The Official TTC Thread!

[peonygirl]

Thanks for the replies, guys! Another question for you--I also bought some ovulation sticks online, and I''m trying to figure out how to use them in conjunction w/ temps and hopefully checking my cervical mucus. I''m planning to chart for 3 months before we start trying (I can''t try any earlier because of my current job and school commitments). Do you think that I should just try to pinpoint my O for the first month using temps and then test out the sticks on months 2 and 3 and then when we''re actually trying? They weren''t super expensive (around $1.75 each). Thanks!

 

[neatfreak]

Amber, I just wanted to say that you guys are ADORABLE in your picture!

And Dreamer, I didn''t comment in YOUR wedding thread either, but you guys look like you had so much fun! I LOVE your BM''s dresses!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Peonygirl if it were me I would temp and chart my CF for the first month so that I could focus on that, but if the test sticks are cheap, might as well use them too? TCOYF and FF both comment that you can't always trust the test strips and should rely more heavily on your CF to judge impending O, but more information is always good to have!

Here is what FF says about OPKs: http://www.fertilityfriend.com/HelpCenter/FFBook/ff_fertility_signs.html#48

Maybe someone lese who uses the test strips can comment... I haven't used them yet since I prefer to relp on my bodies other signs for now.

ETA: Thanks NeatFreak!

 

[mela lu]

Hey Gals! WOW this thread is hopping today! I hope you dont mind that I''m sticking around here - I''m not pregnant enough to join the mommies on the Official Preggo thread yet, and I''m still loving the TTC learnings here. AND I think you gals are great

there is a great vibe in this thread, i think

re: "Jerkstore" - My best friend and her younger siblings invented this as a polite ''insult'' years ago. It stuck. It''s such a goodie and I highly encourage it''s usage. LOL. It''s a keeper for sure.

I''m feeling great. Not at all tired anymore and zero side effects. I wish you all GREAT SUCCESS in the baby making dept this cycle. Gooooo Sperm and Egg!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 6/2/2008 9:37:02 PM
Author: mela lu
Hey Gals! WOW this thread is hopping today! I hope you dont mind that I'm sticking around here - I'm not pregnant enough to join the mommies on the Official Preggo thread yet, and I'm still loving the TTC learnings here. AND I think you gals are great

there is a great vibe in this thread, i think

re: 'Jerkstore' - My best friend and her younger siblings invented this as a polite 'insult' years ago. It stuck. It's such a goodie and I highly encourage it's usage. LOL. It's a keeper for sure.

I'm feeling great. Not at all tired anymore and zero side effects. I wish you all GREAT SUCCESS in the baby making dept this cycle. Gooooo Sperm and Egg!

We'll make an exception for a jerkstore like you and let you hang around here...

If anyone is looking for something to do in the Knitting Club, then I recommend trolling the forums over at TCOYF Although it can be depressing at times because there are a lot of women on there who are dealing with infertility, there is also a lot of really great information. e.g., How to increase your EWCM Just thought I'd throw that out there!

I am approaching the door of the knitting club, I think I either O'd today or will O in the next couple of days.

ETA: Here is something interesting I also found on the TCOYF board:

"I've spewed statistics around here since I started posting about how long it takes to conceive. I've always quoted one study that I saw the results of. It was a study that had otherwise healthy couples, where the woman had regular cycles of reasonable length. They bd'd during the fertile period. Of those couples, 50% conceived in 6 months, 82% in one year, and 91% in 2 years, all without medical intervention.

But, then I decided to do a poll here to see how long it took the people we all chat with every day. I've asked that only people who conceived with no medical aid (clomid, progesterone supplementation, iui, ivf, etc.) respond. Here is the poll:

http://www.ovusoft.com/forum/tm.asp?m=456705

With 205 responses so far, here are the stats. I will update these numbers as more respond:

Conceived within 6 months: 61%
Conceived within 12 months: 80%
Conceived within 24 months: 94%
Took longer than 24 months: 6%
They match up reasonably well with the scientific study so far. I hope this will give some hope for those of you who thought it would happen sooner. If you've been trying for a few months (or longer), there is no indication that there is something wrong, just because you are not pg yet."

 

[lisa1.01fvs1]

Hey Everybody!

OK I''m about to go waaay off topic but first the props!

Amber - what a lovely photo, you 2 look like a couple of love birds!

BB - I basically ripped-off Restoration Harware, Pottery Barn - the usual suspects. I do have a degree in Art History (really practical)
and a painting minor (also really practical). Thanks for the compliments, if anyone needs any help w/ tile I''m your gal!

DD - as usual you are a total crack up!

Indy - u too - Ahoy Matey!

Mela - aka jerkstore, glad to have u around. I know that I have bounced back and forth from both threads as I''m currently TTC but also have conceived.

Tiffany - u work in PICU right? How are u doing with seeing what u see and not applying everything to yourself? Having an OB/NICU background has me freaked out
most of the time.

Sorry if I forgot anyone.

Back to off topic - We went to the Santa Barbarbara Zoo yest. and guess who we saw? (I should preface this by saying I usually don''t care about celebrity issues)

Daniel Baldwin, his wife (about 20 yrs old) and their 4 month old baby.

I watched Celebrity Rehab where he left the clinic like 1 wk into TX.

Anyway, that''s all. He was wearing the baby in a backpack on his chest.

I couldn''t tell if it was a girl or boy. He/she was wearing a red hat.

 

[blushingbride]

Peonygirl, I agree w/ DD that it doesn''t hurt to confirm your O date w/ the O tests. Since they are so cheap, you might as well temp, check CM and test. Plus, if you only do one or two of the three you might not know 100% for sure. For example, CM is sometimes hard to read if you are someone who doesn''t have a lot, O tests don''t always work for everyone and if you are late or miss a day on temping, that could throw your results off. So, try all three and see what happens!

Amber, you make a stunning bride! Your photographer really captured a beautiful and touching moment between you and your DH!

Mela lu - we love having you around so, please stay as long as you like - you''ll always be welcome! I''m looking forward to following your pregnancy journey and hope to learn from you too!

Lisa - Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn are my faves - excellent taste!

DD - great info (as usual). The TCOYF forum can be a little depressing, but also filled with lots of happy stories and positive outcomes.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 6/3/2008 8:51:42 AM
Author: blushingbride
Peonygirl, I agree w/ DD that it doesn''t hurt to confirm your O date w/ the O tests. Since they are so cheap, you might as well temp, check CM and test. Plus, if you only do one or two of the three you might not know 100% for sure. For example, CM is sometimes hard to read if you are someone who doesn''t have a lot, O tests don''t always work for everyone and if you are late or miss a day on temping, that could throw your results off. So, try all three and see what happens!

Amber, you make a stunning bride! Your photographer really captured a beautiful and touching moment between you and your DH!

Mela lu - we love having you around so, please stay as long as you like - you''ll always be welcome! I''m looking forward to following your pregnancy journey and hope to learn from you too!

Lisa - Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn are my faves - excellent taste!

DD - great info (as usual). The TCOYF forum can be a little depressing, but also filled with lots of happy stories and positive outcomes.

I especially love reading posts from people saying, "OMG MY Cf is scant, I have a short luteal phase, my cycles are screwy!" and then seeing that they got knocked up like 3 months later

 

[blushingbride]

Date: 6/3/2008 8:58:46 AM
Author: dreamer_dachsie

Date: 6/3/2008 8:51:42 AM
Author: blushingbride
Peonygirl, I agree w/ DD that it doesn''t hurt to confirm your O date w/ the O tests. Since they are so cheap, you might as well temp, check CM and test. Plus, if you only do one or two of the three you might not know 100% for sure. For example, CM is sometimes hard to read if you are someone who doesn''t have a lot, O tests don''t always work for everyone and if you are late or miss a day on temping, that could throw your results off. So, try all three and see what happens!

Amber, you make a stunning bride! Your photographer really captured a beautiful and touching moment between you and your DH!

Mela lu - we love having you around so, please stay as long as you like - you''ll always be welcome! I''m looking forward to following your pregnancy journey and hope to learn from you too!

Lisa - Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn are my faves - excellent taste!

DD - great info (as usual). The TCOYF forum can be a little depressing, but also filled with lots of happy stories and positive outcomes.

I especially love reading posts from people saying, ''OMG MY Cf is scant, I have a short luteal phase, my cycles are screwy!'' and then seeing that they got knocked up like 3 months later

I hear ya - so reassuring!!

 

[AmberWaves]

Hiya ladies!

I am so tired. I swear, it seems like I never get enough sleep! Thanks for all the sweet comments on our picture. We actually had it painted onto a canvas, and have yet to put it up. Whoops!

Today is showing signs of fertility, CF is looking good! I got my new insurance card yesterday, but I''m still confused about when I''ll actually be covered. I''m having the DH check with their insurance person at school.

Hope everyone is doing well!

 

[Independent Gal]

My average temp over the last 4 days has been 0.2 degrees higher than my average temp for the 6 previous days, with all the higher temps above the highest lower temp. Plus, the day before the temp went up corresponds to 14 days before the end of last month''s 31 day cycle. Plus plus, all the other ''signs'' were fairly textbook.

FF still hasn''t given me cross-hairs, but if you were me, would you rest assured that all is in order under the circumstances?

 

[Independent Gal]

Amber that''s really neat about the canvas! My parents are close friends with a well-known and very successful landscape painter (pics in the National Gallery collection, corporate collections etc), who gave us a portrait of me for our wedding. But it''s taken from a photograph he took when I was 15 and I just feel freaked whenever I look at it (let''s just say that was the craziest year of my life!). Plus, we can''t possibly hang it anyway since it''s just of me.

If only he had painted us together! That''s such a sweet idea.

Oh, not that I''m ungrateful or anything.

Silly girl!

 

[tiffanytwisted]

dreamer- Interesting thread about increasing the ewcm. I hadn''t heard grapefruit juice, although I don''t really like it so I''ll just stick with the tussin!

Lisa- It is hard sometimes, and I do have to distance myself. Remembering that this is the extreme and most kids don''t end up in the PICU is hard sometimes. I''m not sure what I''ll do when I have kids myself.

Amber- Is there a phone number on the insurance card you can call? That might get you the most accurate info. I don''t want to put a bummer on things but after seeing the bill for my hospital stay/surgery for the ectopic I would make sure you are covered, just in case.

 

[AmberWaves]

Tiffany, you''re totally right about checking out the insurance thing. I''m going to see what the insurance lady says and then call tomorrow. We''re most likely going to just not try this month, but I''ll see what she says first. I''m not too upset, I''m looking forward to many pina coladas in Kauai!

IG, it was really cool to see it on canvas like that! It''s funny because it''s like, wow, we''re ART.

 

[tiffanytwisted]

Pina coladas are a must. I''m trying to remember what drink I had that was sooo good. If I remember I''ll let you know.

 

[blushingbride]

Date: 6/3/2008 10:33:13 AM
Author: tiffanytwisted
dreamer- Interesting thread about increasing the ewcm. I hadn''t heard grapefruit juice, although I don''t really like it so I''ll just stick with the tussin!

Lisa- It is hard sometimes, and I do have to distance myself. Remembering that this is the extreme and most kids don''t end up in the PICU is hard sometimes. I''m not sure what I''ll do when I have kids myself.

Amber- Is there a phone number on the insurance card you can call? That might get you the most accurate info. I don''t want to put a bummer on things but after seeing the bill for my hospital stay/surgery for the ectopic I would make sure you are covered, just in case.

Is this something you can buy over the counter? I typically do not have a lot of CM - I have to check from the inside (sorry TMI). Last month I was excited when I had EWCM around the time I o''d, but was curious about other ways to increase. Has robitussin been known to really work?

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 6/3/2008 10:28:10 AM
Author: Independent Gal
My average temp over the last 4 days has been 0.2 degrees higher than my average temp for the 6 previous days, with all the higher temps above the highest lower temp. Plus, the day before the temp went up corresponds to 14 days before the end of last month''s 31 day cycle. Plus plus, all the other ''signs'' were fairly textbook.

FF still hasn''t given me cross-hairs, but if you were me, would you rest assured that all is in order under the circumstances?

Indy that sounds promising based on TCOYF rules. It says that many women experience a very slight temp shift and that is normal for them. FF uses a different procedure for estimating O-day than TCOYF. You know what you should do? Go to www.ovusoft.com and sign up, they have a free 15 day trial of the TCOYF charting software. Then enter all your info and see what it gives you! You can choose two methods for estimating O-day: temps only or "all signs". Sometimes this gives different outputs.

If you feel comfortable, you can post your chart here, jsut right click and save as jpeg. You can need to re-size it. Then all us experts

can tell you what we think.

It is also possible your thermometer is a "bum". IS is a basal thermometer? That is really important because it gives more accurate tmeps. I switched thermometers this month b/c my old one wasn''t very precise. I did a bunch of experiments and my present thermometer gives a much more nuanced account of my temps.

 

[happy in love]

So, I''m still just lurking... charting, and WAITING for insurance (I feel you Amber)
But wanted to chime in to Amber, my favorite drink when we were in HI was a Chi Chi! If they don''t have in on the drink menu, it is just a Pina Colada made with vodka instead of rum. Yummy!

now, I am hoping that by next cycle I will understand my charts better. I got a late start this cycle, but decided that I''d start anyhow just to get the hang of things. It''s my first cycle off the pill, and my temps seem low, and for the life of me I don''t understand my ups and downs. From reading up on this thread it seems like it will all make sense once I see the "whole picture"

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 6/3/2008 11:41:48 AM
Author: blushingbride

Date: 6/3/2008 10:33:13 AM
Author: tiffanytwisted
dreamer- Interesting thread about increasing the ewcm. I hadn''t heard grapefruit juice, although I don''t really like it so I''ll just stick with the tussin!

Lisa- It is hard sometimes, and I do have to distance myself. Remembering that this is the extreme and most kids don''t end up in the PICU is hard sometimes. I''m not sure what I''ll do when I have kids myself.

Amber- Is there a phone number on the insurance card you can call? That might get you the most accurate info. I don''t want to put a bummer on things but after seeing the bill for my hospital stay/surgery for the ectopic I would make sure you are covered, just in case.

Is this something you can buy over the counter? I typically do not have a lot of CM - I have to check from the inside (sorry TMI). Last month I was excited when I had EWCM around the time I o''d, but was curious about other ways to increase. Has robitussin been known to really work?

You can buy it at the pharmacy, it''s just PLAIN robitussin! TCOYF has information of the specific type to buy.

 

[blushingbride]

Date: 6/3/2008 12:17:14 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie

Date: 6/3/2008 11:41:48 AM
Author: blushingbride

Date: 6/3/2008 10:33:13 AM
Author: tiffanytwisted
dreamer- Interesting thread about increasing the ewcm. I hadn''t heard grapefruit juice, although I don''t really like it so I''ll just stick with the tussin!

Lisa- It is hard sometimes, and I do have to distance myself. Remembering that this is the extreme and most kids don''t end up in the PICU is hard sometimes. I''m not sure what I''ll do when I have kids myself.

Amber- Is there a phone number on the insurance card you can call? That might get you the most accurate info. I don''t want to put a bummer on things but after seeing the bill for my hospital stay/surgery for the ectopic I would make sure you are covered, just in case.

Is this something you can buy over the counter? I typically do not have a lot of CM - I have to check from the inside (sorry TMI). Last month I was excited when I had EWCM around the time I o''d, but was curious about other ways to increase. Has robitussin been known to really work?

You can buy it at the pharmacy, it''s just PLAIN robitussin! TCOYF has information of the specific type to buy.

Interesting - thanks! Just curious if anyone has had success with this???

 

[Independent Gal]

blushing, my pharmacist said that her friend had used it. Hard to tell whether it helps though as you can''t really know whether it''s just your own, y''know?

BUT, the pharmacist did say that it makes good scientific sense, given the way robitussin works in the body. According to our own DD, you have to get the plain one that contains only ''Gaifenesin'' and no other active ingredient.

Thanks DD for the tip about ovusoft. I''ll have a look.

 

[Independent Gal]

By the way, my best friend/MOH just got engaged this weekend. I am so excited for her! I''m trying to get her to take pics of her ring. It''s a big-ass yellow sapphire in an antique style setting. He is such a sweety and he really SEES her as she is and adores her. I never thought I''d think ANYONE deserved her, but he really does! YAY!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 6/3/2008 12:17:13 PM
Author: happy in love
So, I''m still just lurking... charting, and WAITING for insurance (I feel you Amber)
But wanted to chime in to Amber, my favorite drink when we were in HI was a Chi Chi! If they don''t have in on the drink menu, it is just a Pina Colada made with vodka instead of rum. Yummy!

now, I am hoping that by next cycle I will understand my charts better. I got a late start this cycle, but decided that I''d start anyhow just to get the hang of things. It''s my first cycle off the pill, and my temps seem low, and for the life of me I don''t understand my ups and downs. From reading up on this thread it seems like it will all make sense once I see the ''whole picture''

Exactly! Pre-O, you will see lots of variation in your temps, seemingly all over the place... but when you O, suddenly (or over the course of a few days) that variation will creep up. So pre-O maybe your temps vary around a mean of x, but post-O your temps will vary arounda much higher mean! It is pretty clear in my charty I posted above, and in the chart that Blenheim posted a couple pages back. Wait and see! If you haven''t O''d yet there won''t be much to "make sense of" yet.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Indy Yippee for your friend! I''m glad you like her man. Apparently friends are the BEST predictors of whether a relationship will actually work, much better than members of the couple themselves.

Let us know what the TCOYF software says about your temps!

 

[Independent Gal]

Here''s the chart. minus the goo info, which is consistent with Day 16 being the day.

 

[AmberWaves]

Hi everyone! Good moods all around, despite insurance crapola.

Thanks for the recs. Happy (also, bummer about the insurance!)! I love anything with vodka and rum!

I am starting to get really excited for the trip, and I can''t wait to check out my calendar to see when I''ll probably O again next month.

I''m going to post last month''s chart to show Happy in Love what mine looked like. It was pretty simple, just the dotted lines because I had a fever!

 

[lovelylulu]

hey all. another lunch break - not sure if I can keep up with everyone on the thread but

amber: the picture of you and your DH is really touching! glad you caught that moment. I hope that you can sort out the insurance questions/timing. plus pina colodas in hawaii do sound pretty divine!

blen: sorry that it didn''t work out this month, but you sound great! and can i just say that your weekend productivity put me to shame! seriously. your handrail project turned out perfectly. i was no where near as productive, but we had a friend in town so i''ll use that as my excuse!

we bought our first place together last august and have yet to pull off any major renovations. we have plans for the kitchen and bathroom, but are funneling money into student loans, etc...we really just need to start those projects. any advice. i seem to remember that you and your husband did a lot of the renos yourself

DD: i don''t know what we would do without you on this thread -- you are such a fount of information. personally, i''m still struggling with where i want to draw the line in terms of how much information is too much information. i do love to research, but i''m also still trying to preserve a bit of the *awe* in the process. i might be changing my approach, however, if once we start actively TTC nothing happens...

i''m just biding my time until july rolls around. though it should be interesting to see what DH and I decide to do this month. really there is nothing *magic* about july, but I like the timing of it and it feels comfortable. maybe june will be our trial run

 

[tiffanytwisted]

Indy- It looks like on day 17 and 18 the temps were taken at different times than your normal time. I agree with you that it looks like you o''d on day 16. I think with one more high temp ff will draw the line.

 

[Independent Gal]

Thanks TT! The time difference was pretty small (less than an hour?) so hopefully it doesn't mean much. Plus, the time was EARLIER rather than later.

If my temp doesn't get much higher, I read that that's an indication of low progesterone. So I'll call the doc if it stays this way till the end of the cycle.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 6/3/2008 2:04:28 PM
Author: Independent Gal
Thanks TT! The time difference was pretty small (less than an hour?) so hopefully it doesn't mean much. Plus, the time was EARLIER rather than later.


If my temp doesn't get much higher, I read that that's an indication of low progesterone. So I'll call the doc if it stays this way till the end of the cycle.

Indy, your temps are completely in the normal range even after O, even if they are at the lower end of things. Mine were on the lower end too right after O, don't worry just yet!