Home The Official TTC Thread!

[cdt1101]

WOW! That''s small!!! not sure how to fix that...sorry ladies!

 

[cdt1101]

let's see if this works...oh yay!!!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Yay for cross hairs, CDT.

I went nuts when I had mine in my chart. Oh the thrill!!

Good luck in the two week wait.

I likely have another two weeks (plus) before my O time comes and I can start getting hopeful for the crosshairs. It''s a fun moment.... I''m already starting to think about how I''ll pass time again when I''m waiting to pee in a cup.

How long are you planning to wait for the POAS moment?

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Robbie,

How funny that we both had nutty dreams last night about TTC. I wonder what our silly minds would be dreaming up if we weren''t at this stage in our lives!

Cycle Buddies! Whoo hoo! I bet you''ll reach O before me, though. I''m a longer cycler than most. I did see one other poster recently show that she O''d at day 21, which is close to what I was last cycle. Somehow, seeing that others are like that makes it feel less abnormal for me.

I still keep hoping that I end up Oing earlier this cycle, though. It would be nice to have less length in the waiting game, I think.

Is anyone else like this this cycle? I''m still excited and hopeful for a baby, but I just really feel a lot less tense and "freakin out" about it this time. Maybe having that last cycle "confirm" (as best as a computer program can, I suppose) that I ovulated has helped. I don''t know. I think having Paul be so excited, yet still so content with our lives as it is now has helped a lot, too. I also think that really putting the "goal" at seeing if we can be pregnant by Christmas makes it less of a stress here in this moment, as well. Or maybe all the drama of the economy has had an effect, too. I don''t know. I''m just much less intense and stuff about it now. My mom has always said that it won''t happen until I''m not so anxious for it that I won''t let my body make it happen. So hmm... maybe that''s what it is that I''m feeling.

Or maybe I''m just not far enough into the cycle to really get nuts again.

That could very well be it.

Time will tell!

 

[mela lu]

Fisher you KILL Me! hahaha. Whatever the case, I do hope that this is the cycle for you

 

[sunkist]

Fisher and Robbie, love your crazy TTC dreams, girls! Hilarious

And Fisher, the note from your hubby is too adorable, how sweet.

It looks like everyone is doing well! CDT, Peonie, your charts are awesome. I''d say you''re all pro, but what is a pro fertility chart maker?? I dunno. I can''t wait to be able to do my own!

Ok, so one of the things that is keeping hubby from being ''ready'' to TTC is that we don''t have baby names picked out. It''s not the only thing, if it were I''d put my foot down and say that''s rediculous. So any cute name suggestions you want to throw my way?? I''m so sick of looking at baby name websites. The 3 boys names I like right now are Maxim Ezekiel, Paxton Elias, & Graeme Becker. 3 girls names are Malia Beatrice, Thea Kristine, & Ellis Mae. I like Sophia and Maximilian too. I like traditional but more unique names. Anyways, hubby doesn''t like any of these and he can''t come up with any names his self. He''s just a veto-er I guess. Any suggestions welcome

 

[Sabine]

Nice chart cdt! Good luck with your 2ww!

Fisher and Robbie, those dreams are hilarious!

Fisher, even though we were "trying" unofficially last month, this is my first month charting, and I am definitely freaking out about it. I really hope that this is the worst month for me too.

I officially think temping orally isn''t going to work for me. It might be because I mouth breath. I already had one major drop this month, and then again this morning, my temp was 95.9, but they''ve been as high as 97.5 There is no clear pattern whatsoever. I guess I''m going to hope that using cm this cycle will be enough to help me gauge when I might O, and then maybe next month I will have to try to take the temp. vaginally, although for some reason, this idea just really freaks me out, especially with dh sleeping right next to me. I don''t know why I''m so weirded out about it, but I guess I just wish I could at least get up and do it in the bathroom.

I''ll try to post my crazy chart, but I don''t really know how to do it.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Sabine, nothing wrong with your chart. Judging by your CF, you are not ready to ovulate yet! You chart will only truly become clear after the whole month is done. I know the first month is hard, I was so anxious

but in the end you will feel better. Temp dropping could mean estrogen increasing, as it should in the pre-ovulatory phase. It is estrogen and progesterone that drive you temps during your cycle.

Make sure you are assessing your CF properly, there has been lots of talk about it on this thread so if you have time check back, also looking at TCOYF helps. I say this because your CF will really really help you know when O is coming. Checking internally is usually the best unless you have tonnes of CF typically.

How long are you cycles usually? When did you come off the pill?

 

[Sabine]

Thanks dreamer! This is only my second month off bc, and last month was a little longer than I remember my regular cycles being before bc. If I was monitoring cf correctly, I probably O''d around cycle day 22-24, and I had a 9 day lp. I''m trying my hardest to correctly check cf, but I really hope a temp rise will help verify it!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Sabine, do you mean that the period you had at the start of this current cycle was the first period you had completely pill free? This would mean that you stopped taking your pills, got a period, then had a whole cycle pill-free, then got your period recently, and now here you are.

If that is the case, then in fact, THIS cycle is your FIRST true cycle off the pill! I know that seems crazy, but the period you had a week after you stopped taking your pills isn't a real period, it is called anovulatory bleeding. Usually, we herald the start of a new cycle with day one of our period, but the firs tday of bleeding when you stopped taking pills isn't a true period, which means that last month when your cycle was longish was acutually the first month your body was getting used to being off the pill and you may or may not have been back on track. Thi.s month, when you started bleeding on CD-1, that was a true period that was initiated by natural hormone changes etc etc. So really, if you are counting months off the pill, you should count this current month as your first month.

Many women do get preggo immediately after coming off the pill (i.e., following their first post-pill anovulatory bleed) but most women experience some type of mild fertility inhibition for a few months after going off the pill. By 6 months, there is no longer any fertility inhibition for women coming off the pill compared to people who were never on it. This inhibition can take many forms, but typically the hormone feedback loop is a little off kilter. Typically estrogen builds in the pre-ovulatory phase, and when it peaks this prompts a couple lovely hormones to release that cause ovulation, then when this happens it prompts progesterone to start climbing and estrogen to drop (this shift in hormones is what causes our beloved temp shift). Anyways, when you come off the pill, this delicate tango of hormones can be not quite up to snuff. This causes, for example, a short LP, which both Lysser and I had in our second cycle off BCP and the month before we got KTFU. Another annoying side effect during this adjustment phase is lame CF. Being on the pill can temporaroly damage your cervical ducts (little crevices in your cervix) where the CF is made, and so you will be dryer than normal.

So although it is hard, you need to be patient with your body right now. You may get preggo this cycle, but it may also be that it takes a couple more cycles for your body to regulate. My first true cycle off the pill (i.e., the cycle you are in now) was 28 days but I had no CF to speak of, which made it difficult to know when I O'd since I didn't temp. Second cycle off the pill, still not much CF and an 8 day LP

. I was so upset. Third cycle off the pill, the CF came back with a vengeance and I got KTFU! So my point is that you may have some wacky cycles for a few more months, so if you do, don't worry. The overwhelming odds are that you are healthy and things will normalize.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Thanks for even more information, Dreamer.

I love your posts; always so imformative!

Today totally feels like autumn here. I was so excited. I think sweater weather has finally come back! I welcome it warmly!!!

This thread hasn''t been so very active here lately. Are we all in the waiting to O or waiting to test phases???

 

[NYCsparkle]

Hi all

i''m back from mexico and am starting my tww

. anyways i had a good time and more importantly o''d in mexico

so maybe i have a burrito on board(hoping).

congrats tiffany!!! happy and healthy 9 months to you!

good to see ya back robbie.

hope to see some more people ktfu this month

....anyone testing this week?

sticky baby dust to all!!!

 

[sunkist]

Ok, so I have a question following your wonderful post, Dreamer. I just want a little more clarification on what happens after you stop taking BC pills. You finish your week 4, the 'inactive' pills & you had your usual anovulatory 'period'. The next week you don't start a new pack. Are you going to have another anovulatory bleed in another week or 2 or sooner as an effect of coming off the pill? Cause you did just bleed last week.

I'm just wondering what to expect. Thanks!

eta: NYC welcome home, fingers crossed that you did bring home a little stow away!

 

[Sabine]

Thanks for the info. dreamer!

Sunkist, I think what dreamer was saying was that you stop taking the pill, get a period, then go another whole month that is most likely (if not always?) an anovulatory cycle and have another period. Then, after that, you should be ready to ovulate. So with that reasoning, this is my first real month off the pill even though I went a whole month without taking it and had a period.

NYC, good luck in your 2ww! Hope you came home with a fun surprise from Mexico!

So I had the silliest dream last night. In my dream, I woke up, and went to take my temperature, and realized that I was supposed to wait for my thermometer to beep when it was ready, and it hadn''t been doing that. So in my dream, the reason my temp was so wonky was because the thermometer wasn''t ready!

 

[robbie3982]

Sunkist, I think that first cycle post-pill is different for everyone. Some will ovulate, but others won''t. I charted the first cycle off, but didn''t start until day 14. It looks like I ovulated on day 25, but the temp shift wasn''t as clear as it was after that first cycle and I spotted 5 out 10 days of my LP, so who knows. I think most people experience a cycle that''s either the same or longer, though I''m sure it''s possible to have one that''s shorter too.

 

[lovelylulu]

Date: 10/2/2008 8:42:15 PM
Author: NYCsparkle
anyways i had a good time and more importantly o''d in mexico

so maybe i have a burrito on board(hoping).

Lots of baby dust to you NYC!! maybe romantic trips are the key to fertility

I haven''t been posting as much around here just because some of the intensity of TTC has faded. I also forgot to properly set my monitor this cycle and seeing as I don''t temp i''m not too sure when I o''d. I am somewhere in the eary TWW. I don''t have a particularly good feeling about this cycle because our timing was probably off, but perhaps that will be my key to fertility - blind luck

 

[mela lu]

Date: 10/2/2008 8:42:15 PM
Author: NYCsparkle
Hi all

i''m back from mexico and am starting my tww

. anyways i had a good time and more importantly o''d in mexico

so maybe i have a burrito on board(hoping).

YEY NYC! Hoping that you get a vacation baby (burito) lol. It worked for us! We got a little New Yorker growing inside me...or a little ''big apple''. haha.

Good luck! Mucho baby dust, amiga!

 

[vetrik]

I''ve been reading here, trying to keep up. You girls are busy! I wish good luck to all of you in the TWW!

Today is Cycle Day 2 for me - AF showed up yesterday, and I''m kind of bummed. Had we conceived, my due date would have been DH''s 30th birthday. He''s upset too - he''s been wanting a baby for even longer than me, and was really excited about possibly being due on his birthday.

Anyway, I wanted to ask if any of you use the Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor. I bought one on Ebay, and it arrived a couple days ago. Unfortunately I ordered the sticks from Amazon yesterday with a Monday delivery, which will be in the afternoon of Cycle Day 5 - since AF came yesterday, I''m going to have to go to the store and buy the sticks before then so I can activate in within the correct timeframe (I wasn''t expecting AF until this weekend). I''m excited to try it, but I also don''t want to get my hopes up.

 

[ChinaCat]

Hello everyone- sorry I have been MIA. We have been weirdly crazy at work, so I really only had to time to scan PS while at home, and I can''t post from home for some reason. I feel like I missed a lot, but I have been thinking of you and keeping up with your posts, so even if I didn''t post any words of congrats or support, I have been rooting you all on.

DD- Thanks, as usual, for the info posted above about coming off BC pills. See quick question below re: which day to start counting.

Tiffany- Congratulations!!!!

Robbie- My thoughts have been with you. I am impressed with your strength, and happy you are still around this thread!

Fishie- I love love love your posts. I hope you know when I commented awhile back, I meant it in the best possible way. I don''t think you should chill out at all, I am just fascinated by how quickly your mind goes. Your enthusiasm is inspiring.

NYC- Hope you are smuggling a little burrito as we speak!

LL- Happy to see you!

Mela- Thanks for sticking around as well!

I know I am missing a ton of people.

As for me, I stopped taking BCP in August. My first "cycle" off lasted about 32 days (so I was about 4 or 5 days later than what I think of as normal). Then this cycle (which I think is the first real one, as I have had 2 periods since being off BCP but the first doesn''t count, as per DD???) I was 27 days. Question: I know you are supposed to count the first day of bleeding (not spotting) as 1, but even if it starts at night? So for example, AF showed up last night around 10 pm. So I should still count yesterday as CD1, yes? TIA!

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 10/3/2008 3:33:38 PM
Author: ChinaCat

As for me, I stopped taking BCP in August. My first ''cycle'' off lasted about 32 days (so I was about 4 or 5 days later than what I think of as normal). Then this cycle (which I think is the first real one, as I have had 2 periods since being off BCP but the first doesn''t count, as per DD???) I was 27 days. Question: I know you are supposed to count the first day of bleeding (not spotting) as 1, but even if it starts at night? So for example, AF showed up last night around 10 pm. So I should still count yesterday as CD1, yes? TIA!

I always counted from the day AF arrived in any shape, form or quantity.

Then everyone here seemed to think that you should count from first full day. My last cycle it put me as O''ing at CD12, so I went back to using first day of anything showing as it then gave me O''day as CD13 which makes my LMP EDD nearer to my O EDD - doctors don''t seem too keen on using O''dates for some reason....

 

[ChinaCat]

Thanks, Pandora. I guess it doesn''t make that much difference, as long as you can figure out when you are O''ing and such.

So I wanted to post this earlier, but haven''t had much time.

A friend of mine was concerned about getting older and having kids, so she had some tests done. I don''t know which ones, all I know is that one of the test results was that her FSH levels were not where they should be given her age. I believe that they were too high- for example, hers was at 12, and they expected her to be at 9, but would prefer you to be at 7. (DISCLAIMER: I have no idea if this is correct number-wise, just trying to give an example). She went to two regular Western-style OB-GYN''s and both said there really wasn''t anything she could do, but to not wait too long and hurry up and have kids. At the time, she was completely single, so of course she freaked out.

She found an acupuncturist who also was trained in Eastern medicine and began seeing him. He told her to cut out all sugar, alchohol and caffeine. Which she did. After a few months, her FSH levels had been reduced from 12 to like 8 (again, don''t yell at me if these numbers sound off). My point is that the combo of acupuncture and diet seriously changed her FSH numbers and got her back where she needed to be. She was amazed at how her regular doctors just shrugged and said nothing could be done, but she has seen a huge difference.

Now, I don''t know for sure if it was the diet and I definitely am not advocating not going to a normal doctor. I just wanted to share the information. I thought it was interesting that something so simple apparently made a difference. I am also not saying everyone should have to give up coffee, alcohol and sugar now- jeez, isn''t that what being preggo is for? But it might be useful to someone.

And for the happy ending- she fell in love, she is pregnant, and getting married in a month.

 

[sunkist]

Thanks, Sabine, Robbie, and ChinaCat for giving me an idea of what first periods off the pill are like. I have to go buy my next pack of BC tomorrow

don''t want to.

Hi Vetrik! Sorry you did conceive for a EDD on hubby''s b-day. Maybe it''s better cause that would make a busy birthday week for you! Anyways, wishing you guys best of luck in TCC!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Sunkist,

My cycles off the pill have been batty and still are no where near where they were pre-pill. Frustration. I don''t think that''s the normal way it works, though. I''ve only had one period in the 30s (35 days) and the rest have been in the 40s (most recent was exactly 40, which is a BIG improvement) and the longest was 60 days. I went off the pill Jan 3 of this year. So, yeah, it''s totally different for everyone. Some bounce back to normal quickly, some not so much. I think the important thing to remember is not the length of the cycle, but the information as to when you start ovulation again.

Man, we''ve not had any testers around here lately. Anyone up for this weekend? I''m living vicariously through you all right now... I don''t even think we''ve gotten close to our BD time yet (CD11), but I''m thinking maybe we should go ahead and start the every other day thing, so at least there''s something to do, and the fun part no less!

Chinacat, I took no offense at all to your post. I thought it was funny. I am a nut. I take all things with gusto and think entirely too much, and well, having a "sounding board" around here helps my dear Paul not to go as insane as he would if he was the only one I had to talk to about this. I mean, you can only spill details about CM to certain people, you know?

 

[E B]

Hello, ladies!

CD 1. Blah. Anyone with me?

I've got a whole new game plan this cycle.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Hi Ebree!

Hope this new cycle rocks it hardcore for you!! What''s the new game plan?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Sunkist, I agree it is different for every woman. I went of the pill Nov 06 and got my one and only period (besides the one RIGHT after I stopped) at the end of Dec 06. There were 40 days in between. I cannot remember if it was more painful or heavy since I got preggo at the end of Jan 07. I was on the pill for 13 years prior to quiting.

 

[E B]

Date: 10/4/2008 11:55:55 AM
Author: fisherofmengirly
Hi Ebree!


Hope this new cycle rocks it hardcore for you!! What's the new game plan?

Thank you! The same to you!

I shouldn't have said a new game plan, exactly, but I did just make a purchase from earlypregnancytests.com (supplies!) and I'm looking into seeing a specialist. Not for getting pregnant, but for staying pregnant.

I thought this last cycle might have been it, and I realized how scared I was, because we still have no answers. And while I love my OBGYN, she's just too busy, and I need someone more involved. I want to be more involved as well. I still don't even know what all she tested me for, and I should. So, that's where I'm at right now.

DH and I have started a new tradition: a "fun" day on CD 1. Granted, its only been two cycles and luckily, AF has visited on Saturday mornings, but we pig out the whole day. Donuts in the morning, a movie in the afternoon, and pizza for dinner. It's something to look forward to, a distraction for when you don't get a BFP. If she comes during the week, we'll have a special dinner out.

Just thought I'd share- do any of you do anything similar?

Oh- I now know my luteal phase is a "lucky" 13 days.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

That''s cute that you have a fun day on CD 1.

We don''t do that, but Paul does make sure to plan something "fun" for the weekend when I find out we''re not on the road to being parents. We went to the zoo the first time I found out we weren''t pregnant, and this last time, we went to the fair. It''s fun and it''s something that takes away from the whole wanting to sit around sad thing.

Honestly, I feel like the anxiety about getting pregnant is starting to ebb. I think that for now, being focused on a time line we''d like to get pregnant in is easier than taking each cycle as "the" cycle. For now, by the end of the year is our goal. That would techincally be a 6 month phase for us, but the jun/july/august cycle shouldn''t really count since we were on vacation and the dang cycle was 60 days and I had no clue when was the time to be getting pregnant. But yeah, who knows how I''ll feel about said "timeline" if that time comes to an end and there isn''t a baby growing.

I think it''s great to be planning to see a specialist. I was really starting to get the desire to do that, too (not to keep a baby, but to get one to begin with), but somehow, charting and seeing that I do ovulate (at least one time I did!!) has been a big relief and I know it''s too soon for me to see anyone, anyway.

I hope you get a lot of answers. When you do, share them with us. It''s amazing how much goes into this thing, all the while people end up pregnant all the time and don''t even want to be.

Simply amazing!

 

[Sabine]

Ebree, I LOVE your cycle day 1 plan! We haven''t really done anything so far, but I think we might have to if we go a number of months without a positive because I can only imagine how the slight disappointment can grow exponentially over time. It sounds like a good idea to see a specialist, and hopefully they will be much more informative for you.

I had a HUGE temp. leap today, from 96.3 to 97.2, so I hope that means I''m ovulating!

I''ve been trying to hard to check cervical fluid, but I''m having a slight issue. How can you tell the difference between EW and sperm? How long does sperm take to come out after bd?

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 10/5/2008 11:59:43 AM
Author: Sabine

I''ve been trying to hard to check cervical fluid, but I''m having a slight issue. How can you tell the difference between EW and sperm? How long does sperm take to come out after bd?

Semen will be thinner when you stretch it between fingers and it will break after about an inch or so. EW will not break when you stretch it. You can also do the glass of water test: drop the sampl into water. EW will form a ball and sink to the bottom, whereas semen will disintegrate in the water.