32 and TTC #1

[starryjune]

Hi everyone! I'm new here, so thought I'd post an intro thread to introduce myself.

I'm 32 and my hubby is 40. We've been married for 6 years this month, and are finally in a position to start TTC! I stopped taking the BCP in April, and we're on cycle #3 TTC. I'm tracking my BBT and trying to determine when I ovulate. I don't think I ovulated the first two cycles, but based on my BBT I'm pretty confident that I did the last cycle, on CD17. I'm currently on CD11 and we just started using Preseed this month (after the going off the BCP, I haven't had any fertile CM). So I'm looking to test at the end this month.

A couple of questions for those more knowledgeable about these things than I am...

I've read a lot about sex every day vs. every other day, and was wondering if anyone has any insight or experience? My hubby and I are more than happy to BD every night, but I worry that every other night will be better for TTC.

Also, my luteal phase is typically around 12 days. Is that too short, should I be worried?

Thanks!

HI there! Yes, I am. 34 and DH who is 40 and I have been TTC #1 on and off (mostly on, with some breaks or separate travel which made BD in the window impossible) since May 2014. It took us a few months to really pinpoint timing and for me to use Preseed instead of reg. lube. So, I'd say roughly 5-6 real cycles TTC. No BFPs and I am a big believer in trying things the natural way and leaving it up to fate (with good timing and trying to skew it a bit in our favor). So, we had basic checkups (pap and some bloodwork which all came back normal so my MDs have said it's just a matter of time, nothing about my cycles and bbt charts signal concerns, either. DH got a sperm analysis which came back only 1% below average on motility and morphology but his count was off the charts. I recently got some annoyed responses from women who did extensive fertility testing pretty much right away and seem to think I am wrong not to. Well, I seek medical help for numerous other things and they just don't get it... I don't want to hear another thing is wrong until I feel ready to deal with it should that be the case. Anyway.......... waiting to O. All bodily signs point to soon but I am still getting -OPK. I'm on CD12 and usually I O 13-14. FX I get a temp dip and +OPK sometime between tomorrow and Sunday. Camping this weekend so that will be a nice distraction AND optimal, fun BD setting How are you all doing today? to all. I need to read through and check up. Hopefully some BFPs in this thread!!

 

[starryjune]

Hi Ladies,

Im in the same boat as all of you. Feeling old and tired of trying with BFN month after month. Im 32, DH is 37, I feel like a dinosaur trying to get pregnant because all of my other friends have 2-3 kids by now and are done while we haven't even started. My cycles are like clock work, 28 days. Ovulate on the 14th day. I can set my clock by it if I had to. This month I thought I had implantation bleeding at 10 dpo, started spotting and BAM, started 5 days early. I can't even remember the last time I started early (or late for that matter).

Im sick of hearing "it will happen, just relax" and "When it's your time it will happen" whatever, we've done the responsible thing and have established ourselves and I feel like we're being punished because we've waiting too long.

I want a baby so bad and at this point I feel like I have no control over my future. We have technically been trying since Dec 2012 but took a few months off in the fall of 2013 because we were moving into our new house. We started trying again in Nov 2013 and because I mentioned the brief break in TTC to my doc (huge mistake), he will not test us till this Nov 2014, 4 months from now, almost 2 years since we first started trying. We're taking our vitamins, DH takes Macca Root and we're both eating better and limiting caffeine, timing DTD correctly. I just feel like there is nothing that can help us right now. We're using preseed, i've used OPK, fertile focus microscope, SME plan, temping, we've went on vacation, I've even stopped the testing and just went with it for a few cycles and nothing but BFN.

I HATE this. And of course everyone around me is pregnant without even trying or when I confide in them insist on telling me how they are just "super fertile" because they got pregnant the first cycle, or without trying, or while still on birth control.

I feel exactly the same way!! We haven't done extensive testing because the doctors told us we don't raise any red flags, that it might just take a year, even longer. FX we both get our BFPs soon. This cycle I am focusing on less obsessing, positive thinking, healthier habits (eating better, drinking little to no alcohol at all), and more sexy time.

 

[Twinsie]

Katie, it would be amazing, especially when I wasn’t expecting it at all. I’ve had some pinkish/brown discharge after gym today, although I only walked on the treadmill and did some light weights (arms), so I'm feeling even more pessimistic. It’s my birthday on Sunday, hope it’s not going to be an awful day.

Sorry you got a BFN, my friend was on birth control for many years and stopped recently, her cycle lengths also vary quite a lot. OPKs should be able to give you a little advance warning about ovulation while your cycles are settling down. (They totally deserve a punch in the face)

Oh, forgot to tell you. Yesterday when I tested I doubted my sanity so dipped another stick under running water to see if two lines came up. Only the control line did (but fainter than on the stick I used) - so no baby taps about to be born. I still wasn't sure so I asked DH to take a test but he refused

Lol! DH refused to poas huh! I guess we can understand that but I totally get your asking him too I am praying for your sticky bean!!!!! I hope you have a wonderful birthday present, your little one showing itself as a bright pink line!!! I hope I hope I hope!

Afm: 13dpo. Haven't tested. No AF yet tho I'm excited my period has stayed away this long! I'll test tom or Sunday if no AF. I don't feel any signs tho so not expecting to see anything if I test..

Katie- I totally want to drop kick my cycle where the sun don't shine every time it acts out of line!!!

 

[Twinsie]

Hi everyone! I'm new here, so thought I'd post an intro thread to introduce myself.

I'm 32 and my hubby is 40. We've been married for 6 years this month, and are finally in a position to start TTC! I stopped taking the BCP in April, and we're on cycle #3 TTC. I'm tracking my BBT and trying to determine when I ovulate. I don't think I ovulated the first two cycles, but based on my BBT I'm pretty confident that I did the last cycle, on CD17. I'm currently on CD11 and we just started using Preseed this month (after the going off the BCP, I haven't had any fertile CM). So I'm looking to test at the end this month.

A couple of questions for those more knowledgeable about these things than I am...

I've read a lot about sex every day vs. every other day, and was wondering if anyone has any insight or experience? My hubby and I are more than happy to BD every night, but I worry that every other night will be better for TTC.

Also, my luteal phase is typically around 12 days. Is that too short, should I be worried?

Thanks!

HI there! Yes, I am. 34 and DH who is 40 and I have been TTC #1 on and off (mostly on, with some breaks or separate travel which made BD in the window impossible) since May 2014. It took us a few months to really pinpoint timing and for me to use Preseed instead of reg. lube. So, I'd say roughly 5-6 real cycles TTC. No BFPs and I am a big believer in trying things the natural way and leaving it up to fate (with good timing and trying to skew it a bit in our favor). So, we had basic checkups (pap and some bloodwork which all came back normal so my MDs have said it's just a matter of time, nothing about my cycles and bbt charts signal concerns, either. DH got a sperm analysis which came back only 1% below average on motility and morphology but his count was off the charts. I recently got some annoyed responses from women who did extensive fertility testing pretty much right away and seem to think I am wrong not to. Well, I seek medical help for numerous other things and they just don't get it... I don't want to hear another thing is wrong until I feel ready to deal with it should that be the case. Anyway.......... waiting to O. All bodily signs point to soon but I am still getting -OPK. I'm on CD12 and usually I O 13-14. FX I get a temp dip and +OPK sometime between tomorrow and Sunday. Camping this weekend so that will be a nice distraction AND optimal, fun BD setting How are you all doing today? to all. I need to read through and check up. Hopefully some BFPs in this thread!!

Hi! Good luck with Oing soon! I wouldn't worry about what others say to do if you're not comfortable or ready then go at ur own pace! Everyone is different!

 

[2b4us]

Happy weekend to all!

FX on all you ladies waiting on AF...hoping she stays away! Starryjune, have a fun time camping .

Wish I could give you some insight on your cycle Katie, sounds completely frustrating. I haven't been on bc for probably 6 years and my memory seems to have escaped me on how my cycles behaved afterwards. Hopefully your cycles straightens themselves out ASAP.

Fleur, wishing you the best birthday weekend ever!!!

 

[Twinsie]

Happy early birthday fleur!

Starting spotting last night (13dpo) so expecting AF to show officially today .. Can't say I'm all that sad bcuz I don't have high hopes after finding out about DHs low T. On to the next cycle! At least hubby started taking the fertileAID and count boost pills on Thursday so every month from now on his count can only get better!!
** Positive thinking **

 

[Twinsie]

Ok so the spotting since last night is still faint brown. No red. I took a test since I'm now 14dpo and still no red AF yet.. And I see a very faint line....
It's a wondfo cheap hcg test too. So I don't know if I can trust it?! And when I took the test, after I didn't see a line after a minute I threw it away since I thought AF was on it's way anyways. An hour later I went to pee again and decided to check just to confirm, and saw the faint line.. But it's been an hour and idk how long it took for that line to show up.. Do you see a line? I'm trying not to get my hopes up. Can you get a line even if your not pregnant???

 

[Twinsie]

 

[Twinsie]

Ladies! A darker positive today!!!!! Tested the LH theory too! Both positive!!!!

 

[cutieq]

Congrats to you Twinsie!

 

[crystlmcd]

Congrats twinsie!

 

[Turtle0630]

Wow! I think me being away for a couple of days might be good luck for this thread! I'm so excited to come back and read all the wonderful news!!!

Fleur, first off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! I so hope your day is going GREAT!!! And secondly, I want to scream and yell congrats at the top of my lungs, but I'm trying very hard to remain reserved until you feel that you can start to get excited over it. So I'll just whisper a tiny little "congrats!" and save shouting it until you give us the news that it's progressing nicely and that you're excited, allowing us to be excited too. How did your tests look this morning??

Twinsie, I can give you a huge, yelling CONGRATS though!!!! I'm soooo happy for you, that's such great news!!!! Wonderful!!!!

Katie, any further developments on your end? I do hope you got your bfp as well, and that's why there hasn't been any sign of AF yet! FX!!! Hehe, you're so funny about wanting to punch your cycle in the face.

Crystl, Cutie and 2b, how are you ladies doing?

I sure hope everyone has had a nice weekend!

AFM, DH got back his SA results on Friday and they're not good. His total sperm count is 5.47 million (she said they want them to be at least 15 million. From what I can find online, 5-10 million is considered extremely low), and his morphology was only 1% (they want it to be 4% or greater). He isn't taking the news too great. They've gone ahead and referred us on to a RE now, so we need to pick one and set an appt to see what our next steps are. I also had my HSG done on Friday and thankfully my tubes are cleared! The dye spilled just like it's supposed to. I guess my cervix is really narrow though so he had to try to dilate me to even get the catheter in. He had a really hard time, and was close to giving up; at that point, he would have sent me to my Dr's office to get dilated there, and I'd have to come back another time for the HSG. Thankfully he finally got it though! And amazingly, that didn't hurt to bad. The dye, on the other hand, hurt like a bitch. It was awful! They say it hurts more if you are blocked, so I do wonder if I didn't have some debris in there that the dye easily helped flush out? Maybe that's why it burned so much. Either way, it's over and done with and everything looks great. So FX that will help us now that the "cobwebs" are cleaned out, although with DH's results I'm not hopeful. I'm trying really hard to be positive and tell myself that although his numbers are really low, he still has roughly 54,000 good sperm and it only takes one. Blah.

 

[cutieq]

Turtle, I'm glad that you're making progress and glad to hear your tubes are clear. Have you looked into natural remedies as well for DH?

 

[crystlmcd]

Sorry to hear the bad news about DH's SA, turtle. Hopefully the RE can give you some more hope.

AFM, just hanging out waiting to O. Still 7-8 more days so I've got a while.

Fleur, hope you had a great bday weekend!

 

[Twinsie]

Wow! I think me being away for a couple of days might be good luck for this thread! I'm so excited to come back and read all the wonderful news!!!

Fleur, first off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! I so hope your day is going GREAT!!! And secondly, I want to scream and yell congrats at the top of my lungs, but I'm trying very hard to remain reserved until you feel that you can start to get excited over it. So I'll just whisper a tiny little "congrats!" and save shouting it until you give us the news that it's progressing nicely and that you're excited, allowing us to be excited too. How did your tests look this morning??

Twinsie, I can give you a huge, yelling CONGRATS though!!!! I'm soooo happy for you, that's such great news!!!! Wonderful!!!!

Katie, any further developments on your end? I do hope you got your bfp as well, and that's why there hasn't been any sign of AF yet! FX!!! Hehe, you're so funny about wanting to punch your cycle in the face.

Crystl, Cutie and 2b, how are you ladies doing?

I sure hope everyone has had a nice weekend!

AFM, DH got back his SA results on Friday and they're not good. His total sperm count is 5.47 million (she said they want them to be at least 15 million. From what I can find online, 5-10 million is considered extremely low), and his morphology was only 1% (they want it to be 4% or greater). He isn't taking the news too great. They've gone ahead and referred us on to a RE now, so we need to pick one and set an appt to see what our next steps are. I also had my HSG done on Friday and thankfully my tubes are cleared! The dye spilled just like it's supposed to. I guess my cervix is really narrow though so he had to try to dilate me to even get the catheter in. He had a really hard time, and was close to giving up; at that point, he would have sent me to my Dr's office to get dilated there, and I'd have to come back another time for the HSG. Thankfully he finally got it though! And amazingly, that didn't hurt to bad. The dye, on the other hand, hurt like a bitch. It was awful! They say it hurts more if you are blocked, so I do wonder if I didn't have some debris in there that the dye easily helped flush out? Maybe that's why it burned so much. Either way, it's over and done with and everything looks great. So FX that will help us now that the "cobwebs" are cleaned out, although with DH's results I'm not hopeful. I'm trying really hard to be positive and tell myself that although his numbers are really low, he still has roughly 54,000 good sperm and it only takes one. Blah.

Thank you!!

I'm so sorry to hear about DHs results. Been there! And I strongly recommend you get DH to start taking fertile aid for men! As well as the count boost , and motility boost! I really believe it helps!!! Look it up and read the numerous amazing reviews! They have fertile aid for women too. It's even suggested for any healthy couple ttc just to increase your odds even more!
I'm also sorry you had to go through that dye pain! That sounds horrible I hope that was a one time thing!! Does not sound fun.

 

[KatieMK]

Twinsie!!!!!!

HOORAY!! H&H 9 months! Keep us posted!

Turtle: I read a really interesting thread filled with posts by two men on the TTC forum last week about their counts/mobility issues. SO interesting. The most interesting part to me was how much their results varied test to test! It might help you and DH out to read it too? They went from "EVERYTHING IS HORRIBLE!" to "oh. just this one thing is kinda bad" depending on the day. AND LOOK! TWINSIE'S PREGGO! It DOES only take one good one!

AFM: Well, I got home on Friday and BAM! AF showed up. Like REALLY showed up. CD31, just like last cycle. So, looks like this is the new reality! Which is progress in my book. I got my OPKs in the mail, and now I'm READY. Bring it on! Anyone have any advice on those? Like, can I pee on them in the morning? I counted backwards 41 weeks from my next fertile window, you know, JUST IN CASE, and lo and behold... it's the week of Christmas. So Fx for a Christmas baby I guess!

 

[merrivish]

Hi all,
Am 31 days todays, chked hpt and the result is a faint positive, saw the test 4 days before tht too a faint one, no increase in hcg I guess, very worried pls help.

 

[Twinsie]

Thanks katie I'm still in shock.

I actually recommend starting to use your opks at cd10 and twice a day. It's very easy to miss ur LH surge testing only once a day! And it's recommended to test late morning-late evening. FMU isn't the best for these... LH doesn't rise until AFTER the early morning hours. No clue why but it was the case for me. I'd test with fmu and it'd be negative and then by 10:30/11 it was positive. I always tested around noon and then again between 6-10pm. Good luck catching the eggy this month!!!

Turtle: Katie is right. SA changes from time to time. I recommend both of you starting to take fertilaid and DH to take count boost and motility. It'll help! My DH was reluctant to take it but trusted me so he did. I've done my research!!!

Afm: scheduled my first preggers appt! 3/16! Blood work this week hopefully!

 

[Fleur828815]

Twinsie !!! That is wonderful news, CONGRATULATIONS !!! How are you feeling?


Turtle, sorry to hear about your DH’s SA results. Poor him, he must be feeling upset. The HSG sounds horrible but I’m glad everything looks good for you. I hope the RE will be able to boost your spirits. In the meantime I’d second (third?) what the others have said, supplements for your DH wouldn’t hurt so do research the different options. As Twinsie and her DH have proven, it only takes one strong little soldier! Lots of hugs to you.

Katie, bummer about AF! A 31 day cycle is good though, especially if you’re regular, you'll know approximately when you ovulate. With the OPKs, I used to test between 2 pm and 6 pm. You could test twice a day if you notice the test line getting almost positive, so you don’t miss the surge. The SMEP plan is supposed to have great results :
“Try” every other day starting on the eighth day of your cycle. On the tenth day of your cycle you will begin daily testing with OPKs and upon receiving a positive OPK you will “try” 3 more days in a row. Skip one day and give it one more try.
Good luck !

Thanks for the birthday wishes ladies. Didn’t do much during the day but we went to a James Blunt concert in the evening, it was fab! Not sure the American ladies will know who he is.

I don’t really have news… Still no symptoms at all (unless an upset stomach counts as one lol), before AF I have more symptoms. I spotted a bit for a couple of days (brown) and I keep feeling like AF is about to come. I’ve started sleeping on my front on purpose hoping that I’ll wake up with sore boobs but nope, they’re fine. On Saturday (15 DPO) I had a big temp dip so I asked DH to hide my thermometer and pregnancy tests. I might go to a lab and ask for a blood test in a few days if there’s no change, I’d rather know what’s happening instead of getting my hopes up.

crystlmcd, cutie, hope you’re doing well. Is it still very cold?

 

[champagnerain]

*Bump* I'd love some TTC buddies...

I'd love some TTC buddies too! Up to this point I've been relying on my fertile mertile family & friends!!! Lol. Anyone TTC, feel free to add me for support!