The Official TTC Thread!

[sillybride]

hello to everyone - i''ve been following everyone''s stories with interest and had a quick question re: basal temping.

is it more important to take the temperature at the same time each morning, or more important to take it as soon as you wake up? often there are times where you''ll wake up well before your alarm rings, and it''s hard to decide whether to temp then and there or to wait until the usual time!

thanks in advance for any replies!! congrats to all of you who''ve recently shared your good news

 

[janinegirly]

hi silly

,

ideally both would be great (same time and as soon as you wake up), but we all know this isn''t always the case. I''m one of those sleepers who wakes up every few hours/go to the bathroom,etc.

I think they say you should also have 3 hrs solid sleep before temping. In any case, what I would suggest is taking your temp at the same time every morning and make a note if you woke up and fell asleep again less than 3 hrs prior to the actual time you temped. Also, if you happen to wake up earlier than usual and cant'' fall back asleep, there is a "temp adjustor". It''s not ideal, but at least it allows you to have some kind of steady data for the times you''re not a perfect sleeper .

 

[sillybride]

thanks janine - i''m the kind who will wake up abt an hour before the alarm rings (and NOT be able to fall back asleep). i do of course stay in bed until i absolutely have to get up

 

[Sha]

Date: 3/11/2008 1:11:36 PM
Author: janinegirly
35. I''m 35 1/2 and I don''t feel of advanced age. But alas, that''s how we''re termed...

Thanks!

 

[lisa1.01fvs1]

We had a baby, Olivia, my avatar of course and it was as eerily scientific as it can get!

I am a medical social worker in OB and NICU and have lots of OBGYN friends.

Well, in March ''06 I underwent a laparatomy to remove a 10cm dermoid cyst (very creepy w/ hair, teeth and oil) on the right ovary.

After healing for several months I had a friend OB do a trans vaginal ultrasound just to see if I was ovulating or growing fungus or whatever in there.

She saw, we saw a 18 mm egg ready to ovulate on the left ovary! She even took a photo of it.

So she advised me to have lots of sex over the next 3 days and guess what? Olivia was made!

We tried for 2 months total - what a shocker.

So 5 months post-op I was pregnant, advanced maternal age and in disbelief.

Olivia is 11 1/2 mos. now & we are contemplating another one since I''m soon to be 39. Our recent first attempt failed.

Perhaps I should invest in an ultrasound machine - a bit more accurate that those pesky LH detectors.

 

[lisa1.01fvs1]

Date: 3/11/2008 1:11:36 PM
Author: janinegirly
35. I''m 35 1/2 and I don''t feel of advanced age. But alas, that''s how we''re termed...

Janine it gets even worse. Don''t know if any has explained the other med. lingo used for those over 35.

Elderly Primip (primipara) if 1st preg. Sounds like some kind of Ape.

Elderly, 30 something and elderly, humph!

 

[janinegirly]

Lisa, ugh, hadn''t heard that one! I don''t hear anyone calling Halle Berry or Salma Hayek "advanced/elderly maternal age"!!

Thanks for sharing your story..Olivia is a cutie.

 

[Blenheim]

Date: 3/12/2008 2:40:01 PM
Author: sillybride
hello to everyone - i''ve been following everyone''s stories with interest and had a quick question re: basal temping.

is it more important to take the temperature at the same time each morning, or more important to take it as soon as you wake up? often there are times where you''ll wake up well before your alarm rings, and it''s hard to decide whether to temp then and there or to wait until the usual time!

thanks in advance for any replies!! congrats to all of you who''ve recently shared your good news

The most important thing is getting 3 hours of consecutive sleep before taking your temperature. So if you wake up 3-4 hours before your alarm, it''s fine to go back to sleep and take your temp when you wake up again. On the other hand, if you wake up an hour before your alarm, then you should take your temperature right when you wake up and not when your alarm goes off. You can correct your temperature based upon how far from your normal time you took it. My software does this automatically, but if you''d like to know how much to correct by, I''d be happy to look it up in TCOYF.

That being said, I don''t actually do it this way 100% of the time. If I wake up just long enough to tell a dog to be quiet and then immediately fall back asleep, I''ll still take my temp when my alarm goes off.

This is all assuming that you''re waking up too early. If you want to sleep in on a Saturday, it''s best to set an alarm to temp at the normal time. Then, you can temp at the normal time after at least 3 hrs of sleep, which is the ideal situation. I also set a second alarm for when I really want to get up, which is often quite a bit later.


Sunkist, when I hear the name Heath, I automatically think Heath Ledger. Trying to ignore that association, I think it sounds like a good, strong name.

Janine, congrats on your great news!

Fisher, I found TCOYF to be empowering -- I feel like I understand my body so much better. I flipped through What to Expect in a bookstore, and what I read freaked me out a bit. I don''t think that would be great for me when I''m actually pregnant, so I don''t plan on buying it.

 

[lisa1.01fvs1]

Janine - I didn''t know you ARE preggers - so many happy congrats to you!!

(I read back a few posts today)

The amnio''s a breeze, don''t bother with the other tests (AFP, Nuchal Transparency (which they do anyway), bloodwork for down''s %, etc.)
unless it doesn''t matter what the results are either way.

We had to wait until week 18 for the amnio because the amnion (sack) was free floating and not yet attached to the uterus (I know TMI

).

Any perinatologist worth his salt will get you level 2 ultrasound scanned regularly and you''ll know more about you baby then you could have imagined.

We found out gender at 13 weeks!

And yeah Gwen, Halle, and Salma are/were living at the peri''s office - you betcha!

Keep us updated please.

 

[sunkist]

Blen and Fisher, thanks for your responses! Ya, I do know that now Heath might conjur up visions of Heath Ledger. Especially right now... But in this case I don''t think a famous actor having this name would deter me from using it. I don''t think so at least. I guess he is the only person that comes up on google when you search that name... The fat cat is what I''d be more concerned about. Do kids even know who that is these days though?? I''m really into English names right now. Old English names, like Graham, Becker/Beck, Maxwell, Heath/Heathcliff, Owen. Just love them!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

TOCYF=?

I like so many names, but we''re semi-settled on ours, however, I know that changes rapidly when "really" pregnant.

 

[sillybride]

Date: 3/13/2008 10:10:38 AM
Author: Blenheim

Date: 3/12/2008 2:40:01 PM
Author: sillybride
hello to everyone - i''ve been following everyone''s stories with interest and had a quick question re: basal temping.

is it more important to take the temperature at the same time each morning, or more important to take it as soon as you wake up? often there are times where you''ll wake up well before your alarm rings, and it''s hard to decide whether to temp then and there or to wait until the usual time!

thanks in advance for any replies!! congrats to all of you who''ve recently shared your good news

The most important thing is getting 3 hours of consecutive sleep before taking your temperature. So if you wake up 3-4 hours before your alarm, it''s fine to go back to sleep and take your temp when you wake up again. On the other hand, if you wake up an hour before your alarm, then you should take your temperature right when you wake up and not when your alarm goes off. You can correct your temperature based upon how far from your normal time you took it. My software does this automatically, but if you''d like to know how much to correct by, I''d be happy to look it up in TCOYF.

That being said, I don''t actually do it this way 100% of the time. If I wake up just long enough to tell a dog to be quiet and then immediately fall back asleep, I''ll still take my temp when my alarm goes off.

This is all assuming that you''re waking up too early. If you want to sleep in on a Saturday, it''s best to set an alarm to temp at the normal time. Then, you can temp at the normal time after at least 3 hrs of sleep, which is the ideal situation. I also set a second alarm for when I really want to get up, which is often quite a bit later.


Sunkist, when I hear the name Heath, I automatically think Heath Ledger. Trying to ignore that association, I think it sounds like a good, strong name.

Janine, congrats on your great news!

Fisher, I found TCOYF to be empowering -- I feel like I understand my body so much better. I flipped through What to Expect in a bookstore, and what I read freaked me out a bit. I don''t think that would be great for me when I''m actually pregnant, so I don''t plan on buying it.

Thank you Blenheim - that really helps! If you could let me know how much to correct by when waking up 1 hour early that would be wonderful.

 

[AmberWaves]

Hey Fisher: TCOYF is Taking Control of Your Fertility (is it "care" or "control"?).

 

[qtiekiki]

Date: 3/14/2008 12:14:16 AM
Author: sunkist
Blen and Fisher, thanks for your responses! Ya, I do know that now Heath might conjur up visions of Heath Ledger. Especially right now... But in this case I don''t think a famous actor having this name would deter me from using it. I don''t think so at least. I guess he is the only person that comes up on google when you search that name... The fat cat is what I''d be more concerned about. Do kids even know who that is these days though?? I''m really into English names right now. Old English names, like Graham, Becker/Beck, Maxwell, Heath/Heathcliff, Owen. Just love them!

I was thinking about the comic cat when I first read Heathcliff. But I don''t think the younger generation will though.

 

[lili]

Date: 3/14/2008 11:13:16 AM
Author: AmberWaves
Hey Fisher: TCOYF is Taking Control of Your Fertility (is it ''care'' or ''control''?).

There''s a list on the acronyms on page4 of this thread that someone compiled.
I think it''s Taking Charge of Your Fertility.

 

[lili]

Date: 3/14/2008 8:40:33 PM
Author: qtiekiki

Date: 3/14/2008 12:14:16 AM
Author: sunkist
Blen and Fisher, thanks for your responses! Ya, I do know that now Heath might conjur up visions of Heath Ledger. Especially right now... But in this case I don''t think a famous actor having this name would deter me from using it. I don''t think so at least. I guess he is the only person that comes up on google when you search that name... The fat cat is what I''d be more concerned about. Do kids even know who that is these days though?? I''m really into English names right now. Old English names, like Graham, Becker/Beck, Maxwell, Heath/Heathcliff, Owen. Just love them!

I was thinking about the comic cat when I first read Heathcliff. But I don''t think the younger generation will though.

Hehe, that''s what I was thinking too and also the Heathcliff from the classic novel Wuthering Heights.
I think Heathcliff is a great name. The baby can be called Heath or Cliff for short

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Date: 3/14/2008 11:13:16 AM
Author: AmberWaves
Hey Fisher: TCOYF is Taking Control of Your Fertility (is it ''care'' or ''control''?).

I keep being reminded of this and it''s hard for me to remember. I''m a nut.

Thanks for the reminder again.

 

[AmberWaves]

Fisher, no worries. As you can see above (where I mention the book, but don''t want to read it right now), I''m constantly forgetting, too! See? Can''t even get the "C" word right.

 

[E B]

Hi everyone. Long time no see!

In late February, I got a positive pregnancy test. We were very lucky and conceived our second cycle TTC, but just a week ago, an ultrasound revealed a blighted ovum. It's been a horrible week, but we're both cautiously optimistic to try again very soon.

The good news is that we were able to conceive quickly, and from doing research, I found that a blighted ovum usually only happens once and doesn't show any indication of problems on either side. It's usually just a chromosomal abnormality that halts the growth early, quite like a chemical pregnancy, but the body still thinks it's pregnant as opposed to miscarrying early.

Anyway, I don't mean to cast a sad light on the thread, I just wanted to let you all know I'm re-joining and after a full, normal cycle, DH and I will be back on the baby-making wagon.

 

[snlee]

EBree! I have been wondering about you! I am so so sorry to hear about your loss. Big hugs to you and your husband. It is reassuring to know that a blighted ovum is often a one time occurrence and good news you were able to conceive quickly. I know you will be pregnant again soon with a happy ending. I look forward to reading about your pregnancy journey in the near future!

 

[sunkist]

Hi Ebree, oh dear, that is hard new to hear. I''m so sorry, Ebree! I know you''ll be back with better news soon!!

Our ''baby-making season'' as my DH and I call it

is approaching fast! I can''t believe it. We want to start TTC in June. To my husband that means get of BC in June, but I''m still wondering if I can just stop BC in May to anticipate June. We''ll see. But, now we''ve both realized that June starts my husbands busy and very stressful season at work. So I''m hoping that we can one, find time to be together, and two, not get stressed and keep it fun. I''ll just have to keep patient and relaxed. Things will happen when they happen. I''m getting excited though!

 

[lili]

Ebree--
Big hugs to you. Rest up and take care of yourself.
I am sure we''ll be hearing from you pretty soon since, like you said, you conceived fairly quickly the last time around.
Good luck and lots of sticky vibes going your way!

 

[E B]

snlee, sunkist, and lili,

Thank you all so much. I'm feeling better with each new day, and I have a good feeling about the next pregnancy. With this one, we didn't have any levels drawn or anything, just two positive pregnancy tests and a doc appt. With the next, I'll be a little bit more cautious, having blood drawn to see betas doubling, etc. It's hard, as anyone who miscarries loses a lot of the "innocence" that comes with the first pregnancy, but I'm not too worried. The fertility monitor we bought worked like a charm (!!!) the first cycle we used it, so hopefully, it'll work well (and fast!) again.

*hugs* to all of you, and the best of luck with your beans, snlee & lili! I can't wait to see pictures of him or her! snlee, do you have a feeling about the sex?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Ebree I am so sorry! I hope you get preggo again quickly. Take care of yourself!

 

[qtiekiki]

So sorry, Ebree. You has such positive attitudes. Lots of baby dust to you.

 

[snlee]

Date: 3/15/2008 7:48:54 PM
Author: EBree
snlee, do you have a feeling about the sex?

No feelings or dreams yet about the sex. It''s probably too early. We don''t really have a preference since it''s our first. We just want a healthy baby.

 

[E B]

Thank you Tacori and qtikiki! *hugs*

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 3/15/2008 11:48:33 PM
Author: snlee

Date: 3/15/2008 7:48:54 PM

Author: EBree

snlee, do you have a feeling about the sex?

No feelings or dreams yet about the sex. It''s probably too early. We don''t really have a preference since it''s our first. We just want a healthy baby.

I started having dreams she was a girl *very* early and they never changed (expect one a week I delivered where it was a boy and I was so shocked). It was surreal how positive I was she was a girl. I wasn''t even surprised when the doctor told us.

 

[snlee]

Date: 3/16/2008 9:10:39 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring

Date: 3/15/2008 11:48:33 PM

Author: snlee

Date: 3/15/2008 7:48:54 PM

Author: EBree

snlee, do you have a feeling about the sex?

No feelings or dreams yet about the sex. It''s probably too early. We don''t really have a preference since it''s our first. We just want a healthy baby.

I started having dreams she was a girl *very* early and they never changed (expect one a week I delivered where it was a boy and I was so shocked). It was surreal how positive I was she was a girl. I wasn''t even surprised when the doctor told us.

Interesting! I''ve had a few baby dreams but I never remember if it''s a boy or girl!

 

[TravelingGal]

EBree, just wanted to pop in and say I''m sorry to hear about your loss. I hope you get pregnant again soon and will look forward to reading about it! You are so good at shopping for babies, it will be fun to see you shop for your own!