The Official TTC Thread!

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Hi ladies

I'm new to this forum, i'm wondering if you can all give me some advice!

I'm 26, currently on the BCP, have been for about 7 years.

My husband and I are going to start TTC in October, and I've heard conflicting advice as to when you should go off the to INCREASE fertility.

Is it better to stay on the pill right until you want to start TTC? or is it better to go off the pill and let your body return to normal??

Good question! I've heard stories from both sides- the people who are super fertile and the people who need 6+ months to get back to normal. The problem is you won't know which camp you fall into until you stop taking the pill. If it were me, I think I would go off the pill now...you rarely hear people say "I wish I would have gone off the pill later," it's almost always the other way around.

I am going to have to go on the pill for about 6 weeks starting in September. As of now, I'm scheduled to have AF right in the middle of my wedding cruise...which is obviously unacceptable. Last year I was planning a cruise and the same thing was supposed to happen...6 weeks on the BCP and I switched my cycle around and had a lovely vacation. I really do hope that I am one of those people who goes off the pill and is super fertile...that would be super!

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Here's a question for all of gals-
My current gyno is just a gyno, not an OB. I just had a pap in March, but I'll probably want to go in for a pre TTC appointment. I figure I should do this at a new doc who will be an OB/GYN. I had a doc picked out based on recommendations from a friend (whose husband is a doc, so she knows tons of docs in town). This doctor and her group are located across the street from one of the two major hospitals in town, and is contracted with the other hospital in town as well.

Well, new job = new insurance, which means I won't be able to use that hospital, I'll have to go to the the other one in town. Hospital #2 has an OB/GYN group affiliated with it, and the group is located practically on the hospital grounds. I tried to read reviews about the docs in this group and there isn't as much info out there on the docs I've looked at.

So here's my question- how important is it to have an OB/GYN group that is located in close proximity to the hospital where you will deliver (or end up at if there are any complications at any point)? Does it even matter? The original group I had picked out has amazing reviews, but there's something comforting about your doc potentially being at the hospital within minutes.

 

[lliang_chi]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

NEL: OMG!!! That's HILARIOUS!!! You are sooooo funny!!!! I'm sure D *really* appreciated that, ha ha ha!!!! I have a similar funny story. When DH and I just started dating, I prank called him. My Sis works in the same company so she looked up his extension, and I remember he said he was deal with people in Ft. Worth. So I calling him up and was like:

DH: "This is J."
Me: "Hi, J. This is Angela (not my real name) from Ft. Worth. I have some questions on your thermal analysis. (An actual engineering term) "
[pause]
DH: "Okay. What are you questions?"
Me: "Thanks. But before I get into that, I wanted to know if you were wearing underwear." Then I busted up laughing...

Anyway, I'm glad you're getting some good signs for O. I dont think you'd end up with a prissy sort of daughter. And candlelight dinner and no BDing? Hm, maybe the power can "go out" tonight too...

Ally, thanks for posting the pic on the positive Wondofo. Hoping you get your positive soon. I'll post a picture of today since I moved all the furniture back into some semblance of order.

Ruby, It usually takes a while to normalize after HBC. If you guys are comfortable with having an Oops, you can just use FAM as your birth control. Otherwise, condoms.

AMC: You might want to post your Q about doctors in the Preggo thread or the newborn thread. They'll have some good answers too. Personally, I'd rather get the better reviewed group. They're going to be your doctor the WHOLE pregnancy, and for the most part, labor is not an immediate thing. It takes tiiiiimmmmeee to get to the point where the Dr. needs to be there, so being there in mins isn't something I personally will weigh in the decision. My friend drove into the city (25 miles) to deliver at her chosen hospital and I was nervous for them. But they were totally calm about it, and everything ended up fine. I hope AF gets scheduled properly so there's no visit on your wedding cruise.

AFM: I couldn't get an acupuncture appt this week. Boo, I think I'm going to try 2 next week. I'm also getting some creamy CM too. I'm still waiting for my Wondofos but I took some CBE's yesterday PM and this morning and they were negative.

~LC

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

LC, Hahaha, I love a practical joke, Your DH must not have minded too much because he kept dating you AND even married you! I hope your Wondfos get in, I'm interested to see your results with them considering your change in CM. Apparently I'm a Wondfo OPK pusher this month so I can satisfy my own curiousity.

AMC, I went through something very similar last year...finding a new ob/gyn for a pre-TTC appt. and trying to figure out if I wanted somebody in a hospital, near a hospital, near my house, etc. I think I have a thread about it somewhere. In the end, I decided to choose a small practice near my house that was affiliated with the hospital where I wanted to deliver (I know you only have on option for hospitals). My reasoning was that I wanted my appts. to be convenient for me, I didn't necessarily care how close she was to the hospital. In the end, the ob/gyn I chose stopped practicing at the small office near my house and started practicing at another office closer to the hospital. So even though I wanted a doc who was within 5 minutes of my house, it didn't turn out that way. Her office is only 15 minutes away (so is the hospital), so it's really not that bad. Still, if it were me, I would probably care more about finding somebody close to home. Or your office if you'd rather have the ob/gyn close to work.

 

[charbie]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Hey AMC: i personally would go with the doctor who gets the best reviews rather than worrying about their proximity to the hospital. You're going to more than likely be in labor for a decent amount of time, and if you're not, chances are your own doctor's office might not end up at your birth no matter how close they are if its happening that quickly. Interview the office- ask how many births the doctors are present for or if they miss any frequently?
To put things into perspective, my own doc is in private practice, so I get him or one of two others who will cover him should he be MIA at the time I go into labor. He has two offices- one next to the hospital he delivers at, and one 25 mins across town if you don't hit any traffic. He stilll maintains that he rarely ever misses a birth of one of his patients. He's actually going to be 2000 miles away on my due date, but I still felt ok going with him bc I had heard such great things about him.

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Thanks, everyone, for your advice. I think I will go with the practice further away from the hospital. I've heard such good things about all the docs there. They are upfront with the fact that your specific doc may not be there when you deliver, but you get a chance to meet all/most of the docs before that point anyway. I have a preggo friend who goes there and she has been happy with everything. If I had an option I'd choose a doc with an office close to my work, but there really aren't any, they all seem to be around one of the hospitals. It's annoying because my hospital has another building with an ER and a bunch of medical offices RIGHT by both my work and home, but no OB/GYNs there...that would have been way too convenient.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Brown, I smiled when I read your “story.” So exciting. I think I will have the same reaction/disbelief as you when I finally do get pregnant. Keep us updated on your progress. Hope you are enjoying your vacation!

Ally, I was just about to cheer you on, but then I realized that was your opk from last month. Hope you get a dark one just like that soon.

NEL, sounds like you should be o’ing soon as well. I have to say that I do not trust the wondfos enough to completely rely on them. For me, when the CBE has a smiley face, the test line on the wondfo is at best equally as dark as the test line, but not obviously darker. I could probably rely on that, but there is comfort in having it confirmed by something digital. Plus, I have saved a lot of money by using the wondfos because they have allowed me to get 4 cycles out of my CBEs, and I still have enough for another cycle or two.

LC, I hope your cm means you’re getting close to o’ing too. That would mean a shorter cycle for you, right? Can’t wait to see the pictures of your room!

Katy, glad to hear your house projects are keeping you busy. It would be great if your body jumps right back in and ovulates as normal. Crossing my fingers for you that that is what happens!

Ruby, you’ve already had a lot of answers, but I thought I’d weigh in too. I had also heard women are more fertile right after BC, so I didn’t worry about getting off early. I stopped taking the pill, had my withdrawal bleed as usual, and got a positive OPK 10 days after that. So, I do think I started ovulating right away. As far as being super fertile though, that wasn’t the case for me - I am now on my 4th cycle of trying. If you want to see if you get an extra fertility boost right after you stop, go for it, just don’t be surprised if it takes awhile.

Lizzy, hope you are doing alright. Have your symptoms subsided, or is your body still playing tricks on you? That really sucks that you were given misinformation about your RE’s schedule, but at least tomorrow is already Friday. Fill us in on what you learn.

AFM, no news. Just waiting it out at 5DPO. I think the second half of the 2ww is the hardest part for me because now is the time I’m going to start reading into every little thing and looking for signs and convince myself I’m pregnant one minute and not the next. Luckily, work is keeping me even busier than usual, so I shouldn’t have too much time to obsess : )

Hi to anyone I missed! For those of you who are about to O, get busy! We need some more bfps around here!

 

[curiousaboutdiamonds]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Happy Friday!

Lizzy: Hope today's appt goes well. I'm interested to hear what plan, if any, the RE has for you.

Monkey: It's so exciting be in the 2WW! Being busy definitely helps the days go by faster. I also analyze every little symptom - nausea, fatigue = pregnancy right? When are you planning on testing?

Amc: I would have also gone with the dr (practice) that I'm more comfortable with or heard good things about rather than location. I chose my Dr based on my comfort with him even though he wasn't located near the hospital I wanted to deliver at. Also, when you deliver (unless you're lucky and have a speedy delivery), there's time for your dr to get there. The nurses do most of the work anyways and there are many doctors on call. Anyways, glad you got some input and have made a decision.

NEL: I have a girl and she is a perfect mix of tomboy and princess. She is energetic and playful like a boy but is nurturing giving hugs and kisses and cradles her stuffed animals like a girl. I read a little bit of swaying and it seems so 50/50 so I gave up and said to heck with it. Haha. I'm glad my pics helped. Sometimes it seems so difficult to determine whether the test is pos or not. And funny story about your DH. I wonder if he was blushing. Any more progression on the OPKs? If you O like last cycle, you should be getting a pos OPK soon.

LC: You're such a jokester! Too funny. Darn for not being able to get an acupuncture session this week. At least next week is only a few days away. That's great you're getting creamy CM because that means you're getting closer to O! When are the Wondfos coming in? If this cycle is a bust, I'm going to need to order more. Last cycle I told myself to test once a day until I get fertile signs and then test 2x. I've been testing 3x a day so my stash of 50 is diminishing rapidly.

Katy, SBA, pancake ... Thinking of you ladies!

AFM: My Wondfos have been getting lighter, my CM is creamy, and my cervix is low and firm. I had a temp jump from 97.18 to 97.66 this morning, so I am really confused. I've either O'd or I was gearing up to O and didn't and starting again. I guess I'll find out the next few days. Compared to my preggo chart and other cycles that charted, my temps, CP and CM all line up. Not getting any positive OPK is what is puzzling me. Anyways, I'm celebrating my birthday and DH's birthday this weekend, so I'm not going to worry about it and just have a great weekend.

Hope you ladies have a wonderful weekend!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Ally you could have missed the surge, I have heard it happen. If you temps stay up then trust the other signs!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

MP, the second week of the 2WW is definitely a nail-biter. I'm hoping you have lots of things to distract you over the next week!! I'm most definitely keeping my fingers crossed for you!

Ally, between the fake-out O earlier this cycle and now the suddenly fading test lines, you're probably wanting to throw your OPKs out the window! Is this the first month of charting for you? What are your post-O temps usually like? Like Dreamer mentioned, you could have just missed the surge, but I'd probably test for a couple more days to make sure. And I hear you on the swaying--we talked about it briefly last night, too. Then we celebrated that conversation with a BD session. Heh.

Lizzy, I'm thinking about you today--hoping the dr. appt. is going well!

AFM, bought the digi OPKs last night. No smiley. And today my test line is fainter. Strangely enough, though, this has happned to me in the past. I'll get darker test lines, then they fade and THEN I'll get a positive. So I actually don't think I missed my surge, I really do think I'm still gearing up to O. My cervix is low, my CM is creamy, my temps are still low and I'm just hoping I get my surge of LH in the next day or two and ovulate soon after. My plan is to BD every other day (starting last night) until a couple of days after O.

 

[marlie]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Hi everyone! I'm not a very regular poster but wondering if I could join you guys. My husband and I got married last July and have just started TTC! This is our first month actually. I'm so excited, anxious and nervous all at once. I keep feeling like I'm doing it wrong or something which I realize is silly. But there are so many opinions on when to BD, and whether to chart or OPK and all of that, that it's seriously overwhelming! In the end it will be well worth it I know and I'm hoping to be part of this community and go through it all along with you guys!

In any case, I have been lurking this thread for a while and have learned so much from all of you already! Sending all of you lots and lots of luck!

 

[lizzyann]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Hi ladies, sorry I've been MIA. We've been busy with Dr. appt's for myself and my son (who caught a virus and now has to use an inhaler temporarily) and the on and off power outages here in Massachusetts due to the tornadoes. But we're safe and sound and that's all that matters!

LC, thanks for the support. My current RE lost me at hello! Her bedside manner is just terrible. I feel like I have a strong game plan now though. You are too funny with your prank call to your DH!

Brown, how are you feeling? Headaches and being tired are definitely the strong first signs. Lots of dust to you for continued success.

Katy, good luck with the OPK's. Keep us posted.

Marlie, welcome to you!

Drk, thank you so much for popping in and for telling me your story. I'm glad you finally got your little girl thru IVF. Sorry it was such a long road though. This RE literally has not run ONE test on me. Not one. The only recurrent m/c testing that was done was back in 2008 from my OB. I put the Sperm fragmentation on my list of questions to whichever RE I end up continuing with. Thank you so much for this info. Point blank, more testing needs to be done. I've been pregnant 6 times and have lost 5 of them. Odds are something is wrong.

NE, I did want to strangle the nurse I spoke with on Tuesday. Luckily though, the nurses are just wonderful so I couldn't be that mad at her. It's the doctor that has no sensitivity. I just felt so deflated as I had spent the weekend before researching and gathering my questions only to not talk to anyone. Keep the BD'ing up sister. I want to see a BFP from you this cycle! oh by the way...West Springfield is a town right next door to me. Springfield was ruled a state of emergency and still has no power. A guy that works for my DH lives in Springfield and he is working from our house today because his power is still not back. Oh, I hope that your DH didn't have you on speaker phone when you propositioned him at work! ha ha!

Ally, I agree with Dreamer that it is possible that you missed your surge. DId you get some BD'ing in over the last week or so?

AMC, I don't blame you for trying to move AF out of the way of your honeymoon. You gotta do what you gotta do!

Ruby, welcome! If you know you are going to start trying in October, personally I would stop birth control now because you don't know how long it will take for you to ovulate after birth control.

Monkey, I also agree that the later half of the 2ww is tough! I am constantly groping my bb's to see if they are sore! What a nut! For me, this part and then the next couple of weeks give me a lot of anxiety. I hope this is your cycle lady!

AFM, I had a great appt with my OB. I explained everything that has transpired since he referred me to the RE. He just was in disbelief that the RE has not run one test on me. He's like she should have run tests after the consultation, not waited for you to have two more. ANd he was livid that she still hasn't contacted me to discuss testing now. Oh and by the way, it is a little after 2pm here and she still hasn't called me. He said there is no reason why she should not be taking me seriously. He said I am very reasonable in my expectations and that he doesn't blame me for wanting them to run add'l tests before trying Clomid. I asked about another RE that someone told me about and he told me frankly that he would not recommend that one. He said what he would like to do is see if he can get me a meeting with the Chief RE at the same practice as my current RE. He said the only issue is that he is not taking new patients right now because he is the Chief and does more research now, but he said he is going to see what he can do. He really recommended him. He said that if it doesn't work out, we will discuss another RE. He said without a doubt "this is not bad luck, something is wrong". I feel good that I have an ally in all of this!

My bleeding started yesterday. Not as heavy and crampy as the last one, so that is good. I went for more blood work this morning. Hopefully, it is getting close to 0 at this point.

 

[curiousaboutdiamonds]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Gosh I feel like the girl who cried wolf. Just went to the restroom and had (TMI warning) globs of EW that stretched and stretched. Checked CP and what do you know? High, very soft and open. I guess I'm gearing up to O again and I hope this time is it!

Dreamer: Thanks for chiming in!! Yes, I'm definitely going to trust the other signs. I'm using Opks mainly to detect the surge and then temps to confirm O.

NEL: I temped and charted for 2 cycles before I got pregnant with DD. This is my second cycle/charting TTC#2. My temps pre-o are around 97.4 range with a dip to 97.1ish on day of O, then slow rise to 97.6ish and eventually to 98 range. Boo for no smiley but hope you get one soon. And post a pic of it

Brown: How are you feeling? Do we get pics of those magical words today?

Marlie: Welcome! The ladies here are wonderful and very supportive. Feel free to ask any questions and jump right in!

Lizzy: You have such a great OB and I'm glad to hear him pushing for you. Hopefully the Chief RE will make an exception and take on your case. At least you know that you can turn to your OB to help move things along!! I am so sorry for the bleeding, but at least it's giving you a new start so you can be on your way to having your sticky bean!

 

[sba771]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Lizzy- I really hope your blood work comes back to 0 and everything is good for your to forge ahead!

ally: I hope you had some good BDing with that great CM!

So morning ladies. I have been MIA but following everyone. It has been a rough few days. Of course my instincts were correct! Yesterday my SIL announced she was pregnant. She is only 14 weeks so it is pretty impressive I noticed at about 8 weeks. What made it rough was that my dh and I fought all weekend prior because he told me he was ashamed of my jealous feelings and ashamed of me. This was hard as I have never ever in public acted anything but perfect in any circumstance and also I thought, aside from here, he was my safe person I couldn't cry/vent to. I did however after many tears- explain to him it is not about his brother and his family. In fact their pregnancy has NOTHING to do with me. It is about me mourning the loss of a perfect ideal situation and mourning the fact that my body is not working right and we need help. I explained that their pregnancy is a reminder and that is just hard right now. While I realize I live in a world where I cannot avoid babies and pregnant people, as this is new I do need to brace myself when it will be thrust in my face! I do think he got that message.

On a semi positive note- my OPKs were a bit darker. Not as dark as the control line but getting darker than they have ever bee so I hope that is a good sign. My temp is also a lot higher but I overslept by a bit and I am a little off due to the stress so I am not banking on that. We will see how today's opk looks.

Thinking of all you ladies!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Lizzy, I am so glad that you were safe through the storm. The power outages are a real pain in the you-know-what, but I'm just really thankful that was the extent of it!

I think it's great that your OB is really listening to your concerns and is not brushing them off. It's assuring that he has so much confidence in the Chief RE, it would be fantastic if you could get an appt. with him. I'm hoping it's easier since you are already a patient there, so he has access to all of your charts. I'm hoping he can fit you in, and the sooner the better! Did your current RE ever call you on Friday?

Marlie, welcome! Congrats on your first month of trying!

Ally, WOOHOO for EWCM! Hope you had a fun weekend and didn't let it go to waste!

sba, I know we all understand your frustration with watching people around you get pregnant when you're not. I'm sure it's especially hard when it's starting to cause tension between you and your DH--like you said, you're happy for his sister, just frustrated that you're not in the same position...it has nothing to do with her. Several of my friends had a tough time getting pregnant and went through something similar--one even declined her best friend's baby shower because she just couldn't face it. They all went on to get pregnant and that frustrating time is a distant memory, but when you're in the midst of the frustration it's really hard to remind yourself that it will be okay. I'm encouraged that your OPKs are getting darker, though!!

All the other ladies, how are you doing??

AFM, CD25 and I might be ovulating today. Between using two different OPKs (wondfos and digital CBEs), charting, checking cervical fluid, cervix position, etc., I think I may be overdoing it. This is the issue: yesterday morning my wondfo was darker, so I decided to use my digital CBE in the afternoon and expected a smiley face. I didn't get it. So then in the evening I thought I'd go back to a Wondfo...but my wonfo didn't work! Nothing showed up at all, not even the control line, so I think it was a dud. When I woke up this morning, I tried the digital again...still no smiley. But my temp dipped way down this morning...from 98.1 (Sat and Sun) to 97.1 this morning. Even though I never got a positive on my digital OPK, I think I still might be ovulating. We BDed yesterday and I'm hoping to BD today just in case. If my temp spikes tomorrow, then I'm going to count today as my O-day despite never receiving a positive OPK. I'll just be glad if I make it to the 2WW! Trying to target my O is difficult!

 

[lliang_chi]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Lizzy, sounds like your OB rocks. I really hope the Chief RE in that practice can help. I'd secretly wish that your OB mentions to the Chief RE about your current ridiculous dr's behavior and she gets ripped a new one. I'm witchy like that, but in her case, I think it's totally due. Good luck, I hope you can get some more answers. At least get some extensive testing and some in depth analysis. Hugs my friend.

SBA, HUGS to you too!!! I'm so sorry you had a rough go the past week. And I guess it's not easy for your DH to understand, and yes, it's irrational but it's COMPLETELY NORMAL. We're all human, and you want something (hardwired to NEED) and you're not getting it. So of course you're going to get a lot of emotional baggage wrapped up in that. HOORAY for the postive-ish OPKs!!! I'm sure you're revving up to O!!!

NEL, No such thing as overdoing it. You're just arming yourself with as much info as possible, so totally understandable. I've also been getting negative CBEs, but got really dark Wondofos, so worth BDing just in case.

Ally, did your and your DH get your session in? I hope you got lucky this month!!!

Marlie, welcome!!! Feel free to ask away. Trust me, I had a ton of noobie stupid questions, and everyone here is so helpful!

And for me. Good news and bad news. Good news, this will be my shortest (real) cycle to date!!!! I had a 31 day cycle right after I was off HBC, and this one will be 35 days. So this kinda points that the acupuncture worked! Yay!!! I'm definitely going to keep doing it until I get pregnant.

Of course the BAD news is this cycle was a TOTAL WASH because we didn't BD at ALL. Take that back (upon reviewing my chart). We BD'd *ONCE* about 6 days before O and that's it. Yup. Fat lot of nuthin' here in LC-land. So I'm cranky and frustrated because my DH won't put out, and this was a complete waste of a cycle. I think I'm going to talk to him tonight. Any advice on how to broach the subject? Or at least make this non-accusatory, which is TOTALLY how I feel about it. I feel like this whole thing is totally falling on MY shoulders, (temping, OPKs, acupuncture, doctors appts) and the ONLY thing I need DH to do is drop his pants and do something that he's SUPPOSED to enjoy, and I'm not even getting that. I'm REALLY sorry to be such a cranky-pants today... I'll sign off now since I'm already a TOTAL buzz-kill.

~LC

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

NEL, yay for possibly ovulating today! So glad you caught your window this month! This cycle, I also had a huge temp drop on the day of ovulation, and then it went sky high the next day. It makes my chart look a little crazy. The OPKs definitely are not as fool-proof as we’d all like them to be, which is a good reminder to everyone not to rely on them too heavily.

Oh LC, what a bummer on missing your O. But that’s great that your cycle is going to be so much shorter this month. At least there is a silver lining in all of this. This whole bd’ing on demand thing is not that easy. My DH is being a really good sport now, I would get a little frustrated and started a few fights. That is never the right tactic – can we say mood killer? I guess if you can just communicate to him how important it is that you are bd’ing regularly so you don’t miss the window and use this month as an example of how unpredictable it can sometimes be. Maybe you can talk him into making sure you bd every two to three days. So sorry dear, but hopefully you will be having shorter cycles now and more chances.

sba, your feelings are totally normal. I just don’t think guys get how all consuming it is for us. At the same time, I’m sure your DH is frustrated too and feels helpless. Hugs. I hope that your OPKs mean you are about to ovulate, or maybe your temps are telling you that you already did. Either way, good luck this month. Keep your chin up!

Ally, I hope you finally O’d this month!

Lizzy, I’m glad you found support from your OB. And I hope this is the first step in finding an RE that actually does his/her job! I’m glad I’m not the only “boob-grabber.” : ) DH caught me doing that a few times this weekend when I didn’t think he was looking and wanted to know why I kept “feeling myself up.” Oops.

Welcome Marlie, this whole TTC is a bit overwhelming, so this is a great resource!

AFM, 9DPO. I’m driving myself crazy looking for symptoms, but I don’t think I really have any. I thought my bbs were sore this weekend, but they are not as bad today. And really it is only when I poke and prod them on the sides, which probably isn’t all that unusual or significant. Never thought I’d be trying to will my bbs to hurt : )

Hope everyone else is doing well!

 

[curiousaboutdiamonds]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

SBA: What you feel is completely normal! It is really frustrating to feel that our bodies aren't doing what it's suppose to do and quickly! I keep having to remind myself that it's normal to take up to a year to get pregnant. I'm glad your DH was able to understand you. His support will make this process less stressful for you. I hope you get that + soon! What CD are you? Any other signs or symptoms?

NEL: Wow what a temp drop!! That must be quite the estrogen surge to help release that egg. I bet you that wonky wondfo would've been positive last night. You should've dipped another one! I hope you get a temp jump the next few days. You'll be in the tww soon! Get busy

LC: Woohoo for a shorter cycle! But boo on timing! Were the OPKs off for you too? Are you in the tww now? It's already frustrating to not know when you're going to O, but then when you have an idea and DH doesn't cooperate ... ugh ... I've definitely been there. I hope your talk with DH goes well tonight. And vent away. That's what this board is for.

AFM: I'm just annoyed with my temps, neg OPKs, and all "fertile signs." Last time we BD was Friday because Sat we were out and about celebrating both mine and DH's birthdays, and were exhausted. And Sunday we were recuperating so no BD. We were just so tired! And these darn OPKs are bringing me down. I'm tired of them being negative. I'm tired of these long 40+ day cycles. This is the 5th cycle post-pregnancy and all have been 40+ days. If this cycle is a bust, I'm going to make an appt with my OBGYN for a check-up. I O'd on CD27 last cycle and I'm on CD24 today so I may be gearing up to O again! I'm glad DH got rest this weekend because the BD marathon begins tonight

ETA: Brown: You're getting so close to testing! Don't read too much into the symptoms. But easier said then done. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you've got a sticky bean in there!

 

[marlie]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Hi again!
Hope you all had a nice weekend!
When I get the hang of this thread more, I'll be able to reply to each like all of you do! Right now it's moving too fast and my newbie self can't seem to keep up with you!

Wanted to say thanks for the welcome! It's so nice to be in a group with all of you ladies going through the same thing!

Here's my update...it's a bit frustrating. I went off BCP in December after being on them for 12 years (YIKES!). My body regulated pretty quickly I guess. My cycles were anywhere from 28-32 days and I used OPK's and 17-19 seemed like my typical O days. Well, of course, as luck would have it, the first month we start trying, I still haven't gotten a positive on the OPK and I'm on day 22. I have no signs of O either which is freaking me out. I was on vacation in Italy for 10 days though so I'm wondering if the travel and time difference threw me off? I have no idea. We've gotten a lot of BDing in over the last few weeks (just about every other day if not more) so I think I'm covered if I missed my surge but still..so frustrating! Plus, now I have no idea when to expect AF (she always comes 14 DPO). I'm secretly hoping that maybe I brought home something unexpected from Italy...though I realize how unlikely that is.

Hoping to hear good news from all of you and I promise to respond individually once I get the hang of this thread!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

sba I'm sorry your husband hurt your feelings by telling you he was ashamed of you That is really hurtful, and I can only imagine he said it because he does not understand. You should feel safe to tell him your feelings, even when they are not good ones. Hopefully after you explained he understands.

NEL Well, maybe you are overdoing it, but as long as it does not stress you out, who cares? The good news is that you don't actually need to pinpoitn ovulation in advance to get pregnant, you just need to DTD, and you are doign that. If temps are the only sure way to ID O-day, that's ok, just keep on getting down and you will be ok! BTW I said it before but CF is really the best way to identify ovulation on its way. If you are not already, and wanted to increase the odds of being able to accurately judge CF, try drinking about 10 glasses of water per day and internal checks

LC Well good about the cycle and boo and your hubby. I can only tell you that lots of other PS ladies have had similar complaints over the years, and usually nagging or arguing about it doesn't help. I am not sure what does help, but you know your partner the best, and maybe some calm talk about your feelings -- exactly what you said here -- will help?

MP Good luck!

Ally Are you breast feeding at all? Only 5 cycles post baby is not many really. I hope things work out soon for you, but I wonder if your body is just not ready yet? How far post partum were you when your period returned?

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

LC, first, I have to say WOOHOO to the shorter cycle!!! That is definitely good news. But boo to missing your window!! That is exactly what I THOUGHT happened last cycle (FF said I ovulated CD19, turns out that was wrong). When I thought I'd missed my window, I was really frustrated and had a talk with D about it. He said that he didn't want a ton of pressure around doing it at a specific point in my cycle, so he asked me to leave him in the dark about when I'm ovulating. He said I could go crazy with my temps and tests so that I wasn't in the dark, but he didn't want me saying "hon, I'm ovulating, let's go". So last week when I requested a quickie at lunch, It was a just a flirtatious recommendation in his eyes, haha.

Also, as Dreamer said, you don't necessarily need to target your O, just BD regularly. So that's what I've done this cycle--we've BDed consitently every few days (which is pretty much our normal schedule). I know what floats his boat, so I use it to my advantage Needless to say, I've been dropping things on the floor and bending over to pick them up in front of him often lately...I hope he doesn't catch onto that. Or the extra back rubs...actually, now that I think about it, he might be the one milking this TTC thing for all it's worth!! All I know is that keeping all of this crazy monitoring to myself and just approaching our sex life naturally has made this cycle much less stressful than the last one!

MP, 9DPO!! Oooo, so close to knowing one way or another. Are you not testing until a day after your missed period? I know you are a champ at not POAS, but we're terrible enablers!

Ally, I was so mad at myself for pouring out the cup before my test went wonky on me. D and I went to see a production of Richard III this weekend (the play where Richard III says "My kingdom for a horse") and I literally said out loud "my kingdom for a cup of pee!". I SOOO feel your frustration with the 40+ day cycles and all the negative OPKs...I'm right there with you! A friend of mine just started ovulating this month after BFing and she is eager to TTC#2--I'm sure you're even more eager for signs of ovulation since you want assurance that your body is ovulating again.

Marlie, congrats on the trip to Italy, that sounds amazing! Travel time can definitely delay O, especially a big trip like that. Hopefully you get pregnant this month and don't have to worry about cycles, but you won't know if the later O this month was a fluke or normal until you see what next cycle brings. Hopefully it's just a slightly delayed O due to travel. What were your cycles like before you went on HBC 12 years ago? I always had long cycles...my first 3 cycles off BC were shorter and regular (35 days or less). Then my cycles got longer and my last few cycles have been 40+ days, which is more like my cycles prior to BC.

Dreamer, you're absolutely right about not doing too much so long as I'm not stressed. I'm like you--I want the data, so I'd be more stressed not peeing on things, I think. And you're also completely right about just needing to BD. That was my plan when we started this cycle (BD regularly throughout the entire cycle)--the most we went without BDing was 4 days when I thought I'd hold off to sway (then ended up giving in). I feel better knowing my bases are covered no matter what. And I think you're also right about the water. I was making a concsious effort last week to drink more water (for CM purposes) and noticed creamy CM on the days I had at least 8 cups of water. Then the weekend came and my hydration plan went out the window--I find it easier to make sure I'm drinking enough while at work.

Okay, not wanting to hog the thread today, I feel like I'm catching up with friends after the weekend!

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

NEL, I'm not a champ at all. For some reason that I cannot remember I thought it would be a good idea to test this morning. Of course it was negative. I wasn't going to own up to it until you said I was a champ. I will not test again until Thur. or Fri when af is due. Maybe.

 

[curiousaboutdiamonds]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Dreamer: I EP'd from 4 months and I had an oversupply. I had enough BM, frozen and fresh, for DD until she turned about 13 months. When she turned 1, we did 1/2 BM and whole milk. I think I stopped pumping in early Nov, and got my first PP AF the end of January. Before getting pregnant with DD, my cycles had always been 60+ days. The cycle I got pregnant with DD, I really felt that I got *lucky* (34 day cycle). I just feel like there has always been something *off* with my body for having such long cycles. I know, 5 cycles is not long. I just need to be patient. I really do appreciate your thoughts and input though!!

NEL: Hahaha, kingdom for a cup of pee. Who knew pee in a cup would be such a hot commodity. Haha.

Marlie: I've heard that traveling could delay O. Hopefully, when you're back into the swing of things, then O will naturally come! Hope it will be here soon!

Monkey: LOL. The good thing about testing early is just that, you're still EARLY!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

NEL, I'm not a champ at all. For some reason that I cannot remember I thought it would be a good idea to test this morning. Of course it was negative. I wasn't going to own up to it until you said I was a champ. I will not test again until Thur. or Fri when af is due. Maybe.

Hehe, well at 9DPO you can get a negative without feeling sad--in fact 9DPO doesn't even really count If you manage to hold out until Friday, you'd be displaying much more self control than I could muster! How many tests do you have?

 

[Octavia]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Hi ladies, I haven't been around there parts much lately because we are holding off for awhile longer, but I am still keeping my fingers crossed and thinking good thoughts for all of you!

Anyway, jumping in now for LC -- do you think the lack of action is related to TTC or just general? I think I remember you saying your DH has a lower drive than you, so I was just wondering because my DH and I are the opposite. At one point, I was a little annoyed because I felt like all he wanted from me was , but we talked about it and it turns out he just really craves a lot of intimate contact in order to feel fulfilled, whereas I like physical contact...but not always so energetic. We both said we would try to meet in the middle more often -- he wouldn't just try to skip to the main event without snuggles and such beforehand, and I woul sometimes just turn off the stove so dinner didn't burn while things got hot elsewhere. Haha. Anyway, it really has helped. So I would say, it might be better for you to approach your DH not from the "we-gotta-BD-if-we-ever-want-a-baby" perspective, but rather that you need to have more intimacy for your own happiness (and health, after all, it's great exercise ). I think it puts less pressure on him, on a way, because you're saying, "I miss being close to you and having these special moments together and I really hope you are open to doing it more," not, "impregnate me now, dammit!" If that makes sense. Of course, your relationship might work differently, but it's just a thought. Good luck with the talk!

 

[curiousaboutdiamonds]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

So I told myself I am just not going to care if the line on the OPK is getting darker or not. It's either positive or negative.

And I get this:



It sure is getting close.

 

[sba771]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

So I told myself I am just not going to care if the line on the OPK is getting darker or not. It's either positive or negative.

And I get this:



It sure is getting close.

Yay! It is getting close! We are in the same boat right now.

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Well, today is CD1. A whopping one day early, giving me a 28 day cycle. I wish it would stay at 28 days for the next 6 months, since doing so would move AF just enough so I wouldn't have to go on the pill to avoid her presence during my wedding and honeymoon cruise. Heck, even a 27 day cycle would be welcome. It's amazing the difference a day makes. I wish there was a way to shorten my cycle by a few days for a few months...seems so much easier than six weeks on the evil pill.

On a semi-related topic- I can't want to get pregnant, if not just for the fact that it will make all of these cramps worth it!

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

I'm secretly hoping that maybe I brought home something unexpected from Italy...though I realize how unlikely that is.

You could have O'd and just missed it this month. How long are your LH surges normally?

Oh, and if you do have a little souvenir in there, you have to name him/her something Italian

 

[lizzyann]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Ally, between the EWCM and the OPK's, you've got to be getting close now! Keep BD'ing!

Sba, I hope those OPK's are still getting darker. Sorry to hear you and your DH had a little tiff about your SIL being pregnant. I know how it feels. You are happy for them being pregnant, but it makes you feel sad that you aren't. I get it. I think men do the best they can to understand, but I don't think they will ever completely understand the feeling.

NE, wow O is playing hide and seek on you over there and you are armed with every possible tool to find it!!! I hope you are right on. I guess you'll just have to follow your temps to see for sure.

LC, wow 35 days! that is great news! But now you gotta work on the DH. Is he just not interested, stressed from work? Maybe you could entice him! Maybe a good no pressure conversation with him would be best. It all depends on how bad he wants a baby too you know? My DH and I are usually all into it the first two days of BD'ing around O, but then the last two days it's more like taking care of business. But we both understand that the window is short and we gotta do it. I wanted to ask you if you know anything about acupuncture for repeat miscarriages. I'm thinking of calling the acupuncturist in my area and see what they say. I wonder if insurance will cover it, but I'm willing to pay if it might be worth it you know?

Monkey, don't lose hope yet. During one of my pregnancies, I got a negative on 9dpo and a positive on 10dpo.

Marlie, do you test with your OPK's once or twice a day? It is possible you missed your surge. Since you got some BD'ing in I wouldn't lose hope yet.

AMC, well it's nice that your cycle is a little shorter. Maybe things will work out for the honeymoon without the pill. You still have six months, so you never know.

AFM, I have an update! So on Friday, I got a call from the nurse at my RE's office. She said that my level was down to 2 which means negative, so I am all clear. She said that my current RE would not be calling me and wanted me to come in for an appt. But then she said that she also had a note that I wanted to switch RE's to the chief. She was so sweet and understanding. The nurses there are the best! I gave her a couple examples of why I just didn't fell that my current RE was a good fit for me and she completely understood and said that sometimes it just doesn't work out and that you need to be your own advocate if you are not having a good vibe. She said that while the chief would be willing to take me on as a patient, he only sees patients on Tuesdays, which meant that he was booked for the next 7 weeks! She said that he mostly does surgeries and conferences now which is why he doesn't take on many patients. So 7 weeks just wasn't going to work for me. That would be 7 weeks to get in, then tests would be run, then a plan would be made. Just too long to wait. So I asked the nurse if there was another RE in the practice that she would recommend for me based on what I told her I am looking for. And right away, she recommended a specific Dr. She said that if her own daughter ever had fertility issues, she would refer her to this Dr. She also told me that if I felt the need, I could have the Chief consult if I wanted to get his opinion as well. So that is what I am going to do. I actually just feel super relieved to have a new Dr. I felt very refreshed on Friday and ready to start new. She can get me in in a week and a half too for my first consultation and then testing will be ordered. So I will be taking this month off because they cannot run tests if I am pregnant. So I plan on relaxing this month. No OPK's, no blood tests, no anxiety. it will be good for me mentally I think. Plus, I am going on vacation to Vermont in a couple of weeks and I have a wedding in Boston that me and my DH are going to and spending the night just the two of us. So it will be nice to not be thinking too much about TTC and enjoy a couple cocktails!