WTO Monday 8.16

pajamstagrams

**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: 

jellie603

Month/Cycle: 1/2

CD: 1 😞

WAYDTGKU: OPKs, charting, HIO often, prenatals. What does everyone think of this Mucinex "trend"? Is it even possible?

R/R: rant: AF showed up 3 days early this morning. I'm pretty disappointed because I have been nauseous with a headache for pretty much the whole TWW. But it humbled me a little as a reminder that I am the rule and not the exception here.

Rave! We send our doggo to a great daycare in our town. They are also our rehab trainer for her (she was attacked by a dog last year and she has a lot of PTSD as it relates to interacting with other dogs now) and their business is booming! But they just had to cancel one of our fave services because they are so understaffed. My company allocates 40 hours of volunteer hours that we can use throughout the year and they actually reward those who use them all. I haven't used any this year so I offered to volunteer at our doggie daycare. They are so important to us so I want to make sure they can offer every service they can to help as many dogs and their humans as possible! Plus I'm excited to get the heck out of my home office for a few hours a week to do something else haha.  

CS/Q: I am so new to TTC and using charting/OPKs etc. AF showed up 2-3 days early this morning (depending on the app) so does this mean I actually ovulated earlier and I missed it? I tested and saw what was maybe the end of my peak but also watched it drop - I'm just confused. Maybe I should pick up a BBT thermometer? 

pajamstagrams

@jellie603 I'm sorry it's CD1 again for you ❤️ TWW symptoms are so similar to PG symptoms anyway, so it's hard to tell them apart. My first cycle trying I felt *all* the things, and BFN. And then *TW loss* recently, with my cycle that ended in loss a couple months ago, I felt *none* of the things.  

I would absolutely get a BBT thermometer! My temp shift is super clear normally, and that's my primary sign, because my EWCM is abnormal and sticks around FOREVER after ovulation. I've started doing OPKs recently, and one cycle, I peaked the day before ovulation, and the next I peaked day of. Both times it was super quick and I almost missed it, so I personally can't rely on OPKs alone. It's possible that you did ovulate earlier than normal, the peak could happen I think 12-72 hours before O? So a big range. 


Month/Cycle: 3 AL

CD: 8

WAYDTGKU: BBT, cm,opk

R/R:
In spoiler because *bugs* are gross

still as stressed AF with the creepy crawly crisis. So far so good, but I'm terrified I'm missed something, even though I literally checked every inch of clothing that came out of the dryer, and thoroughly inspected every non-clothes item that's come in the house. I ended up buying a $350 hot box big enough to stick our luggage in, so hopefully we can bring in all the remaining stuff at the end of this week, because I'm not sure baking in plastic bags in the sun is consistent enough, even though it still gets really hot. My anxiety and paranoia are on overdrive right now, and OF COURSE this all happens the first month back from the bench. 😫 

Idk if I mentioned this before, but I *cannot* stress enough how important it is to check the bed skirts when you travel!! I'm sure it's the least cleaned area (if at all), and if we had even just moved the mattress a tiny bit, we could have avoided all this drama.

CS/Q: does Benadryl raise your temp, or is it because I just slept like sh$t?? 🤣 Mine was oddly high this am for the time I took it. My poor chart is so messed up this month because most of the times were taken 2 hours late on vacation so let's hope this week gets more steady before O this weekend!

pinkkillersheep

@jellie603 Man, understaffing issues really is affecting everyone. But that’s great it means you can volunteer at a fun environment! Not sure what the Mucinex trend is, can you share more? As for your question, it’s hard to say without temping. I strongly recommend getting one so you can get a better idea of your typical luteal period. I’m in a similar place and have found it beneficial.

Month/Cycle: 4/4

CD: 1

WAYDTGKU: bbt, cm, opk 

R/R: Back to work today and things are a mess. Not looking forward to the amount of work ahead of me, which is possibly why I’m procrastinating right now.
I’m honestly surprised to be back at CD1, I really thought my body was telling me something else. But I started spotting late last night and figured what was coming today so at least it wasn’t a total shock to wake up to a low bbt. Putting some additional complicated thoughts/feelings in a spoiler with a strong TW for talk about pg and LC.

I’m both sad and a little relieved tbh. I know that’s a terrible thing to say given what so many here go through in TTC. Being child free by choice was a big part of my identity for the majority of my life, and thinking it was about to be behind me brought up a lot of feelings I need to work through. My mind hasn’t changed and I’m definitely disappointed, but I’m glad for the space to process what all came out of last cycle.

CS/Q: Anybody have an opinion on wearable bbt? I’m seeing a trend of sometimes when I wake up at 5/5:30 (the time my dogs insist on breakfast) and fall back asleep it throws off my waking temp 2-3 hours later. But if I take it at 5, then it might also be off because of the shortened length of sleep. So I’m debating a wearable bbt instead.

inthewoods23

Do we have that lopsidedness again with everyone in the WTO? lol

@jellie603 I don't recall whether anyone where had success in a cycle with them using Mucinex. Nor can I remember if anyone found their CM to be better using it. I wanted to try it but you need a specific version of it (plain Mucinex, not the Mucinex D) and that wasn't the type I had. It's really disappointing how many things are understaffed. It kills me that businesses may be dying because nobody wants to work. I'm glad it gives you the opportunity to volunteer! Who doesn't love animals? As for AF arriving early, yes it's possible ovulation was earlier than you thought. I would definitely recommend the BBT. It's old school but hey, it helps confirm ovulation after you've used OPKs to figure out when your FW is.

@pajamstagrams oh my I hope you can be put at ease soon from this bed bug nightmare! So far you haven't any signs of them ending up in your house right? I don't think Benadryl affects temps, but when I was taking it that was the TWW period so I don't know about WTO. I don't see a noticeable increase in my temps in the TWW for that chart.

@pinkkillersheep haven't we all been there thinking all the TWW symptoms were PG symptoms lol. Every time I have a day of VERY sore boobs that just ache for the longest time and don't go away I think I'm KU. I'm pretty much convinced that it's the cycles where I have no symptoms at all that I'm more likely to be KU. It's okay to be sad no matter how many cycles you're in doing TTC. This journey is pretty much a roller coaster from start to finish.

Month/Cycle: 50/10 AL

CD: 6

WAYDTGKU: opks, bbt, gf/df diet, covid vaccine, getting an appointment with an RI scheduled

R/R: So glad AF is over. I had the worst time with my cup this cycle. Always leaking. Ugh. Just going to warn everybody that every 30 days you'll likely hear some complaint from my about my PG cousin because omg how have I spent the last 4 years TTC and not had somebody this obnoxious to avoid lol. I'll put a spoiler with a general TW for PG talk

I thought announcements were annoying, but I had her muted last month after she made some post that included suggesting bringing your husbands to appointments so they can experience what a pap looks like. It really wasn't that bad, but it was leaning towards TMI. Like I don't need to know what happens during your appointments. She's basically turned FB into a pregnancy journal. Over the weekend that 30 days had expired and top of my news feed I was graced with her latest post that literally started with "Join me on my pregnancy journey" and talked about how [baby she's already named] made her presence known. Yeah no I don't need a near play by play for the next 5-6 months. Does anyone else know someone who's constantly posting about their pregnancy?? Good lord has it been annoying.

CS/Q: 

fantasyflyte

@jellie603 sorry about CD1. I'd definitely suggest temping, it takes the guesswork out of verifying when you actually ovulated.

@pajamstagrams I hope the bug situation is easily sorted out!

@pinkkillersheep sorry about CD1. I don't have experience with the wearables myself, but I've seen a lot of people say they're good for temping when you have varied sleep amounts.

Month/Cycle: 10/10

CD: 6

WAYDTGKU: bbt, cm, opks, cinnamon, metformin for me, vit e and c for him

R/R: not in a great mood today. It's my birthday, but I've been feeling melancholy yesterday and today. When we started, I really thought I'd be pregnant by my birthday. Plus, I'm not a fan of my birthday month anyway because I've lost two grandparents and an aunt on or in the couple weeks leading up to my birthday over the years, so I don't get as excited as I used to. I'll be okay eventually, but today I'm just sad.

CS/Q: I need to actually remember to temp, and to actually get some decent sleep so my temps aren't all over the place.

fantasyflyte

@inthewoods23 lol we posted at almost the same time! TW for other person's pregnancy

Jeez that's over the top. I've known and worked with pregnant people over time that weren't nearly that bad, and I'm currently helping plan my sister's gender reveal party and she's not even sharing as much stuff as that with me. Your cousin is definitely an outlier and I'm sorry you have to deal with that. I'd just straightup unfollow her altogether because I'd bet once she gives birth it won't stop.

jellie603

@pajamstagrams @pinkkillersheep @inthewoods23 @fantasyflyte thanks for all the kind words! You will probably see me asking ridiculous questions about how to properly ready the temp changes as it relates to O ... if you couldn't tell I was new here before haha! Do places like CVS carry those typically? Also, yes! I am very grateful that I can allocate a few hours of my week to help a small local business in hopes they stay afloat! And dogs are THE BEST!

@pinkkillersheep "apparently" taking the regular Mucinex at the start of your fertile window (up until O I think) helps with thinning the CM which, in theory helps the swimmers easily get to where they need to go. 

@fantasyflyte happy birthday! I hope you enjoy even just a slice of your day 😊

fantasyflyte

@jellie603 I know Target sells a bbt thermometer. You can also look for one on Amazon, that's where I got mine (I have the normal non-bluetooth femometer one). The main thing you want to look for is one that reads to 0.01 degrees for higher accuracy (97.34 vs 97.3).

inthewoods23

@fantasyflyte ehhh idk if I'll actually unfollow her for the time being. We'll see. I can see this is likely to turn into a "motherhood is my identity" kind of thing though. Barf.

@jellie603 yes you'll find BBTs in the family planning area - at least that's what I recall from my days working at Walgreens. I find it funny that I used to stock the shelves with those not having a clue what they were for haha. I sure do now! I purchased my BBT from Amazon. Easy@home brand. I like it a lot because it has a backlight which is fantastic when you wake up when it's dark. No worries asking lots of questions! We were all noobs at some point.

pajamstagrams

@pinkkillersheep

TW LC, PG, etc

It's definitely a big change to go from child free, to trying to a have baby. And then another change to being pregnant, and then actually having a child. Definitely an adjustment to each stage, I've found. I sometimes miss the time in my life where I didn't have a kid (mostly the ability to travel/get out of the house easily) but I would never want to go back, and I love this stage of my life. I'm glad you had some time to process your feelings. 

@inthewoods23 no, no signs yet, thank god. I obsessively check our bed multiple times a day, at night, and when I get up to pee. The more I google the more stressed I get, so I should probably stay off, but you need to be prepared, ya know? 

God that's annoying, re: your cousin. I didn't think anyone would want to know details of what happens at appointments, unless they were pregnant for the first time. Which in that case, save it for a BMB or other pregnancy app lol. Don't think I'd log on to Facebook to read about all that. Thankfully all my PG friends don't actually post anything on FB at all, other than *maybe* an announcement around 20 weeks. 

@fantasyflyte happy birthday, and so many creepy internet hugs for you today ❤️

@jellie603 I got an easy @ home BBT thermometer off Amazon. I'm really picky, and HAD to have one with memory recall, because some days I can't be bothered to log temps. When I was temping the last 2 years while TTA, I would go 2-3 weeks without logging 😂 and please ask all the questions! General ones are good in the monthly CS/Q threads to get a wider audience, but dailies also work too. Also, if you haven't already, read Taking Charge of your Fertility. It's a fantastic book! 

inthewoods23

@fantasyflyte happy birthday! Can't believe I forgot to add that to my last post.

@pajamstagrams that's good that you're in the clear as far as you know. Just like we always say to stay away from Dr. Google it might be best to stay away from Exterminator Google 

gingermama29

@jellie603 sorry AF showed up early. It’s so hard not to read into every symptom in the TWW.

@pajamstagrams ugh I’m so stressed out for you and your bug situation. The. Worst!

@pinkkillersheep your feelings are valid and you don’t have to apologize for feeling that way. This whole thing really is a roller coaster of emotions.

@inthewoods23 ugh I’ve unfriended people on fb for smaller annoyances than that. So effing obnoxious and insensitive. Plus I guarantee no one cares that much to hear every detail.

@fantasyflyte happy birthday! I totally understand how you’re feeling. This month has a lot of triggers for me now between my two losses. I hope you’re able to enjoy something special today for your birthday though.

Month/Cycle: 26/1 AL

CD: 4

WAYDTGKU: don’t know yet

R/R: I’m supposed to hear back from my doctor today regarding the plan for this cycle. I’m also waiting to hear back from our plumber for getting them out here because we haven’t had hot water in a week (just warm, and not for very long). Aside from so that, today is DH’s and my 7th anniversary! We don’t really have anything planned though.

CS/Q:  *TW* CP 

Any of you that have had a CP, did you bleed for fewer days than a normal period? I had an evening of spotting, 1 1/2 days of horrible cramping and heavy bleeding, a little spotting and then it pretty much just stopped. Shortest period I’ve ever had.

pinkkillersheep

A lot of people in WTO today!

@fantasyflyte happy birthday  I’m sorry it’s a s**t day for so many reasons. I hope you’re at least able to go to bed early and get some rest today and that tomorrow gets a little better. 

@inthewoods23 I would just nope right out of that Facebook situation. Zero to be gained from that madness.
@pajamstagrams I am stressed on your behalf and hope all the things are gone! Your “throw money at the problem” approach made me laugh because that’s exactly what I would’ve done (short of lighting everything on fire).
@jellie603 Hadn't heard of that, but I am inherently suspicious of all things that supposedly help in this arena. I also just generally don’t like taking pills (OTC or prescribed) unless totally necessary, but that’s just me. 

@gingermama29 Happy anniversary! We just celebrated our 7th a couple weeks ago too and also did very little lol

fantasyflyte

@gingermama29 @pinkkillersheep 2014 was a good year! Our 7th wedding anniversary was in June.

shortstack930

@jellie603 sorry for AF. I definitely recommend a BBT to confirm ovulation!

@pajamstagrams ugh I can't even imagine dealing with all of that! I never would have thought to check the bedskirt either.

@pinkkillersheep sorry for AF! I'm glad you were able to process though feelings, TTC can be emotional in many different ways.

@inthewoods23 I don't understand why people need to constantly overshare on social media. I'm sorry you have to deal with that!

@fantasyflyte happy birthday! I hope you get to enjoy at least a little bit of it.

@gingermama29 happy anniversary!!

Month/Cycle: 2/2

CD: 8

WAYDTGKU: OPK, CM

R/R: It's been super rainy here for like a week but I kind of love it. I've decided to really get serious about losing weight (I've gained like 5 lbs since June in addition to the 15 lbs I was already overweight) and I've been making really good food choices the past few days and have managed to workout three days in a row.

CS/Q: nope

pajamstagrams

@gingermama29 happy anniversary! 

@shortstack930 3 days in a row is awesome! Hopefully you don't get too sore and can continue your workouts! The muscle soreness always throws me off my rhythm.