The Official TTC Thread!

[swimmer]

Hi Tiffany, Hope you are doing something relaxing today, perhaps even indulgent. Thinking about you. hugs.

 

[SparklyLibra]

Tiffany, I''m still very new here, and just following your posts.

Please take care of yourself as much as you can. By that I mean, do whatever you need to do to keep your head and heart in the best space possible. Please be encouraged by the great community of ladies on this forum, and I really, REALLY hope you can feel the luv through the (((((HUGS)))) and the *dust*

Lots of love and comforting thoughts to you

 

[violet02]

I''m TTC and hadn''t joined this thread yet so I thought now would be the time to do it! I''ve been off BC for 5 months now and having unprotected sex. So far no baby. I had an ovarian cyst on each ovary last month that resolved themselves so that''s a relief. I was told I have a very small fibroid cyst but it''s nothing to worry about. I''m 38 and getting up there in age in terms of having a baby.

My cervical muscus hasn''t been great so I''m concerned that might be part of the problem. I see my OB-GYN Monday and they are going to order the Hysterosalpinogram to check my fallopian tubes. Tuesday I see a fertility doctor. I''d be interested in getting on Clomid or something similar if I''m not ovulating and we''re not afraid of doing artificial insemination if necessary. My husband also wants to go in and get his sperm tested.

Part of the rush here is one age, two the desire for a baby and three our health insurance. Right now we have the most amazing insurance that will cover all of the fertility doctor possiblities in full and my husband might be changing jobs in the near future so we want to make sure we go in and get everything done before he does the switch.

So we''ll see how this next week goes! I''m currently on Day 4 of my cycle and that means with all this testing I may have miss the next cycle if we have issues to deal with.

We''ll keep trying naturally too of course.

Anyways, here I am!

 

[swimmer]

Hi Violet,
Welcome! If your doc can get the hsg in early in your cycle then this cycle might not be out, but they do have to do it early, before lining builds up... One thing to consider with clomid, it tends to dry out the cm. Since you are in a time situation, you might want to get your DH to request a semen analysis pronto. That has to be done before a variety of procedures or tests on you take place. Do go in prepared to ask: "when should we start seeking treatment?" "how long will we try clomid?" "then what would the next step be?" etc. You can probably request monitoring from the very get go (w/ good insurance) once you have the hsg and start some sort of medication. This will be crucial so you don''t have to spend months getting your hopes up without knowing what is preventing conception. This sounds a bit extreme, but yeah, in your case, the clock is a factor.

Your visit M will probably include an ultrasound (trans-vag) do feel comfortable asking for the measurements of your ute lining and the appearance/# of your follies. And of course you are prob already taking prenatals, but do look into d-chiro-inositol for your cyst situation and of course ask your dr. about it. (I asked two diff docs, one had never heard of it, the other brought it up and said, "can''t hurt." My cysts were gone after 2 months and didn''t come back even when I stopped taking the B vit supplement.)

Good luck and don''t be a shrinking violet

when it comes to getting interventions here. Not that you would be, but it is so hard sometimes in the limited time that drs allocate to get questions and answers in. Is your GYN an RE? You might want to get a reference for a bigger gun... But of course your doc might be awesome, just wanted to put it out there. Good luck Violet!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Welcome Violet!!

Hoping your appointment this upcoming week gets some questions answered and leads to you having a good plan of action for the future!

CM issues... A lot of people take Robitussin (expectorant ONLY) to help with increasing this, but a great girl here (SWIMMER) suggested grapefruit juice and I've been drinking that (not from concentrate... you want the REAL stuff from the fridge section, and ruby red is much sweeter than the yellow) for two cycles now and I don't have any need for that yucky Robitussin anymore. So, that may be something you can look into, also.

Good luck on this road... and I hope you happily announce you're a mommy-to-be soon!!

*Now, off to try to get pictures onto the computer from our trip last weekend...*

(ETA: I'm also starting the first steps of getting information on becoming a foster parent. I want to at least have the information, but Paul's not on board as of yet. I just hope that eventually we'll become pregnant or be able to care for children in some means...)

 

[Blenheim]

Oh Tiffany, I am so so sorry. I hope that your tube ends up okay.

 

[phoenixgirl]

Tiffany, I''m so sorry to hear your news. I had been following your story and when I saw your update, I was just too sad to post right away. I''ve been thinking about you and hope everything works out ok with your tube. Best wishes and lots of hugs and dust . . .

 

[Laila619]

So my usual luteal phase is usually 14 days long with high temps.

This month, I started spotting on 6 DPO and my luteal phase was only 10 days, with now heavy bleeding. AF is usually very light for me.

I wonder if it was a miscarriage? Hmm.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Laila,

I sure hope not, but it''s so hard to know with such early miscarriages.... Hoping that this new cycle is a wonderful one!! The kind that ends with a baby in 9-10 months!

****
Got an email from a dear friend today. She''s been trying to have a baby for 4 years!! And guess what? She''s due in May!!! I''m so excited for her!! It really does go to show that sometimes when Drs. say they don''t know what the issue is, that it can be just a matter of time.

She''s so goofy... sent an email saying her dog is going to have a brother or a sister come May. And I''m thinking, "But dogs aren''t pregnant that long!" Then it hit me.

****
Tiffany,

Thinking of you, girl, and still praying for peace for you, and for the health of your tube. Thinking the best thoughts!!

 

[cara]

Laila, there's a study here on early pregnancy losses that shows for *super* early losses the bleeding is on average slightly shorter than a woman's usual period... Strange, huh? And not what you'd think at first. By about 6 weeks along, miscarriage bleeding is usually a bit longer and heavier than a usual period. But who knows with averages what is really going on for you.

Fisher, that's awesome about the possibly pregnant dog. Its as good as the little boy on the toddler thread wanting a brother or a puppy from his mother's belly. (Good thing it was a brother in there!)

Violet, good luck with your testing!

Tiff, still you are in my thoughts. I hope you and your husband are holding up okay.

 

[tiffanytwisted]

Hi ladies. Thanks again for your continued thoughts and support.
Swimmer- I took your advice and did some self indulging activities. I had a hair appointment that I had made previously and almost cancelled, but then decided I needed to get out of the house. So I had my hair cut and highlighted (overdue highlights). Sort of a Jennie Garth swingy bob cut. Now I just have to get used to styling it! I also had lunch with a friend on Friday and we got pedis. Yesterday we had a wedding to go to and I almost stayed home, but decided to go and actually had a nice time. It was really nice to get out of the house and be around friends.
So, if I could ask for a little dust I''m having my hcg drawn tomorrow and keeping my fingers crossed that it''s going down. Will have it checked Monday and Wednesday and if it hasn''t decreased then probably another methotrexate shot. Although surgery would be an option too. My a** looks like a pincushion from the shots Thursday, lucky for me it''s large and can take all of these shots!!

Violet- welcome! Good luck, I hear you on the age concern (I''m 36). Have you been charting at all? That can help identify sometimes if there are problems.

Fisher- I wanted to chime in re the foster parenting. I have a friend at work who also tried for many years to get pregnant and couldn''t. She has PCOS and did have one ectopic pregnancy (I don''t know if she lost her tube or not). Anyway, she looked into foster parenting and at first her husband wasn''t really on board with it either. However, they did some fertility treatments (I think just clomid) and when that didn''t work he changed his mind. They now have 2 young boys that have been with them since early infancy, I think they are 2 or 3 right now. They ended up adopting one of them, the adoption was final last June. The other one they are also trying to adopt. She''s also still trying some homeopathic methods to help her get pregnant. I know they''ve had some tough times with foster parenting also, but the fact that they''ve ended up adopting has made it all worth while for them. She sort of reminds me of you (although we''ve never met IRL). It doesn''t hurt to get all the info you need, the process to get approved can take some time and Paul may be on board by then (or you may get pregnant in the meantime!!). Another friend of mine just went through the process (she''s single and has convinced herself that she won''t be having her own biological children) and I think with the classes, home visits, etc it took about a year to get approved. Although she had to make some renovations to her home during that time too, as it was a one bedroom so she converted a room into a 2nd bedroom.

 

[tiffanytwisted]

Date: 9/13/2009 6:54:10 PM
Author: cara
Laila, there''s a study here on early pregnancy losses that shows for *super* early losses the bleeding is on average slightly shorter than a woman''s usual period... Strange, huh? And not what you''d think at first. By about 6 weeks along, miscarriage bleeding is usually a bit longer and heavier than a usual period. But who knows with averages what is really going on for you.

Fisher, that''s awesome about the possibly pregnant dog. Its as good as the little boy on the toddler thread wanting a brother or a puppy from his mother''s belly. (Good thing it was a brother in there!)

Violet, good luck with your testing!

Tiff, still you are in my thoughts. I hope you and your husband are holding up okay.

That reminds me of when my sister was pregnant with her second child, which was a boy. My niece was four and really wanted a sister. Anyway, my sister had a cerclage and when they removed it she was warned that she might go into labor immediately. Well she didn''t so when she went home that day my niece said "good, I have more time to pray for a sister" Kids are so funny.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Okay, still not sure what''s up with the computer/camera connection issues, but I''ve created a collage of some of the pictures from our trip to Charleston and Hilton Head last weekend from my camera phone.

We left EARLY Saturday morning... and then I slept in the car through most of Georgia.

We had lunch outside of Charleston at an Italian restaruant that had this cute table set up that had a base made of chalkboard with a BIG bucket of sidewalk chalk. I had to write out a special message to my Pauly because I''m still a little girl. He thought I was being so silly, but no one cared if a grown up was playing at the table or not...

When we got to Charleston, we had a walking tour and we were able to go into one of the older homes, which was really cool because they''d kept everything with the period and it was really pretty inside. I was amazed at vibrant and rich colors of the colonial days. I fell in love with this mossy green color and I''m thinking of finding a way to incorporate that into the next room we paint.

All of the homes were so pretty, and each had this really nice courtyard area (some in the back, some on the side) and the alley ways were so pretty, filled with flowers and green plants. My favorite alley is "Blood Alley," where back in the day many fights broke out over pride. Funny how much an area can change over 200 years, because it is so serene and peaceful now. One of the businesses on the alley is painted blood red, which I found to be a good tribute to yesteryear.

So many of the homes had flower boxes and I''m a sucker for a flower box. I got so many, many pictures of them, but none of them on my camera phone, so none to share here. But that was the highlight of the tour for me, all the flowers in bloom and the colors intermingling. I loved it!

That afternoon, we went to City Market, an area where you can go see local vendors with their trades/crafts. It''s really a tourist trap, but I loved it. We found a really pretty ornament there and I was excited about that because we try to get an ornament of our trips, to remember them each year when we decorate the Christmas tree.

One picture I wish I''d gotten on my phone is of "rainbow row." It''s a long line of rowhouses, each painted in a different shade of the colors of the period. I asked Paul to drive down that road I don''t know how many times. Then I asked him to park so I could get some pictures. It was so pretty! (Again, somewhat of a tourist trap... lots of photographers there!)

Saturday night we ate at Bubba Gumps because neither of us had ever eatten there and thought it would be fun. I am not a seafood girl, so I ordered a smoothie. It''s called "Run Forrest, Run." Loved that! While we were there, they were doing a fundraiser for a co-worker who''d lost his two little girls (ages 3 and 3 months) in a house fire... I was so upset after hearing about that. I''m glad they told us about it though, because I was glad to contribute. I still think about that family and wish things like this just didn''t ever have to happen.

The rest of that night was kind of slow for us; we were tired from the drive (okay, I did sleep through most of it), and I was still upset over the thought of having two beautiful little girls one day, and not having them or a home or anything else the next. We hung out at the hotel and watched some goofy movie.

Sunday morning we went to the Aquarium (I loved it!) and to lunch at some local deli (supposed to be the best in Charleston; it was good, but I''m cheap and thought we paid too much for what it was) and then we walked around town a little while, waiting for time to come for our boat trip to Ft. Sumter. This was NOT fun for me. The boat was little, I got motion sick, and once we got to the Ft. and I saw all these cannons and shifting bricks, it just hit me that a TON of people died there, and while it''s history, I don''t like re-living history. Paul loved it because he''s such a history buff and he teaches social studies, so he was enthralled and soaked up everything he could from the place. I got some nice pictures, but was ready to get back on the boat after we''d been there about 15 minutes. It was interesting to see how much thought went into the set up of the fort, though. I told Paul about this and he pointed out that we were only talking about 200 years ago, not the Stone Age. Well, I still thought it was pretty smart of them to have had a rail system set up to swing the cannons from one spot to pivot to another direction...

That afternoon we went to the park (not sure of the name of it) that butts up against the ocean... loved that. Took so many pictures! The waves hit up against the wall so pretty and barnacles had clustered up over the wall. It was nice. The breeze felt so good, too. There were flowers everywhere, then in the park, these gorgeous Live Oak trees. The branches are knotty and go every which way, so pretty! Lots of pictures of those, too (but not on my phone!). We sat and talked and walked and talked and it was just really peaceful. There were families out having fun, kids climbing on cannons (which scared me a bit, pretty high up and these were little kiddos), a bridal party came through on those little bike things with a cart attached.. I can''t remember the name of them now, but it was so funny to see a bride and groom all smooshed into a little cart with her dress all bunched up around them, and then bridesmaids and groomsmen clipping along behind them. I should have taken a picture, but I didn''t. There was also this group of women, young, pretty, all dressed in period and wearing these HUGE hats. Only it was windy, so hats were flopping and flying all over the place. That was entertaining. We stayed there til sunset and then just drove around the area. Paul really likes architecture and bridges and things of that nature, so we went on a drive over I don''t know how many bridges to other areas and then had dinner and went back to the hotel again.

Monday morning we got up early and went to Hilton Head. That was a blast! I loved the beach. There were seagulls and boats and it was so nice. There was a lady who brought her dog to the waves and I loved that; he was *so* happy, tromping around in the water. Then a lifeguard came and told her he had to leave... bummer. Paul swam out so far into the water that I could just barely see his head, then he came back in and ran over to me to tell me he''d seen dolphins! I didn''t believe him, but yep, there they were (had to use the zoom on my camera). I could only see the dorsal fins because they weren''t flip flopping all over the place, but I got excited just to see that. I''m in love with dolphins.

I''d been telling Paul I wanted a Pandora bracelet for my birthday... he said that he''d see what he could do about that. Well then I thought I''d like to get a bead from this trip, because we really had the best time (we both agreed this had been our best trip together ever). So, we went to the store and they were having a trunk show! If I bought two beads, I got the bracelet free. I couldn''t pass that up, so I got a new piece of jewelry to boot, which made the trip a little sweeter.

And that''s our trip. Long... but yeah, I''m long winded at times. Pictures, in random order:

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Grrr, grainy!!

****
Tiffany,

Thanks for posting about your friend... I think fostering is just such an act of love, and while it''s VERY challenging, I know the rewards are there, too. I''m not going to push it with Paul, because I wouldn''t want a child in our home who would feel any tension or whatever from Paul (not that he''d do it intentionally, but you really have to be at a place where you''re ready to foster before you should do it and before you can do it well). I still have great faith that I''ll be a mother and carry a child into this world, but in the meantime, I''d like to give my love to a child who needs it. It''s a strong pull on my heart. Paul says that''s because I''m just preparing for the parent I''m about to be, and that very well could be true. But I still think fostering would be a wonderful experience. Besides, you can specify the age range, so we''d not have to take on some wildy rambunctious teenager (not to start with, anyway).

I''m so glad your friend has been able to adopt... one of the biggest fears I have about it is taking this wonderful child into my home, and my heart, only to be told a year or more later that his or her mother and father are taking him or her back. I mean, it can be a really great situation for the whole family, but sadly that''s not as common as a child returning into care down the road.

I''m not sure my heart is ready for that. And that''s exactly where a lot of Paul''s inhibitions come from. I love hard, with all I am, and I wouldn''t be able to hold back my love for a foster child, either.

 

[sunkist]

Fisher, sounds like an awesome trip! Cliff and I say that our trips get better each time too I think it takes practice to get good at vacationing

I''m glad you had so much fun. Cute pics! And, Hey! That''s a frog!

I was trying to look at it and see Paul, haha, but no, it''s a frog.

 

[Mandarine]

Love the pictures Fisher and it sounds like a great trip! I visited Charleston (for my bachelorette weekend!) and loved it...I specially loved the food!!!! YUMM!

 

[HOUMedGal]

Tiffany -- how are you doing? I'm glad you did something fun for yourself...your hair sounds super cute!! Thinking about you today as you go for your beta...

Fisher -- love the pics! Looks like you guys had a great time! And it's a good thing you've already got Paul so you don't have to wait for that frog to turn into your prince, hehe.

I love Pandora bracelets...we made my mom one a few years ago for her 15th anniversary of being cancer-free (she was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was only 9 years old) and picked out charms that each have a special significance to us for her. Which charms did you start with??

Laila -- Hmmm, innnneresting! I have no idea if an early mc would do that or not...but that is awfully short if your LP is usually 14 days. Maybe it was just a wonky corpus luteum that didn't do its job very well? I dunno...either way, here's to a brand new cycle!! I'm right there with ya...CD1 today for me!

Violet -- welcome!! I'm new around here too, so just learning the ropes, but there are ladies here who are super knowledgeable and can be a wealth of information for you as you take the next step and start looking into fertility issues. Best of luck with your HSG!

Sooooooo, I'm actually pretty excited today, because I've officially completed my first cycle off BC.

When I took my temp this a.m. it was a full degree lower than the day before, and when I actually got myself out of bed a couple hours later, sure enough, I was welcomed by lovely AF. Not sad that I'm not preggers, because we were still trying to avoid, it would have been a few months earlier than ideal. Kinda sad how little we BD'ed this month...really brings it to light when you put it on a chart!! But such is my work life this month...it will get better. So, here are some stats about cycle 1, along with my chart:

Total length: 29 days
Ovulation: CD17
Luteal phase: 12 days

 

[Loves Vintage]

Laila, Did your temp stay high?

 

[Lanie]

Hey everyone! HOUMedGal...your chart looks great! Congrats on a successful first cycle off BC.

Tiffany: I just read your story...so sorry to hear.

I have an appointment with my gyno tomorrow. I have been charting, and think I ovulated (had EWCM) but did not have the corresponding temperature elevation. I''ll bring up this and my crazy cycle history to her tomorrow. I''m hoping to have some tests run so I can figure out what the deal is.

2 quick questions: Can a normal gynocologist do the hormonal testing or do you have to be referred to an RE? I suspect my progesterone is wacky, and if my appointment at the gyno is tomorrow, will the do the testing right then and there, or refer me for a later time? If I''m going to be stuck with needles, I need to prep myself.

Also, I think I''ve asked this before...I''m having periods, but I suspect I''m not ovulating. Is this possible? Obviously something is going on inside there for me to bleed, but how can you bleed if you don''t ovulate?

In other news, my DH and I decided to start trying when we get home from Christmas. I want to have all of my ducks in a row charting-wise so we can start pinpointing. Hopefully our TTC journey won''t be too long!

 

[tiffanytwisted]

Hi Lanie,
A regular OB can do the bloodwork. They usually test certain levels on certain days of your cycle, so I doubt if you will get poked tomorrow! I know there is cycle day 3 bloodwork but I can''t remember what other days they test.
Regarding ovulation- you will still have a period even if you don''t ovulate. Are you charting? Can you post a chart for us to look at?

 

[swimmer]

Tiffany, so glad that you took it easy and got your hair done. Hope you are feeling at least a little fabulous. more hugs.

Fisher, love your photos! I adore Charleston! Going there this spring is part of my 3 prong plan to get DH to want to move south. Other prongs are Asheville and Savannah.

Lanie, you can totally have a flow without ovulating. The lining builds up and at some point it has to shed itself. Without ovulation and the rises and falls in hormones, that is when the timing gets off and it is sort of a downward spiral. I had ewcm on cycles where I did not ovulate, lots of women do. I even sometimes had crosshairs on cycles that my RE said "nope, you didn't ovulate, might have come close, but it didn't happen." Very frustrating.

Do bring in your data, your Dr. may or may not care to see it. As Tiffany says, you will only get stuck for bloodwork if you are on cd3. They will probably have you come in to do baseline evaluations, but do know that ttc means getting stuck like a pig, just don't look and you won't feel much at all.. Seriously, its not much blood in the grand scheme of things, it is totally worth it. Ummm, they might give you an ultrasound (transvaginally), but that depends on the office.

Good luck!

 

[Lanie]

Tiffany...thanks for writing back! I''m pretty sure I''m temping correctly. I wake up, immediately pop the BBT in my mouth and close my mouth, and then get out of bed. The analysis says my temps rise and fall out of the norm, and maybe I''ll have to start temping vaginally? Its a brand new thermometer, so I know it''s not the battery. Here''s my first chart. It looks like my body gears up for ovulation, but then doesn''t do it. I didn''t start charting until late in the cycle, not realizing that it would be so short!

Swimmer...thanks for the info! Especially about the possibility of the ultrasound. I need to be prepared for these things!!!

 

[Lanie]

And here''s my second one so far. I''m at CD 13. I figured with EWCM that it would mean I ovulated, but as swimmer posted, this isn''t necessarily the case. So this chart is still early in the game and I haven''t ovulated yet. My cycles are anywhere from 20 days to 70 days.

Swimmer, thanks again. The more I think about it, the more I thought to myself "If I''m bleeding, then I''m ovulating". Good to know!

 

[swimmer]

Lanie, this is a dumb question, but you get out of bed after reading the temp right? If you are walking around during the temp taking, the results will be off. Just checking, I''m a literal reader (comes with the teaching job.)

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Tiffany,

Yay for taking some time for you this weekend. I hope it lifted your spirits, and hoping the Dr. visits go well, lady. Thinking and praying for you still.

I just love the feeling after a haircut... the way it feels when you wash it is always so funny... as if you''ve cut off feet and feet of hair, and really it could be only two inches. Funny how our senses are so thrown off by that.

****
Sunkist,

Haha, yep, that''s a froggie. The aquarium has them up all over the place and I got talked into kissing the little metal green dude.

It''s funny how trips get better with time... I think we have more of a sense of what we like to do now, and Paul''s learned that I''m one who likes to be able to meander and take pictures and we plan for something that''s "historical" for him, and that way it''s best of both worlds for us. Plus, I just love him more all the time and you can''t go on a vacation with a great husband and not be happy. Did you ever post details about your babymoon??

****
I love it when graduates stop by; Hi, Mandarine!!

****
HOU,

I got a pink polka dot glass bead and a turtle bead, because we saw turtles at the aquarium. And because it was just so cute.

What a great gift for your mother! 15 years free of cancer; that''s awesome!! Congratulations to her! I love to hear stories of people beating that awful illness.

****
Someone had posted about chemical pregnancies and that sometimes that means a lighter period... I had no idea. I wonder why that is? So interesting all the nutty little things our bodies do.

****
Lanie,

Your questions have been answered now, but I wanted to wish you a good Dr. visit. Ask all the questions you can think of... Christmas will be here in NO time.

****
Swimmer,

Start your plan now, now, now. I''m sad that none of my PS buddies live around here.

We''re going on an all-girls trip in October to Savannah in celebratin of my 30th, which is really in November, but on Thanksgiving day. I can''t wait for another taste of Old South. So, so, so pretty!

I have a question about all this "my temp shifts and I have positive OPKs and I get the changes in fertile CM, but I may not be ovulating" stuff: so, if you get all of those things and then 14-16 days later you start a new cycle, does that confirm that you''ve ovulated, or still not? (Yes, this is me wondering if I need to worry about something new now.)

 

[fisherofmengirly]

New Shiny,

How is your dad doing today?

 

[NewShiny]

Tiffany, still thinking of you. I hope you don''t have to have surgery.

Violet, welcome!

Fisher, sounds like you had a great trip. DH and I do one or two "Let''s Explore the South" trips each year. This year''s trip was to Chattanooga, which was cheesy but fun. I think the trip you just took is on the list for next year. We''ve done Savannah as well, which I absolutely loved. Bring your walking shoes, you will walk a ton. You''ll also go crazy with the camera - there is so much to take pictures of. Each square is different.

Thanks for asking about my dad. He went home from the hospital on Saturday. He''s pretty miserable from the side effects of the surgery (you''re incontinent among other things for awhile - I hope his experience with this is short) but in good spirits at the same time. I can''t wait to hear whether or not they got rid of the nasty "C" word. DH and I are going to visit in a few weeks. I can''t wait to see him.

Laine, I''m not sure if your Dr. will do testing since you haven''t actually been trying yet, but everyone''s doctor is different which is evidenced by the different experiences by the people on this thread. I can''t remember what CD 3 testing is for, but 7DPO testing is to check your progesterone level. They might also do an ultrasound, and an HSG may be possible at some point to check your tubes. I was also wondering if you get out of bed while you are still taking your temperature. If you aren''t already, it is best to stay in bed under the covers like you are still sleeping, reach for your thermometer on a nightstand or wherever and take your temp.

As for me, I''m 1 or 2 DPO. FF will record O day as today, as my temp went way up this AM. I think it was yesterday though, as my CM disappeared yesterday. I pulled DH away from watching football long enough over the weekend for a couple of BD sessions but we just didn''t have it in us for three days in a row. What can we do but try again next month, if this month isn''t the one? I did finally get a + OPK late Saturday afternoon, but I really feel like it was late to get the + result because I''d been having EWCM since Thursday. Does anyone else who has been at this awhile or after a loss feel like they can''t trust their bodies signs anymore? Before my loss, I felt like I "knew" what my body was doing, but now I don''t have any confidence in it to do what it is meant to do. I know I''m not explaining this really well, but I think at least one person may know what I''m trying to say.

I won''t be around much over the next couple of weeks. We leave for Kauai soon. I just bought a new smartphone though, so will try to read/post from my phone if I can figure it out. I just keep thinking that if this month is our month, people will think the bebe was created on our vacation. I kind of wish that would be the case, but as well all know, mother nature is in charge, not us! I haven''t decided whether or not to bring a test or to temp on vacation. I think I won''t temp but am still undecided on the test. Thoughts? Gotta get back to packing - Mahalo!

 

[swimmer]

Fishy, Sadly menstruation is not totally tied to ovulation. +opks DO however indicate ovulation. I read that there really are no false full double line opks, however an "almost" opk means "not good enough!" Pre-opks, I took in a beeeeeautiful (if I do say so myself) 32 day crosshaired chart to my RE and he said, "your bloodwork shows you did not actually ovulate, sorry." Later he gave me a prescription for ovidrel to give the old ovaries a "kickstart" and to ensure ovulation. Bad lazy ovaries! Apparently I only ovulated every few cycles, back when I did get a +hpt, it couldn't be sustained b/c of low progesterone.

 

[natalina]

Tiffany- I am so sorry. Will be thinking of you and hoping for the best. ETA: Posted this as soon as I read your original post about the ectopic. Now that I have read everything else, wanted to add that I'm so glad you took some "me" time. I really hope that your tube is okay. Sending lots of dust and hugs your way.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Lanie ditto Swimmer''s question about temping and walking around. Also, you can have chart that does not show a temp change and still ovulate. I read that about 20% of women will not show a temp shift when if fact they have ovulated, based on a sample of women who temped and had blood work. So you may wnt to add OPKs to the mix to get a better picture. I would also try temping orally and vagianlly and chart both. Takes only a extra minute and and extra thermometer

Then you can see if both are showing the same pattern (of course the temps will be different, but they should show the same peaks and valleys). Ditto others who mentioned that you can bleed without ovulating -- it is called annovulatory bleeding and is the same type of bleeding that happens when you are one the pill, when you of course did not ovulate. Also, you can have fertile CF when you are not ovulating. A typically annovulatory chart will have temps all over the place and a few patches of CF in the cycle. Anyways, all of this is to say that charting is an art as much as a science IMHO, and it can take months to get good at it... I think 3-5 months is how long it takes to get a feel for your patterns. I notice that the first chart you posted was the latter half of a cycle whereas the second was the first half.. until you have a couple complete cycles charted you really can''t make heads or tails of it. Keep trucking along and things will become clearer!