Trying to conceive #1 Buddies!

[mrs unicorn]

Hi guys! So I'm trying to figure something out: I usually ovulate on cd 15. 3 days ago, on cd 10, I tested with an opk and it was visible but not as dark as the control line. I thought I'd test again in a day or so, I forgot to test yesterday and now when I tested today on CD 13, the line barely showed up at all! I'm wondering now if I ovulated earlier than usual and I missed it? I wasn't expecting to o for another couple of days
Does anyone have any thoughts on what may have happened?

We did db yesterday and cd10, so if I did o early, hopefully our timing was still okay!

Seems there's quite a few of us had this going on this cycle. Very frustrating isn't it? I was so sure I'd O on cd13 as I have done for 4 cycles since off bcp so when I missed the crucial opk I didn't bother to do any more. Now FF has me oing at 3 days later than usual but my symptoms don't match up. I wish I'd noticed earlier like you and carried on with opks! That'll teach me for being so confident in my cycles!!

 

[psychochick]

earthy: have you continued taking OPKs and BD'ing? I think at this point that's the best policy

mrs. unicorn: omg yes I am having the exact same cycle: temp dropped today at 2DPO which has never happened before. I always get +OPK a day before I O, and then temp always goes above 98.0 and this time, 1DPO temp is 98.0 and I've never had fallback rise 2DPO before, hopefully that's all it is and not the beginning of anovulatory cycle. It's like our bodies like to try different things from time to time just for fun. I was thinking the exact same thing as you: this'll teach me to be too confident

 

[lesondemavie]

Ah Earthy, unicorn, and psycho, I'm pulling for you all! I'm so sorry for you frustration/confusion. Hoping it's not driving you too nuts. If I've learned anything so far, it's that one off cycle does not a pattern make. Who knows, maybe not knowing is exactly what you need .

I'm having such a hard time this TWW. Symptom spotting, staring at my chart, and stalking graphs like crazy. I think it's just bc this is my first month charting bbt. Hopefully, I'll cool my jets a bit next cycle if this one doesn't end in a BFP. I really, really want to test today...but I think I'm going to wait. FF is saying AF is due on Thursday based on my average LP, but the other apps are saying Friday based on my average cycle length. I had a couple wonky cycles there in the middle after coming off bcp, so either is possible. If my temp is still up tomorrow am, then I'll test. Bright side if it's a BFN, I've had two regular cycles in a row with at least a 10 day LP .

 

[abennion]

CD14 here, still getting flashing smileys. DH and I are BDing every day until O is confirmed (hopefully that will be soon! I usually O between CD16-20) I've got another acupuncture appointment this wednesday.

DH got his results back from his SA. Looks like he has 2% normal morphology (only 2% of his SA sample came back with normal shaped sperm). This means it'll be harder for us to get our BFP, but not impossible. It also means we may have to deal with many miscarriages before getting a sticky bean. To up our chances, our doc prescribed me Clomid in the hopes that I will release more than one egg. He's also referred DH to a eurologist. Next cycle we've been advised that we should be BDing every other day starting on CD10 until I O, and DH needs to abstain until CD10.

Here's hoping.

 

[beemeck]

hi girls!

hope everyone's cycles start behaving themselves! I hate when my temps drive me nuts but I know I'm doomed and can never give up temping.

leson - I was super nuts my first month charting....and I have to say I'm still rather nuts about it. I love comparing my charts on FF every day of the TWW to see if the percentage of similar charts that ended in pregnancy increase. It's obviously an exact science GL to you! coming from an intense chart stalker, your chart is def looking good!

AFM - wanted to share that I rented out the book "taking charge of your fertility" and I found one piece of information that was really interesting to me. The author writes all about charting and recommends it to anyone TTC. She says that if you are charting and timing BD perfectly for 4 months without a BFP that you should seek out answers. She said the year recommendation is for the vast majority who don't chart their cycles in depth. I know it might sound a little concerning, but I actually found it comforting. I've felt for awhile that it really should have happened by now (especially considering that it happened for us on our first try) and now I feel even more empowered to seek out answers. Still haven't heard back from fertility clinic but trying to stay patient. I have a derm appt tomorrow - my cystic acne has been awful and I'm hoping to tie that in with TTC too (hormones and such) and perhaps get a blood test for testosterone. I also have my acupuncture consultation tomorrow - want to learn more about it first. How's it going for you, Abennion??

anyway enough about me - sending all of you ladies and anxiously awaiting a BFP here!

 

[mrs unicorn]

Leson I found the first time we were TTC and charting bbt really stressful. So much that I said I wouldn't do it this cycle but I ended up carrying on. I can't resist. Although it hasn't done me any favours - just a wacko chart!! It's hard not to read too much into each temp dip/rise but I do feel less stressed about it this time so hopefully it'll be easier next for you next time round too.

Psycho I am ignoring FF! I guess we will see, if af turns up on Mon/tues then I'm right if it's not till next Friday then FF is right! I have always always had 27/28 day cycles so I'd be amazed if it ends up being longer than that. Did you have any o signs? Or do you normally? Hopefully you did o. I did panic after googling and seeing annovulatory stuff come up but I had o pains as normal so confident I did o.

 

[abennion]

hi girls!

hope everyone's cycles start behaving themselves! I hate when my temps drive me nuts but I know I'm doomed and can never give up temping.

leson - I was super nuts my first month charting....and I have to say I'm still rather nuts about it. I love comparing my charts on FF every day of the TWW to see if the percentage of similar charts that ended in pregnancy increase. It's obviously an exact science GL to you! coming from an intense chart stalker, your chart is def looking good!

AFM - wanted to share that I rented out the book "taking charge of your fertility" and I found one piece of information that was really interesting to me. The author writes all about charting and recommends it to anyone TTC. She says that if you are charting and timing BD perfectly for 4 months without a BFP that you should seek out answers. She said the year recommendation is for the vast majority who don't chart their cycles in depth. I know it might sound a little concerning, but I actually found it comforting. I've felt for awhile that it really should have happened by now (especially considering that it happened for us on our first try) and now I feel even more empowered to seek out answers. Still haven't heard back from fertility clinic but trying to stay patient. I have a derm appt tomorrow - my cystic acne has been awful and I'm hoping to tie that in with TTC too (hormones and such) and perhaps get a blood test for testosterone. I also have my acupuncture consultation tomorrow - want to learn more about it first. How's it going for you, Abennion??

anyway enough about me - sending all of you ladies and anxiously awaiting a BFP here!

I'm loving acupuncture so far! I've had two appointments so far, and for the first time since starting to chart my cycles I've had multi days of EWCM. It's also a great half hour to just destress and relax.

 

[psychochick]

beemeck: so I've heard that book's recommendation before and although I'm also a pretty proactive seek out answers person, I feel like emperically the 4 months number is not quite right. e.g. the chart that I posted from fertilityfriend a while back showed people actually ON fertilityfriend taking average 7 months to conceive at 25+ ages. It is definitely possible to be on fertilityfriend and not chart temps religiously but based on the gallery, majority of the people are temping. Also, many online resources state that chances of conceiving in early 20's is 25% a month, which is where that 4 month number would've come from. But late 20's it's supposed to drop to 20% a month, then 30's 15% then late 30's drops down to only 10%.

However, I do agree that if there's something specific that's concerning like your spotting, 4 months would be a good time to start addressing these concerns for sure. Like i realized that I felt cold during TWW and started taking royal jelly and actually after 2 months of jelly, I've not been cold during TWW! Not sure if it helps with the BFPs yet though.

abennion: Is there anything the docs suggested to improve DH's SA? L'arginine or maca maybe? I also heard of men taking clomid too, but no idea what that's supposed to help. But glad that you found out and are addressing it!

leson: Yeah my first few cycles temping I was also obsessively comparing charts. Now I don't care much lol. But uh this cycle I'm back to obsessively checking charts with fallback rise :'( Just when I thought I was getting comfortable. Sigh.

 

[abennion]

@psycho: Doc didn't say much, I think we're going to ask our acupuncturist. I've got DH taking Green Tea and Maca already, so we're hoping that helps, but our doctor isn't well versed in male infertility so he's referred him to an eurologist. Hopefully we'll get more answers then.

 

[supergongjoo]

@abennion thanks for the tip!

@magic that discipline didnt last too long as i am now combing over my last 8 cycles. Hopefully 13 is lucky for you!

@psycho im not 100% sure whats in it. My mom just sent me a bunch of plastic packs filled with brown liquid. i will ask her what is in them tho and get back to you

@ earthly i had something similar one cycle. i got a not quite as dark line, obvi negative for 2 days, then a blazing darker than control line for 2 days. i would say just keep testing and BD-ing just in case

@leson sorry you had a virus i hope you stay nice and healthy from here on out
I hear you about this cycle being hard. have you done anything to help you relax? a massage? long walk? ive made myself go on a long walk sometimes to and from a massage when i get TWW-anxious. ( which is often for me lol) i started inputting temps a few days ago and i just downloaded FF. my temps are all over cause i been tempting at various times. lol amateur i know.

@abennion my hopes and prayers are always with you

@bee i missed seeing your posts! thanks for the info. I plan on talking to a specialist next week. i decided to start taking temping seriously.
As for your acne have you tried turmeric,raw honey, and cinnamon? I have battled acne for YEARS and get really painful cystic acne on my hair line and back and that combo has been the only thing that seems to help. it tends to stain my nails and skin so i only do it at night and make sure to use lemon juice as a toner to help with the staining. i def recommend you look into it.

AFM i just combed over my last 8 cycles and noticed my luteal phase averages 11 days but with cycles where it varied. ( 19, 15, and 12 days) I did some reading and it looks like that may be an issue. Your luteal isnt supposed to vary more than a day. i am wondering if i have miscalculated my O day a few cycles as i didnt temp and usually dont use an opk after i get a positive unless i feel like it. Input?
AF isnt due until next monday according to ovia, FF, and glow( which gives me a 14 day luteal) Now i am full crazy TWW mode inputing all my cycle info into FF. ( Yes i plan on taking a walk to the massage parlor to calm my anxious self down) There goes taking a chill approach to ttc lol

 

[lesondemavie]

Abe: Happy O time. Enjoy! Sorry to hear about the SA, but happy you have some answers/help. Fx to you!

Bee: That does sound comforting. I've wanted to go in for tests since cycle 4 myself! Hope you can squeeze a hormone test out of your derm appointment

Super: You're right. I do need to do something for myself to relax. I usually bake or go for a run/hike to de-stress. I did have lunch with my best friend this past Sunday and that always helps. Also planning a date night with DH for Friday just in case I need a little pick me up. Enjoy your walk/massage, and fx to you!

AFM, 9 dpo and BFN. I know there's still a chance and I normally hold out hope, but it actually did help me let go of the crazy symptom spotting (it also helps that most of the symptoms are gone now). If it happens fantastic, but if not I'm looking forward to another happy O time.

 

[beemeck]

I dunno, psycho. I feel like I would have to agree with her. But I guess it all depends on where you seek out stats. I guess I should also clarify that "seeking out answers" after 4 months also doesn't imply that you won't get pregnant without medical intervention. She says it's often small things like slight hormonal imbalances, less than awesome sperm analysis, etc. I guess even what you (and all of us) are doing with looking things up and trying some natural remedies!

It just really hit me when I read it that most people I know have gotten pregnant the 1,2,3 or 4th try and it seems everyone else took awhile longer and got pregnant through the use of clomid, an hsg, etc. Obviously it's just a statistic but I did find it oddly comforting. As much as I would like have a baby completely on our own, I'm so ready for seeking out answers and getting a tiny bit of help.

leson - temps are looking wonderful though. 9dpo is actually really early for a bfp so I'm feeling really optimistic for you!

hi super! I love your relaxed attitude you always having good advice for us and a calming energy

magic - hi love! how are you??

abennion - thanks for the info on acupuncture. I'm starting just with a consultation today so I can learn more before jumping in. so glad to hear it's going well for you!

I also have my derm appt today where I might fanangle a testosterone blood test. I read that cystic acne could be a sign of high testosterone and my ob/gyn didn't test for that on my last hormone panel. I also looked up other symptoms of high testosterone and I had a number of them too... so we shall see! I'm desperate lol

 

[psychochick]

beemeck: I totally support seeking out answers but I do know many people that get pregnant naturally after 6 mo or 1 year. I generally believe in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", so if it's working as intended to just take a while to get pregnant, then don't throw solutions at it. However, I am also totally onboard with getting some basic tests if it's taking a while, like hormone tests and SA, but our doctors are pushing back on the one year limit. I definitely support everything you want to do , I just thought it's dangerous for the book to freak out all the readers with a number like 4 months. I do hope you get answers about testosterone level. I've totally googled this stuff too and ever since then I've been checking for like facial hair and stuff haha..

super: about OPKs, I also stop OPKs after the first +, mostly cuz I use the digital ones and they're expensive! And I also chart, so I'll know when I've O'ed. I'd definitely recommend temping because people have different LH surges. I've seen people with 4 consecutive days of positives, and others with only 1 (I usually have only 1 day of surge, sometimes 2 days). I think you could temp for at least a few cycles just to see if your O is consistent or not. If you say your cycle length is different from month to month, I'd actually suspect that your O date is the one that varies.

haha brown liquid sounds appetizing I also have some chinese herbs that my parents gave me to cook in chicken broth that's like all sorts of weird shapes and colors. It could be pebbles for all I know.

leson: 9DPO is super early, don't worry about it yet. Temps look good though!

 

[lesondemavie]

@bee and psycho: Thanks for the support! Maybe if I stare at my chart long enough I can will my temps to stay up . I don't know if I trust my 2 most recent temps though. Last night I woke up at 4:30 am and I just felt completely on fire. I took my temp then because I knew I'd only get in another 2 hours. The past two nights have actually been rough. I woke up twice in the middle of the night both nights, which is super rare for me. I normally sleep like a log; a grumpy, blanket-stealing log.

 

[supergongjoo]

@leson oh im jealous! i am pretty terrible with baking.
i think everyone has her own way to decompress. i sometimes forget to calm down especially with the emotions that come with every tww and every af. im glad you had fun lunching and planning
9dpo is pretty early. i scoured ff site and it looks like only 17% of women got their positives that early. do you plan to test when af is due? im praying for either a beautiful BFP or a very fun O time for u

@bee thanks love
Ive decided to schedule an appt and seek out some answers. I completely agree about seeking out answers. FF let me know my cycles are pretty irregular ( im so glad i downloaded it!) so are my luteal phases. it doesnt hurt to check.
Hope the appt went well!

@psycho Im trying to get the hang of temping but my sleeping patterns are all over and i just keep forgetting lol. what kind of thermometers do you girls use? I test with the one in our first aid kit andif i test 5 times in one sitting, every read it gives me a different temperature.
and the brown liquid is DISGUSTING lol i added it to my raspberry tea with some honey and milk to help the whole situation ( hopefully it doesnt change the potency) and i can finally drink it lol

AFM, AF is due on monday. who knows where my emotions will take me lol

 

[lesondemavie]

Ugh I'm so mad. I woke up at 4 again, but this time thought I could roll over and get a solid 3 hours. Woke up again at 5 :/ still burning up. I took my temp and it's lower, but I can't really trust it after 1 hour of sleep. Another bfn with fmu this am. Looks like dipping estrogen can trick you into feeling hot even when you're not and also bring down serotonin which helps regulate sleep. Pretty sure AF is on its way. I'm sad of course. Trying to focus on woohoo another 10 day LP as of today, and hooray my cycles look pretty regular temp-wise. Think I'll make that Friday night date a sushi date .

Super: I'm jealous of you! I wish I could enjoy a massage, but instead I just feel anxious and awkward the whole time. Doesn't help me relax one bit :/.

Baking is science and since I'm not in the lab anymore, the kitchen is now my lab . I make french macaron, puff pastry, meringue roulade (DH's fav), all sorts of pies (I have the crust perfected), layered cakes, etc all from scratch. Wish I could share...we all could use a special treat about now.

That brown liquid does sound a bit frightening. Glad you found a way to make it palatable, and best of luck seeking some answers.

 

[abennion]

Sorry to hear, les, but you're not out until AF shows up!

AFM- I got my solid smiley this morning! Two more days of BDing and we'll have the best chance we could give it this month. TWW, here comes me!

 

[supergongjoo]

@les keep in mind you are still only about 10dpo. though we honestly dont know either way for awhile there is still a chance you implanted late or are just now implanting.
I do feel like we all deserve a a hard core shameless solid cry every now and then. this whole process is SO HARD sometimes, and discouraging, and emotional, and i could go on for a year.

Congrats for improving your LP I'm still in the research phase of lengthening mine.

I LOVE that you have such a scientific way of analyzing and explaining what could be happening with your body. ive always bombed with all things math and science so i especially love when i see other women excel at it.

And if you could just send any of those delicious sounding treats my way thats would be great lol

@abenn i feel like ive asked this before but do you guys bd every other day or daily? ive tried to do it every day one cycle and found it to be more work than fun for us.

AFM expecting AF to arrive by monday. i feel zero symptoms except some serious gas and an occasional fullness in my uterus ( which could also be gas)
Ive always wondered why i feel slight cramping some cycles leading up to af. not all just a rare handful. Does anyone know why this happens?

 

[abennion]

Super: We try every day but sometimes it doesn't work out (DH is tired, or can't quite get there). Next cycle our doc advised us to BD every other day starting after day 10. DH is already going crazy just thinking about the 10 days he'll have to abstain. Right now we're just trying to catch that egg! With only a 2% shot each month, its hard for us to not BD as much as possible haha.

Not to mention DH likes BDing as much as he can haha!

Maybe the cramping has to do with the amounts of progesterone in your system?

 

[Littlebean18]

Hello!

I am new to the site, and trying to figure out postings still! I am so happy to have everyone going through similar things together! I had a miscarriage a few years ago and have never felt so alone, because none of my friends had ever had one, so to find this site is just amazing! I have been married for a little over a year and we started trying in September. I came off of birth control and have PCOS. I have very few symptoms of PCOS and my doctor said I had only one or two cysts the last pap I had! When I came off birth control it took my body forever to regulate out and I am currently having my first period since coming off BC. I have never been so happy to see AF!! I am hoping that it a sign that things are moving in the right direction and I can start using my OPKs this month and hopefully make some progress!!
So great to see everyone's stories and I look forward to being on the journey and never feeling alone again!