The Official TTC Thread!

[JGator]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

AMC, that makes sense on the D&C being the equivalent of AF. I bled for a day or two after the D&C. Not as heavy as a normal period, though.

 

[lliang_chi]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

AMC, thanks for adding that snippet in. Yeah I had a feeling that the D&C was the equivalent to AF, and I'd ovulate before I get AF again after my D&C. It makes sense. Guess we learn something new each day. Hoping you'll O soon. Are you going to try EOD again?

S&I, Waiting ot see if you get a + OPK yet.

Well, right now I'm under orders for no sex until next Weds, so no point in that yet. My cycles have been 31-35 days, so I'm guessing I won't get my first AF until mid April or something. The OB and midwife both want me to start trying after my first cycle, but I think that's just for accurate dating in the chance that I do get pregnant. We'll see how things go. TBH I wouldn't mind waiting a few months so we won't have a Christmas baby, but like I said, I'm not going to put too much planning in this and I'll just let things happen as they happen. I suppose it'd be good to start temping again, at the very least ot just get back into the habit of temping and more importantly RECORDING my temps...

 

[S&I]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

LC, still no +OPK for me today, but I think they're starting to get darker (super faint to just regular faint, haha). Hope your cycle comes back without any problems soon!

MP, maybe you're having a repeat of when you conceived Ev? How many DPO are you today? If not, I hope AF does come for real so you know what's going on, and your RE appointment isn't too far away.

AMC, yay for cycle twins! Here's hoping we both O in the next day or two.

AFM, CD16 and no O yet. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining though. I've just always had regular 28-day cycles with a 10-day LP when I'm not on some form of birth control. Maybe I'm stressed out about something.

 

[amc80]

Well, I spoke too soon. I took an OPK a few hours ago and barely got a second line. On a whim, I just took one before bed (ah, the beauty of wondfos) and got a line that is either positive or as close to positive as it can be while still being negative. Either way, I'm expecting a blaring positive in the morning. We BD'd this morning (cd15) and will again tomorrow night (cd16) (and on Monday night, but that was mostly to flush out the old swimmers). I should I either tomorrow or Saturday. So I think we are good.

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Can we play a game called WTFIGOWMC? You know, What The F Is Going On With My Chart?

Yesterday morning my OPK was very negative. Barely a second line. At about 11pm I took another and it was positive (see previous post). My temp yesterday was down to my pre-O levels, where it usually stays for a few days before I O. I expected it to still be low today.

NOPE! It spiked today. OPK was positive this morning. Surely I couldn't have O'd in the few hours between my positive OPK last night and my temp spike this morning? That would just be....mean. I also haven't had any O pains and I get those every month. At least if I did O overnight, our BD session yesterday morning was well timed.

 

[S&I]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

AMC, I wonder if your temps are jumping around due to the time change, like I think mine are. Are you going to take another OPK tonight? Maybe you Oed overnight so you didn't feel any O pains, or maybe you just didn't get a good night's sleep? Either way, you probably won't know much until you see tomorrow's temp. I'm in the same boat as you!

AFM, my temps have been a bit erratic this cycle too, but I'm blaming the time change. My CD16 AM test was pretty light but noticeable, and was darker in the evening as well. I was expecting this morning's test to be positive, but it still looks similar to last night's. I'll test again tonight, but I had some crazy O pains (or gas?) during lunch today. They're different than last cycle's O pains, but both times have been on the right side. I wonder if my left side isn't working, haha. I had some pains last night too, but today's stopped me from talking mid-sentence. It's funny that I've gone 20+ years never feeling O pains, and now it's like BAM!

 

[amc80]

S&I, I don't know, maybe? Time doesn't usually do a whole lot to my temp but who knows. To add to the fun, but temp is back down this morning. But my opk is negative. So either I geared up to O but my body chickened out, or I did O and today is a fallback temp. We will just keep BDing until something is confirmed. How is your chart?

 

[amc80]

Well, it looks like my body attempted to O but got cold feet. I guess we will just BD every other day until something happens.

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

The fun continues.

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/35b735

I think my OPK was a bit darker this morning, so hopefully I'm gearing up for the real deal. Gah, this is so frustrating. We will BD again tonight (we were supposed to last night but life got in the way).

 

[S&I]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

AMC, it looks like we are having the same weird cycle together. My temp hasn't gone up, and my OPKs faded out, so I have no idea where I am in my cycle now. I never did get a real positive OPK, but it was a medium dark on the day I got EWCM, so I'm really confused. Hope we both O soon!

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

AMC, it looks like we are having the same weird cycle together. My temp hasn't gone up, and my OPKs faded out, so I have no idea where I am in my cycle now. I never did get a real positive OPK, but it was a medium dark on the day I got EWCM, so I'm really confused. Hope we both O soon!

There must be some culture somewhere that has an ovulation dance? Sort of like a rain dance?

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Well, I'm going to say I'm 3DPO. My temp shot up today. For fun, I decided to disregard the temp on CD16. I forgot to set my alarm that day and overslept by an hour. In all fairness, that sort of thing doesn't usually do much to my chart. By discarding it, I get crosshairs for CD17 which also aligns perfectly with my OPK and CM.

I know I could just be artificially manipulating my chart...BUT, my temps are never this high unless I O'd. So, assuming my temps stay up, I'm going to leave CD16 discarded. If they go back to being all up and down I will put the temp back in.

Also, if you look at my chart overlay, my O day through O+2 pattern matches closely to my average. Thoughts?

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/35b735

 

[S&I]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

AMC, hope your temp stays up the next few days so you can confirm O! It's probably valid for you to discard your CD16 temp if you really did take it later than usual. I notice FF uses an open circle if you put in a time that's an hour or more later than your usual time.

LC and MP, how are you ladies doing?

AFM, still pre-O temp this morning on CD21. I'm either so stressed out that I'm delaying O, or I'm going to have an annovulatory cycle. Either way, I'm hoping this cycle isn't the new normal for me. I hate not knowing where I am in my cycle though.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

amc, that does make sense based on all other indications. I hope you get more confirmation in the next few days and a BFP too!

S&I, so frustrating. Really hoping you get some clarification in the next few days as well and this is just a minor delay for you. I hope you aren't feeling too discouraged yet. I think it is going to happen soon for you. Oh, and to answer your question, I got my clarification this weekend when AF arrived. I'm relieved because at least I know where I'm at in my cycle. I'll see an RE in 4 weeks and hopefully come up with some options at that time.

LC, cheering you on as well!

 

[lliang_chi]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Hi Ladies!!!

Decided to temp again, but I'm doing a pretty bad job with it. I did temp and record it today, 97.3, and not expecting to O for another 1.5-2 wks, so hopefully I'll build a decent base before O-day. I think I'll start using OPKs end of next week. I have a ton of cheapie OPKs still, so I just ordered a 20 pack of Wondofo HPTs from Amazon.

S&I, how's the temps and OPKs looking?

AMC, Has your temps stayed up? It makes sense to disregard that wonky data point if the temps stay post-O level. You guys had pretty good timing too, so fingers crossed!

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

LC, nice to hear from you! Hopefully your cycle regulates quickly.

My temp did stay up, so I'm sticking with CD17 as O day. There is another possibility of CD19, which, based on temps alone makes a lot of sense. But I think it's unlikely, because 1) It doesn't align at all with my +OPK and EWCM, and 2) it would be a really high ovulation temp for me. I usually O when my temp is at or around 96.8. It was 96.78 on CD17 and just under 97.2 on CD19. Plus, CD17 works out better from a timing point of views, so I'm going with that

Regardless of the day, I'm happy I ovulated at a normal time (a little late if it was really CD19). The added bonus about not realizing I O'd when I did is I'm now magically 4dpo. So only another 5-6 days before the testing obsession can begin.

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Well, I don't want to get too excited, since it's so very early, but my chart looks fantastic. It's very similar to last month, except my temps are actually a bit higher.

Here is this month against all non-pregnant months:


And against my three pregnant charts:


Trying not to think about how I have three pregnancy charts and exactly one baby...

 

[shihtzulover]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Your chart looks great, AMC!

DH and I are now actively TTC but I'm concerned because since starting a new SSRI, I haven't had my normal ovulation symptoms every month and my periods have been super light. Last month there was very little red blood and I only needed to use pantiliners. I've heard Prozac can cause prolactin levels to elevate in some women but my obgyn wasn't very concerned when I brought it up. Anyway here is my chart, but no ovulation has been detected by the software. It looks like I might have ovulated on CD10. What do you guys think?

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Your chart looks great, AMC!

DH and I are now actively TTC but I'm concerned because since starting a new SSRI, I haven't had my normal ovulation symptoms every month and my periods have been super light. Last month there was very little red blood and I only needed to use pantiliners. I've heard Prozac can cause prolactin levels to elevate in some women but my obgyn wasn't very concerned when I brought it up. Anyway here is my chart, but no ovulation has been detected by the software. It looks like I might have ovulated on CD10. What do you guys think?

Thanks! And yes, looks like CD10 for you. What are your cycles normally like, length wise? Is this your first month charting?

 

[lliang_chi]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Yay, AMC awesome looking chart

SL, For now it looks like CD10 to me too. Is this your first cycle of SSRI? If your OB isn't concerned then hopefully it'll be fine. Mayeb your body just needs a month to adjust to the medication.

 

[shihtzulover]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Your chart looks great, AMC!

DH and I are now actively TTC but I'm concerned because since starting a new SSRI, I haven't had my normal ovulation symptoms every month and my periods have been super light. Last month there was very little red blood and I only needed to use pantiliners. I've heard Prozac can cause prolactin levels to elevate in some women but my obgyn wasn't very concerned when I brought it up. Anyway here is my chart, but no ovulation has been detected by the software. It looks like I might have ovulated on CD10. What do you guys think?

Thanks! And yes, looks like CD10 for you. What are your cycles normally like, length wise? Is this your first month charting?

My cycles are about 24-28 days, but my periods are super light lately. This is my second month charting. Last month, ovulation was detected on CD12, but as you can see from my chart, my 'period' was one day of light flow with barely any red except when I wiped and my second day was spotting. Does that mean my endometrial lining is too thin?

This month, I tried raspberry leaf tea to increase the lining but unfortunately I'm really not completely convinced I ovulated either month. I didn't have any EWCM which I got every month before Prozac, and I always got certain fairly severe ovulation pains which I'm not getting anymore except maybe once every few months or so. My periods were always on the lighter side, but I've noticed a huge difference since I started taking Prozac.

Yay, AMC awesome looking chart

SL, For now it looks like CD10 to me too. Is this your first cycle of SSRI? If your OB isn't concerned then hopefully it'll be fine. Mayeb your body just needs a month to adjust to the medication.

I've been on Prozac for 1.5 years, and I told my psychiatrist back when I first got on it that I noticed a change in my periods, but she thought that was strange. My OBGYN said he doubts it would raise my prolactin levels enough to suppress ovulation and if I have regular cycles, I'm probably ovulating.

I was on a different antidepressant back in high school and didn't notice any effect on my periods. I asked my psychiatrist about it yesterday, but she really feels that I should get off all meds while I'm trying to conceive. Prozac was the only one she was somewhat ok with because it's been studied the most during childbirth, but her suggestion is to start scaling back. I'm really concerned because I suffer from serious depression and anxiety when I'm off medications, but I feel backed up against a wall right now because I really feel like I only ovulate once in awhile on Prozac.

 

[lliang_chi]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

SL, Hm, I'm no expert on your lining being too thin or not, but I've always had light periods (one or two days of flow) and I have gotten pregnant twice. And there are a few ladies I know that have been on SSRI while pregnant, so don't feel like you're backed up against a wall. In reality the mother needs to be healthy (physically & emotionallY) for the baby to be healthy, y'know? I guess a long-winded way to say, I have no answers, but am offering you lots of support.

 

[pancake]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

SL, have you had a pre-conception type appointment with an obstetrician at any stage? I wonder whether it would be worthwhile talking to an obstetrician about your concerns rather than going entirely by what your psychiatrist said. Pregnancy can definitely exacerbate pre-existing depression and anxiety, and my understanding is that it's about weighing up the risks vs the benefits of being on an SSRI - which in the scheme of psychotropic meds, are actually not as frightening from a pregnancy standpoint as others. An obstetrician/gynaecologist should also have a better indication of what, if any role, your medications might play in your cycle and whether they could interfere with it sufficiently to be detrimental to your chances of conceiving. Plus they could do whatever bloodwork - appropriate to your cycle - is required to clarify that.

 

[shihtzulover]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

SL, have you had a pre-conception type appointment with an obstetrician at any stage? I wonder whether it would be worthwhile talking to an obstetrician about your concerns rather than going entirely by what your psychiatrist said. Pregnancy can definitely exacerbate pre-existing depression and anxiety, and my understanding is that it's about weighing up the risks vs the benefits of being on an SSRI - which in the scheme of psychotropic meds, are actually not as frightening from a pregnancy standpoint as others. An obstetrician/gynaecologist should also have a better indication of what, if any role, your medications might play in your cycle and whether they could interfere with it sufficiently to be detrimental to your chances of conceiving. Plus they could do whatever bloodwork - appropriate to your cycle - is required to clarify that.

Hi Pancake,

Thanks for the response. I had a pre-conception visit with my new OBGYN back in August because I knew we'd be trying to start soon, and that's when I mentioned my extremely light periods since starting Prozac. He really felt that I'm ovulating if my cycle length is normal, which it is. I'm just not at all convinced because of my lack of all normal symptoms and very light periods. I think he would do the blood tests if I ask, but there's usually quite a wait to get in to see him.

I'm really nervous about coming off Prozac because I was really depressed and anxious when I was off medication before, and I don't want to be in that position again. I've read a lot about SSRIs and I really feel like the benefits of me staying on them outweigh the cons in terms of risk during pregnancy, but if I can't get pregnant while on them then that's a moot point.

I'm considering buying the FertilAid supplement and trying that next cycle, but I know if I get pregnant the baby would be due around Christmas. My mom's birthday is near Christmas and she doesn't like it, so I'm thinking about that. DH is going on a business trip during the cycle after that though, and will likely be away during my fertile time.

On the other hand, I just went shopping yesterday and bought a bunch of summer clothes since getting pregnant obviously isn't happening as quickly as I'd hoped, so maybe that means I'll get pregnant soon.

 

[random_thought]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

SL, have you had a pre-conception type appointment with an obstetrician at any stage? I wonder whether it would be worthwhile talking to an obstetrician about your concerns rather than going entirely by what your psychiatrist said. Pregnancy can definitely exacerbate pre-existing depression and anxiety, and my understanding is that it's about weighing up the risks vs the benefits of being on an SSRI - which in the scheme of psychotropic meds, are actually not as frightening from a pregnancy standpoint as others. An obstetrician/gynaecologist should also have a better indication of what, if any role, your medications might play in your cycle and whether they could interfere with it sufficiently to be detrimental to your chances of conceiving. Plus they could do whatever bloodwork - appropriate to your cycle - is required to clarify that.

Hi Pancake,

Thanks for the response. I had a pre-conception visit with my new OBGYN back in August because I knew we'd be trying to start soon, and that's when I mentioned my extremely light periods since starting Prozac. He really felt that I'm ovulating if my cycle length is normal, which it is. I'm just not at all convinced because of my lack of all normal symptoms and very light periods. I think he would do the blood tests if I ask, but there's usually quite a wait to get in to see him.

I'm really nervous about coming off Prozac because I was really depressed and anxious when I was off medication before, and I don't want to be in that position again. I've read a lot about SSRIs and I really feel like the benefits of me staying on them outweigh the cons in terms of risk during pregnancy, but if I can't get pregnant while on them then that's a moot point.

I'm considering buying the FertilAid supplement and trying that next cycle, but I know if I get pregnant the baby would be due around Christmas. My mom's birthday is near Christmas and she doesn't like it, so I'm thinking about that. DH is going on a business trip during the cycle after that though, and will likely be away during my fertile time.

On the other hand, I just went shopping yesterday and bought a bunch of summer clothes since getting pregnant obviously isn't happening as quickly as I'd hoped, so maybe that means I'll get pregnant soon.

I just thought I'd chime in. I'm in the same boat as you with the depression and anxiety. I had to stop completely taking them while ttc but I also have other issues as well. I have endometriosis so my hormones are already kind of funky and my RE said the last thing we should do is try to mess them up even more with drugs.
Take it for what you will, that's just been my experience.

Yes, I am miserable all the time. Yes, I cry more than I smile. I've had 2 ruptured ulcers from the anxiety and stress. Luckily, my saving grace has been my dh who has taken awesome care of me. Also, I've been utilizing light therapy and I've found that helps a lot. I'm not sure what type of depression you have but I have bi-polar.

When I did finally get pregnant I took amitriptyline and it was AH-MAZ-ING. It got rid of my depression and anxiety completely. The only issue I had was after I had C I had withdrawel symptoms from it

Like you said, you have to weigh the pros and the cons and for me having that little one in my arms will make all the bs I've been through all worth while

 

[monkeyprincess]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

SL, I will not offer any medical advice because these decisions have to be made with your doctors after weighing all the pros and cons. I just wanted to say that I feel for you because this must be a really tough situation and decision.

My sister sounds similar to you in that she has suffered from anxiety and depression since she was a teenager and has done really well with an antidepressant (I think she has always been on lexapro). She was told to stop taking them this past summer by her OB/GYN because she wanted to start trying for a baby (not because they would prevent a pregnancy but because the possible risks), and the results were really disastrous for my sister. She was having severe panic attacks and was pretty much incapable of coping with everyday stresses. She got back on the meds and was starting to feel a little better when she found out she was pregnant a couple weeks later, which set her off again, and she really struggled for a couple of months. In her case, it was a huge mistake to get off the meds (or at least as quickly as she did it). She is under the care of a psychiatrist and OB who have both determined that in her case, it is much healthier for her to be on the meds during the pregnancy than for her to be suffering with debilitating depression and anxiety. She is expecting a baby in a little over 3 months, and so far, the baby appears to be perfectly healthy. Nobody ever wants to be on any kind of medication when you are pregnant, but sometimes, the benefits do outweigh the risks.

Your situation is a little different because you think the antidepressants may be contributing to your difficulty in getting pregnant, so that adds another layer of complication. I have no help on that, but I just wanted to offer my sympathy. I really hope you are able to find out what is keeping you for getting pregnant and that you will be able to have a healthy pregnancy and still be able to manage your depression/anxiety.

 

[amc80]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Tested today at 9dpo. I can't tell if it's a BFN or if I kinda sorta see something. I have the worst line eye ever, but it sort of looks like my 9dpo test from last cycle (the day before my bfp).

PPM, are you out there? I know you said you saw something in that one from last month...



ETA- Please excuse the dirty nail. Gross.

 

[lliang_chi]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

AMC, I'm terrible at seeing things on early tests (also why I don't test early). Fingers crossed for you. I remember Random was pretty good. I will say I have a good feeling for you

 

[random_thought]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

Tested today at 9dpo. I can't tell if it's a BFN or if I kinda sorta see something. I have the worst line eye ever, but it sort of looks like my 9dpo test from last cycle (the day before my bfp).

PPM, are you out there? I know you said you saw something in that one from last month...



ETA- Please excuse the dirty nail. Gross.

I think I can see something However, let it be noted, I also suffer from incurable line eyes.

 

[random_thought]

Re: The Official TTC Thread!

AMC, I'm terrible at seeing things on early tests (also why I don't test early). Fingers crossed for you. I remember Random was pretty good. I will say I have a good feeling for you

Haha touché! I was posting while you were!