The Official TTC Thread!

[vizsla]

thank you thank you thank you a thousand times for all of your encouragement. i know i''ll be disappointed, but you are right.. there is always next month, and the next month and the next month DH certainly won''t mind that there is loads of DTD in the next few months

i''m going to POAS the second i get home.... i''ll be sure to post this weekend!

here''s hopping the rest of the day will go by quickly...

until later!
and thanks again... and good luck to all of the ovulatin'' ladies - you go out there and find busy bee (best in show anyone?)

 

[Clairitek]

My fingers are crossed for you vizsla!!

 

[Festy]

Fisher - you ovulated! Woohoo!

Peony - thanks for Part I...so much fun to read. In Part II will you remind the newcomers and those of us with amnesia how long you''ve been TTC? Thanks!

Viszla - good luck to you! It''s totally normal to be nervous. We''ve all been there. Please post the results soon!

InLuv - hiya. Hey, if you have to pick one day in your fertile window to DTD, the day before O is it!

***********

CD 20 and 5 DPO for moi. Just trucking along, waiting for the snow.

 

[Festy]

Date: 12/19/2008 12:28:05 PM
Author: Pandora II
POAS!!!

I can''t believe the restraint on the TTC board

. Oh to have such will power.

There must be someone out there who behaves like Lisa and I both did. POAS from 5DPO onwards....

ROFLMAO. I can''t believe you held out til 5DPO!

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 12/19/2008 2:28:06 PM
Author: Festy

Date: 12/19/2008 12:28:05 PM
Author: Pandora II
POAS!!!

I can''t believe the restraint on the TTC board

. Oh to have such will power.

There must be someone out there who behaves like Lisa and I both did. POAS from 5DPO onwards....

ROFLMAO. I can''t believe you held out til 5DPO!

Trust me, it was hard... so I used OPKs instead till then!

I bulk bought my tests, so it wasn''t just once a day either... I am so ashamed.

However, whichever of my friends decides to TTC next gets a goody bag from me: 40 internet cheapies, 2 FRER, 2 digis, a 6 pack of Pre-Seed and 30 OPKs!

 

[natalina]

A bit late in saying CONGRATS to Peony! I''ve been following the thread for a while as we are going to start TTC next month, so I''ve read your posts for a while now and have been wishing you luck. You just seem like you and your DH are so genuinely ready and wanting of a baby...along with so many others here. I am so happy for you that you finally got a BFP! I will keep my fingers crossed for you and send lots of sticky dust!

 

[mela lu]

Oh Vizsla you''re emotions are contegious! I swear I am feeling them while I read them. crazy. Not you - of course - just the intensity of emotion brough on by the whole TTC journey. like, I remember practically FLYING home and then bouncing off the walls to DTD at O time, and then the self-doubt that hit me during the 2WW. "did we do it enough times? Should we have skipped that day? Urgh. What if I missed it!" etc.

and don''t ever think we''ll think your crazy!! We''ve all been there, and I know personally, I must have sounded BATSH!T crazy saying that I *knew* I was KTFU with no BFP to back it up. BATSH!T. Anyways, now I''m rambling...but I''m going to check in for your update -so get pee''ing girl!

Either way, we''re here for you!

 

[missjaxon]

Date: 12/18/2008 8:13:30 AM
Author: peonygirl

Hey again guys! Gosh, I don''t even know how to start this post, but I''m really excited about what I have to tell you. If case you''re wondering whether it''s possible to get knocked-up on what would have been a 55+ day cycle, the answer is yes. No one is more surprised than me, except maybe my husband.

I don''t feel pregnant. Heck, I thought my tests were defective when the second red line started showing up. But, little by little, I''m starting to believe. Starting to hope. Starting to dream. Starting to think that in nine months, I could be holding the most precious, amazing gift I could ever receive.

I have been a lurker on this thread lately (even though I won''t be TTC for a little while) I just wanted to send a BIG Congratulations to Peony! I have been keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers. You are all a courageous, strong group of women. I wish the best to all of you!!!

 

[lovelylulu]

Hi Ladies - this thread has built some excitement over the past couple of days!!

Vizsla: I really hope that you are POAS as I type this!!! Sending you only good thoughts for a positive!!!

InLuv: I''m at exactly the same place in my cycle. I pretty much know that I o''d two days ago, but I''ll get crosshairs with one more high temp. Here''s to the TWW - hopefully, we''ll have something special to celebrate!!

Hurray for Friday.

 

[vizsla]

hi ladies - thanks for your support today.. i tested
BFN

much easier to drink on christmas and new year''s and not have to worry about ''hiding'' anything (our family likes wine

now i''m just concerned where the heck my period is... hello?? let''s get it going already

 

[robbie3982]

Awe, I''m sorry Viszla. Perhaps your pee was just too diluted and you should try again in the morning.

 

[vizsla]

...... DH and i are now convinced that we are the victims of a conspiracy by the POAS companies - i juuuuusssttt got my stooopid period. (i guess i do still have my sense of humor)
like an hour after purchasing and peeing on said $20 stick...

dollar store here i come.. this journey is going to put me in the poor house... i already have like $100 in negative sticks.

thanks again everyone!
and good luck to all of the ladies still in the game.. here''s to lots and lots of BFP in 2009!!!

 

[mela lu]

awww I''m sorry Vizsla.

I had my fingers crossed for you. I think you have a GREAT attitude though. 2009 will certainly be a fresh start to a whole new year of trying.

It''s so important to stay positive (i know its hard) because a positive attitude is everything!

 

[sunkist]

Vizla, sorry you go a BFN. That stinks. How many DPO are you?

I don''t trust my thermometer any more

I''m at 6DPO and my temp has been below the coverline for the last 2 mornings which is weird since I thought I O''d. So I decided to do the test/ re-test to see if my BBT would read the same or near it each time. And this is what I got 5 times in a row:

97.00
97.21
96.96
97.34
97.79

I think it''s wacko. I don''t really want to buy another one. I hope my temp goes up tomorrow or else I''ll lose my crosshairs too. It could be that my body is still wacko from coming off BC too, but aren''t those temps too different from eachother to trust my BBT?

 

[lovelylulu]

vizsla:

bah! i''m glad that your sense of humor is firmly in tact. as for the conspiracy theory - I stopped POAS after my second or third cycle. There was just too much of an emotional build up/let down, especially since it meant me trekking to CVS, coming home, taking the test . . . Since then, I decided to wait until AFF is late. For some reason, it''s easier for me to have AFF arrive then to see a BFN. but that also means I haven''t poas in months

sunkist: i had a thermometer that was a bit wacky too - i just got another one with only one decimal point and have been pretty happy with it so far.

which leads me to

I got crosshairs

and they match up perfectly to what my monitor predicted. hurray for ovulation - though that does obviously lead to more questions. but for now i''ll take it!

 

[ChinaCat]

Vizla- Aww, sorry honey. But you have a great attitude- and please, enjoy your wine at Christmas!!!!! My family are big wine drinkers as well, and it is going to be very hard to hide my "condition" around them. I never refuse a glass of wine!! So January would be a much better time to be KTFU! Here''s to 2009 being your year!

Fisher- Yay for finally ovulating! Baby steps, right?

Lulu- Yay for crosshairs!

Sunkist- I never temped, but I noticed you have mentioned you are stressed about your thermometer a few times. Maybe for peace of mind you might just want to get another one that doesn''t frustrate you? Just a thought!

So glad Peony''s BFP seemed to jolt a bit of hope into this thread- she was so sure she was out and needed testing with her long cycle and look what happened. So you never know!

 

[Festy]

Viszla - Isn''t that always the way? I''m sorry to hear it. I think the dollar store is the way to go and you definitely have the right attitude. I try to wait til AF shows up unless I have a real reason to POAS. Like you said, now you can enjoy some holiday liquid cheer!

Sunkist, can you post your chart? It might be easier to see the temperature swings. Really the first 3 temps you listed don''t seem so wildly off, but the last two are a bit of a departure. I think this is your first cycle temping, if I''m not mistaken? You could try to get through this cycle with the BBT you''re using. If you feel pretty confident that you O''d when FF initially said you did, then you can kind of motor through this cycle no matter what temps you get and get a new BBT for next cycle. I decided to give up on the BD BBT I had - the fluctuations seemed wrong.

LLL - glad to see those crosshairs!

I''ll be 10 DPO on Christmas Eve - too early to test (for me, Pandora!).

So I''ll probably enjoy a glass of wine and leave it at that.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Hey everyone,

Viz,
I totally hear you. I feel like every time I get my hopes up and pee on a stupid stick, I am just doing exactly what the pee stick companies thrive on... those expectant to be expecting! Hmph! I'm sorry, but yeah, here comes a whole new year. Much joy will find us in 2009! Of that I'm convinced!!

Sunkist,

I had a thermometer that was nutty like that, too. I think the battery was weak. I got a new one and compared the two for a few days. Then I tossed the old one. Although, it wasn't old. I'd only had it about a month. That's probably a conspiracy to dwindle money from those who are TTC, too. Just like the pee stick companies!

If you did those temps back to back all at the same time, then it shouldn't be that off. Once I get to post ovulation, I have a BAD habit of doing a temp re-temp each morning. This morning I got 98.59 and 98.62. They're close, so I don't stress over it. But when you have big movements, then it's time to look at getting another therm. The other thing to know (which I didn't know at first) is that it's super important to put the therm. in the exact same spot in your mouth every time. I think I read somewhere (or someone here told me) that it needs to be placed way back under your tongue, into the "pocket" area where your tongue attaches.

Lovely,

Whoo hoo for crosshairs. I so *know* the elation that comes with that moment!!

Here's hoping you have a reason to pee on a stick soon, girl!!

In my world, today is 10DPO. Never thought I'd get to the two-digit mark on this nutso cycle. Part of me still wonders if I really did O, since this has become such a rollercoaster. I don't want to be too hopeful, and then have this cycle take me into the new year. But, I'm hopeful.

My friend at work who's preggo is showing now. SO precious! Someone from work got her an ornament that is a teddy bear wearing a onesie and on the bear's tummy it says, "Parents to be 2008." What a precious way to remember the Christmas you carried your baby! I love it and have made a mental note to get one of those if we end up preggo during a Christmas with a child. How sweet!! I'd seen lots of baby's first Christmas ornaments, but never a parents-to-be one. I love it! Here's how nutty emotional I am lately, I was tearing up thinking about a stinkin' ornament. Haha. It's so funny how emotional I can become at times. To add to that, last night Paul and I were watching a movie with all the lights off in the living room except the Christmas lights and he told me about how much he loved to lie under the tree and look up through the branches at the lights as a child. He said he can't wait to do that with our baby. Then I got to thinking about my favorite memories of Christmas (baking cookies with my mom and making a HOT mess), and we weren't even watching the movie anymore, just dreaming of the joys to come in life, during Christmas and beyond. It was so great!! This is part of what really lets me know that my husband will be such a wonderful Daddy to our kiddos. He really likes that connection and his spirit is just so softened when he talks about the role of being a father. I simply can't wait to see the positive changes in us that will come with parenthood. (Yes, challenges, poopy diapers, temper tantrums, all that drama of teen years will come too, but the pay off, priceless.)

I've been very bad this week and only used my beloved eliptical one time. I have been working late all week to make sure my cases are caught up, and sadly, we've gotten some awful investigations lately and that resulted in taking children into foster care. I *so* don't have the heart for that, and at Christmas time, to boot! In the two years I've been doing this, I've been able to avoid it other than with one baby that was born addicted to meth and the mother refused to give names of relative caretakers, and yeah, there was no choice. Then all in a week's time, two cases come in that are horrific, and I get them both. One family went with relatives, so I feel better about that. But the others, aye. Let's just say this has been a hard week. Especially when you're called and cursed at, being told you're a "baby snatcher" who needs to rot in well, you know. Anyway, I've been pretty emotional over the work scenario and I think that's part of why I haven't been as into the eliptical this week. Regardless, I fully intend to get back on the plan starting today. And, I'm off work for the next TWO weeks! Talk about a *great* time to have a break from that place!!!

Happy weekend, everyone. It's only a few days til Christmas now. I *love* this time of year!!!

Peony, please keep checking in with us. I'm so happy for you, girl!!! And tell us, are you going to share the news with family now, or wait a bit? I always like to hear how people decide to tell, and when... (I'm nosy, I guess!)

 

[vizsla]

thanks to everyone for your support and well wishes.. i knew this would be a rollercoaster, but i never prepared myself for how *many* highs and lows there would be in one week/day/hour. i was so exhausted yesterday after the week of thinking, putting it out of my head, getting excited, putting it out of my head again, getting nervous, excited etc. that i was in bed by 10:00 soundly asleep!

sunkist - i was 22 DPO (aboutish) when i finally tested.. i''ve been so super duper stressed at work the past two months - i work at a major retailer (home office) and i have a huge project that i am in charge of ... so i''m hoping that my long cycles can be chalked up to stress - if next month is long like the past two i''m going to have to (gasp) start temping and/or call my dr. to see what''s up. - i agree that a new thermo. may just be the piece of mind you need - heavens know we spend $20/month on pee sticks

lovely - totally! i''m going to stop until i''m sure sure sure sure... not to mention that - for no other reason except that i have flashbacks from being in college and sneaking to the local CVS making sure no one sees me - i''m still a little embarrassed to actually buy the silly tests. i mean, i still hide my tampons under a magazine at the grocery store. i don''t know where that rambling was going ;P - and HUGE congrats on crosshairs!!!!!!!!!!!

china, mela, robbie, pandora, festy, clairitek - thanks so much for getting excited with me and the good vibes! here''s to next month!

aside from dealing with wicked cramps today - i have to finish up the last of my christmas shopping - which includes buying a case of wine some for DH family - some for my family and some to stock our wine fridge. i try and buy a bottle each time i go to the grocery store, but for some reason the fridge never stays full ;P maybe that''s my problem.. i keed i keed.

have a great weekend everyone! cheers...

 

[peonygirl]

Hey gals! Sorry for the radio silence! I forgot that I had a holiday party at work last night, so I didn''t come home until late. It was a lot of fun!

Also, I''m a little nervous that I might be having a miscarriage. I say "a little" because I really don''t know what''s going on, and I''m in a more hopeful phase right now (it comes and goes). On one hand I haven''t had any bleeding and I''ve only had minor cramps (which apparently are normal), but on the other I haven''t even officially missed my period yet.

Basically, I had planned to take one of my cheapie Internet tests this morning because apparently those aren''t very sensitive according to some pictures at peeonastick.com (even though they claim to be able to detect pregnancy at something like 6DPO, go figure?!) but I thought that by now they should be positive. Even though I''m excited about this pregnancy, it doesn''t seem totally real to me yet so I wanted some corroborative evidence. Well, I woke up at 3am and couldn''t get back to sleep, so I decided to take it then. Took first one, completely negative.

Started getting a little nervous so I took another one. Still negative. Got scared and upset so I woke up DH. He was very out of it because he had two exams yesterday and never took a nap so that he could make it to my work party on time. We decided to take the digi test.

"NOT PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!"

That''s what it said! I just kept saying "OMG, OMG, my baby didn''t make it, my baby is dead" over and over again. DH started crying, I started crying. We tried to think of alternative explanations like maybe my pee was more dilute or I shouldn''t have taken the test at 3am, but my hCG levels should have DOUBLED by now. Also, my urine was very yellow, so it couldn''t have been that dilute. After I pulled myself together a little I took the remaining FRER test. It was another light positive, similar to my tests 3 days ago so I felt slightly better, but those are more sensitive than the digi so it could mean my hCG levels could be falling. There are so many things in early pregnancy that aren''t as concerning, including some bleeding, but falling hCG levels are absolute.

Okay, now I''m going to read and respond to some of the posts that I missed by not being online yesterday. Please cross your fingers for us! I called the on-call nurse to ask for a beta, but I''m not even sure they''ll do it because I''m not bleeding yet. They should be calling me back soon. I''m thinking of buying a few more digis and trying them tomorrow.

 

[lovelylulu]

peony: i''m hoping all this not pregnant nonsense is just that, nonsense!! hang in there - i''m thinking of you and your lovely DH.

 

[sunkist]

Lulu- Yay, congrats on crosshairs! What monitor are you using, an OPK test? Looks like you did an awesome job covering your bases on the BDing!! Good luck!

Fisher - I'm starting to feel how you can't help but he hopeful or worry even though you don't want to get your hopes up. Man, it's difficult to stay level headed here!

hehe, but soo exciting. I'm so glad you and Paul are having fun dreaming about your future children. That's so special! Your double temps are a little different too, huh. Ok, well if yours are like that, maybe mine are sort of ok... we'll see.

I don't know what to tell people (aka, family) when they ask me when we're having kids. I don't want to tell them we're trying, then I'll feel pressure. Or maybe not. Yesterday I got to hold my 3 week old nephew, Oscar, and he was just the cutest thing ever! He weighed 8.5 lbs at birth but seemed soo tiny. I don't remember just how tiny newborns are!

Hi Peony! Oh, I do hope everything is ok. Have you made a first doc appot yet? Maybe a blood test would be a good idea. Keeping fingers crossed and sending tons of sticky dust! Take care.


Ok, thanks everyone for feedback on my thermometer. Festy, I like your suggestion about finishing this cycle seeing how it goes and then deciding if I need a new one, thanks. I double tempted this morning and was satisfied with both

And at least the temp went back up! Hopefully it stays up there till next Sunday when AF is expected. Actually I really hope AF doesn't come on that day. I'll be driving home from Oregon, a 16-hour car ride and cramps sound like torture!

Here's my chart as of this morning. How come my crosshair are dotted? Cause it's my very first cycle?

 

[peonygirl]

Okay, post #2. I should also add that last night I was feeling a little guilty for my HUGE post about finding out that I was pregnant. When I was TTC and failing, I didn''t want to read ANYTHING about other people''s pregnancies, much less the minutiae of an entire day that I thought would never come to pass for me. I hope that I didn''t irritate anyone or make anyone sad.

ETA: As I read more posts I see that some people actually enjoyed the story, so I may post the rest with a warning. I was the MOST excited about potentially posting about the emotional journey of TTC because it''s been really hard for me and I want people to know that they''re not alone. I hope you understand why I''m waiting now though.

Dani: Thanks so much girlie!!

Fisher: You are SUCH a sweetie! I wish that I could reach into the screen and give you a huge hug. You have a great heart. I have always thought of us as cycle twins with our wacko cycles even though they were not always synched.
I think my response to you would be different if I''d read your post last night (that is, before I got my negative test this morning), but it is nice to know that people with super long cycles can get pregnant! I think that a lot of those pregnancies do last, even though I''m not sure that mine will. Whether or not this pregnancy sticks around, I would be more than happy to mail you a bunch of ovulation tests (only if you want, but I have a ton) in case you wanted an additional method to track ovulation. I don''t think they''re necessary for people with regular cycles, but I really appreciated having them because my CM was never completely informative, and by the time one''s temp rises, it''s too late. I am crossing my fingers for a BFP this cycle though!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I haven''t told anyone except for you guys. My plan is not to tell anyone until 12 weeks, although we are visiting DH''s parents in Boston in 5 days. I hope I''m still pregnant then!! DH told the two other students on his rotation after we got the positive digi because he needed to tell someone (he doesn''t have PS!), but now that rotation is done and these are basically just two random people who don''t know me. The funny thing is that this last rotation (which ended yesterday) was the surgical ICU, and most of his patients were in various stages of unconsciousness (some sad stories there) so I was telling him that if he really needed to tell more people he could tell his patients and NOT our families yet. I don''t think he did though.
I really feel for you being a social worker and seeing so many parents who don''t take care of their children. DH had a similar experience a few months ago when there was a 3-month-old baby girl he "met" born with SO many problems because her mom was addicted to multiple drugs. She''d already had several surgeries. In that case the mom seemed to have "cleaned up her act" after he baby was born and the child was returned to her. I am SO hoping that''s truly the case and she''s being an okay parent now.

Lindsey: Thanks so much! I really hope I can be on the preggo thread soon!

Tiffany: Glad that you enjoy nursing! I volunteered at a children''s hospital for about 6 months last year, and I grew to love the nurses.

Brgirl: Thanks!

InLuv: I think the day before O is the day that you''re most likely to get KTFU, so I''m crossing my fingers for you!

Vizsla: Gosh sweetie, I''m SO sorry! We''ve all been there, and I have hopes that you''ll be pregnant in the next few months. One good thing about temping (I seem to recall that you aren''t) is that you may have a better sense of when it''s worth testing. I know that I would have wasted $100 in tests on my last cycle when I didn''t get my period until day 45. Again, that''s just one insight and I''m emphatically NOT telling you what to do. As if one way of finding out you''re not preggo is easier than another.

ChinaCat: Sorry I didn''t get to the rest of the story yet.

Now I think that I will wait it out for a few more days to see if I''m actually preggo.

Festy: I had been officially trying since August 4th, charting since the beginning of the summer. It was 4.5 months, but only 3 cycles. Third time''s the charm.

Natalina: Thanks so much sweetie! *some baby dust for you and your DH* This thread is a GREAT resource. So many nice ladies on here.

MissJaxon: Thanks bunches!

Sunkist: Sorry that your temps are so frustrating and inconsistent. It is VERY common (and actually a good sign) to get a temp dip about 6-10 days after ovulation. It''s called an "implantation dip" because even though it doesn''t actually signal implantation (weird, I know) it might mean that you have a higher chance of getting KTFU that cycle

Lovely: Congrats on the crosshairs! Looks like you totally covered your bases too.

 

[peonygirl]

Lovely: Thanks so much. You are. . . lovely!

Sunkist: Thanks for the dust! I have my first dr''s appointment on Jan 9th. I guess that they don''t usually do a blood test and just go by the home pregnancy test. Update: Nurse just called back and they ordered the blood test. I''m off to the hospital! Probably won''t get the results until Monday though.

 

[sunkist]

Ooh, yay Peony! Best wishes for a positive turnout! We''re all here to support you and root for you, you know that. And if it happens that this is not the month, it''s got to be coming very soon for you. Thinking of you and the sticky bean!

 

[peonygirl]

Thanks Sunkist!

DH and I walked through the snow hand-in-hand to the hospital which is right on our street. We got a little lunch at a cafe on the way back, and then as we were leaving the restaurant DH scooped me up and carried me for a while, knowing if we were having a miscarriage this would be his last chance to "hold the baby."

Right when I got back from the hospital, I received a call about my blood test from the very nice on-call doctor. He told me that my hCG level was 10, so it is almost certain that I had a chemical pregnant that is now failing. DH thanked me for making him a daddy, even though it was only for 3 days.

 

[Sabine]

Oh, Peony, I''m so sorry to hear this.

 

[robbie3982]

Peony, I''m so sorry to hear that it might be a chemical pregnancy. I''m really hoping that you just had some super sensitive tests when you first tested. Your DH sounds like an amazing hubby who will be there for you no matter what''s going on though. ::hugs::

 

[Sha]

Date: 12/20/2008 4:23:15 PM
Author: peonygirl
Thanks Sunkist!

DH and I walked through the snow hand-in-hand to the hospital which is right on our street. We got a little lunch at a cafe on the way back, and then as we were leaving the restaurant DH scooped me up and carried me for a while, knowing if we were having a miscarriage this would be his last chance to ''hold the baby.''

Right when I got back from the hospital, I received a call about my blood test from the very nice on-call doctor. He told me that my hCG level was 10, so it is almost certain that I had a chemical pregnant that is now failing. DH thanked me for making him a daddy, even though it was only for 3 days.

I''m sorry, peony.

TTC is such a rollercoaster, isn''t it?

How are you feeling? Sounds like you have a wonderfully supportive DH, which is great...

 

[E B]

I''m so, so sorry Peony. Your husband sounds like an absolute sweetheart- a great partner to lean on during this difficult time. You''re both in my thoughts, hon. Big hugs to you.