General chatter while we wait (and commentary on the "pull out method")

[gigglebox]

Jules that sounds exhausting, and nothing worse than feeling surrounded by contagions! I hope you escape the stomach bug at least. Those things are brutal. Sorry about the sinuses though I guess we can all be comfortable in the company of all us dealing with things, ha. I am stick coughing but finally it's somewhat productive, so hopefully I can hack the rest of this junk up and be done with it.

Shae does your progesterone get up that high in other cycles? That seems high to me but what do I know. Sorry about the BFN FRER I still like pics though!
Very much looking forward to today's test! For better or worse, I've always had an answer on 10dpo. With ds1 it was crazy faint but it was my first ever positive...that was on frer, but that was also, what, 13 years ago now?

 

[shaescott]

Gigs yes it normally gets that high, but I’ve had a few cycles recently where my levels were lower than usual, so I’m just excited that it’s doing the normal thing.

My temp dropped like a degree today. I’m only 10dpo so it’s awfully early for the drop of doom, so I’m hoping implantation dip? If it is, I may not get a positive for another couple days. That said, I did take Tylenol before bed, so that could have artificially lowered my temp.

 

[autumnal]

Shae I hope you feel better soon! Fx it's an implantation dip

Jules I will pray that you don't catch that illness!!

 

[shaescott]

Boo

On the bright side, no spotting this morning! It tapered off last night, and I’d had it every day since like 3dpo or so.
The only time I got a faint line on a FRER in the past, it was either 11 or 12dpo, can’t remember which. I’m hoping this is an implantation dip and not just from the Tylenol, a whole degree is quite a lot to drop I feel like. We will see in the next few days.

 

[autumnal]

I hope you get a bfp soon

I'm 5 dpo today, will probably test on Monday or something.. if I did get pregnant this month it will cause a lot of problems though lol

 

[shaescott]

Spotting came back lol so nevermind on that. It was light at first but I just now wiped and got some red blood. I know implantation bleeding is supposed to not be red, so not thrilled about that.

 

[gigglebox]

Why is it a problem autumnal?

I’m sorry Shae I really hoping proper ttc-ing is going to happen soon. How’s SO’s job going?

 

[autumnal]

I cant believe it because your symptoms sounded pretty promising .. you're not out yet !!

I'm potentially starting a master's program in September lol and so id have to do the fieldwork component for it the summer before and TA a field course in August ... May be difficult to do while heavily pregnant.. we didn't think this would pan out but now it is. So if I'm not pregnant this month we'll probably take a break for a few months

 

[shaescott]

Gigs so far the training is going well. This week he starts having to do assessments where he answers verbally on video instead of multiple choice exams, so he’s pretty nervous about that.

Upon further inspection, after the initial wipe, there was no blood in my vagina at all when I swabbed around, so I’m hoping it’s nothing to be concerned about. It wasn’t a huge amount of blood by any means, not like wiping when on my period or anything, it just wasn’t brown like it had been before, it was like watery red. I’ll keep an eye on it. It’s not normal for me to start my period at 10dpo (normal is 13-14dpo) and my progesterone level is still good, so I’m not totally counting myself out yet. We’ll see.

 

[shaescott]

OLD TEST, NOT FROM TODAY (aka don’t get excited lol)
Here’s the line I got at 12dpo back in December 2021, untweaked and tweaked. Only test ever that I’ve looked at it and instantly done a double take because omg line.

So yeah, I unfortunately have to wait basically the full TWW to know for sure if I’m out. We’ll see what my temp is tomorrow.

 

[gigglebox]

Ok yeah I definitely did get instantly excited

 

[shaescott]

Ok yeah I definitely did get instantly excited

I tried to warn you

 

[shaescott]

I’ve taken like 8 wondfos in the past 2 days somebody stop me I literally have like 2 left so I’ll have to go buy frers in the morning.

My progesterone took quite the dive this evening to 6.7 unfortunately, but it was only on a 2 hour hold or so, and progesterone is released in pulses, so it could have been falsely lowered. I also had a situation 2 cycles ago where my progesterone dropped to 8.5 at 10dpo (you want it 10+) and rose back to 14 on 12dpo. I guess we’ll see what my temp is in the morning.

 

[gigglebox]

Ahh I see Autumnal. Well things do pan out the way they’re meant to! I hope for the best outcome for you.

Well shae I suppose if you’re not pregnant this gives you additional insight on what your body is doing. Yikes real human interaction is so intimidating! And on video, not just a call?! Eep. Ghat would make me nervous. Hopefully if it goes well (I’m sure it will) maybe you can get the ball rolling on trying sooner. I feel like once he’s getting confident in training, there’s no excuse. Ot to move forward.

Also as an aside, my SIL and I had a whole conversation the other day about how we wish we started trying for kids sooner. I mean not me entirely, but I do wish I didn’t have the big age gap between 1&2. It would have allowed us to be “done” sooner and I really wanted to be a younger grandparent for my eventual grandchildren (hopefully, God willing). But also just to get into the phase od doing older kid things with the kids while you’re still younger. Like hikes and bikes rides, traveling, etc. We were really starting to enjoy that new season of life for sure! We were also starting to plan a big trip for the fam next year. Nothing crazy but we actually wanted to road trip up your way and check out parts of New England. I hope we can still afford some things like that but of course now we’ll have to adjust to towing a baby along…And also if this one has grandkids I’m potentially looking at being 65-70 when they might come into existence.

Ok clearly I’ve thought too much about this lol. Just some food for thought.

As for me…
Starting to feel baby more! Some of it is still questionable on if it’s him, my twitches, or gas but more is becoming unmistakably baby thumps. My youngest is becoming increasingly interested in him and will randomly say things like, “I think this baby’s going to be really cute!” The other day he came up to my on the couch, and sniffed my stomach. I laughed and asked what he was doing. He said, “I’m trying to smell the baby!” oooookay kid lol

20 week u/s is right after christmas and we’re dragging the kids along. I hope it’s a good experience; I’m a bit worried it might freak them out (just because the images can be kind of creepy sometimes)

 

[autumnal]

I can totally relate gigs because I really regret waiting so long to try for #4! It would have been better if we started trying a couple of years ago. Now that there will be a larger age gap I feel compelled to try for a #5 soon after.. hopefully the fertility will hold out long enough..

That's so cute your little one wants to smell the baby lol! I hope you get only good news at the anatomy scan and it's a nice experience for the kids!

 

[shaescott]

Temp is back up this morning and yet progesterone is down… but my urine was a bit more diluted than usual for morning, I drank some fluids before bed so I’m not entirely sure how accurate it is. I’ve had falsely low results due to stuff like that before. I’m hopeful that my temperature is more accurate, but meh. That dread is definitely creeping in. BFN today. We’ll see tomorrow, I guess. I only have one wondfo left so I might go buy a pack of FRERs. It seems like my spotting is triggered by bowel movements, because I had no spotting this morning after just peeing, same thing yesterday, no spotting if I didn’t try to have a bowel movement.

Gigs I think he films himself, so it isn’t live in front of people. Yet lol. Since he has no past experience he is definitely not confident yet, but he’s doing well so far. He doesn’t think he’ll feel confident until he actually has a placement and spends a few weeks on the job making sure he isn’t drowning. Once he feels comfortable at the job (like he mostly knows what he’s doing), we’re a go to TTC.

Yeah I totally wanted to TTC at 22. Now at 25 I’m like let’s goooooo. I don’t want to be 30 with no kids yet (nothing wrong with that, but it’s not what I want). Plus DH has chronic pain, it’s not gonna get any better so the sooner we have kids the better chance he has of being able to keep up with them and their antics. My grandmothers were in their 70s when I was born, and I’m the older child. My mom didn’t have me until she was 32, and my grandmother was 40 when she had her, my other grandmother was 43 when she had my dad. I still got a good decade plus with them, lots of good memories as a child. Like when my Grammy made me laugh so hard I peed myself (I was like 4). Good thing the floor was wood and not carpet

Omg that’s so adorable “I’m trying to smell the baby” aggghhh I wonder if he’ll love the new baby head smell. Though I swear it just smells like a freshly showered vagina tbh have you thought about showing them their ultrasound photos so they know what to expect? Or maybe a video of an ultrasound so they know what it will look like?

 

[gigglebox]

omg shae hahahha
to be totally honest, I have no idea what people are talking about when they say "new baby smell". I don't know what that is. I have a terrible sense of smell so maybe that's playing into it but I thought maybe they're just smelling baby powder

That makes me feel a little better Shae. My grandma that I loved died young (mid 60's) and although I have fond memories of her, I wish I knew her as an adult and my kids got to meet her. My grandfather was already deceased years ago (died when my mom was 18) but I had a step grandfather, but he kind of abandoned the family after my grandma died...which is wild, I knew him for several years. He was a good grandpa, too. Who knows. Rumor has it he hogged the money he inherited from my grandma against her wishes and spent it on himself/his family. He didn't offer any help to my financially struggling uncle who had cancer (that ultimately was his end). Family drama!

Anyway my Dad died before he met my brother's kids, and obviously this one won't ever know him. My younger two don't remember him. Not that he was the greatest grandfather anyway, but hey, it's a relationship. At least hubby's folks & step dad are still alive but not in the greatest health.

UGH I need to stop rambling.

They have seen baby's ultrasound pics. They're on the fridge so hard to miss lol

 

[autumnal]

Don't feel bad if you don't get started as soon as you'd like ... Lots of people these days are starting in their 30s and managing to have like five or six shockingly!!! I'm one of those who can't get pregnant while breastfeeding so it takes me forever to produce them hahahah

 

[shaescott]

Don't feel bad if you don't get started as soon as you'd like ... Lots of people these days are starting in their 30s and managing to have like five or six shockingly!!! I'm one of those who can't get pregnant while breastfeeding so it takes me forever to produce them hahahah

Oh for sure, I just want them ASAP hahaha plus breast cancer runs in my family on both sides, and having your first child before 30 actually reduces your risk (I think it’s related to breastfeeding, but don’t quote me on that)

 

[shaescott]

Gigs I swear to God it smells the same as my creamy CM, babies’ heads just smell like healthy coochie juice