The Official TTC Thread!

[bubbly1126]

So I caved. Took a $Tree Cheapie this morning w/out Hubby. BFN. AF is nowhere in sight and it's CD31! What's the deal?!?!

 

[AllieLuv83]

I''m sorry IHA, do you know how many DPO you are. You might just be testing too early!

 

[bubbly1126]

IF I O''d when I think I did then it would put me at about 16dpo. Maybe I''m off though.

 

[dcgator]

IHA: I am keeping my fingers crossed for you...

Perhaps you did O later, so just hang in there and keep happy thoughts

. If AF doesn''t get here in the next day or two, try testing again but maybe this time with a FR or another more sensitive test. Good luck!

 

[bubbly1126]

Date: 2/16/2010 10:02:36 AM
Author: dcgator
IHA: I am keeping my fingers crossed for you...

Perhaps you did O later, so just hang in there and keep happy thoughts

. If AF doesn''t get here in the next day or two, try testing again but maybe this time with a FR or another more sensitive test. Good luck!

dcgator, I''m trying to think happy thoughts but now I''m really discouraged.

I don''t like being in limbo!! ...not that anyone does!

 

[sunnyd]

Date: 2/16/2010 7:37:09 AM
Author: inhisarms17
So I caved. Took a $Tree Cheapie this morning w/out Hubby. BFN. AF is nowhere in sight and it''s CD31! What''s the deal?!?!

Welcome to the club!

I''m on CD54!

 

[bubbly1126]

Date: 2/16/2010 12:52:52 PM
Author: sunnyd

Date: 2/16/2010 7:37:09 AM
Author: inhisarms17
So I caved. Took a $Tree Cheapie this morning w/out Hubby. BFN. AF is nowhere in sight and it''s CD31! What''s the deal?!?!

Welcome to the club!

I''m on CD54!

Oh my goodness!! I''d go nuts! Have you been to the Dr yet?

 

[ksluice]

Date: 2/16/2010 10:02:36 AM
Author: dcgator
IHA: I am keeping my fingers crossed for you...


Perhaps you did O later, so just hang in there and keep happy thoughts

. If AF doesn''t get here in the next day or two, try testing again but maybe this time with a FR or another more sensitive test. Good luck!

x2. I know we all can sympathize with the getting discouraged, but if it was one of the less sensitive tests, you might still get better news.

 

[ksluice]

For all the CBFM folks...I just wanted to give an update that I am now CD22 and just got a low reading...so accd to the monitor, i was *millions* of days at high, 2 days at peak, 1 day high and then back to low. On everyone''s recommendation here I also started temping, but just with my normal thermometer which is digital, but only goes to the tenths so I don''t know if it''s accurate enough. Around day 16 I was at 97.5 and then I went up to 97.7, 97.8 and today 98. I think that is a confirmation of what the CBFM is saying, does that seem right? If so, for me it means I was Oing much later than I thought (and that I am cyclebuddies with Po-Yea!) which is interesting personally, but that isn''t so much why I''m posting...here''s what I was thinking...

I imagine you all who know more than me--but I do know that several of you here who were helping me when I first got the CBFM said you still haven''t got peaks yet. It occurred to me, and forgive me if I am repeating things already known here, but in the manual that came with mine it does say that borrowed meters take several months to resync b/c of the old data in them...which maybe is one reason for some of lack of peaks? It just occurred to me.

The other thing, and I realize this may be way over the TMI line, but I have saved all my sticks and written which day and what reading I got on each. I could photo the sticks if folks want to see what mine looked like. I only offer it b/c there was a very interesting convo about what the lines mean that followed much of the advice you all offered. Would anyone be interested? I know we aren''t supposed to be trying to read the lines visually--its all meaningless b/c the computer sees things we cant--I certainly couldn''t say what line is crossed to make cd 17 a high and cd 19 a peak, but you can see a pattern.

In any case, if its of interest, I can post photos.

 

[sunnyd]

Date: 2/16/2010 12:54:19 PM
Author: inhisarms17

Date: 2/16/2010 12:52:52 PM
Author: sunnyd

Date: 2/16/2010 7:37:09 AM
Author: inhisarms17
So I caved. Took a $Tree Cheapie this morning w/out Hubby. BFN. AF is nowhere in sight and it''s CD31! What''s the deal?!?!

Welcome to the club!

I''m on CD54!

Oh my goodness!! I''d go nuts! Have you been to the Dr yet?

Next week. It''s driving me nuts too!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Date: 2/15/2010 6:53:00 PM
Author: Lanie

LV -- what a nice post. I totally hear you on the impatient front. When i''m in traffic, I will take an alternate route just so I''m moving the car rather than sitting there, knowing full and well that it won''t get me there faster. So I know i''d be the same in your shoes. But like you said, you''re helping your body repair, and your options right now are 1)wait, or 2) wait and prepare/better your body, so I think you''re good. What a waiting game all of this is. I know I''m going to be nervous when I go in for that first ultrasound after Clomid. Do they give you anything to bring on AF after a miscarriage after a certain point, or do they want everything to happen naturally?

Hi Lanie

I do the SAME thing when faced with traffic and an alternate route! I''d rather drive than sit and wait and wonder when the traffic will break!

I don''t know if they will do anything to to bring on AF. Maybe after a certain period of time passes?

 

[Lanie]

Topodazzle -- I''d be interested to see what the high versus peak sticks look like! My monitor was purchased new, but that would be an interesting observation in case others bought theirs used. I am 99% convinced mine never showed a peak reading bc I''m not ovulating. Which is okay...at least now I know!

Are you findings anything like what this site says about the 2 lines? http://www.peeonastick.com/opkfaq.html#14 Read down to #14.

 

[ksluice]

Date: 2/16/2010 4:34:58 PM
Author: Lanie
Topodazzle -- I''d be interested to see what the high versus peak sticks look like! My monitor was purchased new, but that would be an interesting observation in case others bought theirs used. I am 99% convinced mine never showed a peak reading bc I''m not ovulating. Which is okay...at least now I know!


Are you findings anything like what this site says about the 2 lines? http://www.peeonastick.com/opkfaq.html#14 Read down to #14.

Well, my sticks look different than hers, but pretty much in line with what she describes. The key bit (which I just learned looking over the link--so thanks!!) is this "Interestingly, the estrogen line gets lighter when estrogen increases; the LH line gets darker when LH increases." I had been assuming that I was just rampant with estrogen, and figured it was b/c of environmental stuff (xeno-estrogens). I figured that b/c my highs, which probably aren''t actually highs since the monitor is still "learning" and b/c I had about 10 days worth, are mostly just one VERY DARK blue line. But, I guess that means that there is little estrogen circulating since she says increasing estrogen makes the line lighter. My highs right before my peaks show a lightening estrogen line and a faint LH line, and my peaks have two lines very close in color. Today there is a v. light LH line and a v. dark estrogen line. (Which I have just internalized as, "Damn, I bet that means bad news...somehow my body would know already if I was preggers and would be keeping my estrogen up. I realize this is fantasy, but I''ll do anything to think that I know what is going on. LOL)

In any case, I''ll go take pics to post for you.

It is confusing about the lightening estrogen line meaning the opposite. Funny how counter intuitive that is.

 

[ksluice]

Well, this photo rather sucks b/c it was taken under the bathroom lights...but here is the series of sticks leading up to peak and then up until today''s low. If you look carefully, you can make out how the estrogen line lightens and the LH line appears...

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Just dropping by to say "hi"...

Haning out on CD4 hoping to squeak by onto team gold at the end of the month

I am loving the Olympics although DH is cracking me up right now with his commentary on the mens figure skating, he''s all into it:

 

[dcgator]

Date: 2/14/2010 8:11:56 PM
Author: Bliss
Hey Ladies! Happy Valentine''s Day!!!

DUST DUST DUST

HOU - are you sure you didn''t ovulate? If your temps shifted upwards, doesn''t that still signify ovulation? I''m still waiting for my spike! I really wish I had bought the CBFM! I got First Response OPK because I heart First Response and it''s given me 3 days of positives, but I suspect that''s because I used FMU... thus, false positives! No temp shift yet! Wow, this is confusing!

Bliss: Just checking in with you. How is the wonky cycle coming along, any temp shift yet? I also had two days of positive OPK''s and am waiting for a confimed temp shift. I had a slightly elevated temperature today, but I will know for sure tomorrow. I hope you have had some better news!

******
Coral, Topodazzle and Po: How is the 2WW going? Have you caved yet on testing early, or are you ladies still holding out for a couple more days? Good luck!

******
IHA: Any sight of AF or are you still hanging on? I hope that you have some good news!

******
Bella: Do you think you will O before the end of the month, or do you have a longer cycle? Here''s hoping that O comes quickly for you so that you can get on with BD''ing

 

[Bella_mezzo]

yep, before I was scheduled to o again the last week of Feb, but since AF came 3 days early, now it's the end of next week

Bliss-hope everything is ok, you've been MIA for a few days

 

[Bliss]

Whew! I missed so much! Hey ladies!

Allie, how are you doing?

IHA, good luck!!!! Hang in there! Limbo''s the worst but keep bending backwards...inching toward the bar...swaying to the music! Don''t hit the bar!!!

Super hugs! Crossing my fingers for you!

sunnyd - GOOD LUCK TO YOU, TOO! CD54! Wow! Is that unusual for you? Oh, I hope you get great news at the doctor''s office!

TopoDazzle, you are AWESOME! Wow, thanks for the pics! I need a CBFM!

LV, thinking of you!

Hi Lanie!!!

dcgator - OMG, I give up this cycle! Hahaha! It is SO wonky! I had no idea what I was getting into... It turns out that you can use FMU with First Response OPK - I checked the instructions and called them to confirm. I also know because I am now getting negatives with FMU. So those few days of positives were positives, I thiiiiink.

It''s weird because you''re not supposed to use FMU with OPKs - the LH is supposed to surge and show up in pee later in the day. LH can build up in FMU just because some people have more of it in their systems. Anyway, it was a great experiment for me! I also didn''t know you had to abstain from liquids for a couple hours before taking an OPK. Hahaha. The things you learn! Funny!

Oh...and I think I''ve been taking temps wrong on top of this! *smacks head* Oy!

I''ve been putting it under my tongue near the center but I read the BBT instructions and it says to put it near the teeth under the tongue. I tested and the correct spot yields 97.58 while the spot I''ve been temping at is a consistent 97.3 no matter what I do! GAH! So my first chart is unusable and I have no idea if I ovulated or not. If I go by OPK, it was a few days ago. LOL

dcgator, so you got 2 days of positive OPK readings??? That is great!!! I hope your temp shifts soon!!! Yay! And you had one elevated temp already! THAT IS GREAT!!!!!!!!!

BELLA!!!!!!!!!!! How is AF? Sista! Sorry I went MIA! I was puzzling over my chart and was left scratching my head for the past couple of days! How are you doing? SUPA HUGS!!!! Missed you!!! Still waiting for that one quote on the 5-stone!

 

[cara]

Bliss, just popping in to say that I doubt you were taking your temps 'wrong'. You are just looking for consistency on a temperature reading that is related to your core temp. By pushing the thermometer farther back in your mouth (near the center away from the teeth) I fail to see how this could cause a significant problem with the temping - that is closer to your core and covered with a nice insulating tongue farther from possible exposure to cool air if you were to open your mouth. Maybe its a failure of imagination on my part? But anyway, data point of one person, I took my temps in the under-center-of-tongue position and it was fine. I also had pretty steady temps pre-O (when I didn't mess up in some way, like forgetting until after I'd been up a few minutes) and its entirely possible you were anovulatory last cycle. Its also possible you are a woman that doesn't show a biphasic temperature pattern, but that's a worry for down the road in a few cycles if you keep getting flat readings.

Also, if you are curious, I'd take your temp both positions for a few mornings and see what the offset is between the two. Then you will at least understand how the two temps typically relate, if you want to stick with the new position.

Good luck ladies!

 

[Ryan Claire]

Lanie - Thanks so much for the feedback and support... I really appreciate it. It is very frustrating to have long irregular cycles and although I wouldn''t wish them on anyone TTC it''s nice to know that people can empathize and don''t think seeing doctor is too premature. SunnyD I know you are in this boat too. I hope your doctors appointment brings some clarity. I have mine on 2/22. HouM and Icekid how about you guys? Any signs of O? What''s with all these wonky cycles? The CBEFM is a great tool if you are more or less regular and can afford it.

Also, Lanie I am not sure what Prometrium is... I assume it''s similar to Provera. Sounds like a lot of blood to have while on it... did it continue? Did you get the advice to stay on the pills?

Topdazzle - thanks so much for the pictures of the sticks. It''s helpful to see what other people''s look like. Are those all HIGHS and PEAKS? Looks as though the monitor was helpful in giving you a better idea of when you O... so hopefully that will yield a BFP sooner rather than later.

Confession: I am currently on CD47, but on CD40 I reset my CBEFM for CD5 (definitely not what the machine was intended for, but figuring that maybe if it''s a long cycle I''ll O late and be able to catch it). The monitor started testing on "CD9" (really CD44) and I have tested the last 4 days and gotten LOW... Guess I''ll wait and see if there is any change.

Welcome CoralQuiz and plantationcatt! I hope your cycles are regular and your stays are short

LV - So glad to hear your second visit was less painful and a good experience. I assume your moxibustion was the non-scarring variety! Did the substance that was burning smell bad at all? Well I really hope that this process helps to return you body''s natural balance. My sister had a miscarriage at 8 weeks in January and I definitely feel for all of you who have gone through the m/c experience. I hope you are emotional and physical recovery continues to move forward; it sounds like you have a great perspective and i am glad it''s helping ward off your impatience... Also, thanks for the info regarding the timeline when you saw a RE and were prescribed Clomid too... I went off BC 6 months ago and have not had a natural period or ovulation since (1 period with provera). The doctor has been nice and fairly proactive in terms of getting me ultrasounds and bloodwork... but she is confident it will return naturally (which would be great- don''t get me wrong). Still I am hoping she is willing to talk about some different options with me next week. Thanks for the NYC GTG info... not sure if I am around but if I am it sounds fun.

Fisher - Your paintings are stunning! I think they represent a lot about life and renewal... You have a great gift.

IHA - still holding out hope for you!

Allie - how are these first few weeks treating you? Do you feel preggers? Lots of sticky dust.

Bliss - so sorry to hear about the BBT snaffo... I am surprise to hear it has such an effect on your temps. But hopefully you''ll get a much clearer chart this next cycle and can begin to make better sense of you temps.

For those of you who do temp what are your general pre-O temps and post-O temps? Just curious... I haven''t had a shift this cycle but I''d like to hear what people''s range is... Thanks!

 

[Lanie]

RyanClaire -- Hi! From what I've read, Prometrium is a natural form of progesterine, and Provera is synthetic. I was originally using Provera to stop long cycles, and my RE prescribed Prometrium to me instead. His reasoning is that in case I get preggers, it won't hurt the fetus. Not that Provera does, but for whatever reason, he wants me on that instead. I didn't have to get bloodwork for the Prometrium...that was just an aside thing!

I can't wait for your appointment...I want to know what your OB says, since I'm pretty much in the same boat as you (as far as what I can tell).

Topo -- wow! Thanks for posting all of those stick pics!!! Mine look like that as well when I have the "highs". I guess I can't see too well the difference between your highs and peaks...lighting in the photo maybe? I really wish I could get a peak!

IHA -- any news today? I'm so nervous for you!!!

I consider myself president of the wonky cycles club. I need some cabinet members...

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Can anyone please just tell me I''m nuts...ok
I have extremely bad cramps, fatigue, sore breasts, very light spotting, and have been puking all night.
It''s 1 of 3 things.
1. the worst period in the history of the world
2. miscarriage

3, ktfu

opinions?

 

[Lanie]

Smurfy -- you have to give more info! Do you know if you ovulated (temps? OPK''s?) How long ago was it?

 

[Smurfysmiles]

My ovulation was about a week and a half to 2 weeks ago, sorry
eta: I wonder if it's possible that I have endometriosis (sp?) but wouldnt i have painful periods every month if that were the case?

 

[bubbly1126]

Okay ladies. I'm puzzled.

Light spotting started this morning. No cramps. Just a super lower backache. However, I feel as though my hormones are all over the map... I'm getting extremely nauseous to the point of throwing up. These same throwing up episodes happened last month too. W.T.F?!

I don't believe I'm pregnant. But I would like to know what is happening to my body!! Grr!!

I guess a Dr's visit is in order...

 

[cara]

Smurfy- 3) or 4) food poisoning + pms. Lets hope for 3)

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Date: 2/17/2010 1:07:15 PM
Author: cara
Smurfy- 3) or 4) food poisoning + pms. Lets hope for 3)

dh thought it might be food poisoning but he always thinks he has food poisoning, hes a bit of a hypochondriac

can you have bad cramps during implantation? I always thought they were minor cramps...

eta: took my temperature (and i know this is really not accurate lol) but it is 97.7 and is usually between 96.8 and 97.2 but I figured I would check as well.

 

[cara]

I had ridiculous cramps at like 5+ weeks or so, well after implantation. Worst cramps ever, along with the whole abdomen freaking out and sensitive. Where are you cycle-wise?

The first three signs point to KTKU, but the puking all night... not sure that sounds like morning sickness. Don't get me wrong, I have morning sickness at all hours, but waking up in the middle of the night to puke strikes me as something else. Plus, the MS generally gets bad around 6-8 weeks for most women. I had hints of nausea as early as 4 weeks, but it definitely kicked up a notch around week 6.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

My period is due in a couple days, this is a little early for me...
well its just a regular nancy drew mystery

I guess it wasn't really the middle of the night, it was around 11pm, but that feels like the middle of the night to me when I go to bed at 10

 

[CoralQuiz]

Date: 2/17/2010 9:41:13 AM
Author: dcgator
Coral, Topodazzle and Po: How is the 2WW going? Have you caved yet on testing early, or are you ladies still holding out for a couple more days? Good luck!

Thanks dcgator!
I tested with a Discover onestep today, ~9dpo... BFN of course! I need to be more patient

We didn''t know about measuring temps until now so I really hope we get lucky. My AF comes every 28-30days and we BDd with Pre-Seed on CD11,13,14,16 this month... *cross fingers*

I''m analysing every little twinge and cramp but no sore boobs or spotting or nausea or anything yet.