Don't "July" TTC in our 30s can be fun with Bajingo Juice - July 2011 Thread - Page 3

[RosieL]

Caly - How long is DH around for, and how long will he have to leave for again? Fingers crossed for you this cycle. Relaxation is supposed to be the name of this game, so good luck with that!

Pitch - cervix position has me stumped. Like clay, it seems to be in the wrong place at the right time. I gave up on it, but still reach in there sometimes out of curiosity.

chap - Looks like the name of the game this month is less-stress-obsess-TTC month! :) YAY FOR HONOLULU!! How many days is your "layover?"

Boots - I stopped in to my local TCM practitioner. He hardly speaks english and the signs are all in chinese, which I took to be a good thing. He's not a fertility specialist, but he said $100 for the first visit and $60 each subsequent. When I looked dubious he said "But maybe discount in this bad economic climate." I don't know where those prices fall in the reference range. 

Welcome ErinBriana! Sorry for your loss. Hopefully, as always, you enjoy your stay here but that it is short!

Jessimaca - That women DEFINITELY stepped in where it was unnecessary.

AFM - I'm trying OPKs with FMU this cycle. If I don't do it first thing, I don't do it with any regularity. I also never withhold my liquids, so each month I get a less-than-positive result. Now that I know I can ovulate (as evidenced by the progesterone test), I'm experimenting with the OPKs. THis morning I got a darkened line, a few days before expected O, so we'll see if it keeps getting darker. 

I should clarify, I didn't *really* get a fridge out of the crying deal. I've been contemplating and thinking about the fridge since 2008 when we moved in here. But the stars finally aligned and the second hand place had a bottom-freezer french-drawer black unit that was exactly what I wanted. So, it all fell into place. :)

My MIL brought up an off-the-wall comment yesterday, saying that my SIL and I will have problems with our naming issue. Apparently SIL wants to name a girl baby same as me. Hmm. Well, My thought is that whoever has a girl baby first gets the name, no love lost. She's getting married in August and I don't expect she'll TTC immediately, but who knows. I would not be upset if she "took" the name because she has every right to it (It's a strong family name on both my DH's family sides), but I have a feeling she wouldn't feel the same. Seems like she thinks she has a right to it. In my head she has no more right to it than DH, but in this family it's mostly women who deal with kids, so they see it as ME taking the name, not DH. Otherwise I have an AWESOME relationship with my in-laws. It discomforts me that this could be a point of contention. :(

[Calycanth]

Boots, that seems like an awfully short summer break!  I hope you're enjoying your Harry Potter weekend.  I haven't read any of the Harry Potter books, and neither has DH.  We wanted to wait and read them for the first time with our kids...but I'm starting to get impatient.  I'm trying to remember which of our thread graduates tried acupuncture.  It seems like there were a few who thought it helped.  I can't remember who, though - maybe Birdie?

Rosie, only twelve days left before DH goes back to Alaska.    He won't be home again until September 9.  Regarding the baby name, I agree with you - first come, first served.  Or you could arm wrestle for it.  I bet you could take her.

Jessimaca, your coworker was totally out of line.  Ugh.  And there are plenty of women on these boards who got pregnant with 10-12 day LPs.

Chap, when do you expect to finish your dissertation?  It does seem like it might be easier to focus on one massively stressful endeavor at a time.

Hello to all the new posters!  It's nice to see some new avatars on the thread. 

My father-in-law (who is a very nice, low-maintenance guest) stayed with us Friday and Saturday.  He left this morning, so DH and I are having a nice, lazy Sunday.  The only items on our to-do list today are a BD session and a trip to the gym.  Our kitty is taking it easy, too.  DH snapped this photo about an hour ago.

 

[ISISandOSIRIS]

chapluqa ~ you may be correct about your hunch.  Dissertations have a way of weighing heavily on the soul.  It was probably the most self-induced stressful thing I had ever done in my entire life.... the Honolulu/California definitely sounds like the perfect reward.  I'm jealous!

Caly ~ meow!

Welcome newcomers!

I'm already feeling like AF is coming.  It's scheduled around Saturday.  Crampy, sore boobs, the works. Ugh.

[RosieL]

Kitty looks VERY relaxed. Oh...to be a feline!

[ErinBriana]

To Lilacvioletiris, nope, don't chart yet. Hmmm maybe part of the reason why I'm not prego yet. If I start I'll let ya know.

[Calycanth]

So, I wasn't planning to use OPKs this cycle, but my inner peestickaholic got the better of me today.  I used an internet cheapie, and holy guacamole!  I've never seen a test line so dark before.  It was twice as dark as the control line.  Kinda makes me wonder about my tests from past cycles.

I'd love, love, love to see a line like that on an HPT one of these days...

[lilacvioletiris]

So for those that use OPKs tell me the virtues of the GSB versus the "this line is darker than control" variety.  I am thinking of giving them a try if this month and next doesn't cause me to be pregnant.  I know that GSB "smiles" at you.  I am thinking I am wanting to get a few to try it out.

[Calycanth]

The digital tests take the guesswork out of it.  GSB either smiles, or he doesn't - there are no lines to interpret.  However, internet cheapies are MUCH less expensive, so that's a plus.  I got a bag of 25 for about $5.00 on Amazon.

[catheleni]

hi guys!

missed you guys, but i have actually dreamt about you guys.  so, tomorrow, hopefully, i'll catch up!

i just got AF at CD26 for no reason.  whatever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:)

[bootsvalentine]

Caly, I told my huz that you guys were going to wait to read Harry Potter with your kids, and he said "But they won't know how to do the voices!" Haha. I loved that. I guess you maybe have seen the movies but the books are another ball game. Actually I also really, really love the Stephen Frye audiobooks. And that would give you some good voices to imitate. If you are interested in those, let me know and I may be able to hook you up with them in a "for educational purposes only" copyright way. ;)

Tell me all about your pee stick! What time did you test? How concentrated was your urine? No question too personal! What angle did you dip? haha. No seriously, I NEVER see dark OPKs. So I am sooo jealous.

We had a bust with our t-shirt making. My head hurts from bleach and adhesive films and our "Potterwatch" t-shirts are crappy. Boohoo! Today just sucked for a variety of reasons even though I had sushi and I thought of all of you, because I told huz, "Pregnant women can't eat sushi, so ha!" But, as I just pointed out to huz, they messed up our order at the sushi place we've been going for four years and NEVER had our ordered messed up. More proof that bad days should be spent playing sims and eating pizza at home. I am so cranky. Hopefully Harry Potter week will help.

Hi Cath! Missed you! Hope things are well, can't wait for the update.

xoxo

Edited by bootsvalentine - 7/11/11 at 3:16am

[lilacvioletiris]

LOL, I have to laugh.  I woke up to this message on a facebook post about my first anniversary from my sister: "Yes! Start working on some babies. I so want to shop. No surprises I want to know girl or boy."  To which my aunt replied "Sara, sometimes even the DOCTORS can't tell. Every time I went in for a check on Jenny the important parts were not viewable!! - Connie"  and then my sister replied back "Well that is different though they have test too now".  If she is talking about an amnioscentisis, I know I won't be doing that!  Poke a hole in my uterus.  Um, NO!  When I get pregnant, I want to be surprised.

9 DPO.  Temp went down a little today but still up in my "high" range.  Waiting to see what tomorrow's temp is and whether to do a HPT or wait for AF.

[RosieL]

Oooh, Caly, I'm with Boots…tell me all about your pee stick! I would be so excited to see one like that!

Cath - Hey! Are you still swimming in kittens? How are the adoptions going? Glad you stopped by. Boo for an early AF but at least she didn't tease you with a long 2ww?

RE: Harry Potter…Oh the books are so very different from the movies. I'm so excited to read them each year (to prep for the movie). DH hasn't read them, but he tolerates my enthusiasm. Boots I wish you a very merry harry week.

[Calycanth]

Boots and Rosie, here are the gory details:  I tested around noon.  I'd had a large cup of tea with breakfast, but no other liquids that morning.  Pee stick went into the cup at a 90 degree angle and stayed there for three seconds (counted as one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi, three-Mississippi).  The test line didn't look like anything special at first, but within a couple of minutes it was a very dark purple. I was so surprised that I thought the test might be malfunctioning.  I used GSB as a backup (same urine), and sure enough, he smiled at me.  I must have just caught my surge at its peak.   Seeing that dark line gave me hope for this cycle, though, which is annoying (and silly, since it was just an ovulation test).  I don't want to be hopeful; my experience thus far has been that the more hopeful I feel in the 2WW, the more devastated I am when AF turns up.

Boots, you wicked temptress!  I love Stephen Fry.  I did see one of the movies, but I don't remember much about it (I was drinking wine with a girlfriend while it was on) other than Alan Rickman as Snape.  His voice will be what I imagine when I read the books.  I'm sorry your t-shirts didn't come out, and BOOOOO! to messed-up sushi.  Not cool.

Hi Cath!  Sorry AF showed up early.  I'm also eagerly awaiting your update.

Lilac, here's hoping those temps stay up!

[birdie.lee]

Cal, it wasn't me who did the acupuncture....I did do some fertility yoga though, which I do credit as being a help.  I can't remember who did acupuncture though!  And hooray for GSB!!!  

        

[Calycanth]

Hi Birdie!  Hmm, I wonder who it was.  I'm too lazy to read through the old threads and figure it out. 

[chapluqa]

Hi everyone!

I'm having a good day today and just wanted to share my happiness and excitement with y'all.  No, I didn't get a BFP!   I'm excited because I found what is pretty much my dream job (in academia, anyway) advertised today and it's the first time I've been excited about any post-PhD job prospects.  It would be a postdoc position doing research on social and political economy of alternative food systems (e.g. green/organic agriculture or indigenous bush foods) - and it's at the only university in the region of Australia that DH and I have dreamed about living in since the first time we were over there. We've been there 4 times in the past 3.5 years, that's how much we love it. Now I have no idea if I have a chance to actually get this job, since I haven't even finished my PhD yet, but it's exciting just to think about it. It's pretty much exactly what I've been envisioning/intending for the next step after I finish my studies (I sent out an intention of getting a job at this specific uni).  I've had lots of success with intending things into reality before, so hopefully this is another one of those. But even if it's not, I think it's a good sign that there are options out there for us. We have a slightly complicated situation since we're not permanent residents of Australia so can't apply for permanent jobs, but thankfully this one is for 2 years and is open for international applicants.  

By the way I think someone asked what I'm doing my PhD on - I'm in an interdisciplinary Environmental Policy and Management Program and my thesis research looks at sustainable urban water management issues in Sydney.  But I've always been really interested in sustainable agriculture so that's why I'm so interested in this postdoc. 

I even managed to channel some of my excitement energy into productivity in my writing and salvaged a fairly unproductive day in the late afternoon after I saw the ad.

We are really looking forward to heading to the US later this year, although it probably won't be until around November/December since that's when the airfares are cheapest and then we can be there for Thanksgiving and my mom's birthday.  We're hoping to spend around 4 days in Hawaii, probably on the way back since we'll want to warm up after December in Northern California (my parents live in the mountains where it snows in winter and is sometimes sooooo cold during Thanksgiving time)..

On the ttc front, looks like I'm 1-2 dpo as my temp just went up above the coverline today. FF hasn't identified ovulation yet but it looks like our BD timing was ok this month. Not perfect but hey, this is the month we're trying to relax about everything, right?  Anyway I'm starting to wonder if maybe it's better if it takes a little longer to get pregnant because it could impact my entitlement to paid maternity leave if I get this amazing postdoc job... (which I haven't even applied for yet, LOL at myself for overthinking/planning!)

I'm thinking of trying robitussin next month to see if it improves the CM situation.  Also maybe some OPKs although I've heard from quite a few people that they didn't really work...

[lilacvioletiris]

10 DPO and my temp is still up, even a little higher than my "average"  http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/LilacVioletIris

I feel like throwing up after eating breakfast and I felt fine before hand.  It crossed my mind to test today but I didn't put a cup to catch FMU in the bathroom last night and I had to go pee so bad this morning (I went out to eat for my first wedding anniversary last night and drank 2 huge cups of pink lemonade).  My DH and I were so tired last night, we just fell asleep after eating out.  I feel pretty energetic today though after 9 hours of sleep.  Wait and see tomorrow where my temp goes, down or up higher.  Day 11 or 12 is when my temp usually drops.  I am excited and a little scared.  I wonder what will happen next.

[RosieL]

chap

 - It's AWESOME that a post-doc position opened up in your dream field and locale. I'm hoping for a similar miracle myself in about four years. :) In my field people usually go on the job market after proposing but before defending their dissertation. You should be able to apply just fine from an ABD situation, right? In any case YAY for a good day!

I'd like to throw in my two cents about OPKs. They work, but they can just be really frustrating. I was worried that because I never got a true "positive" (test darker than control) then they weren't working. But since doc confirmed ovulation with a progesterone test once, I'm now much more comfortable just trusting the darkest OPK as the "positive" one. I get a clear darkening to lightening pattern. That and O-pain are the only indicators I have of ovulation, so OPKs are important to me. CM and CP are far from useful in my situation!

Good luck Lilac! Happy anniversary. :)

Today my temp went up, despite my waking and temping at 4AM for no good reason. I'm pretty sure I woke up due to TTC thoughts (I did insurance research last night). Not good. Maybe the doc is right, and I should stop temping. 

[ValH]

Just wanted to pop in to say hello!

Caly - I remember someone using acupuncture, too, but can't remember who it was.  I tried reflexology, but just once (couldn't convince DH that it was worth the investment).  Sounds like a good idea to try something new!  And yay for the super positive OPK!

Chap - Good luck with the job posting you saw today, I hope you get it!  As for the OPKs, there will always be mixed reviews on them.  I personally loved them, especially the GSB digital smiley ones.  The ones with lines honestly drove me crazy. 

Lilac - Your chart is looking good!  I'll be stalking to see how it goes over the next few days. 

Boots - I can't believe it's time for you to go back to school already!  It seems like you just started your break.  Ugh, no fair for you. 

Hi to everyone else, Rosie, Cath, ISIS, Erin, and anyone else I missed. 

Taxlady, Bel, and TickleToes - thinking of you and missing you!!! 

[RosieL]

Lilac posted a link to hokie's chart in another thread and now I remember, it was hokievol who got her BFP after a month of acupuncture to extend her LP:

http://www.mothering.com/community/forum/thread/1315519/june-30-somethings-ttc-1/200#post_16508114