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The Official TTC Thread!

InLuv- That''s great. I have a close friend who always wanted to be a nurse, but was always talked out of it by her parents. (She was crazy smart, and they thought she should "do" something with it and make money). So she did, and ended up being very successful in her 20''s at a job she hated. Finally, when she was in her late 20''s- older than you, I think- she just decided to do what she had always wanted to do. So she had to take about 2 years of undergrad science classes she didn''t have, and then did nursing school. She just graduated and works in a NICU unit. She LOVES it, and is the happiest I have ever seen her. It''s never too late to find what you love. Good for you!!!!!! How long have you been married?
 
Date: 12/18/2008 12:25:24 PM
Author: ChinaCat
InLuv- That''s great. I have a close friend who always wanted to be a nurse, but was always talked out of it by her parents. (She was crazy smart, and they thought she should ''do'' something with it and make money). So she did, and ended up being very successful in her 20''s at a job she hated. Finally, when she was in her late 20''s- older than you, I think- she just decided to do what she had always wanted to do. So she had to take about 2 years of undergrad science classes she didn''t have, and then did nursing school. She just graduated and works in a NICU unit. She LOVES it, and is the happiest I have ever seen her. It''s never too late to find what you love. Good for you!!!!!! How long have you been married?
That''s where I''m finding myself. Nursing has been in the back of my mind for a while and it''s just like an itch I can''t scratch, so I''ve gotta go ahead and do it! I''m so excited! My DH always says if you are going to get up everyday and go to work, you might as well be going to a job you love doing!

I''ve only been married since July of this year but I''ve been with my DH for over 2 years.
 
Peony, CONGRATULATIONS!!
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I know you didn''t have high hopes for this cycle, but that awfully long wait was worth it, wasn''t it?
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Ahhhh! Peony CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I''m soo excited for you and hubby!! What a wonderful end to such a long cycle for you. I''ve got tingles for you. That''s soooo awesome. A happy and healthy nine months to you! :)
 
OMG Peony! I''m so happy for you and your dh! Just when you were getting to a point when you thought you were going to need testing too! Wow!
 
Peony, I am so thrilled for you and your DH! I know how stressed you were and how badly you wanted this and I hope you and DH are enjoying this together and can final relax a little bit! I wish you a happy and healthy 9 months and look forward to hearing about your pregnancy!
 
PEONY! hooray... you''ve dragged another out of lurking. Totally excited for you- congrats!!
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Yay Peony!

What did I tell you?????

I had a funny feeling about your chart - your post-O looked very like mine did.

Anyhow: CONGRATULATIONS!! I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU
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FF is having a holiday special, $25 for 180 days of VIP. I''m thinking about signing up. Just mentioning if anyone else interested hadn''t seen that.
 
Peony!!!! Congratulations!!
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Okay, I'm back! I just wanted to give the backstory on finding out I was pregnant, telling the DH, my emotional struggles while TTC, etc. Since it's getting kind of late I will just talk about the first of those three things.


A big part of the reason I tested yesterday was the fact that I was supposed to have an appointment with the RE today, and I figured that there was a 24-hr cancellation policy. Also, my temp did rebound, which made me think that I wasn't totally out of the game yet (Pandora, you were right!). I walked to the drugstore in the snow because there had been a blizzard in Chicago the night before and the roads were still getting cleared, and then I walked home not expecting much.


I got a 3-pack of the FRER tests and took the first one. I was checking on it periodically and not sure I was seeing anything while performing the usual high-tech analysis--holding it right next to a lightbulb, angling it in certain ways, moving it right up to my face and further away. Just normal behavior for any neurotic TTCing female, right?

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I left for a bit to check my email, and when I came back there seemed to be a very, very faint line, but I couldn't tell if it was gray or pink or how long it had been since I took the test, so I thought that it might be an evap line. I had never taken a FRER before, so I had nothing to compare it to. A part of me was really happy and excited, but I was so, so sick of getting my hopes up just to be disappointed that I didn't make much of it. To rule out that the first test had malfunctioned (which seemed probable at the time), I took a second test with the remaining pee in the cup. This time I set a kitchen timer for 10 mins to rule out the possibility of an evap line. I just kept staring at the test and a pink line appeared, slightly darker than the last test! Again, I was in disbelief and this time my explanation was that my urine had been sitting in the Dixie cup for too long and it had reacted with the wax in the cup, producing a substance that mimicked hCG. Like maybe it wasn't the exact same molecule as hCG, but it had some of the same organic functional groups and had triggered the biomarkers in the pregnancy test. In retrospect this makes no sense at all, but maybe I'd been reading too many articles lately on the estrogenic affects of BPA and soy so I figured that anything was possible.


For the next half hour I just puttered around the house, pausing to glance at the tests and feeling increasing bewildered and just plain shocked. But I also started being more open to the possibility that I was actually pregnant and getting excited about that. Finally, I decided that I needed to eat breakfast. (Just in case I was actually pregnant and my baby needed some calories to--you know--grow organs and stuff.) I'd recently made some mini spinach quiches that seemed pretty nutritious, but as soon as I pulled them out of the fridge the smell started bothering me and I threw up. Classic pregnancy symptoms, right? But I have a weak stomach and have thrown up on non-pregnant cycles, so I didn't necessarily think that was indicative of anything. After my stomach settled down, I settled on some fruit and whole-grain toast with pumpkin butter.


My plan that day had been to go the mall as an end-of-the-semester reward, as I had the day off (I only work part time and my classes are on winter break). I went ahead with that plan and shopped for a long time, eventually getting a shirt, earrings, and a dress at AT Loft and a puffer vest at JCrew (all on sale, yay!). I kept thinking about the fact that I might be pregnant and trying to figure out whether I felt pregnant, but I didn't. Of course, I looked at ALL the babies and little kids in the mall, and after months of feeling incredibly jealous and even sad whenever a stroller passed by me, I finally started to feel hopeful. I was also trying to think of ways to tell my DH the good news. . .


(to be continued tomorrow evening!)

 

DD: I'm glad that you're not uncomfy yet! That's very cool that you're keeping the sex a surprise. I want to do that too, but DH wants to know. We shall see! By the way, a few months ago I printed out your "tough love" post and I've been reading it periodically ever since then, especially when I was at my most down. It really helped, so I wanted to say a big THANK YOU for taking time to write that.



Festy: Thanks SO much!!



InLuv: I'm very sorry for your BIL and his wife. Even if a pregnancy isn't planned, it can be a blessing nonetheless so that is very sad.

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Congrats on your grades, girlie!!! That is outstanding!!! We are on a similar path because I was a psych major in college and now I'm hoping to go into medicine. I think that being an L&D nurse could be VERY rewarding!



LittleLysser: Thank you!

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Even though I can tell that you're feeling a bit down now, I truly believe that you can and will get pregnant again, hopefully soon.


Claritek: Thanks so much! I am flattered that you found my story interesting enough to follow along! I too have found the personal stories of some of these ladies very compelling.


Lovely: Yay for the temp rise! Do you think your BDing was well-timed?


ChinaCat: It's nice to hear that someone else was shocked. May I ask what your pregnancy symptoms were when you finally felt pregnant? Congrats on seeing the heartbeat!!! You were the one with the tooth issue, right (or was that someone else)? Hope that got resolved!


Robbie: Thanks! I will stop by the preggo thread and say hi, even though it's so early.


Sha: Thanks girl! It was a long wait, wasn't it? Apparently if you go by my last period instead of my O date, my projected due date is a MONTH different, ha!


Sunkist: Thank you!! You are a sweetie. It makes me feel so good that people I've never even met are so happy for me.


Sabine: Thanks, and I hope to be joining you on the pregnant thread soon!


Novemberbride: Thanks so much. I remember that you understood why I wanted to see the RE, and it was nice to have someone understand why I so desperately wanted answers.

Icekid: I remember you from the wedding/engagement boards! Are you in residency already?

Pandora: You're right! You're a genius!

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Blenheim: Thanks bunches!!

P.S. In case anyone was wondering, even if this is a sticky bean I'm planning to stay on this thread for a good while longer. You ladies are the BEST!
 
Congrats, Peonygirl!!!! I have been following your story here too....this is so exciting!!! Best of luck!!!!
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Peony,

Tears, absolute tears of joy for you right now! Yay!! What a great way to start my day off, reading that you''re going to be a MOMMY!!

Congratulations, sweetie!!!

Crazy cycles can land in babydom. Whooo hoo!!!

Hope this pregnancy is good to you (ie-no morning sickness that follows you for the WHOLE time, no worries about that little baby growing in there) and that your life with that child of yours is wonderful!! As I know it will be!!

Yay!!!
 
Peony,

Saw your request for my chart so far. I''ll post it, but I do have to say that my post-o temps have stayed up, but have not been steadily climbing, as is common in the preggo charts. So, not a lot of hope. More of a desire to get to the end of this cycle, so a more *normal* one can start.

(still elated about your news! makes me wish I''d checked in last night!!)
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Peony, congratulations! I have been rooting for you, and it''s so wonderful to see your positive preggo test! Congratulations, sending lots and lots of good wishes your way. See you on the preggo thread!
 
aww peony.. your story is magical.. so very wonderful..
congratulations to you! like i''ve said in the past.. i''m a neurotic lurker and have been pulling for all the ladies on this thread.. it''s a crazy journey and one that is met with laughter, love, tears, frustration, elatedness, sorrow, hope and fear - it''s amazing we women can handle it all sometimes ;)

on a personal note, and at the risk of totally jinxing myself (i have an unhealthy fear of doing so.. in fact, my hands are shaking as i type this) i have a question that i''m hoping you can all help me with.

i''ve mentioned in other posts that i have been off BC since last march and have been tracking my cycles since that point. always always always being 29 or 30 days depending on when i counted the first day. last month my cycle was 34 days. i took a test on day 33 and it was a BFN - i was upset
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this month i simply thought my cycle was going to be 30 days again - well, 30 days passed - then i thought it was going to be 34 days - that passed .. now i''m on day 36 ... i''m beyond nervous to test... i don''t want to see a BFN - and i have been having ''cramping'' like feelings since day 30 - the feelings i usually get 1 or 2 days before my period... so since that point i''ve just been assuming that my period is around the corner. just to put some perspective on my situation and to prepare myself for my period (i truly feel it''s just around the corner) ... is it normal to have period type cramps and be PG? or do you all think my period is just wacky this month?

still shaking :)
thanks....
 
Date: 12/18/2008 12:37:28 PM
Author: InLuv101

Date: 12/18/2008 12:25:24 PM
Author: ChinaCat
InLuv- That''s great. I have a close friend who always wanted to be a nurse, but was always talked out of it by her parents. (She was crazy smart, and they thought she should ''do'' something with it and make money). So she did, and ended up being very successful in her 20''s at a job she hated. Finally, when she was in her late 20''s- older than you, I think- she just decided to do what she had always wanted to do. So she had to take about 2 years of undergrad science classes she didn''t have, and then did nursing school. She just graduated and works in a NICU unit. She LOVES it, and is the happiest I have ever seen her. It''s never too late to find what you love. Good for you!!!!!! How long have you been married?
That''s where I''m finding myself. Nursing has been in the back of my mind for a while and it''s just like an itch I can''t scratch, so I''ve gotta go ahead and do it! I''m so excited! My DH always says if you are going to get up everyday and go to work, you might as well be going to a job you love doing!

I''ve only been married since July of this year but I''ve been with my DH for over 2 years.
Hi ladies. I saw the nursing discussion and thought I''d chime in. I am a 2nd career nurse. My first degree was mathematics education and I taught for a year and hated it. Went back to nursing school and I absolutely love it (most days). I have to admit, the pay isn''t great and the days are long, but it''s super rewarding. I have worked in the PICU for 6 1/2 years. I don''t think I could do anything else. I have been contemplating my masters, but I really don''t want to get away from bedside nursing so I''m not sure what I''ll do. Good luck in nursing school china cat!
 
Peony, congrats!!!!!!!!!!! What an awesome way to end a frustrating cycle!!!
 
Vizsla/Dwight (heehee) - yes, it's normal to have period-like cramps and be pregnant! That was definitely an early symptom for me! GO TEST!

Congrats, Peony!
 
Date: 12/19/2008 9:14:56 AM
Author: vizsla
.. now i''m on day 36 ... i''m beyond nervous to test... i don''t want to see a BFN - and i have been having ''cramping'' like feelings since day 30 - the feelings i usually get 1 or 2 days before my period... so since that point i''ve just been assuming that my period is around the corner. just to put some perspective on my situation and to prepare myself for my period (i truly feel it''s just around the corner) ... is it normal to have period type cramps and be PG? or do you all think my period is just wacky this month?
That is one of the very first sympotms of being preggo! I can be very disturbing since it feels like you period, but you need to POAS!! If it is negative, then we will all hug and cry for you, but imagine if it is possitive?? That joy is incomparable.
 
Date: 12/19/2008 7:43:43 AM
Author: fisherofmengirly
Peony,

Saw your request for my chart so far. I''ll post it, but I do have to say that my post-o temps have stayed up, but have not been steadily climbing, as is common in the preggo charts. So, not a lot of hope. More of a desire to get to the end of this cycle, so a more *normal* one can start.

(still elated about your news! makes me wish I''d checked in last night!!)
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DEFINIETLY and ovulatory chart Fisher.
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And some BD in there around ovulation, it is possible. You haev a 14 day LP so I guess there''s still a while to go before you know for sure.
 
dreamer really? truly? you post made me cry - why would i feel like i''m cramping?... OMG i''m shaking... i so want it to be real and not phantom symptoms made up in my head. i''d run out at lunch and test if we didn''t have a silly ''holiday lunch''. i''ll stop on the way home from work and buy a test... OMG... OMG.. i''m so nervous i feel like puking.....
i just feel like i''m about 2 seconds away from AF showing up.. but every time i go to the bathroom... nothing.. and believe me.. i''ve gone like every 20 mins... my coworkers are going to think i have a problem...
please don''t think i''m cuckoo when i test and it''s a BFN
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Date: 12/19/2008 11:18:16 AM
Author: vizsla
dreamer really? truly? you post made me cry - why would i feel like i''m cramping?... OMG i''m shaking... i so want it to be real and not phantom symptoms made up in my head. i''d run out at lunch and test if we didn''t have a silly ''holiday lunch''. i''ll stop on the way home from work and buy a test... OMG... OMG.. i''m so nervous i feel like puking.....
i just feel like i''m about 2 seconds away from AF showing up.. but every time i go to the bathroom... nothing.. and believe me.. i''ve gone like every 20 mins... my coworkers are going to think i have a problem...
please don''t think i''m cuckoo when i test and it''s a BFN
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The cramping happens because in the early stages of pregnancy your uterus is beginning to grow and get thicker and change to accommodate its new cargo! There are also ligaments around the uterus that start to change too, all in response to the hormones. Most preggos get mild cramping for about 2-3 weeks in the beginning. You are probably hyper-aware of it since you are expecting your period and so are really focussed on the feeling... I didn''t notice it all the time, only at certain points. The "full" feeling continues for the whole first trimester, since it is caused by bloating from water retention and stuff.

There are no guarantees in the TTC game, so you could get a BFN and no one will think you are crazy! Good luck, I am hoping that you are preggo!!
 
Peony -- Looking forward to Part 2 of your story!!

Sunkist- Thanks for the heads up about the FF special! I might check that out.

Vizsla - I would def. POAS! Cramping is an early symptom of being preggo. I totally get the nervousness about testing though as I too dread seeing that BFN. I''m with DD though, I think you should test. We will be here for you if it doesn''t turn out the way you want and will celebrate with you if it does!! When my SIL got preggo she said that she just felt like AF was coming for 3 whole days but got a BFP instead.
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CD17 here...possibly 2DPO. One more high temp and I get crosshairs. If I do get crosshairs, this would be an early O for me. As a result, we only BD on the day before O and the day after so I''m sure our chances are slim. Oh well...
 
dreamer that makes sense.. and you are right, when i actually think about the cramping - it seems really intense (like right now) but if i forget about it - they go away... - i''m soooo nervous now...

i feel on the verge of tears thinking about how this day is going to end - my life will be forever changed, or i''m going to be disappointed beyond anything i''ve ever known... it''s so heavy....

i really don''t want you wonderful ladies to think i''m a one sided poster... you have no IDEA how much i have learned from reading your posts... and how comforting it is to know that others are going thru the same journey. i''ve clapped and cried and laughed and been sad with each of you.

i read the pregnant thread daily too...

....and the mommy one;)

you are all so encouraging, helpful and knowledgeable to the women who are nervous to post regularly <---- that''s me ;)
 
POAS!!!

I can''t believe the restraint on the TTC board
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. Oh to have such will power.

There must be someone out there who behaves like Lisa and I both did. POAS from 5DPO onwards....
 
Good luck, Vizsla! I was super nervous to test as well. It really is a life altering moment. I''m sending tons of baby dust your way!
 
Vizla- I would POAS. I too waited past my normal window before I tested, but 36 days seems long enough, especially if you generally have normal cycles. No one thinks you are crazy, that''s why we are all on this board!!! Like DD said, we are here to cheer you on, or hold your hand, whatever is needed. But think about it this way- it''s a done deal. You either are or aren''t, and waiting to test won''t change it!!!!!!!! So go find out! Keep us posted, but sounds pretty promising!!!!!!! Good luck!

InLuv- Congrats on your recent marriage!!!! You guys are newlyweds, so cute. Was your former avi from a wedding pic? You guys are seriously a gorgeous couple! Hope you are enjoying your first Christmas together.

Peony- Where is the rest of your story?????? To answer your question, before I tested I felt NOTHING. The week I knew I was beyond exhausted, but that was it and I was also dealing with the root canal issue. Once I got the root canal, I felt great. Not tired, so much energy, NO symptoms. My boobs were a tiny bit sore, mostly just the nipples. Then this past Sunday, so around the 6 week mark, about 2 weeks after my BFP, I felt like I was hit by a mack truck. So exhausted, feel sick but like you are hung over, nauseated most of the day. It''s weird. Anyways, my point is I was very worried that I wasn''t really preggo, or that it hadn''t stuck for those two weeks b/c I felt great. I did have my first doctor appt, and it was confirmed so now I am just going with it. And of course, now I feel like crap. So don''t worry if you don''t feel anything yet. It''s early.

Fisher- From my limited limited knowledge, your chart looks good! Hoping this is the month for you.

Little- Glad you checked in, was wondering about you. I would totally go back to school if I could. What is up with us lawyers???? But I have too many student loans from law school still. Someday, maybe. I still want to buy your jewelry though. In fact, I was looking for something for my sister for Christmas, and thought, hmm, I wish I could get her that cool ring that Lysser made!!

Festy, Lulu, Amber, whoever else I''m missing- HI! Wishing you the merriest holiday season and hoping this is EVERYONE''S month!!!!
 
Date: 12/19/2008 11:55:56 AM
Author: vizsla

i feel on the verge of tears thinking about how this day is going to end - my life will be forever changed, or i''m going to be disappointed beyond anything i''ve ever known... it''s so heavy....
Your feelings of elation will certainly be high is you get the BFP you want, and although I am sure your will feel disappointed and shed some tears if it is a BFN (we have all been there!) it will not be as bad as you think--people are really bad at predicting their emotions about negative things! One good thing about TTC is that if it isn''t this month, you have another shot right around the corner. So chin up sister, everything will be fine either way!!
 
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