Late July Testers! Let's wait together!

[Weebles]

I've spotted intermittently during my LP several times since I started tracking my cycles (longer than I've been charting) but it's never come to a full stop before AF. For example, I might spot at 4dpo, 6dpo, and then from 12dpo until AF starts or something to that effect. Most of the time I spot 2-3 days before AF though.

 

[Amy101]

my sister had a blood test that was neg. and the following day she got a FR test and it was +, so blood test are not always accurate!

 

[BelleNuit]

I've never had spotting stop before AF. It always turns into AF lol


Picked up some softcups to try this cycle! I'm ready to try just about anything lol.

Have any of you ladies tried softcups? I'm going to practice putting one in tonight so that I'm a pro when it's time!

 

[Mom15]

Ask - I spotted all 6 cycles it took to conceive my son usually starting at 5/6 dpo. I just looked back at my charts and I noticed the cycle I got my BFP I recorded no spotting at 12dpo! Then it came back and stayed till about 11 weeks. FX it's a good sign for you!!

 

[Ask4joy]

Thanks, mom! I've been tracking my cycles for years and except for one month a couple of years ago when I took Plan B birth control I've never spotted like this...only 1-2 days max, if at all before AF, but who knows! The new few days should tell!

 

[Weebles]

I hope it means something for you ask! Anything different is a potential symptom. This month I have heartburn, lol.

 

[Ask4joy]

I've been having heartburn too, Weebles. Had some last month too. Never noticed it before.

 

[Katy78]

Congrats Wishn!

 

[Ask4joy]

Ugh - temp went down today, right on schedule. Still spotting brown. BFN. What do you think could cause this kind of spotting if it's very unusual for me? A cyst? I did start taking a myo-inositol supplement this month but from what I've read some women take it to help improve spotting. After 5 days of spotting I'm probably going to have my usual 6 day AF...so annoying!

 

[Weebles]

i woke up to a temp drop and spotting. Waaa.

 

[Ask4joy]

Awww I'm sorry for both of us, Weebles! My temp went down too - still above coverline...still no red or pink spotting. My only guess is the CP last month still has my hormones out of whack...I spotted 2 days before and after AF last month and now 5 days this cycle...very unusual for me. I hope I get back to normal soon.

 

[Weebles]

I hope your hormones level out soon, Ask. Just waiting around for AF to show here and it feels kind of crappy. I hope to get some answeres next month though.

 

[BelleNuit]

Ask and weebles I'm sorry about your temp drops this AM. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you regardless!

As for me, I'm just now heading into another fertile week, and I must say, I'm just not feeling it this month lol. I want pretty much nothing to do with TTC! I'm actually glad we have the softcups. That way we can do an artificial insem if we don't feel up to full blown BDing every night. I guess it just feels like a futile effort!

 

[Ask4joy]

Thanks, Belle. At this point I just wish AF would show so I can get this whacky cycle over with and have some wine! DH's boss wants him to travel next month two weeks in a row...the first week would be my last week of summer break and my fertile period and the second would potentially overlap my fertile period and is his kids first week back at school and they are supposed to be with us. He told me last night that he is going to tell his boss he just can't travel next month...I sure hope he doesn't.

How do the soft cups work? I'm thinking of having both DH and I try maca...how much do you take?

 

[BelleNuit]

Last month i tried 1000mg of maca (in pill form) and my temps seemed to smooth out. This cycle I'm trying 1500mg of maca and my temps have completely flat-lined. I'm hoping that means balanced hormones lol.

For the soft cups, some ladies put them in immediately after BDing and it holds everything right near the cervix. You could also have DH finish into the cup, and then place it inside and you would be able to guarantee that all of the swimmers were in perfect position. If you use it with preseed it's supposed to help protect them from all of the acidity in there and it stops flowback. I think we'll give both ways a try this cycle. Can't hurt!

 

[Ask4joy]

Anything that can increase our odds is worth a shot! I read a statistic today that 68% of couples who are timing intercourse during the fertile period get pregnant in 3 months. After only 4 months of trying I feel pretty depressed that we are already in the 30% that isn't pregnant.

I'm starting to feel a little worried about DH's age (combined with mine!) I am nearly 34 and he is 47. I just read an article on webmd that said men over 45 take 5 times longer to get a woman pregnant that men under 25. I know he got his ex pregnant on the first try with both of his sons...but that was 12-14 years ago. Ugh!

Also, DH sometimes takes a generic brand of Viagra when we are trying to BD so frequently...if we bd once or twice a week it's not needed but more than that was getting challenging and the pills work wonderfully...he doesn't even need the full dose. But I just read a study that said it could impede fertility...something it does to the sperm that makes it hard to fertilize the egg. I kept telling him to tell his doc we are TTC and make sure it wasn't a problem but he said he "forgot" to mention it at the appointment.

I probably need to stop reading things...

 

[BelleNuit]

You're not the only one worried. I'm sitting here on my 10th cycle and both DH and I are young and healthy. 85% of people my age would be pregnant by now according to the stats on countdown-to-pregnancy. I'm in disbelief that I'm not one of those 85℅. Of those who are left trying only half of them will get pregnant within the next 2 cycles after that the odds go way down. I'm not liking those odds. The longer it goes the less likely we are each cycle to get pregnant. I just try not to think about it.

 

[Weebles]

I worry too but I try so hard to think of each month as a fresh slate, it's too depressing otherwise. I'm struggling with not being angry at my husband for making me wait so long to start trying, it was my life dream.

 

[Ask4joy]

AF just showed.

I'm sorry I'm being such a downer! You girls are right to keep a positive attitude. It's been my life dream too, Weebles...just took me longer than I expected to find the right man for me. I'm a kindergarten teacher and seeing all these young happy families can be agonizing at times...not to mention nearly all of my co-workers have children and seem to get pregnant with ease. I know they will all be asking me when school starts ...trying to hint / find out if I'm pregnant yet. I really expected to go back and be pregnant.

 

[Weebles]

Hope your hubby won't have to travel next month, then maybe you will be able to go back pregnant.. I'm sorry you're out. 😔 And don't feel sorry for being down, its nice to have someplace to help get things out. I've cried when AF started before but today BFN made me cry and AF is still a couple days away. It's really tough and I think anyone whose been trying gets down about it but we just keep picking ourselves back up because it's the only way.