The Official TTC Thread!

[coda72]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

It just started a couple hours ago, and it seems to be more than just spotting. But I will keep an eye on it to see how heavy it is and how long it lasts. I have been under a lot of stress lately, so I'm more inclined to think it's an anomaly period rather than implantation bleeding.

 

[ello]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Okay people I'm seriously confused. Check this out! 3 positive OPK's???
So what was 7 days ago, a false positive? BD again!

 

[amc80]

Okay people I'm seriously confused. Check this out! 3 positive OPK's???
So what was 7 days ago, a false positive? BD again!

Did you take a pic of the positive one from a week ago? Or was it just the digital? It does sound like you geared up to O but didn't. Glad you caught it this time!

 

[ello]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

I still have the OPK sticks from 7 days ago - LH lines were much more faint. I'll take a picture tomorrow & post.
It really looks like my hormones are all over the place.

 

[ello]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Coda, I'm so crossing my fingers for you that the spotting will go away. It's so frustrating to have weird cycles.

 

[coda72]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Well it's definitely AF. This has to be my weirdest cycle ever. I have to wonder with my age, that I waited too long to TTC. Who knows, by now I could be perimenopausal. Well, at any rate, I bit the bullet and bought some OPKs. I'll try those out and see what happens.

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Well it's definitely AF. This has to be my weirdest cycle ever. I have to wonder with my age, that I waited too long to TTC. Who knows, by now I could be perimenopausal. Well, at any rate, I bit the bullet and bought some OPKs. I'll try those out and see what happens.

Sorry to hear this. Considering your short LP this month I'm not totally shocked by the positive OPKs. I've gotten them for several days after O. So how long was your LP? 8 days?

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Coda, sorry to hear that. It's so disappointing when AF comes earlier than it should. Try out the OPKs this month to see if you can pinpoint ovulation, and then you can see what kind of luteal phase you are looking at. I'm in a similar boat as I've had spotting starting on 9 days after ovulation the past couple of months. So I'm pretty sure I have been having "weak" ovulation and need something like clomid to try to get a little stronger ovulation and better quality follicles and eggs. I think you said you have just decided to let nature takes it course and not seek any fertility assistance if it doesn't happen on its own, right? Best of luck to you this cycle.

Ello, well, you did think that your positive OPK last week was earlier than it should have been, right? Hopefully this is the real deal this time since it coincided with EWCM.

 

[aviastar]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Ok, I have a question. CD 1 for me here, which I was prepared for ( still sad, but not unexpected). But it's only day 10 post O; so is that a 10 day LP or a 9 day LP? Last cycle was CD1/DPO12, so it was at least a full 11 day LP, but 9 is really too short isn't it?

Next question; do I really have to wait a full year to see a dr. If I already know that a short LP is a probable cause six months in?

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Aviastar, darnit, I'm SO sorry AF arrived and that you're also dealing with short LPs. Personally, I think that you would be completely justified in talking to your doctor about it at this point. You've been tracking ovulation and you have been timing BDing, and from what I've read, it should happen within a few months for most couples if they are doing both of those things. I'm not saying anything is necessarily wrong, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to see if your doctor will at least do the CD3 bloodwork and 7DPO progesterone check. I will warn you that when I was TTC#1, I talked to my doctor about it at my annual exam after I had been trying about 6-7 months. She was a bit dismissive, but I was persistent and she agreed to run the bloodwork. It came back within normal ranges, so I had to continue to be persistent until they hooked me up with the NP who helped me conceive my son. My insurance does not cover any fertility testing or treatment, so I was hoping to avoid seeing an RE unless it was necessary.

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Ok, I have a question. CD 1 for me here, which I was prepared for ( still sad, but not unexpected). But it's only day 10 post O; so is that a 10 day LP or a 9 day LP? Last cycle was CD1/DPO12, so it was at least a full 11 day LP, but 9 is really too short isn't it?

Next question; do I really have to wait a full year to see a dr. If I already know that a short LP is a probable cause six months in?

If AF came at 10dpo then your LP is 9 days. That is short. I would definitely talk to your doctor. How old are you? Once you reach a certain age they only make you try for 6 months...but if your doctor is good then s/he should see you now.

 

[aviastar]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Thank you amc and MP.

I'm 30; this was cycle 5 for us. So one more try gets us to a full six months and I'd really like to talk to someone at that point. I see a NP Midwife so I would probably start with her.

 

[ello]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Hi amc80, here is a picture of the OPK's from a week ago. That was CD9 (11pm) positive and CD10 negative (11am).
The pink ones are the Digi's. I'm not sure which one of the 3 was positive. I accidentally shuffled the OPKs. I assume the most yellow (gross!). So it appears that my body geared up to O and decided to pass and are trying again now at CD17/CD18.

 

[ello]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Hi monkeyprincess (cute name!), yes it was very strange to have a positive OPK on CD9/10 since my usual is CD12/13. It's also very weird to have Positive OPK's in one cycle at CD17 and CD18! I did know your body would do that. I guess my body is launching the egg late but it's probably a sign that I'll have a short Luteal phase, annoying!
I had a positive Digi last night at 11pm (CD17) and a positive today at 11am (CD1. For what it's worth we BD pm & am but my poor husband has had enough, what a stressful cycle, I think we'll call it a day now!

 

[ello]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Hi coda, so sorry to hear AF arrived so soon...and without reservations! I hope she moves along quickly and you have a better cycle coming up. I started my journey the "let's wing it way" but clearly after my wacky cycle with two positive OPKs a week apart, I've decided that I will temp the next cycle. So thankful for the help & training I've gotten here. I hope you find comfort that we're all here being optimistic with you.

Aviastar, As you embark on the next cycle I wanted to wish you well. I had very short LP before I conceived no.1. I conceived on a LP9 or 10. I remember being so upset about my short LP's. I think it's good to have the discussion with your Dr regardless on whether you are planning to take the next steps to fertility. Having your foot in the door will be a stress reliever for you. That's what happened to me, I was just about ready to go for fertility treatment when I got my BFP! I think you could stretch the 6 months to a year since you are much more educated than most TTC couples...say that you've been trying for a year and seriously been tracking for 7 months and you need to get the ball rolling. Go get em girl! Let you be our first BFP!!! I need some good news.

I spoke to a friend this weekend age 39 with 9 month old baby girl. She had a difficult time TTC no.3 and finally went for Reflexology treatment and she spoke very highly of it. Apparently worked for her on the 2nd cycle. Anyone here know anything about Reflexology fertility treatment?

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Ello- Just so you know, you can't read the lines on digital tests like you can on OPKs. There can not even be much of a line but it can be positive. So don't get too hung up on what the lines on those mean.

I don't know, though, those other tests don't look quite positive. Especially comparing them to the ones you just took. They look about as close to positive as they can get without actually being positive. I know the digi gave you the smiley but I don't always trust those...based on personal experience. But the good news is if your true O date just happened it sounds like your BD was timed really well.

 

[coda72]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

MP-I don't want to undergo IUI or IVF, but if I still have trouble conceiving in the next few months, I may ask my gyn in February at my next appointment to do some testing on my hormones and ovarian reserve just to see if it's even possible for me to conceive on my own.

Ello-thanks for the encouraging words; I hope TTC works out for both of us soon.

I have an irrational thing that is bothering me, and I wanted to put it out there to see what everyone else thinks. My husband and I are both on our second marriage. He has kids from the previous marriage; I do not. His kids' birthdays are all in July and August, as well as his ex-wife's birthday. I really don't want to have our child during those 2 months. I really wouldn't like it if our child ended up with the same birthday as one of them. I'm sure they wouldn't like it either. (His kids are all grown and in their 20's). But I'm worried that since I am almost 41 that we should take every opportunity we can to TTC, and if our child is born then, so be it. I'm so torn about this issue. If I were younger, it would be no big deal to use protection during the next couple of months. But considering my age, I think we should just go for it. What does everyone think?

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

I have an irrational thing that is bothering me, and I wanted to put it out there to see what everyone else thinks. My husband and I are both on our second marriage. He has kids from the previous marriage; I do not. His kids' birthdays are all in July and August, as well as his ex-wife's birthday. I really don't want to have our child during those 2 months. I really wouldn't like it if our child ended up with the same birthday as one of them. I'm sure they wouldn't like it either. (His kids are all grown and in their 20's). But I'm worried that since I am almost 41 that we should take every opportunity we can to TTC, and if our child is born then, so be it. I'm so torn about this issue. If I were younger, it would be no big deal to use protection during the next couple of months. But considering my age, I think we should just go for it. What does everyone think?

I agree with you- if you were 30 I'd say just wait until January to TTC. But time isn't exactly on your side right now, and every month you pass up is one less chance you have. And honestly, once that baby is in your arms you probably won't care if it's bday is the same day as his ex-wife's.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Coda, first of all, that's great you are open to talking to your doctor and getting your hormones tested. Completely understandable you do not want to pursue IUI/IVF, but I really do think you owe to yourself to at least investigate a bit to see what your options are, and there are certainly noninvasive options short of IUI/IVF, with clomid being the most basic and least invasive. As for the birthday thing, I get why you would prefer to have a baby sometime other than July/August, but in your situation, I wouldn't stop trying for that reason. As you've seen, we don't always have a lot of control over our fertility, and it would be a shame to waste two months of trying when you might be passing up on a really high quality egg, you know? Just my opinion anyway.

 

[ello]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Medame Coda72, this is my take on your situation and my humble & respectful opinion...

When you have your healthy baby in your hands nothing will matter. Not the month or the exact day. In fact, everything I thought I believed in or knew before my baby boy is completely forgotten. I literally feel like a before and after Ello! I used to be the person saying I would never take my child to a restaurant...WELLL, guess who loves to take her boy out for a nibble & show and tell??? Yip, guilty!!!
You can't really predict your true due date as anything can change for example.... I was suppose to give birth on my late dad's birthday, April 1st. It meant the world to me. It gave me endless giggles just thinking about having my boy on April fools day YET I gave birth on Dec.31st at 26 weeks. Whatever is meant to be will be. The love for your child will over rule anything you thought about.

However, if you feel more comfortable waiting, then you should follow your heart. You are the boss lady & that is the way it should be!

 

[coda72]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Thanks for your input everyone. This was something that was bothering me for a while, but just typing it out and seeing responses from other people put it in perspective for me. Hubby and I are just getting back into our regular routine after a hectic summer, so we're going to keep BD and see where it takes us. If that means having a baby in July or August next year, so be it. I think both he and I are feelling a lot less stressed because things are starting to fall in place for us that have taken years of work, so we may have a much easier time TTC. I ordered the OPKs from amazon, and they should be here today. I'm on CD4, so I will probably start using them tomorrow since my cycle is short, and I may ovulate fairly quickly after AF. I may even start trying to take my temperature in the morning although that will be difficult to do with my crazy work and sleep schedule.
Best of luck to everyone this month in TTC!

 

[ello]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

That's great, holding thumbs for you Coda!

 

[ello]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

I don't know guys, I think AF is coming early this cycle. I already have backache. AF not due for 6 days.
With possible O on CD18 and it being CD21 now it looks like I will have a short LP. It's so frustrating!

 

[aviastar]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

I don't know guys, I think AF is coming early this cycle. I already have backache. AF not due for 6 days.
With possible O on CD18 and it being CD21 now it looks like I will have a short LP. It's so frustrating!

Ello, I'm confused too. I had, as I posted above, definitive (TMI ALERT) bright red while wiping on DPO 10. But then only spotting the rest of that day and the next. Then cramps, headache, normal constant flow starting DPO 12. So I am unsure which day exactly is CD 1. In any case it seems to me that the spotting indicates that the end of the LP is weak anyway, even if it is technically long enough at 11 days, so I am still going to stick with the plan to track one more cycle and then make an appointment to talk to the NP.

Even with all the tools we have, it's just not that straightforward is it? Thank you for the encouragement. My DH is awesome and when I told him about the short LP, he simply said, "ok, call the nurse and we'll get whatever help we need. It's ok, we'll figure it out." But it is nice to have this group to get into the nitty gritty questions with; as supportive as he is, DH just isn't really up for the intricacies of spotting vs. flow

Coda, I wouldn't wait, either. I think you have a really wonderful, healthy approach going and I'd just keep on truckin' as it were

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

I don't know guys, I think AF is coming early this cycle. I already have backache. AF not due for 6 days.
With possible O on CD18 and it being CD21 now it looks like I will have a short LP. It's so frustrating!

Ello, I'm confused too. I had, as I posted above, definitive (TMI ALERT) bright red while wiping on DPO 10. But then only spotting the rest of that day and the next. Then cramps, headache, normal constant flow starting DPO 12. So I am unsure which day exactly is CD 1. In any case it seems to me that the spotting indicates that the end of the LP is weak anyway, even if it is technically long enough at 11 days, so I am still going to stick with the plan to track one more cycle and then make an appointment to talk to the NP.

Even with all the tools we have, it's just not that straightforward is it? Thank you for the encouragement. My DH is awesome and when I told him about the short LP, he simply said, "ok, call the nurse and we'll get whatever help we need. It's ok, we'll figure it out." But it is nice to have this group to get into the nitty gritty questions with; as supportive as he is, DH just isn't really up for the intricacies of spotting vs. flow

Coda, I wouldn't wait, either. I think you have a really wonderful, healthy approach going and I'd just keep on truckin' as it were

Confusing cycles are the worst. As an FYI, the first day of full flow is CD1.

 

[ello]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Aviastar, I hear you on the DH going crossed eyed with all the O & LP talk. I tried to explain it earlier today and only heard silence followed by a barely there "hmmm". I take that as his way of being frustrated as well. Interesting on how cool and collected they are.
Some men more than others. I really have to poke at mine to get a comment but he is very sweet. He usually says...it's okay...
Bless his heart for being so positive because I'm starting to get really angry! Ha ha!

TMI - so far cramping, backache, no visible blood but noticed skin like shedding in urine. It must be my uterine lining shedding.

 

[coda72]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Thank you again everyone for your support. It's amazing how putting my thoughts in written form really helps me along with the input from all of you. Ello and Avia, I think my DH is overwhelmed by all this TTC minutia as well, so it's great we have this thread to talk about all the TMI things that men don't really want to know!

I'm on CD9 and chugging along. Finally getting in the routine of the OPKs. Did one yesterday and had a faint line. On the one today the line is darker, almost as dark as the control line. So I'm guessing I'm going to ovulate within the next day or two. We BD last night and will again tonight. I'm feeling pretty hopeful this month!

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Coda, yay, I'm glad the OPKs aren't as bad as you expected and that you are feeling optimistic. It does feel better when you start to be a bit more proactive. And definitely, this thread is such a lifesaver for those of us who struggle a bit to conceive. You can't really talk about it with people in real life, and husbands can only do so much to be a sounding board when it is not their body that goes through the cycles, and you don't want TTC to consume your relationship. Best of luck to you! I'm at about the same point in my cycle right now (although I took clomid this month), and my OPK is starting to fade in too, so I'm right there with you.

Avistar, I had the exact same thing this time around. I started spotting on like 9DPO, and then it stopped, and then it started, and stopped and started. Finally, on like 13DPO I had a full on AF. Technically, I guess that was the start of AF, but with all the spotting I had before, I just don't know what to think. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that this is your month so you don't have to talk to you NP, but if not, there are so many options available to you, so keep your head up.

Ello, where did you come out this cycle? Hopefully AF did not come early like you thought it would. That would have been really early, so I'm hoping something else was at play for you.

 

[ello]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Hi ladies,

I'm sending positive & warm vibes to you all for successful BDing!

I'm still hanging in there:
I'm at CD25 (7DPO) and expecting AF in 2 days.
So far no spotting but on and off cramping and backaches, moody & hungry.
It will be a miracle if the eggy actually implanted between possible O on CD18/19 and now. With an LP that short it's looking grim. I have not tested yet because I'm too scared to be disappointed. I'll wait 2 more days. Fingers crossed!

 

[coda72]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

MP-good luck! Hope this is your cycle to conceive.

Ello-maybe you were still able to catch it this time. If AF hasn't started yet, you're still in it for this cycle!

AFM- I did another OPK last night and it was a darker line still, maybe the slightest bit lighter than the control line, but it was hard to tell. I did one around noon today, and the line was lighter than the control line, so I guess my LH surge happened between 9 pm last night and noon today. Hopefully I can get the DH to BD at tonight again, and maybe even tomorrow just to make sure!