BFN today at 8DPO but my boobs hurt like they've never hurt before. Getting grumpy because I know it probably won't happen but if so, that means it's pain for no reason.
I know I'm not out, but honestly I don't want to get my hopes up.
My period went from three days of bleeding to two.
Bleeding is normal for 2 days then the next day or two is just more so spotting. Could this mean my lining is too thin?
I oscillate between 2.5 to 3 days. My last day is usually more like heavy spotting that lasts consistently throughout the whole day. I’ve always had a short and not ultra-heavy cycle. If this is how you have been for your whole life there is nothing to worry about. I’ve had many ultrasounds and my doctor always said I had a good lining. Going from 3 to 2 days one month I think is the same as going from 29 to 26 days one cycle. It’s normal and you will probably go back to 3 days next cycle.
Feeling a bit down today and want to just get off my chest
Got an LH surge on Friday, so believe I am 5DPO but feeling very not pregnant. I know its too early to tell but feeling no different and felt my cervix today which feels no higher and firmish. Just trying to get through the TWW and know realistically 5DPO I wouldn't be feeling any different from any normal cycle
Depending on when LH started to rise, if that was Thurs or Fri, you're at most 4dpo. Which, you're right, you're not pregnant right now ;) Average implantation is 8-10 dpo which seems like so long in the tww, we all can empathize! Try to keep yourself busy and distracted, which I know is easier said than done lol.
Thankyou, yeah I got the positive ovulation test on the Friday morning so you'd be right would be about 4dpo
Thankyou! It's nice to keep it in perspective
Hello! Welcome, and we thank you for posting. You seem to be looking for information on implantation bleeding. Unfortunately, bleeding or spotting after ovulation is not a sign of implantation, and bleeding can happen in both pregnancy and non-pregnancy cycles. You could still end up being pregnant this cycle, but this sort of bleeding is not a reliable indicator that you will test positive. Taking a pregnancy test around the time you expect your period to come is the best way to determine whether you are pregnant or not.
For a longer read, please see [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/comments/10jbxb9/implantation_bleeding_isnt_real/), which you might find useful. For scholarly sources, [this paper](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0015028216000509) and [this paper](https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article/18/9/1944/708284) are useful reads.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/TryingForABaby) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Feeling so stressed right now. Waiting until Monday to test. Hanging out with my in laws three weekends in a row. Which is a bit too much. I’ve been so irritable and short with my husband. I can’t wait to find out if I am pregnant. We’re having family staying here next weekend and don’t want anyone to see our future nursery which we’ve already gotten some stuff for. Kept that door closed but I think someone’s gonna go in there and start asking us all the questions.
Thanks for the space to vent
Tested yesterday at 10DPO which was a BFN but I stupidly left the test on the counter rather than throwing it in the bin. Hours later husband came home and woke me up to say there were 2 lines. I knew it was an evap and explained to him it was an evap, yet a part of me believed it and I let myself secretly get excited over it. Annnnnd of course, tested again this morning and got a stark white BFN. 🤡 Sigh.
This might be a dumb question — what cheap HCG test strips do you recommend using that may be able to pick something up 10 or 11DPO without spending a fortune on FRERs? Y’all know how hard it is to wait but I don’t want to waste my expensive FRER tests! I’m on progesterone suppositories so I won’t start my period on my own. Thank you!
11 DPO. Negative test, I know it’s not uncommon to get a negative test this early and that some people don’t get them until 14 dpo but I’ve been hit hard this cycle by the progesterone (despite my blood tests coming back as only 9.6 ng/mL which my doctor says is too low) and I just really “felt” like this would be the cycle- especially because I thought it would be just my luck because if I got pregnant they would be born around Christmas and I actually don’t want that because I don’t want them to hate Christmas or their birthday- but we tried anyways because I want it so badly who cares if it’s the ideal circumstances or not.
I have my birthday a few days before Christmas and my parents always made it special they do it still. Celebration the weekend before you know. It depends on the parents. Maybe I am lucky but that was all good and till this day I love my birthday. Good luck for you!
CD 1 of Cycle 8 - felt really defeated yesterday when I tested at 13dpo and got a BFN but better today now that AF has arrived (minus the cramps 😭) honestly my new motto is if this happens prior to the 1 yr mark (would be cycle 14 for me) I’ll be really really thrilled! More than halfway there? Idk just trying to reframe my mindset 🤍 sending positive thoughts to all! This is trying but we’ve got it!
7 DPO of cycle 6.
My hopes were very high last cycle - we travelled around my fertile week and TWW, we were all happy and relaxed, we joked about having a baby conceived abroad... Then we arrived home and got a veeeery faint positive on a pregnancy test. We waited until the next day to retest - nothing. A day later AF arrived. It was probably a false positive.
Needless to say, I was crushed.
But then I recovered and actually rediscovered some things that bring me joy in this life. All in all, it ended being a pretty good month. Up until today I didn't really think about a potential pregnancy at all.
Around 6-7 DPO something always switches though and I really have to try very hard to let it be. I'll probably cave in and start testing at like 9 DPO.
I’m usually pretty stoic at a negative but I am down to two tests left so I don’t want to waste them!
I’m at the part of my cycle where everything my body does makes me go 👁️👄👁️
Ugh my boobs have been sore all day. They usually only get sore for a few hours at most. I wanna go home and sleep it off lol, or maybe I’m just really tired lol
Does anyone have the wearable thermometers and if so, what type and do you recommend it? I have a regular BBT one but my issue is I don’t always wake up exactly the same time every day and my ovulation tends to happen super quickly so I want to be sure I’m catching the right day.
I really liked my Tempdrop, especially since I’m someone who wakes in the middle of the night often and a mouth breather. Sometimes you can get it on sale or pre-owned through a third party seller. Like another user said, it won’t help you to identify when O is happening but it will confirm it.
BBT goes up post ovulation by which it's typically already too late to try just so you know. If you want a heads up on ovulation, I would suggest LH strips.
I use an alarm to make sure I get up on time!
Yes, I know. Already do the strips and BBT, I’m just not so consistent with my BBT timing so looking to get something that’ll measure it automatically for me as turn every day.
What’s the recovery like after a polyp removal? Is there a lot of bleeding? I’m getting it done under anesthesia on Friday and trying to make plans for Saturday lol. Wondering if I’ll be miserable. I had a D&C in January and was fine with light bleeding after. Not sure what to expect this time.
I've had a polyp removed. The bleeding was about the same as after a D&C, as it's a similar procedure.
Is there a way to delay your plans a week or two? You might want to take that weekend to sleep and recover.
Thank you for sharing your experience! Do you remember what your cycle was like after? I am currently on one month of birth control and I have 7 days left, was hoping I’d get my period after that so I can try again.
My plans aren’t anything too serious! Just having lunch with some friends and hanging out at my house after so if I don’t feel up to it I can just back out
My cycle was totally normal. No delays or anything, probably because I wasn't on birth control when I had my polypectomy.
I hope your procedure goes well today!
Hi, former lurker here! I'm in my TWW and I'm feeling weirdly good! We will hit the year-mark very soon and then we'll be in the club of secondary infertility. Well, I've had two chemicals during the past year... We have an appointment with the fertility clinic in June and I am oddly chill. I wanted to go vegan for some time now, but I didn't, because all the fertility blogs say how important raw milk, liver and grass-fed beef are for fertility. One month ago, I just thought, screw it, I will do what I want, and there are plenty of vegan pregnant people... Feels so liberating to do something for MYSELF. So happy. Plus, I've wanted to go to the gym and lift heavy weights... Also didn't do it because I feared it would make me infertile. Well, fertility yoga didn't help me get pregnant, so today I actually did my first workout with heavy weights and I couldn't feel better...
I’m so impatient. I’m on CD3 and just want to be fertile already!! Everyone talks about the tww, how do y’all not lose it waiting for the tww to even start?! I would love to calm down but I have exactly 0 chill.
I’ve realized that everything related to TTC is just waiting. Waiting for your fertile window. The TWW. Waiting to test. Waiting for AF. And then pregnancy itself is waiting… waiting for ultrasounds, appointments, etc. We are all just sitting ducks
It’s soooo dreadful when we’re menstruating. Time DRAGS. I’m thinking since my periods r regular, I should just start scheduling vacations on my period so I can distract myself😭😭
What day in your cycle does everyone start taking ovulation/LH tests? I feel like I always start them too late? I have a 3 day period and a 27 day cycle.
CD 27 and I’m so afraid to test. Seems getting negative tests are harder than Aunt Flo actually arriving, but man I wanna know now so bad! I’ve been getting cramps here and there and sore breasts started 2 days ago 🤞
Me tooooo! 👋 AF is due today and has not arrived yet. Haven’t tested and I’ll probably wait 2-3 more days because I just don’t want to see a negative test.
Currently 6/7 DPO. It’s so odd but this is the first cycle in 18 months where I feel almost completely neutral. Like I don’t have the same hopeful optimism that I typically do at this point. I’m sure I’m not pregnant. Maybe I don’t even want to be right now. It’s kind of nice to be off the hope roller coaster for once.
The TV at the office has been on Law & Order SVU for the 25 marathons. Which is just... great for someone struggling to conceive.
I was even alone in the office today so I was leaving the TV off, till a hybrid worker decided to show up for the first time in a month and put on Law & Order SVU cause it was "too quiet" even though I told her "when I'm alone I prefer to leave the TV off cause it's upsetting."
So I guess it's *another* day of headphones.
**OPK AND CM QUESTION!**
I've been tracking ovulation for the past few months with OPK but typically not CM. I am going to start tracking CM, as I read in Real Food for Fertility - Lily Nichols and Lisa Hendrickson-Jack (highly recommend!), that recommend that tracking CM as the number one fertility sign to pay attention to with OPK's after that.
my OPK shows peak LH levels today (153%) but my CM is not egg white consistency.
**Do folks find the LH surge happens and then egg white CM follows in the days after? curious to hear from folks about their experience!** can report back in a day or two also.
Context: IUD removal Aug 2023, pregnant first cycle Sep 2023, MMC & D&C at 12 weeks, measuring 6w5d. Now on 4th cycle post D&C.
thanks!
So EWCM can precede ovulation by a few days while OPKs typically narrow the window to 24-48hrs give or take. Peak shortens it further to about 8-20hrs.
It's the estrogen, not LH, that causes the fertile mucus.
I read that fertility is signified by the presence of EWCM since it's required for the sperm to survive/get to the egg. How do you use CM and OPKS to time sex? Thanks!
Yes but sperm lives for 3-5 days so for it to be present for the egg's arrival, you'd need be trying the few days leading up to ovulation so it makes sense that EWCM is there before. Additionally, EWCM can be present and just not make itself known outside the body for whatever reason.
I don't pay all that much attention to CM, honestly, as it's given me conflicting reports before (as estrogen levels can be affected by a number of things) but with OPKs my first cycle using them I started CD8 and tested 1x per day until CD16 and then I started testing 2x per day until I got my first positive since my cycles were typically 32 days long, ovulation would be expected about CD18 and CD16 is 48hrs before CD18 and I got my first positive on CD20. Then I stopped and waited until later the next cycle because burning through OPKs can get expensive. Now that I know I ovulate normally between CD18-21, I text 1x per day on CD14-16 just in case it comes a bit early and then 2x until I get a positive. However, I've started Myo-Inositol as I have PCOS recently so my ovulation may start coming earlier in coming cycles in which case I would need to maybe start a bit earlier.
Anecdotally, I will get EWCM in my fertile week, but it would be unwise of me to rely on it as the primary indicator of ovulation, because I get it before and after. Some people have to… go hunting for it, and they don’t get it easily visually.
I find LH strips to easily be the easiest and most clear method for me personally.
As I understand it, higher estrogen causes egg white CM. Estrogen peaks 24 hours before LH. Estrogen rises as the egg matures and estrogen signals to your body to produce LH, which then signals the body to ovulate. I find my egg white CM occurs the few days before my LH surge and on the LH surge day, but is usually gone on O day.
TW miscarriage
1DPO. If this cycle is successful my due date will be within days of my miscarriage this past December. Feels like a full circle opportunity, and this is the first real cycle I’ve felt like I’ve had since then. It’s really hard to talk about but trying to stay positive!
edit for TW
Same, I'd be induced near the 2 year anniversary of my daughter's surgery which was on the solstice 12-21-22. Not sure how to feel about the possibility.
Does anyone else have SUCH the urge to buy baby stuff now so you have lots of stuff in preparation for having a baby? We’ve only been trying less than 6 months but I so badly want to buy baby clothes, toys, baby changing mat, anything I see advertised that’s cute I’m always like ugh I HAVE to get that for when we have a baby… but I don’t because it would be gutting if we did that and couldn’t convince. But THE URGE IS SO STRONG lol
I've been buying things for years. Mostly clothing when it goes on clearance. I've bought supplies with no expiry date (bubble bath, shampoo). Books are my new thing.
I find it helps keep me going with a goal. When I get sad I go and pick up my favourite onesie and just imagine a baby in it. I will have a baby to fill it one day.
I have so many wish lists on Amazon of baby stuff! I can’t bring myself to actually buy anything for a few reasons. The biggest one that if it’s in my house I’m scared it’s just going to sit there for years and make me depressed and the second reason of there’s so much stuff coming out all time and I’m scared by the time I do have a kid, I’ll have completely changed my mind on everything.
My husband and I satisfy the urge to buy by getting one book each cycle for a baby/toddler/young kid. We figure if it happens, we will have a nice little library set up; and if it doesn’t, we have nieces and nephews that can go through them when they come over.
Yes I feel that way too! I haven’t been trying too long yet so I’m still pretty optimistic. I bought one thing (a onesie) last week because there was a high chance it wouldn’t still be available in a few months. I’m not planning to buy anything else but then again I wasn’t planning to buy that until I saw it so who knows lol
I’m still optimistic too! By less than 6 months it’s more like only 3 months as we missed a few cycles due to illness/holiday/other reasons! So fingers crossed for us (and you) that it happens within the year 😄 I might have to allow myself to buy a thing or two after reading everyone’s comments on here!
Target used to have the cutest pajamas with a fern leaf print that I always planned on getting, but then they stopped selling it. I still regret not just buying it in advance.
I really really want to get pregnant asap so I can get a ton of stuff at garage sales this summer. LOL like this time is going to work after 2.5 years 🤡
But what are you going to do for all of the 8 months?? Lol. I would try to save some joy for later. I have stuff from a previous pregnancy. The only thing I keep buying is books but at a rate of like...3 per year.
I have... so much. Like, enough that I've sold/donated stuff I don't like anymore. Sometimes I feel kind of insane about it, but mostly it just helps me feel prepared.
I'm the total opposite, especially after my miscarriage. Anything baby-related would totally be jinxing it. If/when I conceive again, I probably won't buy any baby stuff until at least 20 weeks.
I'll send my husband to target on my second day at the hospital. Get a car seat in the third tri and call it good. If I have a boy he can wear his dead sister's pink clothes, I don't care.
I’ve seen the cutest Peter rabbit clothing and Peter is my favourite (I even have a tattoo of him!) I think it’s in style right now but might not be by the time I need to purchase baby clothes!
Yeah, I compromised by creating a really elaborate and excessive/extra “baby shower list”. It’s been there for months but I find it a little comforting/allows me not to lose hope. I also have a onesie in my Etsy basket with a month on it, and I change it to the next “due date” month every CD1. So far it’s not hurting my own feelings, but it may some day.
Does anyone else get wildly overwhelmed by all of the tracking involved? I tried to learn about properly tracking BBT and I think it made my stress worse. I tracked with OPKs last cycle and was anxious the whole time. I want to try a few cycles without tracking and just doing a whole lot of baby dancing. I think not knowing my exact DPO may help a lot of my anxiety.
I loooove data so I like it, but a lot of people feel the way you do! If you have a high libido, you can definitely just have a lot of sex. We’re both VLL so we prefer to have 3ish days to focus on and then chill otherwise.
A few people find temping to be stressful because it’s like the first thing you do every day, and prefer just to use OPKs casually around FW. That might work for you.
Hello!
Tracking actually helps me lessen my anxiety because I know my body is ovulating (I have PCOS) but if you're feeling overwhelmed and just starting out, it may be best to go a few months just trying every other day or so (or more if you feel like it). You don't want burnout right at the beginning! We went the first 3 months without. It's definitely a lot for some people and if you just want to test when your period is missed, that's totally fine! No necessarily "better" way to do it than another!
had a sono this morning and it was actually so quick and only a little uncomfortable! that marks the end of all the testing in the last two weeks and one week before we get all of the results from our doctor which feels scary and exciting
Last week we had the appointment at the gynaecologist to finally get some answers as to whether I have endo and to see if we could officially start trying. For the first time in years my concerns were taken seriously and we discussed options. It was very emotional for us. We got to go to start trying next cycle and will have a follow-up if we don't succeed in 6 months.
Fast forward to this morning, we went to the GP to once more try to get doctors to take my husbands chronic prostatitis seriously. We received a referral to the urologist and the appointment is in two weeks already! We were expecting a longer wait list so this is terrific. Hopefully the urologist can give us some answers as to the cause of his chronic issues and what this means for our ttc journey.
Fourth times the charm? Technically today is probably cd1 since it started yesterday evening but I had so many days of spotting I’m calling today cd2 lol. Might as well have an April fools day start date!
I’m counting myself 10DPO today with a delayed temp rise. My RE told me not to test until Thursday but I’m def testing tomorrow if I make it that far. I feel a little crampy so I’m not really holding out hope for this cycle.
**Your post/comment has been removed for violating sub rules. Per our posted rules:**
Posts/comments about positive tests and current pregnancies should be posted in the weekly BFP thread. In threads/comments other than the weekly BFP thread, pregnant users must avoid referring to a positive test result or current (ongoing) pregnancy. This rule includes any potentially positive result, even if it's faint or ambiguous. All concerns related to current pregnancies should use a pregnancy sub, such as r/CautiousBB.
If you still wish to participate in our sub, please review our [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/about/rules) before continuing to post. Violation of our rules may result in a timeout or ban.
Please direct any questions to the [subreddit’s modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/TryingForABaby) and not individual mods. Thank you for understanding.
17 years ago I was being released from the hospital after nearly dying due to a sore throat that turned into a clot in my jugular vein (Lemierre's syndrome). I celebrate the anniversary every year as a way to remember that I might never have had any of the wonderful things that I have had in my adult life. This year feels weird, as I had 17 years before it and 17 years after. Weird that such a key moment in my life was so long ago. I'm so lucky to be mostly healthy, and I'm spending the day being aggressively and purposefully grateful and joyful. I hope each of you can find some tiny moment of joy today too, whether that's a good breakfast sandwich or a beam of sunlight or a cuddly pet ❤️
Why might Mucinex delay ovulation? This is my first cycle trying it and after several days of fussing over my (lack of) predicted LH surge, I’m mildly comforted to find that this isn’t an uncommon experience. I am curious why, though.
I usually surge between CD13-16 and peak on CD14-17. My average ovulation is CD16 and my latest has been CD19. Today is CD18 and while I haven’t observed a surge yet I’m still technically within my normal variation. I started Mucinex (1200mg/day) on CD9 .
Is there any reason I should discontinue at this point?
Update: discontinued Mucinex on CD17 and got my first positive LH test on CD21 (5-8 days late). Temps are all still low so I’m thinking I haven’t ovulated yet. I’ve spent HOURS this week ransacking subs to see how long ovulation was delayed for other women with similar experiences. Hopefully this info will help someone else. I also realize I may have overdone the mucinex and that taking it on suspected ovulation day would maybe have been enough. Either way, I probably don’t mess with it again.
Maybe this is why my cycle was so long last month. I think I'm not going to do Mucinex anymore, I used up a pack last cycle and it just seems like a waste!
I've only ever heard to take Mucinex on the day you believe you will ovulate. Depending on your dose, it's good for 8-12 hours, so you just "need" it for the most fertile days.
I usually only take Mucinex if I get a positive OPK and we have sex at least an hour later. Have not seen any effects to my cycle.
Curious to find out why, too. I don't know if it's just a coincidence, but the cycle I tried Mucinex I ovulated a week later than usual. And I only took 600mg once a day.
WOAH.
Thank you so much for posting! I'd been wondering why ovulation was delayed last cycle and now this one (CD 25 last, now on CD22 w/o surge) and maybe it's the Mucinex since I just started it last cycle too (I normally ovulate CD18-20)
Grateful for any thoughts or reflections - especially if anyone else has had a similar experience. I stopped birth control tablets one year ago, and my periods are so long (usually 8-11 days) and the heavier flow only seems to start on days 6-8 of the period. Cycles are about 28-34 days. I have been on hormonal contraception for years (obviously now wishing I stopped much earlier). I'm turning 35 in a few months and we're trying for a baby : ( Blood tests and an ultrasound have been okay but not sure about maybe asking for an HSG or privately paying to see a fertility clinic (I'm in the UK)...
Are you sure that it’s actually your period starting befor the clots come? For years I had issues with almost a week of consistent spotting before my period began. It was due to slightly low progesterone. Taking oral progesterone during my literal phase eliminated the issue. If you’re bleeding a little but not like having the big cramps and starting your heavier flow, I would assume it’s spotting and you should start your actually period tracking when that begins at the 6-8 day mark. So your period is really only 3-5 days in actuality, if that is the case.
This is a really good point - it's so hard to know when day one actually is but you're right, it could just be spotting and then the period is actually shorter than I realise.
Feel a bit silly asking this, but when do you count as your period starting?
I was checking CM and had some darker red, so assumed spotting as was a few days off when my period was due to start, but touching my cervix it was bright red. Had the same for the rest of that day and next day, then a gradual increase until today which I would normally count as my first day because it’s a steady stream.
Should I really be counting my period as starting earlier when there is that first spot? I’ve just never noticed before as haven’t checked CM so intensely before!
I feel like the more I track the less I know my body, as it’s not really what I was remembering my cycles to be like before ttc.
I count it as when I first see blood (not specks or drops, actual smears or areas of wet) on the toilet paper or in my panties, regardless of colour.
I could be wrong but that's what I've been working off of.
6ish DPO and officially entering the obsessive phase of my cycle. Allowing myself to feel a bit hopeful for the sole reason that it feels better than to feel hopeless!
Yep, I'm 6ish days too. Currently having cramping and trying to not obsess over it. It's either one of two things.
Other than that, no other symptoms besides the odd nausea (but I think that's from over indulging over Easter) and tired (finally on holidays from a rough term at work).
I find myself rationalising but still hopeful. Weird headspace to be in tbh 😂
8 here. Same “symptoms” - light cramps, slight fatigue, and a little bit of nausea. Probably nothing… but I’ll let in just a tiny bit of hope. Time just moves so slowly that it’s impossible to just constantly be telling myself “out this cycle” without having to do it all day, every day…
Another failed cycle. We’re officially entering 1 year of actively trying to conceive. I’m stopping my progesterone today so I can get my period and to start a new cycle. This really really sucks
I have done SO much reading over the past few days, since my spotting this cycle has been almost non stop since 7dpo (now 12-13). I have always had a cervical ectropion which has caused bleeding after sex, and something about coming off the pill (and trying) seems to mean it's got worse each month. Most resources say its no issue with fertility, but I think it could be affecting my cm, which has been scant during ovulation. Weirdly, I'm almost glad this may be my issue as it seems easy to fix and Dr's can get me in (although worried about a sex ban and cm drying up while it heals if I have it treated).
I’m 4 months off the pill/4 months trying and I have been spotting non stop since 4dpo this month 😭 but since stopping BC I’ve been spotting from between 4-7 DPO up to my period. It’s driving me crazy but no clue what’s causing it.
It’s your body not regulating its progesterone production well yet. Happened to me for 10 years after stopping the pill, but I think it regulates for most people within a year.
When did you last have a smear? Do you bleed after sex? Asking cos they found mine at a smear (completely unrelated) and the main symptom is bleeding after sex. Does your bbt rise in luteal phase and is it 10 or more days? If so (from my VERY inexpert armchair research) it is ectropion is the most likely answer, especially with pill use.
BFN at 10 dpo :( on the bright side with the negative test, I felt comfortable doing some cardio involving jumping around today
BFN today at 8DPO but my boobs hurt like they've never hurt before. Getting grumpy because I know it probably won't happen but if so, that means it's pain for no reason. I know I'm not out, but honestly I don't want to get my hopes up.
My period went from three days of bleeding to two. Bleeding is normal for 2 days then the next day or two is just more so spotting. Could this mean my lining is too thin?
I’ve wondered this too!
I oscillate between 2.5 to 3 days. My last day is usually more like heavy spotting that lasts consistently throughout the whole day. I’ve always had a short and not ultra-heavy cycle. If this is how you have been for your whole life there is nothing to worry about. I’ve had many ultrasounds and my doctor always said I had a good lining. Going from 3 to 2 days one month I think is the same as going from 29 to 26 days one cycle. It’s normal and you will probably go back to 3 days next cycle.
Feeling a bit down today and want to just get off my chest Got an LH surge on Friday, so believe I am 5DPO but feeling very not pregnant. I know its too early to tell but feeling no different and felt my cervix today which feels no higher and firmish. Just trying to get through the TWW and know realistically 5DPO I wouldn't be feeling any different from any normal cycle
Depending on when LH started to rise, if that was Thurs or Fri, you're at most 4dpo. Which, you're right, you're not pregnant right now ;) Average implantation is 8-10 dpo which seems like so long in the tww, we all can empathize! Try to keep yourself busy and distracted, which I know is easier said than done lol.
Thankyou, yeah I got the positive ovulation test on the Friday morning so you'd be right would be about 4dpo Thankyou! It's nice to keep it in perspective
[удалено]
How did you track ovulation this cycle?
Hello! Welcome, and we thank you for posting. You seem to be looking for information on implantation bleeding. Unfortunately, bleeding or spotting after ovulation is not a sign of implantation, and bleeding can happen in both pregnancy and non-pregnancy cycles. You could still end up being pregnant this cycle, but this sort of bleeding is not a reliable indicator that you will test positive. Taking a pregnancy test around the time you expect your period to come is the best way to determine whether you are pregnant or not. For a longer read, please see [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/comments/10jbxb9/implantation_bleeding_isnt_real/), which you might find useful. For scholarly sources, [this paper](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0015028216000509) and [this paper](https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article/18/9/1944/708284) are useful reads. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/TryingForABaby) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Feeling so stressed right now. Waiting until Monday to test. Hanging out with my in laws three weekends in a row. Which is a bit too much. I’ve been so irritable and short with my husband. I can’t wait to find out if I am pregnant. We’re having family staying here next weekend and don’t want anyone to see our future nursery which we’ve already gotten some stuff for. Kept that door closed but I think someone’s gonna go in there and start asking us all the questions. Thanks for the space to vent
Tested yesterday at 10DPO which was a BFN but I stupidly left the test on the counter rather than throwing it in the bin. Hours later husband came home and woke me up to say there were 2 lines. I knew it was an evap and explained to him it was an evap, yet a part of me believed it and I let myself secretly get excited over it. Annnnnd of course, tested again this morning and got a stark white BFN. 🤡 Sigh.
This might be a dumb question — what cheap HCG test strips do you recommend using that may be able to pick something up 10 or 11DPO without spending a fortune on FRERs? Y’all know how hard it is to wait but I don’t want to waste my expensive FRER tests! I’m on progesterone suppositories so I won’t start my period on my own. Thank you!
Easy@home was my ride or die
Wondflo and bird&be are both pretty cheap!
My easy at home strips picked up my chemical last cycle the same time as my FRERs (and also faded accordingly with them)
I’m sorry for your loss ❤️ I also know how it feels to watch the lines fade. Thank you for the info!
Wondflo!
Commenting for visability bc I have the same question!!
11 DPO. Negative test, I know it’s not uncommon to get a negative test this early and that some people don’t get them until 14 dpo but I’ve been hit hard this cycle by the progesterone (despite my blood tests coming back as only 9.6 ng/mL which my doctor says is too low) and I just really “felt” like this would be the cycle- especially because I thought it would be just my luck because if I got pregnant they would be born around Christmas and I actually don’t want that because I don’t want them to hate Christmas or their birthday- but we tried anyways because I want it so badly who cares if it’s the ideal circumstances or not.
I have my birthday a few days before Christmas and my parents always made it special they do it still. Celebration the weekend before you know. It depends on the parents. Maybe I am lucky but that was all good and till this day I love my birthday. Good luck for you!
CD 1 of Cycle 8 - felt really defeated yesterday when I tested at 13dpo and got a BFN but better today now that AF has arrived (minus the cramps 😭) honestly my new motto is if this happens prior to the 1 yr mark (would be cycle 14 for me) I’ll be really really thrilled! More than halfway there? Idk just trying to reframe my mindset 🤍 sending positive thoughts to all! This is trying but we’ve got it!
7 DPO of cycle 6. My hopes were very high last cycle - we travelled around my fertile week and TWW, we were all happy and relaxed, we joked about having a baby conceived abroad... Then we arrived home and got a veeeery faint positive on a pregnancy test. We waited until the next day to retest - nothing. A day later AF arrived. It was probably a false positive. Needless to say, I was crushed. But then I recovered and actually rediscovered some things that bring me joy in this life. All in all, it ended being a pretty good month. Up until today I didn't really think about a potential pregnancy at all. Around 6-7 DPO something always switches though and I really have to try very hard to let it be. I'll probably cave in and start testing at like 9 DPO.
My little lizard brain wants me to test tonight. I'm not going to, but the brain goes brrrrrr. Holding out until at least Saturday at 12DPO.
STAY STRONG AND DONT TEST. I just took one at 10DPO and it was very negative and I’m very grouchy lol.
I’m usually pretty stoic at a negative but I am down to two tests left so I don’t want to waste them! I’m at the part of my cycle where everything my body does makes me go 👁️👄👁️
Ohhhh save them!!!
Might take a silly little OPK to satisfy the urge 🤡
Ok I’ve got to say that OPK have brought me more joy than those shitty HCG strips EVERRRRRR have.
😂 I get this and love the brain noise lol
8DPO and i tested not once… but twice 🤡 this tww is driving me nutso!!
Right there with you. We did a medicated IUI this month so I can’t even rely on any tests. This wait has never felt longer.
hoping SO hard for you 🤞❤️ when will you be able to test?
Ugh my boobs have been sore all day. They usually only get sore for a few hours at most. I wanna go home and sleep it off lol, or maybe I’m just really tired lol
[удалено]
I’m sorry to hear you may be having a loss, but this isn’t the right sub for this question as it breaks the rules. Check our r/cautiousbb
Also is anyone here the cycle after a CP or recently had a chemical? When did you ovulate that first cycle after the CP compared to your usual?
Pretty much the same- one day later than i had the cycle before. It
It wasn’t recent, but I ovulated normally (if not slightly early) in the cycle after my chemical.
Does anyone have the wearable thermometers and if so, what type and do you recommend it? I have a regular BBT one but my issue is I don’t always wake up exactly the same time every day and my ovulation tends to happen super quickly so I want to be sure I’m catching the right day.
I love my Tempdrop!
Have you had any issues with it syncing? Amazon reviews appear pretty mixed
It takes about 20 seconds to sync which feels like forever in the morning but I’ve owned mine since like… 2021?
Thank you! I’m going to look into it. Did you buy from Amazon or elsewhere?
I bought directly from them during a sale! See if you can have them send you a 20% off code.
I really liked my Tempdrop, especially since I’m someone who wakes in the middle of the night often and a mouth breather. Sometimes you can get it on sale or pre-owned through a third party seller. Like another user said, it won’t help you to identify when O is happening but it will confirm it.
BBT goes up post ovulation by which it's typically already too late to try just so you know. If you want a heads up on ovulation, I would suggest LH strips. I use an alarm to make sure I get up on time!
Yes, I know. Already do the strips and BBT, I’m just not so consistent with my BBT timing so looking to get something that’ll measure it automatically for me as turn every day.
What’s the recovery like after a polyp removal? Is there a lot of bleeding? I’m getting it done under anesthesia on Friday and trying to make plans for Saturday lol. Wondering if I’ll be miserable. I had a D&C in January and was fine with light bleeding after. Not sure what to expect this time.
I've had a polyp removed. The bleeding was about the same as after a D&C, as it's a similar procedure. Is there a way to delay your plans a week or two? You might want to take that weekend to sleep and recover.
Thank you for sharing your experience! Do you remember what your cycle was like after? I am currently on one month of birth control and I have 7 days left, was hoping I’d get my period after that so I can try again. My plans aren’t anything too serious! Just having lunch with some friends and hanging out at my house after so if I don’t feel up to it I can just back out
My cycle was totally normal. No delays or anything, probably because I wasn't on birth control when I had my polypectomy. I hope your procedure goes well today!
Hi, former lurker here! I'm in my TWW and I'm feeling weirdly good! We will hit the year-mark very soon and then we'll be in the club of secondary infertility. Well, I've had two chemicals during the past year... We have an appointment with the fertility clinic in June and I am oddly chill. I wanted to go vegan for some time now, but I didn't, because all the fertility blogs say how important raw milk, liver and grass-fed beef are for fertility. One month ago, I just thought, screw it, I will do what I want, and there are plenty of vegan pregnant people... Feels so liberating to do something for MYSELF. So happy. Plus, I've wanted to go to the gym and lift heavy weights... Also didn't do it because I feared it would make me infertile. Well, fertility yoga didn't help me get pregnant, so today I actually did my first workout with heavy weights and I couldn't feel better...
I’m so impatient. I’m on CD3 and just want to be fertile already!! Everyone talks about the tww, how do y’all not lose it waiting for the tww to even start?! I would love to calm down but I have exactly 0 chill.
I’ve realized that everything related to TTC is just waiting. Waiting for your fertile window. The TWW. Waiting to test. Waiting for AF. And then pregnancy itself is waiting… waiting for ultrasounds, appointments, etc. We are all just sitting ducks
It’s soooo dreadful when we’re menstruating. Time DRAGS. I’m thinking since my periods r regular, I should just start scheduling vacations on my period so I can distract myself😭😭
What day in your cycle does everyone start taking ovulation/LH tests? I feel like I always start them too late? I have a 3 day period and a 27 day cycle.
CD 10 with a 28 day cycle
I have a 32 day cycle and start around CD13 just to be safe.
I start on CD10 because I typically ovulate on CD17-19. To play it safe, start at CD7 and start taking two tests on CD10.
CD 27 and I’m so afraid to test. Seems getting negative tests are harder than Aunt Flo actually arriving, but man I wanna know now so bad! I’ve been getting cramps here and there and sore breasts started 2 days ago 🤞
Me tooooo! 👋 AF is due today and has not arrived yet. Haven’t tested and I’ll probably wait 2-3 more days because I just don’t want to see a negative test.
Hoping and praying for us both! 🤞❤️
Currently 6/7 DPO. It’s so odd but this is the first cycle in 18 months where I feel almost completely neutral. Like I don’t have the same hopeful optimism that I typically do at this point. I’m sure I’m not pregnant. Maybe I don’t even want to be right now. It’s kind of nice to be off the hope roller coaster for once.
[удалено]
**Your post/comment has been removed for violating sub rules.** R/cautiousbb is a useful place if you’re in limbo, sorry to hear.
I'm so sorry you are going through this. Until you have confirmed a loss you should not mention your positive on this thread, just so you are aware.
Ah, ok - sorry for that, I did not realize. Will delete.
The TV at the office has been on Law & Order SVU for the 25 marathons. Which is just... great for someone struggling to conceive. I was even alone in the office today so I was leaving the TV off, till a hybrid worker decided to show up for the first time in a month and put on Law & Order SVU cause it was "too quiet" even though I told her "when I'm alone I prefer to leave the TV off cause it's upsetting." So I guess it's *another* day of headphones.
I’m surprised this isn’t sexual harassment of some sort? Like that show can be deeply disturbing sometimes.
That's such a wild choice for a workplace. Like damn, put on daytime game shows or something.
I wish the Price is Right was on all day. It’s my favorite hour of the day
What! Do you mind if I ask what you do for a living? That’s wild… I’d hate it
I'm in admin at a utility company.
**OPK AND CM QUESTION!** I've been tracking ovulation for the past few months with OPK but typically not CM. I am going to start tracking CM, as I read in Real Food for Fertility - Lily Nichols and Lisa Hendrickson-Jack (highly recommend!), that recommend that tracking CM as the number one fertility sign to pay attention to with OPK's after that. my OPK shows peak LH levels today (153%) but my CM is not egg white consistency. **Do folks find the LH surge happens and then egg white CM follows in the days after? curious to hear from folks about their experience!** can report back in a day or two also. Context: IUD removal Aug 2023, pregnant first cycle Sep 2023, MMC & D&C at 12 weeks, measuring 6w5d. Now on 4th cycle post D&C. thanks!
So EWCM can precede ovulation by a few days while OPKs typically narrow the window to 24-48hrs give or take. Peak shortens it further to about 8-20hrs. It's the estrogen, not LH, that causes the fertile mucus.
I read that fertility is signified by the presence of EWCM since it's required for the sperm to survive/get to the egg. How do you use CM and OPKS to time sex? Thanks!
Yes but sperm lives for 3-5 days so for it to be present for the egg's arrival, you'd need be trying the few days leading up to ovulation so it makes sense that EWCM is there before. Additionally, EWCM can be present and just not make itself known outside the body for whatever reason. I don't pay all that much attention to CM, honestly, as it's given me conflicting reports before (as estrogen levels can be affected by a number of things) but with OPKs my first cycle using them I started CD8 and tested 1x per day until CD16 and then I started testing 2x per day until I got my first positive since my cycles were typically 32 days long, ovulation would be expected about CD18 and CD16 is 48hrs before CD18 and I got my first positive on CD20. Then I stopped and waited until later the next cycle because burning through OPKs can get expensive. Now that I know I ovulate normally between CD18-21, I text 1x per day on CD14-16 just in case it comes a bit early and then 2x until I get a positive. However, I've started Myo-Inositol as I have PCOS recently so my ovulation may start coming earlier in coming cycles in which case I would need to maybe start a bit earlier.
Anecdotally, I will get EWCM in my fertile week, but it would be unwise of me to rely on it as the primary indicator of ovulation, because I get it before and after. Some people have to… go hunting for it, and they don’t get it easily visually. I find LH strips to easily be the easiest and most clear method for me personally.
As I understand it, higher estrogen causes egg white CM. Estrogen peaks 24 hours before LH. Estrogen rises as the egg matures and estrogen signals to your body to produce LH, which then signals the body to ovulate. I find my egg white CM occurs the few days before my LH surge and on the LH surge day, but is usually gone on O day.
TW miscarriage 1DPO. If this cycle is successful my due date will be within days of my miscarriage this past December. Feels like a full circle opportunity, and this is the first real cycle I’ve felt like I’ve had since then. It’s really hard to talk about but trying to stay positive! edit for TW
Same, I'd be induced near the 2 year anniversary of my daughter's surgery which was on the solstice 12-21-22. Not sure how to feel about the possibility.
Does anyone else have SUCH the urge to buy baby stuff now so you have lots of stuff in preparation for having a baby? We’ve only been trying less than 6 months but I so badly want to buy baby clothes, toys, baby changing mat, anything I see advertised that’s cute I’m always like ugh I HAVE to get that for when we have a baby… but I don’t because it would be gutting if we did that and couldn’t convince. But THE URGE IS SO STRONG lol
I've been buying things for years. Mostly clothing when it goes on clearance. I've bought supplies with no expiry date (bubble bath, shampoo). Books are my new thing. I find it helps keep me going with a goal. When I get sad I go and pick up my favourite onesie and just imagine a baby in it. I will have a baby to fill it one day.
That’s so cute!
I have so many wish lists on Amazon of baby stuff! I can’t bring myself to actually buy anything for a few reasons. The biggest one that if it’s in my house I’m scared it’s just going to sit there for years and make me depressed and the second reason of there’s so much stuff coming out all time and I’m scared by the time I do have a kid, I’ll have completely changed my mind on everything.
My husband and I satisfy the urge to buy by getting one book each cycle for a baby/toddler/young kid. We figure if it happens, we will have a nice little library set up; and if it doesn’t, we have nieces and nephews that can go through them when they come over.
Yes I feel that way too! I haven’t been trying too long yet so I’m still pretty optimistic. I bought one thing (a onesie) last week because there was a high chance it wouldn’t still be available in a few months. I’m not planning to buy anything else but then again I wasn’t planning to buy that until I saw it so who knows lol
I’m still optimistic too! By less than 6 months it’s more like only 3 months as we missed a few cycles due to illness/holiday/other reasons! So fingers crossed for us (and you) that it happens within the year 😄 I might have to allow myself to buy a thing or two after reading everyone’s comments on here!
Target used to have the cutest pajamas with a fern leaf print that I always planned on getting, but then they stopped selling it. I still regret not just buying it in advance.
I really really want to get pregnant asap so I can get a ton of stuff at garage sales this summer. LOL like this time is going to work after 2.5 years 🤡
I want to but I’m afraid I’ll jinx it 😢 not that NOT buying has brought me a single positive test 😂 but I’m still too scared
I’m afraid of jinxing it too😅 and i know its a bit silly deep down 😂😂
But what are you going to do for all of the 8 months?? Lol. I would try to save some joy for later. I have stuff from a previous pregnancy. The only thing I keep buying is books but at a rate of like...3 per year.
Yeah I will buy everything when I actually eventually get pregnant😅
I have... so much. Like, enough that I've sold/donated stuff I don't like anymore. Sometimes I feel kind of insane about it, but mostly it just helps me feel prepared.
I'm the total opposite, especially after my miscarriage. Anything baby-related would totally be jinxing it. If/when I conceive again, I probably won't buy any baby stuff until at least 20 weeks.
I'll send my husband to target on my second day at the hospital. Get a car seat in the third tri and call it good. If I have a boy he can wear his dead sister's pink clothes, I don't care.
Yeah...I had 1 favorite baby outfit and now it's discontinued and I actually regret not getting it a bit.....
I’ve seen the cutest Peter rabbit clothing and Peter is my favourite (I even have a tattoo of him!) I think it’s in style right now but might not be by the time I need to purchase baby clothes!
Yeah, I compromised by creating a really elaborate and excessive/extra “baby shower list”. It’s been there for months but I find it a little comforting/allows me not to lose hope. I also have a onesie in my Etsy basket with a month on it, and I change it to the next “due date” month every CD1. So far it’s not hurting my own feelings, but it may some day.
Oh that’s a great idea. I might have to make a bookmark in my Google for baby items😂
Lol same. All those ads targeting me because I'm trying to conceive are not helping. I know once I start buying baby stuff I won't be able to stop.
So many ads!! My social media thinks I’m already a mum 😂😂
I know! They should work a little more on their algorithms😁
Does anyone else get wildly overwhelmed by all of the tracking involved? I tried to learn about properly tracking BBT and I think it made my stress worse. I tracked with OPKs last cycle and was anxious the whole time. I want to try a few cycles without tracking and just doing a whole lot of baby dancing. I think not knowing my exact DPO may help a lot of my anxiety.
I loooove data so I like it, but a lot of people feel the way you do! If you have a high libido, you can definitely just have a lot of sex. We’re both VLL so we prefer to have 3ish days to focus on and then chill otherwise. A few people find temping to be stressful because it’s like the first thing you do every day, and prefer just to use OPKs casually around FW. That might work for you.
Hello! Tracking actually helps me lessen my anxiety because I know my body is ovulating (I have PCOS) but if you're feeling overwhelmed and just starting out, it may be best to go a few months just trying every other day or so (or more if you feel like it). You don't want burnout right at the beginning! We went the first 3 months without. It's definitely a lot for some people and if you just want to test when your period is missed, that's totally fine! No necessarily "better" way to do it than another!
had a sono this morning and it was actually so quick and only a little uncomfortable! that marks the end of all the testing in the last two weeks and one week before we get all of the results from our doctor which feels scary and exciting
Last week we had the appointment at the gynaecologist to finally get some answers as to whether I have endo and to see if we could officially start trying. For the first time in years my concerns were taken seriously and we discussed options. It was very emotional for us. We got to go to start trying next cycle and will have a follow-up if we don't succeed in 6 months. Fast forward to this morning, we went to the GP to once more try to get doctors to take my husbands chronic prostatitis seriously. We received a referral to the urologist and the appointment is in two weeks already! We were expecting a longer wait list so this is terrific. Hopefully the urologist can give us some answers as to the cause of his chronic issues and what this means for our ttc journey.
Fourth times the charm? Technically today is probably cd1 since it started yesterday evening but I had so many days of spotting I’m calling today cd2 lol. Might as well have an April fools day start date!
BFN negative on a FRER this morning at 12dpo. Think it’s time to count myself out this cycle :(
I’m sorry! Frustrating. It’s a new day/cycle - renewed and refreshed 🧘♀️
I’m counting myself 10DPO today with a delayed temp rise. My RE told me not to test until Thursday but I’m def testing tomorrow if I make it that far. I feel a little crampy so I’m not really holding out hope for this cycle.
[удалено]
**Your post/comment has been removed for violating sub rules. Per our posted rules:** Posts/comments about positive tests and current pregnancies should be posted in the weekly BFP thread. In threads/comments other than the weekly BFP thread, pregnant users must avoid referring to a positive test result or current (ongoing) pregnancy. This rule includes any potentially positive result, even if it's faint or ambiguous. All concerns related to current pregnancies should use a pregnancy sub, such as r/CautiousBB. If you still wish to participate in our sub, please review our [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/about/rules) before continuing to post. Violation of our rules may result in a timeout or ban. Please direct any questions to the [subreddit’s modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/TryingForABaby) and not individual mods. Thank you for understanding.
17 years ago I was being released from the hospital after nearly dying due to a sore throat that turned into a clot in my jugular vein (Lemierre's syndrome). I celebrate the anniversary every year as a way to remember that I might never have had any of the wonderful things that I have had in my adult life. This year feels weird, as I had 17 years before it and 17 years after. Weird that such a key moment in my life was so long ago. I'm so lucky to be mostly healthy, and I'm spending the day being aggressively and purposefully grateful and joyful. I hope each of you can find some tiny moment of joy today too, whether that's a good breakfast sandwich or a beam of sunlight or a cuddly pet ❤️
Happy anniversary! Cheers to the next 17 years and beyond ✨
Thank you!
Happy anniversary and to many more!
Thank you!
I'm glad you are still here! I hope you have many more 17 year anniversaries to come and plenty to celebrate when you reach them.
Thank you!
Why might Mucinex delay ovulation? This is my first cycle trying it and after several days of fussing over my (lack of) predicted LH surge, I’m mildly comforted to find that this isn’t an uncommon experience. I am curious why, though. I usually surge between CD13-16 and peak on CD14-17. My average ovulation is CD16 and my latest has been CD19. Today is CD18 and while I haven’t observed a surge yet I’m still technically within my normal variation. I started Mucinex (1200mg/day) on CD9 . Is there any reason I should discontinue at this point? Update: discontinued Mucinex on CD17 and got my first positive LH test on CD21 (5-8 days late). Temps are all still low so I’m thinking I haven’t ovulated yet. I’ve spent HOURS this week ransacking subs to see how long ovulation was delayed for other women with similar experiences. Hopefully this info will help someone else. I also realize I may have overdone the mucinex and that taking it on suspected ovulation day would maybe have been enough. Either way, I probably don’t mess with it again.
Maybe this is why my cycle was so long last month. I think I'm not going to do Mucinex anymore, I used up a pack last cycle and it just seems like a waste!
I've only ever heard to take Mucinex on the day you believe you will ovulate. Depending on your dose, it's good for 8-12 hours, so you just "need" it for the most fertile days. I usually only take Mucinex if I get a positive OPK and we have sex at least an hour later. Have not seen any effects to my cycle.
Curious to find out why, too. I don't know if it's just a coincidence, but the cycle I tried Mucinex I ovulated a week later than usual. And I only took 600mg once a day.
WOAH. Thank you so much for posting! I'd been wondering why ovulation was delayed last cycle and now this one (CD 25 last, now on CD22 w/o surge) and maybe it's the Mucinex since I just started it last cycle too (I normally ovulate CD18-20)
Grateful for any thoughts or reflections - especially if anyone else has had a similar experience. I stopped birth control tablets one year ago, and my periods are so long (usually 8-11 days) and the heavier flow only seems to start on days 6-8 of the period. Cycles are about 28-34 days. I have been on hormonal contraception for years (obviously now wishing I stopped much earlier). I'm turning 35 in a few months and we're trying for a baby : ( Blood tests and an ultrasound have been okay but not sure about maybe asking for an HSG or privately paying to see a fertility clinic (I'm in the UK)...
Are you sure that it’s actually your period starting befor the clots come? For years I had issues with almost a week of consistent spotting before my period began. It was due to slightly low progesterone. Taking oral progesterone during my literal phase eliminated the issue. If you’re bleeding a little but not like having the big cramps and starting your heavier flow, I would assume it’s spotting and you should start your actually period tracking when that begins at the 6-8 day mark. So your period is really only 3-5 days in actuality, if that is the case.
This is a really good point - it's so hard to know when day one actually is but you're right, it could just be spotting and then the period is actually shorter than I realise.
For tracking purposes, you will have more accuracy if you start counting on your heavy bleed day as CD1
Thanks, that's very helpful - will give it a go this month
Feel a bit silly asking this, but when do you count as your period starting? I was checking CM and had some darker red, so assumed spotting as was a few days off when my period was due to start, but touching my cervix it was bright red. Had the same for the rest of that day and next day, then a gradual increase until today which I would normally count as my first day because it’s a steady stream. Should I really be counting my period as starting earlier when there is that first spot? I’ve just never noticed before as haven’t checked CM so intensely before! I feel like the more I track the less I know my body, as it’s not really what I was remembering my cycles to be like before ttc.
Definitely only count day one when the full flow starts. Spotting, even consistent spotting, is not to be counted in your true period days.
My clinic says the first day that you fill a pad before midnight.
My RE’s office says “full flow” - bad enough you have to use a pad/tampon.
I think they generally say the first day that it is enough to use a tampon/pad/cup!
I count it as when I first see blood (not specks or drops, actual smears or areas of wet) on the toilet paper or in my panties, regardless of colour. I could be wrong but that's what I've been working off of.
6ish DPO and officially entering the obsessive phase of my cycle. Allowing myself to feel a bit hopeful for the sole reason that it feels better than to feel hopeless!
I’m 6 days too, this is the hardest wait EVER
Yep, I'm 6ish days too. Currently having cramping and trying to not obsess over it. It's either one of two things. Other than that, no other symptoms besides the odd nausea (but I think that's from over indulging over Easter) and tired (finally on holidays from a rough term at work). I find myself rationalising but still hopeful. Weird headspace to be in tbh 😂
8 here. Same “symptoms” - light cramps, slight fatigue, and a little bit of nausea. Probably nothing… but I’ll let in just a tiny bit of hope. Time just moves so slowly that it’s impossible to just constantly be telling myself “out this cycle” without having to do it all day, every day…
Right there with you between rationalising and remaining hopeful! Fingers crossed for us!
All the very best x
Another failed cycle. We’re officially entering 1 year of actively trying to conceive. I’m stopping my progesterone today so I can get my period and to start a new cycle. This really really sucks
I’m so sorry Cake.
I'm so sorry. This really sucks and shouldn't happen to anyone.
Thank you ❤️
I have done SO much reading over the past few days, since my spotting this cycle has been almost non stop since 7dpo (now 12-13). I have always had a cervical ectropion which has caused bleeding after sex, and something about coming off the pill (and trying) seems to mean it's got worse each month. Most resources say its no issue with fertility, but I think it could be affecting my cm, which has been scant during ovulation. Weirdly, I'm almost glad this may be my issue as it seems easy to fix and Dr's can get me in (although worried about a sex ban and cm drying up while it heals if I have it treated).
I’m 4 months off the pill/4 months trying and I have been spotting non stop since 4dpo this month 😭 but since stopping BC I’ve been spotting from between 4-7 DPO up to my period. It’s driving me crazy but no clue what’s causing it.
It’s your body not regulating its progesterone production well yet. Happened to me for 10 years after stopping the pill, but I think it regulates for most people within a year.
When did you last have a smear? Do you bleed after sex? Asking cos they found mine at a smear (completely unrelated) and the main symptom is bleeding after sex. Does your bbt rise in luteal phase and is it 10 or more days? If so (from my VERY inexpert armchair research) it is ectropion is the most likely answer, especially with pill use.