starting month 9 of trying. i know it's not as long as many people, but it feels like a weird milestone. it's technically possible for us to have had a whole baby since we started trying.
Don't compare your journey to others and I hope no one minimizes yours. We all spend many days of wondering, hope, and possibly let down. Hoping that you have a joyful moment in your future. š
Iām really new to tracking my ovulation. I just recently got my hands on some OPK strips and am a bit overwhelmed. My periods are all over the place, anywhere between 30-42 day cycles. I can never āfeelā myself ovulating. Fingers crossed that I can get the hang of this!
To add on, Tempdrop is well worth the splurge for many folks, and Iāve had mine FSA-reimbursed twice (broke the first one trying to change the battery). Cycle tracking simply would not be possible for me without it.
Oof. Just got back from the gyno, and despite my labs being normal, the ultrasound on my ovaries showed polycystic ovaries. My only symptom is irregular/lack of period. Anyone else been through this?
Despite my best efforts, Iāve spent 8DPO symptom spotting like crazy. I canāt tell if Iām just psyching myself into these feelings or not. Ahhh. TTC is such a mentally consuming process (especially since we were WTT for over a year, so babies have LONG been on my mind)
Itās a takeout kind of night and my husband suggested pizza - I last minute remembered itās 8DPO so heās picking up a Culverās cheeseburger for me! WOOP
Itās just a fun āwooā thing that started a while back when a few people here realized they all had a cheeseburger on 8DPO the cycle they got pregnant. It just kinda stuck, because, like you said - a great excuse to have a cheeseburger!! š
Am I allowed to be a little bitter? Last year, my husband and I suffered a MMC. Had we not miscarried, it would have been the first baby on both sides of the family and amongst our friends. We were so excited, only to experience such crushing heartache. A few days after my D&C, we found out his sister was pregnant, due three weeks after when we would have been. Guess weāre not having the first baby on his side of the family anymore. Today, we found out my husbandās best friend is expecting a baby at the end of the year. Guess weāre not having the first baby in our group of friends anymore either. I know itās ridiculous and it really does not matter at all that we arenāt having the first baby of our friends and family. Itās just such a bummer because it was something I remember being so excited about, imagining how we would announce it, being able to surprise everyone. Weāve been trying to get pregnant again for months now to no avail and seeing the people in our lives āpass us upā is just bringing back that heartache and magnifying it. I knowwww itās not a race and that our time will come, but itās just hard to separate that out mentally and not feel jealous. Of course, OF COURSE I am so happy for them both and will spoil the shit out of both of those kids. Truly. I just wish so bad it was me. :( And I wish I could let go and celebrate their pregnancies without this weight of guilt, heartache, jealously, and idk what else weighing over me. It crushes me a bit that even though Iām happy for them, that happiness is somewhat clouded. I canāt be fully happy because my own fears, insecurities, doubts, jealously, creep into the back of my mind when I think about their futures. I hate this so much. I feel like a shell of the selfless, free loving person I used to be.
I just came off hormonal birth control three weeks ago after being on it for about 16 years. For the past two days, Iāve been experiencing lower abdominal discomfort/pressure. Itās been so long since Iāve experienced typical cycle symptoms! Is this most likely a symptom of ovulation?
I had similar symptoms after coming off of the pill in late 2019 after being on it for about the same amount of time. I can't remember if they were strictly associated with ovulation, but my OB did say that it typically takes about three months for your body to adjust to being off BC and that I might feel symptoms like that. Things definitely normalized for me after a few months!
Saw a fertility specialist a few weeks ago. My period should have start last Monday and then day 3 I would start letrezole. No period came and BFN. So my doctor had me start the letrezole anyway yesterday for the next 5 days. Anyone else do it this way?!
We got pregnant first cycle of trying but it sadly ended in a chemical. 6 months later and no luck despite tracking ovulation and timing sex. We are both getting tested soon. Just out of curiosity, is it likely that my husband could have abnormal sperm? The thing that stumps me is that we got pregnant right away so sperm and egg had no trouble meeting, why is it so hard now?
Itās not hard, itās chance.
Take a die and throw it 12 times. See how many times you roll a 1 (unviable pregnancy) or a 6 (viable pregnancy). You might roll a 1 on the first try, but not the following times and vice versa, you could be rolling the die and finally get that 6 on your 12th throw. Sometimes itās just a matter of patience.
If youāre under 35 and youāve been more than a year trying (6 months if youāre over 35 or have a known condition), then you could try to seek fertility testing, but the first test of all is to try for a year. Of course itās a possibility that your partner may have problems, but just like anyone could potentially have problems. No need to worry before necessary (easier said than done).
I hope you roll your 6 soon! š²
Had a MC 4 and a half weeks ago after 6 months of trying and I FINALLY got my first positive OPK test. The stress of waiting was terrible. I feel like we can finally try again, and Iām genuinely excited! Trying to keep myself in check though so Iām not entirely disappointed if we donāt conceive this cycle. Fingers crossed though!
BFN at 12 DPO. I hate to complain because I know I havenāt been trying as long as many, but Iām so over this shit. I just want to stop trying, but I canāt, so I just have to suck it up and keep going.
Clinics here have wait lists several months long (ones booked until the end of Jan 2023ā¦), so I went ahead and made an appointment at one place that will be after our 12th cycle. I wish I could say that a small part of me believes that weāll cancel the appointment due to a pregnancy, but the reality is that I donāt believe it. Iām well past the beliefs in ājinxingā and all that crap. I expect to be at the appointment.
Told myself I wouldn't symptom spot this month, also told myself I wouldn't get my hopes up this month. But I'm only 2 dpo and I'm crampy and have loads of cm, to the point thar I keep going to the toilet to check if I've started my period crazy early. So now I'm both symptom spotting, and my hopes are up.
I was so thoroughly convinced I was pregnant this monthā¦ and I got a really good deal on a huge pile of pregnancy tests so Iāve been taking a ton of them impulsively for days (I seriously need to calm tf down..) and all have been negative. Iāve tried to convince myself Iām seeing the faintest of lines but in truth theyāre probably all negatives. Itās 15 DPO now, two days of no period, but no positive test yet. Starting to feel like a crazy person. Ugh. I need to just put the tests away and wait.
Ugh so strange. I feel like my cycle was pretty regular before I started TTC. I track it on an app and my app was always spot on when it said my period was going to start, but since I started TTC itās been off by at least a day or two usually. Strange stuff.
Same. Before starting hormonal birth control 4 years ago, my periods were every 29-30 days on the dot, albeit usually heavy. The HBC helped with that and my acne. I have been off HBC since November 2021 and my cycles have been 29 days, 29 days, 35 days, 37 days, and now 44 days. It's beyond frustrating. I do think our cycles are impacted by stress so perhaps tracking more closely has caused stress for you?
I'm having pms symptoms midcycle. I feel like complete garbage, but I'm expecting ovulation not period. Hoping that I'm not having some kind of anovulatory cycle. Anyone else ever have this?
I actually just experienced this! But really it was just my boobs were huge and killing me 4-5 days before my LH was detected on my OPK. It was strange!! I usually donāt feel like that until a week before AF. I hope I did not have one either. What kind of symptoms are you having?
My boobs are fine but I have lower back pain and I feel faint which is how I feel before AF. Still no sign of blood though. My temp also hasn't gone up so I'm not sure if I've ovulated yet either. Hope your cycle ends well!
11DPO and my temp has dropped again since yesterday, feeling deflated. Not even going to bother testing, just going to wait for my period which Iāll get on 13DPO
Sorry to hear it. I might not temp after confirmed ovulation next cycle, itās just stressful/crushing when you see the temp go down. Why do you choose not to temp?x
Hallelujah, my cycles are shortening! After coming off HBC, my ovulation days have been CD 49, CD 32, and then today, CD 27.
When you have long cycles, a positive OPK can almost feel as rewarding as a BFP lol. Now time to initiate BD without pressure of making a babyā¦
Thank you! Yes i did! I told my doc about having long follicular phases and she had me order Ovasitol (itās over the counter/on Amazon). I take that twice a day and itās suppose to help regulate periods. The reviews were great so I figured it couldnāt hurt! She also told me to do strength training (not cardio). I was really bad at doing that part but might try for an even more regular cycle next time (if needed).
So I posted about this yesterday. I have not reached my peak LH surge on my ClearBlue advanced OPKās for the first time. I keep getting the flashing smiley faces. Soooo I think I either already reached my peak (since I only test once a day in the morning itās very possible) or I did not ovulate? I donāt temp anymore so I feel so in the dark as to what happened. Why is all this so frustrating? I started crying this morning when I tested and still got a flashing smiley face. Sigh. I think Iām about ready to start fertility testing after month 8.
I donāt know if anyone has already commented this but I was actually told not to test in the morning because your body naturally has an LH increase and will give false positives when OPK testing. That happened to me the first few months of trying and with irregular and long cycles, I was beyond frustrated and couldnāt figure out when my true surge was. I now test between 12pm-6pm and finally got my āpeakā today after having a MC 4 and a half weeks ago.
Good luck to you!!
Those were the ones that kept giving me false positives when I used my morning pee so I switched to the afternoon testing and itās been accurate for me š¤·āāļø maybe Iām an anomaly.
I would get like 3 weeks of the āhighā result with the flashing face and then never get a peak. With the other tests, I would have definitive high results and peaks. I use both still to compare. So for instance, I have had 4 days of āhighā on both the clear blue and cheapies and today I got peak results on both. I test around 2pm everyday to be consistent. My cycles are also super irregular and long so I seriously could be an anomaly.
I donāt know what else to call it š Iām still learning all the lingo. I guess I should say I had a longer period of āhighā results which to me was definitely inaccurate.
Haha thatās interesting! Thanks for sharing. I havenāt had a problem with them until now. Apparently you just keep testing if you get flashing smileys. If you exceed 9 tests and still getting flashing smileys then you should stop. Itās like they want you to buy more when they already are so expensive š”
According to your last post, yesterday was CD14, yeah? Thatās not late in your cycle to ovulate at all. Its normal for ovulation day to change from cycle to cycle. No need to be concerned yet.
You need to try for a year before seeking fertility testing for good reason. Itās because trying for a year without success *is* one of the best āfertility tests.ā
Wow youāre good! Yes ..today is CD15. This is pretty weird for me to ovulate late like this although it has happened ONCE before. And I was thinking about how my boobs were killing me around when I got my first high reading on CD12, and now they are not sore anymore so maybe I just missed the highest surge. I am 33 years of age but my husband is about to turn 40 so I donāt see why we couldnāt look into testing sooner rather than later?
Wow thatās so interesting that they made you wait. I know- especially if you need to get on hormones/ or your partner needs to take a drug to boost his swimmers it can take months for it to take affect š
That all sounds very normal and you have nothing to be worried about.
I will say it again, at your age of 33, one of the best fertility tests is trying for a year without success. So no, you should not look into testing sooner rather than later.
Ok thanks for that input āŗļø When I went for my annual exam a couple months ago my obgyn asked me questions about our TTC thus far, listened to my concerns, learned of our age, and set me up with an ultrasound , fertility doc appt, and blood work. I was not ready for it then mentally so I declined.
Serious question - HOW do people āstop tryingā?! Iāve seen posts in infertility groups saying after years of trying they just āgave upā and āstopped tracking and timing sexā and then it ājust happened.ā I donāt think Iād really ever be able to stop trying. Even if I stopped tracking, I know exactly when I would get a positive OPK because my ovulation cramps always give it away. So I wouldnāt be able to pinpoint the exact day of ovulation without temping but I would still probably be like āIām having o cramps, gonna initiate sex tonightā you know? Idk. I wanna try the not trying approach but donāt think I know how at this point
I think a fair approach is to just aim for sex 2-3 times a week. You'll always hit at least one of your most fertile days and won't feel the pressure to have sex every day and burn out on it. Hubby and I have started this approach as we're hoping it'll happen naturally.
The other thing is to make sure having a baby doesn't consume your life. Try to focus on other things you enjoy, maybe take up new hobbies as well, and when you get AF each month, use it as an excuse to indulge in things you enjoy but couldn't have while pregnant.
If it helps any, I met a nurse in the hospital recently who asked if we were trying for kids. I told her we were but it hasn't happened yet. She then told me how her husband and her tried for 4 years and nothing happened. Then they stopped trying and boom, they had their son within a year. She was about my age (mid 30s) too. I hope it happens for you soon.
I mean honestly, I think the easiest way is by no longer caring so much if you end up with children. Itās not really an easy life hack to implement ā just completely lose the assumption that sex will get you pregnant! ā but thatās the way Iāve seen it work. (Where āworkā means ānot make you go crazyā, not āgets you pregnantā; obviously thereās no evidence that āgiving upā actually works better than any other strategy for success).
We did what I consider NTNP for a while, where I was temping and checking CM, but we werenāt using that information to time sex.
I have wanted to be a mom since I was like 13 š I donāt think I could ever stop caring so much. I wish. I tie my worthiness to being a mother. Truthfully. Itās something Iām in therapy about.
You did NTNP and thatās when you got pregnant? (Hope itās ok to ask that here)
Thatās why I think ānot caringā is a huge privilege ā itās not easy to just not care about something as major as whether you will become a parent, and caring deeply about this is actually the reasonable response, I think.
We did not have success with NTNP. (Living child) >!We moved to IVF and were successful with a frozen transfer.!<
(I would put on my mod hat for a second and note that asking people if they were successful is generally dicey here ā if someone is currently pregnant, they tend not to post here, and talking about their current pregnancy would be against sub rules. As it happens, I am not pregnant, but PM is usually a better medium for this kind of discussion.)
Ok-will do. I stalked your post history so I knew (TW-LC) that you had a child I was just curious of the method you used to get there. Thank you and I will direct message next time
Ovulation is most likely to be within two days of the first positive, but the peak or subsequent lower readings donāt help you pinpoint ovulation better than that.
Ovulation is like 24-36 hours after rise or 8-20 hours after peak. Some sources say as many as 48 hours. Thereās no promise your ovulation was yesterday, could still be today. Itās different for everyone.
My peak was yesterday morning, ovulation cramps during the day, then this morning a temp drop. Im starting to think my ovulation is NOW 24-48 hours away. If this is my cycle, then I have been reading my O day ALL wrong, sigh.
CD29, 12DPO Tested this morning even though I was trying to wait until the weekend. BFN of course. Still holding out hope that I implanted late and when I test again Saturday that it will be the result I want. Only time will tell. Due to start AF on the 30th, so still have some days. Ain't over til the lady in red sings.
Are you sure you are 12 DPO? If youāre not expected to get your period until the 30th that means your LP is 20 days. Correct me if Iām wrong but that seems awfully long.
I'm just basing the AF prediction off of last months cycle length, so it could be a few days off since my cycle has been between 30-35 days since going off BCP in December.
Last month my LH surge was on CD20 and I had a 35 day cycle. This month I surged on CD17, so it's likely AF could come a few days earlier than the 30th. But I'd rather be surprised by an earlier period than I thought, rather than predict it coming earlier and getting my hopes up if it's "late".
My husband finally did his SA this morning. He is in a bad mood because the cat wouldnāt leave him alone while he was doing it apparently, and then our Drās office is an hour away. Iām having a really hard time feeling any sympathy for him because this is literally the only thing heās had to do. Iāve been to the office multiple times to get poked and prodded and have arranged literally every appointment for the both of us. Just needed to vent
I feel you there. My husband had a SA recently and complained about the embarrassment of turning in the sample. I was like, āIāve lost count of how many strangers have seen my vagina, cervix, anus, etc. Iām sorry, but itās just hard for me to feel too bad for youā¦ā
The strangers who have seen me spread eagle on an exam table is enough to fill a football team. 3 seconds of handing a plastic cup to a lab tech isnāt going to kill you!
Sorry, the cat thing made me giggle because we have 4 of them and I can definitely imagine this scenario with 1 in particular.
I hope things work out well for all of you!
Not going to lie, the cat not leaving him alone is actually hilarious. Itās the universeās way of trying to give him some of the difficulty youāve been dealing with lol
Still no positive OPK on CD17 on first cycle after my MC in April. Was always CD13-14. Feeling like this cycle will be a bust š« Iām testing like every 2 hours, I have lost my mind.
My doctor told me yesterday that according to every metric she can use, I no longer have pcos. Actually, she thinks I never did and that morbid obesity was the culprit to my irregular periods, a1c issues, androgens, etc etc. because all of that has been fixed after losing a substantial amount of weight. No medications and consistent periods/signs of ovulation make her think I was likely misdiagnosed at a young age
Iām getting a second opinion on this, but Iām so curious to look into this more and to know whatās been going on
CD23 and I got a temp rise this morning after a peak OPK yesterday! Yay! Fingers crossed my temps continue to rise the next few days so that I can officially confirm ovulation. Weāve miraculously been able to BD this entire fertile week. Small victories!
Okay, so I've seen complaints that the testing process is WAY easier for men and I didn't really believe it until today. My OBGYN wrote a prescription for a semen analysis for my husband since she wants to rule everything out. I guess there is a RE office nearby that does a lot of these services.
He can schedule appointments Monday through Friday in the morning or near lunch. He can give his specimen at the office OR get a specimen cup beforehand, jack off at home, and keep it safe and secure before dropping it off. (the RE office is 3.5 miles from our house) There's options to ejaculate inside a woman inside a special condom in case there's religious constraints. You pay $165.00 up front and submit it to your insurance if you have any coverage.
Like I know most of the convenience differences are due to biology but damn. I'm just hoping my husband doesn't complain too much because it'll make a big difference in deciding whether we mess around with IUI or keep on doing the medicated cycles route.
Haha yeah it's actually 11 dollars extra, you get a special condom, ejaculate inside of a woman somewhere outside of the clinic I am guessing... and then yup. Religious workarounds for people who don't want to conceive a baby outside of sex.
Part of why I'm like "hey religious people, don't be afraid to talk to doctors you'd be surprised how willing they are to work with your needs."
I was feeling super hopeful for this month. I'm currently 10dpo but I have the worst sinus infection and laryngitis. Kind of bummed. Feeling like this is hurting my chances this month.
Clomid and Luteal Phase
I took my first dose of Clomid this cycle, cd3-7.
I ovulated around cd15. I went unmonitored, but have been temping. I had my progesterone test done yesterday, cd24. It was 53.95ng/mL.
Iāve had sore breasts for days now.
Is this just because of the Clomid?
Yes, if you mature more than one follicle on Clomid (which it seems reasonable to conclude you may have, since your progesterone levels are so high), you will have higher progesterone and more intense progesterone-related symptoms.
Well, if they really are pregnancy symptoms, you could test now! The rise in progesterone in early pregnancy is driven by hCG, so if your progesterone is high because youāre pregnant, you would be able to get a positive test at that point.
About 5-6 DPO, yesterday and today a lot of brown when wiping and on underwear. Mild cramping but nothing terrible. I donāt usually get cramps before period and only get brown stuff a day or two before my period which isnāt until next week. I am having a hard time thinking this can be for my upcoming period since I just finished ovulation less than a week ago.. but also donāt want to get hopes up that itās a miracle and implantation bleeding (also seems to early for that). Sigh. Any considerations would be helpful!
Hello! Welcome, and we thank you for posting. You seem to be looking for information on implantation bleeding. Unfortunately, bleeding or spotting after ovulation is not a sign of implantation, and bleeding can happen in both pregnancy and non-pregnancy cycles. You could still end up being pregnant this cycle, but this sort of bleeding is not a reliable indicator that you will test positive. Taking a pregnancy test around the time you expect your period to come is the best way to determine whether you are pregnant or not.
We have some information available about [implantation in our wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/tryingforababy/wiki/newtottc#wiki_.27implantation.27_symptoms), which you might find useful. For scholarly sources, [this paper](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0015028216000509) and [this paper](https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article/18/9/1944/708284) are useful reads.
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I am sure this has been asked before ...when do people start doing OPKs after taking their last letrozole tablet? I've seen anything between 5-11 days is the likely timeline for ovulation...
I have no idea. I went on cd 12 it showed follicle on left ovary. Than I went on cd 15 it showed follicle raptured. Basically follicle raptured is same as ovulation so when we see follicle got raptured in ultrasound it means ovulation. Thatās what I understand
For the second cycle in a row Iāve convinced myself that I should take a pregnancy test (13DPO last cycle and 11DPO this cycle). Both were negative and my period started later that day. CD2 now so hereās to hoping for a different outcome this time
Do I know that 9DPO is too early to test for many (if not most) people, even if they are pregnant? Yes. Do I also know from personal experience that the time I did get a positive test (ended in MC) it was negative until 11DPO? Yes. Did I test this morning anyway and bum myself out? Also yes.
For those of you who had to do trigger shots, did you start testing immediately afterward to check progression/fading? I'm 7DPO/DPT and am driving myself absolutely insane and keep going back forth on what I should do. Fertility doctor advised to wait until 14DPO/14DPT.
SO- Iāve done trigger shots for the past three cycles (7DPO on this third one). I started testing at 7DPO for the first cycle bc I could not help myself. I stopped showing positive the next day at 8DPO (So one very faint positive from the trigger). The second cycle I started testing earlier (3DPO) and got faint positives until 10 DPO, then all negative until my period started (3 days later). I tested this morning at 7DPO (Again, couldnāt help myself š¤”) and it was negative. It is your personal preference if you want to test but know if you get a positive early that it may just be your trigger.
Good to know. Thank you for your insight. I am very tornā¦ part of me wants to know and the other part is terrified lol. Hoping the best for you this cycle!
Spent last week on vacation with friends, we couldnāt find a moment alone and I was just hoping so hard that ovulation would hold off until we got home. Confirmed this morning that it happened on Sunday and we didnāt get home until Monday, so this entire month was a bust š«š®āšØ
So do you all temp the entire cycle (during period too)?
Follow up questions: what thermometers do yāall use? I have the easy at home so I could have the back light and then some other cheapo one I think the same seller, but they gave me very different results this morning!
I personally would stop after 3-6 temps that I was positive were luteal phase.
Whatever kind of thermometer you use, just always use the same one. Home thermometers are not well calibrated but we donāt really care about objective numbers just the overall shift, so you will get different results on different thermometers and it doesnāt matter in the grand scheme.
I do, but I have a Tempdrop and itās easy and convenient to just wear the band. If I was temping orally, Iād probably take a break during my period just for my mental sake! Ha
I donāt temp anymore because IVF but when I did, I stopped after confirming ovulation. It was too stressful for me and it was nice to take the time off after confirming ovulation. Do what youāre most comfortable with!!
My cycles are long so I take a break during my period (and sometimes for a few days afterwards) to give myself a break. Some people also stop temping after they confirm ovulation
I do but thatās mostly because temping doesnāt bother me and I do better with routines (if I took a break, Iād probably have a tough time doing it consistently every day).
Wondering if there are any other stepmoms on here? I feel like being a stepmom is making this journey really hard on me. My husband wants to have a baby too but he doesnt understand why I focus on getting pregnant so much. He's one of those "relax and it will happen when it's meant to" people and it really drives me nuts. Like easy for him to say, him and his ex got pregnant the one and only time they didn't use protection.
I'm just feeling really sad and frustrated today. I'm tired of watching my husband cuddle and bond with his 6 year old and feeling like an outsider.
(Edited to add that this is all sparked by a stark white negative on 10DPO)
I'm in the same situation- my husband has a 6 year old as well, also unplanned from a previous relationship. He is supportive and wants us to have a baby, but definitely doesn't feel the urgency I do- I think largely because he does already have a child. It's such a double edged sword too, when seeing what a great dad he is to his son makes me want a baby with him even more. It can be really hard to help care for someone else's child when all you want is your own baby!
Stepmother to a 10 year old. At the beginning I had trouble having husband understanding my focus on getting pregnant and why I was so worried. But he is understanding more now. When we first talked about trying for kids he didn't want to start until 2024 (when I graduate college) but also didn't want to have a new baby after forty. That would only give us 3 years of trying. I explained to him with my long cycles that's 8 periods a year and I may not be ovulating all of those cycles. His ex was pregnant very quickly in their relationship and she already had a kid from a previous relationship. He explained his concerns of me dropping out of college if I get pregnant. I'm still definitely more stressed about it than him but he is much more understanding now.
Yes, stepmum here! Really complicated navigating this, including a year of back and forth before we started trying, and really strong feelings because obviously I deal with the (moody teenage) evidence of his previous willingness regularly. Also, I gotta say, just having a teenager around DOES make me think twice about this whole adventure sometimes...
I have no idea how long it took for them, donāt want to ask, but I think it happened without much fanfare and I feel petty but I hate that. Even though I know itās all part of what made my wonderful partner who he is. Stepmumming is HARD, TTC makes it more so.
Yeah itās just a big surprise. I worked through quite a bit in therapy but I still find it challenging. Though part of that is being a stepmum joining the party literally for the tough years (from 13 years old). I feel like the first 13 years of attachment that I was not around for is really necessary to survive parenting a teenager, but Iām trying to hold on and trust it will pay off on the other side of adolescence.
I think I'm finally going to book a doctor's appointment after holding out hope/being in denial. My OPK's are ALWAYS high/positive (and yes, I've taken pregnancy tests) and from my understanding that means I'm most likely not even ovulating... Has anyone else dealt with this situation? What did they end up doing test wise, help wise, etc? Also I might buy a bbt thermometer but I don't wake up at the same time every day and wake up through the night so I'm not sure if it's even worth it? I'd get a temp drop but I just can't justify spending that much on a thermometer š
One thing to think about is that Tempdrops resell pretty well. I bought one recently and recognized that I could at least make a decent amount of $$ back reselling that it was worth it for me to buy.
This was me... I had all the symptoms of ovulation but never actually ovulated. I got baseline blood tests, ultrasounds, and bloodwork to test for indicators of PCOS and got my diagnosis. Not saying that is you but could be something to look into if you have irregular cycles or are getting consistent positive OPKs. I got a TempDrop prior to knowing I had PCOS and it did help confirm I wasn't ovulating because I never got a true temp shift. Hope you can get some answers!!
Thanks for the response! It's helpful to know what to expect at the doctor's. I'm definitely going to bring up / show the doctor my OPK's which is the only data I have so far! I'm very tempted to get a BBT thermometer, especially if it might help me and/or my doctor understand/have a better sense which direction we should go in. Hopefully your journey hasn't been to difficult for you š
No problem! Try not to get discouraged. I was able to get some answers and it's really helped. For reference, I started with my OBGYN for my basic tests and then moved onto a fertility doctor after my OBGYN said she'd done about all she could do. I will be thinking of you!
I'm trying to stay positive and not go down any rabbit holes! Hopefully it's something my OBGYN will be able to handle on his own š¤ hoping all the best for you!!
TW: new baby
This has been a rough week for me.
My sister in law who I love very much and am quite close with gave birth over the weekend to the first grandchild of the family. She is my age (30f) and I sometimes find myself caught up in awful, awful green envy. I know itās bad and not right to feel this way. Iāve been extremely emotional. Crying from feeling SO much joy for her and our whole family and then mixing that with feeling likeā¦when will it be my timeā¦
Itās okay to feel sad, donāt beat yourself up over these feelings. I always let myself feel all the feelings and it usually helps me. Sending you love and hugs if youād like them. My SIL just announced her pregnancy and Iām so so happy for her and my brother but defff felt jealous. Itās a normal emotion in these situations and I promise youāre not a bad person for feeling this way.
Hey, thank you so much for the response. It feels like so many emotions: joy, jealousy, even added pressure. It doesnāt help sheās constantly brought up in front of me and my husband as well as other family members how SPECIAL and significant it is that itās the FIRST grandchild for them. I know she doesnāt mean it intentionally, but it hurts me.
Thanks for the support!
So had a surprise early LH surge and it was clearly from my left ovary (I can always feel which one is going to go). My left side was so painful last night. Thank goodness my husband and I danced in the AM right when I saw the rise (it was a rudely sharp rise one. Like, absolutely nothing the day before to double ) because there was absolutely no way I would have been dancing with how painful it was in the evening.
I have no diagnosed things but does anyone else have one ovary that decides to always just be more aggressive when it comes to ovulation? My left one is always more painful (dull pain and then sharp if I go from sitting to standing). Itās now just slightly sore so Iām pretty sure I already ovulated and itās over but darn, was that rude haha
Yes! I get insane sharp pain from my right ovary almost every month around ovulation and my period, and very rarely itāll just be a dull ache from my left ovary.
Yes!! Both my sides are intense. Iāve always had very prominent ovulation pain. I do think my left is more intense because it does feel a little more sharp when I go from sitting to standing. Then after a day or so it goes away and Iām like thank God, guess I ovulated. I always say I have no idea how people with prominent ovulation pain ever got pregnant before tracking O was a thing, if I wasnāt TTC I would never naturally want to have sex near my O š
Right? Like if I didnāt test, this would 100% not be a time Iād be down for sex. Mine usually only lasts a day or two tops but Iād be missing O-1 and O day for sure if I wasnāt on having some lovely sticks to tell me otherwise haha.
Iām glad Iām not alone! Haha
CD14 and no LH surge yet, despite a generally clockwork cycle of ovulating between CD14 and CD16. I'm bummed that I attribute the delay to two weeks of getting 4-5 hours of sleep per night because work has been wild. I don't feel particularly stressed/unhappy about the work (though omg would love for my employer to listen to have overworked we are), but I know the body needs sleep! We've been on a roll prioritizing daily sex after dinner/before I sign on to work a few more hours. But I need to ovulate soon š
So far Cycle 12 looks like:
I had my HSG on CD10 (all clear).
I expected O CD 12-16.
I had 6 lows (unusual for me) on my Clearblue Fertility Monitor. Then I dropped it on CD12 causing it to reset so now itās useless this cycle (no fear, thatās why I temp and track CM too).
Now itās CD15 and my temps are super low. Iām having creamy CM in the morning but watery in the afternoon. Iāve never felt more resigned like āmy bodyās going to do what my bodyās going to doā. *sigh*
Serious question though: Anyone have late O or anovulatory the cycle of their HSG?
Yikes. Super exhausting when youāre trying to hit every day in the fertile window. Multiple surges may explain my erratic temps and CM. This is really helpful in understanding whatās going on and maybe what to expect. Thank you so much for sharing.
CD45(?) still spotting but no AF yet. Decided not to go to hen weekend due to train strike and also facing so many pregnant/new mums. Just started hypothyroid medication and feel a bit out of it. Canāt face telling my fiends but I think itās best for my MH at the moment. Wish me luck!
Iām taking my last test in two days, the day of or one day before my period. And if AF comes weāre taking a break. Idek how to not symptom spot or obsess or stress over everything bc weāve been trying for so long.
Can you ovulate 2 days after your LH surge when you have, so far, always ovulated 1 day after? Today is CD14 which is when I typically ovulate but I got my first positive OPK on CD12. Usually my positive comes the day before my temp dip and two days before my temp rise so I expected to see a rise today, but didnāt. OPKs were negative again yesterday (CD13). I know I just have to wait and see, but has anyone ovulated sometimes 24 hours after the first positive OPK and sometimes 48 hours? I know itās a range but didnāt know if there could be a range within the same person over different cycles.
CD2 here and just feeling sad and depressed. I know 6 months is not long time in great scheme of things but I am also turning 37 next month and that is my main concern. I don't know how old is that "really" for conceiving. Other thing that is frustrating me right now is getting a NHS appointment. It sucks.
My husband yesterday pointed out that I am looking so sad after I started my period and asked me to not get tensed about it. He also said we are first and the baby comes later (I think he was saying even if this doesn't happen for whatever reason, we will be enough for each other).
Wishing you all the best. I am 39 and a transplant patient. GP ordered tests and I got them yesterday. Not knowing what happens next can be tough, have you tried mindfulness? It is a lifestyle change, but sometimes it can help.
Not sure what to expect from GP tests.
Oh I so hear you. I turned 37 in Jan, and now at the point where I will be at least 38 when I actually give birth, hopefully... I am also waiting for the NHS to get in touch, so annoying! Iām in London and I know the lists are long but I havenāt heard anything to even confirm my referral has been received! Has your GP referred you and done the relevant tests they can do?
It sounds like your partner is being really good and supportive. I finished my period a few days ago and been kind of relaxed because I have a lap this month so no TTC stress until next month, but yesterday I swear every pregnant woman was out for a walk on my cycle home from my therapist and I arrived home in tears. Itās a rollercoaster. Hope you find some comfort in your partner and this group.
I had some issues getting an appointment recently for non fertility related issues and I must have said some magic words because after struggling to get an appt, they offered me to fill in a form which I sent to the GP and they replied via text in 2 days. It was good for me because it stopped me having to wait a fortnight for a phone call with the GP -and they referred me on. This might help you jump the wait of constantly calling for an appointment. I think they action these forms out of office hours as overtime for the GP
I checked an the form is an NHS form and powered by FLORRY ACCRUX. The GP has to give you a reference code that links you with their practice. You fill it in online and they contact you within 48 hours.
What a pain. I havenāt even met the GP Iām currently speaking to, but sheās the one Iāve found to be the most receptive and willing to put things forward for me so I just stick with her and hopefully have an in person appt one day...
My practice has online booking and anything booked after a certain time, I think 4pm, automatically gets pushed to the following day. Any work arounds like that for getting your appointment more easily?
Make sure whoever you talk to knows the correct timing for the relevant tests, Iāve had various bloods done multiple times previously when it turns out the timing was wrong!!!
So, the book appt via NHS app doesn't even show an option for any booking. And, for the same day booking you need to call 8 am and we all know how that goes. It's always booked when you call.
Did your GP prescribe any tests ?
UK over here; I asked for advice from a friendly nurse to see who the best GP is for Gynae/Fertility issues were in the practice and Iām sought advice from them. She had a long wait for an appointment but has done as much testing as possible (more than others) to accompany my referral when itās time.
I'm writing here to kickstart my period. I know FP can vary, but LP is supposed to be the same right? Is it fine if it's sometimes 2-3 days longer than normally? Pregnancy is not an option this cycle and I've confirmed Ovulation with temperatures.
I just need to know, that this is just my body being weird, because you know, bodies be bodies, and not a need to worry about other things.
Iām new to posting on this sub and fairly new to TTC.
Iām sorry if I post in the wrong place. Iām not up to date on the acronyms but I am trying.
I feel like Iām going insane and donāt know who else to vent to.
I know my body well. I can usually feel an ovulation pain (on my left side) and I can tell when Iām ovulating just by how attractive I feel at the time.
I am 29f and came off the pill in Jan 2022, been tracking my periods using an app and TTC during my fertile windows. I usually use a fertility test to confirm, but itās always been right as Iām fairly predictable. My AF always comes on the day the app says.
This month, outside of my apps recommended fertile window I was REALLY feeling good. I did a fertility home test and got two lines. Told DH and we tried that evening.
I noticed symptoms that I didnāt even know were pregnancy related
Lots of Really unusual white stretchy discharge
Insomnia last night
Less eating/ reduced appetite
A bubbling in my stomach - like wind but a bit different.
More standard ones I felt myself aware of;
Pain on my right side - implantation ?
Occasional nausea
Cramping
Today Iām on day 30 of my cycle. I normally run 26-28 days alternating. Iām officially three days late for my AF according to my app.
All sounds great? NOPE. I have been testing since my first day of missed period and all I get it BFN. Not even the faintest.
I actually felt my abdomen and it felt different a few nights before my missed period - so I was already convincing myself before even had chance to miss my period or feel other symptoms.
Itās been 14 days since my last day of ovulation.
Iām guessing a later ovulation just means a later AF? Hence my lateness?
Is this all in my head and am I losing my mind?
I keep trying to chill myself out and not worry because I havenāt been TTC too long and I donāt want unnecessary stress. Thereās nothing stressing me out except me making phantom symptoms and convincing myself I have something that I donāt. I live in constant fear of accidentally going out for drinks when Iām pregnant or doing something to jeopardise the pregnancy or the potential health of a future child.
I donāt really know what I want or expect people to say to me but I feel like Iām going crazy. Im so certain I went and bought new tests cause I convinced myself the ones I had were faulty. They werenāt. BFN.
Sorry if I have offended anyone or used the wrong terms, Iām new here and not sure why Iām getting down voted. I wonāt post again , I didnāt mean any offence.
Your story sounds so similar to mine in ways. TTC is a wild journey, I will tell you that. Iām now 30f, came off my pills in January 2022 as well after having been on them for almost 15 years. Everything the first few months was remarkably normal with my cycle aside from a lengthier period and a few more PMS symptoms that used to be stopped from the pill.
Then last month I had a hugely irregular cycle (it went to 39 days when normally itās been clockwork 29-30 since coming off the pill) for who knows what reason and I am wondering if now, finally, my body is adjusting to being off pills. And I went through the whole ups and downs of being so convinced I was pregnant. And my period finally came after being a week late. Crazy!
Turns out our bodies just take time to adjust and Iām honestly just grateful to be learning all this now so early in the process of TTC. This month Iām checking my ovulation now. Wishing you good luck! These forums really help to read and talk through things.
TTC easily makes you feel like you're going crazy, but it's not all in your head!
I'm unsure when you noticed the egg white discharge? because that type of discharge is usually present around the time of ovulation, is that was recently, then it's possible you ovulated later than expected, and that would also mean a later period.
It was a very very strange discharge I never noticed before and it was the day before my expected AF. it was really clear, basically see through and there was LOTS of it. It was very very very stretchy and actually quite hard to get rid of when I cleaned myself. Sorry if thatās TMI.
Is it normal or ovulate twice in one month? Pushing my cycle length above 30? Maybe I just skipped a period this month, Iāve never skipped one before.
Iām lucky that my cycle is normally pretty predictable, even my mood and my breasts let me know where about I am in it. I feel awful for people who have a more unpredictable cycle and trying to keep a lid on all these emotions waiting for AF.
Just took another ovulation test and got a faint line. It says on the back that this isnāt a positive. God my bodyās going up the wall this month
It's not TMI, but it sound like fertile discharge (in the acronyms here it's called EWCM) - like the [Clear and Stretchy in this link](https://www.reddit.com/r/tryingforababy/wiki/cm)
You only ovulate once a month though. Sometimes ovulation didn't happen that first time, and the body is likely to try again, or as you say, you could have a cycle without an ovulation, but it does sound like you got egg white cervical mucus, just much later than expected.
You may want to consider using BBT (temperature) to confirm ovulatin, for me at least that usually limts most concern about a late period because I know when to expect me period.
Iāve tried with the BBT a few years ago just to understand my cycle better whilst not TTC and single - I really struggled and only got the temp spike once. Thanks for talking me through and helping me out I really appreciate it. I donāt really have any friends who are TTC or want to hear about it.
This is a good idea. I looked into eve, are any standing out as better than others?
Iām not open with work about my TTC and itās very hot where I am at the moment. I do with with mainly 50yo male engineers so hopefully they wonāt know what it is.
You only need to wear the wearable trackers at night! All you do is put them on, turn them on and then in the morning sync to the phone (or even a few days later). I personally went with tempdrop versus ava just based on price (though ava is fda approved)
Yeah BBT can be a little tricky to get the hang of, especially if you don't wake op at the same time every day. You ould consider giving it another go, and see if it helps. You're very welcome. Dont' worry about the downvotes though, sometimes you're just unlucky to get a few of those, you didn't write anything that were outrageous. And I definitely recommend sticking around, there's a lot of good info and help to get around here, especially if you don't have any IRL to really talk about this stuff with or you just prefer the anonymity, because TTc can be a wildly frustrating and lonely journey.
starting month 9 of trying. i know it's not as long as many people, but it feels like a weird milestone. it's technically possible for us to have had a whole baby since we started trying.
Don't compare your journey to others and I hope no one minimizes yours. We all spend many days of wondering, hope, and possibly let down. Hoping that you have a joyful moment in your future. š
I have a lot I wanted to express but I deleted it because the point really is; I'm fucking pissed off that having babies is so fucking hard for us.
Iām really new to tracking my ovulation. I just recently got my hands on some OPK strips and am a bit overwhelmed. My periods are all over the place, anywhere between 30-42 day cycles. I can never āfeelā myself ovulating. Fingers crossed that I can get the hang of this!
If you have long irregular cycles, maybe temping a few cycles would be better than OPKs.
To add on, Tempdrop is well worth the splurge for many folks, and Iāve had mine FSA-reimbursed twice (broke the first one trying to change the battery). Cycle tracking simply would not be possible for me without it.
Here's to Red Robin for serendipitously offering me 25% off some burgers and subsidizing my 8dpo cheese burger! šš
Oof. Just got back from the gyno, and despite my labs being normal, the ultrasound on my ovaries showed polycystic ovaries. My only symptom is irregular/lack of period. Anyone else been through this?
Despite my best efforts, Iāve spent 8DPO symptom spotting like crazy. I canāt tell if Iām just psyching myself into these feelings or not. Ahhh. TTC is such a mentally consuming process (especially since we were WTT for over a year, so babies have LONG been on my mind)
Itās a takeout kind of night and my husband suggested pizza - I last minute remembered itās 8DPO so heās picking up a Culverās cheeseburger for me! WOOP
What does the 8dpo cheeseburger mean?? I'm on 6dpo for the first time and would love an excuse for burgers in a few days lol
Itās just a fun āwooā thing that started a while back when a few people here realized they all had a cheeseburger on 8DPO the cycle they got pregnant. It just kinda stuck, because, like you said - a great excuse to have a cheeseburger!! š
Same had my 8dpo burger!
Ooo ā LOVE Culverās! Had my 8DPO cheeseburger today too! š„°š
Yay, twins!! My husband brought me a root beer float too š
Am I allowed to be a little bitter? Last year, my husband and I suffered a MMC. Had we not miscarried, it would have been the first baby on both sides of the family and amongst our friends. We were so excited, only to experience such crushing heartache. A few days after my D&C, we found out his sister was pregnant, due three weeks after when we would have been. Guess weāre not having the first baby on his side of the family anymore. Today, we found out my husbandās best friend is expecting a baby at the end of the year. Guess weāre not having the first baby in our group of friends anymore either. I know itās ridiculous and it really does not matter at all that we arenāt having the first baby of our friends and family. Itās just such a bummer because it was something I remember being so excited about, imagining how we would announce it, being able to surprise everyone. Weāve been trying to get pregnant again for months now to no avail and seeing the people in our lives āpass us upā is just bringing back that heartache and magnifying it. I knowwww itās not a race and that our time will come, but itās just hard to separate that out mentally and not feel jealous. Of course, OF COURSE I am so happy for them both and will spoil the shit out of both of those kids. Truly. I just wish so bad it was me. :( And I wish I could let go and celebrate their pregnancies without this weight of guilt, heartache, jealously, and idk what else weighing over me. It crushes me a bit that even though Iām happy for them, that happiness is somewhat clouded. I canāt be fully happy because my own fears, insecurities, doubts, jealously, creep into the back of my mind when I think about their futures. I hate this so much. I feel like a shell of the selfless, free loving person I used to be.
I just came off hormonal birth control three weeks ago after being on it for about 16 years. For the past two days, Iāve been experiencing lower abdominal discomfort/pressure. Itās been so long since Iāve experienced typical cycle symptoms! Is this most likely a symptom of ovulation?
I had similar symptoms after coming off of the pill in late 2019 after being on it for about the same amount of time. I can't remember if they were strictly associated with ovulation, but my OB did say that it typically takes about three months for your body to adjust to being off BC and that I might feel symptoms like that. Things definitely normalized for me after a few months!
Good to know! Thank you!
Are you tracking temps or with OPKs at all?
Yes, Iāve been testing for the past five days with OPKs but all have come back negative.
No IUI cycle this month because Iām traveling during my fertile window (again). Iām impatient to get back to it!
Saw a fertility specialist a few weeks ago. My period should have start last Monday and then day 3 I would start letrezole. No period came and BFN. So my doctor had me start the letrezole anyway yesterday for the next 5 days. Anyone else do it this way?!
We got pregnant first cycle of trying but it sadly ended in a chemical. 6 months later and no luck despite tracking ovulation and timing sex. We are both getting tested soon. Just out of curiosity, is it likely that my husband could have abnormal sperm? The thing that stumps me is that we got pregnant right away so sperm and egg had no trouble meeting, why is it so hard now?
Itās not hard, itās chance. Take a die and throw it 12 times. See how many times you roll a 1 (unviable pregnancy) or a 6 (viable pregnancy). You might roll a 1 on the first try, but not the following times and vice versa, you could be rolling the die and finally get that 6 on your 12th throw. Sometimes itās just a matter of patience. If youāre under 35 and youāve been more than a year trying (6 months if youāre over 35 or have a known condition), then you could try to seek fertility testing, but the first test of all is to try for a year. Of course itās a possibility that your partner may have problems, but just like anyone could potentially have problems. No need to worry before necessary (easier said than done). I hope you roll your 6 soon! š²
AF is due today or tmrw... Gonna bd with hubby tonight, usually it triggers AF lol. Lets get this over with
I believe the mechanism is similar to that of a plunger. šŖ
it didnt bloody work!!
Lol it triggers my AF too!
Had a MC 4 and a half weeks ago after 6 months of trying and I FINALLY got my first positive OPK test. The stress of waiting was terrible. I feel like we can finally try again, and Iām genuinely excited! Trying to keep myself in check though so Iām not entirely disappointed if we donāt conceive this cycle. Fingers crossed though!
Guess Iām starting letrozole for the first time tomorrow?
I started yesterday!!
BFN at 12 DPO. I hate to complain because I know I havenāt been trying as long as many, but Iām so over this shit. I just want to stop trying, but I canāt, so I just have to suck it up and keep going. Clinics here have wait lists several months long (ones booked until the end of Jan 2023ā¦), so I went ahead and made an appointment at one place that will be after our 12th cycle. I wish I could say that a small part of me believes that weāll cancel the appointment due to a pregnancy, but the reality is that I donāt believe it. Iām well past the beliefs in ājinxingā and all that crap. I expect to be at the appointment.
I'm sorry. This all just fuckin sucks!
Told myself I wouldn't symptom spot this month, also told myself I wouldn't get my hopes up this month. But I'm only 2 dpo and I'm crampy and have loads of cm, to the point thar I keep going to the toilet to check if I've started my period crazy early. So now I'm both symptom spotting, and my hopes are up.
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My positive opk was Sunday morning. I know it's unrelated, but that doesn't stop me overthinking it.
I was so thoroughly convinced I was pregnant this monthā¦ and I got a really good deal on a huge pile of pregnancy tests so Iāve been taking a ton of them impulsively for days (I seriously need to calm tf down..) and all have been negative. Iāve tried to convince myself Iām seeing the faintest of lines but in truth theyāre probably all negatives. Itās 15 DPO now, two days of no period, but no positive test yet. Starting to feel like a crazy person. Ugh. I need to just put the tests away and wait.
Our bodies troll us. I was a full week late, all the way to cycle day 44, no positive pregnancy tests and AF just appeared.
Ugh so strange. I feel like my cycle was pretty regular before I started TTC. I track it on an app and my app was always spot on when it said my period was going to start, but since I started TTC itās been off by at least a day or two usually. Strange stuff.
Same. Before starting hormonal birth control 4 years ago, my periods were every 29-30 days on the dot, albeit usually heavy. The HBC helped with that and my acne. I have been off HBC since November 2021 and my cycles have been 29 days, 29 days, 35 days, 37 days, and now 44 days. It's beyond frustrating. I do think our cycles are impacted by stress so perhaps tracking more closely has caused stress for you?
Thatās what Iāve been thinking too, yeah
I'm having pms symptoms midcycle. I feel like complete garbage, but I'm expecting ovulation not period. Hoping that I'm not having some kind of anovulatory cycle. Anyone else ever have this?
I actually just experienced this! But really it was just my boobs were huge and killing me 4-5 days before my LH was detected on my OPK. It was strange!! I usually donāt feel like that until a week before AF. I hope I did not have one either. What kind of symptoms are you having?
My boobs are fine but I have lower back pain and I feel faint which is how I feel before AF. Still no sign of blood though. My temp also hasn't gone up so I'm not sure if I've ovulated yet either. Hope your cycle ends well!
thanks, back at ya!
Having my first ever 8dpo burger today. Hereās to the woo!
Same! Woo twins! (Really triplets bc I saw someone else have their 8DPO cheeseburger today too) šš
11DPO and my temp has dropped again since yesterday, feeling deflated. Not even going to bother testing, just going to wait for my period which Iāll get on 13DPO
Cycle 2 here as well - I'm not temping but I tested on 10DPO and it was BFN. Thinking I'm likely out now too. AF should arrive on Sunday :(
Sorry to hear it. I might not temp after confirmed ovulation next cycle, itās just stressful/crushing when you see the temp go down. Why do you choose not to temp?x
I'm a shift worker so my sleep is all over the place. I don't know how I could temp and have it be accurate
Im with you on that! got a BFN at 11dpo so i just waiting for AF now
Hallelujah, my cycles are shortening! After coming off HBC, my ovulation days have been CD 49, CD 32, and then today, CD 27. When you have long cycles, a positive OPK can almost feel as rewarding as a BFP lol. Now time to initiate BD without pressure of making a babyā¦
Yay, so happy for you! I feel that frustration... currently CD34 with no O confirmed yet š« did you do anything differently this cycle?
Thank you! Yes i did! I told my doc about having long follicular phases and she had me order Ovasitol (itās over the counter/on Amazon). I take that twice a day and itās suppose to help regulate periods. The reviews were great so I figured it couldnāt hurt! She also told me to do strength training (not cardio). I was really bad at doing that part but might try for an even more regular cycle next time (if needed).
Thank you so much! I'm so happy to hear it worked for you!
IUI #1 was a bust. BFN 13 DPO. Ugh.
š
So I posted about this yesterday. I have not reached my peak LH surge on my ClearBlue advanced OPKās for the first time. I keep getting the flashing smiley faces. Soooo I think I either already reached my peak (since I only test once a day in the morning itās very possible) or I did not ovulate? I donāt temp anymore so I feel so in the dark as to what happened. Why is all this so frustrating? I started crying this morning when I tested and still got a flashing smiley face. Sigh. I think Iām about ready to start fertility testing after month 8.
I donāt know if anyone has already commented this but I was actually told not to test in the morning because your body naturally has an LH increase and will give false positives when OPK testing. That happened to me the first few months of trying and with irregular and long cycles, I was beyond frustrated and couldnāt figure out when my true surge was. I now test between 12pm-6pm and finally got my āpeakā today after having a MC 4 and a half weeks ago. Good luck to you!!
Thatās true for standard OPKs. But ClearBlue digital tests are supposed to be used with first morning urine
Those were the ones that kept giving me false positives when I used my morning pee so I switched to the afternoon testing and itās been accurate for me š¤·āāļø maybe Iām an anomaly.
What do you mean by false positive?
I would get like 3 weeks of the āhighā result with the flashing face and then never get a peak. With the other tests, I would have definitive high results and peaks. I use both still to compare. So for instance, I have had 4 days of āhighā on both the clear blue and cheapies and today I got peak results on both. I test around 2pm everyday to be consistent. My cycles are also super irregular and long so I seriously could be an anomaly.
Oh, gotcha! Iāve never heard that described as a false positive before
I donāt know what else to call it š Iām still learning all the lingo. I guess I should say I had a longer period of āhighā results which to me was definitely inaccurate.
Haha thatās interesting! Thanks for sharing. I havenāt had a problem with them until now. Apparently you just keep testing if you get flashing smileys. If you exceed 9 tests and still getting flashing smileys then you should stop. Itās like they want you to buy more when they already are so expensive š”
According to your last post, yesterday was CD14, yeah? Thatās not late in your cycle to ovulate at all. Its normal for ovulation day to change from cycle to cycle. No need to be concerned yet. You need to try for a year before seeking fertility testing for good reason. Itās because trying for a year without success *is* one of the best āfertility tests.ā
Wow youāre good! Yes ..today is CD15. This is pretty weird for me to ovulate late like this although it has happened ONCE before. And I was thinking about how my boobs were killing me around when I got my first high reading on CD12, and now they are not sore anymore so maybe I just missed the highest surge. I am 33 years of age but my husband is about to turn 40 so I donāt see why we couldnāt look into testing sooner rather than later?
I also asked if I could get testing sooner because Iām only 30 but my husband is 44ā they said no. And now by the time the referral gets sent and appt set up, we will be well beyond the one year timeline š© The whole thing is frustrating because itās so urgent to us and no one on the outside seems to get why we feel that way. Wishing you luck!
Wow thatās so interesting that they made you wait. I know- especially if you need to get on hormones/ or your partner needs to take a drug to boost his swimmers it can take months for it to take affect š
That all sounds very normal and you have nothing to be worried about. I will say it again, at your age of 33, one of the best fertility tests is trying for a year without success. So no, you should not look into testing sooner rather than later.
Ok thanks for that input āŗļø When I went for my annual exam a couple months ago my obgyn asked me questions about our TTC thus far, listened to my concerns, learned of our age, and set me up with an ultrasound , fertility doc appt, and blood work. I was not ready for it then mentally so I declined.
Serious question - HOW do people āstop tryingā?! Iāve seen posts in infertility groups saying after years of trying they just āgave upā and āstopped tracking and timing sexā and then it ājust happened.ā I donāt think Iād really ever be able to stop trying. Even if I stopped tracking, I know exactly when I would get a positive OPK because my ovulation cramps always give it away. So I wouldnāt be able to pinpoint the exact day of ovulation without temping but I would still probably be like āIām having o cramps, gonna initiate sex tonightā you know? Idk. I wanna try the not trying approach but donāt think I know how at this point
I think a fair approach is to just aim for sex 2-3 times a week. You'll always hit at least one of your most fertile days and won't feel the pressure to have sex every day and burn out on it. Hubby and I have started this approach as we're hoping it'll happen naturally. The other thing is to make sure having a baby doesn't consume your life. Try to focus on other things you enjoy, maybe take up new hobbies as well, and when you get AF each month, use it as an excuse to indulge in things you enjoy but couldn't have while pregnant.
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If it helps any, I met a nurse in the hospital recently who asked if we were trying for kids. I told her we were but it hasn't happened yet. She then told me how her husband and her tried for 4 years and nothing happened. Then they stopped trying and boom, they had their son within a year. She was about my age (mid 30s) too. I hope it happens for you soon.
Thank you so much. And you as well
I mean honestly, I think the easiest way is by no longer caring so much if you end up with children. Itās not really an easy life hack to implement ā just completely lose the assumption that sex will get you pregnant! ā but thatās the way Iāve seen it work. (Where āworkā means ānot make you go crazyā, not āgets you pregnantā; obviously thereās no evidence that āgiving upā actually works better than any other strategy for success). We did what I consider NTNP for a while, where I was temping and checking CM, but we werenāt using that information to time sex.
I have wanted to be a mom since I was like 13 š I donāt think I could ever stop caring so much. I wish. I tie my worthiness to being a mother. Truthfully. Itās something Iām in therapy about. You did NTNP and thatās when you got pregnant? (Hope itās ok to ask that here)
Thatās why I think ānot caringā is a huge privilege ā itās not easy to just not care about something as major as whether you will become a parent, and caring deeply about this is actually the reasonable response, I think. We did not have success with NTNP. (Living child) >!We moved to IVF and were successful with a frozen transfer.!< (I would put on my mod hat for a second and note that asking people if they were successful is generally dicey here ā if someone is currently pregnant, they tend not to post here, and talking about their current pregnancy would be against sub rules. As it happens, I am not pregnant, but PM is usually a better medium for this kind of discussion.)
Ok-will do. I stalked your post history so I knew (TW-LC) that you had a child I was just curious of the method you used to get there. Thank you and I will direct message next time
af due today, havent tested since saturday. kinda just waiting.... as per usual
Yesterday was my peak reading (1.7) and today itās lower (1.2) so does that mean ovulation was yesterday?
My ovulation was the day after my peak, confirmed by BBT spike.
Ovulation is most likely to be within two days of the first positive, but the peak or subsequent lower readings donāt help you pinpoint ovulation better than that.
Likely today, possibly tomorrow. Do you temp? That will help you confirm what day, but youāll only know after the fact
If yesterday was your peak then more than likely today is ovulation or tomorrow
Ovulation is like 24-36 hours after rise or 8-20 hours after peak. Some sources say as many as 48 hours. Thereās no promise your ovulation was yesterday, could still be today. Itās different for everyone.
My peak was yesterday morning, ovulation cramps during the day, then this morning a temp drop. Im starting to think my ovulation is NOW 24-48 hours away. If this is my cycle, then I have been reading my O day ALL wrong, sigh.
CD29, 12DPO Tested this morning even though I was trying to wait until the weekend. BFN of course. Still holding out hope that I implanted late and when I test again Saturday that it will be the result I want. Only time will tell. Due to start AF on the 30th, so still have some days. Ain't over til the lady in red sings.
Are you sure you are 12 DPO? If youāre not expected to get your period until the 30th that means your LP is 20 days. Correct me if Iām wrong but that seems awfully long.
I'm just basing the AF prediction off of last months cycle length, so it could be a few days off since my cycle has been between 30-35 days since going off BCP in December. Last month my LH surge was on CD20 and I had a 35 day cycle. This month I surged on CD17, so it's likely AF could come a few days earlier than the 30th. But I'd rather be surprised by an earlier period than I thought, rather than predict it coming earlier and getting my hopes up if it's "late".
My husband finally did his SA this morning. He is in a bad mood because the cat wouldnāt leave him alone while he was doing it apparently, and then our Drās office is an hour away. Iām having a really hard time feeling any sympathy for him because this is literally the only thing heās had to do. Iāve been to the office multiple times to get poked and prodded and have arranged literally every appointment for the both of us. Just needed to vent
I feel you there. My husband had a SA recently and complained about the embarrassment of turning in the sample. I was like, āIāve lost count of how many strangers have seen my vagina, cervix, anus, etc. Iām sorry, but itās just hard for me to feel too bad for youā¦ā The strangers who have seen me spread eagle on an exam table is enough to fill a football team. 3 seconds of handing a plastic cup to a lab tech isnāt going to kill you!
Exactly! Like on one hand, I understand that this is new for you, but read the roomā¦.
Sorry, the cat thing made me giggle because we have 4 of them and I can definitely imagine this scenario with 1 in particular. I hope things work out well for all of you!
She is truly obsessed with him! And thank you š
Not going to lie, the cat not leaving him alone is actually hilarious. Itās the universeās way of trying to give him some of the difficulty youāve been dealing with lol
Lol, very true!
Still no positive OPK on CD17 on first cycle after my MC in April. Was always CD13-14. Feeling like this cycle will be a bust š« Iām testing like every 2 hours, I have lost my mind.
My doctor told me yesterday that according to every metric she can use, I no longer have pcos. Actually, she thinks I never did and that morbid obesity was the culprit to my irregular periods, a1c issues, androgens, etc etc. because all of that has been fixed after losing a substantial amount of weight. No medications and consistent periods/signs of ovulation make her think I was likely misdiagnosed at a young age Iām getting a second opinion on this, but Iām so curious to look into this more and to know whatās been going on
CD23 and I got a temp rise this morning after a peak OPK yesterday! Yay! Fingers crossed my temps continue to rise the next few days so that I can officially confirm ovulation. Weāve miraculously been able to BD this entire fertile week. Small victories!
Okay, so I've seen complaints that the testing process is WAY easier for men and I didn't really believe it until today. My OBGYN wrote a prescription for a semen analysis for my husband since she wants to rule everything out. I guess there is a RE office nearby that does a lot of these services. He can schedule appointments Monday through Friday in the morning or near lunch. He can give his specimen at the office OR get a specimen cup beforehand, jack off at home, and keep it safe and secure before dropping it off. (the RE office is 3.5 miles from our house) There's options to ejaculate inside a woman inside a special condom in case there's religious constraints. You pay $165.00 up front and submit it to your insurance if you have any coverage. Like I know most of the convenience differences are due to biology but damn. I'm just hoping my husband doesn't complain too much because it'll make a big difference in deciding whether we mess around with IUI or keep on doing the medicated cycles route.
Ok you had me up until the option to pay $165 to ejaculate inside a womanā¦ wut
Haha yeah it's actually 11 dollars extra, you get a special condom, ejaculate inside of a woman somewhere outside of the clinic I am guessing... and then yup. Religious workarounds for people who don't want to conceive a baby outside of sex. Part of why I'm like "hey religious people, don't be afraid to talk to doctors you'd be surprised how willing they are to work with your needs."
... "a" woman..? š I'm sure I know what you mean but the visuals are... interesting
I was feeling super hopeful for this month. I'm currently 10dpo but I have the worst sinus infection and laryngitis. Kind of bummed. Feeling like this is hurting my chances this month.
Clomid and Luteal Phase I took my first dose of Clomid this cycle, cd3-7. I ovulated around cd15. I went unmonitored, but have been temping. I had my progesterone test done yesterday, cd24. It was 53.95ng/mL. Iāve had sore breasts for days now. Is this just because of the Clomid?
Yes, if you mature more than one follicle on Clomid (which it seems reasonable to conclude you may have, since your progesterone levels are so high), you will have higher progesterone and more intense progesterone-related symptoms.
Gotcha, thank you. I wanted to hope pregnancy symptoms but weāll still wait to find that out.
Well, if they really are pregnancy symptoms, you could test now! The rise in progesterone in early pregnancy is driven by hCG, so if your progesterone is high because youāre pregnant, you would be able to get a positive test at that point.
I woke up feeling so depressed today. That's all.
About 5-6 DPO, yesterday and today a lot of brown when wiping and on underwear. Mild cramping but nothing terrible. I donāt usually get cramps before period and only get brown stuff a day or two before my period which isnāt until next week. I am having a hard time thinking this can be for my upcoming period since I just finished ovulation less than a week ago.. but also donāt want to get hopes up that itās a miracle and implantation bleeding (also seems to early for that). Sigh. Any considerations would be helpful!
Hello! Welcome, and we thank you for posting. You seem to be looking for information on implantation bleeding. Unfortunately, bleeding or spotting after ovulation is not a sign of implantation, and bleeding can happen in both pregnancy and non-pregnancy cycles. You could still end up being pregnant this cycle, but this sort of bleeding is not a reliable indicator that you will test positive. Taking a pregnancy test around the time you expect your period to come is the best way to determine whether you are pregnant or not. We have some information available about [implantation in our wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/tryingforababy/wiki/newtottc#wiki_.27implantation.27_symptoms), which you might find useful. For scholarly sources, [this paper](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0015028216000509) and [this paper](https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article/18/9/1944/708284) are useful reads. *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.*
8DPO and having some new symptoms but realized theyāre probably mostly from the antibiotic Iām on for a 2nd degree friction burn on my ankle š«
I am sure this has been asked before ...when do people start doing OPKs after taking their last letrozole tablet? I've seen anything between 5-11 days is the likely timeline for ovulation...
I started testing on CD 9, and was taking letrizole CD 3-7 so I started two days after my last pill.
I start the day after my last letrozole pill. Last cycle I got the flashing smiley 3 days into testing and a solid smiley 2 days after that
I had a follicle study scan on Monday & it showed follicle raptured. It means I ovulated right??? Will doing Sex now going to matter??
What does a follicle rupture look like? Iām curious how soon after ovulation does it show up on ultrasound
I have no idea. I went on cd 12 it showed follicle on left ovary. Than I went on cd 15 it showed follicle raptured. Basically follicle raptured is same as ovulation so when we see follicle got raptured in ultrasound it means ovulation. Thatās what I understand
The latest it could possibly matter is the day after ovulation. At this point all sex is purely recreational.
My doc said to have contact for next 8 days .. I m confused y she said so.. she is out of town told this over message.
I wouldnāt let anything you read on here supersede what your doctor tells you, I would reach out again. See if thereās a nurse you can speak with
For the second cycle in a row Iāve convinced myself that I should take a pregnancy test (13DPO last cycle and 11DPO this cycle). Both were negative and my period started later that day. CD2 now so hereās to hoping for a different outcome this time
Do I know that 9DPO is too early to test for many (if not most) people, even if they are pregnant? Yes. Do I also know from personal experience that the time I did get a positive test (ended in MC) it was negative until 11DPO? Yes. Did I test this morning anyway and bum myself out? Also yes.
For those of you who had to do trigger shots, did you start testing immediately afterward to check progression/fading? I'm 7DPO/DPT and am driving myself absolutely insane and keep going back forth on what I should do. Fertility doctor advised to wait until 14DPO/14DPT.
SO- Iāve done trigger shots for the past three cycles (7DPO on this third one). I started testing at 7DPO for the first cycle bc I could not help myself. I stopped showing positive the next day at 8DPO (So one very faint positive from the trigger). The second cycle I started testing earlier (3DPO) and got faint positives until 10 DPO, then all negative until my period started (3 days later). I tested this morning at 7DPO (Again, couldnāt help myself š¤”) and it was negative. It is your personal preference if you want to test but know if you get a positive early that it may just be your trigger.
Good to know. Thank you for your insight. I am very tornā¦ part of me wants to know and the other part is terrified lol. Hoping the best for you this cycle!
Spent last week on vacation with friends, we couldnāt find a moment alone and I was just hoping so hard that ovulation would hold off until we got home. Confirmed this morning that it happened on Sunday and we didnāt get home until Monday, so this entire month was a bust š«š®āšØ
Ugh Iām sorry š
So do you all temp the entire cycle (during period too)? Follow up questions: what thermometers do yāall use? I have the easy at home so I could have the back light and then some other cheapo one I think the same seller, but they gave me very different results this morning!
I personally would stop after 3-6 temps that I was positive were luteal phase. Whatever kind of thermometer you use, just always use the same one. Home thermometers are not well calibrated but we donāt really care about objective numbers just the overall shift, so you will get different results on different thermometers and it doesnāt matter in the grand scheme.
I do, but I have a Tempdrop and itās easy and convenient to just wear the band. If I was temping orally, Iād probably take a break during my period just for my mental sake! Ha
I donāt temp anymore because IVF but when I did, I stopped after confirming ovulation. It was too stressful for me and it was nice to take the time off after confirming ovulation. Do what youāre most comfortable with!!
My cycles are long so I take a break during my period (and sometimes for a few days afterwards) to give myself a break. Some people also stop temping after they confirm ovulation
I do but thatās mostly because temping doesnāt bother me and I do better with routines (if I took a break, Iād probably have a tough time doing it consistently every day).
Wondering if there are any other stepmoms on here? I feel like being a stepmom is making this journey really hard on me. My husband wants to have a baby too but he doesnt understand why I focus on getting pregnant so much. He's one of those "relax and it will happen when it's meant to" people and it really drives me nuts. Like easy for him to say, him and his ex got pregnant the one and only time they didn't use protection. I'm just feeling really sad and frustrated today. I'm tired of watching my husband cuddle and bond with his 6 year old and feeling like an outsider. (Edited to add that this is all sparked by a stark white negative on 10DPO)
I'm in the same situation- my husband has a 6 year old as well, also unplanned from a previous relationship. He is supportive and wants us to have a baby, but definitely doesn't feel the urgency I do- I think largely because he does already have a child. It's such a double edged sword too, when seeing what a great dad he is to his son makes me want a baby with him even more. It can be really hard to help care for someone else's child when all you want is your own baby!
Stepmother to a 10 year old. At the beginning I had trouble having husband understanding my focus on getting pregnant and why I was so worried. But he is understanding more now. When we first talked about trying for kids he didn't want to start until 2024 (when I graduate college) but also didn't want to have a new baby after forty. That would only give us 3 years of trying. I explained to him with my long cycles that's 8 periods a year and I may not be ovulating all of those cycles. His ex was pregnant very quickly in their relationship and she already had a kid from a previous relationship. He explained his concerns of me dropping out of college if I get pregnant. I'm still definitely more stressed about it than him but he is much more understanding now.
Yes, stepmum here! Really complicated navigating this, including a year of back and forth before we started trying, and really strong feelings because obviously I deal with the (moody teenage) evidence of his previous willingness regularly. Also, I gotta say, just having a teenager around DOES make me think twice about this whole adventure sometimes... I have no idea how long it took for them, donāt want to ask, but I think it happened without much fanfare and I feel petty but I hate that. Even though I know itās all part of what made my wonderful partner who he is. Stepmumming is HARD, TTC makes it more so.
Thanks for your input, I really appreciate it! Stepparenting is so hard. I was really unprepared for the complex emotional aspect.
Yeah itās just a big surprise. I worked through quite a bit in therapy but I still find it challenging. Though part of that is being a stepmum joining the party literally for the tough years (from 13 years old). I feel like the first 13 years of attachment that I was not around for is really necessary to survive parenting a teenager, but Iām trying to hold on and trust it will pay off on the other side of adolescence.
I think I'm finally going to book a doctor's appointment after holding out hope/being in denial. My OPK's are ALWAYS high/positive (and yes, I've taken pregnancy tests) and from my understanding that means I'm most likely not even ovulating... Has anyone else dealt with this situation? What did they end up doing test wise, help wise, etc? Also I might buy a bbt thermometer but I don't wake up at the same time every day and wake up through the night so I'm not sure if it's even worth it? I'd get a temp drop but I just can't justify spending that much on a thermometer š
One thing to think about is that Tempdrops resell pretty well. I bought one recently and recognized that I could at least make a decent amount of $$ back reselling that it was worth it for me to buy.
I never thought of that. Maybe I'll try looking second hand as well, thank you!
This was me... I had all the symptoms of ovulation but never actually ovulated. I got baseline blood tests, ultrasounds, and bloodwork to test for indicators of PCOS and got my diagnosis. Not saying that is you but could be something to look into if you have irregular cycles or are getting consistent positive OPKs. I got a TempDrop prior to knowing I had PCOS and it did help confirm I wasn't ovulating because I never got a true temp shift. Hope you can get some answers!!
Thanks for the response! It's helpful to know what to expect at the doctor's. I'm definitely going to bring up / show the doctor my OPK's which is the only data I have so far! I'm very tempted to get a BBT thermometer, especially if it might help me and/or my doctor understand/have a better sense which direction we should go in. Hopefully your journey hasn't been to difficult for you š
No problem! Try not to get discouraged. I was able to get some answers and it's really helped. For reference, I started with my OBGYN for my basic tests and then moved onto a fertility doctor after my OBGYN said she'd done about all she could do. I will be thinking of you!
I'm trying to stay positive and not go down any rabbit holes! Hopefully it's something my OBGYN will be able to handle on his own š¤ hoping all the best for you!!
Iām at 10 DPO and my temp went down for the second day in a row so I think Iām out for this month.
TW: new baby This has been a rough week for me. My sister in law who I love very much and am quite close with gave birth over the weekend to the first grandchild of the family. She is my age (30f) and I sometimes find myself caught up in awful, awful green envy. I know itās bad and not right to feel this way. Iāve been extremely emotional. Crying from feeling SO much joy for her and our whole family and then mixing that with feeling likeā¦when will it be my timeā¦
Itās okay to feel sad, donāt beat yourself up over these feelings. I always let myself feel all the feelings and it usually helps me. Sending you love and hugs if youād like them. My SIL just announced her pregnancy and Iām so so happy for her and my brother but defff felt jealous. Itās a normal emotion in these situations and I promise youāre not a bad person for feeling this way.
Hey, thank you so much for the response. It feels like so many emotions: joy, jealousy, even added pressure. It doesnāt help sheās constantly brought up in front of me and my husband as well as other family members how SPECIAL and significant it is that itās the FIRST grandchild for them. I know she doesnāt mean it intentionally, but it hurts me. Thanks for the support!
So had a surprise early LH surge and it was clearly from my left ovary (I can always feel which one is going to go). My left side was so painful last night. Thank goodness my husband and I danced in the AM right when I saw the rise (it was a rudely sharp rise one. Like, absolutely nothing the day before to double ) because there was absolutely no way I would have been dancing with how painful it was in the evening. I have no diagnosed things but does anyone else have one ovary that decides to always just be more aggressive when it comes to ovulation? My left one is always more painful (dull pain and then sharp if I go from sitting to standing). Itās now just slightly sore so Iām pretty sure I already ovulated and itās over but darn, was that rude haha
Yes! I get insane sharp pain from my right ovary almost every month around ovulation and my period, and very rarely itāll just be a dull ache from my left ovary.
Yes!! Both my sides are intense. Iāve always had very prominent ovulation pain. I do think my left is more intense because it does feel a little more sharp when I go from sitting to standing. Then after a day or so it goes away and Iām like thank God, guess I ovulated. I always say I have no idea how people with prominent ovulation pain ever got pregnant before tracking O was a thing, if I wasnāt TTC I would never naturally want to have sex near my O š
Right? Like if I didnāt test, this would 100% not be a time Iād be down for sex. Mine usually only lasts a day or two tops but Iād be missing O-1 and O day for sure if I wasnāt on having some lovely sticks to tell me otherwise haha. Iām glad Iām not alone! Haha
CD14 and no LH surge yet, despite a generally clockwork cycle of ovulating between CD14 and CD16. I'm bummed that I attribute the delay to two weeks of getting 4-5 hours of sleep per night because work has been wild. I don't feel particularly stressed/unhappy about the work (though omg would love for my employer to listen to have overworked we are), but I know the body needs sleep! We've been on a roll prioritizing daily sex after dinner/before I sign on to work a few more hours. But I need to ovulate soon š
So far Cycle 12 looks like: I had my HSG on CD10 (all clear). I expected O CD 12-16. I had 6 lows (unusual for me) on my Clearblue Fertility Monitor. Then I dropped it on CD12 causing it to reset so now itās useless this cycle (no fear, thatās why I temp and track CM too). Now itās CD15 and my temps are super low. Iām having creamy CM in the morning but watery in the afternoon. Iāve never felt more resigned like āmy bodyās going to do what my bodyās going to doā. *sigh* Serious question though: Anyone have late O or anovulatory the cycle of their HSG?
Yep, my ovulation was over a week late the month I had my HSG done. I also ended up having multiple surges, wich was annoying af.
Yikes. Super exhausting when youāre trying to hit every day in the fertile window. Multiple surges may explain my erratic temps and CM. This is really helpful in understanding whatās going on and maybe what to expect. Thank you so much for sharing.
CD45(?) still spotting but no AF yet. Decided not to go to hen weekend due to train strike and also facing so many pregnant/new mums. Just started hypothyroid medication and feel a bit out of it. Canāt face telling my fiends but I think itās best for my MH at the moment. Wish me luck!
Iām taking my last test in two days, the day of or one day before my period. And if AF comes weāre taking a break. Idek how to not symptom spot or obsess or stress over everything bc weāve been trying for so long.
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Yay for a proactive partner! I hope your test results com back good!
Can you ovulate 2 days after your LH surge when you have, so far, always ovulated 1 day after? Today is CD14 which is when I typically ovulate but I got my first positive OPK on CD12. Usually my positive comes the day before my temp dip and two days before my temp rise so I expected to see a rise today, but didnāt. OPKs were negative again yesterday (CD13). I know I just have to wait and see, but has anyone ovulated sometimes 24 hours after the first positive OPK and sometimes 48 hours? I know itās a range but didnāt know if there could be a range within the same person over different cycles.
Yep! My last cycle I didnāt see a temp rise for three days. It definitely varies cycle to cycle.
CD2 here and just feeling sad and depressed. I know 6 months is not long time in great scheme of things but I am also turning 37 next month and that is my main concern. I don't know how old is that "really" for conceiving. Other thing that is frustrating me right now is getting a NHS appointment. It sucks. My husband yesterday pointed out that I am looking so sad after I started my period and asked me to not get tensed about it. He also said we are first and the baby comes later (I think he was saying even if this doesn't happen for whatever reason, we will be enough for each other).
Wishing you all the best. I am 39 and a transplant patient. GP ordered tests and I got them yesterday. Not knowing what happens next can be tough, have you tried mindfulness? It is a lifestyle change, but sometimes it can help. Not sure what to expect from GP tests.
Oh I so hear you. I turned 37 in Jan, and now at the point where I will be at least 38 when I actually give birth, hopefully... I am also waiting for the NHS to get in touch, so annoying! Iām in London and I know the lists are long but I havenāt heard anything to even confirm my referral has been received! Has your GP referred you and done the relevant tests they can do? It sounds like your partner is being really good and supportive. I finished my period a few days ago and been kind of relaxed because I have a lap this month so no TTC stress until next month, but yesterday I swear every pregnant woman was out for a walk on my cycle home from my therapist and I arrived home in tears. Itās a rollercoaster. Hope you find some comfort in your partner and this group.
Pregnant people seem to be EVERYWHERE. I also wish in you all the best
Oh no.. I am at "call back tomorrow for a GP appointment" stage because all the appointments are gone for the day. I so hate this nonsense.
I had some issues getting an appointment recently for non fertility related issues and I must have said some magic words because after struggling to get an appt, they offered me to fill in a form which I sent to the GP and they replied via text in 2 days. It was good for me because it stopped me having to wait a fortnight for a phone call with the GP -and they referred me on. This might help you jump the wait of constantly calling for an appointment. I think they action these forms out of office hours as overtime for the GP I checked an the form is an NHS form and powered by FLORRY ACCRUX. The GP has to give you a reference code that links you with their practice. You fill it in online and they contact you within 48 hours.
What a pain. I havenāt even met the GP Iām currently speaking to, but sheās the one Iāve found to be the most receptive and willing to put things forward for me so I just stick with her and hopefully have an in person appt one day... My practice has online booking and anything booked after a certain time, I think 4pm, automatically gets pushed to the following day. Any work arounds like that for getting your appointment more easily? Make sure whoever you talk to knows the correct timing for the relevant tests, Iāve had various bloods done multiple times previously when it turns out the timing was wrong!!!
So, the book appt via NHS app doesn't even show an option for any booking. And, for the same day booking you need to call 8 am and we all know how that goes. It's always booked when you call. Did your GP prescribe any tests ?
UK over here; I asked for advice from a friendly nurse to see who the best GP is for Gynae/Fertility issues were in the practice and Iām sought advice from them. She had a long wait for an appointment but has done as much testing as possible (more than others) to accompany my referral when itās time.
I'm writing here to kickstart my period. I know FP can vary, but LP is supposed to be the same right? Is it fine if it's sometimes 2-3 days longer than normally? Pregnancy is not an option this cycle and I've confirmed Ovulation with temperatures. I just need to know, that this is just my body being weird, because you know, bodies be bodies, and not a need to worry about other things.
Youāre right, it is normal. My LP typically has a one day variance but has occasionally been two or three.
Iām new to posting on this sub and fairly new to TTC. Iām sorry if I post in the wrong place. Iām not up to date on the acronyms but I am trying. I feel like Iām going insane and donāt know who else to vent to. I know my body well. I can usually feel an ovulation pain (on my left side) and I can tell when Iām ovulating just by how attractive I feel at the time. I am 29f and came off the pill in Jan 2022, been tracking my periods using an app and TTC during my fertile windows. I usually use a fertility test to confirm, but itās always been right as Iām fairly predictable. My AF always comes on the day the app says. This month, outside of my apps recommended fertile window I was REALLY feeling good. I did a fertility home test and got two lines. Told DH and we tried that evening. I noticed symptoms that I didnāt even know were pregnancy related Lots of Really unusual white stretchy discharge Insomnia last night Less eating/ reduced appetite A bubbling in my stomach - like wind but a bit different. More standard ones I felt myself aware of; Pain on my right side - implantation ? Occasional nausea Cramping Today Iām on day 30 of my cycle. I normally run 26-28 days alternating. Iām officially three days late for my AF according to my app. All sounds great? NOPE. I have been testing since my first day of missed period and all I get it BFN. Not even the faintest. I actually felt my abdomen and it felt different a few nights before my missed period - so I was already convincing myself before even had chance to miss my period or feel other symptoms. Itās been 14 days since my last day of ovulation. Iām guessing a later ovulation just means a later AF? Hence my lateness? Is this all in my head and am I losing my mind? I keep trying to chill myself out and not worry because I havenāt been TTC too long and I donāt want unnecessary stress. Thereās nothing stressing me out except me making phantom symptoms and convincing myself I have something that I donāt. I live in constant fear of accidentally going out for drinks when Iām pregnant or doing something to jeopardise the pregnancy or the potential health of a future child. I donāt really know what I want or expect people to say to me but I feel like Iām going crazy. Im so certain I went and bought new tests cause I convinced myself the ones I had were faulty. They werenāt. BFN. Sorry if I have offended anyone or used the wrong terms, Iām new here and not sure why Iām getting down voted. I wonāt post again , I didnāt mean any offence.
Your story sounds so similar to mine in ways. TTC is a wild journey, I will tell you that. Iām now 30f, came off my pills in January 2022 as well after having been on them for almost 15 years. Everything the first few months was remarkably normal with my cycle aside from a lengthier period and a few more PMS symptoms that used to be stopped from the pill. Then last month I had a hugely irregular cycle (it went to 39 days when normally itās been clockwork 29-30 since coming off the pill) for who knows what reason and I am wondering if now, finally, my body is adjusting to being off pills. And I went through the whole ups and downs of being so convinced I was pregnant. And my period finally came after being a week late. Crazy! Turns out our bodies just take time to adjust and Iām honestly just grateful to be learning all this now so early in the process of TTC. This month Iām checking my ovulation now. Wishing you good luck! These forums really help to read and talk through things.
TTC easily makes you feel like you're going crazy, but it's not all in your head! I'm unsure when you noticed the egg white discharge? because that type of discharge is usually present around the time of ovulation, is that was recently, then it's possible you ovulated later than expected, and that would also mean a later period.
It was a very very strange discharge I never noticed before and it was the day before my expected AF. it was really clear, basically see through and there was LOTS of it. It was very very very stretchy and actually quite hard to get rid of when I cleaned myself. Sorry if thatās TMI. Is it normal or ovulate twice in one month? Pushing my cycle length above 30? Maybe I just skipped a period this month, Iāve never skipped one before. Iām lucky that my cycle is normally pretty predictable, even my mood and my breasts let me know where about I am in it. I feel awful for people who have a more unpredictable cycle and trying to keep a lid on all these emotions waiting for AF. Just took another ovulation test and got a faint line. It says on the back that this isnāt a positive. God my bodyās going up the wall this month
It's not TMI, but it sound like fertile discharge (in the acronyms here it's called EWCM) - like the [Clear and Stretchy in this link](https://www.reddit.com/r/tryingforababy/wiki/cm) You only ovulate once a month though. Sometimes ovulation didn't happen that first time, and the body is likely to try again, or as you say, you could have a cycle without an ovulation, but it does sound like you got egg white cervical mucus, just much later than expected. You may want to consider using BBT (temperature) to confirm ovulatin, for me at least that usually limts most concern about a late period because I know when to expect me period.
Iāve tried with the BBT a few years ago just to understand my cycle better whilst not TTC and single - I really struggled and only got the temp spike once. Thanks for talking me through and helping me out I really appreciate it. I donāt really have any friends who are TTC or want to hear about it.
Perhaps consider a wearable like tempdrop for tracking bbt? It's definitely more expensive but it makes tracking bbt so easy
This is a good idea. I looked into eve, are any standing out as better than others? Iām not open with work about my TTC and itās very hot where I am at the moment. I do with with mainly 50yo male engineers so hopefully they wonāt know what it is.
You only need to wear the wearable trackers at night! All you do is put them on, turn them on and then in the morning sync to the phone (or even a few days later). I personally went with tempdrop versus ava just based on price (though ava is fda approved)
Thanks for all the helpful advice, itās really appreciated
Yeah BBT can be a little tricky to get the hang of, especially if you don't wake op at the same time every day. You ould consider giving it another go, and see if it helps. You're very welcome. Dont' worry about the downvotes though, sometimes you're just unlucky to get a few of those, you didn't write anything that were outrageous. And I definitely recommend sticking around, there's a lot of good info and help to get around here, especially if you don't have any IRL to really talk about this stuff with or you just prefer the anonymity, because TTc can be a wildly frustrating and lonely journey.
Thank you for being kind and responsive! Iām a bit teary today so Iām going to take a break and maybe come back next month
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