WTO Monday 5/20

brookert615

**This is a thread that welcomes all regardless of where they are at in their TTC journeys. Please be mindful of topics that are discussed that could be hurtful to those going through tough times. Mention of children or pregnancies of others should have a TW (trigger warning) and be in a spoiler if possible, and only be mentioned if it is extremely pertinent to the conversation. Thanks for keeping this a safe place for us all to engage!** 

Month/Cycle:

CD:

WAYDTGKU:

R/R: 

CS/Q:

brookert615

Good morning beautiful ladies!!!

Month/Cycle: 10/10

CD: 11

WAYDTGKU: Metformin, Armour, Baby Asprin, PNVs, Temping, OPKS, COQ10, RLT, Vitex, Vitamins, forget the rest right now!

R/R: DH’s actual birthday is today so we are going to our favorite place for Marvel Trivia tonight for dinner! We are huge fans so I’m hoping we do well lol.

CS/Q: Looking like an early O coming around the bend (the earliest I’ve had).

bows22

Month/Cycle: 6/7

CD: 2 😢

WAYDTGKU: EOD and tracking CM

R/R: I have my annual OB appt scheduled for today but I guess I’ll have to reschedule? Not only would it be gross I don’t think they can do a pap during AF because it could come back irregular? Did I make that up? I’ll call and ask when they open but I was just curious. Hope everyone has a great Monday!

bows22

@brookert615 good luck at trivia! that sounds so fun! 

mrsvp614

@brookert615 Have fun celebrating DH's birthday and good luck with the trivia!
@bows22 I believe you can still go as normal, despite AF, but it doesn't hurt to call and ask.

Month/Cycle: 5/5

CD: 13

WAYDTGKU: BBT, FF, HIO, PNVs, CBD oil

R/R: We had a great weekend! DH seems more excited now about TTC. I told him I'll probably O next weekend and he kept talking about "practicing" for next weekend. Ha! This will be the first opportunity for us to hopefully HIO through the FW, instead of just once near O.

CS/Q: Posting in spoiler, but not much to see yet 

ejoseph16

Month/Cycle: 5/1 AL

CD: 24

WAYDTGKU: BBT and OPK, supposed to be benched but read later...

R/R: had a great relaxing weekend! Skipped out of church to golf yesterday with MH. We rarely get to golf together during the school year, so we went yesterday! 

CS/Q: So... we were supposed to be benched AL for timing purposes, but we decided to HIO saturday unprotected. 🤷🏼‍♀️ So, looks like the TWW will be real this cycle. Especially if I ovulated over the weekend or soon. This AL cycle has me super confused. 

@brookert615 have fun at marvel! Sounds fun! I love going to trivia nights, especially when they’re themed. 

@bows22 sorry about CD2! Yes, you should call your dr. Mine did a normal exam even though I was spotting last summer, and it came back normal, but she told me not to cut it that close ever again. Lol. 

sevenn

@brookert615 happy birthday to your DH!  glad you have fabulous plans scheduled- good luck!
@bows22 they can do usually do your pap while on AF
@MrsVP614 always a good feeling to have DH on the same page.  hope it lasts

Month/Cycle: 7/7

CD: 9

WAYDTGKU: CP, BBT, OPK, Softcups?? (see below)

R/R: so, I bought some softcups and used one last night and slept with it in.  i do think it did its job as far as keeping everything up and in there.  i have a 60 min commute in to work and decided i'd remove it when i got there and YIKES did it make me cramp something awful when i was seated and driving.  and i'm cramping now after removing it (not easy!).  i think i will give it a try but bummed that it became uncomfortable. maybe another brand would work better.

CS/Q: 2 solid circles, yay! 

leksiL

Month/Cycle: 10/9

CD: 13

WAYDTGKU: HIO EOD, temping, OPKs

R/R: I was gone last week because I was in London on a super busy work trip. I brought my family with me and it was awesome to have them but I was jealous of the fun during the day while I was working. We got in at 1 a.m. Sunday morning, had to move into a hotel since our house is being worked on and last night had to stay up for GOT so I’m really a zombie today. So my fertility imposed two caffeine drink per limit is going out the door today.

CS/Q: I did not temp while traveling and took my first temp of the month today and it was above coverline. However, I did wake up from 4:30-5:00 because my brain hates me so not really the temp means anything. I have been O’ing around CD21-23 so we will see what the pattern does. I am out of OPKs and think I’m going to skip bothering with that this month because I just have so much going on.

@Brookert615 good morning! OMG having a trivia night sounds so much fun I hope you do well! I would stink at Marvel trivia I enjoyed the movies I have seen but totally lost when the guys start talking about the comics, etc.

@bows22 sorry about CD2. I am not sure about the GYNOB visit but I’m sure doctors wouldn’t think it was “gross” I mean they have seen much worse!

@MrsVP614 it is so cute when the guys get excited about TTC too. Fingers crossed for you for plenty of opportunities!

@ejoseph16 I am so jealous of your relaxing weekend I am happy for you getting to spend some time with your DH. Your cycle looks like the last three cycles I had AL. Buckle up for a lot of confusion. I hope yours sorts itself out faster than mine has. Are you still doing the OPK?

@sevenn I really wanted to use the softcups since tampons are now too uncomfortable for me but could not get the hang of getting them in right so they hurt, leaked occasionally and were difficult to remove. Apparently, the fit matters a lot but I was put off enough to give up on it. Do you really think they help TTC?

flowntheloop

Here for my weekly check-in! How is everyone doing?

Month/Cycle: 3/3

CD: 11

WAYDTGKU:
-A more laid-back (low-pressure) approach, so no charting or temping.
-No contraception, sperm-friendly lubricant (Pre-Seed), staying healthy in general (working out, hiking, eating healthier), pre-natal vitamins, avoiding unnecessary chemicals/nasties in environment/food/pharms.
-Eating healthier. I've been adding in lots of extra fruits, vegetables (particularly greens and cruciferous ones), hemp hearts, sesame seeds, cacao powder, and olive/avocado oils.
-Maintaining a low caffeine intake. No alcohol (no biggie because I'm not a coffee or alcohol drinker).
-Keeping a TTC journal.

R/R:
Nothing to rant about at this point. I'm feeling pretty good. I'm entering my fertile window (I'm pretty sure), so my energy levels and mood are great right now (why can't I feel this awesome my entire cycle? LOL). Also, we are OFFICIALLY starting our big move out to our off-grid forested land! Yay! We will be spending our (first) holiday weekend in our camper, and I am thrilled!

CS/Q: n/a

flowntheloop

@brookert615 That sounds like a fun night! And YAY for an upcoming O!
@bows22 It is perfectly fine to go to your appointment with AF. They won't think twice about seeing you, and I'm sure they see it all the time.
@MrsVP614 Haha! Good luck with your "practice"! :P
@sevenn I've never heard of SoftCups!

varimama

Month/Cycle: 1/1

CD: 24

WAYDTGKU: OPKs, CM, pre seed, pnv, we’ve found HIO 2/3 days works better for us than ED

R/R: Got my first positive OPK yesterday so I guess I’m just ovulating later than I thought I was. O should be yesterday or today! Honestly I’m feeling better just knowing I’m ovulating (I mean I know OPKs are guarantees but I think those with my other symptoms make it very likely I’m ovulating where I was really doubting it with all the negatives when I thought O was). 

CS/Q: none today 

coming back later for tags 

brookert615

@bows22 So sorry about CD2  . I've talked about it to my OB before and they said to just do the appointment anyways! 

@MrsVP614 That's wonderful you had a great weekend! That's cute YH is getting more excited! 

@ejoseph16 Your weekend sounds lovely! That's great you got to spend time with one another!

@sevenn The softcups are a learning curve. TMI you really have to get it up in there and when getting it out it's easiest to try and push it until you can hook with your finger. I know when I first started using them I put them in too low and they were uncomfortable. You shouldn't be able to feel them! 

@leksiL Glad that your super cool work trip was fun! Sorry you're sleep deprived! Hope the caffeine does the trick!

@flowntheloop So fun about your move!!! That sounds so dreamy! Enjoy!!!

@varimama Yay on the positive OPK! That's a sigh of relief! 

shamrocandroll

Month/Cycle: 10/2 AL

CD: 5

WAYDTGKU: PNV, FF, OPKs, Softcups, EOD...

R/R:  We had an awesome weekend.  We went to a hot air balloon festival where you can bring your own food and BYOB and just hang out in a field and watch hot air balloons get blown up.  Unfortunately, it was too windy, so they didn't go up until after we left.  We did see one go up, but missed the rest.  But still a great time!  Yesterday, I cleaned out 4 closets and filled 6 black trash bags with clothes.  I can't believe I kept some of these clothes (and moved with them) for as long as I did.  Like, I am not only never going to fit into my clothes from college again, but I also should not be wearing things like halter tops at this stage in my life.  SO, now my closet is very sparse, but it's only clothes I actually wear now, which is a great feeling.

CS/Q:  Nope.  I don't temp during AF, so will probably start back up again tomorrow.

bows22

Thanks everyone! You were right, they said to come anyway! To clarify when I said “gross” I didn’t mean gross for the doctor, (TMI) just gross for the table....haha. I still don’t completely understand the logistics but I’ll just let them tell me what to do. I’ll be back for more responses later!

varimama

@brookert615 good luck at trivia! That sounds like so much fun!

@bows22 I would call. I think mine said it was ok if it wasn’t a super heavy flow but with CD2 it probably is so they might ask you to reschedule. Sorry about CD2 by the way. 

@MrsVP614 that’s great YH is excited!

@ejoseph16 good luck with your TWW! Hope your chart starts making more sense soon! 

@sevenn I haven’t used softcups for TTC but I’ve been using one for AF for the last few months. I personally haven’t really noticed any discomfort with it so maybe keep practicing or try another brand. I have Pixie Cup brand. 

@leksiL That’s so awesome you went to London! Sometimes I hope DH will get sent somewhere cool for work and I can tag along but I kind of doubt I’ll be able to. 

@flowntheloop I hope you have a wonderful time in your camper!! Sounds like a lot of fun!

shamrocandroll

@brookert615 Good luck at trivia!  Have fun!

@bows22 Sorry about AF.    Mine usually tried to schedule it outside of AF, but I don't think they would have made me reschedule if it wasn't.  I would call and ask for sure.

@MrsVP614 Glad to hear YH is ready to rise to the occasion, so to speak, hah!

@ejoseph16 Were you benched by your OB, or self-benched.  FX for the best outcome for you!

@sevenn Softcups are tricky to get the hang of.  You have to make sure you really push it way up there.  Like past where it opens up right under your cervix.  If you get it in there all the way, you shouldn't feel much.  It took me quite a few tries to get it right, though.  But glad it seemed to do the trick!  Sorry about the discomfort!

@leksiL Travelling always screws my tracking up, too.  And sometimes my cycle, too.  

@flowntheloop Ooooh, tell me more about this off-the-grid move?

@varimama I definitely don't like the pressure of ED HIO.  I've been enjoying HIO EOD from CD 10-20ish much more enjoyable, personally.

shamrocandroll

@leksiL I made a GOT thread.  Come on over!  I'm all alone over there so far.  

brookert615

@shamrocandroll That festival sound so cool! Dang you were super productive about getting everything cleaned up! So true about holding onto old clothes for far too long! I want to join in so bad! We were busy last night and will be out late tonight so I'll pop over either Tuesday night or Wednesday morning! lol

rikiteacup

Month/Cycle: 14/14

CD: 3

WAYDTGKU: Prenatals, OPK, BBT, Ubiquinol

R/R: What a shitty week it was. My one and only uncle passed away unexpectedly, AF came, the weather was terrible and GOT ended. I wasn't even happy it was my birthday since I get closer and closer to 40 and still no BFP.

CS/Q: nothing to see

kagesstarshroom

@brookert615 GL on Marvel trivia! & BD bc ya know, FW & all. Seeing everyone & their differing O dates makes me more & more committed to SMEP as I get closer to FW...

@bows22 I was thinking, considering your follow-up, that it would be weird for them to schedule them 1 year in advance if it absolutely couldn't be during AF, ya know?

@MrsVP614 Awwah, I that YH is "into it." That's super adorable.

@ejoseph16 Glad you did a golf thing yesterday! 

@flowntheloop I am jealous of your off-grid forested life! GL w/ yr FW.

@varimama yayyyy for ovulating!

@shamrocandroll So glad you had fun at the hot air balloon festival! I'd love to see something like that (even though you only saw one--) does it happen every year in the same place so you can go back next year? Also, YAY for getting rid of stuff. I got rid of a bunch of stuff for the swap we had this weekend--now I just have to take what wasn't swapped to a thrift store before I change my mind & want to keep it all.

Month/Cycle: 8/4AL

CD: 7

WAYDTGKU: PNV, RLT, GFJ, coq10, vitd, vitc, FF, BBT, OPK, CM, etc.

R/R: Now that the semester is over, I am feeling super lost & listless, but I have meetings/reasons to leave the house 3 out of 5 weekdays this week. I also am going to pitch a bunch of freelance articles & write my dissertation! One of those reasons to leave the house is to meet w/ someone else trying to finish hers, so we can work on them together. Accountability! I went to a poetry reading last night, & both the featured readers were really good! Even though I barely knew anyone there & the 2 I did left early, I was super glad I went. 

CS/Q: V for victory.... or... vaginal temps.

shamrocandroll

@rikiteacup Oh, I am so so sorry about everything!  Especially AF and your uncle.  That's a lot.  I hope you make some time to do something for yourself.  Hugs

shamrocandroll

@kagesstarshroom They do it every year!  This time of year here can be really hit or miss, so hopefully it will be better next year.  There is another one in June, but it's not free like this one, and we're likely not going to be here that weekend.  Definitely go straight to the thrift store and don't look back!  MH is bringing all of my stuff today while I'm at work.  It feels so good to get rid of so much!  We still have a lot of rooms left to do, but this was a good start!

rikiteacup

@brookert615 Happy birthday to your H! Is it normal for you to O with no positive OPK?

@bows22 sorry to see you here. 

@MrsVP614 glad to hear your H is excited about TTC. This is important! Why do you have so many open circle on your charts? I would also switch to temping vaginally since your temps are too rocky.

@ejoseph16 golfing sounds so relaxing. It's nice you and your H enjoy it together.

@sevenn you're brave. I have some Softucps but I need to take the time to know how to use them.

@leksiL I hope you get a good night's sleep tonight. 

@flowntheloop if you want less chemicals, I would ditch the Pre-Seed and get Baby Dance lube. Pre-Seed is full of parabens.

@varimama it's good you're doing OPK. If you are temping, O should be confirmed soon. 

@shamrocandroll your weekend sounds fantastic. And productive! I need to do the same in one of my closets.

brookert615

@rikiteacup I'm so sorry for your loss and you had a bad week last week!  Sending all of the love your way! Also I'm doing the advanced OPKs and the cheapies at the same time. The advanced I have been getting O and it's been confirmed after peak. With the cheapies I usually do but I think the times I don't are when it's user error and I drank too much water lol.

@kagesstarshroom Thank you so much! I totally agree about SMEP! Sorry you're feeling that way now that the semester is over! Sounds like you are able to get out and hopefully get some freelance and write that dissertation! Glad you enjoyed the reading last night! Bahahha on the V! 

inthewoods23

*lurking*
@shamrocandroll ah yes the halter top days. I had some as a preteen. I don't think I ever liked wearing them. I THINK I cleared those out of my parent's house a few months ago and if I haven't, I better throw them in the donation pile ASAP

bows22

@MrsVP614 glad you had a nice weekend! It definitely makes it more fun when SOs are excited about TTC. Sometimes that reminds me that this is supposed to be fun haha

@ejoseph16 i think a lot of doctors say being benched for dating is outdated anyway!

@sevenn no advice on softcups but that sounds awful ugh 

@leksiL a tired Monday is the worst - I hope your day is going by quickly!

@flowntheloop that’s great that you are feeling great! I’m sure the stuff you are doing in WAYDTGKU is helping with that!

@varimama yes for the + OPK! That’s great!

@shamrocandroll that hot air balloon event sounds awesome! At least you got to see 1!

@rikiteacupI am so sorry about your uncle. Have you talked to your grandma? I hope she’s doing okay 

@kagesstarshroom sounds like you are doing a good job keeping busy! did I read somewhere that you ended up getting a job for the summer? When does that start?

bows22

So I went to my doctors appointment and they wouldn’t do the pap because of AF and I have to go back next week. The person I talked to earlier even put me on hold to go and ask someone so clearly not everyone is on the same page. What a waste of time. 

kagesstarshroom

@inthewoods23 & @shamrocandroll I always feel like I am being choked when I wear a halter top/anything halter style, so I only had one, that I really liked-- it was sloped at the bottom and had a black shirt and then a see-through-ish white tee-shirt material over it and it said EXPRESS YOURSELF. IDK what happened to that shirt...

also,  @shamrocandroll, that's so cool they do it every year (minus frequent wind problems!) i've seen one take off and land from close but not super close on the farm where the music festival MH & I met at is held--but it would be super cool to see so many in the skies (tho now I'm like "would i be worried they would run into each other..." lol.) 

@brookert615 I have threeeee freelance article ideas now! I have to do a little digging to see who else has written about similar stuff, if at all, and then pitching begins! As for SMEP, we are BDing EOC not the day they suggest (I think they say CD 8?) but the day after (CD 9) and then following its rules other wise.

kagesstarshroom

@bows22 Ugh noo terrible about the wasted dr's visit! // And no job yet--working on it. I just applied for one, and I'm trying to get on a freelance schedule. Aka playing games on my phone, watching Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and thinking a lot of thoughts lol. There are two other long term jobs I applied for that I will likely not get, but haven't heard from them yet. I have a job come late August! lol. Summers as a grad student = terrible. Thank goddess for MH!!

shamrocandroll

@kagesstarshroom Oh halters were definitely never comfortable for me, but they did make my boobs look pretty awesome.  But... I don't think that would be very appropriate anymore at my age now.  RIP halter tops.  I hope you find a nice, young pair of boobs to fill you!   

brookert615

@bows22 Ugh! So sorry you had to go through all of that! 

@kagesstarshroom That is so awesome that you have some ideas! Sending all the positive vibes during your research and pitching! Enjoy that FWP! 

varimama

@shamrocandroll yea ED was just too much especially since I had my O dates wrong and it would have been a full week of every day 😬 2/3 seems to work for us though!

@rikiteacup I’m so sorry about your uncle and AF. I can’t believe GoT is actually over too!

@kagesstarshroom good luck on your dissertation and finding a job this summer! Glad you enjoyed the poetry reading!

@bows22 I’m sorry they are making you come back! What a pain. I’d be really annoyed since you called and asked! Ugh 

m6agua

*Lurking from TWW*

@bows22 I'm sorry. I had AF during an annual once. They had me still come in and we did everything but the pap. I guess since it is booked for a longer appointment they wanted me to still come in because it is super hard to reschedule that full appointment with my doc. She is like 6+ months out for annuals. Then coming back for the pap was just a quick one and easy to get back in. I think it still all got billed together for insurance though.

ejoseph16

@MrsVP614 that’s good YH is excited about it now! It’s good to have them with you on the excitement! 

@leksiL I stopped the OPK’s because they were making me crazy. They were dark right away, then faded to lighter. I decided to stop and rely on my temps and CM for now. 

@varimama I loved OPK’s on my normal cycles! I didn’t realize that I was ovulating later than normal until I started those. I feel like between temping and OPK I learned a lot about my body through TTC. 

@shamrocandroll omg cleaning out the closet! I lost 160 pounds before TTC, and I had some of my old high school clothes to wear, including all of my homecoming and prom dresses. It was a fabulous walk down memory lane before donating them and remembering the evolution of clothing. Haha! to answer your question, I was just advised by my OB that it’s easier to calculate the due date if I wait until a regular cycle since your first cycle AL can be so wonky. Glad I can follow directions. Lol

@kagesstarshroom are you working on your doctorate? MH wants to start his but I need to finish my masters first... one at a time! Lol nice that your semester is over. Enjoy that! 

@rikiteacup he bought me golf clubs last year for my birthday with wishful thinking that I would enjoy it. I wound up loving it! Granted, I’m horrible at it, but it helps us relax and enjoy our time together, so it’s worth it. 

@bows22 yeah she kind of in a roundabout way told me that as well. She wasn’t sure what to tell me besides keep going and trying. I was pretty emotional at the appointment, so I think she was trying to not make me more upset. She’s been my OB since I was 16, so we go way back. 

kagesstarshroom

@ejoseph16 Yep! Hoping to be Dr. Starshroom (haha) by the end of the year! 

bows22

@m6agua what you said makes sense. That’s probably the case with me too. I hope mine all gets billed together as well. The scheduled it as a “problem” appt so I was thinking I would have to pay a copay but maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised. 

mrsvp614

@rikiteacup Open circles are a thing I just live with. I go to work at 2am through the week, but sleep "normal" on weekends, so my temping times are off on weekends. As of now, I'm not going to set my alarm at 1am to temp on the two nights I can actually get a full night's sleep. That may change if I need to really pinpoint things more, but I have a pretty general idea of when I O.
@bows22 Sorry about your appointment. That's super frustrating.
@ejoseph16 116 pound weight loss! Wow!

flowntheloop

@brookert615 I just can't wait to be fully moved. Being between two homes can be so frustrating! I'm ready to nest! Also, those softcups sound difficult! I'm not sure they would work for me as my sensory issues keep me from even using tampons! Euck!

@shamrocandroll hot air balloons!? :O I've never been in one before. I'm so sorry they had to delay the event!
As for the closet cleanup, that is one of the best feelings, isn't it? Simplifying makes me think so much more clearly.

About the off-grid move: We bought 27ish acres of raw, old-growth forested land in the southern Appalachian foothills around two years ago. We placed it under conservation, and we hope to purchase more of the surrounding forest in the coming years to place under protection. We both are nature lovers (and I am a naturalist/nature-photographer), so of course we want to be closer to what we enjoy the most. We bought a camper a year ago (we plan on living here until we can build our actual home), but we unfortunately found water damage which delayed our move-in. We have spent the entire last year gutting/repairing the camper and preparing for the move. It has been a test of our patience, for sure! We are finally ready for the move (HALLELUJAH), so things are getting crazy around here! I can't wait to be settled down out there so I can actually start a garden (we plan on having a permaculture food forest/farm in the long-run).

@varimama Thank you for the well-wishes! Congrats on ovulation!!

@rikiteacup So sorry for your loss.
Also, thank you for the tip on the lubricant. I had avoided buying that brand due to the negative reviews (many peopl seemed to get a burning sensation or yeast infections from usage?), but I will give it a try. My husband and I are both very sensitive (my husband has had mild allergic reactions to many natural or plant-based lubricants), so it can be difficult to find a good one!

@kagesstarshroom Thank you so much. Don't be jealous! It has been a difficult journey with lots of sacrifices (and more to come I'm sure), but it is worth it to us! And ohhh, grad school. I'm a little (okay, a lot) jealous of that! I actually skipped graduate school to pursue our off-grid goals! So pricey! P.S. I love that you say "Thank Goddess." I think we would get along well IRL.

@bows22 Thank you! And WTF about your appointment! That is crazy!