Ovulation and TTC

[shereejoy]

:confused: Hi everyone,

Don't know if this is appropriate to tell you my charting and whether you could be bothered reading it, but I am confused and wondered if someone could give me some guidance.

I was not trying to fall pregnant, but then we found out we were pregnant in May with twins. I miscarried both of them at different stages, and then I had a suction D&C on 27/5/05. More than ever - I want a baby now, so are going through the daunting task of knowing my body and ovulation for TTC.

Anyway my gyno told me to wait a cycle after my D&C and then try. So my next cycle started on 24th June 2005, and I am really confused as to when I ovulate. I believe I am a 28 day cyle as I have never had a problem with AF, and after my D&C it was exactly 28 days. I will chart my findings below (sorry for the boring detail). I am just so confused and don't know when I ovulate. Do I count 24/6/05 as Day 1?

Day 1 - 24/6/05 - Bleed initially and then brown
Day 2 - 25/6/05 - Brown
Day 3 - 26/6/05 - Brown
Day 4 - 27/6/05 - slight Brown - BD
Day 5 - 28/6/05 - mucus white/sticky
Day 6 - 29/6/05 - mucus white/sticky
Day 7 - 30/6/05 - mucus white/sticky
Day 8 - 01/7/05 - mucus white/sticky
Day 9 - 02/7/05 - mucus white/sticky (TAIL BONE PAIN)
Day 10 - 03/7/05 - mucus thin clear (T/BONE & SHARP STOMACH PAIN)-BD
Day 11 - 04/7/05 - mucus thin clear
Day 12 - 05/7/05 - mucus thicker clear (Pain in left belly - BD
Day 13 - 06/7/05 - mucus clear watery (Pain in left belly - BD
Day 14 - 07/7/05 - mucus clear watery - BD
Day 15 - 08/07/05 - mucus clear watery - BD
Day 16 - 09/07/05 - mucus thin white - BD
Day 17 - 10/07/05 - mucus thicker white
Day 18 - 11/07/05 - mucus thick white - BD
Day 19 - 12/07/05 - tested for BFP, but BFN

I was so anxious and just tried a pregnancy test for curiosities sake today 12/7/05 (Pregnosis clear - seeing as it states you can test 7-10 days after conception), but it was only 1 line. This probably doesn't mean definitely but I feel in myself it is a good indication. I want to believe I am, but just don't feel it. Although have felt slight stabbing pains in the left side of my lower stomach for parts of this cylce and don't know what that is?????????

I would really appreciate some help and guidance, as I have never really had to tune into my body.

Thanks in advance
Sheree
:-)

[MrsScatterbrain]

Hi Sheree,

I charted my cycle from the first day of my menstrual period when I was ttc. It's a good idea to take note of this date as this is the date from which you can calculate your due date if you concieve.

The pain in your belly could be ovulation pains - I have these when I ovulate (usually from the date of ovulation for a few days) and they feel like stabbing pains - they can really hurt!

Hope this helps,

Good luck!

Bella

[cosmic]

H Sheree,

I'm so sorry about you losing your twins! How heartbreaking to lose both of them.

I agree with Bella - the first day of full red bleeding is counted as Day 1 (sounds like you had a very light period though..?)

As for checking when ovulation happens, I find taking temperatures to be much easier than mucus. Clearly you are having no trouble with the CM (!) but I just can't seem to ever find any - or if I do, it's not very obvious.

If you get a fertility thermometer and take your temperature at exactly the same time before you get out of bed every morning and record the temps on a chart (you can do it online at www.fertilityfriend.com) you can usually see very clearly when you have ovulated - you can also record your BD, your CM, your OPK, your Maybe Baby - the LOT!! :) And it uses all that info to tell you when it thinks you ovulated. Couldn't be easier!

So if you have no luck this month, I'd really recommend that you try temping next month if you are having trouble with timing of ovulation.

hope that helps
Cosmic

[MilkOnTap]

Hi Sheree,

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss - I too have lost a baby 2 weeks ago. We aren't going to TTC for a year or so I think - but I thought that my efforts in the past might be able to help out...?

I could never seem to chart my bodily functions - very impressed with yours! After 3 months of trying to work out when I would be ovulating, my partner and I wound up purchasing an ovulation predictor kit. The one we bought had 5 ovulation tests and a pregnancy test. It was only $20 or so - saved me a lot of hassle!

The best thing was - it worked. As soon as I saw the strong double line we knew that we would be able to conceive. And we did. And I must say - after months of getting a single line on home pregnancy tests, seeing the double line on the ovulation predictor was an awesome feeling - cause I knew that this is it and its either now or never!!!

Good luck with it - let us know how you go!

[MrsScatterbrain]

Hi Sheree,

I agree with Cosmic - I highly recommend charting your temperature and perhaps using another method as well. I used Maybe Baby as well as temperature charting, and between the two of them I had success! When I looked at my chart, I knew exactly when I ovulated, which helps so much when you are ttc.

Best wishes,

Bella

[shereejoy]

Thank you so much bella, cosmic and ally,

You are all so kind. :)

Your information has been great and I am so sorry to hear you are not trying again for a while Ally. It was hard for me initally, but I just want a baby more than ever now.

The pain in my belly, has been as early as Day 8 right through to Day 13 and spasmatically other times but very mild. Just feels like a dull stabbing pain in the left side of my tummy.

I have also read and heard other people say that if there is no blood then you should start counting from the day the blood starts, not the brown stuff. But I really didn't have any blood days, except for the initial 1st day for about an hour. But I guess maybe after the curet it was just still getting all the crap out of my system, therefore not a normal period, but still a period, just a very light one.

So I guess it is even possible I did not ovulate this month as the mucus pattern (even though you all think I did well) was slightly different but really the same each day as it was not thick enough to notice a definite change and I guess this whole cycle has been wet too, no dry days at all. So, very hard to notice a significant change.

Thanks for that website, I will give it a try. And I didn't want to go the extreme of an ovulation kit, but who am I kidding, I want a baby. Just that I can freak out quite easily, and didn't want to put any extra pressure or stress on us, but I guess I will stress if I don't fall soon also. So you just can't win.

As for the temperature, do you just buy a thermometer and put it in your mouth first thing in the morning?

Sorry this is all new to me, but I really appreciate all your help. Your help has been invaluable to me.

Take care
Sheree
xxx

[cosmic]

Hi Sheree, You're very welcome for the advice.. we're all in this together! :)

I think it's best to buy a BBT or fertility thermometer as opposed to just a fever thermometer - the major difference (I think) is that they go to 2 decimal places instead of just one. You can get them from pharmacies. And yes, you just make sure you take it at the same time each morning (v. important) - under your tongue is fine, though they say if you have erratic temps you might find it's more consistent if you take it vaginally so see how it goes. The key is to not get up, eat, drink or anything before taking it - so basically just wake up, roll over, thermometer under the tongue and it takes about a minute to beep and record the temp. Then you can go to the toilet... :) (sometimes that is a loooong minute!!)

I don't know what it's like after a d&c so can't give much advice there, sorry. But who knows.. you might even be pregnant already! I know of others who've conceived straight after a m/c and it may have been too early to get a BFP.

Either way, you certainly should be able to start charting all your signs to see what's going on. If it turns out you haven't had any luck this month, at least you'll be on the right track to start watching what's going on next month!

good luck!

[sweetangel2811]

Hi Sheree

Firstly - I am really sorry to hear about the loss of your two babies. I can't begin to imagine how you must feel, but can fully understand your desire in ttc.

Just thought I would let you know that testing for CM is how I chart my ovulation. My cycle also began on the same day as you. I can tell you that what you have described above is precisely right, and day 12 you were ovulating.

When it becomes clearish and more of it is about the time your are O'ing. When it become opaque and gluggy is the days after and leading up to AF.

I haven't been doing the temperature thing, but only because I haven't needed to. I have found that my body is telling me well enough with the CM. Also because I have eternally lazy and forgetful when it comes to that sort of thing, and would always forget to take my temperature!! :p

What I did was just get a small calendar that I could put in my diary that I carry with me every day, and each day I mark either a L - light, M- medium, H-heavy, for both my CM and during AF. Doing this has heled me work out for the last 4 months when I am o'ing or not. I find it pretty accurate.

Hope this helps
Kiersten

[cosmic]

Hey Kiersten, since you've got the CM thing downpat, can I ask some advice? This month I have been making more effort to see precisely when I ovulate. Last month I was a bit sporadic with my recording of info and FF said I ovulated on Day 17 but I wasn't sure if that was accurate so now I'm paying much closer to all the signs.

I am up to Day 16 now - temps, Maybe Baby and even OPK have all showed no signs of O day yet, but it could well be tomorrow. The only way I can check CM is to go inside and check around the cervix (not much happens externally). I decided yesterday to start checking (better late than never) and yesterday it was what I would call 'creamy' (ie like hand cream.. but maybe it qualifies as sticky to someone else).. today it is just wet. Not creamy, not egg-white, just like water.

What do you think? Would that be a sign that O is getting closer? :confused:

thanks,
Cosmic

[shereejoy]

Thanks again Cosmic,

I really enjoy chatting online to people who are going through the same things. It is really reassuring, that I am not alone!

Yes will definitely purchase a thermometer that is specific to BBT. And will start under the tongue at first instance, I can't even stand testing for CM let alone a thermometer. But as you said I may not even need to, and I could be pregnant. Boy I really hope so, it would be a dream come true. Makes it so much easier to ease the pain of the last m/c, even though I say I am ok, it still hurts!

This is my second cycle after D&C doctors orders to wait a cyle before trying again.


Hi there sweetangel,

That is great to know someone else is on the same cycle, only 6 days to go, yippee! How long have you been TTC'ing.

Do you really think I ovulated on Day 12, or it was leading up to Ovulation? Did you ovulate on the same day? I have had mild stabbing pains even currently, which appears strange! Do you know? The only concern is that I have been wet all cycle so it is just so hard to compare from one day to the next. Wish I had of had some dry days, to really see the difference.

I am really lazy too, so hopefully I do not have to go another cycle, cause that will just proove I had no idea, and will have to go to BBT and OPK.

Were do you both live Cosmic & Sweetangel.

Sheree

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ME - 30
DP - 31
M/C 23/5/05

[sweetangel2811]

Hey Cosmic

It certainly sounds like you are about to O, if not already starting!! :) This depends on your cycle length too, I think I recall you saying you have a slightly longer cycle (did I get that right?), so this would affect which days you should expect to O. But from all the sounds of it, you definately sound like you are on track and I would probably be BD-ing !! Even if you are 1-2 days prior, they can stick around in there lying in wait!!

What my CM tends to do is for the few days after the end of AF there is nothing, then it starts really lightly, gradually getting a little bit heavier and creamier (gross descriptions I know), like as you say hand cream. Then when I am O'ing around day 12, it seems to be really heavy, only very slightly opaque-ish, watery etc. I think it means that your cervix has released whatever it releases to help the swimmers swim faster through to the uterus/fallopian tubes etc. Watery is a good sign! The thicker the CM, the harder it is for sperm to swim through.

This lasts for a few days, and then starts turning into a thicker, gluggy, sticky white sort of CM. And then goes away right before AF again.

This all sounds really yucky I know! Sorry :o

Hope this makes sense and hasn't grossed you out too much!! :)

[cosmic]

No way Kiersten - nothing gross at all! We've all got it, right? Might as well know what we're supposed to be looking for! My cycle last month was 28 days, supposedly with ovulation on Day 17. The 2 months prior to that were 26 days each and I really don't know when I ovulated.. the first month I just assumed it was Day 14 or prior being only a 26 day cycle (but wasn't checking any signs), the second month I started with temps but wasn't doing anything right :o and think I either didn't ovulate, or more likely I had a chemical pregnancy (all the signs were there). So last month, with the limited accurate information I did record (started temping from Day 12, didn't do any CM or OPK) apparently Day 17 was the day.. and certainly it would appear from what's happened so far this month that that's going to be the case again. :rolleyes:

Thanks so much for the advice. I have been BD'ing my butt off! :) And will be doing more of it later!!

Sheree, I hope you are pregnant too... and yes I meant conceiving straight away after the first 'off-limits' month. :) I'm in Sydney.

good luck guys... look forward to hearing good news soon!

[shereejoy]

Yes the best of luck to all of us.

I am in Qld, Gin Gin actually, near Bundaberg! You know Bundaberg Rum. Well yes that is where I am, although I hate rum! Yuck!!!!!!!

Interested in hearing back from you, Kiersten, seeing as we are on the same cycle. I posted back to you earlier.

Take care gals.

Sheree
xxx

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[cosmic]

Sheree, I know Gin Gin well. My dad's family were from bundaberg... I grew up in Toowoomba. Have only been a Sydney-sider for a couple of years but now that I'm here I don't think I'll leave - I love it! (though kids may change my view on that!)

right.. back to work. Chat to you later.

C. x

[shereejoy]

Cosmic,

Cool, so you know the area well. I don't think I could live in a big city, brisbane would be my limits, but raising a family, I am happy in a small town. I lived in Bundaberg for 2 years and got sick of the drive to Gin Gin every day, so now we live here, and my partner travels everyday now (but he is a sales rep- and it doesn't phase him). I work at the local council in Gin Gin.

I am on RDO today, but I should be studying and haven't even started yet, so better get my but into gear too. Will leave you too it.

Cheerio
Sheree

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[sweetangel2811]

Hey Sheree
Sorry for not replying earlier - totally missed your post!! :eek: Not to mention that for the past two hours every time I try to write back someone calls or stops by my desk and asks a question!! (such is the life of an executive assistant huh?)

I am totally counting down till I can test too!! I was really surprised and happy when I read when your cycle started - what an opportunity to compare stories/symptoms etc!!!

To be honest - I have only been ttc-ing from this month, but have been checking o cycles and taking folate for 4 months now, just in preparation.

From the look of your charting, I definitely think your o was on time and around days 11-13, as I said to Cosmic, when it turns watery and clearish then it generally means you are o-ing as your cervix is doing what it is supposed to do to aid conception!

I haven’t had much CM for most of the month this month as BD’d a few days prior to O and I haven’t had my usual CM at all. Hopefully it means what I am wishing it would, but we will see.

In past months I do not recall feeling stabbing pains around o-time, but this month I have had on and off stabbing pains down there. I am hoping it is implantation pains – hopefully that is what you are feeling too!

I don’t think a test will show anything but a BFN for us much before AF’s due date, so it is the waiting game for us.

I doubt you are getting any of this wrong though. You sound like you are pretty much on top of it.

I live in sunny but freezing Canberra!!

Talk to you soon!! Good luck with your studying (what are you studying?)

K :)

[shereejoy]

Thanks K / Sweetangel,

Yes I totally understand the work thing, unfortunately where I sit also would be noticed and it is really hard, that is why I guess on RDO am making the most of it, hence not studying and I am really really naughty!

I am studying a bachelor of commerce, majoring in HR. I am a bit down an out about the study thing, as I have just decided to start this year (should have done this alot earlier), but wanted to give it a years shot and then try for a family. The reason I am over studying, is that I was just not looking after myself and partly blame myself for my miscarriage. At the time of my miscarriage, I was only weeks away from sitting my exam. I got a special consideration to sit it in August. I just want it to be over. I am really over studying at the moment and can't find the motivation to get back into it and what follows is the story of why:

I had gone off the pill earlier this year, due to the fact of being to lazy to go to the doctor over 50km's away in order to get another prescription. We were just being careful. But it appears that we weren't on one occassion. Yes we fell pregnant. I was so not intune with my body, and started to bleed a couple of days after my period was due (which I didn't even realise I was late at the time), but it was just brown discharge. I just thought it was a weird period. Two weeks went by and I finally went to the doctor (as something twigged in my head that this is not normal). She asked if I had been nauseas and I said no, as I said no, I remembered, oh yes I had been (how quickly you can forget). I was just not listening to my body (my work/study - which was hard and stressful/renovating our house and sport had taken over, I had no time left for anything else, ie: ME) Anyway, sure enough I was pregnant with a very strong BFP, but there were dangly pieces of discharge in my urine test that my doctor was concerned about. She sent me for a vaginal scan (as it was only 5 weeks 4 days) that afternoon, and I had lost one already (yes there were twins). There was a sac with no embryo, but one was still left (with a heart beat of 110 bpm - which they said was slow???). But it looked rather bizaa and the scan actually diagnosed me as a threatened miscarriage (or possible Molar pregnancy- a sure sign of this is excessively high HCG levels). I explain the whole ordeal as Excitment and Turmoil. I felt every emotion possible that day. I was told that they would test my HCG levels every couple of days and if it falls in line with a normal pregnancy they would not terminate. As it turned out my HCG levels were really good, but then I went for another scan 2-3 weeks later and there was no heart beat anymore. I was devastated. I went for a suction D&C and the doctor said that he didn't think I had a molar pregnancy but he could confirm this from testing the cystic mass from the D&C. It wasn't thank god, there was a god. After that ordeal and being cleared of a molar pregnancy, it made the ordeal a little easier to move on.

Now having another little baby is top priority for me. Sorry for the big speal, but had to tell it all for you to realise where I am at!

Anyway, enough of all that. Yes it appears that we can only test as soon as we have missed out AF (fingers crossed). The only problem I had with testing my CM, is that I was continually wet all month, and it was really had to see a definite distinctive change! So hopefully what I did see was right, and I am not exagerating to fit in line with what should be my ovulation day ie: mid cycle.

It is so nice to have met someone who is on the same cycle, we can definitely compare notes and I really look forward to it. We will help each other through it. Certainly need guidance, don't you! Its not as easy as falling pregnant, that is for sure.

Anyway I have probably bored you to tears. Have a nice rest of the afternoon, and please send me a line whenever you like.

Six Days to go!!!!!!!!!

Take care my friend.

Sheree
xxx

[shereejoy]

Kiersten & Cosmic,

I had no luck this cycle, AF came yesterday. Very dissapointing. :(

How did you go Kiersten?

and

How is your cycle going Cosmic?

Hope you are both well.

Take care
Sheree

[cosmic]

Hi Sheree,

I'm up to day 24. Looks like I might have O'd around day 15 according to temperatures, though the maybebaby etc all showed no sign of it. At 4dpo I had a big temp drop (too early for implantation and too late for fallback, I think..??) but temps went straight back up for another 3 days then 8dpo a big plummet again (this time could have been implantation but still doesn't explain the earlier one), and back up today. So if I did indeed ovulate, it is 9dpo. A couple of times this week I have had a sharp stabbing pain in my right side.. I don't think I've ever had that before. Apart from that, I am feeling slightly crampy for the first time today, but very mildly nauseous as well - could be in my mind so I guess time will tell.

It's certainly a wait and see game for me.. it's been one confusing thing after another! I was 26 days for 2mths then 28 days last month so I will wait the full 28 for AF and then test if temps are still up. I'm tired of wasting money and feeling the disappointment of early negative tests so this time I'm determined to just wait it out.

Sorry to hear you missed out.. but it's only 2 weeks till you can potentially conceive again! So go out and have a drink while you still can!! :) Stay busy.. from everything I hear, the more you focus on other things, the more likely you are to fall! (and you know that only too well!!) Hope the study is going well.

Cheers,
C.

[cosmic]

PS.. We are all over in the Trying to conceive in July thread.. you can catch up with Kiersten's update over there. Yesterday (I think) she was 2 days past AF but still getting a BFN. We've told her to go to the doc for a blood test on Monday if still not AF.

C.

[shereejoy]

Hi Cosmic,

Thanks for your reply and information. I am crossing my fingers for you. Not long to go now, but those days are just soooo long aren't they!!! Let me know how you go. A few signs there, but as you said, who really knows!

And yes, I was just speaking to a friend the other day, and she said getting AF you just become so angry, but then you soon get over it knowing you have another chance. And lets face it the first 2 weeks are easier than the last. Just one positive way of looking at it.

Thanks for the Kiersten news, will have to catch up with her. Hopefully she is successful, she seems to know her body better than some of us, that is for sure.

Take care and talk soon, hopefully with your good news.

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Sheree

[shereejoy]

How did you go Cosmic, you were due weren't you. Hopefully no news is good news?????

Sheree

[cosmic]

AF arrived this morning. :(

[shereejoy]

I am soooooooo sorry Cosmic. Big hugs and kisses for you.

Sheree
xxoo