The Official TTC Thread!

[robbie3982]

Peony, I bet you see a nice rise tomorrow!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Hi everyone.

Golly, there are some pretty fall colors on the leaves around here. Makes me want to put on a sweater (but it''s still too warm where I live!!). We had a fun mini trip to the mountains. I forgot that you can take doggies to the park we went to, and we left them at home. I got all sad. Then when we got there, there was this family with four baby puppies. Awww... I was so excited to play with them and now I''m glad our dogs weren''t with us. Jealousy!!

I know my average cycle is about 40 or 42 days, but I was (and still am) hoping for a shorter one this cycle. I really want to know if I''m preggo or not before I leave for my trip with all the girls in my family. It''s not a big deal, but I would really like to be able to tell my mom on the trip, in person. My shortest since coming off the pill was 35 days, so maybe I will O tomorrow or something and then I''ll have my 35 day cycle. I''m also still hoping to get back to regular, becase pre-BC, I wasn''t a 40 day cycler.

Aw well... it doesn''t really matter. I told myself I wouldn''t freak out this cycle, and for me, I''m doing pretty good.

***
Hoping for a big ol'' rise for you tomorrow, Peony!!!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Wow. I just checked my email and TWO of my friends from college just found out they''re pregnant this week. Two at once. On the same day, no less. How funny!

Sarah is having number three and Mitri is having number two. They did the cutest way of announcing it; sent an email with their son, Luke, wearing a onesie that had the words "only child" crossed out with BIG BROTHER underneath. Too cute!!

It always seems like my college friends go in clumps when preggo (in fact, Sarah was preggo with number two when Mitri was preggo with number one), so here''s hoping that I can fall somewhere in that clump. Three other college friends are also trying to conceive right now.

We''re spread all over the nation, but it''s still fun to think of going through it with someone else, you know?

 

[Loves Vintage]

Date: 10/13/2008 11:06:52 AM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
Sabine looks to me like you ovulated! I think next mont hwhen you get your BBT thermometer things will be a lot clearer. The problem with regular thermometers is lots of error in their mesurments, which can lead to lots of spikes and ips in your temps. Don''t be surprised if you get some dips post-O which are based on your thermometer. Fever ones are really really not the same, so this month you may need to go more by your CF than by your temps. If today your CF is drying up, then CF suggests that yo uovulated somewhere between CD 25 and CD 27. Honestly, I would trust the CF more tha nthe temps at this point since you are using the fever thermometer, so perhaps be sure to keep up the BDing until your CF is totally totally GONE that way you won''t miss ovulation in case the temps are wrong.

Iwanna are you using a BBT thermometer? See my comments above about why its important. You chart looks good, but no sign of ovulation yet! If you are TTA then getting the hang of your CF will be really really important because it is the sign you use to decide when BD is not safe anymore and when it is safe again! So better get the hang of the two finger technique!

LovesVintage Charting is awesome! If you have time, it would help to read back through this thread to learn more about charting and what it tells you... starting around April of this year is when the charting maniacs became more common around here, so that''s a good place to start. Also, as I mentioned to Sabine, fever thermometers suck and you need to use a BBT, so chuck the old one (or keep it for when you have a fever

) and stick with the BBT from now on. As you can see from your chart, your pre-ovulation temps are all over the place, and that is most likely due to the fever thermometer which has a lot of error in its estimates (a lot in charting terms, it''s find for diagnosing as realf fever) . When you switched to the BBT thermometer, you temps started getting more even from day to day, which means your thermometer was more accurate probably. An ovulation chart will have lower temps pre-ovulation (ranging around some average) and then a shift occurs starting after ovulation and your temps will stay high until AFF arrives. Read trhought this page: http://www.fertilityfriend.com/Faqs/ it will really help make things clearer.

Fisher Girl you know you don''t ovulate until later in your cycle! You know this because you have an approximately 13 day LP (based on last cycle) and an average cycle length over the last 9 months of 40 days. That suggests you don''t ovulate before CD 26. So don''t get so discouraged about these temps! They are faking you out! Be patient, your O will come

Thanks DD for your reply!! This is all very exciting. I just want to complete my first chart. I will brush up on my fertility friend faqs. I have been neglecting/avoiding that. It makes more sense after having actually input some data, etc. Right now, everyone else''s charts just look like a bunch of pretty colors!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Date: 10/13/2008 6:35:02 PM
Author: Loves Vintage

Date: 10/13/2008 11:06:52 AM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
Sabine looks to me like you ovulated! I think next mont hwhen you get your BBT thermometer things will be a lot clearer. The problem with regular thermometers is lots of error in their mesurments, which can lead to lots of spikes and ips in your temps. Don''t be surprised if you get some dips post-O which are based on your thermometer. Fever ones are really really not the same, so this month you may need to go more by your CF than by your temps. If today your CF is drying up, then CF suggests that yo uovulated somewhere between CD 25 and CD 27. Honestly, I would trust the CF more tha nthe temps at this point since you are using the fever thermometer, so perhaps be sure to keep up the BDing until your CF is totally totally GONE that way you won''t miss ovulation in case the temps are wrong.

Iwanna are you using a BBT thermometer? See my comments above about why its important. You chart looks good, but no sign of ovulation yet! If you are TTA then getting the hang of your CF will be really really important because it is the sign you use to decide when BD is not safe anymore and when it is safe again! So better get the hang of the two finger technique!

LovesVintage Charting is awesome! If you have time, it would help to read back through this thread to learn more about charting and what it tells you... starting around April of this year is when the charting maniacs became more common around here, so that''s a good place to start. Also, as I mentioned to Sabine, fever thermometers suck and you need to use a BBT, so chuck the old one (or keep it for when you have a fever

) and stick with the BBT from now on. As you can see from your chart, your pre-ovulation temps are all over the place, and that is most likely due to the fever thermometer which has a lot of error in its estimates (a lot in charting terms, it''s find for diagnosing as realf fever) . When you switched to the BBT thermometer, you temps started getting more even from day to day, which means your thermometer was more accurate probably. An ovulation chart will have lower temps pre-ovulation (ranging around some average) and then a shift occurs starting after ovulation and your temps will stay high until AFF arrives. Read trhought this page: http://www.fertilityfriend.com/Faqs/ it will really help make things clearer.

Fisher Girl you know you don''t ovulate until later in your cycle! You know this because you have an approximately 13 day LP (based on last cycle) and an average cycle length over the last 9 months of 40 days. That suggests you don''t ovulate before CD 26. So don''t get so discouraged about these temps! They are faking you out! Be patient, your O will come

Thanks DD for your reply!! This is all very exciting. I just want to complete my first chart. I will brush up on my fertility friend faqs. I have been neglecting/avoiding that. It makes more sense after having actually input some data, etc. Right now, everyone else''s charts just look like a bunch of pretty colors!

Haha, Vintage.

I hear you on the comment about charts looking like colors and dots all bunched together. I took a quiz on FF to determine O day for various charts. If it was a college final, I''d have had to take the course again.

It really does become more clear over time, though. I like to think I''ve gotten a grasp of it, but I still fake myself out from time to time, out of sheer hope and that sort of thing. I think we all do that, though.

Good luck completing your first cycle. I can''t tell you how nuts happy I was when I got my crosshairs last cycle. Insanely ecstatic.

 

[robbie3982]

I''ve got crosshairs! Woohoo!!!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Whoo hoo, Robbie!

Where are you now, DPO?

 

[robbie3982]

Officially 3dpo. Right after I posted I realized that my test date this cycle is a month to the day of when I started to miscarry. If it''s a BFN this cycle it''s going to be even worse.

Here''s my chart:
(crosshairs are dotted due to cp)

 

[iwannaprettyone]

Date: 10/13/2008 10:46:31 AM
Author: Sabine
Iwanna, I''m guessing it marked you fertile because you had watery cm around cycle day 14. It is possible that you ovulated if your temps continue to stay up around yesterday''s and today''s temps, but it could also be a while yet. Did you just come of bc? If so, that could also make this cycle different than what will be a typical cycle for you.

LV, it''s good that you got a bbt. I''ve been looking for one for forever, and they are much more accurate. Just try not to be too disappointed if your chart this month has some quirks since you switched thermometers halfway through.

Fisher, sorry your temps are frustrating! Sometimes I wish I could just take my temp for a few days in a row without looking at them, and then analyze them all together to see the pattern. I know it''s crazy, but sometimes I even feel like my expectations/hopes for my temps each morning affect the results!

Peony, any update? Did you confirm O?

I haven''t taken BC in about 6 years.

Temp this morning was 97.8 CM=w

That is the highest my temp has been. If I wanted to use an OPK to pinpoint O would today be a good day?

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 10/14/2008 8:52:18 AM
Author: iwannaprettyone

Date: 10/13/2008 10:46:31 AM
Author: Sabine
Iwanna, I'm guessing it marked you fertile because you had watery cm around cycle day 14. It is possible that you ovulated if your temps continue to stay up around yesterday's and today's temps, but it could also be a while yet. Did you just come of bc? If so, that could also make this cycle different than what will be a typical cycle for you.

LV, it's good that you got a bbt. I've been looking for one for forever, and they are much more accurate. Just try not to be too disappointed if your chart this month has some quirks since you switched thermometers halfway through.

Fisher, sorry your temps are frustrating! Sometimes I wish I could just take my temp for a few days in a row without looking at them, and then analyze them all together to see the pattern. I know it's crazy, but sometimes I even feel like my expectations/hopes for my temps each morning affect the results!

Peony, any update? Did you confirm O?

I haven't taken BC in about 6 years.

Temp this morning was 97.8 CM=w

That is the highest my temp has been. If I wanted to use an OPK to pinpoint O would today be a good day?

Your high temp today suggests you may have already O'd, if it's higher than any of the previous 6 temps... but since you have fertile CM, why not try and OPK? You may have missed the spike in LH that is measures, though, which usually happens before O. If you have two more hightemps then you will have O'd yesterday probably. ETA just looked at the chart you posted yesterday, with a temp that high today you probably ovulated yesterday! Tomorrows temps will tell you for sure. Remember, though, that the TTA rule from TCOYF is 3 days after your temps shift AND three days after the last time you had fertile CF, which is called the peak day. So if you have fertile CF after ovulation you still count three days from your past fertile CF day before it is "safe" to get it on sans barriers.

 

[InLuv101]

LOVE the new avatar Robbie and yay for crosshairs!



CD10...

 

[robbie3982]

Thanks, Inluv! I got jealous of everyone''s pretty new avatars so I made one in Photoshop last night.

 

[iwannaprettyone]

Date: 10/14/2008 8:55:24 AM
Author: dreamer_dachsie

Date: 10/14/2008 8:52:18 AM
Author: iwannaprettyone

Date: 10/13/2008 10:46:31 AM
Author: Sabine
Iwanna, I''m guessing it marked you fertile because you had watery cm around cycle day 14. It is possible that you ovulated if your temps continue to stay up around yesterday''s and today''s temps, but it could also be a while yet. Did you just come of bc? If so, that could also make this cycle different than what will be a typical cycle for you.

LV, it''s good that you got a bbt. I''ve been looking for one for forever, and they are much more accurate. Just try not to be too disappointed if your chart this month has some quirks since you switched thermometers halfway through.

Fisher, sorry your temps are frustrating! Sometimes I wish I could just take my temp for a few days in a row without looking at them, and then analyze them all together to see the pattern. I know it''s crazy, but sometimes I even feel like my expectations/hopes for my temps each morning affect the results!

Peony, any update? Did you confirm O?

I haven''t taken BC in about 6 years.

Temp this morning was 97.8 CM=w

That is the highest my temp has been. If I wanted to use an OPK to pinpoint O would today be a good day?

Your high temp today suggests you may have already O''d, if it''s higher than any of the previous 6 temps... but since you have fertile CM, why not try and OPK? You may have missed the spike in LH that is measures, though, which usually happens before O. If you have two more hightemps then you will have O''d yesterday probably. ETA just looked at the chart you posted yesterday, with a temp that high today you probably ovulated yesterday! Tomorrows temps will tell you for sure. Remember, though, that the TTA rule from TCOYF is 3 days after your temps shift AND three days after the last time you had fertile CF, which is called the peak day. So if you have fertile CF after ovulation you still count three days from your past fertile CF day before it is ''safe'' to get it on sans barriers.

Should I do this at lunch or this afternoon when I get home? On a side note I have a sharp pain on the left below my bellybutton today, is this middle pain? It is kind of achy and if i push the area it twinges.

 

[peonygirl]

Argh, I just don't get it. My temp has been the same for the last three days. This morning as my DH was looking at my wacko chart, he said, "I can't take it anymore, I just want a baby!" It's especially hard to think that if I don't get pregnant this cycle, it will be a 45-50 day cycle probably. That's almost two cycles for a typical person. We are just terrible at being patient about this.

Robbie, congrats on your cross hairs!

Iwannaprettyone, you can do it at lunch or home. The best time to take an OPK is 10am-6pm, typically at the same time every day so you're less likely to miss a surge. Just try to restrict your fluids for 1-1.5 beforehand.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Peony using FAM rules you probably ovulated on CD 30. CD 31's temp was higher than the previous 6 and your temp has stayed elevated for the last few days. It would help to have good records of your CF... was it fertile around that time? Try setting FF to the FAM method and see what you get. You can also go to www.ovusoft.com and go to their cycle and charting help thread and ask for the charting experts there to help you interpret your chart (just create a home page of FF that displays your current chart and then link it in your message on ovusoft.) It's the companion site for TCOYF and the real charting experts all hang out there. BTW two positive OPKs in a row means the tests probably aren't working right, you should only ever get one day of positive results in a month from what I read. ETA what are your post-O temps typically like? What range?

 

[peonygirl]

DD, thanks for your charting help!! The last two months my coverline was 97.6 and 97.8, but most of my post-O temps were in the 98s. Then again, we were trying last month and I didn't get PG anyway.

FF says that it's possible to have two positive OPKs on consecutive days if you catch the luteinizing hormone on its way up and down. The first one was a strong positive, and my second one was still positive (test line darker than control), but just barely. You're right though, I think it's rare and that was the first time I got positives two days in a row.

I changed to FAM, and I didn't get crosshairs yet unfortunately. I'm just REALLY hoping for a big spike tomorrow. I've been checking my CM not recording it because I'm still not confident that I'm reading it right (even though I'm getting more thanks to your technique!). I wish that I'd written it down somewhere though because I can't remember 100%, but yesterday it seemed watery and 1-2 days before that was the closest it's ever looked to EWCM (clear and stretched about 2 inches before breaking). Thanks again for your help!

 

[robbie3982]

DD, I don''t think fam will give crosshairs if you have more than one of the 1st 3 temps on the coverline.

Peony, it''s possible that you could have a delayed temp rise and see a spike tomorrow or it could be possible that you were gearing up to O and then didn''t.

I hope you see a nice big rise tomorrow!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Peony since your temps are below your typical coverline then I think you probably haven''t ovulated yet this month. The range of temps that a woman has pre- and post- O is pretty constant. Fingers crossed for you! In your shoes I would be tempted to put away the thermometer for the rest of the cycle and just DTD every couple days until AFF shows up. I really think that stress may be affecting your cycle this month and perhaps just letting it be for the rest of this cycle wil help BOTH of you put less stress on your poor little ovaries! I know the "relax" comment is stupid to say to TTC women

, but just this once I can''t help but wonder if it is affecting you since you both seem to be very very eager and impatient.

Tell you DH to give you neck rubs, not exhortations to conceive, okay?

It''s great he is eager but I know if my DH was crying out to the heavens that he wanted to "get a baby already!!" I''d become a little guilty and anxious over a longer cycle. It''s normal, this is one of the reasons the average time to conceove is 6 months!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 10/14/2008 10:33:12 AM
Author: robbie3982
DD, I don''t think fam will give crosshairs if you have more than one of the 1st 3 temps on the coverline.

Yeah, I guess even thought the temps are higher the cover line above the highest temp would only be at the same level as her temps for the last three days. Combined with what she mentioned about her typical coverlines, it makes me think no O yet! And now I will stop talking about Peony as if she isn''t here

 

[Festy]

Just checking in to say hi, and how come I didn''t get the memo about the changing of the avatars? You go away for a few days and everything looks different!

Tiffany, please accept my condolences for your loss. I hope you are doing ok.

CD10, no news to report except that I''m not loving the Rite-Aid thermometer. It doesn''t beep WHILE it''s taking your temp so this morning I lay there forever wondering what was going on. Next cycle I may switch to the one I bought on Amazon.

 

[mela lu]

great job on the new avatar Robbie!

 

[robbie3982]

Thanks, Mela!

 

[InLuv101]

Date: 10/14/2008 1:48:26 PM
Author: Festy
Just checking in to say hi, and how come I didn't get the memo about the changing of the avatars? You go away for a few days and everything looks different!

Tiffany, please accept my condolences for your loss. I hope you are doing ok.

CD10, no news to report except that I'm not loving the Rite-Aid thermometer. It doesn't beep WHILE it's taking your temp so this morning I lay there forever wondering what was going on. Next cycle I may switch to the one I bought on Amazon.

Festy- I'm on CD10 too...waiting, waiting, waiting. Lol, I feel like that's all I ever do anymore, wait to TTC, wait to test

Anyway, which thermometer did you buy on Amazon? Mine doesn't beep either and I've actually fallen asleep with it in my mouth waiting for it to beep at the end and give my temp. Maybe if it beeped while it was taking my temp I would stay awake for the 3 minutes. Then another time I was waiting for that beep at the end and it was taking FOREVER! I finally took it out my mouth and realized that in my sleepy haze I didn't even turn it on! Think I'll look into a new one for next cycle.


CD10...

 

[Loves Vintage]

InLuv,

This one beeps every four seconds (I think it's four . . . it may be six, actually), and it works in a minute. That's funny that you feel asleep with it in. I think I read about someone else having done that when I read through the reviews for this thermometer.

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=40512&catid=9701

I got another very high temp with it this morning -- 98.2.

ETA: But, I guess that's normal.

 

[Festy]

Hi Inluv, yup the waiting is a b***ch!

What''s worse, the 2ww or waiting to O? Discuss.

The way I get through it is to remind myself how great I feel physically compared to the last cycle when I thought I was PG. Whether it was PMS or a chemical pregnancy that never stuck, I didn''t like not feeling like myself. When I was hiking this weekend, and falling on my a** left and right, I kept telling myself to enjoy it while I can! That will be my mantra tonight when I''m at the gym wishing I were sacked out on the couch with DH and the cats.

The thermometer I bought on Amazon is the same one Loves Vintage posted a link to. I''m looking forward to switching...I think that''s what happened to me this morning - it never turned on. The on/off button is so sensitive that I think I pressed it twice accidentally.

 

[InLuv101]

Date: 10/14/2008 3:16:37 PM
Author: Loves Vintage
InLuv,

This one beeps every four seconds (I think it''s four . . . it may be six, actually), and it works in a minute. That''s funny that you feel asleep with it in. I think I read about someone else having done that when I read through the reviews for this thermometer.

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=40512&catid=9701

I got another very high temp with it this morning -- 98.2.

ETA: But, I guess that''s normal.

Loves Vintage,
Thanks for the link! I will check that out. If you think 98.2 is high, I only had 1 post O temp at 98.2 all the rest were higher with most around 98.6-98.9
I always get excited to see the high temps since they should be high and of course stay high to indicate pregnancy.

 

[InLuv101]

Date: 10/14/2008 3:52:10 PM
Author: Festy
Hi Inluv, yup the waiting is a b***ch!

What''s worse, the 2ww or waiting to O? Discuss.

The way I get through it is to remind myself how great I feel physically compared to the last cycle when I thought I was PG. Whether it was PMS or a chemical pregnancy that never stuck, I didn''t like not feeling like myself. When I was hiking this weekend, and falling on my a** left and right, I kept telling myself to enjoy it while I can! That will be my mantra tonight when I''m at the gym wishing I were sacked out on the couch with DH and the cats.

The thermometer I bought on Amazon is the same one Loves Vintage posted a link to. I''m looking forward to switching...I think that''s what happened to me this morning - it never turned on. The on/off button is so sensitive that I think I pressed it twice accidentally.

I think the 2ww is worse. The wait to O seems to pass alot quicker for me. During the 2ww I seem to imagine all sorts of early preggo signs which makes me want to POAS. But then I''m too scared of seeing a BFN so I wait. I''m obsessive during the 2ww and it''s only been 1 cycle! I analyze every twinge, sign, temperature, and feeling! During the wait to O, I''m gearing up for the BDing marathon and I''m just not generally full of anxiety. So my vote is that the 2ww is worse hands down.


CD10...

 

[E B]

Date: 10/14/2008 3:52:10 PM
Author: Festy

What's worse, the 2ww or waiting to O? Discuss.

This is a tough one. I'd say waiting to O, and not just 'cause I'm currently there. While in the 2ww, I'm comforted by the fact that we did all we could and now, all I can do is wait. Before ovulation, all I can think about is WHEN I'll ovulate.

I'm not drinking at any point in my cycles, so that isn't a factor. I could use a big glass of red wine or a whiskey and coke, though.

Robbie, congrats on the crosshairs!

Peony, I agree with DD- it doesn't look like you've ovulated yet. OPKs can be tricky, but hopefully you'll see a nice rise tomorrow!

Fisher- How was your temp this morning?

As for me, I'm in the boring "waiting to O" stage. A second 'high' on my monitor today. I discovered watery CM this morning, so I'm hoping it'll be any day now. Tomorrow is my consultation with the RE, so I hope that goes well. I have no idea what to expect.

CD 11

 

[Dreamer_D]

EBree good luck at the RE, I am very curious what he/she tells you!

InLuv101 Non-related TTC comment, but ever since you joined the TTC thread I have been looking at your avatar and thinking that in that photo your hubby looks just like Will Smith! LOL! The hairline and his profile... anyways, I "stalked" your past threads and saw your wedding photos and I think he is much better looking in person than Will Smith! Much more refined and just plain handsome. Score girl! Your profile in your avatar also reminded me of Gloria Ruben (from ER a few years ago), but once again, in real life you are much more beautful that she is. Thought you might find that funny. I thought, "Is that a celebrity avatar or is that really InLuv and her hubby??" LOL! You guys are a gorgeous couple.

 

[Sabine]

Good question Festy! For me, this month waiting to O was worse because I''m just figuring out my cycle and it was longer than I expected, and basically I didn''t even know if I was going to O. But I have a feeling once my cycle is regular, the 2ww will be worse!

I''m so excited, my bbt thermometer came today (and I just ordered it late last week)! I actually didn''t want one that beeped while it was monitoring since my dh is a light sleeper and doesn''t need to get up as early as I do. I looked around to find the quickest one I could, and ended up with one that is supposed to work in 60 seconds. I hope it does, because my allergies are terrible and I often have trouble breathing through my nose, so taking my temp can be a big pain if I can''t breathe.

Even though I know not to switch thermometers in the middle of a cycle (and especially now right after I''ve O''d), I think I''m going to use both starting tomorrow to see if I get a similar pattern from the bbt one.

And finally, I think yesterday''s high temp was a fluke, but today was definitely still above the coverline, so I''m happy!

4DPO