Home The Official TTC Thread!

[Dreamer_D]

I found the quote: "Most follies are mature at 20-25mm" so that means when they reach that size they will pop an egg baby! And from Lisa''s posts it looks like they can grow a lot in just 2-3 days. It look like gigantor will pop, but Lisa was on stimulant drugs so we can''t judge your egg growth from hers?? It is probably possible that one or more of those 12mm ones could grow another 8mm in 3 days.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

That sounds promising, Ebree.

I''m definitely thinkin about you, girl!

Sabine, welcome to thinking of TTCing. It''s fun, if you don''t let it make you mad.

Okay, I wrote the wrong thing yesterday. FF was starting the chart at 95. to 96.9, and it had me worried that I was supposed to be that low on the temps, and I wasn''t, but it adjusted when I logged in my temp (first time starting off using FF; I was putting it into my own log on paper prior to this and then added it all in a few weeks back and it came out all goofy). But I know I''ve read that my temp range is fine, I was just thinking, "gosh, nothing is working out right around here." But I''m calmer for now (for today, anyway).

Mela- Have fun with your DIY backsplash; let us know how it ends up looking. We''re thinking of trying that ourselves, as right now we have white cabinets, white countertops, and a white backsplash. I think a pop of color would be NICE with all that white. What style and material are you going with?

 

[happy in love]

The dreaded temp drop happened today

I can''t say I''m surprised, but I am so dissapointed.
My LP was 1 day longer than my last 2 cycles, that''s just plain mean and tricky, I mean last night I was so happy that the witch didn''t show. Looks like it''s gonna be a night at the bar for DH and me! LOL!

Ebree- I don''t know much about follies, but I''m really pulling for you!
Fisher- glad to read that you''ve figured out your temping. GL.

To all the knitters, hang in there, and BABY DUST SHOWERS!
To all those dancing, or waiting to dance again GOOD LUCK!
I just know there will be a jerkstore around here soon.

 

[mela lu]

I awoke today to my aunt knocking on my door. Damn AFF! Oh well, CD1 today with my buddy Happy in Love (and one day after Pandora). I guess us three will be knitting again this month together

.

HIL - a night out at the bar is right! I was at an engagement party on thurs night and "toasted" often. hah. Those BFN''s are a total bummer; they make drinking very appealing

. I even popped advils for the cramps. Last night I dremt that the cramps were actually implantation cramps, and that I F''d up my baby with advil and booze. yikes. Thank G aunt flow came to save my baby this morning! hahahahahahah.

K! Going to work on the backsplash. The coutertops are Ivory fantasy, the backsplash is cream colored tumbled marble (brick pattern) 1 x 2 tiles. The cabinets are white washed oak. I''d say the style is "traditional" if I had to classify it. Pics to follow tomorrow when we''re all done.

Ebree - YEY for your follies! A crop dusting of babydust for you and your exploding egg-babies!!!!!

 

[lovelylulu]

Thanks snlee

That website is really helpful

HIL:

sorry about the temperature drop and the deceptive timing...definitely have fun tonight!

ebree: 4 follies sounds promising. I hope that lisa chimes in for you...baby dusting

so for this cycle i am *officially* crazy. as i''m sitting here at DPO 4 i''m thinking is it too early to POAS

yup. over the edge this time around. got to lower expectations. soon!!

 

[robbie3982]

Awe, I feel your pain lovelylulu!

Boo to all the temps dropping

. I think I''ll probably be the next one to drop. FF just gave me the possible implantation spotting message, but I have to keep reminding myself that my O date could actually be a few days earlier and then this spotting would be just like every other cycle where I spot for a day or 2 before AFF comes.

 

[littlelysser]

Hi ladies! I'm CD 21, 4 DPO.

Mela, HIL and Pandora - I'm sorry. Stupid dumb AFF. Have I mentioned that I really and truly do not like her? Feh. Meh. and also, blergh.

Mela - Can't wait to see the fancy new kitchen digs! Unfortunately, our day is going to consist of weeding, mowing and other unfun things.

Ebree - Good luck with follies!

Lulu - I'm crazy right with you. I think this is the first cycle that we've timed everything right. So we shall see. I know, still only a 20% chance...but still. We can go over the edge together!!!

Robbie - I have something similar happen. About a day and a half before AFF, my CM gets a pink tinge and sometimes I'll spot. It has fooled me more than once. I've decided that for me, implantation bleeding does not exist! And I'll keep telling myself that until I believe it.

Oh, and have you guy played around with chart gallery on FF? I think it is pretty cool! And also, a bit odd. When I entered all my stats, the pregnancy result was 100%! Of course it was only cycle...but I thought that was pretty funny. BUT when you enter just my pre-O and post-0 temps, there is only like a 15%. I've interpreted it to mean that I'm TOTALLY pregnant. Or I'm not. One or the other, that is for sure!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 8/16/2008 11:38:40 AM
Author: littlelysser
Oh, and have you guy played around with chart gallery on FF? I think it is pretty cool! And also, a bit odd. When I entered all my stats, the pregnancy result was 100%! Of course it was only cycle...but I thought that was pretty funny. BUT when you enter just my pre-O and post-0 temps, there is only like a 15%. I''ve interpreted it to mean that I''m TOTALLY pregnant. Or I''m not. One or the other, that is for sure!

Hey Lysser, try entering just your intercourse pattern and see what you get... that is probably the most accurate "estimate" since the actual value of your temps pre- and post-O doesn''t really matter. I played with that too, it is a really fun tool.

 

[robbie3982]

I''m obsessed with the chart gallery! Haha. Definitely one or the other Lysser

With my our intercourse pattern, 56% are pregnancy. If I select all of them, there are no charts that match at all. If I use Pre-O and Post-O, only 41% are pregnancy. I know none of this means anything, but it''s fun to play.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 8/16/2008 12:53:18 PM
Author: robbie3982
I''m obsessed with the chart gallery! Haha. Definitely one or the other Lysser

With my our intercourse pattern, 56% are pregnancy. If I select all of them, there are no charts that match at all. If I use Pre-O and Post-O, only 41% are pregnancy. I know none of this means anything, but it''s fun to play.

Robbie, since baseline is about 30% on FF, then your adds are better than average

 

[AmberWaves]

Hello Ladies!

I''m also a victim of the temp drop- big time. I think it''ll happen today or tomorrow, the dreaded red-headed stepmother. Boo.

Ebree: Yay for awesome follies, and also I forgot to mention your new necklace! I love that flower pendant. Possibly a BIRTHDAY present, too? Happy B-day!!!!

Mela: Sorry about AFF appearing. She is just the most unwelcome of all red flowing skanks. Have fun with those backsplashes! I think those are just so elegant looking. Looks like we''re almost cycle buddies again!

Fisher: It''s so crazy to see how different our temps can get. Mine are never above 98.1, with the majority of them under 97.7.

Happy: Sorry about the temp drop! It''s really jut a bummer. I plan on spending my night boozin it up at the Dodger game with a soft pretzel in hand, so I''ll be right with you.

Lulu: I hope hope hope you get to POAS soon!

Robbie: We''re all going to be cycle buddies, it looks like.

LL: Good luck, hopefully it''ll be the perfect outcome for you guys, when you can POAS!

 

[E B]

Thank you for the good luck, ladies! And for the happy birthday, Amber!

Amber, mela and HIL- I'm sorry for the temp drop/AFF. Blah. Treat yourselves to something fabulous this evening- something chocolate. I'm making a sundae! It's been years since I had one, and I have to make it with soy ice cream and dairy-free whipped cream, but dang it, I WANT one!

LL and lulu- Fingers crossed for both of you!

I got another high on my monitor this morning (CD 12), which shocked me a bit. I thought I'd get a peak. I'll be even MORE shocked if I don't get one tomorrow, but I'm thinking I should. DH and I are doin' it every day and probably will until CD 16 (if I've had two FM "Peaks" by then) just to cover all bases.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Date: 8/16/2008 5:39:44 PM
Author: EBree
Thank you for the good luck, ladies! And for the happy birthday, Amber!

Amber, mela and HIL- I''m sorry for the temp drop/AFF. Blah. Treat yourselves to something fabulous this evening- something chocolate. I''m making a sundae! It''s been years since I had one, and I have to make it with soy ice cream and dairy-free whipped cream, but dang it, I WANT one!

LL and lulu- Fingers crossed for both of you!

I got another high on my monitor this morning (CD 12), which shocked me a bit. I thought I''d get a peak. I''ll be even MORE shocked if I don''t get one tomorrow, but I''m thinking I should. DH and I are doin'' it every day and probably will until CD 16 (if I''ve had two FM ''Peaks'' by then) just to cover all bases.

Just when I thought I was finally catching on to the lingo, I''m lost again. What is FM?

And where do you get soy ice cream? Paul is lactose intolerant, but a hard core ice cream fan (although frozen yogurt seems to work better for him), and I''d love to see if soy would help him not feel like total poo after he has some of the cold sweet stuff.

Also, we''ve been talking about going to a Trader Joe''s (which I''ve never been to); do they have that there? What should I expect? Is it set up like a grocery store?

 

[fisherofmengirly]

I think I'm confused again (soon I'll end up being dubbed the ditzy non-blonde of this group!!). I thought that when you were charting your temps, you had to have six days prior to the dip in temp (indicating ovulation) with temps that were consistent for at least 6 days. None of the charts I've looked at on FF in the galleries have been that way.

What am I missing now?

And did anyone else have a severely hard time grasping this whole thing, or is it just me?

ETA: oh wait, or is that your temp climbs for six days, then just drops like crazy, signaling that you ovulated?

 

[littlelysser]

Happy Birthday Ebree!!!!

Amber - We went to a pirates game last night. It was pretty darn cool. Well, everything but the pirates were neat. PNC park in the ''burgh is lovely! And they did this thing after the game where they had a TON of fireworks...and had the band collective soul give a little concert. Collective soul would play a couple songs and then MAD fireworks...then more songs and then more fireworks. For like an HOUR. It was really neat.

Fisher - Trader Joe''s is set up just like a grocery store...but it is WONDERFUL. And they do have soy ice cream there. And a million other wonderful things. It is super inexpensive and fabulous. Lots of organic stuffs. It is great. DH and I do as much of our shopping there as we possibly can.


Oh, and keeping my O day and our intercourse pattern, 46% ended in prego. Sooooo yeah. We shall seeeeeeee. My temps have been pretty much the same for the past three days...97.77 - 97.79. Crazy how consistent the body can be, you know?

 

[littlelysser]

Date: 8/16/2008 5:57:01 PM
Author: fisherofmengirly
I think I'm confused again (soon I'll end up being dubbed the ditzy non-blonde of this group!!). I thought that when you were charting your temps, you had to have six days prior to the dip in temp (indicating ovulation) with temps that were consistent for at least 6 days. None of the charts I've looked at on FF in the galleries have been that way.


What am I missing now?


And did anyone else have a severely hard time grasping this whole thing, or is it just me?

ETA: oh wait, or is that your temp climbs for six days, then just drops like crazy, signaling that you ovulated?

FF has some pretty good informational stuff on their site. I'd recommend doing some reading there. I found the Q&A part really helpful. Here is the address - http://www.fertilityfriend.com/Faqs/index.html#Temperature-and-Temperature-Taking-Questions

FF looks for a single slight dip when you O, but FF doesn't know that you O'd until you have at least THREE days of a sustained higher temp AFTER you O.

For example, my temp on O day was 97.28. 1st DPO - temp was 97.57, 2nd DPO - temp was 97.79, 3rd DPO - temp was 97.77, 4th DP0 - temp was 97.78. The rise AFTER ovulation is a much better indicator than a slight dip beforehand.

 

[robbie3982]

Date: 8/16/2008 5:57:01 PM
Author: fisherofmengirly
I think I''m confused again (soon I''ll end up being dubbed the ditzy non-blonde of this group!!). I thought that when you were charting your temps, you had to have six days prior to the dip in temp (indicating ovulation) with temps that were consistent for at least 6 days. None of the charts I''ve looked at on FF in the galleries have been that way.


What am I missing now?


And did anyone else have a severely hard time grasping this whole thing, or is it just me?

ETA: oh wait, or is that your temp climbs for six days, then just drops like crazy, signaling that you ovulated?

Fisher, most women don''t experience a temp drop to signify ovulation. To determine that ovulation has occurred, the rule is that your temperature has to rise at least .2 degrees (I think that''s the amount) over the previous 5 temps (I''m pretty sure it''s 5 and not 6) and stay up for at least 3 days.

 

[littlelysser]

Interestingly enough...I just looked at my chart again, and my temp actually rose - a very slight rise - on my O day...

So the O dip doesn''t happen for everyone.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Thanks, Robbie. I knew I''d read about 6 days with something. The thing is, when I look on FF at the gallery, I don''t see that happenening (the temp being .2 higher over the past 5 days), and still it''s determining there to be ovulation.

Oh, I think I was mixing the ovulation thing (the .2 degree change) with the drop when the period is about to start. I have an issue with mixing similar, yet different, things up in my head.

Now, back to the charts to see if I can understand what I''m looking for!

 

[robbie3982]

You can actually set FF to use different methods to check for ovulation. Some of them check signs other than temperature. Sometimes all your signs won''t match up or there won''t always be a clear temp shift. In those cases FF uses other signs to determine O.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

I didn't know that, Robbie. I don't have the subscription, just the basic stuff that's free (and even that confuses me). I thought I knew enough about all this TTC stuff, but now that I'm concerned about possibly not ovulating, I'm trying to find out all I can.

A friend of mine at work had an odd cycle pattern and she said she had this way to track ovulation with saliva and ferning. She said she did ovulate, just not on the "typical" time schedules many women do. She said that for her, it was more econonmical do track that way, other than with the pee sticks. I'm trying to get more information on that, too.

Thanks, Yesser. I was confused, again. That makes sense. I'm sure that I'll get confused again, though. Somehow, whenever numbers are involved, I go goofy.

 

[E B]

Date: 8/16/2008 6:03:35 PM
Author: littlelysser
Happy Birthday Ebree!!!!

Thank you LL!

Fisher-

Another place to get soy ice cream is Whole Foods, if you have one near you. This is one of my favorite brands:

Soy Delicious

Their "Purely Decadent" line is pretty good.

Also, if Paul likes ice cream sandwiches, I highly recommend Tofutti Cuties- available at Trader Joe's (which is AWESOME, by the way!). They are so good. Don't let the word "tofutti" scare you. My husband can eat real ice cream and he loves the Cuties.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

I didn''t even see it was your birthday, Ebree! Happy, happy one to you! (I hope baby dust is your birthday present!!)

Tofutti. Haha. That''s a great word.

 

[Pandora II]

Happy Birthday Ebree!

Hmm, I''m thinking maybe I should try and make my thermometer do fahrenheit if I want to play. Do the actual temps make sense to you guys, or do you just look at the pattern?

I went and ate disgusting amounts of sashimi today. Mmmmmm

DH and I went to Bluewater which is the biggest shopping mall in Europe and is just outside London. We bought him a really nice new suit and I got a dress (cross-over jersey thing from Laura Ashley) and some M&S black cardis and polonecks.

Is it totally ridiculous that I didn''t buy anything in the Sales trouser-wise. I lost loads of weight this year and now none of my clothes fit properly, but if I end up PG it seems a waste to buy new ones that I would probably never fit again - or am I jinxing myself!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Pandora,

I''m like that, too. I''ve not bought new clothes in a while and I could totally benefit from new work clothes. I''m holding out to see if I''ll be needing to purchase maternity clothes soon, though. I''m saving up for that!

Although, eventually I''ll have to give in and buy at least one new pair of pants for work; I''d be in big trouble if we didn''t have casual Wednesday (Friday is sometimes a court day, so our work does it on Wednesdays when there are none of our cases put on the court calendar. It makes "hump day" all the more fun!).

 

[Dreamer_D]

Fisher, there is no dip at ovulation. What you are looking for, and what FF is looking for, is a temperature INCREASE of at least .2degrees F above the highest temps from your previous 5 (or 6 in FAM) that is sustained for at least 3 days.

Example: on tuesday you temp is 96.4, wednesday is 96.6, thursday is 96.4, friday is 96.2, saturday is 96.5, sunday is 96.9, monday is 97.0, tuesday is 97.1. With this pattern, ovulation would be assumed to have occurred on Saturday, because that is the day that preceded the temp rise.

Thinking about this may be easier if you know why your temperature changes. Pre-ovulation, your body is dominated by estrogen, and estrogen keeps your body temperature LOW. Estrogen is also what causes your egg to ripen and become ready to "pop" at ovulation! Estrogen peeks when ovulation occurrs, and then immediately after ovulation estrogen drops and instead your body starts producing tonnes of progesterone. Progesterone causes your body temperature to be HIGH.

So when we monitor our temps, we are really looking for the sign that our body chemistry has switched from being dominated by estrogen (pre-ovulation) to instead being dominated by progesteron (post-ovulation). This is why our temperatures show a BIPHASIC (two phase) pattern: pre-ovulation, when estrogen is dominating our cycles, our temps will fluctuate around a lower range of temperatures, but post-ovulation our temps will fluctuate around a higher range of temps.

In the example I gave earlier, pre-ovulation temperatures fluctuated around a mean of 96.4, with a range from a low of 96.2 on friday, to a high of 96.6 on wednesday. These lower temps were caused by estrogen. Post ovulation, when progesterone was dominating the cycle, the temps fluctuated around a higher mean of 97, with a low if 96.9 and a high of 97.1. So notice that the mean of the pre-O temps was only 96.4, but the mean of the post-O temps was 97! That difference reveals that estrogen was dominating the first phase of the cycle whereas progesterone was dominating the second phase, and this two-phase biphasic pattern confrims that you are ovulating.

So you cannot use your temps to time your intercourse for conception, because there is not warning in your temps that you are about to ovulate! You can only judge that after the fact. The only was to time intercourse is to monitor your cervical fluid and to have intercourse as much as possible when you have slippery, wet, or eggwhitey cervical fluid. Again, in the example I gave, the woman was probably having fertile cervical fluid on at least Thursday friday and saturday, because those were the days preceding ovulation.

If you are having annovulatory cycles, what you will instead see is temps that fluctuate all over the place with no clear pattern emerging, and you may have a few days of fertile CF, then a few dry or creamy days, followed by a few more days of fertile fluid, and then you may get your period. I attached a very classic example of an annovulatory chart. Notice how the fertile CF (which is highlighted in green) occurrs almost randomly throughout the cycle, and also notice how her temps fluctuate all over the place.

Compare that to the chart I will post next, which shows a classic ovulatory pattern.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Here is a very classic ovulatory pattern. Notice how pre-ovulation all the temps are below the red line of 97.2. These lower temps were caused by estrogen. Then ovulation occurred at CD-14 and after that all the temps are above 97.2, and actually climbed very high. These higher temps were caused by progesterone.

Also important to note is that her CF matched up with this temp pattern. So she had watery an egg-whitey CF in the 4 days preceding O-day and on O-day itself. This fertile cervical fluid is caused by the large increase in estrogen that also causes ovulation to occurr, so you can see how your body uses CF to signal that you are fertile and that ovulation is coming! The CF tells you ovulation is approaching, then the temp shift confirms that it has indeed occurred. This woman took advantage of her CF signal and had intercourse on the 4 days preceding ovulation, which are the most fertile days.

This chart also illustrates one other thing that we all have been talking about: the dreaded temp drop! Notice that on CD-13 her temps began to fall and they reached a low point on CD-15 when her AFF showed up. This drop in temperatures signals that progesterone is decreasing and thus AFF is on her way. That's why people get so upset when they see that temperature drop, because it usually signals that AFF is knocking on the door again!

Hope this helps!

 

[snlee]

Amber, mela and HIL - I''m sorry to hear about the temp drops and damn AFF! I hope the next two weeks go by quickly so you can BD.

EBree, happy birthday! Did you do anything special today to celebrate?

Tofutti Cuties - yum! LOVE them!

 

[littlelysser]

DD - Not that I'm here to tell anyone how to live their life...but you've got a real skill in understanding and explaining this whole fertility "thing."

I know it isn't your profession, but man, you got some skills!! And patience and, from what I can tell, passion!

 

[Po10472]

OMG!!

My first official post in this thread!!! yay! but.........scary. I started reading the first page then jumped, too much to read right away and the jargon, the percentages the charts...........blimey!

Anyways, we have officially decided, as of yesterday that now is the time. So before we make a start, I''m going to get myself organised and do my thorough research. So, heading down to Boots - a large pharmacy chain in the UK - to get some folic acid tabs and planning my food and exercise.

Can''t believe we''re actually going for it.