Please read The Ultimate TTGP Guide pinned at the top of the board. It's full of information about TTGP and about our community here on TB.
Please introduce yourself and share as much or as little as you are comfortable with. Once you're ready, feel free to jump into any of our daily/weekly threads to start participating in the community.
How many months have you been TTC?
What are you doing to get knocked up (WAYDTGKU)?
Tell us about yourself! (Kids, pets, job, hobbies, etc.)
Re: Newbie Intro Thread- Week of 7/24
How many months have you been TTC? 1
What are you doing to get knocked up (WAYDTGKU)? Sex, sometimes.
Tell us about yourself! (Kids, pets, job, hobbies, etc.) We have a two year old, and a dog. I'm self-employed as an attorney. I guess my only real hobby would be genealogy; does fanatical internet usage count?
2nd round exp 8/20/18.
How many months have you been TTC? Actively trying 1 month but 3 prior to july
What are you doing to get knocked up (WAYDTGKU)? charting the past couple months and of course sex!
Tell us about yourself! (Kids, pets, job, hobbies, etc.) 1 4YO daughter (from a previous marriage), 1 kitty, I work full time as a project manager. My hobbies mostly include outdoor activities (fishing, paddle boarding, running etc!)
Ages (you and SO): 35 and 32
How many months have you been TTC? I'm in the TWW of cycle 2. (4dpo)
What are you doing to get knocked up? Lots of sex (duh), Prenatal vitamins, OPKS, Pre-seed and tracking with the Glow app.
Tell us about yourself! I have two kids from a previous relationship. They are 3 and 5 (almost 4 and 6). DH has a 8 year old son. I'm a peds nurse. DH and I just got married last month. He's been around since my little ones were 1 and 3 and he's an amazing dad to them.
My son has high functioning autism. My daughter thinks she's the boss of us all. His son is a bit of a grumpy cat lol. Even though our house is a busy one, we've decided to try for one last "us" baby to complete our family. I look forward to going on this journey with you all.
How many months have you been TTC? IUD removed mid cycle last month, so about 1 month, 2nd cycle
What are you doing to get knocked up (WAYDTGKU)? OPKs
Tell us about yourself! (Kids, pets, job, hobbies, etc.) I have a 6 yr old girl and 3 yr old boy. This one will be our last. I was on The Bump for years, but deleted my account last year, so guess I'm a newb again. I work full time in Software, but wish I could get paid to travel. I like yoga when I can get off my ass to do it, cooking when I'm not too exhausted, and binge watching tv because it requires neither energy or motivation.
HX
DSD: 17
DS: 4(Nov'14)
MMC:8/17
MMC: 1/18
BFP: 2/7/19 EDD:10/16/19
Tickers
Ages: 32 (me) and 33 (SO)
How many months have you been TTC? This is my first cycle.
What are you doing to get knocked up? Temping (erratic due to disrupted sleep) and HIO
Tell us about yourself: DH and I have been together for eight years, married for five. We have a 16 month old son and two cats. I work in product marketing and DH is in IT. I like watching TV, playing video/computer games, 80s/90s pop culture, bourbon and craft beer, and Ohio State football.
Me: 33 DH: 34
DS1: March 18, 2016
DS2: due June 7, 2018
"It's time to try defying gravity."
Married 6/11/16
TTC Since 6/2016
12/2016 RE appt; 1/2017 SA & HSG results - all normal
3/2017 Dx Hyperprolactinemia; 5/2017 Prolactin levels normal; 8/2017 Low Ovarian Reserve
8/2017 TTA for personal reasons; 10/2017 NTNP; 12/2017 Re-start TTC
7/2018 Clomid+IUI
11/2018 Letrozole+TI
12/2018 Letrozole+IUI
2/2019 NTNP
5/2019 Stopping all TTC efforts; living Childfree
How many months have you been TTC? 1
What are you doing to get knocked up (WAYDTGKU)? Sex, but not much else
Tell us about yourself! (Kids, pets, job, hobbies, etc.) We have a two year old daughter (27 months) - every time I've thought we were ready to start trying for a second she entered a new phase that made me second guess. Nevertheless, we've decided we are ready. I am a high school social studies teacher and my husband works in the field of health insurance. I've forgotten what my hobbies were since having a child.
Sorry @MLS6212 but I have to agree with @cards10 when she says GO BLUE!
@cards10 @spruital I'm used to it. Before I met DH I dated four different guys from...that state. ;-)
Me: 33 DH: 34
DS1: March 18, 2016
DS2: due June 7, 2018
@spruital I just wanted to ask, are you tracking your cycles at all (other than your period)? If not, how will you know where you are in your cycle and which daily thread you should be posting in?
"It's time to try defying gravity."
Married 6/11/16
TTC Since 6/2016
12/2016 RE appt; 1/2017 SA & HSG results - all normal
3/2017 Dx Hyperprolactinemia; 5/2017 Prolactin levels normal; 8/2017 Low Ovarian Reserve
8/2017 TTA for personal reasons; 10/2017 NTNP; 12/2017 Re-start TTC
7/2018 Clomid+IUI
11/2018 Letrozole+TI
12/2018 Letrozole+IUI
2/2019 NTNP
5/2019 Stopping all TTC efforts; living Childfree
@spruital Welcome to you too! You should also join use in TFAS! This is an interesting time to be working in the health insurance industry.
Married DH: 2013
DD: Dec 2015
BFP 8/14/17 --> Due 4/27/2018
Ages (you and SO): 33 and 32
How many months have you been TTC? 7 months
What are you doing to get knocked up (WAYDTGKU)?
Lots of sex and taking soy isoflavones again this month as they worked last time!
Tell us about yourself! (Kids, pets, job, hobbies, etc.) 13 month old little boy and one cat. I'm a teacher and my job is so stressful - I'm hoping that the stress free summer holidays will help with ttc
@dukestar5 I'm from the UK so we don't have grades - I teach year 1 which I guess is similar to 1st grade? Soy is a herbal supplement which apparently works like clomid but lots of people say it can mess up your cycle - but I took it as a last resort to conceive last time and it worked!
@spruital that would be good but I'll take anytime to be honest it took a year to get pregnant last time
How many months have you been TTC? We have been preparing for several months, and waiting to see if I needed shoulder surgery (fortunately, don't currently need it). This will be our first cycle.
What are you doing to get knocked up (WAYDTGKU)?
We are doing an IUI with Clomid through a partnership between the military and EVMS/Jones Institute. If all goes well at my u/s, insemination is next Tuesday.
The official diagnosis is Absolute Male Factor Infertility, which makes sense, as DF has no male reproductive organs
Tell us about yourself! (Kids, pets, job, hobbies, etc.)
I have an amazing 11yo SS, a 3-legged golden retriever (who is also almost completely blind) named Finn, a deaf pug (I share custody with my dad, lol) and cat named Monkey.
I am in the military, medically retiring, DF is finishing up school to be a pharmacy tech. We both coach our 11yo's soccer team, and actually met at one of his games (I was coming to watch one of my players guest play with their team). Soccer is life, right now.
TTC since May 2017, first cycle (medicated) with IUI August 2017 using SD
Mind if I ask a personal question, I couldn't tell from your post, is your DF a cis female or trans male?
What branch of the service are you in? I have to admit that I'm one of those horrible Americans with no understanding of soccer. I used to live in Ireland and they always mocked me for that. Fingers crossed for good news on your ultrasound!
Married DH: 2013
DD: Dec 2015
BFP 8/14/17 --> Due 4/27/2018
DF is a cis female. The military requires "justification" for all procedures, so the AMFI was the official diagnosis assigned to her in my medical records, lol.
I am an Army medic in a Navy town (my hometown, ironically)
Soccer has a huge following in our area, but it is still growing in most places, so its not uncommon for me to run into lots of folks who know nothing of it. I started playing at 4, refereeing at 13, and coaching at 17. And I was lucky enough to find an amazing woman who loves the sport with the same intensity, and has a very similar history in the sport, though last season was her first as a coach.
TTC since May 2017, first cycle (medicated) with IUI August 2017 using SD
Ages (you and SO): I am 36, and DH is 46
How many months have you been TTC? This is our 6th cycle trying.
What are you doing to get knocked up (WAYDTGKU)?
PNV, OPK, Temping, CM
Tell us about yourself! (Kids, pets, job, hobbies, etc.)
Hi! I've been lurking on these boards for a few weeks, I'm not sure if I've lurked enough, but here goes! I took my IUD out in January. I got pregnant our first try! 8 weeks later, I started to miscarry and it took 2 weeks for the process to complete, ending in a super painful D&C. On the plus side, I had asked a fancy friend to recommend me her OG/GYN and through the process I got to learn that he and I would not work well together. The very last straw is that when he finished the D&C, I had tears in my eyes and they still had the ultrasound in me to make sure it was complete. The SOB reached up to give me a fist bump to congratulate himself for being so fast. No thank you. So now I found a new doctor, and I like him very much.
I was hoping it would be easy to conceive after the miscarriage, since we literally had sex once my FW and conceived, but now it seems to be taking much longer than expected and that has me worried. But I've found lots of wisdom here. Also the best collection of GIFs I could ever imagine.
I work in finance. I ride horses competitively, so I'm trying to remind myself that the longer it takes, the more unfettered time I have with my horses. It took my husband and I forever to decide to have kids, which I'm not regretting, but what can you do right?
@futbol0401 Hey there - hope you have a very short stay here on the TTGP board and that you can move quickly over to your BMB. I did want to respectfully point out to you something that you may not have considered before posting. First, you should know that unfortunately this board has a very high percentage of women struggling with infertility right now. Many have been struggling for years. Some have had numerous failed medicated cycles, IUI cycles, and IVF cycles. Some of those women have husbands who have MFI. I understand that perhaps the military had to put something in on the paperwork, and perhaps that was humorous in some way for you and that's probably why you shared that here. But please be aware that several of the kind, sweet ladies on here deal with that problem in a very real way. It can be a little jarring to see a comment like yours sort of using it as an off the cuff joke. I'm not saying this to wag my finger at you or lecture you. I just know that since you're new you probably don't know all this information, and I felt the need to protect my sweet friends on here.
Like I said, I wish you the best and hope all goes well with your IUI! Make sure you get some warm socks and have plenty of rest time after!
@antoto I definitely didn't mean any harm. I definitely have more of an off-color/darker sense of humor than most (probably thanks to 5 older brothers, and 7 years in field medicine), so I sometimes *do* have to remind myself/be reminded who my audience is. I try to take those reminders gracefully, as social etiquette is not always my strong point, having Aspergers and a few too many TBIs.
Our history (below) is a bit more complicated than what my siggy has been condensed to.
TW: Losses mentioned (including loss of a child):
DF just had to have a partial hysterectomy, due to chronically low Iron (it measured at 4.5 and 4.7 the last two checks before surgery, and she'd already required an ablation, about 3 years ago) and Lupus.
She and Ex#1 struggled to get pregnant with my SS, and suffered a MC, before being told she would "definitely" loss her second pregnancy, due to heavy bleeding. Fortunately, he stuck it out, and is now a (generally) healthy 11yo.
Her Ex#2 had PCOS and partial hysterectomy because of it, so had convinced DF that it was a good idea for DF to attempt another pregnancy, which would have required her to stop Lupus and RA meds, and put her at a very high risk for hemorrhage. Whether she'll admit it our not, it was a bit hard for her to reconcile. But, after already having to go through chemo and a long stint on steroids, it wasn't worth risking a relapse.
After we talked it out, and had settled that it was an unreasonable risk (to her life) to attempt another pregnancy, we discussed me doing it. I was the one who discovered my niece after she passed away from SIDS, so I had kind of cemented, a long time ago, that it would be too stressful/scary to handle pregnancy and a NB. We have been working with my LCSW and psychiatrist, closely, to make sure I am in the best possible place, going into this. On top of that, I also had to wait for clearance from my Orthopedic surgeon, as possible shoulder surgery was still on the agenda when this all started. And *now* I am also having to follow up with a Rheumatologist because bloodwork came back indicating a possible autoimmune issue, but my levels weren't high enough for my team to stop our attempt this month. It has been a lot of "hurry up and wait", and plenty of frustration to get to this point, but I *do* know to count my blessings.
I truly hope that all the ladies here get to graduate quickly, and will be looking out for the graduations of those who have struggled.
TTC since May 2017, first cycle (medicated) with IUI August 2017 using SD
Also, would you mind editing your post to add a TW (trigger warning) since you mention loss in your post? I'm so sorry you had to go through that and deal with such a jackass doctor in the process!
"It's time to try defying gravity."
Married 6/11/16
TTC Since 6/2016
12/2016 RE appt; 1/2017 SA & HSG results - all normal
3/2017 Dx Hyperprolactinemia; 5/2017 Prolactin levels normal; 8/2017 Low Ovarian Reserve
8/2017 TTA for personal reasons; 10/2017 NTNP; 12/2017 Re-start TTC
7/2018 Clomid+IUI
11/2018 Letrozole+TI
12/2018 Letrozole+IUI
2/2019 NTNP
5/2019 Stopping all TTC efforts; living Childfree
Ages (you and SO): I'm 29 and he's 32.
How many months have you been TTC? One month.
What are you doing to get knocked up (WAYDTGKU)?IC around the fertile window and I plan to start charting next month if AF shows up.
Tell us about yourself! (Kids, pets, job, hobbies, etc.): Hubby and I have been together for a little over five years now, married for almost two. He has a daughter from a previous marriage who is five years old and starts kindergarten next month! (He has a sometimes high-conflict ex, but that's a topic for a different place.) We have two golden retrievers, Zoey and Chester, who are biological siblings even though they are two years apart. I'm a technical writer by trade, avid reader by choice, and an novelist in my dreams. And I think that's about it for now!
@nitnat007 thank you so much for the welcome! I hope you aren't here too long as well, though, I delight in your french bulldog gif!
@lulu1180 thank you for the welcome. Yes, I'm planning to go in if this cycle doesn't work. My new doctor said everything looked very good and that it was positive I had gotten pregnant so easily the first time so he wasn't in a huge rush to get me to a specialist. I only just read TCOYF, and I'm realizing I've been timing sex way too early, my cycle is longer than I thought based on the tracking apps and my DH and I struggle a little bit with sex. But hopefully, we are more accurate in how we time things.
@Buttercup16 hi!!! I completely dream of being a novelist, that is super cool! From what I've heard, it's really a practice and habit to write consistently. Not the glamorous moment of inspiration we see in movies. Is it like that for you? I'm sorry your husband's ex can be challenging, I imagine that can make life really tricky for you, especially with a young child. I hope very much that you have some quiet on that front while you are TTC and here for just a moment!
I have a question and maybe this is better suited on another board, I apologize for all the gaffes I will surely make today and in future...
...but how do you help kind of soften the pressure on your partners to perform... It hadn't been too much of an issue but my DH (bless him and his big heart) is a pretty sensitive guy lacking a little in the confidence department.
"It's time to try defying gravity."
Married 6/11/16
TTC Since 6/2016
12/2016 RE appt; 1/2017 SA & HSG results - all normal
3/2017 Dx Hyperprolactinemia; 5/2017 Prolactin levels normal; 8/2017 Low Ovarian Reserve
8/2017 TTA for personal reasons; 10/2017 NTNP; 12/2017 Re-start TTC
7/2018 Clomid+IUI
11/2018 Letrozole+TI
12/2018 Letrozole+IUI
2/2019 NTNP
5/2019 Stopping all TTC efforts; living Childfree
@stalkinghorse So, for me, the glamorous moment is when I get a story idea and flesh it out in my mind and make it amazing. The writing part...is not that way at all for me. I tend to talk myself out of story ideas if I'm not feeling motivated to write. Even when I am motivated, it's difficult. So yeah, nothing like the movies!
Love Pretty Woman! Now I want to watch it! As for your question... I'm not sure to be honest.
Edited because I misunderstood what she asked.
@stalkinghorse Welcome, I'm so sorry about your terrible experience during your loss with your OB. What a complete SOB. Glad you've found someone else! FWIW, I also got pregnant right after stopping BC and also miscarried. It took us 9 months/6 cycles to conceive my DS afterward. My cycles were all messed up and super long after my M/C. Just give your body some time to adjust because I know the miscarriage took a toll on my body too, and mental health. I know the waiting month after month is awful though.
For your question on taking off the pressure for your partner you could try not telling your DH when it's FW. Just act like it's any other BD sesh and see if he can get into it easier.
@mileswithmyles @TravelingCouple @Buttercup16 @lulu1180 Thank you guys for the ideas...the tricky thing is even when we weren't trying, he put a lot of pressure on himself and it ended up making him all kinds of anxious. Now that we are trying and he knows how hard I took the MC, he sort of can't escape the pressure. He's a little lower than most guys on the testosterone scale, which in many ways is amazing, but in this case, makes these waters a little harder to navigate.
I wonder if I should just lie and say we are just getting some practice in even if it is my FW. I have no pokerface, but maybe its worth a shot.
*TW Pregnancy mentioned*
My DH had performance anxiety while I was pregnant. Not sure what it stemmed from exactly, but it was definitely psychological. You would be surprised how easily doctors prescribe Viagra. It's expensive, but we found that after he used it a couple of times, it restored his confidence and he didn't need it anymore. I don't think drugs should be your first step, but it is an option if this is a persistent problem.
How many months TTC: just about to start once my period ends!
WAYDTGKU: I've been tracking CM to figure out when I ovulate each month. We have sex around EOD already so that will probably stay the same.
Hobbies/about: I love being outside and walking/biking. I love cooking and baking and trying new restaurants! Another thing about me is that I was diagnosed with factor II mutation after having 2 superficial blood clots while on the Nuvaring back in March. It has caused me a lot of anxiety especially knowing that I will be a "high risk" pregnancy and have an increased risk of miscarriage. But next week I have an appt with a perinatologist to discuss my future pregnancy more in depth so hopefully that will ease my fears!