The Official TTC Thread!

[Bella_mezzo]

OH PC-I think that is a line!!!! Can DH go get you some more tests so you cna be sure? Feel better soon, and I think is going to be an exciting month for you!!!

 

[Kunzite]

Date: 5/1/2010 9:03:18 AM
Author: plantationcatt

Okay, There was still no AF this morning, (I''m a week late) so I took my last test in the cabinet. It''s a FRER, and I didn''t see anything for a couple minutes, so I went out to take the dog to pee and five minutes (appox) later I think there''s a faint line. Can anyone tell me whether this is a real pink line or an evap? I''ve got a horrible cold, so it''ll be tomorrow morning before I get the strength to go out and get another test.

plantationcatt - FRER are supposed to be really good about not having evap lines. That is so a line!!

Thanks everyone!!! I''m still in shock I think. I think it''s going to take about a week for me to admit to myself that it''s real

 

[Lynnie]

PC!! Looks like the consensus is IT''S A LINE!!! Congrats!!!

 

[Kunzite]

PC - Forgot to reply! Today is 12dpo so DD would be 1/10/11

 

[Laila619]

Congrats Kunzite and Plantationcatt!!!

 

[Lanie]

Oh my goodness!!! Double whammy!!!!!! Congrats to you too plantationcatt!!!!

 

[CatLuver]

Kunzite and plantationcatt, congrats!!!

gaby, sorry about AF. Personally, I got anxious after month 1 bc I felt we did everything right, so there must be something wrong w/us since it didn''t work. But now I realize that''s silly and am trying to be more patient and put less pressure on myself. I think after 4-6 months total I''ll see about getting checked.

RyanClaire, I''m so sorry about your cycle. Maybe a relaxing vaca in Costa Rica will do the trick.

dcgator, hope you had a good race and relaxation before BDing.

brightlight and bella, hope you guys are doing ok.

hou, hope work is going fine and good luck w/your upcoming BDing.

LV, hope you''re doing well out there too.

Bliss, I miss you too!

As for me, I''m now in the 2WW. The past 2 weeks or so I was super stressed from work, I finally felt better after I cried it out. I thought this cycle would be a wash because I wouldn''t ovulate or be in the mood to BD but we got it done on O-1 and O, I think. Unless my temp went up and I didn''t ovulate. The funny thing is it looks like I O''d on the same day as last cycle and my temp post O was the exact same too. So hopefully I O''d. I haven''t been able to let myself relax completely during the 2WW body-wise, like I''m still afraid to jog or do yoga, but I''m trying not to treat myself too delicately because that stresses me out...isn''t it weird to think that there are (hopefully) little swimmers swimming around inside you while you''re out and going about your day, hoping they''re doing their thing? I''m convinced I would have some symptoms if I got preg, so maybe it''s only a week or so wait.

dust everyone!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Kunzite and plantationcatt, Congratulations!!!!

Bella and Catluver, Thanks for asking about me! I had a nice relaxing month, lurked every day, popped in to congratulate all the bfps, but felt better about taking some time away.

********************

So, this was my month off - no fertility drugs. I loved the time away from my RE's office too. No blood work, aside from my visit there on CD3. I continued with acupuncture, though. I had a massage, manicure and pedicure today, which was a nice treat.

Oh, and what else? Hmmm. I took a test when I got home . . . and, I can hardly believe it, but . . .

I'M PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!

 

[Puppmom]

Holy crap, LV! That''s awesome.

Congrats, Kunzite and Plantation!!! I''ve never seen so many BFPs in a row!

 

[Lanie]

Holy moly LV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I went back to see what CD you would be on and was going to ask if you were going to test soon, but decided not to since you hadn''t posted in awhile. Hahaha!!!! You must be so excited!!!!!! I can''t believe today was a trifecta of BFP''s!!!!!!

 

[CatLuver]

Congrats LV!!! Funny how that works, isn''t it? When you weren''t really expecting it, bam!!!

Hope all 3 of you ladies have sticky ones.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

WHAT!!!!!!!!

OMG!!!! congrats LV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

best wishes for a happy, healthy, peaceful 9 months

 

[Lynnie]

LV!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG, Congratulations!!!!!!!

I told ya you''d be in the "L" preggo crowd!!

 

[Kunzite]

LV!! I''m thrilled for you girl!!!

This month has started out quite well

 

[Laila619]

Loves Vintage!!!!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!! You must be so thrilled! How did you tell DH?

 

[Po10472]

Yippeeee...........Oh my goodness, this is amazing and so exciting!!!!

PC and LV, wishing you all the health and happiness for a stress-free 9 months and that I''m completely thrilled for both of you. So here''s a double doze of sticky bean dust for both of you from my wee dust fairy.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Puppmom, Thank you!! It is so crazy isn't it? I did use pre-seed and the Instead after one BD session, so this could be another Instead success story. Instead hasn't been discussed around here for a while, so I thought I would mention for our newer TTC-ers.

Lanie, Yay for the trifecta of BFP's on May 1! That must be a record, right? I am so happy, though it hasn't quite sunk in yet! I cannot wait to call the RE on Monday. I can just walk in and get an HCG test, results in the afternoon. That will make it more real! Hoping for a high number!

Catluver, Yes, funny how things work out! Funny how this cycle was canceled because of the cysts, when I knew I wanted a break anyway but wouldn't make that decision myself. And, soooooo funny how after all of this, I wind up just getting pregnant with no intervention! Ahh, gotta love it.

Hope your 2ww goes quickly. My best advice is to just keep busy. I didn't think about my wait at all this month, partly because I didn't think I would get a bfp, but of course still had that hope, and even more, because I had a very stressful situation to deal with this past week. On occasion, I would think, huh, wonder how many DPO I am? But, for the most part, I was just not thinking about it!

Bella, Thank you!! I know it's so crazy! Surprise, Surprise!!

Lynnie, I'm soooo happy you were right and sooooo happy to be joining the prego-L crowd!!

Kunzite, Thank you. I know! What a productive start to the month! So, tell us, how did you tell your DH?

Laila, Hey there! I'd say that I'm cautiously thrilled. How I told DH -- well, not as cute a story as many of you -- it was more like "DH, GET IN HERE! I THINK A SEE A SECOND LINE, I THINK I SEE A SECOND LINE!", followed by him looking at the test, taking his glasses off, squinting, picking up the test

, examining it, and then concluding that there was no second line! Then, me, a minute later "COME BACK! COME BACK! THERE'S A LINE NOW!" He looked at it, smiled, and admitted he saw the line. He still didn't want to get too excited. I took so many tests last month, convinced I would be pregnant. He examined every one of those tests with me. This time, he just didn't want to get his hopes up and didn't want me to either. So, later in the day, I picked up some digi's. There is no denying that screen display! It came up so fast, I couldn't believe it. I ran around the house with it to find him!! We did the whole hug/kiss thing. It was very sweet. We're excited, but also feeling very cautious.

Po, Thank you! I love the sticky dust from your wee dust fairy!

PlantationCatt, I hope you were able to get lots of rest and are feeling better from that cold. Hope you check in with us today!

 

[Loves Vintage]

I'd like to share my thoughts on OPKs. For anyone who has ever had a hard time reading OPKs, particularly the cheapie internet strips, I highly recommend the Clearblue Easy Digital Ovulation Test. When you have an LH surge, the test gives you a smiley face. Yes, a smiley face. This past cycle, I used this CBEDT for the first time and bought the 7 test kit, because that's all they had at my pharmacy. I didn't even know there was a 20 test kit. Anyway, by my 6th test strip, I was pretty convinced that I was not going to ovulate that month, and then I got a smiley face. I was so happy to see it.

For the record, I HATE EVA. (For those that don't know the history, EVA is what we started calling the CBEFM.) I think I bought EVA in November and have never had a chance to use her. On CD1, I did not turn EVA on, because I expected to be monitored by my RE. I did not find out the cycle was canceled until CD3. TOO LATE! Apparently, you are out of luck (unless there is some way around this, I did not research it.) That is what led me to go out and buy OPKs.

Plus, you have to purchase new test sticks for $30 -$40 (every month? or do they last a few months?) for Eva, so why not just buy the CBEDTs as needed, for less cost and without the initial investment in EVA.

There may be some benefits to EVA that I am not aware of, but I never saw them. I absolutely loved how easy the CBEDTs were and loved the certainty that the smiley face provides. They are more expensive that the cheapie internet strips, but they do provide a level of certainty I never had with the cheapies.

 

[CDNinNYC]

Kunzite, Plantationcatt, and LV, congrats to you! This is an exciting start to a new month!

Wishing you three a happy and healthy 9 months!

 

[noelwr]

congrats to plantationcatt and LV!!! ((((HUGS))))

so you ladies just had to wait until May, huh?

I don''t agree with LV regarding the CBFM. I thought 1st of all Eva helped me to see that I was ovulating again and then helped the BD timing because I don''t have the fade-in pattern with OPKs. we did the BD-marathon and it worked! of course, only one of those BD nights worked and we don''t know which one, but it helped us to feel like we had our bases covered. however, I will admit that if I had been using Eva and not gotten knocked up within 6 months I probably would have hated her, taking my frustrations out on her, even though I know 9 months is the average time at my age.

and it doesn''t matter now for you anymore, LV, but you can set Eva anywhere within the first 5 CDs. you don''t have to set her on CD1, so you still could have used her. I do agree that the tests are expensive and the ladies on here know that I was complaining before that you have to use at least 10 sticks per cycle even if you''ve already passed your 1st PEAK (which is ALWAYS automatically followed by another PEAK and then a HIGH - so why do you have to waste tests on those days???).

but I guess the point of our posts is that every woman is different and has "tools" which suit her better than others. hope you all find which ones are the best for you.

 

[AllieLuv83]

Date: 5/2/2010 7:24:18 AM
Author: Loves Vintage
I''d like to share my thoughts on OPKs. For anyone who has ever had a hard time reading OPKs, particularly the cheapie internet strips, I highly recommend the Clearblue Easy Digital Ovulation Test. When you have an LH surge, the test gives you a smiley face. Yes, a smiley face. This past cycle, I used this CBEDT for the first time and bought the 7 test kit, because that''s all they had at my pharmacy. I didn''t even know there was a 20 test kit. Anyway, by my 6th test strip, I was pretty convinced that I was not going to ovulate that month, and then I got a smiley face. I was so happy to see it.


For the record, I HATE EVA. (For those that don''t know the history, EVA is what we started calling the CBEFM.) I think I bought EVA in November and have never had a chance to use her. On CD1, I did not turn EVA on, because I expected to be monitored by my RE. I did not find out the cycle was canceled until CD3. TOO LATE! Apparently, you are out of luck (unless there is some way around this, I did not research it.) That is what led me to go out and buy OPKs.


Plus, you have to purchase new test sticks for $30 -$40 (every month? or do they last a few months?) for Eva, so why not just buy the CBEDTs as needed, for less cost and without the initial investment in EVA.


There may be some benefits to EVA that I am not aware of, but I never saw them. I absolutely loved how easy the CBEDTs were and loved the certainty that the smiley face provides. They are more expensive that the cheapie internet strips, but they do provide a level of certainty I never had with the cheapies.

I used the same digital ovulation predictor the month I got pregnant. I bought a 7 pack and even though the box said not to start testing until the 13 day or something like that I started on day 8 and I am glad I did because by CD9 I got a on the digital and we got to BD. I loved them almost as much as I loved the digital pregnancy tests. You pee and wait and then its like "Oh yay!" because you never expect the smile or the "pregnant" to show up.

 

[Laila619]

LV, I am soooo happy for you!

And no fertility drugs to boot! How awesome is that! So how many DPO are you? Praying for a high and doubling beta for you!! Do you think your RE will have you go on Progesterone supps?

 

[Lanie]

Thats what I was trying to figure out LV!!!! Before you announced your pregnancy (yeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!) I went back looking to see if this was the same cycle as the Cyst Break. I thought not enough time had passed for this to be a new cycle, but noticed you would test under normal circumstances, so that''s why I never asked about you! So now that you said this WAS that same cycle, you guys must be so shocked AND thrilled!!!!!!! Wow!!!!

Re: your Eva comments...here''s my opinion. If you are just starting out TTC, I would use Internet cheapies. After a couple of cycles, I''d prob do the digi OPKs. They are expensive, but you are right, you don''t have that initial investment of the monitor. A 30 box of CBEFM (Eva) sticks runs about 30ish bucks online, and if you have regular cycles that are not long, you use a box every 3 months. I''d graduate to Eva if it''s taking you a little longer or you are planning on TTCing soon again, or if you have crazy irregular cycles like I did. I did like it. I found out I wasn''t ovulating bc of it and I couldn''t use it on my one and only ovulatory cycle bc of the trigger shot I had received. How much is a box of the digi OPKs? If they are about a dollar a piece then you are prob right LV.

So what symptoms are you preggo triplets feeling??? I''m so excited for you guys!

How is everyone else doing? I need to look at the cycle list again!

 

[Lanie]

Ok I''m a nerd and just trying to keep from throwing up so I did a cost benefit analysis for the Eva vs digi OPKs.

Assuming you get an Eva on eBay plus 3 months of sticks, and assuming a 7 pack of digi OPKs is 20 bucks, it would pay off to use the digis as long as you are under about 7 months of testing. Of course, no one goes into it thinking it will take them a long time. But that''s my assessment.

 

[Kunzite]

Date: 5/2/2010 7:02:20 AM
Author: Loves Vintage

Kunzite, Thank you. I know! What a productive start to the month! So, tell us, how did you tell your DH?

Laila, Hey there! I''d say that I''m cautiously thrilled. How I told DH -- well, not as cute a story as many of you -- it was more like ''DH, GET IN HERE! I THINK A SEE A SECOND LINE, I THINK I SEE A SECOND LINE!'', followed by him looking at the test, taking his glasses off, squinting, picking up the test

, examining it, and then concluding that there was no second line! Then, me, a minute later ''COME BACK! COME BACK! THERE''S A LINE NOW!'' He looked at it, smiled, and admitted he saw the line. He still didn''t want to get too excited. I took so many tests last month, convinced I would be pregnant. He examined every one of those tests with me. This time, he just didn''t want to get his hopes up and didn''t want me to either. So, later in the day, I picked up some digi''s. There is no denying that screen display! It came up so fast, I couldn''t believe it. I ran around the house with it to find him!! We did the whole hug/kiss thing. It was very sweet. We''re excited, but also feeling very cautious.

LV - I think I could have written that word for word! I got my first "I think I''m making this up" second line at 10dpo while I was traveling for work. So I saved the test and brought it home with me. I had another super faint line the next morning and made DH come in to look at them. At first he claimed there was no line and then he was confused by the fact that the line was sooooooo super faint. I think he was confusing them with OPKs and wanted to see a really dark line. So out we went for FRER to get a better answer and that line came up super fast and was unmistakable!!

 

[Kunzite]

I tried to take a photo to show just how light the second line on the ICs are. Hope it''s helpful for someone!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Thanks Kunzite!!! I have those IC tests and will use them this month (not really hoping for anything too much though)

and definitely next month, but I was wondering how the line displays. So, now know

I''m 10 dpo tomorrow, maybe I''ll try one just for "fun" then

Lanie you are so funny with the cost benefit analysis I might try those smiley face OPKs, just b/c it''s nice to get a smiley face

Q for LV and all other pre-seed people. DH and I like things um "natural" in the lube department. Does preseed feel "squishy/slimy" and/or is there a good amount to use so it''s not really evident when BDing? I bought it but am scared to use it

P.S> Kunzite-what is this lovely new stone in your avatar It''s grape-a-liscious

 

[Kunzite]

Thanks Bella, that''s my new yummy spinel

We used Preseed and you can tell it''s there. They say to use up to the 3 line, but I only used about 1.5 and it was still A LOT! I would suggest starting out with a small amount to see how you like it. At first it was a little different but after a few times both DH and I decided that we liked it. So just give it a chance and see what you think!

 

[icekid]

What a weekend on TTC!

LV- So so so thrilled for you. I knew it was coming, just did not know when. Apparently your body has a mind of its own. Congrats!! Super excited to go through this journey with you

Bella- I still have my fingers crossed for you! You just never know about those strong swimmers...

 

[Smurfysmiles]

I just wanted to say that now we have our finances and lives in order and are officially ttc, please don't flame me

We are really excited about this so I hope that I can share in the excitement with you ladies as well, i am officially on prenatal vitamins