TTC #9 Your worth is not determined by your fertility

[Scorpihoe]

Guys I’ve woken up to some light brown spotting/discharge (sorry TMI!), I’m 10dpo. Is this normal? I have no idea what it is? I’m googling and some say it’s implantation bleeding, some say it’s nothing, some say it’s before my period comes. But I’ve never had this before a period, I usually get brown blood after a period. Thank you x

 

[Elisha97]

I am sorry you've had (what sounds like) a very wild ride! It can be so confusing and frustrating, right? I have had blood tests, ultrasounds, progesterone pills etc over the years but no such luck so now the Drs are saying just 'gain weight', and I know I may have to gain a little, but it still feels like I could be doing more or there's a missing puzzle piece somewhere. I don't have much medical or even general support here so I am just kind of twiddling my thumbs about it all.
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Yep I've been eating consistently 2200 cals all month and my weight has gone up half a kg so ticking that box. I stopped going to the gym in October after basically living in a gym (both training and as a PT) for 6 years, and now just go for walks and do home workouts. I just have NO symptoms at all. No mood swings, breast tenderness, discharge, libido, nothing. It's so frustrating and I feel so alone in it all and just like I've let my body down.

It’s an absolute nightmare! What I will say is especially when my weight was lower and I was really going hard in the gym and doing boot camp type classes, my periods stopped then too, just like they did when I was a lot heavier and really poorly/ inactive. I wasn’t even underweight and I was baffled because I was in my eyes in good shape for me and i was living in a way that’s meant to be good for you. It seemed to be the stress of high impact exercise. My periods seemed best when I was an average weight for me and just sticking to weights now and then and walking! Maybe it’s not your weight as such but being relaxed and chilled might help? It’s so complex

 

[yankydoo]

I’ve been doing some digging as my crazy cycles didn’t seem to make sense on their own and I think it might be vitamins impacting on my cycle timing too xxx

The last two months I’ve been late and I think it’s the vitamins too which is frustrating. Have you narrowed it down to which one? I think on the pregnacare ones it does say it may affect your cycle but I’m not taking those.

 

[Householdmystery]

Started tracking ovulation with test strips after sound advice from this group to really make a go of it. I had a late period in September time but it came a week later!

I noticed everyone went on about this 2 week wait but according to the test strips and periods since there’s about 5 days from peak until period starts. I will go see a GP as it’ll have been a year since I came off all contraception's in December/Early jan but has anyone else had this?

It means you have a very short lethal phase and that will make it harder to conceive because the egg doesn’t have much time to implant. Did the tests give you a peak?

 

[orange club biscuit]

Only a week in and I already hate these stupid OPKs unless I have missed my peak, mine are all over the place and don’t seem to show anything at all! Telling myself I drink too much water for them to work properly

 

[littlenoodle]

Time to up our game a bit now I think, any vitamins anyone would recommend? For both men and women. We’ve been using pre-seed but looking at the ferti-lily cup now, anyone any experience? Wondering if a moon cup would do the same job?

I'm taking the Wild Nutrition fertility ones. So far, so good. I was taking Pregnacare before and I believe they started affecting my cycles. But I'm now back to my regular cycles and ovulating a couple of days earlier too! I also take an addition Vitamin D in Winter, Omega-3 and CoQ10!

 

[leavemealone107]

Has anyone managed to extend their luteal phase with B6 and vit c? Looking at my flo app I’ve just realised my luteal phase was 8 days this month and has been 9 days every month so now wondering if this is the reason for my CM and no BFP since then

 

[Cloak]

I feel you. I have just demolished a load of chocolate but am I still going to test in the morning? Yes!

haha same same

 

[Keera]

Im already frustrated with OPKs. I usually know when I’m ovulating (or I think I do) because I get right or left sided twingey cramps and a lot of EWCM for a couple days.
testing this month and although it’s entirely reasonable I have or will miss my peak as due to long working hours I can’t test until much later in the day - they slowly started getting darker and then got an out of nowhere dark line (not as or more than the control line) on CD12 but because it was the darkest line I had then the next day went down to 0.06 or something the Premom app is saying that’s when I ovulated despite me having no symptoms!
I just find it weird that I would ovulate with no symptoms when I seem to get such strong indicators usually. I don’t see any other reason I would have EWCM (and TMI - a lot) for 2-3 days of my cycle every month if not ovulation?
I suppose it doesn’t matter because partner and I are really on the ball this month and so far since CD11 have made a pact to DTD every 24-48 hours (yes I’m exhausted of that already ) for the next week or so.
I just already regret starting to test as I’m doubting what’s going on and I don’t want to miss any chances

 

[littlepup]

Have a wonderful peaceful Christmas. I agree, this thread has been such a lifesaver when there’s no one else to ask these questions to or just to console each other 🩷
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Thank you lovely. Tbh any encouraging stories is helpful as right now I just have my own negative thought spiral. They are squinters for sure, but def not just Evap lines as I’ve taken lots. Anyway. Not much I can do except wait, I just needed a big cry and a feeling sorry for myself under the duvet morning. 🩷🩷

If you’re not actually due yet, a faint line is to be expected. Could you do the digital and just know for sure?

 

[vanilla cupcakes]

Which app have people found suggested ovulation dates to be most accurate?

I find flo is more accurate than clue, but none are spot on compared to the dates I get from testing!

 

[littlepup]

If it

I just checked there the strips are only 25iu/I but I think early digital ones are 10 but I could be wrong?

If it was clear blue it would be 10iu/l which would make it unusual that the 25s picked it up but the 10 didn't. I'd try to get a10 iu/l test in the morning for the best chance at a clear answer.

 

[aggytha]

First peak of this level I’ve had since I started OPK testing (only about 3 cycles). I had some 0.44-0.49 around the time Flo and Premom thought I would ovulate. Although I stopped BBT I also had a little increase around the time of those results.

when are you expecting your period? Are they regular? How many DPO do you think you are?

I know that LH levels can rise for some people just before your period is due, but your last test looks like a blazing positive to me?!

If you ignore the numbers, did you get a positive test around the time you thought you were ovulating? (Was the test line ever darker than the control line?)

 

[Jasminexx02]

7DPO and has really painful boobs today although could just be AF on the way… how is everybody else holding up?

 

[vanilla cupcakes]

Good luck on your journey!

Were you getting a peak on the easy at home ones?

I was yeah, I got it on CD13 for 3 months (which is today this month) but haven’t hit the peak yet according to the clearblue tests, I got high for the first time today so guessing I’ll hit peak in a day or two?

 

[vanilla cupcakes]

Same and I am not due on until Sunday. Only light spotting atm though but it’s never this early. Wondering if I recorded wrong start date

how strange! really hoping it’s a one off

 

[littlepup]

so strange isn’t it? Mine said wait a cycle as did the initial nurse, but google says it’s for dating and tracking purposes. The other nurses there and the booklets etc all said whenever we were ready/ right away

I read after mine that they used to say wait but that information is now outdated and there’s no physical reason not to try. But it all depends what source you read as others still said wait.

 

[littlepup]

Positive! Clear blue won’t show anything yet

Agreed. One step are usually 10mlu whereas CB weeks indicator is 25mlu so less sensitive. The instructions should say.

 

[User767676]

Spoiler: Pregnancy Test

And back to positive this morning, what is going on 🫠 I’m exhausted View attachment 2578162

Spoiler

this looks pretty dark to me. Was it within the time frame and does it have colour ? It looks similar to my earlier tests (my chemical never got that dark). I’d try and not do any more tests today and do a digital and maybe another cheapie tomorrow

 

[Brewtime87]

What ovulation tests does everyone recommend please? I’ve no idea what my body is doing after my miscarriage. I never did get the hang of using the little tests I had, I just luckily had DTD around the time I ovulated, which is much earlier than what I thought and what the apps suggested!

I always used the clear blue ones where you get the smiley face, they're not the cheapest whatsoever but I wanted to make sure I wasn't misreading anything. I get confused too easily at times
I am going to keep everything crossed for you x