38 and TTC first baby, anyone else?

[KileyJean]

Good luck to you Wish!!! Sounds like perfect timing.

I have read about implantation dips before, but I read that it is normally just a one day dip. Since my temps were steadily going down over three days, I dismissed it. However, my temp is back up today. So who knows... I really have not had any symptoms either. The only thing different was at 7DPO, my CM had a light very light brown tint to it. It just seemed different than normal. I was having dull cramping which prompted me to use the rest room because it kinda of felt like it does when AF comes. Again could be nothing, and it could just be my body still adjusting from when I was on BC. I do not plan on testing until AF is late. I will keep you girls updated on any other changes!

Oh, and also, I began using my Clear Blue Fertility Monitor this cycle and got Low readings on CD 6-8 and then from CD 9 through today (CD24) I have gotten High readings, but did not get any peak readings. My temps however confirmed O at CD13. I read though that the monitor can do that the first time you use it because it is learning your cycle. So we will see what happens with that too.

 

[Tui]

Test kileyjean test!

 

[Wish2BMom]

mdc - welcome! this really is a great group of women and I've had so many questions answered since I've been on BNB. It helps and what you've asked is something that we all struggle with monthly. I guess my answer is hope as well - just hoping that we get it right the next month. I can't dwell too much on what's not happening, I can only think that it just wasn't the right time just yet. And I also try to be happy with what I DO have, while also keeping a stash of 'maybe it won't happen for us and then we can adopt or spend the rest of our lives together adopting fur babies and traveling' off to the side of my mind.

kiley/tui - I hope so! we'll see - so very frustrating knowing that the odds are that it still won't happen and we definitely gave it our all this month. Trying to keep my head right and not have the expectation (again!) that following the 'rules' means success.

and kiley - when is AF due for you? testing maybe, say, Christmas day?? that would be about the right time after implantation!

 

[KileyJean]

Wish, AF is due the day after Christmas. What is the best pregnancy test to use? I have two clear blue digitals at home right now.

And I like your way of thinking on continue to be happy with what we already have. I have three fur babies (cats)... well on my way to becoming a crazy cat lady LOL! I swear they are getting us ready for the real thing though. My youngest cat (8 mos) recently tore her ligament that holds her knee cap into place. Sounding like surgery is the only option as of now (waiting on a 2nd opinion from another specialist). First quote was $1800 - $2200 ugh...

 

[KileyJean]

I hope you don't mind me jumping onto this thread. I have been cyberstalking for a little while, and finally decided to ask some advice from this group because there seems to be a lot of positive results lately. Just a little about me. I am 37 trying for my first baby with my husband, and have been off BCP for almost a year. We were recently married and up until a couple months ago we were just not preventing and now have decided to really try. Who knew after all those health classes and their scare tactics in school that getting pregnant would be so hard. So with a BFN this month here is my question. What do you do to keep yourself from going crazy until the next opportunity comes around? I am trying to stay positive and not go crazy, but any advice would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

And welcome mdc! I totally missed your post until Wish pointed it out. I am pretty much in the same place as you. I am 36 and my hubby and I are trying for our first baby as well. This is only my 2nd cycle off BC (was on it for almost 20 years) so I am still trying to pinpoint my normal O day. Its funny, I first went into this thinking "if it happens, it happens", but it has morphed into me being the perfectionist that I am and charting, temping and using a fertility monitor. I mainly started doing that just to make sure I am ovulating after so long on the pill. Joining this wonderful group of women has helped me. They are a great support system so far! And lots of helpful advice. So my advice is to stay active in this group and post with your updates on what is going on with you.

 

[Mdc]

Sounds like you are on the right track with Oing. It took me a good 4-5 months to get my cycle somewhat on track. Might have to move to temping to help my OCD. Ha!

 

[Wish2BMom]

I have no idea which is the best test to use. I have a clear blue waiting patiently in the drawer for me too, as well as a couple of Dollar Store ones for backups. I would personally trust either the First Response or Clear Blue - even the clear blue digital that yells 'YES YOU'RE PREGNANT!!!', if that's what it says. Mine have only ever said 'NO DAMMIT'.
There's one that the ladies say has more evaps and false positives than the other but can't remember - either the blue or pink dye ones. I think pink.

Are those your furry punkins in your pic?? SO cute!! I'm sorry for the little one's injury! That sounds horrible!! and pricey...
We have 2 kitties and they are my loves. When one is feeling even slightly 'off', I'm kinda panicky. Getting us ready for the real thing, for sure!

 

[lola33]

hello girls !

Kiley, test ! test ! I used a cheap test then the clearblue. Fingers are so crossed! come on lucky thread !
Welcome Mdc, keep busy, don't think too much about it, I know it's hard..

Well all is fine here ! It was awesome, we saw baby moving around, and everything is good. The ultrasound tech was very nice, and explained a bunch. The fibroid got a little smaller, so I hope it stays like that.
Here's a pic!

 

[Mauijaim]

Hi Ladies! Happy Christmas week!

Mdc- welcome! We're all with you regarding the TWW mental battle. I feel like CD 1 through O, time flies. But after O, I feel EVERY second tick off the clock. Ugh. Tui said it best...stay busy! I'm totally with you about what they told us in high school vs real life...they made it sound like if we even looked at a penis we'd be preggo! Now it's all temping and symptom spotting...blah! It took me about 4-5 mo to get the hang of it, then I got sick of it and took a break. We're back in the game as of October. Took me August and Sept to figure out I wasn't O'ing between days 18 and 21 anymore...now it's more like 14-17. Don't give up!

Kiley- oooo, your symptoms have piqued my interest! Your head is in the right place but I think I can safely speak for everyone here that we're hoping that Vegas trip was more fruitful than you originally thought!

Wish- I'm with you. So many months of doing things exactly right, but no BFP. We are giving it until after the holidays to make some decisions and explore our options. Maybe further testing, maybe adoption...not sure yet. We took a break at this time last year and it did wonders for my mental health. Very refreshing. Wonderful things are coming to you. Just be patient and stay positive. oh, and I love it when the Christmas tree is the only light in the room too.

Jessie, Tui, Steno and Lola - how are things going ladies? We're anxious to hear the latest from the land of moms-to-be!

Left- how was your appointment? All ok?

Skweek- sorry about AF. I hope you enjoy your new year rompin'!

 

[Mauijaim]

Hooray Lola! I bet you're so excited to announce! I can't believe how time has flown since you told us about your bfp. Baby's not a lil bean anymore! They grow up so fast... ��

Ha, ha Wish! You crack me up. I seem to keep buying the "no, dammit" tests too. ��

 

[Mdc]

Thank you all for your words of to be mommy wisdom. Funny all the talk about fur babies. We have 4 cats...long story, but we both got them from past relationships that did not work out. I call us the cat version of the Brady bunch!

So day 1 it is for me. Cycles are a little unpredictable, but usually O on day 18. I guess it is just 'practice' for the next few weeks oh yeah and some wine! Happy holidays!

 

[Wish2BMom]

lola!!! so precious!! thank you for posting! I'm so glad that everything went well and you had a good tech. The number of stories on here about how some of them can be so brief since they go through this every day. Oh I'm so happy for you! Are you going to tell people in a certain way or just in casual conversation?

maui - same boat here, wait til after the holidays and then probably make that RE appt. Not looking forward to starting that process, hopefully we won't have to.

I'm trying to stay positive but I'm so nervous to have missed something. My temps are being weird, probably b/c I had some alcohol this weekend (full-on BDing weekend, it was necessary) so I don't have crosshairs yet and my temps are going up and down. I'm tempted to take .2 off of the nights it spiked to see what happens, but I'm not s'posed ta! I also had a couple of O-ish pains on the right side this morning as well. But the OPK was + this weekend, I did another on Monday morning just to be sure and it was a -. All wet/ewcm is gone. And my temps are definitely generally higher than they were last week. I guess I should chill out...

did any of you lucky BFP ladies stop/start drinking or eating anything different in your TWW? like stop drinking coffee or start eating pineapple?
please feel free to tell me to stop obsessing if I'm going overboard here...

 

[jessiecat]

Left: Are you breastfeeding? My sister has a 13 month old and is stick thin from all the breastfeeding. Hope all is well. let us know.

Tui: Im pretty petite so I think carrying twins would be miserable for me- I'm glad there appears to be only one baby for me (will write about my scan further down).

Sk: I have no desire for any sweets with this pregnancy so far!

Kiley: Good plan to try to lose weight and get healthy.

Mdc: Welcome! I'm also 37. We started actively trying a few months ago and in my arrogance just assumed we would get pregnant the first month because we're both really healthy. i was so disappointed the first and second month i got AF- I let myself sulk for a day or two and then I thought "It's another month i get to enjoy with my husband without a baby" So we would have a lot of fun- drink, eat out and traveled (we flew out of state a couple of times). So basically keep busy and enjoy being married with just the two of you. If you're not pregnant within a few months (i wouldn't wait the recommended 6 months) I would go and get some testing done. I had a HSG and hormone levels checked on month 3. Hubs had a semen analysis. We got pregnant that 3rd month with one blocked fallopian tube.

Kiley: I never temped so I'm sorry I cant comment on your chart. I allow myself just enough time in the mornings to get dressed, jump in my car and dart off to work. I used a clearblue digital pregnancy test and then a first response the next day.

Lola: AWWWW your baby actually LOOKS like a baby now!!! So cute. You must be so thrilled. Let us know how the announcements go!

Maui: What tests have you had done so far? Do you have any family coming for the holidays? My mom is flying in from Oahu on the 30th to stay with us for a week! So excited.

Wish: I think you've done all you can!!!! I'm going to say something annoying- just relax now (every time someone said that to me I wanted to punch them, but it's really true) and let your body do what it is meant to do. SLEEP. I drank a lot of wine and coffee during thanksgiving and that's when implantation was probably occurring. I also took daily naps and went to bed at 8-9 pm every night for 5 days. Did you set up your RE appointment for January yet? That seems to be a common coincidence with some of us here-we had RE appointments scheduled and then got to cancel them!

Cat ladies: I really want a Siamese but my landlord won't allow pets. Love them

 

[Mauijaim]

Wish- just hang tight. If you're using FF, it'll make sense out of the spikes and dips, it just may take a day it wo longer. Just be sure in check the alcohol box where it applies. Try not to worry about what your chart looks like. I've been comparing mine against the archives everyday and there are some pretty ugly bfp charts out there. Just reminds me that temps give us a bit of an idea about what's going on but they definitely don't define the process. It's all about AF and whether or not she shows.

I pretty much give up alcohol between O and AF, but I still have my one cup of French roast coffee in the morning (I did share a beer with DH a couple nights ago). I've started hunting for a good decaf deep roast blend just in case I'm supposed to give it up. I also kindly request that DH not overindulge in the alcohol dept during the BD marathon so that he doesn't end up with slow, aimless swimmers. If our moms to be have any advice in the beverage category, I'm also eager to hear your input.

Jessie- we haven't done any. We may choose to do SA to start, then depending on results hsg for me. We just don't know if we would rather spend our $$ on tests finding out what's wrong with us or put it toward giving a child a loving home (adoption). We're kind of torn at the moment.

 

[jessiecat]

WISH: I had a brain fart and thought today was Friday- didn't realize we just got over the weekend when you had your positive OPK. Please continue to BD on/off for the next few days. Im pretty sure I ovulated almost 5 days late last month and got weird readings on my OPKs the entire time- but i got pregnant so go figure.
I really want to be pregnant with you!!!!

 

[jessiecat]

Maui: The only reason I asked for testing early was because I didn't want to
put pressure on myself every month if there was something hormonally or anatomically out of whack. We have decent insurance-It cost us a little over $300 out of pocket for the HSG, Day 3, Day 21 blood tests and semen analysis. Not bad. I never considered adoption. I know this probably wouldn't happen if it came down to it, but I feel like I might have a hard time bonding with a child who wasn't genetically related to me. People who adopt have huge hearts.

 

[Wish2BMom]

thank you, ladies - yeah, I will make sure we BD. I suggested it last night and we were both too exhausted. We had horrible sleeps on Sunday night so were dragging last night. Tonight, I'm going out for drinks with my aunts, but hopefully will be home early enough to get one in. If not, definitely tomorrow night. And I'll be good on drinks anyway - a) I'm driving and b) I don't want to mess up my temps again!
AND - I start my vacation at the end of the day today too!! So that means PLENTY of sleeping in for me just in time for the TWW. I'm really good at that! Maybe even some naps - I was dying for one yesterday.
I've never heard of this being something you should do in the TWW, though - I'm a fan!
Jessie - that would be AWESOME to be bump buddies!!!

I'm going to call the RE office now...

 

[Wish2BMom]

Jessie - I'm so glad you wrote that about the bonding. That's one of my biggest fears when considering adoption. But I wonder - if I can love my cats this much, shouldn't I be able to love a human baby too? I don't know if that's the right correlation to make but that's the only perspective I have. I just.....don't fall in love with other people's babies.

 

[jessiecat]

Wish: I don't bond with other people's babies either, but when I saw my nephew there was just an instant connection. He looked like someone i love, my sister. Who knows. Maybe we all have a capacity to love more than we realize.

Wish, you already know this, so this is for the rest of the ladies- I was in the ER for lower right pains on Sunday. I was so scared of ectopic since that is my blocked side. I had an ultrasound and bloodwork and all is well, thank God. I saw the yolk sac and gestational sac in the uterus, but baby is still too small to see. Doc thinks I'm between 4.5-5 weeks gestational age. My OB ultrasound is scheduled for Jan 16.

 

[Mauijaim]

Jessie and Wish- being a cat lady myself, I figured adoption *might* be an option. Now that you mention it Wish, I don't bond with other people's babies either, but when kids are around 3-4 yrs old And can interact and are potty trained (ha!) I feel a little different.

Jessie- thanks for the info. I work for a hospital so I'll have to check into the coverage. $300 isn't bad at all. Makes me feel a bit better. I'm sorry about the scare Sunday night but I'm glad it ultimately put your mind at ease. Hooray for the sticky bean in the right place! Yay for mom coming! I love the holidays and connecting with friends and family. We leave for Maui on the 29th to see my husbands family and celebrate his parents 50th. I'm so excited!