The Official TTC Thread!

[ChinaCat]

Blushing- have a good trip! What team are you rooting for??? If you don''t want to say, I will understand. I LOVE college football and home games are the best.

 

[drk]

Dang, I wrote this huge long post to everyone, and the internet ate it. Can''t gather the energy to write it all over again!
I''m glad I''m not the only old lady here...
Let''s see some charts guys! (How about putting a link to your fertilityfriend homepage at the bottom to make chart stalking easier?)

Kate
CD21, 2dpo, http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/7a76e

 

[Lottie]

Date: 11/12/2008 5:48:50 PM
Author: mela lu
Hi girlies! Just lurking and always checking in on my favoritest hardest working s#x machines out there. I''m feeling for all of you, with the BD''ing burn out. HANG IN THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lottie - If you don''t mind me asking, how do YOU pronounce your daughters name. I LOVE that name, it''s on my babyname list (because I''m Italian and it means Snow in Italian which I think is so pretty). In english I would probably pronounce it either NEEVE or NEV. (In Italian it''s Neh-veh). How do you say it?

I''m always rooting for you girls. I know how stressful this time is ( I remember all too well). This group is so supportive and helpful. You all helped me through my m/c and TTC anxieties...so I thank you all for that! Hopefully my rooting will keep your spirits up.

Hi Mela Lu, we pronounce it Neeve, we are british and I have heard that in the US it is pronounced Nev, I got it from the Irish meaning of bright. I love that it means snow in italy - its was a very snowy honeymoon so she can be my snowbaby! So glad you like it, I get very mixed reactions!

 

[Lottie]

Not really sure how to start on the charting front, I was on the pill for a couple of months but have come off because we would like another baby but also because (sorry if this is too much information) I was getting my period very often and very randomly so I have absolutely no idea when I am due to get my next period! I think I am going to have to lurk and learn on here for a little while until I settle down.

 

[Festy]

Lysser - that''s so awesome that you''re selling jewelry...so you''re switching to every day, huh? Funny you should mention it because now that we''re in the EOD marathon, I am sooo tempted to try and do it every day, especially since DH leaves on my projected O day. And, ok, TMI alert, but I am ha-zorny leading up to O! But I''m so afraid to! Knowing how our (ok his) body works, from back in the days when we were doin'' it every day cuz we WANTED to...remember that what was like?...I know that not every time is going to be a "success," shall we say. And god knows it''s toward the end of the marathon, when you''re most likely to be tired, when it matters most! Oy! Can you tell I''ve thought about this?

Hey ChinaCat, I''m not going to try and convince you to start temping right away...I completely understand wanting to not obsess about it. On the other hand, don''t get too scared away. We don''t obsess ALL the time. We''re most likely to post when we ARE obsessing, so it may seem like we do!

InLuv, I would''ve been P.O.''d too! I''ve had the same thing happen when some story about diamonds comes on the news, only to find out they''re telling us hey, cut is really important! Alert the media. But really, "look at a calendar" to know when you''re ovulating? If only I''d known it was so easy.

Blushing - have a good trip...

DrK - now there''s an idea...

CD 12, http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/22404b

 

[Festy]

Speaking of obsessing, can any of you share your experiences with perceived ovulation pain? I seem to notice it right around O time, but I''m feeling it right NOW, at CD 12...way too early to O. Is it possible to feel the follicles as they are forming? Should I go have a drink and get out of my own head?

 

[fisherofmengirly]

I don''t think I have a home page on FF. How do you do that??

Anyway, it''s not much of a chart at this point, but I do have to admit I was excited to get the rise this AM. Tomorrow will tell me more, though. And then possibly on Saturday, I''ll get those crosshairs I so love.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Duh, I forgot to post the thing!

For reference, I forgot to temp on Oct 29 (first night of my trip, got lost in the excitment and forgot the regular game plan), and then on Nov. 5, I had a fever and got a 98.3 reading, then on Nov. 6, I was still sick, still had a fever and got 98.35. FF took those temps away completely, although in the past when I've had a fever, it just made a white circle around that particular temp. This time, it totally took them away.


ETA: Nevermind, the dots for the temps are there, just higher up than is shown on the chart right now. I put in a HIGH temp for tomorrow (for practice to see if my crosshairs would come up, of course) and saw that the dots were there, just not connected with the line. Haha. And I thought they were gone forever...

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 11/13/2008 5:21:05 PM
Author: Festy
I am sooo tempted to try and do it every day...

LOL... this is why we did it every day

certainly not out of desire!

 

[Sabine]

Morning all. Well, I had a decent temp rise yesterday, and a huge rise today, so it looks like I either O''d yesterday or the day before. Unfortunately, we were only able to dtd on Monday, so in my head, this month we are already out. Thanks for all the advice, but our bd problems have really got me feeling kinda down. So I may not be around for a while (I have a boring ~34 day wait till anything exciting will be going on again...) but I''ll still be cheering all the rest of you on!

 

[Festy]

Date: 11/13/2008 5:46:15 PM
Author: fisherofmengirly
I don't think I have a home page on FF. How do you do that??

Anyway, it's not much of a chart at this point, but I do have to admit I was excited to get the rise this AM. Tomorrow will tell me more, though. And then possibly on Saturday, I'll get those crosshairs I so love.

When you're on the page with your chart, there should be a button at the top called Home Page Setup. Your home page URL is shown at the top. (And also in your browser's address thingy).

CD 13

 

[Festy]

Sabine, I''m sorry you''re feeling down and understand needing a break. (But if you ovulated on CD 23 you are not out!) Nice chart, btw.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

I''ve been a slow riser temp. wise in the past, and so with today''s rise, I think maybe I have O''d. But then again, I did have a fake out before and I never believe it until it''s gone past a week with the crosshairs.

Still no crosshairs today, but I did rise up to 98.21.

Also, I was looking at my chart for last month and I had an incredible headache on day of ovulation (although I didn''t know it was ovulatioin day at the time), and if I do end up getting crosshairs for CD16 (Wednesday) that''s really odd, because I had a BAD headache that morning, woke up with it just thrashing against my skull. Or at least it felt like that. Anyway, now I wonder if headaches are a sign of ovulation. Something else to look up, I suppose.

***

If I did ovulate on CD 16, we have slim chances, too, Sabine. The thing is, though, we have to remember that it only takes one time. Think of all those girls who end up pregnant and say, "But we only did it once!" We really aren''t out until we''re really out. I''m sorry that BD things are getting you down. I think it is wearing on everyone at times, but I think that you have to just really focus on the two of you, your relationship, and the joy of bringing another into your family, and that has really helped us when we we''re at frustration point.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Hey, there is a correlation between headaches and ovulation, due to hormone shifts. Interesting! Totally makes sense, though.

Taken from: http://bcbsma.medscape.com/viewarticle/494126_2

"In pregnancy, for example, when both estradiol and serotonin levels are high, headaches often decrease. On the other hand, during ovulation, menstruation, and birth, when there is a decline in estradiol and inhibitory serotonin, the incidence of headaches increases. This cycling of estradiol from high to low levels is an essential component in causing changes in serotonin levels and, consequently, changes in headache patterns. Although estradiol levels decline with menopause, the cycling aspect of the hormones stops and, therefore, headaches do not generally worsen with spontaneous menopause."

 

[Dreamer_D]

Sabine I'm sorry you are feeling so blue! Taking a break from thinking about TTC 24/7 by laying low here may really help. It it helps at all, though, you had a great amount of EW this month! That is wonderful and will help speed up the process for sure in the months to come. Also, spermies can live for 5 days in good EW, so you certainly are NOT out this month! If you BD'd in the PM on monday and on Wed that is only 36-48 hours pre-O! Not at all too soon!

Take care...

 

[Festy]

Date: 11/14/2008 7:38:12 AM
Author: fisherofmengirly
Hey, there is a correlation between headaches and ovulation, due to hormone shifts. Interesting! Totally makes sense, though.

Taken from: http://bcbsma.medscape.com/viewarticle/494126_2

''In pregnancy, for example, when both estradiol and serotonin levels are high, headaches often decrease. On the other hand, during ovulation, menstruation, and birth, when there is a decline in estradiol and inhibitory serotonin, the incidence of headaches increases. This cycling of estradiol from high to low levels is an essential component in causing changes in serotonin levels and, consequently, changes in headache patterns. Although estradiol levels decline with menopause, the cycling aspect of the hormones stops and, therefore, headaches do not generally worsen with spontaneous menopause.''

That''s interesting, Fisher. I heard last week on the news that women who suffer from migraines have a decreased risk for breast cancer. At the time it made no sense to me, but knowing that hormones have an effect on both, it makes more sense.

 

[drk]

Fisher - that''s looking promising. I think you probably O''d. Hope tomorrow''s temp is also high!

Sabine - I wouldn''t count yourself out quite yet. Your best chances for conceiving are O-1 and O-2, and your temps would seem to say you hit O-2. And sometimes temps take a couple days to rise after acutal ovulation too, so you may be even better off. Don''t think it''s all over yet, although I certainly understand wanting to keep your expectations low.

AFM, nice relaxing acupuncture appointment yesterday. My chinese herbs (expensive!) taste even more awful than usual this week. And my temp rise was not exactly stellar today. Which my TCM doc would say is a sign of a not-so-great ovulation. And she didn''t like the way my temps were all over the place pre-O as well. Oh well, what can you do?

Kate

 

[AmberWaves]

Hi guys, I feel bad for always zipping in here randomly, but I just wanted to tell Sabine that I totally understand her, especially the pressure of having to contain the lovin'' to specific days you see your DH throughout the month. I know it can''t be easy for you- having to cram in enough sex to try to feel like you did all you could, when sometimes you just want to ENJOY your husband. Taking a break is good, even if it''s not from TTC, but just analyzing it so thoroughly.

I feel like the TTC depression fairy, I come to the thread when needed like Tinkerbell. Lame.

I found out one of my BFFs is one of those Bump (formerly the nest) bullies, now in her third tri, she and her cronies harass the 1st tris (I saw you there Robbie!), and part of me is really upset by this, because I wonder how she''ll be with me, should the time come. Jeez, if one of the perks of being pregnant isn''t being able to ask stupidish questions, then where else are you supposed to ask them? I dunno, I question what she thinks of me, always complaining to her when I''ve just had enough of trying to get pregnant. She''s one of those oops women, and has no idea how it can actually take a long time, and since she''s been pregnant she''s kind of been less supportive. Makes me sad.

Anyway, I am starting to drift back and forth between being anxious and obsessive about getting pregnant, and not giving a crap anymore. It''s disconcerting to me because I''m usually obsessive 100%, and the fact that I''m waffling about it makes me a little worried because maybe I don''t want it enough?

Brighter side: getting my voice back (It''s been gone a WEEK!), I had lunch at the South Park studios with my friend who is a producer of the show, and I''ve started writing a book! Yay me!

CD... 7? About 6 days until ovulation. Whatever.

 

[robbie3982]

Amber, those bump bullies can be so obnoxious! They really got to me at first, but now I mostly just try to ignore them. I think some people just lose their inhibition when they''re online. I think your friend will most likely remember how to act properly IRL when she finds out you''re pregnant. And if she doesn''t, you can always ask any question here on PS without fear of ridicule! I think it''s hard for women who never had to go through the TTC process to understand what we go/went through. One of my good friends just had an oops baby. I made the mistake of once talking to her about TTC and it did NOT go well. I got upset by some things that she said (which I''m sure she didn''t say to upset me) and we both just never talked about it again. The good thing is that even though she had no idea how to be supportive of me when I was trying, she''s been awesome about being supportive now that I''m pregnant and even when I had the m/c in September. I hope it goes like this with your friend as well!

I don''t think that a lack of obsession means that you don''t want a baby enough. I think that after wanting something for a certain amount of time, the obsession just dies down a bit. I wasn''t trying long enough to really experience this with TTC, but I definitely experienced it while I was a LIW. You''ve got to figure, there''s only so much you can obsess about, right?

 

[AmberWaves]

Thanks Robbie! Yeah, it''s just soooo sad to see how she acts when she''s got no one to explain her actions to, it''s like, is she like this all the time?? What the heck?!

Yeah, I think I''m following my typical pattern, wanting wanting wanting until I don''t get it, then I just leave whatever it is alone until I start obsessing again. I''m a Scorpio, I''m obsessive.

LL: I meant to tell you to post your etsy site here when/if you create one, when/if you''re ready! I love jewelry, especially natural types: woodland creatures, rustic shapes, ahhhh. Heaven. At the moment I''m wearing silver owl shaped studs (and diamond studs in my other holes!), and a necklace with a silver acorn with a gold cap on it. LOVE NATURE!

 

[NovemberBride]

Sabine, I am sorry you are feeling so down lately, I completely understand your frustration and I know a lot of others on this board do as well.

I am trying not to stress out about it everyday and focus on other things (especially when I am in the middle of the never-ending cycle and have pretty much given up on Bd''ing b/c at this point I am convinced I may never O again) but it is hard. I have tried to channel my energy into other things to keep my spirits up. I have decided to throw a party for DH and my families the weekend after Christmas, so I am putting a lot of thought into that and Christmas shopping. Shopping always helps me when I am depressed, so I am also working on a little colored stone RHR project for myself (haven''t quite broken the news to DH yet on that one!) Do you and DH have anythign coming up (holidays, vacation, etc) that you can focus on to take some of the stress away?

 

[ChinaCat]

Morning ladies.

Sabine- Sorry you are feeling down and frustrated. But like others said, it doesn''t necessarily mean you are out. But take care of yourself!

When I feel the obvious disappointment when AFF shows, I try to focus on the good part about not being pregnant. Sounds weird but assuming that you WILL get KTFU, it just takes time, then try to enjoy what time you have left as just you and DH. Like I for one, love wine, so I am grateful that I get another month of good wine with dinner, another month to keep working out and get stronger and hopefully lose a bit more weight before I pack it on, another month of lots of "dancing" time with DH. I worry about that, that once preggo that will obviously drop off, so I am trying to enjoy it while we can. I also am trying to plan short trips. Basically all of the things that everyone says goes out the window once you are pregnant or have kids, I am trying to do. Not much help if you are super down, but I find it helps me focus on something good.

Hi Amber!

You aren''t as much of a Debbie Downer as you think. I LOVE South Park, how fun! Did you see the one after the election? Genius. And you are writing a book?????

How cool is that. What kind???? Spill the details!

LittleLysser- I third if you put up a site, please let us know. I would totally buy your stuff.

Festy, November, Lulu, Blushing, Fisher, InLuv, DRK, and everyone else that I can''t remember off the top of my head- Thinking of you and hoping that everyone has a bd-tastic weekend.

 

[AmberWaves]

China, that South Park was genius. I was allowed to watch snippets of this week''s episode last weekend, and it was soo cool. I also got to meet Trey parker, he''s quite cute in real life. Not as pervy as I''d expected, although I do love me some pervs. Should I say that? Weird.

My book is going to be a fictionized version of DH and I''s "love story", but it''ll be told with interchanging chapters, meaning odd chapters will be the past (we originally met and dated in 1997, right out of high school and broke up and lost touch three months later, until I found him online in 2003) aging to the present, and the even chapters will be the present, where I talk about my marriage- only no one will know who I married until the end.

Sound okay? Do you think people would read it?

 

[ChinaCat]

Amber- No, I know what you mean about pervy, at least I think I do. Like I think David Duchovny is a bit pervy, but I like that about him.

SP is too clever, I am just constantly amazed by what they come up with. I used to live in LA and Trey Parker and Matt Stone used to have these big legendary Halloween parties- not sure if they still do. Anyways, met both of them once, they were very nice and dorky and normal. But this was years ago.

I really love the idea for your book. Very ambitious, but if you do it right, I think it will be great. I am a secret closet writer IRL, so I am very interested in stuff like this. Please keep us posted!!! Are you going to keep the same POV for the alternating chapters? Like the same character telling both stories? It''s a very cool idea.

 

[AmberWaves]

Yeah, I think I will keep it the same writer, so it''s less confusing.

I think it''s because I think a lot about how I ended up here, married to DH, when there could have been at least three/four different guys I could have married in the time between our "relationships", and it''s almost like I''d like to see what made this happen for us. Does that make sense? Almost like keeping the audience guessing who I end up with, because until I found DH on the web, it was a guess for myself as well.

 

[ChinaCat]

Amber- Absolutely makes sense. I think it''s a great premise. I am totally fascinated by stuff like that- how your life could so easily have gone so many different ways. It would be a fun book to write! Good luck! Let me know if you need to vent about writer''s block.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

DrK,

Is the increase at which your temp rises correlated to the quality of the ovulation you had? I think that''s what I read you said. If so, can you explain the correlation? It sounds interesting.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

That''s so true, China Cat. My favorite thing to think about when I find out that we''re not pregnant is that I get one more month of time with just my husband. Once a baby comes along (or even the trials of pregnancy), there will be MUCH less just me and my Pauly time. One night this week we were cuddled up under a blanket in the living room watching some random news show and I started crying. Paul asked what was wrong and I told him I''ll miss moments like this once a baby and a child are around. It doesn''t mean I don''t want a child, but there are still precious moments of life with just a husband that will be missed. I try to relish those times and know that they won''t last forever.

***
Amber, you''re not the sadness fairy. You rock and we all love seeing your precious puppy icon thingy pop up when you visit. Getting tired of being in the TTC process doesn''t mean you don''t want a baby bad enough. The thing is, we can''t do a thing to make it come any sooner, so obsessing over it just makes it all that much harder.

I cannot wait for the day when we''re all chatting it up on the preggo thread, talking about high chairs and burp rags and aches and pains and those first flutters of baby movement. It''s coming for all of us, we just have to hang on for a little more (and I do hope LITTLE) time.

 

[ljmorgan]

Wow so I went over to the bump forums to see what you guys were talking about -- WOW. So glad I have PS and FertilityFriend. I''ve never encountered any mean ladies like what I see on the bump. Maybe those preggo ladies are totally miserable? Scary!

 

[Festy]

Date: 11/15/2008 10:18:33 AM
Author: *Lindsey*
Wow so I went over to the bump forums to see what you guys were talking about -- WOW. So glad I have PS and FertilityFriend. I''ve never encountered any mean ladies like what I see on the bump. Maybe those preggo ladies are totally miserable? Scary!

Um, I did too, against my better judgment.

[Staggers around in a daze while trying to shake off the hate] I love you guys.

CD 14