POAS again or just wait for AF now???

[doodledoo]

Hi Ladies Little bit embarrased to be asking for help as I'm not around on the boards much!  Did make a comeback when we start to ttc no 3 in June but I just don't know how you ladies manage it! I just can't seem to get time to come on - so hanging head in shame but asking for opinions!

I'm on CD 39, having ovulated on cd 15 according to FF, though I think it was more likely to have been 16 as I had some o pains that day.  Anyway, that makes me 23/24 dpo and no bfp - last test I took was on cd 32 (so 16 or 17 dpo) and it was a def bfn! 

I had a week of awful nausea last week which made me hopeful, it and a lot of cramping like af was on her way.  Those have mostly gone now, but I feel like I'm carrying a water melon around!  I just came off cerazette at start of June & this is my second 'cycle'.

Any thoughts?  Is it worth POAS again, or should I just wait for AF?  Or any other opinions??

Many thanks! 

Here's my chart

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/1eeaa4

[Jaimee]

No reason to hang your head in shame!  I don't think you need to feel like you have to answer other people's questions in order to ask your own... just ask away! 

Well, your situation is a bit puzzling.  Taking a look at your chart, O is not extremely obvious.  You do appear to have a set of lower temps and higher temps, but you also have some dips well below the cover line.  O pains can happen before, the day of, or after ovulation so often it is difficult to rely on those alone.  Your CF and CP were definitely the most fertile around CD 15 and 16, but you also did not consistently log CF or CP observations over the next week.   I see that you had some creamy on CD 19... this could have been another patch of fertile CF, possibly pointing to a different O day.  Notice the temp dip on CD 20.  Certainly this could have been a dip b/c of a mini surge of estrogen, which also caused that day of creamy.  But it could be your O day.  But even if you did O on CD 20 you'd be 19 DPO today and that would still indicate pregnancy. 

I see you tested on 11, 14 and 17 DPO.  The first two could have been too early, but the test on 17 DPO should be accurate for most women.  If you didn't O until CD 20 then you tested on 6, 9, and 12 DPO.  All of which could be too early.  So my advice is to definitely POAS again.  Go get a two pack of a sensitive test like First Response Early Response or a dollar store/generic drug store test that only requires an hCG level of 25.  Test today after holding your urine for as long as you can.  If you get a BFN or a squinter, then test again tomorrow with FMU. 

Late implantation (around 12 DPO) will lead to a later BFP.  Also, embryos produce hCG at different rates so it can take longer for the level to rise.  Also some women do not metabolize hCG into their urine as quickly as others and this will also lead to later BFP's or "failing" HPT's. 

Lastly, if you are not pregnant, a corpus luteum cyst could explain your continued high temperatures.  This type of cyst is not common, but it is thought to happen to every woman at some point in her menstruating career.  It is benign and usually resolves on its own within a few weeks at which point your temps will drop and you will bleed.  An u/s or sometimes external palpation can determine if you have a cyst.

Good luck and keep us updated!

[doodledoo]

Thanks so much for your reply. You gave me so much detail & I agree with you completely, it's been a crazy time recently and Dd(2) has taken to not sleeping very well which prob hasn't helped. I think the days that I didn't chart cm where because I didn't have anything worth, but I'm going to go back & check my paper notes to be sure.
So I poas yesterday afternoon & think there was a very faint line. Same this morning & I timed it to be sure wasn't reading after time yesterday & with fmu I think I see another faint line. Yikes, feel kinda bokey, had convinced myself this last week or so that it was a cyst. Tests were Internet cheapies that are supposed to be sensitive down to 10 & from the same place that I got a much darker line at 15dpo with dd2. Can't decide if my minds playing tricks with the lines or if I should go get a frer or something-was home alone with kiddos last night so couldn't go get one.
Oh, I'm so pathetic , I want to believe a lines a line but just can't convince myself!! Will update later, any other thoughts be greatly appreciated!

[Jaimee]

Get a digi!!!!!!   There are a few brands that only require an hCG level of 25.  It will take the guess work out of squinters!  Oh, and post pics! 

[doodledoo]

Thanks again, I really appreciate your input & it's nice to have someone cheering me on in the lunacy!!!  So, I went and got a first response early result - it's positive!!! Even DH sees the line, I hadn't shared with him about the others before now as I didn't want to get his hopes up before I was sure.  I'm cautiosuly excited but now I'm stressing that the line was quite faint and at this many days dpo, wether that's 20 or 25, I would have expected a big glaring positive & I also just had a bit of brown spotting.  So, I'm cautiously celebrating & DH has gone to get a digi to take later, but stressing a little that my hcg seems low!  Have made an appointment with my GP for next week & will ask for a blood test to see what the levels are actually at when I'm there.  So hope this is it & I'm going to get to start the long battle for a vba2c!

I will post pictures later, only have my phone at minute & it's not focusing enough to take a picture that isn't really blurry!

[Jaimee]

Yay!!!  Congrats!!! 

I know what you mean, but remember that a line is a line and the darkness of the color is NOT meant to be indicative of your hCG level.  Anecdotally there is evidence that climbing hCG creates darker and darker lines, but the manufacturers of the tests are very clear that you should not read into that.  One thing that does have some evidence to back it up is the speed at which the line appears.  Apparently one study did find that lower hCG levels required the full amount of allowed time to show up positive whereas higher levels created a line earlier in the time window.  But, beta levels will put your mind at ease if you continue to worry.  Spotting is very common- especially around the time of expected AF- and if it's brown that indicates that it's older and hasn't continued.  So FX!! 

[doodledoo]

Well good morning! The confusion continues! Digi yesterday afternoon was 'not pregnant'. Was going to repeat with the second with fmu but I've been really crampy all night & have some blood stained discharge so going to wait it out until tomorrow or Sunday & see what's going on by then before taking any more hpts.
Wondering how often false positives happen on frer & if maybe my sample yesterday afternoon was just too dilute - or maybe grasping at straws!!

[Jaimee]

What digi did you get?  More of those require higher hCG levels and if you didn't use FMU it's possible that there just wasn't enough to trigger the test.  False positives are almost unheard of.  Evaps, squinters, user error, etc. now those happen.  But if you clearly saw a colored line within the time frame that meant you had hCG levels over 25 at that time.  They could be dropping if you're having an early m/c.  Waiting it out sounds like a good plan, though I know that's hard. 

[doodledoo]

Struggling to wait it out but determined!! Used a clearblue digital which I don't think are that sensitive. Still some funky, gungy brown stained discharge going on. Will update when I take another hpt or af hits with full flow! Really hoping it's the former.
Thanks again!

[Jaimee]

I believe CBE digis have a published sensitivity of 50 instead of 25 like the previous tests you took.

[doodledoo]

Just a quick update. Bleeding, dark red, on & off now & my temp has dipped to coverline this am. Wasn't going to waste another test but couldn't resist & used an Internet cheapy which is faintly positive. Going to ring the doc this am, presuming I'm at least threatening miscarrying if not actually. Will update later.

[Jaimee]

Sorry to hear your temp dropped and you're bleeding.    These signs certainly point to an early loss, but I will keep my fingers crossed that it's just some light bleeding with pregnancy.    Keep us updated!

[doodledoo]

Just back from seeing the gynae people who have confirmed an early loss. Would add a sad face but on phone & can't figure out how. Thanks jaimee for all your thoughts. Next time .......

[Jaimee]

So sorry Doodle!      Best of luck for next cycle or whenever you feel ready again!