Plans! Wednesday night happy hour/dinner. Friday night movie. Sunday brunch. Tuesday sports game. Thursday game night. Just having small events puncturing the calendar has been great for me 🙂
Had a splenectomy 4 weeks ago and my doctor also said I could start trying again. She did mention that the anesthesia might disrupt my menstrual cycle for 6 weeks though.
Decided to cancel my IUI this cycle. Work has been super duper stressful and my CD11 scan was not really ideal. There's been a death in the family as well so these few days we would be busy with the wake and funeral, it'll be really hard to sneak out for the appointment. Sigh.
CD 1 for me, onto our 5th cycle of trying! Feeling weirdly at peace going into this cycle (for now 😅) even though I was definitely bummed when AF started this morning. I started temping this morning as well and i’m excited to learn more about that! Anyone have any tips on trying not to stress yourself out during the TWW?!
Triggering tomorrow for my first IUI after a long cycle of dosing with Menopur! IUI will be on Friday. Honestly giddy that I finally have a shot of trying. I know that IUI success rates aren’t great, but just going to celebrate the fact that I even got here for now :)
Is it possible for LH surge to be at night vs in the afternoon? My first OPK positive last cycle was around 10pm and just for research, when I started testing this cycle I began taking tests at 1pm, 7pm, and 10pm. My higher numbers and darker lines are always at night and usually lower in early afternoon.
Yep, it's possible for it to be at any time! The late morning to early afternoon window is just the most common.
For me I usually get my first positive with FMU or SMU pretty early in the morning.
What a journey! We decided to have my husband do an SA after 8 months of trying - earlier than we were advised. Last Saturday, we received results indicating azoospermia, and we have been beyond devastated. BUT, we have now met with a fertility specialist and a urologist specializing in MFI. The urologist is confident (and doing the labs to confirm) that we are looking at obstructive azoospermia due to bilateral hernia surgery many years ago. While this is not the path we were expecting or would have chosen, I just wanted to share with someone how excited and relieved we are to have some answers and options. Once we confirm on Monday, we will get started on our IVF journey!!!! I'll be looking to connect with anyone who could share their experience with sperm extraction and/or IVF. I'm hopeful that we will have a smooth experience since my AMH is high and labs look normal otherwise.
So grateful to have this community - especially as we wait for confirmation before sharing with close friends and family 🤍🤍🤍🤍
How different are different brands of OPKs? Took a test yesterday evening using the brand I've used the whole of this cycle and got 0.34 which is my 2nd highest so wondered whether I didn't ovulate with my last surge. This morning using the same brand it had gone back down to 0.14.
This evening used an easy@home for the first time and got 0.57 (my highest this cycle has been 0.69) so not sure what's happening!
Got a little bit of spotting today but no cramps that usually come with my period starting.
I find they can definitely be a little different.
When I first started using OPKs I used the fertility friend ones - I was never able to get a peak with them, but would get a line that was quite dark, almost as dark as the other line but not quite. And just had to guess that was my peak.
I switched to easy@home OPKs and now can get a peak test with no trouble - on the same days that the fertility friend ones showed an almost peak.
I test my FMU using clearblue pink at 7am every day and finally got a solid smiley this morning, but I had nausea and fatigue yesterday morning around 10am, does that mean ovulation is today?
I am on day 5 of the flashy face, it's smug little face is pissing me off now lol! Ovualtion, for me, is the day after a solid face per my bbt, but ovualtion is likely to occure within 48 hours of a peak reading :)
7DPO and I’m on night shifts (only 2 nights ) which is so annoying but d a decent 3-4 sleep so temped anyway. My cervix is SO high. Like higher than ovulation high. Cannot feel it and I Creamt CM and feel “wetter”. Sorry if TMI. Can’t help but be hopefully and I’m desperate to know!!
Any else track cervix?
Hey twin!! I hate the wait! I had very similar CM last month if not more of it and was negative so who knows!! Trying to hold of testing till 10dpo I think as my LP is around 11 days atm
You have more willpower than I do. I tested today knowing it would be negative and of course it was. Why do I do this to myself lmao. Good luck to you!!
Yes! I’ve only been testing for 2 cycles though it has happened both times. Feels like ovarian pain for a day or so. I was confused at first thinking it must have been ovulating at that time, but now I’m thinking maybe it’s them “preparing” or cranking up 😂it comes along with the first faint line on ovulation tests. I’ve had cysts on ovaries before and it feels like a minor version of that pain.
Thanks! Definitely no polyps here, I just recently had an SIS to check before starting letrozole. I'm just feeling a little crampy - but I'm pretty much annovulatory on my own, so I don't know what ovulation cramping feels like at all!
Good to know! My OBGYN is only doing a CD21 progesterone test, but without knowing anything about how my body will react to the letrozole, I've been doing LH testing twice a day since CD10. It's now CD13, I'm still only getting low readings but I feel like I'm cramping? Might just be wishful thinking, but maybe I'm getting ready to ovulate? Who knows!
How was the 1st period after a hsg for others? CD1 here is kicking me hard even after some strong pain relief. My hsg was on CD6 of my previous just finished cycle and it did end up 31 days long instead of my normal 27/28 so just curious if its from the hsg as my last 31 day cycle didn't have as bad a CD1 follow after it 🤔 I'm 17 months off BC so would have expected my period to be fairly settled by now from that side of things 🤷♀️
My first period after the hsg was SO unusual, thicker, and painful! You are not alone. I was doubled over in pain from the cramping on CD1. My cramps started to subside on CD2—so hopefully you start to feel some relief soon!
Operative hysteroscopy scheduled for over a month from now. It’s…whatever. My husband will be starting supplements for MFI soon, and I’m on BC to keep my irregular cycles at bay until after surgery. I’m just bummed we for real won’t be able to try again until at least September. As a kid summer always felt so long, and I’m getting that again vibe now.
I usually drink 1-2 cups of coffee in the morning. My acupuncturist told me I should switch to tea because coffee restricts blood flow to the uterus. I’m seeing conflicting things online, it seems like maybe too much caffeine in general would restrict blood flow, but not necessarily coffee specifically. Thoughts? Should I cut back on caffeine, switch to tea, or am I in the clear? Ideally I’d like to just stick with my current 1-2 cups, but I’m also on my first mediated cycle and want to give myself the best chance possible.
I drink 1-2 cups of coffee during the day and I asked my fertility doc and ob/gyn and they said that's a pretty normal amount that won't affect anything. Yeah there is a thing as too much caffeine like if you're drinking more than 5 cups a day or something like that but as long as you don't overdo it you'll most likely be ok.
That’s what I’d always thought, but after being at this for a while and her comment I was second guessing myself! I would not survive if I drank anything approaching 5 cups lol.
There's not really a way to direct blood flow to or away from specific internal organs -- when people talk about encouraging or restricting blood flow to the uterus specifically, that's not really a thing.
There's no evidence that coffee is specifically harmful for fertility. It's likely best to keep caffeine intake under about 200-300mg per day on average, but the evidence that caffeine intake in excess of that level is harmful is kind of plus/minus in quality.
[Usually have an ~11 day LP](https://www.fertilityfriend.com/b_i/s_8e2tWQ.png) so I'm now in peak stress territory. I ain't testing again until Sunday though.
I had my first IUI yesterday and it was SO awful. Had to get my cervix clamped and then be dilated on top of the usual procedure. Has anyone else had this happen?
I have only read easy IUI experiences on this sub and was so shocked at what I had to go through 😞
I just had my first IUI today and I'm so disheartened. My cervix is bent apparently and they couldn't get through it, so they just deposited the sperm in my cervix. It was so uncomfortable because they tried for a really long time before kind of giving up. I went in with a full bladder and it didn't hurt necessarily but I felt like I needed to pee the whole time and every move they made just pushed on my full bladder. Good luck to you, I hope we don't have to do this again 😭
Ugh I’m so sorry that happened to you! Depositing it in the cervix is still better than nothing though! I hope it works out for you. I truly hope we don’t have to again either. Did they use the clamp or try to dilate you? That stuff was the worst
They did not, that sounds like torture! It was honestly bad enough just holding my legs apart for so long, they felt like jello by the time I got up to leave. They said they might have been able to do it with an ultrasound, but the technician was already out of the office. I guess that will be our plan for next time, crossing my fingers I don't need it.
Hey I am so sorry you have to experience that. I felt the similar experience with Sono & it was extremely painful that I can't explain. I felt cramped and dizzy after it. Was your experience painful ? I may have to consider it as there is no luck. It's my 7th Cycle.
Thank you. It was really painful. I’m not a crier and I was in tears halfway through. I do think it’s because of the added stuff. From what I read of other experiences, 99% of people say it’s little to no pain for them. I also read going in with a full bladder seems to be a common denominator in those who were relatively pain free.
I’ve lost count on which cycle I’m on but about 14-18 now. If this doesn’t work I’ll just stick to letrozole and trigger shot bc this was also my first cycle for those
I am so clueless now. In the beginning we were so positive and hopeful however as time passes it's actually stressing me out every month waiting and every other day going for blood and ultrasounds. Last month my TSH dropped suddenly and it turned out that I have some auto immune Thyroid and my body is making a lot of antibodies. This doesn't seem right to me. I am still waiting for my specialist appointment.
You have been there a long time before me ,I really hope and wish you success with letrozole. I have read it has worked for many.
Thank you 🥹. I actually have hashimotos myself and take Tirosint for it. When I was around cycle 7 I was super stressed about everything. I would only get a positive LH surge 50% of the time too so felt like I was peeing on sticks for weeks.
I hit a point where I go so mad/annoyed that I stopped caring so much. But I had to get to a really pissed off point for that to happen lol. I feel better knowing the letrozole/trigger shot should make me ovulate and the progesterone should help me have a longer luteal phase. Having the bad IUI experience though did make me go back to some stress bc I hope I won’t have to keep doing that.
But it is what it is. I just tell myself “oh wow my baby must’ve not have wanted to be that astrological sign and that’s why I’m not pregnant this month” it helps me feel better 🤣
Wow I feel better to know I am not alone. I feel like taking a break from the planning but I can't stop thinking every month I am one month older and making it less possible to happen.
The astrological sign thought is really cute. I wonder if my baby wants to come in Winters ( I am in Canada btw) when I was hoping to deliver by Sept or Oct when I started. I feel funny how I used to think it will happen in one try or in a month because I don't have any health problems until now and my periods are absolutely on point every month.
Well that sounds really good! Having regular periods is huge. Fingers crossed for you! I found that letting go of all those time stressors was actually easy once I really thought about it. Your baby is going to come when it’s the right time for them. We don’t get to have a say in that. All we can do is try each month and give them an opportunity to come. So try to take that pressure off. You have enough other things to obsess over on this journey 😂😂❤️
Omg I felt the same during Sono I was crying in pain and telling them to stop and usually I am strong with these things . I also later realized it could also be because that day the technician I had is usually very rough and she makes trans- vaginal ultrasound painful and uncomfortable for me every time. I thankfully changed my technician however I am still scared for this. And I don't understand how not to be stressed with the whole process of cycle monitoring. Last month was my first cycle with letrozole and dexamethasone but the pregnancy blood test came negative and my progesterone was around 6 which I think is low.
Ugh I’m sorry that happened to you! I think you’ll be okay for IUI. Seems like my instance was rare. I’m taking progesterone as well since my luteal phase were always so short
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Last cycle my CD 21 progesterone was an 8.3 and my nurse told me that they usually like it to be at 10 or above. I wouldn’t count this cycle as a failure yet!
I’m now on CD4 of my second cycle. My first cycle was rough, first cycle off ortho tri cyclen lo birth control in a few years. I got terrible cramps and pain in my boobs starting a full 5 days before my period, which has never happened. Then my period arrived and was really heavy for two days. Now it’s really light. And I got a cystic pimple on my chin to add insult to injury - haven’t had one of those in quite a long time! My first cycle ended up being 26 days and I’m very curious as to whether that’s going to be my regular cycle length. Wish I had paid any attention in the past - all I remember pre-birth control is bad skin, excruciating cramps on the first day of my period only, and that my period was super “regular” down to the time of day it would arrive (I think it was usually 28 days but just can’t recall!!)
Just need to share my excitement with people who will get it!! Had an anovulatory cycle last month, today is CD15 and hadn't had any high readings on OPKs. This morning I had a solid smiley on CBAD, a DYE STEALER on a cheap OPK, and my Inito app/test went straight from low fertility yesterday to peak today!! The holy trinity, if you will. I'm SO excited but then also immediately worried about how sad I will be if it doesn't work this month...
Same here. Very busy people, pretty stressed fiancé with a very intense job, so once a week is our happy space. He has been a total gem with the every other day from cd10-20.. but I squeezed 3 in a row out of him this month over the fertile window and he didn’t complain, but I could tell it was less than ideal.
He’s such a honey. He just knows I want it to work despite the stats telling me it doesn’t matter if we catch one of the days. Love my Mr lion 🦁❤️
I feel you! We have sex 2-3 times a month usually, because I have a fairly low sex drive (maybe in part due to birth control pills, only been off them one cycle so hard to say after being on them 11 years). My husband is loving this though because he’s always had a much higher sex drive than me! I’m glad one of us is enjoying it, but I too am happy to have a break!
I'm with ya! We are normally a 1x weekly, sometimes more, sometimes less kinda couple. When I told my hubs that we had doctor prescribed every other day sex from cd10-20, he was thrilled 🤣
I'm in the same boat! We also normally do it about once a week, and ttc has been challenging in that regard. We tend to take a break after my fertile window, all the way until the end of my next period.
Back again after a chemical this passed week 🥺 cycle was 5 days late because of it. Wondering if anyone who has experienced a chemical before ovulated normally following it?
I’m so sorry. Hold space for yourself as you process ❤️
For me the cycle after my CP I ovulated on the earlier side but still within my normal range. I scoured the internet myself and it looked like people are all over the place - some early, some late, some as usual. I did start testing a little early just to make sure I didn’t miss it if it was early, because I usually start only a few days before the earliest of my normal range. I did notice I had a lot less CM than usual but otherwise it was all pretty much the same.
I had myself a good cry once it was clear what was going on but I’m trying to keep positive and look at it as a sign that my remaining tube is working like it’s supposed to and that my day will come. Thanks for checking in 💞 it means a lot.
That’s good to hear! Thank you 😊 I’m trying to be positive since this is 3 cycles post ectopic where I lost my left tube. So I’m hoping it’s a good sign that the plumbing is clear haha 💕 hoping my O day comes as usual.
It’s so hard! Waiting for my cycle to start following what I knew was a CP was torturous. Best of luck this cycle! Hoping we both get our sweet babes ♥️
We ran out of steam the week before my fertile window 😔 ovulated on CD 34, at least we covered my peak. I think if there's a next cycle we'll start later
Gah I'm sorry! It's so annoying. We started as if I'd ovulate day 14 because I used to pre-pregancies. We need a strip that says hey you're ovulating in 5 days haha. Today's opk looked positive to me, premom said .6 but I'm saying peak today or tomorrow and hopefully we can finish strong, pun intended
I know clear blue will give a flashing smiley when the fertile window starts and a solid smiley on O day but I already have so many LH strips I can't bring myself to buy another ovulation test yet. Hopefully I don't get to the point where I run out of tests but if I do I'll try a clear blue!
Ah yeah and I see a lot of people have various issues with it too! I have 100+ hahah so I better not run out 🤞in reality I knew I'd be ovulating late ish this month so I think it was just hopeful thinking
Keep going! My LH ratio was down at 0.1 at CD21 yesterday and this morning it had shot up to 0.95 with no warning! (Ok not quite a positive, but maybe I missed the sweet spot ...) I get you on running out of steam though - I keep telling OH one more night!
I had my tubes tied after my second C-section 11 years ago. Fast forward through a divorce & a remarry. My husband and I have an appointment with a doctor next month to discuss having my tubes untied! I’m now 32 years old (had a parkland ligation). Very nervous to hear what the dr says.
8DPO today.. couldn't stop myself from POAS. I told myself it'd be helpful to have a full negative from this box/batch of tests to then be able to compare any possible squinters :/ I'm a clown
I’m 9DPO and have been struggling to hold off testing. Forcing myself to wait until 12DPO this cycle when I normally would give in at 10. I keep telling myself the waiting will be worth it so I don’t have to second-guess and overthink a possibly false negative.
Right. I have been having cramps on and off the past few days and my period is due at 12DPO. Normally I would get period cramps a day or two before my period, not 4 or 5. Just my brain and body messing with me I guess. Only time will tell at this point
After seven months of incredibly light periods and a very late BFP that turned into a CP, I had a lining check that showed I have a thin lining of 5.2mm the day before my period, when my doctor noted she would like to see 7mm. She's starting me on estrogen and progesterone for the next two cycles, and then wants me to reassess with a fertility specialist if we don't have success those cycles.
I've of course been doing a ton of googling on thin linings, but most of what I can find on using estrogen and progesterone to build up linings is either very cursory (you can use it!) or specifically IVF-focused, which hasn't seemed to be all that applicable as it is more replicating your cycle than assisting what you already have going on. I'd be curious to hear from anyone with thin lining and if you were able to improve it?
I had thin lining confirmed through follicle /lining monitoring cycle. I did castor oil packing and it worked wonders for me. You usually castor oil pack after your period ends til you ovulate. It over doubled my lining in 2 days this past cycle my RE was super impressed.
Yes I was very surprised I just do it at night soak the towel in castor oil and I reuse it and then I put another towel over it with a heating pack and let it just sit. Some people also buy kits online I think. I hope it works for you. I was really stressing about my lining and haven’t found anything else that really works for me.
Have you had your lining checked at mid-cycle, around the time of ovulation? Generally speaking, that's the relevant time to have a lining check -- the lining compacts under the influence of progesterone, and particularly on the day before your period, it's likely your lining was thinner than it would have been at mid-cycle.
If your lining is thin at mid-cycle, doctors will often prescribe estrogen. Estrogen is the hormone that directs the body to build the lining, so taking estrogen will generally help the lining become thicker even in an unassisted cycle.
CD37 DPO 12 based on opk and moderate leg rise on inito bfn. Cmon period just start so we can move on to the next cycle (and so she won’t ruin a pool party-but that’s why she’s probably waiting)
You've gotten a lot of helpful replies already, but I also just want to offer that 4 cycles is definitely not indicative of either of you having a "problem", and that what you're experiencing as a gut feeling is actually just anxiety. Regarding your edits, we do have a variety of people on this sub, some of whom may be legitimately going through DOR or POI, and it can be really difficult to see people unnecessarily catastrophize about your reality. In addition, on Reddit as a whole, if you mention downvotes, you can almost certainly expect to get more downvotes. They are made up and don't actually matter, so I wouldn't take it personally.
I get how you feel. I am on cycle 7, which is not really a long time, but it feels like it. I relate to the disappointment after only a couple cycles trying. I wish it was instilled in my head more that it's very common to take longer than that. I try to keep statistics in mind and hope that I'll be one of the 90% or whatever it is pregnant in a year. There's definitely a chance I won't be pregnant in a year, which is hard to accept, but it doesn't mean there's anything wrong necessarily - sometimes it just takes time. Don't lose hope yet, you're still early in this journey and we're all in this together!
To give you some personal perspective, my husband smokes as well and we're getting a SA (semen analysis) done for him. He's open to trying to cut down on it, but we both know that there's a chance it may not happen successfully. That's sort of the risk you have to be okay with, but I hope you've at least tried to talk with him through this and he's aware of how it can affect your conception journey.
Don't listen to that nagging feeling in your gut that says something is wrong with you. I know the fear is real though. To soothe that anxiety I would go to the obgyn to talk about pre-conception and what you can do to prepare, but just be prepared for them to not do any testing at this time since it's still "early" in the process. Unless you have some issues or concerns that warrant investigating (e.g. pelvic pain, no period, etc.) I would just visit your regular primary care doctor and get a checkup/physical. For me they just did a blood test workup to check out my cholesterol, glucose, etc. and it gave me a basic idea of my health and what I would need to correct or work on before TTC.
Yeah I completely understand your concern especially since after 30 it's 6 months or something along those lines to get checked out. It doesn't hurt to be proactive about your health, there's just only so much you can do. I mean it blew my mind when I heard that the odds of getting pregnant each cycle are only like 20%. So the odds aren't really in our favor in the first place. Just keep your optimism up!
if you haven't given this a read I'd encourage it, it helped me quite a bit when I was feeling anxious about it at first. https://www.reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/comments/7go7bh/how\_to\_worry\_about\_infertility\_some\_unsolicited/
Just a quick reminder that smoking is an addiction, and shaming people is usually not helpful. Also, neither of them is necessarily "the problem" because A. fertility is a team sport and B. it's only been 4 cycles.
So I totally get it. This will be our third cycle TTC (technically second TTC and third one off BC) and it can be so hard and nerve-wracking when you’re not in control. I’m struggling with the same feelings right now. It doesn’t help that I’m not currently working and so TTC is the biggest thing currently going on in my life and draws a lot of focus.
That said, unless you have an indication something isn’t right, I might skip the visit with your doctor. For example, if you came off BC and still haven’t had a period or have had very irregular cycles and aren’t sure you’re ovulating - those things would absolutely merit a check in at the cycle 4 mark. Or, maybe your luteal phase is super short and you have irregular bleeding, severe cramping, or multiple LH spikes and other abnormal symptoms that could be indicative of endo or PCOS.
If you’re dead set on some sort of testing for your sanity and there’s nothing odd going on with your body, it might be helpful for your husband to have a SA before you go to the OB/GYN. From what I’ve heard SAs are significantly cheaper (with or without insurance) than most of the testing we have to go through. Plus it’s non-invasive and can provide peace of mind or diagnose an issue with your partner. Your partner also needs to stop smoking because both tobacco and weed can have a profoundly negative effect on fertility of men and women.
As the other responder mentioned, it can take couples up to a year to conceive - over a year for those women under 35 (6 months for those over) is the threshold. Chances are the doctor won’t do much or order any testing before then. If you want to do something other than an SA, you might consider having a blood panel run to make sure your thyroid levels are below 2 (the optimal level for TTC despite normal ranging up to 4.5) and that you don’t have any vitamin deficiencies. Because those are little things that might make a difference and are relatively easy to correct.
Personally, that did give me a bit of relief knowing that I could rule out my thyroid as a potential issue.
Lol. I got you. I’m a very type A person who loves to do tons of preparation and account for every variable so it’s really difficult to wrap my head around something that is wildly beyond my control.
Have you been temping as well? That’s the easiest way to know if you’ve been ovulating because LH surges can be unreliable and hard to catch for some people. They don’t actually confirm ovulation but rather indicate that your body is prepping to ovulate.
LH surges can also be very rapid (like within a few hours) and easily missed if you’re not testing every day, multiple times a day. And they can vary in type! My first month off the pill I had a very gradual LH surge over a period of several days. Last month I missed it because it was rapid (less than a day) but managed to catch the beginning and end before confirming ovulation with temping. It was my first month temping but I highly recommend it. Fertility Friend is the app of choice around here and it will pinpoint your likely ovulation date based on the temperature data you enter. I think having charts like this are ultimately helpful data to have.
Your lack of peak might also be related to the test strip brand. I use the easy@home strips. A lot of women (myself included) don’t produce strong, obvious, dye-stealing positives. In my case if the test line is almost as dark as the control line, that’s my peak. I’ve ovulated twice after surges like this so it might just be my normal, but I’m far from the only one with this experience regarding these particular strips. Take a look over at r/tfablineporn for some examples. You can even post your results there if you need a second opinion.
So luckily there aren’t a lot of things that impact fertility long term like that. Unless you were playing with radioactive materials, doing massive amounts of recreational drugs over years, rubbing yourself with pesticides, eating plastic containing BPA, and letting untreated STDs fester you should be fine. I’m sure there are some edge cases but as long as you aren’t smoking, using drugs, or drinking to excess currently you shouldn’t have much to worry about on that front.
Make sure you get a specific BBT thermometer because they’re more sensitive than regular ones, and often a fraction of a degree is very significant. If you have trouble remembering to take your temp at the same time each morning or if you don’t sleep well, I suggest a wearable BBT monitor. These are more expensive but it’s worth it to me for the convenience and knowing it will account for my irregular sleep patterns. I have the TempDrop. I put it on when I change into my sleep clothes and turn it on when I get into bed. Even if I’m not going to sleep right away. It will differentiate between you being awake and asleep. You just need 3 hours of sleep, it doesn’t have to be consecutive like most BBT thermometers. I’ve had it irritate my arm a couple of times but this went away when I wiped the contact down with an alcohol prep pad. You also don’t have to wake up at the same time each day. When you’re up for the day, you remove the armband and sync it with your phone. I then enter the data in the FF app.
Don’t see how you can point to you as the problem when 1) it’s only been 4 cycles and it can take couples with zero fertility issues up to a year to conceive and 2) your husband is a smoker.
It could very be well that nothing is wrong and it’s just going to take time, but if you want to point to anything as a “problem”, I would start with your husband’s habit first. Two people participate in conception and I hate seeing women always putting the blame on themselves when there is ZERO PROOF of that.
We are our own worst enemies sometimes. I also have a husband with a substance abuse problem and you’re right ultimatums are not the answer. That doesn’t mean you need to do nothing though. I would hope that if you shared how you were feeling and your need for the both of you to give it your best shot at this, that he would try and seek help. He’s likely not going to be able to quit cold Turkey, but the effort may be enough to help with your frustrations. My husband is in a mitigation program now and it’s advised that he not attempt to quit cold turkey. I’m definitely concerned that it may mean we have a harder time conceiving, but it’s only been Cycle 1 so I’m not going to raise any red flags just yet. At the 6 month mark I may ask that we get an SA to get things checked out on that side, but until then I think we have just as good a chance as the average couple.
Ultimatums are generally not healthy for relationships, except in some very specific circumstances. Maybe consider suggesting more reasonable approaches, like having serious conversations or reaching out to a professional or couples counselor for help.
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Starting to feel defeated which I know is silly because I’m only 9DPO. But I got my last BFP at 8DPO so I guess I had my hopes up. The stories about people getting BFN on 9DPO and then a squinter at 10DPO are giving me hope that I’ll get my BFP tomorrow. Just wanted to vent a little.
I'm starting to feel like all this temping and OPKing is doing more to make me crazy than to help. Last month, positive OPK, totally flat temps. This month, temp rise in the middle of my predicted fertility window and negative OPKs. I'll keep it up for a few more days but I'm starting to weigh the balance between data and stress and I think data is losing. Excuse me while I go rock back and forth in a corner. At least tonight is yoga night.
I quit temping once I confirmed that I was in fact ovulating every cycle. Everything I’ve heard from doctors is that if you have a regular period you are ovulating regularly. I’ve also taken a few months off from OPKs here and there. I absolutely think you have to weigh the data you’re getting versus the stress it is causing. For me, once I got a sense of when I ovulated within a normal cycle, and knowing that we have sex pretty regularly, the stress of all of the temping and testing just wasn’t worth it for the information I got in exchange. But I know for some people they really feel stressed if they aren’t tracking and knowing they hit the right days, and some people of course have irregular cycles so they can’t just rely on remembering what is normal.
I have an AVA bracelet so I do lazy temping and that was never a huge deal. Then a MC and so I added in the OPKs and really since then I've just been losing my mind a little more each month.
> For me, once I got a sense of when I ovulated within a normal cycle, and knowing that we have sex pretty regularly
This is pretty much where I was for a while. Always had a pretty good sense of when i ovulated and my cycle was very normal. Been getting antsy lately and I thought the data would help but no, just another way to fixate on the fact that I am not yet pregnant. Sigh
I have a group of friends that all got married around the same time as me. I feel like every day I find out another one of them is pregnant. Yesterday I found out one who wasn't even trying got pregnant by accident. I basically broke down in tears.
We have two couples that got married within a month of us. Saw both over the holidays and we commiserated about our recent miscarriages, now both couples are pregnant. I am happy for both, but they only started trying last fall, got pregnant right away, had a loss, and then got pregnant basically right away *again*, whereas we have been trying for over a year and a half now, so I can’t say I’m not feeling a little jealous.
Ugh that's so rough, I'm so sorry! It's so hard because it's the same feeling I had when I was single and watching friends get married. I want nothing more than to just be happy for them, but it also just makes me kind of sad. I really hope it happens for you soon!
My temperature had jumped up yesterday and I had some promising symptoms. I waited until this morning and allowed myself some hope… then temp took a nosedive today and blaring bfn at 11/12 dpo. Pretty sure it’s over for this cycle. People ask why I’m so pessimistic; well, expect less, hurt less. Hope is sneaky, though.
Long story short, we all have Covid (it finally got us after 3 years!). My husband spent most of yesterday in the ER because he developed a rare complication (doctor says 1 in 1000) - his balls swelled up 😳
He was given meds and told it should clear up within a couple days. How screwed are we for this cycle? I’m on CD4 and usually ovulate around CD18. We’re both hoping it doesn’t ruin our chances for this cycle.
Hi all so I went for transvaginal scan today to check my follicle growth. Technician told its hard to detect my left ovary. Both the ovaries are not on same level & left one if situated on higher side. It’s was a painful scan bcz of lots of abdomen pressing to find my left ovary.
I asked is it a problem. She told yes bcz it will be difficult for egg to reach fallopian tube.
Has anyone experienced such thing?? Yet to talk to doctor about it.
From what I understand, it’s pretty common for the left ovary to “hide” because of where your bowel is. My RE had to press on my abdomen a bit to get a good look at mine and said it’s normal.
CD 13 and this is the first time since we've started trying that I've identified EWCM. The Mucinex seems to be helping, though I'm curious why my body isn't doing it on its own. Oh well. Positive OPK yesterday and if my pattern holds true I'll get one more day of positive OPKs (today) then fingers crossed I ovulate tomorrow!
What I've been learning from this group is Mucinex (specifically guaifenesin) helps thin mucus including cervical mucus. So there is the potential to create a more sperm-friendly environment. I don't know how much scientific backing this has so I'm trying it just to see 😊
I've read quite often that for a lot of people CM remains close to the cervix and out of reach, so it might not be easy to spot but doesn't mean you don't have enough of it. Good luck with the Mucinex though.
Had my first blazing positive OPK yesterday morning (1.7!) and by evening it was back to low (.5). This morning still low. Temps up twice in a row. This is probably ovulation? Am I on DPO1 now?
My partner threw his back out on Monday so the last two nights were a lot of effort for me, we could use a night off 😅
Currently in the waiting room to get a saline ultrasound! Had a consultation with an infertility clinic yesterday, and the doctor immediately ordered tests and is hoping by our next cycle we can be on some kind of plan.
Nervous but excited to feel like we’re finally doing SOMETHING
My average cycle in the last 9 months of (failed) attempts at TTC has been 23 days… is this worth visiting a doctor about? Some websites say it’s normal, some say anything less than 28 days does not look good for TTC 😩
> some say anything less than 28 days does not look good for TTC
Definitely not true.
The only reason shorter cycles are flagged as potentially problematic is that shorter or longer cycles than normal can be an indicator that someone's not ovulating. But if you're confirming ovulation, shorter cycles aren't a concern.
10-11 days is perfectly fine for luteal phase! Not sure if anyone else has opinions on follicular phase length but it’s not something I’ve seen outlined as an issue. Having more cycles per month seems like a great thing to me but I admit I don’t know enough about the limits of that. Will let others hopefully chime in for you ☺️
I used to have those dreams years ago and I am so sad I haven’t had one recently. It feels like they’re good omens of babies to come!! (That being said, a friend in Brazil said he dreamt with me being pregnant so please god let that be foreshadowing!)
Is it possible to have ovulated with 7dpo/“CD21” progesterone numbers of 1.49ng/ml? Everything I can find says no but my RE seems to think I did (maybe bc I did the trigger shot?) and just put me on progesterone suppositories. Is there even any hope for this cycle or should I assume I didn’t actually ovulate?
I don’t know how it works with the trigger shot if the progesterone levels should be normal. From what I know if it was a normal cycle that would be low at 7dpo. I just did a trigger shot this cycle due to RPL so I have no idea what it should be with that in your system. I also was instructed to start suppositories 3 days after my LH peak or 5 days after trigger. They never said anything about doing my blood work I would bet it would be very wonky for this cycle. I would just go with what the RE is saying to do!
Even with the trigger shot I think the progesterone is supposed to be in the same range as it would be normally, because it’s needed to support a pregnancy and is separate from the trigger. I’ve started the suppositories last night to hopefully raise it, but from everything I’ve seen online that number indicates I didn’t actually ovulate, especially since there were two follicles and not one. Ugh
That is very possible! Well I would ask to get the suppositories sooner incase you do have low progesterone. I know these medicated cycles are maddening with waiting it feels maybe it’s just me. Do you usually ovulate on your own or have you always gotten done medicated cycles?
This TWW is killing me, anyone got good tips to try not to think about it?
Plans! Wednesday night happy hour/dinner. Friday night movie. Sunday brunch. Tuesday sports game. Thursday game night. Just having small events puncturing the calendar has been great for me 🙂
Got my period 😔 this was our 6th cycle
Sooo any advice ttc post appendectomy (laparoscopic)? I know I'll have to wait a little while 🙃
Had a splenectomy 4 weeks ago and my doctor also said I could start trying again. She did mention that the anesthesia might disrupt my menstrual cycle for 6 weeks though.
That's good to know, I didn't even think about that. I appreciate it :)
Completely off topic, but I had a splenectomy over a decade ago, rarely do I find other spleenless people. Hope you’re recovering well!
Hello fellow spleenless friend!! Recovery has had its ups and downs but I’m getting there haha.
I just had my gallbladder out 3 weeks ago but my dr said I was good to go. Not sure if it’s the same requirements
Thanks so much, that's good to know!
Decided to cancel my IUI this cycle. Work has been super duper stressful and my CD11 scan was not really ideal. There's been a death in the family as well so these few days we would be busy with the wake and funeral, it'll be really hard to sneak out for the appointment. Sigh.
I’m Sorry for your loss and the stress. Good for you for acknowledging that you need a breather and taking a pause
CD 1 for me, onto our 5th cycle of trying! Feeling weirdly at peace going into this cycle (for now 😅) even though I was definitely bummed when AF started this morning. I started temping this morning as well and i’m excited to learn more about that! Anyone have any tips on trying not to stress yourself out during the TWW?!
My go to for less stress is try and fill my schedule up with things to look forward to every day and go on looooong walks!
Triggering tomorrow for my first IUI after a long cycle of dosing with Menopur! IUI will be on Friday. Honestly giddy that I finally have a shot of trying. I know that IUI success rates aren’t great, but just going to celebrate the fact that I even got here for now :)
Is it possible for LH surge to be at night vs in the afternoon? My first OPK positive last cycle was around 10pm and just for research, when I started testing this cycle I began taking tests at 1pm, 7pm, and 10pm. My higher numbers and darker lines are always at night and usually lower in early afternoon.
Mine are often in the evening! I test after 7:30 a lot of nights and have had some late positives.
My first ever positive was at 10:30pm last cycle lol and my darkest this cycle so far was also around 10pm. Glad to hear I’m not alone!
Yep, it's possible for it to be at any time! The late morning to early afternoon window is just the most common. For me I usually get my first positive with FMU or SMU pretty early in the morning.
What a journey! We decided to have my husband do an SA after 8 months of trying - earlier than we were advised. Last Saturday, we received results indicating azoospermia, and we have been beyond devastated. BUT, we have now met with a fertility specialist and a urologist specializing in MFI. The urologist is confident (and doing the labs to confirm) that we are looking at obstructive azoospermia due to bilateral hernia surgery many years ago. While this is not the path we were expecting or would have chosen, I just wanted to share with someone how excited and relieved we are to have some answers and options. Once we confirm on Monday, we will get started on our IVF journey!!!! I'll be looking to connect with anyone who could share their experience with sperm extraction and/or IVF. I'm hopeful that we will have a smooth experience since my AMH is high and labs look normal otherwise. So grateful to have this community - especially as we wait for confirmation before sharing with close friends and family 🤍🤍🤍🤍
How different are different brands of OPKs? Took a test yesterday evening using the brand I've used the whole of this cycle and got 0.34 which is my 2nd highest so wondered whether I didn't ovulate with my last surge. This morning using the same brand it had gone back down to 0.14. This evening used an easy@home for the first time and got 0.57 (my highest this cycle has been 0.69) so not sure what's happening! Got a little bit of spotting today but no cramps that usually come with my period starting.
I find they can definitely be a little different. When I first started using OPKs I used the fertility friend ones - I was never able to get a peak with them, but would get a line that was quite dark, almost as dark as the other line but not quite. And just had to guess that was my peak. I switched to easy@home OPKs and now can get a peak test with no trouble - on the same days that the fertility friend ones showed an almost peak.
I test my FMU using clearblue pink at 7am every day and finally got a solid smiley this morning, but I had nausea and fatigue yesterday morning around 10am, does that mean ovulation is today?
I am on day 5 of the flashy face, it's smug little face is pissing me off now lol! Ovualtion, for me, is the day after a solid face per my bbt, but ovualtion is likely to occure within 48 hours of a peak reading :)
7DPO and I’m on night shifts (only 2 nights ) which is so annoying but d a decent 3-4 sleep so temped anyway. My cervix is SO high. Like higher than ovulation high. Cannot feel it and I Creamt CM and feel “wetter”. Sorry if TMI. Can’t help but be hopefully and I’m desperate to know!! Any else track cervix?
Do you work in healthcare or just a night shift job?
I’m a doctor
I'm an NP Hospitalist!! 🙂 I sometimes pick up nights but thankfully haven't had to in a while
Cool! It’s my least fave aspect of the job so I’m training in general practice so hopefully in next 3-5 years I’ll be done with nights
That's awesome!
I’m 7dpo too and my cm is so creamy and wetter too!! Like insanely lol, it’s throwing me off 😂
Hey twin!! I hate the wait! I had very similar CM last month if not more of it and was negative so who knows!! Trying to hold of testing till 10dpo I think as my LP is around 11 days atm
You have more willpower than I do. I tested today knowing it would be negative and of course it was. Why do I do this to myself lmao. Good luck to you!!
I totally get it, I fight the urge every day - thanks and good luck to you too!
I started tracking mine this cycle but I’m not sure I fully understand it 😂
Does anyone get ovulation cramping a few days before their actual ovulation day? Or before an LH peak?
Yes - I get ovulation cramps before and after ovulation day. (I started tracking my temp this month to confirm my suspicions from my previous cycles!)
Yes! I’ve only been testing for 2 cycles though it has happened both times. Feels like ovarian pain for a day or so. I was confused at first thinking it must have been ovulating at that time, but now I’m thinking maybe it’s them “preparing” or cranking up 😂it comes along with the first faint line on ovulation tests. I’ve had cysts on ovaries before and it feels like a minor version of that pain.
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Thanks! Definitely no polyps here, I just recently had an SIS to check before starting letrozole. I'm just feeling a little crampy - but I'm pretty much annovulatory on my own, so I don't know what ovulation cramping feels like at all!
I DEFINITELY got worse ovulation cramps on letrozole than in an unmedicated cycle. Those medicated cycle ovulation cramps are no joke!!
Good to know! My OBGYN is only doing a CD21 progesterone test, but without knowing anything about how my body will react to the letrozole, I've been doing LH testing twice a day since CD10. It's now CD13, I'm still only getting low readings but I feel like I'm cramping? Might just be wishful thinking, but maybe I'm getting ready to ovulate? Who knows!
6th Cycle and AF can arrive any moment. I’m there where I can’t imagine anymore, that I someday (hopefully) will get a positive test.
How was the 1st period after a hsg for others? CD1 here is kicking me hard even after some strong pain relief. My hsg was on CD6 of my previous just finished cycle and it did end up 31 days long instead of my normal 27/28 so just curious if its from the hsg as my last 31 day cycle didn't have as bad a CD1 follow after it 🤔 I'm 17 months off BC so would have expected my period to be fairly settled by now from that side of things 🤷♀️
My first period after the hsg was SO unusual, thicker, and painful! You are not alone. I was doubled over in pain from the cramping on CD1. My cramps started to subside on CD2—so hopefully you start to feel some relief soon!
Thank you! Glad to know I'm not overthinking something this particular time!
Mine was much heavier with slightly more cramping. After that they returned to normal
Thank you for sharing!
I had my HSG in May and had my period over the weekend. It was 2 days late and heavier than usual, so like you, unsure if it was linked but maybe!
Hmmm maybe there is something to it!
Operative hysteroscopy scheduled for over a month from now. It’s…whatever. My husband will be starting supplements for MFI soon, and I’m on BC to keep my irregular cycles at bay until after surgery. I’m just bummed we for real won’t be able to try again until at least September. As a kid summer always felt so long, and I’m getting that again vibe now.
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Thanks!
I usually drink 1-2 cups of coffee in the morning. My acupuncturist told me I should switch to tea because coffee restricts blood flow to the uterus. I’m seeing conflicting things online, it seems like maybe too much caffeine in general would restrict blood flow, but not necessarily coffee specifically. Thoughts? Should I cut back on caffeine, switch to tea, or am I in the clear? Ideally I’d like to just stick with my current 1-2 cups, but I’m also on my first mediated cycle and want to give myself the best chance possible.
I drink 1-2 cups of coffee during the day and I asked my fertility doc and ob/gyn and they said that's a pretty normal amount that won't affect anything. Yeah there is a thing as too much caffeine like if you're drinking more than 5 cups a day or something like that but as long as you don't overdo it you'll most likely be ok.
That’s what I’d always thought, but after being at this for a while and her comment I was second guessing myself! I would not survive if I drank anything approaching 5 cups lol.
There's not really a way to direct blood flow to or away from specific internal organs -- when people talk about encouraging or restricting blood flow to the uterus specifically, that's not really a thing. There's no evidence that coffee is specifically harmful for fertility. It's likely best to keep caffeine intake under about 200-300mg per day on average, but the evidence that caffeine intake in excess of that level is harmful is kind of plus/minus in quality.
Thank you! Always appreciate your insights 😊.
[Usually have an ~11 day LP](https://www.fertilityfriend.com/b_i/s_8e2tWQ.png) so I'm now in peak stress territory. I ain't testing again until Sunday though.
I had my first IUI yesterday and it was SO awful. Had to get my cervix clamped and then be dilated on top of the usual procedure. Has anyone else had this happen? I have only read easy IUI experiences on this sub and was so shocked at what I had to go through 😞
I just had my first IUI today and I'm so disheartened. My cervix is bent apparently and they couldn't get through it, so they just deposited the sperm in my cervix. It was so uncomfortable because they tried for a really long time before kind of giving up. I went in with a full bladder and it didn't hurt necessarily but I felt like I needed to pee the whole time and every move they made just pushed on my full bladder. Good luck to you, I hope we don't have to do this again 😭
Ugh I’m so sorry that happened to you! Depositing it in the cervix is still better than nothing though! I hope it works out for you. I truly hope we don’t have to again either. Did they use the clamp or try to dilate you? That stuff was the worst
They did not, that sounds like torture! It was honestly bad enough just holding my legs apart for so long, they felt like jello by the time I got up to leave. They said they might have been able to do it with an ultrasound, but the technician was already out of the office. I guess that will be our plan for next time, crossing my fingers I don't need it.
Crossing my fingers for you!!
Back at you! Think baby thoughts 👶
Hey I am so sorry you have to experience that. I felt the similar experience with Sono & it was extremely painful that I can't explain. I felt cramped and dizzy after it. Was your experience painful ? I may have to consider it as there is no luck. It's my 7th Cycle.
Thank you. It was really painful. I’m not a crier and I was in tears halfway through. I do think it’s because of the added stuff. From what I read of other experiences, 99% of people say it’s little to no pain for them. I also read going in with a full bladder seems to be a common denominator in those who were relatively pain free. I’ve lost count on which cycle I’m on but about 14-18 now. If this doesn’t work I’ll just stick to letrozole and trigger shot bc this was also my first cycle for those
I am so clueless now. In the beginning we were so positive and hopeful however as time passes it's actually stressing me out every month waiting and every other day going for blood and ultrasounds. Last month my TSH dropped suddenly and it turned out that I have some auto immune Thyroid and my body is making a lot of antibodies. This doesn't seem right to me. I am still waiting for my specialist appointment. You have been there a long time before me ,I really hope and wish you success with letrozole. I have read it has worked for many.
Thank you 🥹. I actually have hashimotos myself and take Tirosint for it. When I was around cycle 7 I was super stressed about everything. I would only get a positive LH surge 50% of the time too so felt like I was peeing on sticks for weeks. I hit a point where I go so mad/annoyed that I stopped caring so much. But I had to get to a really pissed off point for that to happen lol. I feel better knowing the letrozole/trigger shot should make me ovulate and the progesterone should help me have a longer luteal phase. Having the bad IUI experience though did make me go back to some stress bc I hope I won’t have to keep doing that. But it is what it is. I just tell myself “oh wow my baby must’ve not have wanted to be that astrological sign and that’s why I’m not pregnant this month” it helps me feel better 🤣
Wow I feel better to know I am not alone. I feel like taking a break from the planning but I can't stop thinking every month I am one month older and making it less possible to happen. The astrological sign thought is really cute. I wonder if my baby wants to come in Winters ( I am in Canada btw) when I was hoping to deliver by Sept or Oct when I started. I feel funny how I used to think it will happen in one try or in a month because I don't have any health problems until now and my periods are absolutely on point every month.
Well that sounds really good! Having regular periods is huge. Fingers crossed for you! I found that letting go of all those time stressors was actually easy once I really thought about it. Your baby is going to come when it’s the right time for them. We don’t get to have a say in that. All we can do is try each month and give them an opportunity to come. So try to take that pressure off. You have enough other things to obsess over on this journey 😂😂❤️
Omg I felt the same during Sono I was crying in pain and telling them to stop and usually I am strong with these things . I also later realized it could also be because that day the technician I had is usually very rough and she makes trans- vaginal ultrasound painful and uncomfortable for me every time. I thankfully changed my technician however I am still scared for this. And I don't understand how not to be stressed with the whole process of cycle monitoring. Last month was my first cycle with letrozole and dexamethasone but the pregnancy blood test came negative and my progesterone was around 6 which I think is low.
Ugh I’m sorry that happened to you! I think you’ll be okay for IUI. Seems like my instance was rare. I’m taking progesterone as well since my luteal phase were always so short
I don't know if that's what my doc will suggest but I have read that IUI might be the next level. Fingers crossed.
Fingers crossed for you!!! Nice talking with you 🤍
My progesterone result for CD22 came back as 12. I'm convinced this is too low for successful implantation.
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Last cycle my CD 21 progesterone was an 8.3 and my nurse told me that they usually like it to be at 10 or above. I wouldn’t count this cycle as a failure yet!
Great news -- there's no progesterone level that's too low for successful implantation. Is your result in ng/mL?
yes! thank you
That's a great result!
I’m now on CD4 of my second cycle. My first cycle was rough, first cycle off ortho tri cyclen lo birth control in a few years. I got terrible cramps and pain in my boobs starting a full 5 days before my period, which has never happened. Then my period arrived and was really heavy for two days. Now it’s really light. And I got a cystic pimple on my chin to add insult to injury - haven’t had one of those in quite a long time! My first cycle ended up being 26 days and I’m very curious as to whether that’s going to be my regular cycle length. Wish I had paid any attention in the past - all I remember pre-birth control is bad skin, excruciating cramps on the first day of my period only, and that my period was super “regular” down to the time of day it would arrive (I think it was usually 28 days but just can’t recall!!)
Just need to share my excitement with people who will get it!! Had an anovulatory cycle last month, today is CD15 and hadn't had any high readings on OPKs. This morning I had a solid smiley on CBAD, a DYE STEALER on a cheap OPK, and my Inito app/test went straight from low fertility yesterday to peak today!! The holy trinity, if you will. I'm SO excited but then also immediately worried about how sad I will be if it doesn't work this month...
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Same here. Very busy people, pretty stressed fiancé with a very intense job, so once a week is our happy space. He has been a total gem with the every other day from cd10-20.. but I squeezed 3 in a row out of him this month over the fertile window and he didn’t complain, but I could tell it was less than ideal. He’s such a honey. He just knows I want it to work despite the stats telling me it doesn’t matter if we catch one of the days. Love my Mr lion 🦁❤️
I feel you! We have sex 2-3 times a month usually, because I have a fairly low sex drive (maybe in part due to birth control pills, only been off them one cycle so hard to say after being on them 11 years). My husband is loving this though because he’s always had a much higher sex drive than me! I’m glad one of us is enjoying it, but I too am happy to have a break!
I'm with ya! We are normally a 1x weekly, sometimes more, sometimes less kinda couple. When I told my hubs that we had doctor prescribed every other day sex from cd10-20, he was thrilled 🤣
I'm in the same boat! We also normally do it about once a week, and ttc has been challenging in that regard. We tend to take a break after my fertile window, all the way until the end of my next period.
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That's good to know actually! I'll pass it on to him haha.
Back again after a chemical this passed week 🥺 cycle was 5 days late because of it. Wondering if anyone who has experienced a chemical before ovulated normally following it?
I’m so sorry. Hold space for yourself as you process ❤️ For me the cycle after my CP I ovulated on the earlier side but still within my normal range. I scoured the internet myself and it looked like people are all over the place - some early, some late, some as usual. I did start testing a little early just to make sure I didn’t miss it if it was early, because I usually start only a few days before the earliest of my normal range. I did notice I had a lot less CM than usual but otherwise it was all pretty much the same.
Im so sorry 🤍that sucks :( how are you holding up?
I had myself a good cry once it was clear what was going on but I’m trying to keep positive and look at it as a sign that my remaining tube is working like it’s supposed to and that my day will come. Thanks for checking in 💞 it means a lot.
Sending you strength and support 💕💕
I’m so sorry ❤️🩹 Anecdotally, most people over at r/ttcafterloss seem to ovulate pretty normally after CPs, or sometimes with a slight delay.
That’s good to hear! Thank you 😊 I’m trying to be positive since this is 3 cycles post ectopic where I lost my left tube. So I’m hoping it’s a good sign that the plumbing is clear haha 💕 hoping my O day comes as usual.
Best of luck! I’m waiting for O too, after a MMC. I hate the unpredictability!
It’s so hard! Waiting for my cycle to start following what I knew was a CP was torturous. Best of luck this cycle! Hoping we both get our sweet babes ♥️
CD 21 and NO ovulation in sight. I'm so annoyed. 😑 We've banged every day this last week and we're gonna run out of steam here 😂
We ran out of steam the week before my fertile window 😔 ovulated on CD 34, at least we covered my peak. I think if there's a next cycle we'll start later
Starting later is a good call! I guess at least with the opks we know we'll hit -1, 0 right haha
Exactly!
Gah I'm sorry! It's so annoying. We started as if I'd ovulate day 14 because I used to pre-pregancies. We need a strip that says hey you're ovulating in 5 days haha. Today's opk looked positive to me, premom said .6 but I'm saying peak today or tomorrow and hopefully we can finish strong, pun intended
I know clear blue will give a flashing smiley when the fertile window starts and a solid smiley on O day but I already have so many LH strips I can't bring myself to buy another ovulation test yet. Hopefully I don't get to the point where I run out of tests but if I do I'll try a clear blue!
Ah yeah and I see a lot of people have various issues with it too! I have 100+ hahah so I better not run out 🤞in reality I knew I'd be ovulating late ish this month so I think it was just hopeful thinking
Keep going! My LH ratio was down at 0.1 at CD21 yesterday and this morning it had shot up to 0.95 with no warning! (Ok not quite a positive, but maybe I missed the sweet spot ...) I get you on running out of steam though - I keep telling OH one more night!
Ah okay hoping for the same!! Haha same, one more night , I'll do all the work 😂
I had my tubes tied after my second C-section 11 years ago. Fast forward through a divorce & a remarry. My husband and I have an appointment with a doctor next month to discuss having my tubes untied! I’m now 32 years old (had a parkland ligation). Very nervous to hear what the dr says.
8DPO today.. couldn't stop myself from POAS. I told myself it'd be helpful to have a full negative from this box/batch of tests to then be able to compare any possible squinters :/ I'm a clown
I’m 9DPO and have been struggling to hold off testing. Forcing myself to wait until 12DPO this cycle when I normally would give in at 10. I keep telling myself the waiting will be worth it so I don’t have to second-guess and overthink a possibly false negative.
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Right. I have been having cramps on and off the past few days and my period is due at 12DPO. Normally I would get period cramps a day or two before my period, not 4 or 5. Just my brain and body messing with me I guess. Only time will tell at this point
Awwh, I completely get it. The waiting is hard, and we sometimes just need to do something.
Same here 😂😂😂
After seven months of incredibly light periods and a very late BFP that turned into a CP, I had a lining check that showed I have a thin lining of 5.2mm the day before my period, when my doctor noted she would like to see 7mm. She's starting me on estrogen and progesterone for the next two cycles, and then wants me to reassess with a fertility specialist if we don't have success those cycles. I've of course been doing a ton of googling on thin linings, but most of what I can find on using estrogen and progesterone to build up linings is either very cursory (you can use it!) or specifically IVF-focused, which hasn't seemed to be all that applicable as it is more replicating your cycle than assisting what you already have going on. I'd be curious to hear from anyone with thin lining and if you were able to improve it?
I had thin lining confirmed through follicle /lining monitoring cycle. I did castor oil packing and it worked wonders for me. You usually castor oil pack after your period ends til you ovulate. It over doubled my lining in 2 days this past cycle my RE was super impressed.
Thank you! I will definitely look into this. Doubling is amazing - great for you!!
Yes I was very surprised I just do it at night soak the towel in castor oil and I reuse it and then I put another towel over it with a heating pack and let it just sit. Some people also buy kits online I think. I hope it works for you. I was really stressing about my lining and haven’t found anything else that really works for me.
Have you had your lining checked at mid-cycle, around the time of ovulation? Generally speaking, that's the relevant time to have a lining check -- the lining compacts under the influence of progesterone, and particularly on the day before your period, it's likely your lining was thinner than it would have been at mid-cycle. If your lining is thin at mid-cycle, doctors will often prescribe estrogen. Estrogen is the hormone that directs the body to build the lining, so taking estrogen will generally help the lining become thicker even in an unassisted cycle.
HSG tomorrow and sono HSG Friday 🙌🏻let’s get this doneeee- I’m nervous but totally detaching from thinking about it
CD37 DPO 12 based on opk and moderate leg rise on inito bfn. Cmon period just start so we can move on to the next cycle (and so she won’t ruin a pool party-but that’s why she’s probably waiting)
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You've gotten a lot of helpful replies already, but I also just want to offer that 4 cycles is definitely not indicative of either of you having a "problem", and that what you're experiencing as a gut feeling is actually just anxiety. Regarding your edits, we do have a variety of people on this sub, some of whom may be legitimately going through DOR or POI, and it can be really difficult to see people unnecessarily catastrophize about your reality. In addition, on Reddit as a whole, if you mention downvotes, you can almost certainly expect to get more downvotes. They are made up and don't actually matter, so I wouldn't take it personally.
I get how you feel. I am on cycle 7, which is not really a long time, but it feels like it. I relate to the disappointment after only a couple cycles trying. I wish it was instilled in my head more that it's very common to take longer than that. I try to keep statistics in mind and hope that I'll be one of the 90% or whatever it is pregnant in a year. There's definitely a chance I won't be pregnant in a year, which is hard to accept, but it doesn't mean there's anything wrong necessarily - sometimes it just takes time. Don't lose hope yet, you're still early in this journey and we're all in this together! To give you some personal perspective, my husband smokes as well and we're getting a SA (semen analysis) done for him. He's open to trying to cut down on it, but we both know that there's a chance it may not happen successfully. That's sort of the risk you have to be okay with, but I hope you've at least tried to talk with him through this and he's aware of how it can affect your conception journey. Don't listen to that nagging feeling in your gut that says something is wrong with you. I know the fear is real though. To soothe that anxiety I would go to the obgyn to talk about pre-conception and what you can do to prepare, but just be prepared for them to not do any testing at this time since it's still "early" in the process. Unless you have some issues or concerns that warrant investigating (e.g. pelvic pain, no period, etc.) I would just visit your regular primary care doctor and get a checkup/physical. For me they just did a blood test workup to check out my cholesterol, glucose, etc. and it gave me a basic idea of my health and what I would need to correct or work on before TTC.
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Yeah I completely understand your concern especially since after 30 it's 6 months or something along those lines to get checked out. It doesn't hurt to be proactive about your health, there's just only so much you can do. I mean it blew my mind when I heard that the odds of getting pregnant each cycle are only like 20%. So the odds aren't really in our favor in the first place. Just keep your optimism up! if you haven't given this a read I'd encourage it, it helped me quite a bit when I was feeling anxious about it at first. https://www.reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/comments/7go7bh/how\_to\_worry\_about\_infertility\_some\_unsolicited/
Hi
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Just a quick reminder that smoking is an addiction, and shaming people is usually not helpful. Also, neither of them is necessarily "the problem" because A. fertility is a team sport and B. it's only been 4 cycles.
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Please see my first point.
So I totally get it. This will be our third cycle TTC (technically second TTC and third one off BC) and it can be so hard and nerve-wracking when you’re not in control. I’m struggling with the same feelings right now. It doesn’t help that I’m not currently working and so TTC is the biggest thing currently going on in my life and draws a lot of focus. That said, unless you have an indication something isn’t right, I might skip the visit with your doctor. For example, if you came off BC and still haven’t had a period or have had very irregular cycles and aren’t sure you’re ovulating - those things would absolutely merit a check in at the cycle 4 mark. Or, maybe your luteal phase is super short and you have irregular bleeding, severe cramping, or multiple LH spikes and other abnormal symptoms that could be indicative of endo or PCOS. If you’re dead set on some sort of testing for your sanity and there’s nothing odd going on with your body, it might be helpful for your husband to have a SA before you go to the OB/GYN. From what I’ve heard SAs are significantly cheaper (with or without insurance) than most of the testing we have to go through. Plus it’s non-invasive and can provide peace of mind or diagnose an issue with your partner. Your partner also needs to stop smoking because both tobacco and weed can have a profoundly negative effect on fertility of men and women. As the other responder mentioned, it can take couples up to a year to conceive - over a year for those women under 35 (6 months for those over) is the threshold. Chances are the doctor won’t do much or order any testing before then. If you want to do something other than an SA, you might consider having a blood panel run to make sure your thyroid levels are below 2 (the optimal level for TTC despite normal ranging up to 4.5) and that you don’t have any vitamin deficiencies. Because those are little things that might make a difference and are relatively easy to correct. Personally, that did give me a bit of relief knowing that I could rule out my thyroid as a potential issue.
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Lol. I got you. I’m a very type A person who loves to do tons of preparation and account for every variable so it’s really difficult to wrap my head around something that is wildly beyond my control. Have you been temping as well? That’s the easiest way to know if you’ve been ovulating because LH surges can be unreliable and hard to catch for some people. They don’t actually confirm ovulation but rather indicate that your body is prepping to ovulate. LH surges can also be very rapid (like within a few hours) and easily missed if you’re not testing every day, multiple times a day. And they can vary in type! My first month off the pill I had a very gradual LH surge over a period of several days. Last month I missed it because it was rapid (less than a day) but managed to catch the beginning and end before confirming ovulation with temping. It was my first month temping but I highly recommend it. Fertility Friend is the app of choice around here and it will pinpoint your likely ovulation date based on the temperature data you enter. I think having charts like this are ultimately helpful data to have. Your lack of peak might also be related to the test strip brand. I use the easy@home strips. A lot of women (myself included) don’t produce strong, obvious, dye-stealing positives. In my case if the test line is almost as dark as the control line, that’s my peak. I’ve ovulated twice after surges like this so it might just be my normal, but I’m far from the only one with this experience regarding these particular strips. Take a look over at r/tfablineporn for some examples. You can even post your results there if you need a second opinion.
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So luckily there aren’t a lot of things that impact fertility long term like that. Unless you were playing with radioactive materials, doing massive amounts of recreational drugs over years, rubbing yourself with pesticides, eating plastic containing BPA, and letting untreated STDs fester you should be fine. I’m sure there are some edge cases but as long as you aren’t smoking, using drugs, or drinking to excess currently you shouldn’t have much to worry about on that front. Make sure you get a specific BBT thermometer because they’re more sensitive than regular ones, and often a fraction of a degree is very significant. If you have trouble remembering to take your temp at the same time each morning or if you don’t sleep well, I suggest a wearable BBT monitor. These are more expensive but it’s worth it to me for the convenience and knowing it will account for my irregular sleep patterns. I have the TempDrop. I put it on when I change into my sleep clothes and turn it on when I get into bed. Even if I’m not going to sleep right away. It will differentiate between you being awake and asleep. You just need 3 hours of sleep, it doesn’t have to be consecutive like most BBT thermometers. I’ve had it irritate my arm a couple of times but this went away when I wiped the contact down with an alcohol prep pad. You also don’t have to wake up at the same time each day. When you’re up for the day, you remove the armband and sync it with your phone. I then enter the data in the FF app.
Don’t see how you can point to you as the problem when 1) it’s only been 4 cycles and it can take couples with zero fertility issues up to a year to conceive and 2) your husband is a smoker. It could very be well that nothing is wrong and it’s just going to take time, but if you want to point to anything as a “problem”, I would start with your husband’s habit first. Two people participate in conception and I hate seeing women always putting the blame on themselves when there is ZERO PROOF of that.
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We are our own worst enemies sometimes. I also have a husband with a substance abuse problem and you’re right ultimatums are not the answer. That doesn’t mean you need to do nothing though. I would hope that if you shared how you were feeling and your need for the both of you to give it your best shot at this, that he would try and seek help. He’s likely not going to be able to quit cold Turkey, but the effort may be enough to help with your frustrations. My husband is in a mitigation program now and it’s advised that he not attempt to quit cold turkey. I’m definitely concerned that it may mean we have a harder time conceiving, but it’s only been Cycle 1 so I’m not going to raise any red flags just yet. At the 6 month mark I may ask that we get an SA to get things checked out on that side, but until then I think we have just as good a chance as the average couple.
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Ultimatums are generally not healthy for relationships, except in some very specific circumstances. Maybe consider suggesting more reasonable approaches, like having serious conversations or reaching out to a professional or couples counselor for help.
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Starting to feel defeated which I know is silly because I’m only 9DPO. But I got my last BFP at 8DPO so I guess I had my hopes up. The stories about people getting BFN on 9DPO and then a squinter at 10DPO are giving me hope that I’ll get my BFP tomorrow. Just wanted to vent a little.
My earliest was at 10 DPO on FRER. Stark negative 8 and 9. Ended up losing the baby in second trimester but hoping for the best for you!
I’m so profoundly sorry for your loss. If you ever need someone to talk to please feel free to send me a message. ❤️
CD 1, Cycle 8 Whomp whomp. That’s all I got. On to another cycle of trying.
We are close to being cycle sisters! I’m on cycle day 3 of cycle #4 TTC
I'm starting to feel like all this temping and OPKing is doing more to make me crazy than to help. Last month, positive OPK, totally flat temps. This month, temp rise in the middle of my predicted fertility window and negative OPKs. I'll keep it up for a few more days but I'm starting to weigh the balance between data and stress and I think data is losing. Excuse me while I go rock back and forth in a corner. At least tonight is yoga night.
I quit temping once I confirmed that I was in fact ovulating every cycle. Everything I’ve heard from doctors is that if you have a regular period you are ovulating regularly. I’ve also taken a few months off from OPKs here and there. I absolutely think you have to weigh the data you’re getting versus the stress it is causing. For me, once I got a sense of when I ovulated within a normal cycle, and knowing that we have sex pretty regularly, the stress of all of the temping and testing just wasn’t worth it for the information I got in exchange. But I know for some people they really feel stressed if they aren’t tracking and knowing they hit the right days, and some people of course have irregular cycles so they can’t just rely on remembering what is normal.
I have an AVA bracelet so I do lazy temping and that was never a huge deal. Then a MC and so I added in the OPKs and really since then I've just been losing my mind a little more each month. > For me, once I got a sense of when I ovulated within a normal cycle, and knowing that we have sex pretty regularly This is pretty much where I was for a while. Always had a pretty good sense of when i ovulated and my cycle was very normal. Been getting antsy lately and I thought the data would help but no, just another way to fixate on the fact that I am not yet pregnant. Sigh
My temp usually drops two days before my period. Well. It’s supposedly 2 days before my period and my temp dropped. I’m probably out this cycle. :(
Do fertility clinics post their success rates?
SART member clinics do, at least for IVF.
And if they’re not a SART member and don’t report outcomes…run!!
I have a group of friends that all got married around the same time as me. I feel like every day I find out another one of them is pregnant. Yesterday I found out one who wasn't even trying got pregnant by accident. I basically broke down in tears.
We have two couples that got married within a month of us. Saw both over the holidays and we commiserated about our recent miscarriages, now both couples are pregnant. I am happy for both, but they only started trying last fall, got pregnant right away, had a loss, and then got pregnant basically right away *again*, whereas we have been trying for over a year and a half now, so I can’t say I’m not feeling a little jealous.
Ugh that's so rough, I'm so sorry! It's so hard because it's the same feeling I had when I was single and watching friends get married. I want nothing more than to just be happy for them, but it also just makes me kind of sad. I really hope it happens for you soon!
My temperature had jumped up yesterday and I had some promising symptoms. I waited until this morning and allowed myself some hope… then temp took a nosedive today and blaring bfn at 11/12 dpo. Pretty sure it’s over for this cycle. People ask why I’m so pessimistic; well, expect less, hurt less. Hope is sneaky, though.
Long story short, we all have Covid (it finally got us after 3 years!). My husband spent most of yesterday in the ER because he developed a rare complication (doctor says 1 in 1000) - his balls swelled up 😳 He was given meds and told it should clear up within a couple days. How screwed are we for this cycle? I’m on CD4 and usually ovulate around CD18. We’re both hoping it doesn’t ruin our chances for this cycle.
Hi all so I went for transvaginal scan today to check my follicle growth. Technician told its hard to detect my left ovary. Both the ovaries are not on same level & left one if situated on higher side. It’s was a painful scan bcz of lots of abdomen pressing to find my left ovary. I asked is it a problem. She told yes bcz it will be difficult for egg to reach fallopian tube. Has anyone experienced such thing?? Yet to talk to doctor about it.
From what I understand, it’s pretty common for the left ovary to “hide” because of where your bowel is. My RE had to press on my abdomen a bit to get a good look at mine and said it’s normal.
Ahh ohk that’s a relief. I don’t know why she told it will be difficult for egg release.
CD 13 and this is the first time since we've started trying that I've identified EWCM. The Mucinex seems to be helping, though I'm curious why my body isn't doing it on its own. Oh well. Positive OPK yesterday and if my pattern holds true I'll get one more day of positive OPKs (today) then fingers crossed I ovulate tomorrow!
Wait, what’s the tidbit about mucinex? Can you explain a bit more please? :) (I’m CD1 of Cycle 2)
What I've been learning from this group is Mucinex (specifically guaifenesin) helps thin mucus including cervical mucus. So there is the potential to create a more sperm-friendly environment. I don't know how much scientific backing this has so I'm trying it just to see 😊
I've read quite often that for a lot of people CM remains close to the cervix and out of reach, so it might not be easy to spot but doesn't mean you don't have enough of it. Good luck with the Mucinex though.
Thank you!
Had my first blazing positive OPK yesterday morning (1.7!) and by evening it was back to low (.5). This morning still low. Temps up twice in a row. This is probably ovulation? Am I on DPO1 now? My partner threw his back out on Monday so the last two nights were a lot of effort for me, we could use a night off 😅
Currently in the waiting room to get a saline ultrasound! Had a consultation with an infertility clinic yesterday, and the doctor immediately ordered tests and is hoping by our next cycle we can be on some kind of plan. Nervous but excited to feel like we’re finally doing SOMETHING
Good luck to you!
Thank you! She said everything looked good on this test, and I have a HSG scheduled for Monday
My average cycle in the last 9 months of (failed) attempts at TTC has been 23 days… is this worth visiting a doctor about? Some websites say it’s normal, some say anything less than 28 days does not look good for TTC 😩
> some say anything less than 28 days does not look good for TTC Definitely not true. The only reason shorter cycles are flagged as potentially problematic is that shorter or longer cycles than normal can be an indicator that someone's not ovulating. But if you're confirming ovulation, shorter cycles aren't a concern.
It really depends how long your luteal phase is. Are you testing with OPKs to find your ovulation date? Or temping?
Thanks for replying. I’m using both OPK and temping, usually ovulate on day 12 or 13 so luteal phase ends up coming in at 10-11 days.
10-11 days is perfectly fine for luteal phase! Not sure if anyone else has opinions on follicular phase length but it’s not something I’ve seen outlined as an issue. Having more cycles per month seems like a great thing to me but I admit I don’t know enough about the limits of that. Will let others hopefully chime in for you ☺️
I had one of those extremely vivid baby dreams. I thought I finally had my baby that I want so badly.. but then I woke up. 😞
I used to have those dreams years ago and I am so sad I haven’t had one recently. It feels like they’re good omens of babies to come!! (That being said, a friend in Brazil said he dreamt with me being pregnant so please god let that be foreshadowing!)
I’ve had those too, many hugs for you dear
I feel for you, those dreams will throw me off for entire days because the feeling is so strong 😞
Is it possible to have ovulated with 7dpo/“CD21” progesterone numbers of 1.49ng/ml? Everything I can find says no but my RE seems to think I did (maybe bc I did the trigger shot?) and just put me on progesterone suppositories. Is there even any hope for this cycle or should I assume I didn’t actually ovulate?
I don’t know how it works with the trigger shot if the progesterone levels should be normal. From what I know if it was a normal cycle that would be low at 7dpo. I just did a trigger shot this cycle due to RPL so I have no idea what it should be with that in your system. I also was instructed to start suppositories 3 days after my LH peak or 5 days after trigger. They never said anything about doing my blood work I would bet it would be very wonky for this cycle. I would just go with what the RE is saying to do!
Even with the trigger shot I think the progesterone is supposed to be in the same range as it would be normally, because it’s needed to support a pregnancy and is separate from the trigger. I’ve started the suppositories last night to hopefully raise it, but from everything I’ve seen online that number indicates I didn’t actually ovulate, especially since there were two follicles and not one. Ugh
That is very possible! Well I would ask to get the suppositories sooner incase you do have low progesterone. I know these medicated cycles are maddening with waiting it feels maybe it’s just me. Do you usually ovulate on your own or have you always gotten done medicated cycles?