day drop. The second dip was .3 deg, but then after it didn't shoot up again! LOL... it doesn't matter anyways, apparently the whole dip thing is a myth, though such one-day dips are slightly more associated with pregnancy (23% of pregnancy charts show them, whereas 11% of non-pregnancy charts with ovulation show them).

ETA I guess with this definition Fisher's isn't a "dip" either, but lots of women have temps that drop below cover line sometimes in the LP. The test is whether they get up and stay up after!

 

[robbie3982]

Fisher, I had a dip today too. Granted, I took my temp an hour early because I had to pee so badly that it woke me up, but even if I adjust the temp it would still be a dip of .4 degrees. It's actually fairly common for me to get a dip of that size between 4 and 7 dpo. I must have that secondary estrogen surge going on. I think it was dreamer who mentioned it earlier.

I've got all kinds of signs of having high estrogen (long spurt of ewcm pre-o, the ewcm post-o, bad headaches in the 2ww, the secondary surge) and I was actually starting to get a little worried that maybe this was a bad thing, but then I remembered that my old gyno did blood work at my last appointment and everything came back fine. I checked when my last appointment fell and it was at 7dpo. I just left a message to have them send me the actual results. I'd like to know what my levels actually were.

ETA: I changed my chart to Advanced so that I'll be less tempted to test early. That makes me 4dpo today instead of 6

I still have a feeling I O'd on CD17 instead of CD19, but I'd hate to test at 8dpo if I didn't. I refuse to test any earlier than 10dpo and I know that's still really early. I found out that one of my best friends is probably coming in from across the country next week and I'd love to be able to tell him I'm pregnant in person. I haven't seen him since my wedding which was one year ago today.

 

[mela lu]

oh girls. if there is one piece of sage advice I can offer, it''s not to test too early. All these negs are starting to get me down

12DPO and stiiiiiiiiiil negative.

I still feel SO preggers, bawled last night, then welled up on the train to work this morning. I''m so deep into this now that I''m just going to keep testing every morning. Now, it''s for the sake of "science" so that I can know exactly what day I *should* have tested on. I''m still holding out for a BFP.

If I don''t get one, then I''m heading straight to the dr''s to find out what''s "wrong" with me, both physically and CLEARLY mentally/emotionally. I have no planned coping strategy if I''m not PG, so baby dust me please to avoid the potential break-down city.

Kate - I''m Downtown too, (high park to be exact). So happy to have a PS''er close by!

I don''t know why...but it''s reassuring.

I''m crazy.

Fisher - I too had a two day dip in my LP. Check my chart one page back!

 

[blushingbride]

WOW - this thread is bump'n!!! I was in a wedding this weekend and my dear friend had to get married in the midst of hurricane Hana...poor thing!! Regardless of the rain, the wedding was beautiful and we all had a blast!

First, Pandora....CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

How exciting it must have been to find out that your BFN turned into a BFP!!!!

Lovely, Mela, Robbie, Peony and whoever else is knitting...GOOD LUCK!!!!

Ebree - sorry to hear about AFF. She's a real pain in the a*s.

Amber - thinking of you and hope you drop by soon!

As for me, I'm on CD 9 and just plugging away. I still have a low reading on my fertility monitor, but will start BDing every other day until CD 12.

 

[E B]

mela,

Don't let the negs get you down! It's still early. How did your temp look this morning?

If, for some reason, you aren't PG this cycle, don't worry. You got pregnant pretty quickly the first time, right? The same happened to me, twice, and it made me feel as though this cycle was a SURE THING, because it happened so easily before. And then, after AF came, I realized that I was very lucky- one or two negative cycles is completely normal when trying to get pregnant. Six or more can also be normal when trying to get pregnant.

I know this is all incredibly obvious, and your chart's looking fab, but it helped me to keep things in perspective.

Good luck to all the ladies in the 2ww!

As for me, CD 3, here. Nothing too exciting. I've decided that I'm going to start temping this cycle to make sure body and CBEFM still agree on O after the Clomid. I forgot this morning, so I'll start tomorrow.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Mela you know I love you, and because I love you and think you are awesome I am going to give you a virtual slap to knock some sense into you! I hope you are pg this cycle, that would be awesome, but if for some reason you are not, then you are not allowed to see the doctor about "something wrong"! Girl, this is your first cycle TTC again! There is nothing wrong with you, you are totally NORMAL and healthy... it takes time to get pg, and if it isn''t this cycle it will be the next or the next. You know you ovulate, you know you get preggo, you are ahead of the game. So you need to dig deep into your positivety reserves and keep faith that it will happen! Patience sister, it will happen. Remember, 1 in 5 chances each month means ON AVERAGE 6 MONTHS to get preggo! In the words of our favorite band, NKOTB, Hang Tough!

And if tough love isn''t what you need, then honey, is it possible that you are still feeling sad and off kilter about TTC because you aren''t totally over the m/c yet? This first TWW is bound to bring up all sorts of feelings, and your certainty that you are pg (which may still be true!) could also be a reaction to your sadness or grief that isn''t totally processed yet? If so, then big {{{HUGS}}}... and hang tough

 

[mela lu]

thanks Ebree and DD for your words. I Know your both right. I know. And you very well may be right about some of the harder issues to understand. It's just that I *feel* soooo preggo. So, when I say that something is wrong with me, I mean, like maybe I'm anemic or low in B12 or something that's making me feel drained of all my energy and like I'm living under a pilon.

???

ETA: Ebree, my temp was still nice this am, down from 98.1 to 97.9 (but still up there).

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 9/8/2008 10:39:01 AM
Author: mela lu
thanks Ebree and DD for your words. I Know your both right. I know. And you very well may be right about some of the harder issues to understand. It''s just that I *feel* soooo preggo. So, when I say that something is wrong with me, I mean, like maybe I''m anemic or low in B12 or something that''s making me feel drained of all my energy and like I''m living under a pilon.

???

ETA: Ebree, my temp was still nice this am, down from 98.1 to 97.9 (but still up there).

Ahhhh... well this is possible! But it is also possible that it is stress and anticipation and pregesterone? I felt like poop during my LP in my first cycle TTC, and wasn''t preggo. My fingers are crossed for you Mela!

 

[mela lu]

true true. thanks for the tough love DD. t''was needed.

 

[littlelysser]

Well, first off - I'm happy to report that Miss Cricket is feeling much better today. Thank goodness.

Also, I have finally stopped bleeding and cramping. So yay! I totally exercised today and I'm feeling a bit more like myself. But still kinda sad.

Warning - not positive discussion follows. You may want to skip...

And my research has brought up something pretty interesting. Basically, I've seen research out there that says up to 50% of pregnancies fail before 5 weeks. Many women don't even know they are pregnant, unless they are actively TTC and testing. With these tests, you can find out when you are prego at barely 4 weeks. I found out I was prego at 11 DPO (or 12, depending on how FF changed my O date) - which means I was BARELY 4 weeks when I found out. I did a lot of talking with my mom - back in the day, there were no HPTs. The only way to find out you were prego was to go the doctor. And most docs didn't even want to see a woman until she between 2-4 weeks late. Which then made me think of my situation. I'd have most likely never known I was prego. Would have dismissed this month as just a weird period that was late.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm still going to test early, but I wished I had that info before I did. I just don't really think I'm doing myself any favors. Just something I've been thinking about.

OKAY...moving on...

Mela - Honey. I don't know what to tell you. I hope you are prego again. But if you aren't, life will go on. I didn't want to say anything earlier, but I was afraid you were setting yourself up for heartbreak! As for what is wrong with you...well, physically, there is nothing wrong. Takes six months on average, blah blah blah, BUT you know that...

As for mentally/emotionally - I know that every single one of us was entirely convinced we were prego the first month we tried. And again, I'm not saying you aren't prego - but I think just about everyone here has had darn near every symptom of pregnancy. I know I did...and not in the month I got my BFP. Add to that the fact that you have gotten prego in the past - and well, you have a double set up for heart break. And going though a m/c sucks and can totally mess with you - in ways that you and I probably don't even understand yet. And I totally ditto what DD and Ebree said.

And if this isn't the cycle, you WILL be okay. You have gotten through much worse. BFNs are totally a part of this process. You know that you can get prego - and you got prego very easily - but that doesn't mean it'll happen super fast again. But it will happen. And if it doesn't happen this month, you'll feel sad, you'll cry, shoot, maybe you'll even get REALLY pissed off and yell a bit, but you'll be okay.

Pandora - I had an implantation dip - and mine didn't go below the coverline, but it did go down .3 degrees and then right back up the next day. And, FWIW, FF didn't recognize it either...despite the fact that it was a totally textbook dip. 7dpo, .3 dip...I think FF just likes to mess with me, considering that it changed my O date like a bazillion times...

Good luck to the knitters and F-stat-ers!

 

[robbie3982]

Date: 9/8/2008 11:24:39 AM
Author: littlelysser

And my research has brought up something pretty interesting. Basically, I''ve seen research out there that says up to 50% of pregnancies fail before 5 weeks. Many women don''t even know they are pregnant, unless they are actively TTC and testing. With these tests, you can find out when you are prego at barely 4 weeks. I found out I was prego at 11 DPO (or 12, depending on how FF changed my O date) - which means I was BARELY 4 weeks when I found out. I did a lot of talking with my mom - back in the day, there were no HPTs. The only way to find out you were prego was to go the doctor. And most docs didn''t even want to see a woman until she between 2-4 weeks late. Which then made me think of my situation. I''d have most likely never known I was prego. Would have dismissed this month as just a weird period that was late.

This is actually one of the reasons that I want to test early and not just wait until AFF is late. I know it must be heartbreaking to see that BFP and then shortly after realize that you''re miscarrying, but some miscarriages can be prevented and if I happen to miscarry more than twice, I want to be able to go to my doc with that info and say, look, I know I''m getting pregnant, but something is causing them to not stick!

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 9/8/2008 11:58:05 AM
Author: robbie3982

Date: 9/8/2008 11:24:39 AM
Author: littlelysser

And my research has brought up something pretty interesting. Basically, I''ve seen research out there that says up to 50% of pregnancies fail before 5 weeks. Many women don''t even know they are pregnant, unless they are actively TTC and testing. With these tests, you can find out when you are prego at barely 4 weeks. I found out I was prego at 11 DPO (or 12, depending on how FF changed my O date) - which means I was BARELY 4 weeks when I found out. I did a lot of talking with my mom - back in the day, there were no HPTs. The only way to find out you were prego was to go the doctor. And most docs didn''t even want to see a woman until she between 2-4 weeks late. Which then made me think of my situation. I''d have most likely never known I was prego. Would have dismissed this month as just a weird period that was late.

This is actually one of the reasons that I want to test early and not just wait until AFF is late. I know it must be heartbreaking to see that BFP and then shortly after realize that you''re miscarrying, but some miscarriages can be prevented and if I happen to miscarry more than twice, I want to be able to go to my doc with that info and say, look, I know I''m getting pregnant, but something is causing them to not stick!

I think there is something to be said for knowing that you can at least get pg. It''s less stressful on your partner that way as well - they know that it''s not that they have zero spermies.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 9/8/2008 11:24:39 AM
Author: littlelysser
And my research has brought up something pretty interesting. Basically, I''ve seen research out there that says up to 50% of pregnancies fail before 5 weeks. Many women don''t even know they are pregnant, unless they are actively TTC and testing. With these tests, you can find out when you are prego at barely 4 weeks. I found out I was prego at 11 DPO (or 12, depending on how FF changed my O date) - which means I was BARELY 4 weeks when I found out. I did a lot of talking with my mom - back in the day, there were no HPTs. The only way to find out you were prego was to go the doctor. And most docs didn''t even want to see a woman until she between 2-4 weeks late. Which then made me think of my situation. I''d have most likely never known I was prego. Would have dismissed this month as just a weird period that was late.

If you are interested, back when Indy and I were first trying (April-May?) we had lots of discussion of this very issue. Before TTC I had no idea what the realities were of m/cs... 50% before *most* women know they are preggo (the situation you describe), another 25% prior to 8 weeks, and still a 10% chance up until 12 weeks. Scary when you are trying to make it through that first tri without going mental. On the other hand, if one does suffer a loss... and more than 50% of women will have at least one, 36% of women will have two just by dumb random chance!... it may be some reassurance to know it is so common. Here and in real life I have a number of friends who has losses early or later, some missed m/cs some not etc, all all of the people I have know have gone on to get preggo again and have a health child within a short period of time!

 

[Pandora II]

When you look at those stats and then the stats for various other problems, its a wonder that anyone has a kid at all really!

 

[AmberWaves]

Morning ladies, looks like I missed a lot!

Congrats Pandora! I love how the UK pregnancy tests can tell you how far along you are. And must I say, that even though I know better, when the English (My cousin in-law included) refer to cribs as "cots" I always think of camping cots. I can't help it. At least it makes me giggle.

Mela, I hope this cycle doesn't drive you too insane. Let's hope it ends in the outcome you're wanting! When is AFF due?

Ebree, sorry about the dreaded Red showing up.

LL: hiya, gal.

Just wanted to say I'm glad Cricket is better! Nothing makes you worry more than your puppies, right?

I'm now on CD22, 7dpo according to FF. Since I realized that conceiving next cycle will "net" in an end of June baby, DH and I decided to get back to trying in earnest, and hope we get a summer of '09 baby.

I've got super killer allergies right now, so anything prior to this page hasn't been cemented in my brain, but HI to AM, ChinaCat, Sap, LL, Fisher, Robbie, Sabine, Ebree, NYCSparkle, DRK, DD, Pandora, Mela, Tiffany, Lulu, Blushing, Peony, Radiant, Oobiecoo and hopefully everyone else!

 

[littlelysser]

DD - You know, now that you say that, I totally remember reading that, in a very vague kind of a way. I must have read it though, as I''ve read this whole darn thread at least once!! But I guess I sort of forgot...if that makes sense. Or at least read it in a very, hmmm, that is an interesting statistic, with a disinterested, well, it won''t happen to me, kind of eye. Which is so very I''m a teen-ager and nothing bad can happen to me sort of way! Crazy.

 

[Independent Gal]

If I recall correctly, it's not quite as dire as it sounds. I think (correct me if I'm wrong DD) that a TOTAL of 50% of fertilized eggs don't make it. About half of those (25%) don't even make it from blastocyst to embryo (a very early m/c also known as a 'chemical pregnancy', like LL had... this means that the process of dividing has started and there is chemical evidence of this, but there is no ultrasound visible product of the pregnancy yet... aka a fetal pole).

So we're now down to 75% of fertilized eggs making it to embryo status

Of those, a further 15% don't make it to 8 weeks and the heart never really gets going. In all these cases, it's more often than not a chromosomal abnormality. Basically, the genetic code short circuits and the cells stop dividing and differentiating.

So we're now down to around 60% of fertilitzed eggs

After 8 weeks and a good heart beat, a further 5-8% won't make it from embryo to fetus, and will stop developing before 12 weeks.

So, 50-55% of fertilized eggs make it to 12 weeks.

After 12 weeks, the rate of miscarriage (defined as fetal demise prior to viability at 24 weeks) is about 1%

So we're at 50-54%

Then approximately 1% further of babies are stillborn.

So basically, in total somewhere around 50% of fertilized eggs make it to be healthy babies.

To sum up: if you are carrying a singleton (totally different if you're carrying twins) your chance of your fertilized egg making it all the way to snuggly babyhood is...

...at fertilization is 50%
...at 5-6 weeks chances are much better at 75-80%
...at 8 weeks with a heartbeat 92-95%
...at 12 weeks about 98%


That's why we call it the 12 week wait! May all your 2 week waits be short & sweet, and may all your fertilized eggs in the 12 week wait be flourishing ones.

Like DD, I know nearly as many women who have had a miscarriage as women who haven't. It is a very sad part of womanhood, and a very common one.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Lysser how dare you not remember every little thing I write on here

LOL!!

Pandora luckily those aren't additive stats! The early losses stat of 50% actually helps explain why each month there is a 25% chance... although 50% of the time fertilization and implantation may occurr, only about half of those last until after on'es period was due. After that rates are between 10% and 25% total, depending on the source. Bu that means that if one waits until after their missed period to test, then there is a 75% - 85% chance of carrying to term, which is pretty good really! It isn't all doom and gloom.

ETA tee hee... Indy to the "rescue" though this is a very bleak topic... back to your regularly scheduled TTCing!

 

[mela lu]

it may be bleak, but it''s the reality. Thanks for sharing gals!

 

[peonygirl]

Yup, I believe you''re right IG. Also, I learned in my genetics class last year that as women age they actually have the same chance as younger women for conception, but that implantation (and the blastocyst stage) is less likely to occur after that.

 

[mela lu]

pandora - when you got your EDD, did you base it on your LMP or O date?

Why don''t more HCP''s base it on O-date rather than LMP for those who chart and know the exact O day?

 

[lovelylulu]

hey mela! sorry that you''re feeling like your emotions are spinning out all over the place. Hope that you get a BFP soon, but if it''s not this cycle please don''t think that there''s something wrong with you! it''ll happen again. and it''ll stick!! hang in there and maybe get some more sleep?!?

LittleL: so glad to hear that cricket (very cute name) is doing better! and while it''s never fun to face, a reality check is a good thing. i''ve definitely become more *realistic* this go-around . . . for better or for worse.

amber: glad to hear that you and hubby are getting back on the baby-making train

lots of dust your way!!