(Part 2) Best products from r/TryingForABaby

I can't believe this is real. Get ready, this is about to be a NOVEL. I've been waiting to write this until I had the time to sit down at my computer and hash it all out. I want to note that I'm going to include a lot of stuff here, but it does NOT mean I attribute it to my positive. Having a baby is biology and luck. However, I was always looking for something "new" to try differently. Each failed cycle I really wanted something else to grab onto and give a chance, just so I could feel like I had something to control. For those of you like me, I'm going to include all the random crap I did. Here we go!

Cycle: 5 (1 after CP)

Age + Partner's age (if relevant): I am 29, my husband is 31

Typical cycle length: 25 days

Ovulation cycle day: CD13 (although FF thinks it was CD14)

CD/DPO of positive test(s): 8/9DPO. The day before my positive, my husband and I thought we had a suuuuuper squinter on an FRER, but it was one of those "if you tilt it this way you can kind of see it" lines so we assumed we both had line eye. Now I sort of wonder if it was a line or not.

Tracking methods and app(s) used: Temping, OPKS, tracking CM, casually checking cervix. Fertility Friend Premium for all of it! Premom for tracking OPK pictures. TempDrop for temping.

Relevant days of BD: Based on O day of CD13, we hit O-5, O-4, O-3, and O-1 twice.

Supplements and medications (yours and/or your partner’s): Me: Vyvanse (30 mg 1x daily, currently tapering off), Trazadone/Melatonin/Benadryl (I take one of these to sleep each night, but it varies which one), Vitafusion Prenatal gummies, Vitafusion Vitamin D gummies, Vitafusion Omega-3 gummies, CO-Q10, Folic Acid, andI took Mucinex the week leading up to ovulation. Husband: CO-Q10, Vitamin C gummies, Vitafusion Men's Gummies, Vitafusion Omega 3 and Vitamin D gummies. We take a lot of gummies.

Birth control history (if relevant):
On and off various pills for years. Most recently, Mirena IUD for 4.5 years, out at the beginning of March.

Link to chart:
If you wanna see a weird and ugly chart, here you go! Not all BFP charts are climbers or are triphasic! Keep those Hope Fortresses alive!

Link to lineporn: Most recent update

Symptom spotting:
Very, very little. The only legitimate symptoms I had (and still have) was pinching/tugging in my uterus region. I describe it as such: it feels like there is a hermit grab in my uterus, he is pinching at the insides but he has rubber protectors on his lil' pinchers so it doesn't hurt, it's just a weird pressure. This same feeling happened with my CP (although it turned into cramping that time). The sensation last cycle and this cycle is completely unlike anything else I normally get.

Also, the night of 7/8DPO (the night before my negative test that may have been a super squinter) I could not sleep. I had absolutely horrible anxiety and felt like I had restless limbs (I call them my "anxiety limbs"). I felt squeamish and horrible. I had a weird, horrible sensation in my right groin. The next night, the same thing happened, the next morning I got my positive. I'd like to note, the weird right groin/hip flexor sensation hasn't gone away. It's still there. Also, I've had tons of creamy CM and my RHR has been elevated ever since my first positive.

Other (advice/tip(s), freaking out, miscellaneous): You have all impacted my life in such a positive way. I didn’t realize what an online friendship and community could really be until I found TFAB. You are all so fucking funny, brilliant, kind, uplifting, witty, real, and honest. You have kept me going and brought me hope, laughter, and a place to rage during the dark times.

Really, I love you all. I have cried more than once about leaving this sub. That may sound silly to some, but this place has been a fucking lifeline for me. After my CP, the kindness and outreach I received seriously got me through. I’ve never been apart of a community quite like this, but I’m damn blessed to have had you all. Please reach out to me if you want to keep in touch. I understand if you don’t want to right now, but if you feel up to it please do. Chat or message me. You can even change your mind down the line. I’m still planning to hang out here and help out where I can.

I always searched the BFP archives and posts in this sub for information to help reassure my personal TTC anxieties. I always wanted to hear more from people in these posts about what they were concerned about, so that if it aligned with my fears I could feel a bit more hopeful because they'd had a positive test. And so...

Things I worried about while TTC that I hope reassures someone: I always worried about fertile CM. The first thing I will say is that with each cycle I have started to see more of it after my Mirena was removed. However, I really didn't see it very much like many women do. I never had "gobs" of anything, ever. If I wanted to see any, I had to drink a TON of water. I also tried Mucinex and it seemed to help a bit, but not like it does for some women. If I had it, it was almost always watery with the occasional EWCM, but only after a bowel movement.

I worried about my period being super light. Since coming off Mirena my periods have been extremely light and short. Sometimes I don't even need a tampon and can just use liners. I was worried this meant my uterine lining was too thin for implantation. My periods have slowly been getting a little bit heavier, I think it's just taking time for my body to adjust after Mirena. Or, more likely, I'm aging and my body has changed and no longer bleeds like the 16 year old me I remember.

I worried that my prescriptions, namely Vyvanse, were somehow keeping me from getting pregnant. I didn't want to stop it until getting pregnant because my life is extremely challenging without it.

Things I worried about so I avoided them: I worried (with no basis in science) that running was getting in the way of implantation. For both my CP cycle and this one I did not run around the general time of implantation, so anytime after 5DPO. I'm sure this was a coincidence, but I wanted to note it. I also worried that sex/orgasms would get in the way of implantation so I avoided them this cycle after ovulation (I've been traveling so it made it pretty easy lol).

Some recommendations I have: TempDrop is the best, get one if you are so able. Please consider enrolling in the PRESTO study: http://sites.bu.edu/presto/enroll/. These sleep bras for LP breast pain at night and for holding your TempDrop are amazing. The pads are removable. Considering reading Expecting Better by Emily Oster and Taking Charge of Your Fertility.

Woo woo things (because sometimes you just get to this point): I found this fertility self-massage in the BFP archives. I bought a piece of raw rose quartz and polished rose quartz. I kept them with my after ovulation, either in my bra or my pocket. I also thought things such as: "I am ready to be pregnant", "I am pregnant", "my body is working towards a healthy pregnancy". Etc.

Currently I’m in limbo on this damn vacation. I haven’t been with my husband since I found out I was pregnant. He knows obviously, but not being home with him and our fur kids, in the safety of my house and my routine, is incredibly challenging. I’ve had so little control over my life these past 5 days. Dehydration, crappy food, heat exhaustion, over exertion. I can’t wait to go home and have control over what is going on with my body. I will feel so much better then. ONLY ONE MORE SLEEP! I just need him to hold me and tell me this is all going to be okay. Only then will this feel properly real.

I want to end on this note: go to bed tonight knowing that many of you (you know who you are) have impacted my life in a profound way. You’ve done something really good for a fellow human being, who you’ve never met in person. Your kindness has stretched across the internet and into my life. I know that’s cheesy, but it’s true. Please keep in touch. I wish you all SO MUCH LUCK and am hoping for the very best for you. Space Bean is rooting for you.

\> So it seems we’re both healthy and doing all the standard stuff, to have sex every other day, with the key day being 14 days after the first day of your cycle etc etc.

*note - skip to the last paragraph if you only want a response to your direct question*

I would strongly recommend tracking ovulation. 14 days after the first day of your period might be an accurate date for some women to ovulate, but it may very well not be for you. Also, you're most likely to get pregnant on the 2nd and 1st days prior to ovulation (because sperm needs to be in the fallopian tubes ready to meet the egg which takes time, the egg only spends 12-24 hours in your fallopian tubes, and sperm can last up to 5 days inside you), so its important to try and have sex before ovulation.

I track using a combo of tempting and using OPKs (ovulation predictor kits). I use [this](https://www.amazon.com/Basal-Body-Thermometer-BBT-113Ai-Temperature/dp/B07KB2QFDY/ref=sr_1_14?crid=2W5KN789ZPDMU&keywords=bbt+thermometer&qid=1569518618&sprefix=bbt%2Caps%2C768&sr=8-14) thermometer to take my temperature upon first waking up each morning and I use [these](https://www.amazon.com/PREGMATE-Ovulation-Strips-Predictor-Pregnancy/dp/B01G5WGNVQ/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=pregmate+opk&qid=1569518667&sr=8-1) to detect ovulation. Tracking your temperature can only confirm ovulation after the fact, so if you're only going to use one method, I'd suggest the OPKs. The temperature tracking though for me is nice because it lets me see averages across my cycles and also gives me comfort knowing that I did actually ovulate (OPKs detect your lutenizing hormone surge, but you can have a surge and not ovulate). The OPK instructions will tell you what day to begin testing, but personally I'd recommend starting 2-3 days earlier than they recommend. The general advice is that once you get a positive, have sex every day for the next 3-4 days. However, if 3-4 days days in a row is a lot, do it the day you get a positive, take a day off, then do it again the next day.

Another option is to use what they call an "advanced" OPK. The ones I linked are only considered positive if the test line is as dark as or darker than the control line. So theoretically they are only detecting your "peak" LH surge. An advanced OPK is designed to detect both "high" and "peak" LH surges, and this can give you another day or two of "advance notice". Also, since your peak LH surge might be anywhere from 12-36 hours in advance of ovulation (this is another reason why tracking your temperature can be useful, you can narrow down about how much time passes between peak LH surge and ovulation), it may turn out that you have a bigger or smaller window to have sex after you get that peak OPK.

That said, even with the basic OPKs you can see the test line getting darker over time if you start testing early enough. So when I first notice the line getting darker, I let DH know and we have sex that day, then when the test line is most dark, and then depending on how my temps look and the time between the first and second sex, we might do it again the day after the super positive OPK or two days after (knowing that this last session is a "just in case" I ovulate late, and probably doesn't increase chances of getting pregnant).

Now for your actual question - I really, really feel you on the sex scheduling thing. Neither me nor my DH like it, and it does make sex feel like a chore. Especially for him because honestly I don't have to orgasm to make this happen. When we're not TTC, we're 1x per week people, which is just not going to work to make a baby. As of right now, I put on our shared calendar when I estimate my fertile window is going to be when I start the first day of my cycle. As we get close to the opening of the fertile window I remind him to refrain from having "personal time" and we also don't have sex in order to increase our motivation during the fertile window. Then when we need to have sex I am blunt and tell him that we're going to need to have sex that day (I do my best to tell him in the morning). Then later in the day (we're SUPER not morning sex people, plus we both work so daytime sex usually doesn't happen) I go out of my way to be as nice as possible and try to put him in the mood, which usually involves squashing the rage I feel when he complains about TTC not being very romantic (really? as if I don't know that? as if I don't put effort every single day into TTC while you only have to do it 3x a month, let along the effort I'll be putting in for the 9 months of pregnancy and the 12+ months of breastfeeding after, ohhhhhkkkkayyyy).

I'm pretty late to the game, but thought this book might interest you: https://www.amazon.com/Fertility-Diet-Groundbreaking-Research-Ovulation-ebook/dp/B0010QI2J4

It's based on good research, and I think it contains recipes, but there are caveats:

1. It's linked to higher fertility rates for women who have struggled to get pregnant because of irregular ovulation, so it's not necessarily helpful for every woman
   
   
2. It's based on a large scale correlational study, meaning that they had a lot of woman answer questions about their diet and then waited to see if women who ate in certain ways were more likely to get pregnant. So, the best they can say is like, "We have reason to believe these foods are related to higher fertility, and it seems causality is a likely explanation, but we can't definitely say it's causal." So, like, maybe women who want to be healthy tend to eat a lot more legumes and full-fat dairy than women who are not trying so hard to be healthy, and it's just easier to get pregnant when you're eating healthy. This might be especially true because the data is a bit old (the study began in the 70s), and I think that ideas about "healthy food" were a little more uniform back then than they are now, so people who were health conscious tended to have pretty similar diets.

CW: Previous loss mentioned

Cycle: Trying since April 2017


Ovulation cycle day: 13


Relevant BD/BD method: Husband coins the phrase "Fuck week" method. Sex every night from CD8 to CD16.


Tracking methods and apps used:


First cycle using Ava bracelet. 🙄 I used FF for a long while but over time started to genuinely despise temping. Temp drops would send me into downward spirals in the wee hours of the morning. My husband started to resent FF. My cycles were very regular and since I knew I typically ovulated between CD 12-14 (thanks to FF), we adopted fuck week protocol and stopped with temping some months back. I would encourage anyone starting out to jump right into temping because I regret not starting sooner but would also encourage anyone to stop it if it's making you miserable.


As for the Ava, I had an abandoned HSA account from an old job with a few hundred bucks and (for whatever reason) it's too big of a pain to merge it with my current HSA so I've been running it down. Ava is kind of neat but I assure you, you do not need this thing. It's overpriced for what it does, imo.


Symptom spotting:

Nipples were mildly tingly but they were last cycle too so I didn't put much stock into it. Bloated and gassy before BFP but still did not register until after the fact.


Day of positive test(s): 14 DPO (CD 27)


I'm away on business travel this week and next. I got my BFP in a hotel bathroom alone on Wednesday morning. Thanks to the huge bathroom mirror, I got to see the big smile on my face. 😊


BFP stands for big faint positive in my case because the line was there but no where near as dark as the control. I brought a few cheapie ClinicalGuard tests from Amazon with me on this trip. I took another test CD16 (Friday) and it was still faint as the first. Que deep panic setting in. Turns out there's a number of reviews on Amazon warning not to use these for line progression purposes. I have a FRER at home I can take when I get back. Debating if I should get a Clearblue Digital while I'm down here to show hubs when he picks me up from the airport later this week. 🤔 🤷


I had a miscarriage at 6 wks this year in April and had a very faint line on a FRER at DPO 16 then. Nothing like prior miscarriage to rob the joy of a positive pregnancy test. (This is why the faint line has me so terrified.)


I did get a fucking grip after I read this article so panic averted for now. A faint positive is still a positive. The line on a home pregnancy test isn't going to tell you if you will carry to term. It's just pregnant: true/false. Embracing the "today, I am pregnant" mentality and cherishing the bloat, gas, and increasingly sore boobs.


Supplements and medications:

NatureMade Prenatal Multi+DHA

NatureMade CoQ10 100 mg

NatureMade D3 25 mcg (1000 IU)

Now Fish Oil DHA 500/EPA 250


Husband was also taking the same only swap the prenatal with a Men's One-a-Day vitamin. We've been on this regimen for a while now. Hubs also takes Adderall.


Birth control history, if relevant:


Two back to back Mirenas, last one removed April 2017. Had not had my period for many years until ttc. Forgot how much it sucked. It took about 3 months to normalize after removal.


Typical cycle length: 27 days


Health conditions/medical tests: Sedentary and stressful office job. Otherwise healthy.


Link to chart: Ava chart

I switched to "pregnancy monitoring mode" or whatever and now I can't see what the chart looked like before that. :/ It said that I ovulated on CD 13 (Sept 26). OF COURSE, the one night I forgot to wear was a fairly critical data day CD 12.

Note that the temp rise is not very clear post ovulation. (Not as clear as I was used to on FF.)


Link to lineporn: Squinty Arrow added for husband's benefit.


Other (advice, magic secrets, freaking out, miscellaneous):


I have been stressed out to the max with my job this cycle. So much for "just relax and it will happen". 😂 That being said, I have gone through a weird attitude adjustment over the past few cycles. Hard to describe. I stopped being so negative and also stopped being overly anxious about making things perfect. I drank coffee throughout this cycle and into ttw. I tried to get up from my desk and walk everyday. I didn't consider myself out immediately just because something wasn't optimal. I read somewhere on Pinterest, "You don't need perfection to get pregnant" and it really stuck with me. In the end, conception happens on the microscopic level and how you feel about it isn't going to impact much. So you might as just go with the flow. My husband helped me see this. He really helped lift me out of my funk.


I fly home on Thursday and wouldn't you know it, hubs and I have our first appt with an RE on Friday morning. (Nuts to think I made this appointment in August.) If everything stays good by Monday (Tuesday the latest), I'm going to call to cancel or reschedule a month out and see how it goes.


I would have been due in December with the baby we lost earlier this year. Hopefully I will be far enough along to make an announcement at the family Christmas party instead. 🤞


Sending my love and best wishes to everyone reading and congrats to the other BFP posters this week! There was a long time when these threads were too hard for me to read so also sending my love to those in that place too. ❤️❤️❤️

Edit: Looks like I am heading back to that place too... 😭

Absolutely! Honestly, if you're not a little worried about bringing a person into the world, then you're probably not ready. That's the way I've always felt about it.

As for getting ready, now is the perfect time to pick up a copy of Taking Charge of Your Fertility, a Mabis basal body thermometer, and to find a good pre-natal vitamin and DHA supplement. I personally use a combination of Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal and Nordic Naturals DHA. They work well for me, and I got my period right when I expected to after getting my IUD taken out and have been regular as clockwork since.

I would also recommend signing up for FertilityFriend; it's the most common app we're all using, and does a great job of helping you keep track of your cycles. You don't have to go all in on temping (and if you choose not to, don't worry about the thermometer), but I've found it to be so helpful to keep my expectations in check rather than clinging to hope that "Maybe this period is just implantation bleeding".

But in terms of priority, I would highly recommend you pick up TCoYF, and getting started on a good pre-natal. Hope to see you around!

The Optimal Prenatal from Seeking Health is actually pretty small- about the size of a Tylenol capsule. But the downside is you have to take 8 each day. Yes, 8. Upside is they're pretty high quality with the more bioavailable forms of vitamins and they're MTHFR safe if that's a concern.

Seeking Health also makes a Prenatal Protein Powder which I personally thought was pretty cool. So if you really hate taking pills you can take your prenatal as a protein shake.

Gummies are also a great option for anyone who doesn't like taking pills. I personally really like the SmartyPants Gummy Prenatal just because it has L-methylfolate instead of folic acid and other "better" forms of certain vitamins. But any gummy would probably be just fine.

Keep in mind if you're doing any of the above, including a different type of gummy, that there is no iron. If you need the iron you'll have to supplement it separately.

ETA: There is also the Rainbow Light Petite Mini Prenatal. They're pretty small and you take 3 a day.

I agree on the it may take longer than you think. Also we were kind of just going for it every month around when we "thought" I was ovulating, this is my first month of charting my BBT, using ovulation predictor kits, and using Fertility Friend and I REALLY wish I would have because now I have an idea of what my body is doing when.
Couple helpful links:

• Fertility Friend They have an app too.
  
• Thermometer
  
• Ovulation Perdictor Kits You will have to get some little cups to dip the stick in, but temping plus using the OPK's really help you read your body and let you baby dance when the time is right.
  
  Good Luck!

Cycle: TTC for 22 months


Ovulation cycle day: I stopped using ovulation tests a few months ago as my cycles have always been pretty regular, and I started forgetting and didn't want to spend more money on them. I knew about when I would be ovulating, so we just made sure to hit that window. I noticed EWCM on CD 12 and my app calculated (I assume from previous history) that I ovulated on CD 16.


Relevant BD/BD method (SMEP, Shettles, etc.): BD on CD 9, 12, 14, 17 and 23!


Tracking methods and apps used: Glow app


Symptom spotting: I had fatigue and headache on CD 16 and 17 and the sore breasts began on CD 18 and haven't stopped since! I've also noticed in the past week that my nipples have been sore. The even bothered me throughout the day from rubbing on my bra! I thought it was definitely odd that my breasts were that sore for so long.


Day of positive test(s): The evening of Friday, June 2, CD 28, DPO 12! I bought a test on my way home from work because I just had a feeling. Honestly though, when I took it I was just expecting a negative, as that has always been the result. I could barely finish in the bathroom before it turned a blazing positive!! Didn't even have to use 1st morning urine!


Supplements and medications: I have been taking prenatals since before we started TTC. I wasn't sure how soon we'd conceive, so I wanted to be sure I had a good supply of nutrients in my body beforehand, in case it happened quickly. Here is the list:

New Chapter Prenatal - (3 pills a day)

NOW DHA/EPA - (1 pill a day)

Solger Folate - (1 pill a day)

Vital Proteins Beef Liver -
(I was taking 1 pill a day, now I upped it to 3 pills a day)

Viva Naturals Krill Oil - (1 pill every other day)

Great Lakes Collagen Powder - (I haven't been taking this while TTC, but I've already purchased some and will be using it every day!)


Birth control history, if relevant: I haven't been on birth control in many, many years.


Health conditions/medical tests: Chronic headaches, although I have noticed that it's pretty much food related. That and my acne. I've been eating much better the past couple months and it's made a HUGE difference. I never was tested for anything, since we were TTC for 22 months. Hubs did get tested in March and everything came back completely normal. I had my yearly checkup in July, so that was when I was going to discuss my next steps.


Link to chart: http://imgur.com/a/JvE7v


Link to lineporn: http://imgur.com/a/xOqfr


Other (advice, magic secrets, freaking out, miscellaneous): According to all the apps and my calculations, today I am 4 weeks, 1 day! Hubs and I couldn't be more excited!! I know it's still really early, and that scares us a little, but we've never seen a positive test before and today I AM PREGNANT! It's been a hard 22 months for the both of us, but when we saw that positive, it made it all worth it. As for how I'm feeling today: I have been cramping a little bit and my chest is still sore. No morning sickness yet, but honestly I can't wait for ALL THE SYMPTOMS! I'll be calling my doctor on Monday morning to schedule my first appointment. :D


If anyone has any questions, please let me know!

Not an expert by any means, but I'll take a stab at your questions. OPKs can predict when you are ovulating, but can't confirm that ovulation occurred. You can confirm that ovulation occurred by temping and seeing a rise in your temp afterwards. In month 5 of temping and I've found it to be such a part of my routine now, I don't think about it too much. I don't stress so much about waking up at the EXACT time though because I found it was affecting my sleep. I generally get up around the same time and as long as I've gotten 5 hours of sleep, that's what I go with. I've purchased 3 thermometers and this is the one I like the best. It has memory, is back-lit, and takes it relatively quickly.

As far as BDing, it's my understanding that O-1 is kind of the holy grail of BDing, but not the end all to be all. O-2 and O are both good days too. I would say O+1 and +2 are less important, but since you are only going by OPKs they could actually be O and O+1 (or something like that) since ovulation can occur 12-24 (or is it 48?) hours. That's why temping is helpful, because he can confirm that you actually did ovulate then.

I think what makes a good vitamin is the one you can keep down that won't make you puke! ha!

Before my first pregnancy, I took Folate and Vitamin D. Once I got pregnant, I wanted prenatals from a good source, so I paid a premium, I really like these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005JAT3TU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1

I took prenatals through breastfeeding as well (it was recommended), so basically haven't stopped taking them as I'm TTC for #2 now.

I don't know what ordering online would be like for you, but I got this Geratherm Basal Digital (German company) off of Amazon and I'm quite happy with it.
I went of BC after over 10 years on it, and my cycles were really regular, just like I was on BC right away, but I wasn't temping or charting, so I don't know if I was actually ovulating or anything. I'm on my second cycle of charting now and it's really nice just to see that my body is doing something other than bleed regularly.

I don't have experience coming off BC before TTC, but prior to starting the TTC process, I read this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Expecting-Better-Conventional-Pregnancy-Wrong/dp/0143125702

It has a lot of great details on the author's experience coming off BC and very helpful (and promising!) statistics :)

I take red raspberry supplements as well as this tea. Before using it I didn’t have a strong temp shift, the cycle I used it helped everything from steadier temps to better CM. Best of luck!

The specific mechanism of action is a little over my head, but there are quite a few studies pointing to it improving issues related to PCOS- namely, reducing insulin resistance, similar to metformin. Here is one of the studies. I haven't been officially diagnosed with PCOS yet- I have an appointment on the 3rd- but based on symptoms (long cycles with heavy bleeding even when I did ovulate, a few very long anovulatory cycles, sore boobs all the time, constant random patches of EWCM whether ovulating or not, cramps at random times during my cycle, rapid weight gain that has been absolutely impossible to get back off despite counting calories) I suspect that I have it, so I decided to just live as if I do this cycle and see what happens. I needed a new prenatal anyway so I was super excited to find this one that has those supplements in it and save myself some money and taking a billion pills at a time! Link

Thanks for the reply!

It's not that I don't trust the university, it's that I'm wary of the transmission and digital storage of information. My dad's in the IT field and has a deep lack of trust with information security that he's somewhat passed on to me (even though I don't really know how any of it works).

And I've also already got a FF account with VIP.

I would like to help with the data and possibly changing incorrect information that's out there. I haven't read the Impatient Woman's Guide, but I have read Expecting Better and I am really appreciative about the information behind the Do's and Don't's of pregnancy. :)

First of all, you're not stupid. You're stressed out!

Best way to know what's up - pee on a stick. =) (Seriously!) And if you haven't already seen them, Amazon sells them way cheaper than even the dollar store. (http://www.amazon.com/Wondfo-Pregnancy-Test-Strips-50-count/dp/B004AOMAOG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1376517187&sr=8-2&keywords=wondfo+pregnancy+test)

That said, I have several friends who've recently gone off the pill, and every single one of them has said the first month or so is absolutely nuts. Hormones are regulating, mood swings all over, total pregnancy symptoms as your body adjusts to 'normal', whatever that is for you.

As far as breakthrough bleeding (fake period) or a regular period, that doesn't 100% mean you can't be pregnant. Plenty of women have periods all the way through pregnancy, which seems almost impossible, but it happens more than you might think.

And what you're describing (food aversion, bloat, fatigue, etc.) are pretty typical symptoms of hormone flux, PMS and pregnancy. You know, because nothing can be simple. :P But really, all of that can be totally normal while your body adjusts to the hormonal changes from stopping the pill.

I know what it feels like when I'm pregnant because I've been pregnant, but it's going to be totally different for everyone. My telltale signs may not even exist for other ladies, and vice versa.

So... don't feel stupid, and if you can't handle the stress, pee on a stick! =)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0017RZHYY/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_z7rbub1S7J9GB

I bought this one for $9+free shipping, and it's been great for me. It beeps once when you turn it on, beeps a few times when it's finished, and then beeps once again when you turn it off. It goes to the hundredths place, and keeps your last temp in memory.

So basically I set an alarm to wake up the same time every day, turn it on and stick it in my mouth. It is a little slow I guess, so I usually fall back asleep with it in my mouth but then the ready beep wakes me back up to take it out and turn it off. All the beeps makes it easy to know what I'm doing in the dark so I can just go back to sleep until I need to get up. Then when I get up I just check the last recorded temp (press and hold the on button) and record it.

I've been using it since the beginning of June and the batteries are still fine!

Sorry for the novel.. just wanted to be thorough :)

Ha. Ha. Ha. We take almost the exact same supplements. I’m horribly Vitamin D deficient so I take that, prenatal, CoQ10, probiotics, vitamin C, B-complex, Fish oil, and calcium. My B-complex is this one. I’m not sure which one is bad? Mr. Spooky takes one (same brand) that’s just B-12 and folate for energy and it seems to be helping. I’ve mostly phased out the Vitamin C now that it isn’t cold season. Have you had your levels for all of the B vitamins checked recently?

If you haven’t already I’d make sure to add a few more vegetables and nutrient dense foods to your diet. Every little improvement can help!

Happy to share! I used/am still using Emerita Pro-Gest (http://www.amazon.com/Emerita-Pro-Gest-Cream-tube-PACKAGING/dp/B000IMQE5U/). A quarter teaspoon twice a day. If you search for the word "pregnant" within the Amazon reviews there are lots of reviews from people who used it to conceive, in what dose, and for how long. Good luck!

I would recommend some reading - I liked Expecting Better since it explained things like nutrition and exercise in very scientific, data-driven ways, and explained the difference between things you absolutely should or should not do (there are very few of these, basically no crystal meth) and what's up to your interpretation of the data available. I've seen several OBGYNs before and since I started trying and was never given the kind of information I was looking for -- I had to do my own research.

On mobile so I don't know how to link, but
http://www.amazon.com/Expecting-Better-Conventional-Pregnancy-Wrong/dp/0143125702

Good luck!

>

I believe a lot of people have wondfos?

/r/TFABChartStalkers has a good intro post. It's okay to buy the thermometer, start temping, and learn how to "interpret" and refine things later. A wonderful place to start is doing it every other day around your fertile time (if I were you, I'd start up around CD15), and taking folic acid/prenatals.

And welcome! Hope your stay is short.

https://www.amazon.com/NATURELO-Prenatal-Whole-Food-Multivitamin/dp/B01M3Q83PG

These have been great for me. I take all 3 with breakfast and have no nausea issues. Vegan, soy free, gelatin free, and everything I want in my prenatal. Worth the price IMO

Hello! I have been diagnosed with vulvodynia and vaginismus, so I know your pain. I highly recommend this book: https://www.amazon.com/When-Sex-Hurts-Womans-Banishing-ebook/dp/B004JN0FCW/

Your doctor's tutorials are a great place to start, I recommend taking a deep breath and only looking at one resource at a time. It can feel overwhelming.

You may also be curious about the Beautiful Cervix Project if you want to see what your anatomy actually looks like beyond the speculum. (NSFW)

WTT for about 6 more months here. I just started Garden of Life. I'm glad that husband is super sweet when it comes to the various charting paraphernalia that I've purchased.

I had a LH of 6-9 days.. the first month i used Progesterone cream and vitamin B complex(100 mg) i had a LH of 13 days. Hope that helps :)

I bought this cheapie from Amazon

It's been working pretty good for the past ~5 months (when I started temping).

For period tracking, just enter the heaviness of your flow into the app the same way as other info. Tap on the date, choose your current happenings under "Period/Menses/Spotting".

Your body temps during your period and up until ovulation should be low (mine is usually 97 to 97.4), then once ovulation occurs til your next period it will be high (mine is usually 98 to 98.6).
Once you get your period (or a day or two before it), your temps will drop again and you're onto your next cycle.

Your temps will stay high and you wikl not get your period if you are pregnant (plus a positive pregnancy test :) ).

I really like preseed. A little goes a long way so I only fill the tube to the first line.

Because of this, I still have a ton of product leftover by the time I've used all of the included single use applicators. Solved that problem by buying some additional applicators on Amazon. These are a perfect fit for the preseed tube.

We only use it during my fertile window for cost reasons.

I have the Geratherm one which is super simple but I actually like it a lot more than the bells-and-whistles one I had. It had a backlight and stuff but it took forever, the measuring end was huge and wasn't that accurate.

Your HCG is fine, but your progesterone is low. I'm not a doctor, but this is my opinion. Let's work backwards on doubling time:

• 3w5d - 12DPO - 50
  
• 3w3d - 10DPO - 25
  
• 3w1d - 8DPO - 12.5
  
• 2w6d - 6DPO - 6.25
  
  You little poppy seed probably implanted around 9DPO, but it could have happened anywhere between 6DPO-11DPO. Now let's realize that whatever way you throw it, HCG does not start at 6.25 at implantation.. It's much lower. So whatever way you look at this, your HCG has more than doubled from implantation to get where you are today.
  
  Here's another thing to look at. The median HCG level at 12DPO is only 43... You are above that!
  
  Additionally, look at the average outcome of pregnancy vs HCG level at 16DPO, which I hope you realize is 4 days from now and you already are at 50!
  
  It my my personal, non-professional opinion that you are fine as far as HCG is concerned. I would worry about you progesterone. Your Dr may have been concerned because 1) he misunderstood how far along you were 2) he was purely referring to your low progesterone numbers or 3) he doesn't really understand early pregnancy HCG values based off statistics.
  
  If your progesterone is low and your Dr won't prescribe supplements, get some OTC Progesterone cream. It has a pharmacologically significant amount of progesterone and could help tremendously. There hasn't been enough medical studies done to say one way or another whether progesterone helps, but I believe it does and many women over at r/CautiousBB would agree... And when it comes to progesterone, the sooner the better!

I can speak to Pre-Seed..I think I could get more than 9 uses out of it (just started using it this cycle). I use about 1/2 of what they recommend, and probably could use less. You can also use Pre-Seed like lubricant so you don't need to use an applicator. I like using the applicator because you can get the Pre-Seed right at the entrance of the cervix. I thought about washing and reusing applicators but decided not to because I didn't want to risk the chance of an infection during my FW! One other idea is maybe trying to buy some vaginal applicators online? https://www.amazon.com/Disposable-Applicators-Individually-Threaded-Contraceptive/dp/B0195C8I52/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1512047662&sr=8-3&keywords=vaginal+applicators

The sidebar recommendations on temping refer to the Easy@home thermometer, is it...

• this one: http://amzn.to/2DKrKAC looks kind of like the Mabis or iProven
  
  
• or this one: http://amzn.to/2DKXgyl looks like the iSnow one, but not available anymore :(
  
  Thanks!

This one from amazon! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076CXBDLB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's been great!

Thank you! Btw this is inbetweenismine 😂 I was/am using this- fertility supplement

Why not just get a pack with applicators and clean them really well (boil them?)

Orrr Amazon comes through again

CD34 and WTO still. I'm going to give vitex a try since my cycles have been so irregular, does anyone have experience (good or bad) with it? I ordered this prenatal because why not. I figured it won't hurt and it might help.

I get these OPKs: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01G5WGNVQ and these pregnancy tests: https://www.amazon.com/ClinicalGuard®-Pregnancy-Test-Strips-Individually-Sealed/dp/B007VT3BUE
The pregnancy tests are a little more expensive for the 50 pack right now, but the prices vary. It looks like the 100 pack is less than 0.20/test!

I gotta be honest with you, I thought they'd be smaller, but I've never taken a standard prenatal. I have a little trouble with them because they're are a little bit wider than a standard Tylenol and I'm just a terrible pill-swallower lol

There's a good size comparison photo in the reviews on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Rainbow-Light-Prenatal-Petite-180-Count/dp/B002CPRLH6?th=1

Yep! On Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IMQE5U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This one has the highest concentration from what I could tell on Google. It is marketed to menopausal women I think.

The book Expecting Better has really good information about morning sickness (including stats on likelihood of experiencing it) and multiple levels of intervention you can take with your doctor.

From what I remember, basically all the options for reducing morning sickness have extremely little/no risk to the developing fetus, but women can be very resistant to taking any meds during pregnancy so doctors don't always recommend them. In your case I would ask for them early and discuss this with your doctor so you can know the options you have available to you. Especially if the idea of vomiting is going to cause you lots and lots of stress, taking something preventative could help you remain more calm during early pregnancy.

Well I am in India so I bought it off healthkart.com a local site. But it's available on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/FertiliTea-Natural-Fertility-Tea-Blend/dp/B0006SFQGO/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Amazon- Pack of 50 strips for $18.99 and Prime shipping.

Guilt-free peeing sister... Guilt-free peeing.

http://www.amazon.com/Wondfo-Pregnancy-Test-Strips-50-count/dp/B004AOMAOG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1404182738&sr=8-4&keywords=pregnancy+test

Here's a pill size comparison: Amazon

This is the exact thermometer I bought (I've been temping for a while, so I bought it three years ago and it's not available any longer). I believe this is the new version of it.

Have any of you guys tried fertilitea?

I remember my wife saying something about it at one point.

> You'd think I'd get less pregnant ladies than the other options because lunchmeat

The whole "avoid deli meat" thing isn't true anyway. Source: Expecting Better.