**August Waiting to O!**

ladipale

Back over here... CD1 after a short 24 day cycle. I think I O'd on day 10 or 11. Just bought OPKs from amazon so will start those soon. I also haven't been so crazy about TTC in years and years. 

**** TW - kids mentioned *****

I've had 3 pregnancies. The first took 1 year to conceive and I was temping, using OPKs, etc. The 2nd we conceived on our 2nd cycle without all the tracking and the 3rd (the MMC) was the same as 2nd. I feel like I'm back where I was when we were trying for our first and I do not like it, but I don't know how to find the peace and ease like I did with the next two. I am hoping that when my school year starts back up at the end of Sept, I will be busy again and throw myself into my students like I did in the spring that I won't be as obsessed about signs, symptoms, sex, etc.

ladipale

The only good thing is my husband has been so stressed and sex is his stress relief so we had lots of sex all cycle - 5 times between day 6 and 14, so our timing was fine even if I O'ed early

rainbowturtles

@SoonToBeMommaHowe I was going to suggest the same thing as @RiverSong15 Some Internet cheapies could really help you out! 

@ladipale I'm sorry you're not feeling as peaceful and at ease as you'd like but hooray for awesome timing

I'm CD6 and still feeling *sort of* chill but I'm definitely doing the BD mental math already lol I'm thinking if we do EOD starting today (MWF) and then ED until DH leaves Monday...including Monday morning, which is going to be the toughest one to achieve, methinks. It's also his work BBQ on Friday and he's already volunteered me to DD for him....I don't think he realizes there are parts of my cycle where I feel better about drinking than others, but that's fine, he defs likes to drink more than I do, tho I do hate driving more than most people lol My point is, I'm a little concerned he'll be too drunk to perform/finish. But if I O when I have been, it will be the weekend and Monday morning ones that really count. Meh, I'll just do my best!

I look forward to the day that he actually takes an interest in the whole process. In his mind I think he's still okay with it not happening right away so it sort of feels like I can't push for certain things yet. We weren't even supposed to start TTC until September so I'm doing my best to just be grateful and patient and just do all the things I can do on my own without making a big deal out of anything outwardly to him lol

edited for clarity

Taggarab

It's such a mind game @rainbowturtles. I hope your timing works out and I completely understand feeling like you aren't on the page with DH. I feel like we've been trying forever and he keeps saying it hasn't been that long. Its hard when you don't have the same perspective. 
@BitterBetty12 Do it! It definitely helps put him in a better mood...obviously. Haha!

@ladipale Sorry you find yourself back over here again. 

dpjennifer

You guys have me laughing my butt off at work this morning...
@BitterBetty12 "Worst Wife Ever."  LOL!  Count me in that boat!  But congrats to @Taggarab for being a great wife!  Ha!

SoonToBeMommaHowe

@RiverSong15 and @rainbowturtles...you guys are definitely right that it would be much cheaper that way but for some reason I ALWAYS get a second line with line tests no matter when in my cycle I've taken them. And I've had two confirmed false positives with them so I feel like wondfos would be a mind eff, whereas  with CBD either there's a smiley or there's not. So I think for the peace of mind this cycle I'll probably stick with CBD.

Officially CD1 and WTO. Hoping I have a similar cycle to this last one and O in the teens instead of the thirties!

Taggarab

@SoonToBeMommaHowe I use Wondfos and always have a second line as well. It's actually really common since they are only positive when the line is equal or darker than the control. Sometimes if they are super close I have a hard time telling if it's really positive, but once it gets dark enough to be close I am usually right around O anyway. I hear you though that it's nice to take the guesswork out of it. 

RiverSong15

@SoonToBeMommaHowe You're supposed to get a second line with the strip OPK tests whenever you test because there's always a low amount of LH in your body. They're not like HPTs, where any second line, no matter how faint, is a positive. The second line on Strip OPKs need to be as dark or darker than the control line to be considered positive. So, I test early to establish a baseline, and then watch for the second line on the OPKs to get darker before ramping up testing.

SoonToBeMommaHowe

Hmm I have two friends that only got a second line 5 days or so before they would get their positive. And I have gotten a darker second line, went in for a progesterone check and results came back <.5. The next month I temped so I got a +OPK, no temp rise and then I ended up actually ovulating 12 days later. OPKs just mess with me mind 

But maybe I'll have to start them again next cycle! 

chloe97

@SoonToBeMommaHowe I hear you- OPKs mess with my mind too. The first time around I never even got a second line, but somehow managed to get pregnant. I'm pretty sure it was a fault batch, so I started out never trusting them.

OPKs measure if you have a LH surge, which doesn't always mean you will ovulate. Temp rises usually confirm ovulation, but there are certain cysts that can cause a temp surge without ovulation. It's all very annoying. The only absolutely sure way to confirm ovulation is ultrasound, which isn't accessible to most women TTC every month. Taking Control of Your Fertility covers all this stuff in greater detail and is an excellent resource. 

Also, some women with PCOS can't use OPKs because their LH is high throughout the cycle so they get lots of false positives. If I remember correctly though, that's not the case with you. I'm hoping that you just had some bad cycles and your body is starting to get itself together. I have a friend that had 60-70 day cycles for a year off the pill. They eventually evened out and went back to normal for her, but it took a year. 

brooklyngirl18

@SoonToBeMommaHowe I hate opks so much. I've only ever used wondfo because they're cheap but if this cycle doesn't work out, I might try to expensive kind next month. I can't seem to turn a positive even know I know for sure I ovulate because of my temps. Last month I O'd a week early so this month I started OPK around CD 10 and I usually O between CD 18-20. I'm currently CD 14 and waiting, I might start twice a day opk in the day or so. It's seriously so frustrating. I got pregnant twice before right away just BD around when my period tracker thought I would O, with no other tracking and now I'm doing everything under the sun and nothing is happening. this whole thing sucks so bad.

lvphughes

Hey everyone! New to TTCAL. Currently CD12 after a CP on 8/11. This is my O day in a normal cycle so hoping for a +OPK this afternoon! 

Did anyone who's had a CP have a normal cycle after? I've read a ton about them and it seems that there is no normal haha. Some have longer, some shorter, some exactly as always. Just trying to find something to pass the time until I can POAS this afternoon!

SoonToBeMommaHowe

@brooklyngirl18 I have to test twice a day. I've gotten negative in the AM, positive at night and then negative the next morning. So if I only tested in the morning then I would've totally missed it. 
 I usually test at 10am and 4-5pm

KhRun17

Hi all, I hope this doesn't seem like a post-and-ghost. I've been lurking the TTCAL board, but posting in the WTO boards.
*TW* I had a MC at about 6 weeks, back in May. Prior to that BFP, I NEVER have had breast tenderness or really any other big symptoms of AF's arrival, she's generally been pretty low key for me. Since the loss, each month now, my breasts get SO sore for like 3 days (and they get harder), like they did before I got the BFP. Then it starts to fade and AF arrives. Has anyone else experienced this? It's so frustrating, because that was the first sign I really noticed and gave me reason to take a test back in May. Now, it just feels like a big tease. Anyone else experience this? The first time it happened I thought it might have been a chemical pregnancy, but now that it's happening over and over, I'm not sure what's up.

brooklyngirl18

@SoonToBeMommaHowe isn't it crazy?! ugh I'll start twice a day tomorrow.

RiverSong15

@Brooklyngirl18 The same thing happens to me with the Wondfo OPKs. I get *almost* positives that are close to the darkness of the control, but not quite there. My regular endocrinologist was not too concerned. She said that every person has a different level of LH surge, and mine might just peak lower than the threshold for the Wondfos. I'm considering using the CBDs to see what they say once the Wondfos start to darken since I get a nice fade-in/fade-out pattern over several days. That should save me a lot of money, as my O day can be anywhere between CD15 and CD22.

ETA: I still see this Wondfo Pattern even when I was testing 4 times per day.... This is why I like the cheapies.....

RiverSong15

@Khrun17 My breasts always get really sore in the TWW and then it eases off right before AF. Progesterone is the culprit. This hormone rises both during your TWW and during early pregnancy. That's why normal PMS symptoms are so similar to early pregnancy symptoms. After a MC, hormones can do crazy things, so I'm not too surprised you're experiencing different symptoms than before. It can definitely mess with your head.

ladipale

With all the WONDFO talk - can someone remind me when I should start testing? I'm on CD2 now and my pack should arrive tomorrow... I only have 24 - 26 day cycles and usually O around day 12.

Taggarab

@KhRun17 I never used to get sore breasts that I noticed in the TWW before my ectopic pregnancy, but I have noticed that on my last few cycles I have been experiencing this as well. I am deciding to take it as a good sign that my hormones are fluctuating properly again. 

SoonToBeMommaHowe

@KhRun17..it's so funny you bring this up. I was asking someone about this the other day. I only had sore boobs during pregnancy until the last two cycles..my boobs were so sore I would've sworn I was pregnant had I not been temping. I'm hoping it means higher progesterone levels and a nice cozy home for a sticky bean next cycle!

@ladipale I'm definitely not the person to ask about OPKs since I always manage to get them screwed up but I typically start a week prior to anticipated O. Now that's problematic when you O 14 days sooner than anticipated so this cycle I'm starting on CD10-12 and will either going until cd19 or CD33, who knows 

RiverSong15

@ladipale I think the Wondfo directions suggest a start date based on your cycle length. If you're temping though and know you usually O on CD12, I'd probably start OPKs around CD8 to make sure I catch the surge in event of an early O month.

rainbowturtles

Ooooo you ladies are making it sound so enticing to start my wondfos this month lol I had to use dollar store cheapies last month and I never turned a positive but the darkening pattern did fit with my temp rise and they did go stark white after O. Curious to see how frustrated I'll get with the wondfos lol The hardest part for me is holding my pee!

So my sex schedule already got messed up lmao I tried for it while dinner was in the oven but DH said he had to make phone calls and needed a shower and could we do it later. I was like that sounds soooo much later but okay. But then I got a massive headache and super nauseous after dinner and had to kick DH out of the bathroom so I could puke. I took something for my head which I've been trying not to do but was hoping to rally for later. I felt a bit better later and was waiting for him all sexy with music on and he spent half an hour in the bathroom lol Then when we finally got to it, he couldn't finish and said the reason was he was tired! AARRRRRHGHHHH! So frickin frustrating lol

[this is only days after rallying while I still had my period by showering and putting on lingerie and surprising him in his shed only to find out after him not being able to finish that he had "helped himself" while I was running errands!]

So ya, I keep trying to get *best wife award* haha and feeling like I'm failing GRRR! He better be ready for FW this weekend or I'll lose it!

ladipale

@rainbowturtles - love your story from last night You are the best wife!

KhRun17

@Taggarab @SoonToBeMommaHowe - Oh my gosh! I'm so glad someone else has been experiencing the same thing! I've been hoping the same thing - that it means my body is really ready for a sticky little baby when it does happen. Thanks!
@RiverSong15 - it seems so weird that they're different than before the MC. I guess I'll take it as good. And when they don't disappear after 3 days will maybe be a sign

brooklyngirl18

@RiverSong15 let me know if you start CBD I'm interested to see if there's a big difference.
@rainbowturtles LMAO at your story, hopefully DH pulls it together by this weekend. 
@KhRun17 i had the worst breast tenderness my first month back ttcal and was convinced I was ku but clearly that wasn't the case. I think it was hormones and other levels stick out of whack. it's a total mind F.

BitterBetty12

Jeez, I missed a lot around here!

@ladipale It depends on your cycle length. I usually start 5-6 days before my normal O! Which brings me to my next point. @brooklyngirl18 I actually have to test 3x a day to catch my surge. I am typically an afternoon surger but the last two cycles I have had night surges, and I had a morning surge one month. And my surge is so short that I will typically only catch it one of those three times. That being said, I don't do 3x a day everyday. Usually I wait until I see the OPKs start to trend darker. It takes some getting used to but once you know what to expect it becomes much easier to tailor it to what you need without it seeming insane. Also because I test so much I just stick to Wondfos. They're cheap and easy.

@KhRun17 Add me to the list of people who's Brest tenderness has changed since miscarriage. Now I get breast tenderness just a few days after O and if fades right when AF is about to show. Before it used to show up just a week or so before AF and last a little into AF. This seems to be kind of common because I remember people on this board saying they experienced the same thing the first time I brought it up! 

@rainbowturtles Ahh, that's frustrating! Hopefully he's good to go for FW!

@Taggarab Maybe I'll be nice once FW is over. I'm sure he'll appreciate it! I usually do it as a starting tactic, but it's been a long time since I've just done it to completion. I guess I'll give up the worst wife award 

@dpjennifer Glad I could help with the laughs! And that I'm not alone in the worst wives club!

BitterBetty12

Rough TTCAL day. I woke up anxious for no reason. But the reality is, I know the reason is because I'm losing my calm composure a bit about my body being weird. I hate these delayed Os. I wouldn't mind them so much if they weren't followed by short 9 days LPs. And low progesterone at 7dpo. I just feel like I don't even have a chance to conceive my rainbow right now because of how screwed up things are. I know logically my body could still be going back to normal. But it seems so unfair that not only did I lose my baby, but now my body is making it even harder to conceive again.

I have an appointment with a new OB next week. I'm looking forward to talking to someone who will hopefully listen to my concerns. Even if she feels like there's nothing to be done right now and I just need to give it time, I will feel better than just being dismissed and told to "go have sex with my husband because everything looks good" when I say I'm not ok with progesterone of 7.4 at 7dpo and a 9 day LP.

lin0442

Well, CD2 so it's back to WTO! Got into a bit of a fight with my mom (who usually rocks) this past weekend- I've had a pretty rough year between the mc, some work disappointments, and a tenuous housing situation (that has thankfully resolved!)- and she was just saying that "you know your life is pretty great" and basically calling my feelings unjustified. She said "Yeah, I'm sorry you have that baby you'll never know, but you have it pretty good. I almost lost you, you know."

I think she was just trying to help my feelings, but it really hurt. Mom, implantation bleeding is not almost a mc. My whole pregnancy was nerve racking, worrying about a SCH from 5w which only stopped bleeding right before I lost the pregnancy at almost 13w. My life is pretty good- I have a loving husband, a stable job, renting a nice apartment- but she can be aggravating to bring up the mc with because she just doesn't get how difficult it was and I think she thinks I should be over it. 

szwill86

AF reared her ugly head today, so back over here I go. This is only my 2nd cycle TTCAL and my 3rd cycle since my miscarriage. I have two more cycles before my EDD in October and with each AF that shows up, I feel like getting my BFP before then is slipping away. I know I still have time, but the waiting each month sucks.

brooklyngirl18

@BitterBetty12 so sorry you're feeling down today, I have totally been there. I am so frustrated because twice before I got pregnant so easily and now after my ectopic it seems to be so much harder and I have no idea why. Big hugs, hang in there

DungeonTrollMel

@BitterBetty12 you know your ovaries are just waiting on mine so we can be sync'd up! Duh!! We have a pact to uphold. 

Hopefully that's true and both ours should be getting their shizz together in the next 36-48 hours 

BitterBetty12

@DungeonTrollMel You know, I think that's the best reason ever that my ovaries are taking their sweet time. They don't want to mess up our pact. That was really nice of them. I guess I should be kinder to my ovaries today. Maybe I need to whisper sweet nothings to them again...

BitterBetty12

@lin0442 I am really sorry about that conversation with your mom. It sounds like she was trying to gloss over the pain of the miscarriage by talking about the things that are good in your life, which is unfair. We were talking about this in another thread, but no one would say to someone who's grandparent died that "You know, you have so many good things going on in your life, I think you really need to focus on those instead" but for some reason they think that's appropriate after a miscarriage. Hugs.

@szwill86 Sorry for CD 1! It really is just as hard each cycle.

brooklyngirl18

looks like O is right around the corner, I'm cd15 and on day 2 of ewcm. I have been having ewcm for about 4/5 days in previous cycles. I started opk twice a day today so come onnnnn O let's get this party started. Well, we started the party last night 

lin0442

@BitterBetty12 I know she meant well, but I think she, like a lot of other people, doesn't really get it. Such a good point about people treating mc loss differently than any other!

@szwill86 It sounds like we're on a pretty similar timeline, though I had to wait 2 cycles after the MC and I'm on my 2nd TTC (my due date is in Nov). It's scary thinking of passing the EDD not pregnant, but we'll get our bfps. Best of luck before then, and take care of yourself regardless. Fingers crossed that this cycle works out for you!

ladipale

@BitterBetty12 - sorry you are extra anxious today. I dislike feeling out of control of my body and it not cooperating with what I want. So used to being able to work hard for whatever I want, not so much with getting and staying pg. blah. Be nice to yourself today! Its ok to have a bad day.

My due date is next week.... we snuck in one cycle before my due date and I'm kind of devastated it didn't happen. I also don't know how to feel with the looming due date.

Also - I'm feeling better about being crazy about my cycles -  my therapist today said it was fine and that I should control what I can - so temping and OPKs it is. (although I think temping is not going to work great with a cat and 2 kids who wake me up constantly but we will see)

BitterBetty12

Thanks ladies! I'm hoping I spoke too soon. My ovaries might actually be getting things together. My OPK this afternoon was decently dark (I think it is even possible I could get a + tomorrow) and I got a decent amount of EWCM this afternoon. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much because around this time last cycle my OPKs darkened but then went light again before going + almost a week later. But I didn't have the same amount of EWCM! So I'm hopeful. If I O in a couple days it will be my earliest since February!

@brooklyngirl18 Yes! Time to HIO 

@ladipale I know temping can seem like it might not work if your sleep isn't consistent, but I know many people who temp in less than ideal conditions and are able to make it work and still see a shift! And we'll all be here for you for any questions you have along the way. The best piece of advice I can give you to start is to pick a time in the morning where you're most likely to have had the longest uninterrupted sleep (preferably more than 3 hours), and set your alarm for that time. I usually wake up go use the bathroom around 2, so my temp alarm is set for 5:30 since I'll have about 3.5 hours of sleep before I temp.  Good luck! It definitely makes me feel more in control of what's happening with my body.

DungeonTrollMel

@BitterBetty12 it's like your ovaries sensed my ovaries trigger injection. Let's do this!!

ladipale

@BitterBetty12 - thanks for the tips. I temped long ago (7 - 8 years ago) when trying for my first and it was fine and I saw temp rises.. I wonder if I can still see all my old charts in fertility friend (I'm using a different app now). The earliest I get up is 4:30 to workout so I may set alarm for then, but doesn't help when cat comes in at 2am

RiverSong15

GIF fail..... Keep on scrollin'