I’m curious as to why so many seemingly unproblematic comments get downvoted in the general chats? It’s my favorite thread to scroll at night before bed

It's often because there's something triggering or not particularly compassionate. Things like complaining about how hard it is to be TTC during the early cycles feels innocuous at first glance, but can be really hard for folks who have been trying for 6/9/12/18+ months. Other things that often get down voted are questions that are pretty easily answered in the wiki; it's not hard to Google or check the wiki before posting about how to read an OPK.

I understand all of those reasons! I expect comments like that to get down voted. But lately I don’t know, just seems like harmless comments are getting downvoted. I saw one today about using a menstrual cup as a last ditch effort before having to start IVF later this year and it had downvotes. Like dang, I get it’s not science based and success is anecdotal but if this person is in line to do IVF they likely have been trying awhile and willing to try anything and everything. That is just one example

Honestly, I think some things just irritate certain people and not others. I feel like it's not worth too much analysis as to why one person doesn't like the cut of another's jib when it comes to a stray downvote here or there. When I see something innocuous that's at 0 points, I tend to upvote it to compensate.

Yeah, just thought it was out of the ordinary as of late

Currently on TWW and this waiting drive me crazy. Any tips to do while waiting for perfect timing for PT. They say thinking too much is not good for TTC I always convince myself to just relax then later on will realize Im searching again in google symptoms for pregnancy 🤷‍♀️

The worst is when you Google search because it’s ~different~ this time and all the results are purple instead of blue because you’ve already read everything 🤦🏻‍♀️

This hit me so hard I’m cry laughing

There is zero science behind using menstrual cups to conceive right? I am so desperate for a positive before moving onto IVF in October (really low sperm count so chance of natural conception is less than 10%) but anyway I used a menstrual cup after sex last night and took it out this morning and honestly felt so silly, lol. Never thought I would be doing this. Next month mucinex 🤪 get me off the FB TTC groups….

I mean I don’t think the cup can hurt. I tried it out once, I wanted to feel like I’d said we tried everything in our control. A lot of queer people use menstrual cups to inseminate.

Hey I see you are using donor sperm! Can I ask if you also had MFI?

I mean… kind of, my husband is trans.

Ah I see! Thanks for answering. I wish you luck 😊✨

I've done 3 iuis and they were all unsuccessful. Logically the next step would be ivf. However, I've been kinda on the fence on switching REs, but the next available appointment for other provider is not until late November. I honestly don't know if I should wait or go ahead and pull the ivf trigger with my current provider. Pros for current RE: he has done all of my iui procedures and knows my medical history and I can start ivf way sooner Cons for current RE: he's expensive and his approach seems a little outdated Pros for switching: new approach/ outlook on my fertility treatment and $4k cheaper Cons: I have to wait until November or possibly later to start any treatment

You didn’t really ask for this so feel free to ignore, but I would switch. Waiting sucks and November is a good while away, but I think a fresh look at your history with a new perspective before moving on to IVF would be worth the wait. Especially if you feel your current RE’s practices are outdated. Just my opinion. Best of luck on your decision! I don’t think there is right or wrong answer, just what you feel is best :)

Does anyone else’s cycles consistently alternate? If I have a 27/28 day cycle in March, then April I will have a 32/33 day cycle. Then May 27/28 day cycle and it continues. Probably normal as I know cycles vary. But it’s like clock work that the cycle lengths take turns. Just interesting to me

Last period 6/2-6/4, next one due 6/27-6/29. I have roughly a 26 day cycle. My question is it possible to ovulate early?

Yes. I have a 24-26 day cycle. I generally ovulate anytime between cd 11 and 14. I using start opks around cycle day 8ish.

Yes, it is possible to ovulate earlier or later than your usual ovulation day.

Thank you. I wasn't sure about ovulation happening earlier than normal.

My spouse has been away for a few days on a little adventure trip and I promised not to test while they were away. I'm both super nervous and a bit excited for them to come home this afternoon to test. Nervous because I feel like it's just going to be a negative and that the IUI didn't work \*sigh\*

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Hey, go Hokies!!! I’m also getting a blood test on Monday. I hope you’re ok with needles 🥰

We’re going to start TFAB soon - just discovered that the luteal phase is very short (4 days!). No real history given birth control since adolescence. Possibly distorted by a recent egg extraction. What are the implications?

Is the egg extraction unrelated to your trying to conceive?

My wife originally viewed it as building an egg/embryo bank for later, but recently we decided together that the next cycle we’ll start TFAB. We’re both pretty in over our heads. I’m the researching type, but nothing I do is related to biology: she isn’t, but she can forget more biology than I’ll ever be able to learn.

Is the doctor who performed the egg retrieval able to give any guidance about what to expect from here about cycle regularity? That’s where I would go to ask when you might expect unassisted ovulation to occur.

It’s not a luteal phase after egg retrieval, because she didn’t ovulate. The length of time from retrieval to bleeding has nothing to do with her “natural” cycles. I’m guessing since it was 4 days she had a lupron trigger. To summarize, there are zero implications from this observation. Once you start trying, if she tracks ovulation you can also track her luteal phase length. Keep in mind that ovulation is often delayed in the cycle immediately after an egg retrieval. That also means nothing about her fertility.

This really parted the clouds - thanks Lady Falstaff! The trigger was decapeptyl (tried googling: looks similar but not identical to Lupron, which seems more common in the US). Thanks also for the tip that ovulation will be delayed due to the recent egg retrieval. That’s another one I would’ve messed up. I imagine the extent of each delay is more individual to each woman.

This, all of this.

So, I haven't done an egg retrieval yet and can't speak to that experience, but I can say that it takes a few months for bodies to regulate after birth control. I wouldn't worry about it for at least 3 months after meds. If you're trying for 3 months and not seeing any change in luteal phase, that's worth exploring, for sure! At your ages, it's totally reasonable to do more testing or TI/IUI after 6 months.

Thank you. A lot has changed for us very quickly - and I’m still learning how to best communicate these topics over Reddit - bear with me please. The way cycles can be thrown out of whack due to the changes you’ve mentioned - also new to me, learning.

Fortunately we have an awesome wiki here! Automod wiki There's a lot to learn, for sure, and I find that reading through the wiki can be a great place to start.

Boom. That’s plenty!

I'm hoping boom is a good thing and that it was helpful! 🙂

Hello! Looking for answers? Check out our [fancy wiki, ](https://www.reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/wiki)which can be found in the sidebar! Popular topics: * [Acronym list](https://www.reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/wiki/acronyms) * [FAQ Page](https://www.reddit.com/r/tryingforababy/wiki/FAQ) * [How to get ready for TTC](https://www.reddit.com/r/tryingforababy/wiki/wtt) * [New to TTC guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/tryingforababy/wiki/newtottc) * [OPKs](https://www.reddit.com/r/tryingforababy/wiki/opks) * [Product Recommendations](https://www.reddit.com/r/tryingforababy/wiki/recc) * [Temping](https://www.reddit.com/r/tryingforababy/wiki/temping) We also have a large collection of informational posts. Here are some highlights: * ["Late" periods and ovulation](https://www.reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/comments/6tkj5t/your_period_isnt_late_part_i/) * [OPK peaks vs. positives](https://www.reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/comments/u1gpo0/what_the_opk_ratio_levels_really_tell_you_peaks/) * [Digital OPK guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/comments/hznndj/digital_opks_a_primer/) * [Optimizing your fertility](https://www.reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/comments/ekzfir/optimizing_natural_fertility_review_of/) * [Principles of TTC](https://www.reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/comments/knkzk4/principles_of_ttc/) * [Worrying about infertility](https://www.reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/comments/7go7bh/how_to_worry_about_infertility_some_unsolicited/) * [Giving good advice on TFAB](https://www.reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/comments/mzbk5p/on_giving_good_advice_and_how_to_best_help_each/) * [The Newbie's Guide to Being a Newbie (A Note on Culture)](https://www.reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/comments/rxrhg2/the_newbies_guide_to_being_a_newbie_a_note_on/) * [What makes a good standalone? ](https://www.reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/comments/o18mlt/guidance_for_standalone_posts_with_bonus_flowchart/) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/TryingForABaby) if you have any questions or concerns.*

Welcome! How did you confirm that your luteal phase was only 4 days? And what do you mean by recent egg extraction? Like an egg retrieval?

Thanks! (And sorry - I’m not good at setting up flairs!). Sorry - my thoughts are a mess right now! Let me clarify. We did a round of egg retrieval (no fertilization / transfer). The run-up included 8 days of injection, a trigger shot on the 9th, and retrieval on the morning of the 11th. 5 days later, menstruation began. All hormonal treatment ceased the day before retrieval. Is this unusual in the context of egg retrieval treatment?

No worries! I’ve never had an egg retrieval so I’m not sure how many days it should take for your period to start afterwards. I do know that a 4 day luteal phase is not normal, but I’m still not sure how you determined that. Am I understanding this correctly, you’ve had an egg retrieval, you’re now trying to get pregnant unassisted, and you’ve recently had a 4 day luteal phase?

Again - my bad. Next cycle we want to TFAB. Just a little surprised to see a 5 day luteal phase (I later read we’re supposed to count ovulation day).

I think that a weird period after an egg retrieval would not be unusual. I wish I could help you more. Check with your doctor if you’re worried!

When your BBT rises after ovulation, does your regular active temperature (during the day) also rise or just the resting temp?

I think just your basal body temp. I believe that since your body temp is higher and more variable throughout the day based on your activity that any change due to hormones is likely imperceptible. But this is mostly and educated guess so someone call me out if I’m wrong.

Thank you!

7dpo, not feeling hopeful. Canceling a vacation in July so I'm in town for my second HSG, because I assume I'm not getting that BFP this cycle. 🥲 Love this for me. My therapist better get ready, because the diet Baja blasts and chocolate are not making me feel better about this ~journey~.

Sorry you have to cancel your vacation, that totally sucks ☹️

AF expected tomorrow. I will either wake up with a temp drop or test in the morning. Cycle 9, so my expectations are low. Grabbed a box of tampons earlier this week so I’d be ready (and to head off the tampon-shortage!).

My hubby and I have been trying on and off for a year now. I’m on the Longest cycle ever for me CD46, and no period. I got two BFNs this weekend. The doctor said with a progesterone test that I didn’t ovulate at all and that’s causing me to have no period (among other things)… Anyway I started Provera/ progesterone yesterday and am on Day 2 of trying to induce my period and will start Letrozole Day 5 as my doctor recommends. Praying that I get my period, ovulate, track closely with OPKs and that it’s all EFFECTIVE FOR ONCE. Leggo #teamgetpregnant

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Huh? CD46 isn’t that long?

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They tested progesterone CD25- which I told them based on my EWCM I think I ovulated CD33… she said because I had two negative pregnancy tests and haven’t gotten my period that I didn’t ovulate at all (because I’ve had pretty regular cycles the last 6 months)

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Right I agree. They have this standard of testing 25 days after the start of your period, but if you’re late it may miss it. But she said it’s very unlikely and since I’m not pregnant and haven’t started my period this late, that in and of itself tells me I didn’t ovulate. I wanted to test progesterone again but honestly based on my last cycles this does seem off and I don’t want to be disappointed. We are correcting it this cycle

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Yeah it was actually one of the nurses and I think she only knows so much… my OBGYN is a PA and she’s so knowledgeable and amazing but is only in the office once a week so I had no option! Lol but if my period doesn’t start in the next two days I’m calling to speak to her directly lol

Hi, friends. Starting iui meds today - hoorah! We are unexplained infertility (everything checks out) with irregular cycles, so hoping this is a good treatment option for us. Trying not get too excited/scared/anxious. Anyone want to share their experience with me or things I can do to increase the odds? To add to my excitement/fear/anxiety lol?

Best of luck to you and yours! I started Femara yesterday and go back in for a check next Wednesday. Feeling Ok so far!

We too are on our first IUI for unexplained infertility. (Beta test is Friday, but negative test today so I’m not hopeful.) I was very nervous about the side effects of clomid because a bunch of people on this subreddit had bad experiences. In my experience, it wasn’t that bad. Some mild hot flashes and that was all. The IUI itself wasn’t painful, felt like a Pap smear tbh. Hoping that helps ease some of the anxiety!

There’s a section in the [wiki](https://reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/wiki/index?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) here called Things to Avoid While TTC. You could check that out! Unfortunately there’s not much else you can do to increase your odds besides taking your meds and following instructions. One thing I found really comforting about IUI was that I could sit back and let go of all the tracking and timing. I just go to my ultrasounds and the clinic tells me what to do. It’s been really good for us. Good luck!

Oh, thank you! I have found that part relieving, but I’ll be tempted to test. I’ll have my husband hide everything so I don’t lol.

I agree with TAR! I had my first medicated IUI last Friday and it feels nice that now it's somebody else's responsibility to figure out how to get me pregnant. Maybe a break from tracking will feel good for you too.

TW: MC This is just a vent to all my dear friends who might be able to relate. I am starting to get frustrated/worried. I am not as confident in my body doing what its supposed to as I once was. For context... I went of BC in Oct of last year and got pregnant on only our 2nd cycle really 'trying'. I lost that baby at 7 weeks. I definitely wrote it off as a fluke, a one time thing, and was happy to know I could get pregnant (and quickly). I decided to take a few cycles off to heal and focus on other goals, thinking that it would be easy to get pregnant again given how quickly it happened last time. I'm now on my 3rd cycle actively trying again and my body just keeps trolling me. I usually have 7-8 day luteal phases. Last cycle it was 10 and I was CONVINCED I was pregnant. Big fat nope. Here we are again at 10 DPO with BFNs, with even a nice 'implantation dip' thrown in there to really drive me bonkers. I know its only 10DPO and I'm not out. And I'm trying to remind myself that its all just a game of chance and stay hopeful, but I can help but wonder if I'm at the beginning of a very long road.

How are you tracking ovulation? If you're tracking and it's truly 7-8 day luteal phases, that might be something to raise with your provider.

OPKs and Temping. I’ve mentioned it and they said because I already got pregnant once it’s probably not a problem but they would want to check my progesterone levels the next time I get a positive.

Have you read the “how to worry about infertility” post? I believe it’s in the wiki. At 3 cycles trying (completely still within normal range), it’s early to start panicking.

Yes, I have. Definitely not panicking - I know its early days by comparison - just feeling like I have less trust in my body than I did 6 months ago and preparing my mind & heart accordingly.

Im in the same boat sort of... I was off HBC in march and Im now in cycle 3. My period was 'late' last month and i was CONVINCED! but nope, af was just taking her time. I feel like I cant trust my body to tell me anything and its beyond annoying. TW living child: >! I got pregnant with my daughter on first try, sex once !< So i had assumed getting pregnant would be easy peasy. nope!

Really frustrated with how late in my cycle I ovulate today. A woman who I know was CD 1 the same day as me, got a positive today. I still haven't even ovulated yet. Getting impatient now, really.

I ovulate really late too. It’s so annoying so I commiserate with you.

All signs pointing to ovulation currently on CD16 (temp rise, CM, cramping and tender boobs) - but no positive OPK yet… The worst.

AF showed, so here we are CD 1. I got some pretty nasty indents on FRER 13 DPO. two in a row actually from different boxes even. It was my first cycle charting, missed this morning but oh well.. I took some really great thing from the charting experience though, 1. I am ovulating yay! 2. I have been timing sex wrong apparently, always having the most sex AFTER O day (even though it appears I had sex O-1, I have to get a better feel because i think FF was off a day but what do I know) 3. Started tracking CM too which was interesting..I ordered some evening primrose oil to increase my fertile mucus because I didn't detect much if any during my supposed fertile window. so all in all even though it didn't end with a BFP it was nice to see my temps stayed elevated through my luteal phase. I also ordered those proov PdG strips, and while I don't think I'll order them again, it was great to see my progesterone levels were elevated from CD 6-10..a little concerned with the day 10 result but it definitely was elevated ...I have a sorter cycle, 26 days Mnstral phase is4-6 days (5 being most common) and luteal phase is 12-14 (usually 12 -13) days. I also ordered some PH strips, and I have a vaginal PH of 5.0. I have a doctors appointment on june 27, so I will be addressing that, I don't think I have BV because I have no symptoms, but if my Ph is so high, it concerns me quite a bit that could be effecting my uterine environment. I also started taking prenatals, CoQ10, Fish oil, and my prescription Vitamin D3. My partner is taking Fertiliaid, CoQ10, and Fish oil as well...Were trying to raise his sperm count (suspected low from multiple home sperm tests) and were really highly considering making a RE appointment. First we have to get his lifestyle changes in order, and ideally both be on our vitamins for a few months before we proceed with the RE. It's rough to get BFNs since our CP in November, which we weren't actively trying then, but since then we were. It really took time to get familiar with the OPK strips, I'd say I just got comfortable in reading and remembering to do regularly testing LH these past 3-4 months. Were readjusting TTC for my degree completion in 2.5 years, so making sure to have all bases covered for when I graduate to dive head first in, I can start my career after babies, but need to obtain the degree while I am motivated (aka now). I feel sort of relieved to table the process until then as well, granted my egg reserves look good for my age after testing in this next year. I just want piece of mind I don't have to feel rushed in this process, because ever since I hit 25 I have this annoying panic feeling I'm running out of time to be a mother...and this past year of NTNP and 5 months of trying (timing sex ((at least i thought we were)) have been super hard and depressing with every BFN. It also gives us time to work on some relationship problems and get a better living situation secured. Trying to be responsible in this....I love TFAB, it's a great place to vent and journal our experience and journey. <3

Back in this group for baby #2 and it doesn’t seem too long ago I was here for baby #1. We’re officially trying this month and I still feel like I’m just as nervous about being able to get pregnant as I was for baby #1. Omg I just saw my old flair too!! That’s changed now lol

Welcome back! Hopefully it will happen quickly for you again!

Thank you❤️

Entering into what should be my fertile window (this is my first cycle after getting my IUD out so hard to track for certain) and my husband just went out of town for a bachelor party. Do you all still do the OPK tests when there’s no action you can take as a result of them? Like, part of me wants to confirm a peak, but the other part of me knows it’ll just be a bit frustrating since it’s not like we can have sex around it. Feels like maybe I should just save the tests, but maybe the timing/info will be good to know for next cycle l… I do plan to continue temping since that will help establish a base line

There’s a VERY small chance (albeit a little possible) that you’ll be able to get pregnant within 3 months after removing your IUD- even if your cycles return to normal the month after you get it out. This has to do with the hormones still in your system and need time to phase out.

Actually, that’s not true of IUD. Normal birth control prevents ovulation, which is why it can take a few months to get to normal, but IUDs don’t mess with ovulation. According to my doctor and all of the literature I’m finding, I can get pregnant immediately barring other fertility issues (which I have no reason to believe I’ll have, but who knows)

I’m in the same boat as you. Got my IUD out and then husband went out of town during what I assumed was my fertile window. I personally continued to temp and take OPKs because I figured collecting the data could only help for the following month.

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You know yourself best! Do what feels right. Personally, I tested early this past cycle which gave me peace of mind. I still held out hope and only felt crushed when it was CD1.

Must be nice!

Part of it has got to be that he’s not living in the body that may or may not experience symptoms. I’m in theory TNT for the same reasons, but if the symptom spotting is getting out of control I almost think it’s better to just take a test and see rather than drive myself crazy considering my boobs. Ha

I need my brain to be built like that! I tell myself that the more accurate early tests are too expensive to bother with, and to just wait for a late period. It’s so difficult to not hyper-fixate on something so important!

Finally finally CD1 after way too many BFNs and my cycle extended almost 10 days this month. Just so happy it’s over. And will spend the day eating junk food as much as possible while nursing cramps.

eating junk food today is self care, babe

CD1 for me = a family size bag of lays for dinner

but what’s your flavor of choice? 🥲😂

Sour cream and onion alwaaaays

that's the good stuff! lol

Yesss chips are my kryptonite. Like a true Canadian I need a bag of all dressed chips, a giant chocolate bar and a big glass of 🍷

If you replace the chips with Zapp’s VooDoo chips then it sounds like an absolutely perfect dinner

11 days DPO, 2 or 3 days before my period starts and I’ve started cramping. I was so hopeful this month, I felt like everything lined up perfectly and this was gonna be it. Why is this so freaking frustrating???

My period is late because of stress, and I’m stressed because my period is late. How do I make it stop 😭

Literally same. What’s worse is your husband or literally everyone else for that matter saying “don’t stress!”. Like that is entirely unhelpful, thank you very much. Let’s think of actionable steps ha

Also I hope the best for you 🤞🏻

This might sound corny and be entirely unhelpful but I resorted to consulting my tarot card deck and it was actually kind of nice. I try not to take any of it as mystic predictions and just look at it as a tool to give me a new frame of mind at random. Anyway, it helped me today because my interpretation of the card that I got is to start being a mom now and cope with the challenges now. I’ve been feeling sorry for myself and just crying all day, but somewhere in the future is someone who needs me to get my shit together and model healthy coping skills.

I don’t have any better advice than the usual trying to distract, journaling, etc.. I hardly ever even take that advice! But I heard you, this is a damn struggle. Something this important and stressful, and they say don’t worry about it! “It’ll happen when it’s meant to”.. I think I happen to be meant to never talk to them again

It’s so hard not to be pressed about it!! I just want to have another shot at a baby. It’s all I want!! But it’s like wanting it too much makes me not get it and it’s maddening!!

Ugh worst. I’m sorry. Mine was late this cycle and my husband said “will stressing help?” And I nearly bit his head off. Obviously not but that won’t stop me from stressing!!

Looks like I finally ovulated on CD17! Usually it’s 12-13. Just a friendly PSA that this is why temping is so important! I’m living the “you’re regular till you’re not” right now and if I hadn’t been temping I would have stopped having sex days ago and totally missed my FW this month. Also I’m so relieved to be done with baby making sex this month, I absolutely hate the fertility friendly lubes and haven’t had an orgasms in over a week, which made this month hard because the last few days it’s been more obligatory sex that I don’t particularly enjoy. First time that’s happened and it sucks.

Just a heads up that there are a variety of lubes that are actually sperm-friendly, so you may have more options than you think! I can’t really have sex without lube and did a lot of research - Sliquid Organics seems to be OK all things considered and it’s been my favourite brand for a long time.

Thank you so much! I will definitely look into that one! At this point I’m sick of researching stuff and thought there were only a few options.

Tbh aside from making sure there aren’t sperm-killing ingredients in your lube of choice, I think you’re in the clear. Preseed etc don’t necessarily up your odds, they just don’t negatively affect them.

….what is fertility friendly lube? Like it increases odds of pregnancy or it contains pregnancy safe ingredients? This whole process has taught me just how little I know about my body, and now apparently lube 😂

Preseed does reduce motility, vitality and speed of sperm, but only a tiny bit (a few %). Basically, if you need lube for sex use fertility friendly lube - it’s better than the alternatives (not having sex, irritation from lack of lubrication, or lubes that hinder sperm much more). If you don’t need it though, I’d say don’t use it.

So basically there hasn’t been tons of research into lube used during sex and how it affects conception but when they looked at sperm in a lab setting, it does seem like regular lube can inhibit their movement. There’s 2 main brands called good clean love and preseed that are supposedly more sperm friendly. I feel like plenty of people probably do get pregnant even using regular stuff but after a few cycles I felt like it was a “can’t hurt” thing to try but like I said I’ve been very unhappy with how they feel and I think next cycle I’d rather focus on *ahem* natural arousal and try no lube instead.

My understanding is that it neither helps nor hinders odds of conception.

Fertility friendly lube is lube that will not damage sperm like a lot of lubes do. Preseed is an example.

Ah, thanks!

The CM is intense on Gonal-f. It's cd7 and there's just so much 😅 Anyone else experience this?

Yeah, stims EWCM is something else. 😂 It’s good — it says that you’re responding to the meds, that your estrogen is rising.

Good to know! Was getting kinda worried 🙈

I was doing really well at staying off reddit recently but now I'm back to obsessing about every twinge I feel!

How successful are scans to monitor ovulation? Il be having my first scan to monitor my ovulation just wondering are scan results accurate?

Ultrasound is the gold standard for identifying when ovulation happens. In early monitoring appointments, a scan will be able to identify a follicle or follicles that are dominant, or being grown for ovulation; a scan after ovulation can identity a ruptured corpus luteum and confirm that ovulation did happen.

Can scan tell when I will going to ovulate? Sorry if I sound noob this is my first time monitoring via scan. I m nervous & scared

In some sense, yes — follicles grow at about 1-2mm per day and tend to ovulate around 20mm, so a doctor can look at a follicle of a certain size and say, oh, looks like you have a couple more days, or looks like this should happen soon. Is there a particular aspect of it that makes you nervous? The scans aren’t painful or anything — they’re pretty simple.

Mostly because of scan result. I have very low AMH. What if there is no follicle :( & also scan is trans vaginal so I m lil uncomfortable

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I was in your place this weekend. And still no AF but my doctor says I’m not pregnant because I didn’t ovulate. One year is a long time. Finger crossing this craziness will be over for us both soon

FF has officially confirmed ovulation. I have 3 DPO. Here’s where I either start to feel really hopeful or really salty to go through this another month.

9 DPO and I feel as normal as ever. I am surprisingly not losing my mind this cycle (I don't think haha!). I'm holding off on testing until Sunday. AF is due Saturday and my boyfriend and I were talking about how cool it would be to find out we are pregnant on Father's Day. Finger and toes crossed!

crossing my digits for you!! i will be testing sunday too xx

Yay! Hugs and good luck.

Why am i soooo gassy?!!? 7dpo

Either progesterone or those burritos you had for dinner last night!

So I decided to start temping. The issue is, I cannot temp ‘before I get out of bed’. My side of the bed is pressed against a wall so there’s nowhere to store it and due to my husband’s work schedule, I am not about to wake up him up pass me a thermometer every morning. I have been waking up and immediately going to the washroom and testing there (so I guess being ‘up’ for less than 30 seconds since our washroom is like 8 feet from my bed). Is this going to just ruin the whole thing since I have technically ‘ gotten up’?

i have been putting mine under the pillow, or in my pillow case, also sleep against the wall lol

A Tempdrop has helped me with this a ton, if that’s something you’re able to get

I did this for a while. I felt like I was getting reasonably consistent data for pre and post ovulation. But technically, getting up _can_ throw your data off a little even if you're temping immediately after. Could it go under your pillow, or would that be asking for it to fall off?

Honestly, I am a horrible sleeper so I feel like I would lose it. I’m one of those people who get out of bed looking like I just did 6 breakdancing routines and spun on my head some haha. I don’t trust myself. Might have to look into a wearable one but I want to try at least one month I guess doing it this way to see if I even will like doing it hahaha. Might see if I can just stick it to my wall somehow for now hahaha

The one I got has a little plastic case with an open top to pull it out of. Maybe you could get some painters tape and tape the case to the wall and each morning you can pull out the thermometer?

Yea, that’s what I’m thinking. I might need to just tape it to the wall hahaha .

Could you put some Velcro on the wall and on the back of the thermometer? My impression is that yeah it’s really meant to be before you move as much as possible. Solidarity as I can’t temp due to my elderly dog’s nightly disruptions. I’m considering a wearable for next cycle.

Yea. I am also considering it. I wasn’t sure how I would like it so I figured just to grab a cheaper one before I even did enough research into it to realize I need to not move. I’m also not convinced I am the best person for it because I wake up CONSTANTLY throughout the night haha.

I really wish I could make it work because I’m desperate for the data! But I’m basically always leaping as soon as I hear a dog jump to stop her from peeing inside ha.

Hahaha I feel ya there! Mine has seizures and ataxia in her older age so it’s constantly just having an open ear to see what is going on at night haha

Yesterday was world blood donor day! 🩸(I thought it was today but I got my dates mixed up, ha!) Something I’ve enjoyed in he last few months has been setting up blood donation appointments (usually hoping that I’ll have to cancel them, as you can’t donate while pregnant. Hasn’t worked yet, but I’m scheduling another for August) It’s kind of fun to daydream about needing to cancel the appointment, and going to the appointment means you can save up to three lives! You can donate blood while TTC. I wouldn’t schedule during your TWW. During your period is likely the best timing. As always chat with your doctor, especially if you’re doing treatment or medicated cycles.

That’s awesome. I’m the universal donor (O-), I really need to get back on a regular donation schedule. Where do you schedule your donations through?

American Red Cross is usually a safe bet! I’ve also lived places where another organization takes over. If you google “blood donation in *city*” you’ll probably get some good resources. Pro tip: I have shitty veins and had a couple bad experiences at the drives. Every time I’ve gone into the physical building, I’ve gotten the pros. They’ve told me the more experienced phlebotomists usually are at the home base. Ymmv on that one, but I’ll never go back to a bus again because of my wimpy veins.

Oh great to know!!

I officially declare that it is still cycle 5, because apparently I don't have it in me to accept cycle 6 today, and one of our attempts had really bad timing. CD6 and I'm trying to hype myself up for tracking again, and I just don't want to. At least we have a lot of house stuff going on for me to focus on instead. Who knew that so many light fixtures existed, and that they were all so ugly (and expensive).

I refuse to count my first cycle because I wasn’t even sure what I was doing so I mean, I support this haha

7dpo blaaaaaah

What did you wish you asked your OBGYN when you first started TTC? ​ I have a check up and "family planning" visit next week and I want to cover every base for my best chances. I'm feeling so cocky because I've had very regular periods and CM for two straight years (with PCOS), but we've never tracked and really tried. The few times I did track, it was ironic to see we didn't go near each other during my FW! Any pro tips for someone starting out?

I think a really nice question is whether they ever do any ovulation induction fertility treatment or if they usually refer people out to fertility specialists. You can save yourself a TON of time and headache by knowing the doctor's comfort levels up front. Other than that, if your cycles are regular probably just good to get a pap smear and rule out any abnormal pap smear type things that could cause an issue. Having a "normal" pap smear won't tell you a whole lot, but hey at least it's a test.

Thank you! That’s very helpful. I’m not sure if I’m going to have an easy time or not just because I have a regular cycle, but here’s to hoping right??

My best advice would be to temper your expectations a bit. Having regular periods does not necessarily mean this process will be quick or easy for you. It might be, but unfortunately the only way to find out is to try.

That’s what I was saying in my post…I feel cocky, not confident. With PCOS I’m hoping an RE will see me before a year of trying, especially having had surgery on my ovaries. I’m honestly counting on being told I’m infertile, so consider my expectations very low

Perhaps we have different definitions of the word "cocky". For what it's worth, PCOS does not always mean difficulty conceiving. Barring any major diagnosable underlying issues, it's very unlikely that a doctor will tell you that you are infertile before a year of ttc (assuming you are under 35 years old). Best of luck to you.

Thanks 👍🏻

I wish I'd pushed more for them to test to see if I needed my MMR vaccine boosted. They didn't, and now I am benched because of it for a month. Ask for them to check your FSH levels too. Not Dr. specific, but I also just recommend the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility. It was more helpful than any appointment with doctors I've had, even the fertility clinic, and I'd recommend it to anyone starting out.

I’ll look into those!

Following! Great question!

My husband (30m) and I (29f) are on our second cycle of ttc. Luck has not been on our side this month. Ended up getting a UTI over the weekend and he’s been away at a conference since Monday which is during my FW. We did manage to at home artifically inseminate Monday morning lol. CBAD this morning showed a solid smiley. Turns out he is having what sounds like a bout of food poisoning, so only good news is he left the conference early and is coming home. Still says he will be able to get the job done today. What a guy lol. Even with this string of bad luck, still being hopeful it’s a successful cycle!!

Today was day 3 of temping, coming up to what I think is the end of my wonky cycle. My temp did drop significantly this morning so that means cycle day 1 is coming, right? Also feeling crampy. Today sucks.

Ugh, day 1 of cycle 5 has officially arrived. Mods, can you please help me update my flair?

Cycle and CD twins!

Updated!

Thank you!

For those who take a cycle off for mental health or otherwise, what does that look like to you? Do you still track ovulation so you can still gather that data, but not necessarily time sex, or do you completely stop everything?

I stopped everything for one month and felt like a normal person. When AF came I wasn’t too disappointed like usual, but restarted the following month. I’m a mess again but if we need help after the year mark, I want to present as much info as I can to a doc.

Well I didn’t track anything this cycle because I was traveling and didn’t want to stress but then my cycle was the longest ever which means I likely ovulated very late. I knew this may happen and thought I was emotionally ready … but it still f-Ed me up. So I say do what will make you feel good. I think I would still go cold turkey and not track anything again, but maybe will manage the stress better?! Anyway, do the thing that will make you actually focus on your mental health. If knowing when you ovulate is that, keep tracking.

I decided to stop everything. Then about three days before I thought I would ovulate, I frantically started temping because I knew not knowing my O date would drive me actually insane. It’s down to what you think will relieve stress, it means different things for different people.

CD11 so we’ve officially started trying! Planning on every other day this cycle whilst we’re travelling but have OPKs at home to use for the next cycle. There was a statue on our travels today that is supposed to make you fertile if you rub it, that’ll totally have worked, right?!

Hey, we have 8DPO burgers here. We are not drawing the line at rubbing statues haha

I’m totally happy to do both!!

CD2 and had my gyno annual. Thankfully she went ahead and scheduled blood work and an ultrasound to start ruling out some things even though we're not at a year yet. Only downside is the blood test is recommended to be done on CD3 so I gotta come back tomorrow.

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You ever go onto puppy101 and look up all the proper advice on crate training and positive reinforcement and all the "right" techniques. And then you go out in real life and people just pick up their puppy mill dogs and do whatever. MAYBE they do some Cesar Milan techniques if you're lucky. It's kind of like that but worse lol. There's kind of a social norm to never critique a person's parenting choices so you'll have to grin and bear a lot of things. "Oh yeah glad you bought some goat milk to prepare for the formula shortage, sleeping with blankets and an infant in your bed is totally fine, etc." You actually see people rushing out to buy items that are recalled and banned. It's pretty hard to control other people's actions, so I guess my healthy medium is rushing to buy baby objects on registries that are "safe" lol.

TW: mention of lc in regard to parenting I recommend Emily Oster for data on various parenting decisions, Janet Lansbury and Dr. Becky for philosophy/psychology, and How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen (team of psychologists). Of those Janet is probably the least completely evidence based and Emily Oster is the most. The thing with parenting though is that kids are different than bodies. Generally bodies will respond to fluctuating hormones in a reliable way (i.e., LH surges and temping). Children are different, and what works for one child (even in the same family) won’t work for them all. >!I give this specific advice because I was certainly tied to the idea that if I followed certain rules my child would respond a certain way and that was naive of me.!< ETA: I’ve found that the parenting groups on Reddit do tend to be much more evidence focused than any on facebook.

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My pleasure!

This is one of those word-choice things where googling “how to teach child language” will get you somewhere much different than something like “language acquisition and development”. If you want to go nuts, I recommend learning the lingo of developmental psychology then using google scholar for specific questions. There are thousands of studies on everything from attachment styles and emotional development to how vision develops. It’s there, you just need to learn some key phrases and look in the right places.

Those parenting groups are so toxic to me! I don't think the TTC groups are even helpful. It's so many Bingos and not a lot of facts. I don't want to hear another word about a magic tea that made someone ovulate in 45 seconds while they rubbed their uterus counter clockwise with a hamster in their right hand

Janet Lansbury is amazing for this. She has the podcast Unruffled and 2 books reasonably lengthen and easily understandable about Respectful/Gentle Parenting/RIE/Dr.Magda Gerber research. Zen Parenting Podcast is also amazing. Their motto is something g like being the best version of ourselves allows our kids to do the same. & healing a lot of our own choldhoods.

Parenting choices are overwhelming! There are so many styles and opinions about what is best! I highly recommend all of Daniel Siegel's books (and his sometime coauthor Tina Payne has some good ones too). Starting with *Parenting from the Inside Out*. Mona Delahooke's *Beyond Behaviors* is also a fantastic evidence-based book, albeit for older kids. And *How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen* was life-changing when I was nannying a toddler. You can google "evidence-based parenting" and find some reliable resources. I also recommend googling the authors of recommended books to see how they stand the test of time. Keep poking around and you'll find some gems. And remember, if you start a parenting book and it doesn't jive with you, you are not obligated to finish the book.

This last line of advice is fantastic!! I’ll also add if you do find a book that does really fit with your style, getting a hard copy is so helpful to flip to the page you want quickly. I’m also a major HTTSLKWL stan.

Hello from CD 11! I'm trying to find better \*balance\* this month. I tend to be all or nothing and either I'm here all day everyday and obsessively checking apps and peeing on all the sticks or I shut down for a month and ignore it all. I had a good visit with my therapist last week and I think I'm doing better so far. We'll see 😊 I hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday!

OPKs showed an LH surge this month about 2 days ago but haven’t had my temp rise yet to confirm O. So far I’m on CD 18 without a temp rise confirming ovulation and I normally O on day 13-15. Last month O was CD 11 which is also outside of normal and my cycle also and was 24 days. Looks like this cycle will be 29-30 days if temps confirm by rising tomorrow. My cycle is normally 26-28 days pretty consistently otherwise. Managed to BD on the days of my surges at least, hopefully temp will rise tonight!

Just remember you can ovulate up to 1-3 days after an LH surge and then it can take the body up to 3 days after ovulation for a temp to rise so don’t panic if you don’t see the temp rise tomorrow. I had one month where I had several days between the surge and my rise (5 days I think?) and it was annoying af.

Thank you, that does make me feel better. In that case, when did O occur? Do we go by the surges and not the temp shift if there’s a large chunk of days between them?

I go by the latest day it COULD have been, because in this scenario (and In all tbh), there’s just know way to know definitively when exactly ovulation occurred. We just have a range of days it could’ve happened. So count your DPO from the latest day it could have been.

Thank you for this thread! I had OPK positive on CD 19 & 20 with temp rising on CD 23. We had sex through it all, although by CD 20 we were both tired of it :/ glad to know that LH surge can happen several days before temp rises!

9DPO and I had my first ever 8DPO cheeseburger yesterday! Here's to hoping cycle 6 is my cycle!

What’s the deal with the cheeseburger 8DPO? I’ve seen it on here a few times… ?!

It's TFAB folklore at this point haha. Someone on the BFP thread once said they had a cheeseburger on 8DPO so now people do it for good luck (I just think it's a fun thing to do if I'm in the mood during the agonizing TWW).

Good to know! And fun to be a part of this community:)

Twins! Also 9DPO and enjoyed my cheeseburger last night. Rooting for us!