Newbie Playdate

KatzKiss · May 2014

Since we've had eleventy hundred newbies come on the board in the past two days, I thought it might be a good time for this. So feel free to ask any stupid (or not so stupid) questions you might have. This is flame free so go nuts. Regs, please feel free to jump in and answer because I know stuff but I don't know ALL the stuff. Have at it ladies! Sorry for using eleventy Joy.

KatzKiss · May 2014

LindsRockies said:

I have nothing to add, but your little one is so adorable KK.

Aw, thanks!

BabyCowbell · May 2014

Maybe they think it's a trap.

Pinkrose1012 · May 2014

Ok I'll start! I am kinda new, I've been on this board for a few weeks now. Since my DH and I are starting to ttc, I am starting to chart everything. So, here is my dumb question, when are you suppose to use an ovulation kit? Is it right after the last day of AF?

lauren889 · May 2014

heres my stupid question!! How soon after sex can you take a pregnancy test?

Do you have to wait till your missed period? or can you do it a few days before??

also here is my 2nd stupid question. AFter you ovulate should you still be trying or no? THANKS!!

urani · May 2014

I don't have a TTC question but more of a board question. Is there any kind of general healthy living check-in that gets posted regularly? I'd personally like some accountability with my goals and I would think that a lot of us are trying to be healthier in general (eating better, exercising more, etc).

I haven't seen any kind of diet/exercise check-in since norwegian graduated. Those posts were more about what you ate and if you exercised, but I'd be more interested in a weekly "tell us what your goals are and how you did this week" kind of post.

Am I alone here?

wintersong139 · May 2014

Pinkrose1012 said:

Ok I'll start! I am kinda new, I've been on this board for a few weeks now. Since my DH and I are starting to ttc, I am starting to chart everything. So, here is my dumb question, when are you suppose to use an ovulation kit? Is it right after the last day of AF?

It depends on your schedule. Usually I start at about day ten, because I know I will not ovulate before day 10 and I don't want to waste the little wands. Many kits specify a starting day--First Response, for example, requires you to start at cycle day five so that it can track the changes in your schedule. OPKs will generally come with instructions to tell you when to start. :-)

wintersong139 · May 2014

lauren889 said:

heres my stupid question!! How soon after sex can you take a pregnancy test?

Do you have to wait till your missed period? or can you do it a few days before??

also here is my 2nd stupid question. AFter you ovulate should you still be trying or no? THANKS!!

1. Many women say you can start testing at 10 days after ovulation. Honestly, I have heard of positive tests as early as 7 dpo, but that is super rare. As a general rule, I try to wait until the first day I miss AF, but in reality I usually only make it until 10 dpo.

2. YES! Sperm can live in you for up to about three days (or longer in rare cases), and you still have 12-24 hours after the egg is released to fertilize it. In any case, you might be wrong about your O day--you can't be sure until your temperature rises, and sometimes you can get a positive OPK and still not ovulate. DH and I usually try to have sex every day or every other day starting with about four or five days before my usual ovulation day just to make sure.

sueann911 · May 2014

Countrylivin89 said:
Well I've had a stupid question I've been wanting to ask, but didn't want to get flamed... so I'll throw it out here
My DH and I have only been TTC for 3 months. I'm still waiting for my BBT thermometer to come in the mail (blasted slow shipping), so I haven't been able to chart my temps yet. I've only been tracking AF & CM, and got OPK to start using this next cycle.
However, I've had past health issues that could quite likely affect my fertility, and my cycles aren't very regular.
I'm wondering if you would think it's an okay idea to go see my doctor right away and see if she can give me any advice on if I'm going to be able to conceive naturally (I haven't been to her in awhile so she doesn't know I'm TTC)... or would you just wait the first year and keep at it and see what happens?
I'm in Canada, so regular visits to the doctor are covered. And I've had this doctor since I was born, and we have a pretty close relationship.

What previous health conditions do you have? Some may relate to IF but some don't.

lauren889 · May 2014

Another question!!

is the part of laying down after having sex for 20 min true?? with your hips up?? or is that a myth!

trinitrotoluene · May 2014

urani said:

I don't have a TTC question but more of a board question. Is there any kind of general healthy living check-in that gets posted regularly? I'd personally like some accountability with my goals and I would think that a lot of us are trying to be healthier in general (eating better, exercising more, etc).

I haven't seen any kind of diet/exercise check-in since norwegian graduated. Those posts were more about what you ate and if you exercised, but I'd be more interested in a weekly "tell us what your goals are and how you did this week" kind of post.

Am I alone here?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought someone started one of these a few weeks back.

wintersong139 · May 2014

WhoCanItBeNow said:

wintersong139 said:

lauren889 said:

heres my stupid question!! How soon after sex can you take a pregnancy test?

Do you have to wait till your missed period? or can you do it a few days before??

also here is my 2nd stupid question. AFter you ovulate should you still be trying or no? THANKS!!

1. Many women say you can start testing at 10 days after ovulation. Honestly, I have heard of positive tests as early as 7 dpo, but that is super rare. As a general rule, I try to wait until the first day I miss AF, but in reality I usually only make it until 10 dpo.

2. YES! Sperm can live in you for up to about three days (or longer in rare cases), and you still have 12-24 hours after the egg is released to fertilize it. In any case, you might be wrong about your O day--you can't be sure until your temperature rises, and sometimes you can get a positive OPK and still not ovulate. DH and I usually try to have sex every day or every other day starting with about four or five days before my usual ovulation day just to make sure.

That applies to before, she was asking about after ovulation.

You mean about having sex? If it only takes thirty minutes for sperm to reach the fallopian tubes, so if you ovulate in the am and have sex in the pm---you could still get pregnant. Obviously know how it works, lol, since my next piece of advice was that you might not have ovulated anyway. Sorry if I was unclear. I added some statistics:

Chance of conception, according to New Health Guide:

5 days before O- 0 Percent
4 days before O- 11 percent
3 days before O- 15 percent
2 days before O- 20 percent
1 day before O- 26 percent
Day of O- 15 percent
1 day after O- .09 percent
2 days after O- .05 percent
3 days after O- 0 percent

urani · May 2014

nettje said:

trinitrotoluene said:

urani said:

I don't have a TTC question but more of a board question. Is there any kind of general healthy living check-in that gets posted regularly? I'd personally like some accountability with my goals and I would think that a lot of us are trying to be healthier in general (eating better, exercising more, etc).

I haven't seen any kind of diet/exercise check-in since norwegian graduated. Those posts were more about what you ate and if you exercised, but I'd be more interested in a weekly "tell us what your goals are and how you did this week" kind of post.

Am I alone here?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought someone started one of these a few weeks back.

Someone did start one but it wasn't posted this past week. I was thinking that if it wasn't posted by this Saturday this week, I'd post one.

Thanks!

Ducktale · May 2014

lauren889 said:

heres my stupid question!! How soon after sex can you take a pregnancy test?

Do you have to wait till your missed period? or can you do it a few days before??

also here is my 2nd stupid question. AFter you ovulate should you still be trying or no? THANKS!!

The newbie blog is a great resource. Basically how TTC works is you need to have sex in your fertile window, which is a few days before ovulation and the day of ovulation. Ovulation can be confirmed through charting your basal body temperature (OPKs and paying attention to your cervical mucus can help predict ovulation but do not confirm it). When you ovulate varies from person to person and cycle to cycle. It is recommended you wait until your period is late to test for best accuracy, but some people test early. All of this and much more is in the newbie blog. Good luck!

JsBabymom · May 2014

Heh

4RingCircus · May 2014

As I sit here waiting to get my bloodwork info back (cp/ectopic?), I thought I'd ask if anyone can share their experiences (I know each case is unique, but I'm curious & worried).
After you stopped bleeding did the cramping continue? Mine has so I'm worried it's ectopic =/. I've never been so anxious for lab results in my life.

catlover790 · May 2014

I have a couple! 1. I think I read once before that before ovulation BBT tends to drop, but not the sudden one day drop before O but that around 5days or so before temps are lower due to estrogen increasing? Is this true? and I can't seem to find any information about it, just curious if anyone knew anything about this?

2. Can someone ovulate after stopping BCP and then stop permanently? Has this happened to anyone here?

3. a board question: How long after becoming a member can one create posts etiquette-wise? Should they be TTC related only? What is your opinion on newbie-created posts?

thanks! I might think of more soon!

ginger1228 · May 2014

Newbie confession: my first time lurking here (a few weeks ago) I saw a thread from a newbie and people tore her apart (not really that bad, but intimidating for a newbie like me). I was like "geez! These girls are mean!" I lurked for awhile longer and I realized that you aren't in fact mean. You are HILARIOUS. Then I read the blog and vowed to myself not to ask really really dumb questions such as "could I be pregnant?" And now I participate in the snark bc I love snark and sarcasm. I'm glad I kept lurking. ;;)

ETA: for other newbies: I see a lot of people who order a BBT. Maybe it's just more convenient for some of you to order, but I got mine at Walmart for around $8. Some things I like to order (like I recently ordered some HPTs OPKs, but I don't need them quite yet) but I wanted the BBT ASAP so I could start temping.

catlover790 · May 2014

WhoCanItBeNow said:

catlover790 said:

I have a couple! 1. I think I read once before that before ovulation BBT tends to drop, but not the sudden one day drop before O but that around 5days or so before temps are lower due to estrogen increasing? Is this true? and I can't seem to find any information about it, just curious if anyone knew anything about this?

2. Can someone ovulate after stopping BCP and then stop permanently? Has this happened to anyone here?

3. a board question: How long after becoming a member can one create posts etiquette-wise? Should they be TTC related only? What is your opinion on newbie-created posts?

thanks! I might think of more soon!

1. No.
2. You mean ovulate once then go through menopause immediately after? I suppose that could happen.
3. There is no rule. Don't be obnoxious and post 50 new posts a day. That applies to everyone.

Thank you!

For #2 I am just confused why I have ovulated before but now am not, and my RE appt just seems so far away,

Ducktale · May 2014

catlover790 said:

I have a couple! 1. I think I read once before that before ovulation BBT tends to drop, but not the sudden one day drop before O but that around 5days or so before temps are lower due to estrogen increasing? Is this true? and I can't seem to find any information about it, just curious if anyone knew anything about this?

2. Can someone ovulate after stopping BCP and then stop permanently? Has this happened to anyone here?

3. a board question: How long after becoming a member can one create posts etiquette-wise? Should they be TTC related only? What is your opinion on newbie-created posts?

thanks! I might think of more soon!

1. It's true for some, not true for others. The only thing can really do is confirm ovulation through a sustained temp shift. Browsing the chart gallery on fertility friend might give you an idea of the variation in charts.

2. I don't know the answer to this.

3. Creating posts right away is totally fine, either TTGPR or not. Ease into it though. Too many posts might get annoying, and you might want to feel out the tone/topics, but really, jump in!

4RingCircus · May 2014

kariann12 said:

I've been lurking for about 6 months, but contributing more in the last month or so, but regardless, I still consider myself a bit of a newb. My question is, I see people posting about getting beta testing(?) done when they get a BFP. I've never been pg, nor have I ever had a BFP, so I'm just curious if this is routine or everyone who gets a BFP? How long does this testing last?

Edit: missing word

Betas are usually only done if you are bleeding/spotting, high risk or seeing an RE for IF.

KatzKiss · May 2014

kariann12 said:

I've been lurking for about 6 months, but contributing more in the last month or so, but regardless, I still consider myself a bit of a newb. My question is, I see people posting about getting beta testing(?) done when they get a BFP. I've never been pg, nor have I ever had a BFP, so I'm just curious if this is routine or everyone who gets a BFP? How long does this testing last?

Edit: missing word

Beta testing is usually only done for women who have fertility issues or have been bleeding after getting a BFP. The test measures the increase of HCG in your blood. Generally, blood will be taken on two different days to look for a specific increase in numbers. The rate of increase can give your doctor an idea of the viability of the pregnancy.

KatzKiss · May 2014

wintersong139 said:

WhoCanItBeNow said:

wintersong139 said:

lauren889 said:

heres my stupid question!! How soon after sex can you take a pregnancy test?

Do you have to wait till your missed period? or can you do it a few days before??

also here is my 2nd stupid question. AFter you ovulate should you still be trying or no? THANKS!!

1. Many women say you can start testing at 10 days after ovulation. Honestly, I have heard of positive tests as early as 7 dpo, but that is super rare. As a general rule, I try to wait until the first day I miss AF, but in reality I usually only make it until 10 dpo.

2. YES! Sperm can live in you for up to about three days (or longer in rare cases), and you still have 12-24 hours after the egg is released to fertilize it. In any case, you might be wrong about your O day--you can't be sure until your temperature rises, and sometimes you can get a positive OPK and still not ovulate. DH and I usually try to have sex every day or every other day starting with about four or five days before my usual ovulation day just to make sure.

That applies to before, she was asking about after ovulation.

You mean about having sex? If it only takes thirty minutes for sperm to reach the fallopian tubes, so if you ovulate in the am and have sex in the pm---you could still get pregnant. Obviously know how it works, lol, since my next piece of advice was that you might not have ovulated anyway. Sorry if I was unclear. I added some statistics:

Chance of conception, according to New Health Guide:
5 days before O- 0 Percent
4 days before O- 11 percent
3 days before O- 15 percent
2 days before O- 20 percent
1 day before O- 26 percent
Day of O- 15 percent
1 day after O- .09 percent
2 days after O- .05 percent
3 days after O- 0 percent

Lauren, here is a more accurate chart to answer your question.

Segoody · May 2014

@etoille - There are conflicting opinions on whether a short LP conflicts with conception. I've always heard that less than 10 is considered short, and that 10-16 is in the "average" range. However, as we've learned here, all women are widely different, and averages often have little to do with success in TTC.

ginger1228 · May 2014

^ I got my crosshairs after 3 days of elevated temps. It was CD 22 or so that the crosshairs showed I ovulated on day 18.

Segoody · May 2014

@trickyjedi - Your chart looks pretty legit to me. I see clear temp shift. Your -OPK and lack of +OPK is probably giving you the dotted CH and not the solid. I doubt FF takesy backsies this cycle.

divinemsbee · May 2014

4RingCircus said:

As I sit here waiting to get my bloodwork info back (cp/ectopic?), I thought I'd ask if anyone can share their experiences (I know each case is unique, but I'm curious & worried). After you stopped bleeding did the cramping continue? Mine has so I'm worried it's ectopic =/. I've never been so anxious for lab results in my life.

I'm sorry you're going through that. It royally sucks ass (sucks royal ass?).

Details of loss below, so I'll TW it for anyone feeling sensitive

******************************************************************************

For my EP, the bleeding was almost over by the time it was diagnosed. My timeline was a little different from a lot of people's though.

I had my betas monitored from right after my BFP, they were rising and doubling and then they didn't double, so my doc and I both thought that it was another CP (the EP was my latest loss, I had two before that). I got off of the progesterone that I had been on and started bleeding a couple of days later. I bled incredibly heavily (not ER levels, but just this side of them) and had some pretty bad cramps, but, again, just thought I was a little further along than I had been before. This continued for about a week until I finally called my doc to see what she thought. The Triage Nurse intercepted the message and I ended up in the clinic with a resident doctor, and then found out that my betas after the original drop had actually continued to climb.

After that the bleeding slowed and when I saw my doctor two days later the betas were still doing a weird slow rise so she did another TV ultrasound and saw the indications of a EP in my tube, so we decided to go with the Methotrexate injection to try to dissolve it and save my tube. It worked. While I had cramps during a few days of the heavy bleeding, even when my betas kept climbing I had no other twinges or cramps. Of course a lot of that depends on where your betas were to begin with and how far along you might be. With mine my betas at their highest never hit over 2000.

I hope this is over soon for you. Will your doc follow your betas to zero, or at least to less than 5? Especially if they're on the higher side, that's a good thing to do, mine were checked once a week.

KatzKiss · May 2014

randa03 said:

When is the best time to test for ovulation? First thing in the morning like you would with a pregnancy test? Thanks!

No. Take your OPK after your FMU at any time of the day unless your instructions say differently. I try to take mine around the same time everyday.

Twinkie0612 · May 2014

randa03 said:

When is the best time to test for ovulation? First thing in the morning like you would with a pregnancy test? Thanks!

Some OPKs specifically say not to use with FMU, but I have never had an issue using FMU. I usually test twice a day, FMU and in the afternoon/early evening. I think I read that LH peaks in the afternoon so that is the best time to test. Personally I don't like raking OPKs to work, so that's why I test in the morning and early evening.

shmurrow06 · May 2014

Ok, I have a question. Does anyone else have Hypothyroidism/Hashimoto's? I'm not TTC yet, but I wanted to start temping to get an idea of what my cycles are like for a few months. Problem is, my chart looks completely crazy and it doesn't look like I ovulated.

I am using a regular digital thermometer, but bought a basal one today to use next cycle. I'm pretty sure I'm not a mouth breather because my lips feel glued shut in the morning. I'm not as consistent about the time I temp as I should be, but they are usually within an hour of each other.

I'll keep trying and hopefully it will get better, but I guess I wanted to see if anyone with Hashi's/Hypo have any problems or advice with temping

Link to FF: https://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/4ef199

Thanks!

Reagan1010 · May 2014

I have a question even though I'm not a newb. I'm in month 9 of TTC but cycle 13. I have shorter cycles. Do I wait for the year mark or contact my doc now. I'm 33 years old, so not quite at the 35 year mark but getting closer. It has been stressing me out more than usual. Thanks

KatzKiss · May 2014

I believe that the reason you don't take OPK with FMU is because we always secrete LH in smaller amounts. LH can build up in urine over night and give you a false positive. Please correct me if I'm wrong because I'm not 100% on this one.

Ducktale · May 2014

shmurrow06 said:

Ok, I have a question. Does anyone else have Hypothyroidism/Hashimoto's? I'm not TTC yet, but I wanted to start temping to get an idea of what my cycles are like for a few months. Problem is, my chart looks completely crazy and it doesn't look like I ovulated.

I am using a regular digital thermometer, but bought a basal one today to use next cycle. I'm pretty sure I'm not a mouth breather because my lips feel glued shut in the morning. I'm not as consistent about the time I temp as I should be, but they are usually within an hour of each other.

I'll keep trying and hopefully it will get better, but I guess I wanted to see if anyone with Hashi's/Hypo have any problems or advice with temping

Link to FF: https://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/4ef199

Thanks!

I'm sorry, I don't know about Hypothyroidism/Hashimoto's but it does not look like you've ovulated yet. Keep at it though, many people ovulate later. Maybe others an give more advice about Hypothyroidism/Hashimoto's, if not, you might try a separate thread.

[Deleted User] · May 2014

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UnicornsAndGlitter · May 2014

Brewgirl1980 said:

hr1426 said:

Figured I would just post this her. I usually use my phone app and started looking at my online app more and I noticed that every month has a white circle and a black circle in the month somewhere. I tried to look up on the website what they are but I can't seem to find it. Does anyone know what these circles are?

I think it is full moon and new moon.

ETA: word

Yep. If you hover your mouse over it, it tells what they (or any icon) are.

KatzKiss · May 2014

shmurrow06 said:

Ok, I have a question. Does anyone else have Hypothyroidism/Hashimoto's? I'm not TTC yet, but I wanted to start temping to get an idea of what my cycles are like for a few months. Problem is, my chart looks completely crazy and it doesn't look like I ovulated.

I am using a regular digital thermometer, but bought a basal one today to use next cycle. I'm pretty sure I'm not a mouth breather because my lips feel glued shut in the morning. I'm not as consistent about the time I temp as I should be, but they are usually within an hour of each other.

I'll keep trying and hopefully it will get better, but I guess I wanted to see if anyone with Hashi's/Hypo have any problems or advice with temping

Link to FF: https://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/4ef199

Thanks!

I have hypothyroidism as well. As long as you are being treated for it, it should not affect your charts. Definitely get a BBT. Try setting your alarm clock for the same time each morning and temp before you do anything. Can I ask what happened on the 8th and 11th day of your cycle. I think if you do those couple of things, your chart should start looking better. Good luck!

Squishy622 · May 2014

Oohh oooh me! I have some ideas but I want to crowd source this one.

Why does my OB want me to wait a cycle after my I have Mirena removed to TTC? Obviously I'll ask him when I see him for the removal (I was in a rush when he mentioned this to me last time), but I'm curious to hear your answers.

4RingCircus · May 2014

@divinemsbee‌ Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me. I'm very sorry you have been through all of that. My Dr said she wanted to track me to zero. edited: add info

spiltmilkz · May 2014

@shmurrow06

I dont know that I have much more info for you, but I have been recently diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. My dr. does not want me on meds yet because I am still in the diagnosis process and am still getting bloodtests. My bbt chart is all over the place also. I also have been dealing with anovulatory cycles and its really frustrating!

Some ladies that are mouth breathers have mentioned temping vaginally and that seems to work better and be more consistent to them. I am not a mouth breather, but because of my crazy chart I have been tempted to try it.

brettanomyces · May 2014

Does the actual value of my temperatures after ovulation indicate anything (other than confirming O)?

I have been charting a few cycles now and am able to see a clear shift in temperature. Usually my post-O temps are in the medium to high 36.50s or higher, but this month they are in the high 36.40s/ low 36.50s. Wondering if it means anything that it's a "lower rise".

brettanomyces · May 2014

englandxo said:

brettanomyces said:

Does the actual value of my temperatures after ovulation indicate anything (other than confirming O)?

I have been charting a few cycles now and am able to see a clear shift in temperature. Usually my post-O temps are in the medium to high 36.50s or higher, but this month they are in the high 36.40s/ low 36.50s. Wondering if it means anything that it's a "lower rise".

No.

I have noticed since it has started warming up outside, my overall BBT has increased. My Post-O temps from the winter, are now my Pre-O temps.

You aren't looking at temps, but rather a pattern.

Ok, so maybe it's just because we've had the AC cranked. Thanks!

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