The Official TTC Thread!

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Bright and Mayerling, I've read that laying down for 15-30 minutes after BD'ing may help (but probably not much), and after that you can get up/clean up as usual. Although really, I think the swimmers that were going to make it to their destination probably make their way almost immediately. Bright, your doctor really missed the point on that one!

Steph, thinking good thoughts for you!

Megumic, so sorry dear. It must be very hard. I hope that your body does what it is supposed to do soon. We'll be here when you're ready to try again.

AFM, I have the first cold I've had in a few years. I felt fine last night, woke up this morning with a slightly sore throat, and now I have a full-blown cold. It is bizarre how fast it came on! Now, I'm just feeling sorry for myself and not getting any work done. Hope you all have a great weekend!

 

[BrightSpot]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Bright and Mayerling, I've read that laying down for 15-30 minutes after BD'ing may help (but probably not much), and after that you can get up/clean up as usual. Although really, I think the swimmers that were going to make it to their destination probably make their way almost immediately. Bright, your doctor really missed the point on that one!

Yeah, that's what I've heard as well. I try to lie down for a bit after when I can. Good excuse to make DH get up & run the bath. And I guess a dude (i.e. my doc) doesn't really get it.

I'm sorry about your cold & hope you're feeling better soon! Sending you some virtual chicken soup. Take care of yourself, friend.

mayerling, I definitely think the wipes are fine as they're only external. I only worried a little about the bath b/c it's more, um, thorough...

Steph, I'm glad you enjoyed that. I laughed at that image myself. Are you going to test this weekend? Keeping my fingers crossed for you. Good luck!

Megumic, I'm so, so sorry for your loss. <hugs> How are you doing? I hope you are ok & have a sticky bean soon.

AFM, FF is doing crazy things today. It seems to think I O'd on Wednesday. On CD 9. Silly FF. I haven't O'd before CD 18. Unless acupuncture has done some seriously crazy things to my system, this seems pretty inaccurate. I'm a little annoyed b/c it took away my actual O date prediction.

 

[stephbolt]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

So. I tested this morning with a wondfo. Thought I maybe kinda sorta saw a super faint line after five minutes, but I didn't feel sure about it. DH went into the bathroom a few minutes later and I asked him what he saw, and he saw the second line as well. That was enough for me to break out one of the digital tests I picked up earlier this week. Then this happened.

 

[S&I]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Congrats Steph!!!
Looks like you and DH timed everything perfectly! How many DPO are you today?

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Congrats, Steph! I had a good feeling about you! How many DPO are you?

Bright, I'm not surprised FF thinks you ovulated on Wednesday based on your temps. The last three are steady and higher than the previous six. But whoa, your temps are erratic! Were you getting up later or sleeping poorly the past few nights? What are your normal pre-O and post-O temp ranges? I never take baths, so I can't help you on that one. Maybe try showering instead on your peak days?

 

[megumic]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Congrats Steph! Sticky wishes for you!!!

 

[stephbolt]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Thanks so much S&I, monkeyprincess, and megumic!

S&I, and mp, I'm 10 DPO today.

 

[JGator]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Amazing news! Congrats Steph!

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Steph! HOLY MOLY!

Congrats to you! So, how many DPO was that? 9? 10? I'm so happy for you, and wishing you a healthy 9 months!

ETA: Saw you're 10 dpo

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

MP: Hope your cold didn't turn out to be much. You should try some zinc spray or lozenges... though I'm not sure if they're safe while TTCing. No matter, get lots of rest and drink plenty of fluids!

Bright: I also see why FF marked you as ovulating on CD 9, but I don't think your temps are too erratic. Mine shift a whole lot pre-O and then even out post-O... If your temp drops tomorrow then the crosshairs should go away. Do you have any other 'O' symptoms, though? EWCM, soft cervix, etc?

AMC: How are ya, lady? I can't believe you're thisclose to TTCing! Looking back, do you feel like time went by quickly or slowly?

Lizzy: Hugs to you. Hang in there. Hope O happened over the weekend!

Hello to everyone else! Hope you're all well and wonderful!

So, I ended up having 5 positive OPKs, but FF says that I ovulated on CD 25 (Tuesday)... I'm sure it happened sometime around there. My temp is going up-up-up, and is quite a bit higher than it was this time last cycle, so I'm pretending like that means I have a bit more progesterone surging through my body I'm also glad ovulation was delayed so that my uterine lining could get nice and thick. I hope it doesn't mean anything bad for my eggies, though. The next nine days can't pass quickly enough!!

In other news, DH's grandma passed away on Thursday *and* his cousin (granddaughter to woman who passed) gave birth to her first child. So strange to lose one beloved person and gain another in a matter of hours. 'Tis the circle of life!

AND- SIL and 18mth niece are back from Finland. SIL is rocking cute baby bump #2 and I am a wee bit jealous... but so happy to be spending time with her and my niece. Trying to get in lots of baby snuggles before they leave again at the end of the month.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Steph, 10 dpo seems to be the magic number. Congrats again!

PPM, I'm glad you finally ovulated. I'm not sure why FF has your coverline so low though based on your temps. I would put it at 97.6. You seem to get pregnant relatively easily, so I'm thinking good thoughts for you! Enjoy your time with your family, and I'm sorry about DH's grandma.

AFM, I'm feeling like hell. Seriously. Poor DH seems to be getting the start of it too. I'm taking zicam, dayquil, nyquil, and anything else we have in the house to try to stay alert enough to do this brief. Not even sure if my writing is coherently because my head is so cloudy. I seriously doubt I'll get pregnant this month (given our history), but hopefully it would be too soon for the meds to affect anything anyway since I'm only 4DPO.

 

[lizzyann]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Steph, congratulations! 10dpo is always a good place to test, glad it worked out for you!

MP, sorry your feeling like crap and you have such a busy work un fun weekend. Hope you feel better soon.

PPM, sorry to hear about your loss. It truly is the circle of life. As for 5 positive opk's. I've had 4 once and I still got pregnant that month, so good luck!

Bright, personally I would not take a bath after BD'ing during TTC. Reason I say that is because my RE's office gives direction not to take any hot baths or go in any pools until after a couple of days post IUI. I would imagine that it causes some of the swimmers to be flushed out of you. The after BD yuck is gross, I do get that. If we BD right before bed, I usually go pee, then BD, and then literally clean up a little in bed, and then go to sleep. I don't even go upright again after BD'ing at night. If we BD during the day, I put a couple of pillows under my butt and elevate my hips for about 20 minutes. I take a shower but much later in the day. Hope that helps! As for not getting the warm fuzzies from your RE, I'd give it another shot, but if you don't click with them, I'd look for another RE. Is it a big practice? Meaning are there multiple RE's in the same office? I did not click with my first RE from the get go. She was not sensitive to my history and kept telling me that I was experiencing "just" chemical pregnancies. Trying to blow me off and she kept telling me that she wasn't worried about me. She didn't run one test on me and I went on to have two more miscarriages under her watch. Finally, I called my OB back and explained the situation and he recommended another RE in that practice. And she is awesome! Her bedside manner is spot on and she even calls me direct when needed. But above all, she had no hesitation in running the necessary testing. So don't waste too much time if you don't click with this RE ok?

Mayerling, I think you're fine wiping up after BD'ing. I just don't tend to shower till the next day or later that evening.

Megumic, sorry to hear about your loss. We are all hear for you and I hope that you are in the JBP thread again soon enough!

Tammy, how far out are you in being able to afford a house? Reason I ask is because one thing I always tell people when TTC is even if you do get pregnant right away you have 9 months to get ready for baby to arrive. So you have time to "get ready" emotionally and financially.

AMC, glad to hear your DF is interested in those books. I hope it happens quickly for you.

AFM, enjoying a beautiful indian summer day here in New England. Went pumpkin picking and to a corn maze today with Evan and Daddy. Now it's nap time, then football!!! I'm hoping I O'd over the weekend!

 

[Missy0483]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Yay Steph!!!! That didn't take long at all Congrats!!!!

 

[BrightSpot]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Steph, congrats! So excited for you! Sending you tons of sticky dust!

MP, my temps do tend to be fairly erratic. My schedule (wake up times) varies a lot, so that doesn't help with my crazy temps. My coverline was 97.8 in July & 97.7 in August. My temp went down a bit today & I had a negative OPK, so those crosshairs should go away soon.
I'm so sorry you're not feeling well! Good luck with brief writing while medicated. I hope you can get some rest & feel better soon!

PPM, no EWCM & I don't check my cervix. I highly doubt I really O'd so soon. I'm glad to hear that others have irregular temps pre-O too.
Your chart looks really promising. I asked my RE about delayed ovulation & if it meant that the egg was bad & he said it didn't...just that it took more time to get it matured & out the door.
I'm so sorry about your DH's grandmother. Congrats on the new baby cousin. Have fun with your family this month!

lizzy, thanks for the info on bathing. I asked my OB & RE both about it & they said it was ok, but I still worry that maybe it's not. It really feels like I could be washing away the swimmers. <putting wipes next to bed>
Thanks for sharing your RE experience. Sounds like having someone you trust really makes a difference. There are 1 or 2 other (male) RE's in this practice. I think I'll give this guy another shot & see if things are better & if not, maybe try to switch to another doc in the practice.
It sounds like you had a great day with your fam! Enjoy the beautiful weather & hope you have good news tomorrow!

AFM, enjoyed a beautiful summer-like weekend here. And there was even a street fair outside my door when I ventured out this morning. Yay! DH was messing with me a little bit this afternoon. We got a new sink a few days ago & it's making our water have a metallic taste. I've also had headaches & felt a bit nauseated the past 2 evenings. He asked me if I was sure I wans't PG. Of course I am...but had to run & pee on something anyway. I just used an OPK, but it was negative.

Hope everyone's well!

 

[stephbolt]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Thanks to JGator, PPM, lizzy, Missy, and Bright!

Bright, I never bathed after BD, but DH and I are almost exclusively BD before bed people. I would stay in bed for 10-15 min after BD and then get up and pee and clean up a little, but just with a washcloth. I always shower in the morning before work so I figure I can do the real clean-up then. I definitely think FF is being crazy with you!

Lizzy, this weekend was gorgeous weather! Hoping you O'ed, are you having bloodwork done sometimes this weekto check where you are?

mp, you poor thing! Hopefully this bug leaves you alone quickly.

PPM, I'm sorry for your loss. Interesting about your higher temps, hoping it's a good sign! I had a triphasic chart this cycle which was another thing that was making me think I was PG.

Hi to all the rest of you lovely ladies!

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Steph, you must be on cloud 9 today. So exciting! So to give us ladies in the 2ww something to obsess about, what symptoms did you have before getting your BFP?

Bright, I agree with Lizzy and Steph that it is probably better to just put up with the messiness while TTC. I do the same thing as Steph. It's just another unpleasant aspect of TTC, but worth it in the end.

Lizzy, crossing my fingers you finally O'd and can get this show on the road. Sounds like you had a lovely weekend with your family. I hope that made you feel a little better emotionally.

Hi to everyone else!

AFM, thank you for your well wishes. I'm feeling much, much better today, although I now sound like an old man when I try to talk. I finished the brief and about had a heart attack this morning when I was actually complimented on it and thanked for working on the weekend. Oh, and I got a bill for my CD3 bloodwork, and it was over $600! It did say that insurance was pending, but I'm not guaranteed it will cover anything. Makes me a little leery of getting the 7DPO test this week, but I probably will still go ahead and do it. '

Have a great start to the week!

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Megumic, so sorry

stephb0lt, congrats! Your test really makes me doubt the internet cheapies that so many swear by. Those things are supposed to be pretty sensitive, whereas the digis aren't. And obviously you've got enough hormones in you to pick it up...at 10dpo! Congrats, again!

AMC: How are ya, lady? I can't believe you're thisclose to TTCing! Looking back, do you feel like time went by quickly or slowly?

Both. On one hand it seems like forever since we made the decision...but on the other, we're almost there. It feels like we've been TTC without actually TTC...not sure if that makes sense. Every month I wait to O then I wait for AF, minus getting to pee on anything other than OPKs. It's a bit daunting to think that this is really just phase one and who knows how long I'll have to waith once we are TTC. DF is crazy excited now which makes it really fun. We'll be talking about things coming up in the next year, and he always adds "depending on how pregnant you are" at the end. Sort of a disclaimer.

Oh, we went to Apple Hill this weekend, which is basically a whole bunch of farms in one area, and you go from farm to farm...you can pick/buy apples, buy pies, jams, etc. Well, walking near us was a lady pushing a stroller, and it just happened to be the stroller I/we want. I pointed it out to DF and he was trying to get me to go talk to her about it to see how she likes it. If I were preggo I might have, but it just seemed a bit weird otherwise. And yes, I've picked out a stroller. Yes, I know I'm weird.

I also wanted to say (again) how glad I am I've been temping the past however many months. I always had a 28/29 day cycle until I started temping. Now they are anywhere between 29-33 days. I'm pretty sure it's a combination of stress and my cycles going back to what they were pre-bcp. But without temping, I probably would have had at least 4 pregnancy scares in the past 6 months, due to thinking I was late. So I guess temping has been a huge stress relief!

Not sure if I mentioned what my goals are for the next 8 weeks- but mainly they are to stay relaxed and drink more alcohol (I barely drink at all, but I know I'll miss my occassional glass of wine). The relaxation thing is going well. I've taking a few baths, scheduled a massage, facial, etc. Made a calendar of all the wedding crap that needs to be done. This has been a huge stress relief, because instead of "OMG we have so much we have to get done," it's "okay, this weekend we need to do these two things." I've had a glass of wine maybe 3 nights in the past week, and I've really enjoyed it. The bonus with that is if I have a glass while I'm making dinner, I'm really not hungry for the actualy food...so it's doubling as a diet tool

 

[tammy77]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Sorry I didn't come back for a bit so I missed your question, Lizzy. I'm feeling a little TTC crazy lately and I know I have to wait so I'm trying to distance a bit from the pool for now. Anyhow, regarding saving for a house honestly I don't even know. We do great then a few little crazy things happen at the same time and POOF we've lost whatever ground we gained in the last few months. It worries me, to say the least!

I do agree 110% with you regarding having time to prepare even after becoming pregnant (if we do). That's the main reason I want to stay where we are until it happens. There's no guarantee that it will happen right away (as you know, unfortunately and I'm SO sorry for that). So there's no sense in having EVERYTHING lined up beforehand. It'll just make me sad and even more crazy when TTC drags on.

On a happier note, big congrats to you Steph!

ETA: Amc we must be close neighbors! DH and I went to Reno last weekend and Apple Hill last year with my girls. I can't wait to go again this year!

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

ETA: Amc we must be close neighbors! DH and I went to Reno last weekend and Apple Hill last year with my girls. I can't wait to go again this year!

Funny, because I was in Vegas last week! Ha. It's fun living in a state that has exactly two metropolitan areas.

 

[stephbolt]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

So to give us ladies in the 2ww something to obsess about, what symptoms did you have before getting your BFP?

I had a triphasic chart (I'll attach it), but from everything I read it's not always a clear predictor of pregnancy. I also had sore bbs and felt kinda crampy/like AF was about to start from about 7 DPO. I never get sore bbs so that was the biggest thing that made me think I was KU.

Thanks amc and tammy! amc, yeah, the internet tests can be confusing! I really thought it was blank and had poured out my cup-o-pee already after about five minutes. But when DH looked at it after 10 min and saw something, I managed to produce another tiny sample I know some other ladies have gotten clear answers from the clearblue digi after ambiguous answers from the internet cheapies.

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

stephb0lt , your chart is text book beautiful. Not just your temps, but your BD timing, OPK results, etc. So happy for you!

 

[BrightSpot]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

MP, I'm glad you're feeling better today. Congrats on your great brief (and hurray for getting a "thank you" for a job well done.)
Any news on whether your insurance is going to cover your CD3 test bill? I looked at my claims online today & the charge for my CD3 draw was similarly high. The progesterone one came in at $128 & the HSG was $570. The SA was $340. I hope this helps you know about what to expect. My RE doesn't put much stock in the progesterone test (apparently your doc doesn't either), but my OB seemed to value the info, so hard to tell if it's worth it.

amc, enjoy relaxing & drinking! Keeping a to-do list really does help keep you organized & makes it easier to not stress out over a mountain of wedding planning tasks. Good luck with everything! Not long to wait now...

tammy, let us know what you decide re: TTC timing & a move. DH & I are contemplating moving to a bigger apartment (sadly, still a rental as the NYC housing market is crazy). We both work from home a few days a week & having more space would be great (ideally, we'd love an office, a bedroom for us & eventually a bedroom for a LO). We're trying to figure out if we should move now/soon or wait until there's a LO on the way, which could be a while.

steph, thanks for sharing your chart & your early PG symptoms. That's good to know that the clearblue digi gave you a result when the cheapie was ambiguous. How are you feeling? BIg congrats again!

MP, Lizzy & Steph, thanks again for weighing in on the "to bathe or not to bathe" question. I think we might have to switch up our BD schedule to EOD right before bed (with in-bed cleanup) this month to give DH's swimmers (I'll call them Harry & Winston) the best possible shot. Oh the things we think about when TTC...

 

[mayerling]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Congratulations, Steph!

Well, I think AF is about to make an appearance. I've been cramping all night and, to be honest, I've been expecting it. I didn't really have any symptoms, other than those hot flashes , and I did think it would take a while for my body to get back to normal after coming off BC. Anyway, it means that my first cycle of BC was text-book 28 days (I was always pretty regular, even before BC, 27-29 days). So this is officially CD1, cycle 2 off BC. Can't wait to start trying again! And this time I'm doing OPKs; I'm getting a bit paranoid thinking I might not have ovulated last month.

Good luck to all you ladies, and keep us posted!

 

[tammy77]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Bright, we're 99% sure that we're going to wait until I'm pregnant to move. We're comfortable here with our current family size and the longer we stay at this rent, the more money we save. That said, we got an amazing deal on our place and we're happy here. If those two things weren't present we'd probably be more apt to move now.

The way I see it, I don't want to stare at an empty room just waiting for a baby. I'm afraid I'd go nuts or just get really depressed if/when it takes a while to get pregnant, you know?

As for rent vs buy, we're just not sure. At this point we're doing the "not ruling anything out or making any decisions other than to save our butts off" thing and it's helping our morale + stress levels!

Regarding timing, it seems to move up pretty regularly these days. I hope it doesn't backslide! We started with "early summer", then "March at the earliest" to my DH telling his best guy friend (who is expecting a boy in Dec) that we were starting in "Feb/March". I'm hoping that adorable newborn baby boy pictures help speed it up even more.

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

AMC: Sounds like you have the right approach to pre-TTC and pre-wedding stuff... Take it a day at a time, enjoy it, and RELAX! It flies by so, so quickly! I can't wait to see some snapshots from the wedding, cruise, etc. (if you want to share, of course!)

Tammy: It's funny how "timelines" change... I recall some of your first posts about considering TTC but thinking it was a LONG ways away, and now your DH is talking about starting in February! That's great! Whenever I stress about our lives not being perfect before TTC, I remember that many people manage on far, far less and do just fine. If owning a house is your only major "to-do", I think that is a-ok. What's most important is your overall emotional and financial readiness, which seems to be great!


Mayerling: It's not over until it's over. Hoping that AF stays away, but if not, this is a good chance to start learning about your post-BC cycle... and the "get busy!" period is only about a week away! Time flies by. Except for the blasted 2WW.

AFM: Temp keeps rising, fingers are staying crossed. Every morning I want to test (Uh... only 7dpo...), but I force myself to pee before I have enough time to unwrap a Wondfo I'm going to POAS Friday and again on Sunday (assuming AF doesn't show before then).

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

PPM, your chart is looking great! Fingers crossed for you.

Mayerling, I couldn’t tell if AF has actually arrived or not, but if AF does arrive, the good news is that you almost certainly did ovulate (that’s what brings AF on about 2 weeks later). Still hoping AF stays away, but if not, good luck this next cycle!

Bright, thanks for the price breakdown. That does help. Between our new appliances and all these tests, I’m not going to get any play money for the next couple of months! It's a tough call because I don't think my doctor will do anything with the information, but I think I’m going to go ahead and get the progesterone test done if for no other reason than to give me peace of mind that I am in fact ovulating.

AFM, I’m 6dpo and not feeling a darn thing, and starting to feel like this cycle is another bust. Why can’t I just be one of those people that gets pregnant relatively easily?! Is that really too much to ask?

 

[mayerling]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Just checking in to clarify that AF has indeed arrived, at 28 days like clock-work. It's good to know that I definitely ovulated. After reading all these posts about anovulatory cycles I just assumed that cycles (defined by AF) can occur without ovulation.

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Just checking in to clarify that AF has indeed arrived, at 28 days like clock-work. It's good to know that I definitely ovulated. After reading all these posts about anovulatory cycles I just assumed that cycles (defined by AF) can occur without ovulation.

That's great news or having just come off the pill. I'm on CD5, so if you don't get preggo in October we might be cycle buddies in November

 

[mayerling]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Just checking in to clarify that AF has indeed arrived, at 28 days like clock-work. It's good to know that I definitely ovulated. After reading all these posts about anovulatory cycles I just assumed that cycles (defined by AF) can occur without ovulation.

That's great news or having just come off the pill. I'm on CD5, so if you don't get preggo in October we might be cycle buddies in November

Except if you get preggo in October

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Just checking in to clarify that AF has indeed arrived, at 28 days like clock-work. It's good to know that I definitely ovulated. After reading all these posts about anovulatory cycles I just assumed that cycles (defined by AF) can occur without ovulation.

Mayerling, people can get AF without ovulating, but that usually happens when you are irregular or have an unusually long (or short) cycle. Because you just came off BC, AF was almost certainly a result of ovulating about two weeks ago. Sorry AF showed, but the good news is that you can start trying again soon!