Just started TTC...

gscoville · October 2012

Hi all,

I'm new here, glad to find a good forum to get into!

I'm 39 years old with an 18 year old daughter, her father and I divorced a decade ago so I never got to expand my family as I'd always wanted. I'm newly married to my BF of four years this past summer, and we both would like to have a baby or two, so we've wasted no time and are actively trying for a baby since going off the pill in mid-August. Now I know that going off the pill can mess with your cycle for a bit, which I did seem to experience. Because I was due to have my period right on my wedding weekend earlier this summer, I took a couple of packs of the pill in a row so as to not get my period at all. I stopped taking the pill around August 28 and didn't get a period til Sept. 16, so basically I didn't have a period for almost 3 months. Then I got it again Oct. 4, not even three weeks after the start of the previous one.

So basically, I don't have much of a frame of reference for charting my cycle, although I know that before I was on the pill years ago, my periods seemed to be on a bit of a shorter cycle, more like 22-24 days. So I think my tendency is to have a shorter cycle anyways, with ovulation happening sooner in the cycle than all the sites seem to say it will be. I estimated that I might ovulate Oct. 15-16, so did the BD each day for a few days before the 16th. I had the good fortune to already be scheduled for a pap on Oct. 16, where the doc said it looked to him like I was ovulating - so the timing seems right.

I'm just wondering if it's possible that I'm feeling symptoms of pregnancy already, or if it's just in my head? I had some cramping and very light spotting on the weekend, within the often quoted '5-10 dpo' for implantation to occur. I've been feeling nauseous all week with very little appetite, with a tight almost nervous feeling in my stomach and just a general feeling of being 'off'. I'd like to think I'm feeling some early symptoms of pregnancy, but all the sites seem to say it's too early for symptoms and I'm scared to get my hopes up so soon. I really want to test, but I'm sure it's too soon - although if I truly am pregnant, and am feeling legitimate symptoms like nausea, perhaps the hormones are at a high enough level to show up in a test. If I go by my estimation of when I ovulated, and my tendency for shorter cycles, then I should expect my period by the end of this week...but who knows after coming off the pill. I guess I'm just confused and in a turmoil! lol

Anyways, any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Qzees · October 2012

Welcome to the board. I hope your stay here is short.

I went off the pill right before I got married in June - so I am in my 5th mth of ttc - nothing yet. My periods have been pretty normal, although the last 2 cycles were a little longer than the previous cycles. I have found that I had nausea & heartburn in the beginning. For me, it was not from a BFP, I think just my hormones kicking back in.

If you can, hold off until at least the day you think you are due for AF - it is not easy. I went on Amazon & bought the Wondfo brand preg tests - they are much cheaper than the FRERs.

If you are not already, you should start charting - take your BBT and keep track of your CM. I use fertility friend (see my chart below) and it takes the guess work out of when you O, they figure it all out for you

Good luck, I hope they are "real" symptoms and not phantom symptoms that many of us get...

HeathernSteven · October 2012

I agree with Qzees, chart, cm, opk's. Its been awhile since I first went off bcp but the first almost 6 months, I had incredible pregnancy symptoms, sore bb's, cramping, nausea etc, but no BFP's, I think my body took a long time to regulate as I was bcp for almost 20 years....body had no idea how to handle the hormones.

I HOPE you get a BFP! but if you don't try the methods to really confirm when you are ovulating.

robbensm · October 2012

HeathernSteven:

I agree with Qzees, chart, cm, opk's. Its been awhile since I first went off bcp but the first almost 6 months, I had incredible pregnancy symptoms, sore bb's, cramping, nausea etc, but no BFP's, I think my body took a long time to regulate as I was bcp for almost 20 years....body had no idea how to handle the hormones.

I HOPE you get a BFP! but if you don't try the methods to really confirm when you are ovulating.

Ditto! Welcome to the board and hope that your stay here with us is short!

Qzees · October 2012

I have to laugh - my boobs have been bigger the last 2 or 3 days - I don't know why. But you know where my mind is going... I am wondering when I can try out my new Wondfos... I have also been getting back acne the last 2 months - which I don't remember having prior to the BCP.

I too was on the BCP for about 20 yrs. In the first couple of months I even had horrible bloating & I was like, OMG - maybe there is a baby in there & my period last week was not really a real period... LOL Thank god the bloat finally went away & my mid-section looks like me again...

Our bodies have to readjust to doing all the work instead of relying on that little pill.

I do really hope that you are not having phantom symptoms like I and the PP have had & that it is a BFP Big Smile Please keep us posted. We need more positives around here - Sept was a great month for them, but October started out really slow & only recently are we seeing some BFPs. Seeing the BFPs gives the rest of us hope that we will achieve one soon too....

jchickiem · October 2012

I've never been on BCP, but wanted to say welcome and good luck! I think the PP suggestions about temping/charting/OPKs are a good path to take. Many people on the boards use Fertility Friend and I have found it easy to use and very informative. Again, welcome!

HeathernSteven · October 2012

Qzees:

I was like, OMG - maybe there is a baby in there & my period last week was not really a real period... LOL

I still do that even though I am not having any specific phantom pains, I guess its a way to deny that AF is here!

gscoville · October 2012

Wow, thank you all SO much for your advice/suggestions, I truly appreciate it! I've been keeping track of my dates and such on a calendar (when my period starts/ends, etc.), and did just recently start an account with Fertility Friend, but haven't begun the CM and BBT tracking - by the time I really started researching all of this online, I was into about the middle of my cycle and was too late to start for a baseline. I'd love to think I'm just pregnant and won't need to start charting, but I also know it's a long shot and I'm probably needing to let my body get used to regulating itself on the new hormones after coming off BCP before reading too much into all of those symptoms that could be either nothing/in my head or cycle related. Thanks again for your support and helpfulness, it sure makes this all much easier!

Qzees · October 2012

They do say that when you first come off BCP, you are more fertile

gscoville · October 2012

Thanks Qzees, I'm crossing my fingers that's true!

I noticed on one of the other boards here that you can get a code for the VIP version of Fertility Friend if you like them on FB, $25 for a year, pretty good deal compared to the normal one year fee so I went for it. Very interesting going through the course they send you on charting, your cycle, etc., great info!

Qzees · October 2012

I like being able to overlap charts from my previous months. This month is different for me - my temps are different & I just had a big dip & am on the rise - so I am curious how this cycle will end.

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