TTC #1 in our 30's February Thread - Page 9

[SarahJen]

Just checking in to say
How are the 2WWers doing?

[Cattibrie]

kJad29, Wb. Hope you and DH had a great trip. Grats on your new thermometer

MajorGroover, Right there with ya' about FMU being the only test-worthy pee of the day. It's kind of funny. I was/am feeling good about not testing until AF is officially late, and now it looks like she'll be early.

jen&james, Hope your test went well :

Meh.
My temp took a swan dive this a.m. I'm expecting AF to show at some point tomorrow. For extra fun, if she does come tomorrow she'll be early. Not by much, but still... :
On the bright side. Now I'll be able to try out my pre-seed, EPO, and get to play with my OPK's more

Good luck to all who are still in the running for this cycle : :

[beckyphry]

Originally Posted by dctexan

Hee hee Becky, did you erase that ticker harassment part (because it was there in my email notification). Anyway, just for you, I changed my ticker

I must have pregnancy brain. The fact that you weren't doing every 5 weeks on your ticker totally threw me off!

Fingers crossed for the 2wwers!! :

[Dee-Groovy]

Cattibrie for your temp this AM & for feeling like AF is coming early. Hopefully it's just because you're sick? Are you feeling any better?

Kemi those are some awesome temps you've got there. New thermometer seems to be working nicely.

Kripa your chart looks good - how's your 2ww going?


Kat where did you go? I can't stalk your chart anymore and it was looking so nice! I hope everything's ok.

to all those waiting to O and anyone I forgot who's waiting to know!

Emily thanks for the diss writing advice. I actually haven't started it yet : and I know that my rationalization about being pg is stupid and silly. It helps that I have 2 close friends who are writing now, and getting past the proposal has given me some motivation to start writing again. How your postdoc going? When do you hear about your grant funding?

Becky and Emily, and any other preggers ladies that still hang around - what are you doing/feeling now that TTC isn't eating your brain? Did you shift all that time and energy to obsessing about being pregnant or has life gotten more normal? Every month when AF shows I say I won't get wrapped up in TTC but a week later I'm back in the thick of it.

6dpo here and I really wanna POAS or OPK or anything really. I've been having the usual LP cramps and twitches but I'm trying not to put too much stock in them. Today I started getting lots of creamy CM. I haven't figured out yet whether that's a pg symptom or not - I had it both months I was pg but I also had it the following month when I wasn't pg but everything was weird from being pg 2x in 2 months. : Guess I'll find out soon enough.

[Dee-Groovy]

Hey Cattibrie nice temp rebound! :

[CowsRock]

I'm behind again, but I won't write a novel this time....promise

First off, to Michelle, Jen and Xenon

Shannon, that is great that you have a regular schedule with your martial arts. I'd agree that having a calmer mind far outweighs losing some sleep.

Christina, yes your mind loop about massage school is pretty much how mine is also. I love my Reiki practice, even though I only have one regular client and two occassional clients. But my regular client is actually one of the reasons I can't really expand while still working my other job. But the reason for that is great...I see that client 3 evenings a week! It's great!

Cattibrie, I looked at your chart and YAY for your temp being back up this morning! I love that Legend quote, it is crazy how often that line pops in my head. I'll say it outloud and hubby is like, uh, why are you thinking about that. The only quotes in my head more often are Buffy quotes. I didn't realize that there are people that actually don't like Legend <gasps in horror>, my hubby sadly is one of them. He watches it anyway.

Dee, your timing looks great. : Keep that pee to yourself!

Xenon, your carob chip obsession is hilarious. The thought of eating straight carob chips is gross to me, but I have so many, many friends that love them. I've never really developed the taste for them.

Kemi, welcome back. Your chart looks good, weeee for the new thermometer!

Jen (of Jen&James), I hope your test yesterday went well.

Dee mentioned that some hubbys can become too pooped with the 2x, and that definitely happened with mine, but we also started trying too early in the cycle. It was before I had enough experience with OPK's to really trust waiting for them. We ended up with 8 times in six straight days...it was crazy! The cycle I'm in now was the first cycle I really put my faith in the OPK's.

My tww is going by fairly quick but that is because work has been really hectic the last couple weeks. My period usually arrives at 16 dpo and I'm on 10 today. I'm planning on testing next Friday if my period doesn't arrive. For the most part I'm pretty neutral this cycle, we did what we could, said our prayers, and now we wait.

Oh, and thanks for the all the sympathy from everyone regarding my mind loops and thanks for sharing yours. There are just so many life options but it is hard to make good decisions when there is really one big piece of life information that we just don't have. I've been trying to decide between at least three career paths and really I'm just forging a completely new path and dragging the other three paths along with me. Although I think one path I'll be dropping for now...yes, Kemi, it sadly is the lactation consultant path. I have put a good chunk of money into it, but now that I can truly afford the classes I have very little extra time because I'm working so much, which is why I can truly afford the classes now, etc. I'll just keep moving forward and just keep re-evaluating the life info as I have it, that is really the best I can do at this point. See I'm already feeling like I can't drop the other path. :

Ok, well I guess this did reach small novel length...sorry!

[Cattibrie]

Thanks guys I'm pretty happy with my temp rise ths a.m. So, now the question is, did it drop because I've been infected or did it rise because I am (this cold just will not go away)? Or, did it drop for other reasons? If all goes well I'll be testing Sunday morning

"Nobody digs your music but yourself." Billy in Purple Rain

[CowsRock]

Originally Posted by Cattibrie

"Nobody digs your music but yourself." Billy in Purple Rain

I actually never saw Purple Rain the whole way through. I was watching it at a friends house and she was fairly controlling and also she had many more freedoms than I did. She said we should watch it but at some point decided I shouldn't watch some parts so she covered my eyes, and then ultimately turned it off. Looking back she probably wasn't allowed to watch it and had second thoughts. But for some reason the whole experience made me not want to watch it. Isn't it weird the things we just "accept" without even thinking about it? I can't think of any other reason why I never watched that movie when I got older because I really like Prince. That same weekend she said we could smoke the butt of her mom's cigs and even though I wasn't going to go through with it I hadn't said that yet, but at the last second she was like 'oh no you can't do it'. She was probably expecting me to raise an immediate fuss so she could blame me on not doing those things, in the mean time it takes me a while to process things and so I was still thinking about what I was going to say and do and how she would respond, etc...hey, I've been in mind loops my whole life Funny, what one innocent seeming quote can dredge up, eh?

"Do math majors multiply? Do eggs get laid?" ~ Bruce Willis in Moonlighting
(In the interest of full disclosure, I googled Moonlighting quotes, but how funny is the egg part for our TTC life?)

[dctexan]

Originally Posted by MajorGroover

Emily thanks for the diss writing advice. I actually haven't started it yet : and I know that my rationalization about being pg is stupid and silly. It helps that I have 2 close friends who are writing now, and getting past the proposal has given me some motivation to start writing again. How your postdoc going? When do you hear about your grant funding?

Guess what Dee, if you already have your proposal done, you HAVE started your dissertation. Hooray! Your proposal can be adapted to served as your dissertation intro and (obviously) your methods. Now you just need to start filling in the blanks . You can do it Dee! I'll be your cheerleader!

Originally Posted by MajorGroover

Becky and Emily, and any other preggers ladies that still hang around - what are you doing/feeling now that TTC isn't eating your brain? Did you shift all that time and energy to obsessing about being pregnant or has life gotten more normal? Every month when AF shows I say I won't get wrapped up in TTC but a week later I'm back in the thick of it.

I had hoped that this would happen, but sadly, no. I am just as obsessed as ever. In fact, it is kinda worse. At least while TTC I was only truly crazy during O time and the TWW (I was semi-productive during and one week post-AF). Now I am crazy all the time. The whole TTC (and now being pregnant) has kinda put things in prospective. I do love my job and my work but it just doesn't seem to be as important as it did when I was in my 20s. I don't know. It is kinda like work used to be my baby (I didn't mind working crazy hours 7 days a week because I just loved it so much), but now I find myself fantasizing about having a "normal" 9-5 job where I have set tasks I am responsible for each day (rather than the panic I feel over coming up with my next big - fundable - idea, designing experiments, trying to get papers published, writing grants, giving talks, teaching, etc.). I find the idea of having a "job" (rather than a career) appealing right now. I just want to leave work and work and not feel guilty about it, you know? Hopefully a lot of this is just first trimester fatigue and I will feel more "into" work soon. Right now I feel like I am just treading water when I NEED to be swimming.

Wow. I hope I am not being too depressing!

On a happier note...
: Cattibrie!!!

BTW Kripa there is a total hole in my heart where Buffy used to be. I miss that show SO MUCH!!!

[CowsRock]

Originally Posted by dctexan

BTW Kripa there is a total hole in my heart where Buffy used to be. I miss that show SO MUCH!!!

Oh, mine too. So then you can appreciate that often when I'm in my mind loop about what I should be doing to make money, I also have a part of my brain singing, "Where do we go from here. Why is the path unclear." I might have to watch the musical again tonight.

[PiePie]

I had the same massive priority shift (work vs. baby) as Emily. Frankly it took me totally by surprise: (1) I thought pregnancy was the accomplishment I was going for, and once I got there the obsession would be done (whereas it's worse); (2) I had always been so career-identified; and (3) I thought that the baby vs. career thing wouldn't kick in until the baby was here! Just goes to show you how life is full of surprises. I hope I get my career mojo back soon...

[kJad29]

MajorGroover: I'm really enjoying my new thermometer. For real, I've never had temps this high. I'm enjoying at the moment.

Kripa: Say it isn't so!!!! You're no longer working on your IBCLC? Aw man!!! That's okay though, you've learned so much that you probably will know the tricks to get through breastfeeding when you have your own little one. Also, there's always LLL. You can become a leader and that's 500 hours a year.

It's funny that you guys mentioned Purple Rain. When I was in VA visiting my parents TVOne had an I love Prince movie marathon on. Basically they were playing Under the Cherry Moon, Purple Rain, and Graffiti Bridge in a continuous loop all night. I watched Graffiti Bridge, but I missed the first 30 minutes and I vaguely remember Purple Rain. I'm a Prince fan, even when he changed his name to the symbol and wrote slave on his face. He was and still is quite awesome. His music is so great. I remember not being able to see Purple Rain the whole way because my parents said that there were some parts unsuitable for me so I just left the room when they came up.

I also miss Buffy. I didn't really watch it like I wanted to. I was studying a lot then and I also had dance classes so I missed quite a few episodes. I tried to catch them in syndication, but you know how that goes. I think I'll just have to rent the full seasons.

Anyways, any testers tomorrow? Certainly not me. I'm only 10dpo. Good luck to those testing though.

[beckyphry]

Becky and Emily, and any other preggers ladies that still hang around - what are you doing/feeling now that TTC isn't eating your brain? Did you shift all that time and energy to obsessing about being pregnant or has life gotten more normal?

Life has definitely gotten more normal for me. I thought I'd switch my TTC obsession to a pregnancy obsession, but I haven't. In fact, I almost think I'm a little too laissez faire about being pregnant. I need to get into an exercise routine and make sure I'm always eating healthy. Of course, now I just have thoughts about how I'm going to deal with working or not working after the little one comes. I still haven't figured out exactly what I want to or can do and it's weighing on me. But TTC made me so anxious, it's such a rollercoaster! Now I have other things to worry about, but it's a different kind of worry.

Cattibrie, you've got good restraint by not testing yet! Looking good! : I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow!

[CowsRock]

Originally Posted by beckyphry

Cattibrie, you've got good restraint by not testing yet! Looking good! : I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow!

Yes, Cattibrie, yay for another higher temp!

My temps are all nutty this cycle, but if you notice all the sleep deprieved days that explains a lot. I pretty much resigned myself to not giving much stock to my temps early this cycle because I knew I was taking on new work with my main job and that my schedule would be nutty. It's hard to not automatically react to the temp drops, but thankfully I quickly remind myself that I'm not counting on these temps to be my accurate picture this time around. I'll know when I know. It is kind of freeing actually to feel like my temps don't mean much right now.

[Dee-Groovy]

Cattibrie your chart still looks fabulous! I'm so excited for you to POAS tomorrow! : You have amazing willpower!

Kripa sorry your sleep deprivation is screwing up your chart. I know how that is. So far I have kept my pee to myself but I'm not making any promises that I can continue to do so. I'm glad you're making decisions about which paths to pursue - it must be hard to drop one but overall it's good for your sanity, I'm sure. Will that path be available in the future if you want to pick it up again? Sometimes we get so worked up about making the right decision that it feels like a relief to make *any* decision at all. I have this problem with selecting shampoo, so you can imagine what a nutcase I am when it comes to big decisions!

Xenon eew carob chips!?! I was allergic to chocolate as a kid and carob was my substitute. Now I'm a chocoholic and stay as far away from carob as I can. To each her own!

Emily I that you will be my diss cheerleader! DH is going to be out of town for a week starting today so I hope to sit down and get serious about it while he's gone. I was already planning on using the proposal as an outline, and the methods section should be pretty easy to throw together.

Thanks Emily, PiePie and Becky for your input regarding the career/job/motherhood decisions. I've never been career-oriented in spite of the fact that I'm getting a PhD. I think I just stayed in school b/c it's what I'd always done and I'm fairly good at it. I've always known that family was more important to me than anything else and I've never been the type to work 50 hours a week. Emily I feel for you having to worry about ideas and writing and funding and all that. Although I like academia I'm pretty sure I'll end up in industry so I can have a "job" instead of a "career" at least while my future kids are young. Becky it's awesome that you're so relaxed about this pregnancy - I hope I can be the same way... soon!

Kemi your temps are looking awesome! How long is your LP usually?

I'm 7dpo again. I can't help messing with my temps b/c I usually test more than 1x a day, esp around O. So now my chart looks pretty darn good and O was on cd12 like "normal." I think it fits better with the CP/CM data too.

Happy weekend everyone!

[kJad29]

Hi Majorgroover:

My LP is usually 13-14 days long every month. So we're waiting until 18dpo because last month I had a long (34 days) cycle due to ovulating late. I'm basically, not worrying about this right now. I've never had temps this high or consistent, so it's making me wonder. I'm trying to stay very objective and look at my chart like it's not mine at all. You know, how would I analyze this chart and what would I say if the chart weren't mine? I'm trying, but it's hard because this is my chart with the high temps, not somebody else's. I usually look at a chart like that and tell myself that I think the person is pregnant and would be surprised if it isn't true, but I can't say that about myself because I don't want to jinx myself. So here I am in the "mind loop" of thinking, "well my chart looks like I'm pregnant, but it could be that I switched thermometers, but then again when my old thermometer was brand new, I never had temps that high, but that could be because this is a more accurate thermometer, but...etc. etc...": So basically right now I'm trying to not think about it. I'm just going through the motions and have already ordered some more OPKs for next month and have a game plan for it. If I'm pregnant, I'm going to give the OPKs away after my 12th week. I'm doing a lot of : at this point.

[cking]

Kemi, I know what you mean. I'm trying to stay objective about my chart. I didn't even pinpoint what day I O'd, so I'm not waking up every day and saying "well, now I'm xDPO....". So far it's working.

to everyone! I've been just lurking lately. Wishing you all well....


Piepie, nice to see you here. Are you feeling any better lately?

[kJad29]

Originally Posted by cking

Kemi, I know what you mean. I'm trying to stay objective about my chart. I didn't even pinpoint what day I O'd, so I'm not waking up every day and saying "well, now I'm xDPO....". So far it's working.

Yeah, it's hard to look at your own chart and see it for it's possibilities. It's like you've been trying so hard that you forget that a pregnancy may actually be the end result of all the timing, peeing on everything, waiting, living your life in two week increments...

[Dee-Groovy]

Originally Posted by kJad29

Yeah, it's hard to look at your own chart and see it for it's possibilities. It's like you've been trying so hard that you forget that a pregnancy may actually be the end result of all the timing, peeing on everything, waiting, living your life in two week increments...

ITA! I was like that but I'm getting better... I think. OK, maybe I'm not getting better at all. Confession time. I've been dying to POAS for a few days now. Today I managed to hold my pee for almost 5 hours and I've been having cramps and twinges all afternoon. I could have POA-OPK but that wouldn't give the info that I want. So I POA internet cheapie HPT. : Of course it's BFN. I'm considering it a negative control, a purposely negative test that I can compare potentially positive tests to. Ya, I'm a science geek AND a POAS addict.


Kemi you chart looks even better than when I last checked it! Is that even possible? Your impersonal chart analysis is a great idea, obvioiusly one I'd never thought of!

Christina it must be nice to not be counting dpo and obsessing. If only I could let go.

Nico what kinds of vitamins/supplies did you get for this cycle?

[cking]

Originally Posted by MajorGroover

I'm considering it a negative control, a purposely negative test that I can compare potentially positive tests to.

Ok, I have a confession. A week or so ago when I was on cd7, I took a test. Don't ask me why, I know it didn't make any sense. :but But remember I said I was in denial? Well, my boobs never went back to my original size, and the weekend before I had an amazingly high sex drive, and it was only about cd 4 or 5 - that never happens. So I woke up one day and decided to test.

Anyway, all this to say that it was so so so negative. There was absolutely nothing on there. So, yeah, I now have a control negative. And now I sort of believe that the very faint positive I got back on New Year's Eve actually was a (faint) positive.

Not that that helps anything. But maybe it's a relief to know that it may have been a 'chemical'....that we actually do have the potential to conceive.

ETA: Dee, your chart looks very nice. I'll be stalking you.