The ttc journal is something you would set up here in this forum. I think it will be a great way to keep track of the different things we go through while trying to conceive. It will be open to the public, so be careful as to what you write. We want to be able to encourage others that are ttc, by letting them know that they are not alone in this journey.

We have one rule, You must write down a praise from that day. It's important to remember, that though things may be hard and tiring, we still have a Heavenly Father to praise and thank, in good times and in bad times.

I'll looking forward to joining you on your journey!

Is this the new journal? Do we start here?

A

I'm gonna start the journal I guess!

I wanna start out with the Praise! My husband was suppose to go to Memphis today, but by the grace of the Lord, we didn't make it to the airport in time to get him checked in by the cutoff time, so they wouldn't let him on the plane. Although this doesn't seem to affect our TTC, I will be nice to be able to have Dh here while I take my first round of clomid (starting tomorrow night). The Lord knows, but I may O right away, and hopefully we can get some good lovin' in to catch those eggs right away!
Praise you dear Heavenly Father for my husband's presence during this time. You know our needs, you know the future and what it holds, and I thank you for this time you have given us together! I pray Lord that if it's your will, that you would open my womb Lord. I pray first that my desire is what is your will, and if it's your will for us to have more babies Lord, I pray you use this clomid to help my body work as well as you first intended! Bless you Lord for your salvation, for your love, for your comfort, and for your peace....you rock!
In Jesus name I pray, Amen!

So, tomorrow night I am going to take the first pill of Clomid. I hope I don't get the horrible moods that came with it last time. I hope that last time the factors that were going on in my life, besides not being saved were the reason for the moods. I also hope that my body responds well, and O's like it did when I got pg with Emma!

I will keep you guys updated on how that goes! Blessings my sisters!
Amber

How exciting!! God is definitely in the details!!

hugs,

I've been ttc with my 2nd child for over a year now. I have one beautiful dd, who is 3years old and she is the main reason we are trying for a second. My dd, Abby has been praying for a year, for a sibling. Everyday, before she eats or goes to bed, she asks God to put a baby in Mommies tummy. Her friends all have little siblings, and she adores the little babies at church.
I would like to have my children close in age. But God may want something different.
I use to get really depressed each month when AF would come. I would pray, and obsess about every little twitch in my body and wonder.... maybe this is the month. It of course wasn't, and I'd cry. I was getting to the point when I would question God, whether He was listening or even cared. After all I wasn't asking for a new house, or more money to shop with. I simply would like to build my family. Then one day my dh and I was talking, and we were discussing Hezakiah, and how he begged God to not take his life when God wanted to. God answered his prayer and gave him 10 more years to live. In that time Hezakiah had a son, and when Hezakiah died, his son became king. He was one of the most wicked kings to ever have lived.
That got me thinking. I don't want to beg God for a BFP and God just give it to me because I ask, and that child may grow up to never love and accept Christ. To me, I'd rather not have any child, if they were to grow up and reject Christ,die and live eternally in hell.

So after thinking about things, and praying. God gave me a peace that calmed my soul. It's been about 2 months since I have received peace about ttc. I still pray for my bfp, I still have hope. I chart my bbt, cm and cp. I am doing all that I can on my part and waiting for God to do His! But I find that this month I am more hopeful. My "symptoms" are different than in the past. but I could just be obsessing and focusing too much (if that's possible C= )

I'm looking forward to journaling my symptoms, and my thoughts. Hopefully, one day I'll be able to look back on this journey with a new baby in my arms, and see God's hand through it all.

9/9/07
11dpo
98.6
symptoms:
lower backache (sign of AF maybe)
fuller heavier breast
no hard and painfull lump in r.Breast. (unusual)
R. and L. breast are a little tender on the sides
Yeast infection this month
pelvic preasure
needle burning sensation in r. nipple
emotional
queasy feeling after eating lunch, thought I was going to throw up (but didn't PTL!)
Smell sensitivity.
Tired

praying, praying, praying esther!!! Keep us updated!!!

thank you ladies for your prayers.

Amber, I'll continue to be praying for you. I heard that the clomid is hard medicine to take. But if it helps, then it's worth it!!!


9/11/07
12dpo
98.4

This morning my temp went down some. I took a pregnancy test, but it was an equate one and you're suppose to take after one day of missed AF. So I don't know how relieable it is, it was - or course.
In my mind I am very hopeful that i'm pregnant, but my heart doubts it very much.
I'm still waiting for everything to fall through with the insurance policy.

A lot has been going on. With church, family, and trying to sell our house. Is the market slow everywhere or just here? We were really praying that our house would have sold by now. Oh well, God knows what He is doing.

On a more exciting note, September 24 we are going to be leaving for California!!!! Whooo Hooo! My BIL is getting married, so we are going a week early to spend time with my big sis, and so I can see my new little nephew :O) Then... We're going to Disneyland and California Adventure!!! I'm really excited, being that Abby is tall enough to ride more of the rides! If AF does come it will be before our trip so that is good planning!!! :)


I wonder what tomorrow's temp will be like. I think it is exciting to see what is going on with your body. KWIM? God truly is amazing in how He designed us! and out of a man's rib for that matter C=
Everyone have a great week!

Dear Lord,
I really need your strength right now. For some reason this month is harder for me. I'm analyzing everything, and i'm not simply trusting you. I don't mean not to, but my heart so desires to be pregnant again. I anticipate taking my temp tomorrow. My head seems to think if I just imagine, or tell my body to have a high temp tomorrow, my chances of being pregnant this month might be good. But I know Lord, this is in your hands. I know i can't think myself into pregnancy. I just want to see that BFP so badly that sometimes the rejection feels almost too much. But nothing is too much for you or with you.
I feel like my spirit is battling my flesh. Lord, give me the strength to hold on to you. To trust you. To believe that you will hear my prayers and answer them in your timing.
Thank you Lord, for being so good to me. For all the many blessings in my life. You have never, not for a moment, have ever forgotten me.
Forever yours,
Amen

For you Esther.....

Heavenly Father, I lift up my sister Esther before you Lord. She is struggling, yet she knows that it's in your hands, and she is laying herself at your feet Lord. Please lay your hands of grace upon her, please calm the mighty storms that are brewing inside her Lord, for even though she knows you are in charge Lord, her fleshly desires are crying out so loud Lord. I pray Lord that no matter how the next few days turn out Lord, that you shower our sister with peace, and contentment. If it pleases you Lord, please send some beautiful reminders of the joy in her life, lift her up in spirit especially at this time Lord. You know this pain, you know these struggles, you know this family and who it will contain in the end Lord. If it's your will Lord, we pray that you open Esther's womb Lord. We pray that you prepare her body to house a beautiful creation by you. We pray that if it's your will, that you bless them with a child, a child for her to carry, to give birth to, to hold and love and raise to know you Lord! We know that your will may be different than her heart's desire Lord, and if that is true, we ask Lord that you take this focus away from becoming pregnant Lord. Heavenly Father, we ask for the mercy we know you shower us with to be placed upon Esther.
And if I might Lord, I pray that if it's your will, please bless Esther with that amazing moment of getting a positive pregnancy test Lord. I am so hoping to be able to rejoice with her in an amazing miracle given by only you! If this comes to be Lord, please also bless her with a healthy child. Please let this child form correctly, let him/her grow and be born healthy and ready for the world!
I ask these things humbly before you dear Lord. I know that you are a Lord of love, of peace, and you find joy in giving us our heart's desires. Thank you for letting us bring these things before you, knowing you are listening, and when it gets hard, you are praying and crying with us Lord! Praise you, for you are the only one worthy of praise!!

I pray this for Esther, in Jesus name,
Amber


love you my sister, may the peace be felt!

Amber, Thank you so, so much. Reading your prayer through tears for me is such an encouragement and blessing.

God is good to give me friends like you.
Love you and Bless you.

PS How's the clomid working?

What beautiful prayers! It's really encouraging to read your TTC journals, ladies.
I too have sort of 'calmed' down a bit the last couple of months (being off for the summer probably helped!) and God has blessed me with almost a total sense of peace about TTC. I went and got some testing done in July, and since I haven't heard anything back, I'm assuming everything was normal on my part. Dh won't get himself tested - he has a real aversion to making any sort of 'contribution', if you know what I mean! So I have made peace with that too, and am moving on. The cool thing was that I checked my EDD on the Ask Dr. Amy website and if I do get pregnant this month, I could potentially be due on my birthday! lol
I'm not temping or anything like that, but just tracking the length of my cycle and the type of discharge I have so I can get an idea of when I'm O. We TRY to BD around that time, but man, we're having a hard time connecting... lol (no pun intended!) I mean, we made time Fri night when we were at the trailer, but since we had to get up early Sun morning, nothing happened Sat night. Sun night I was anxious about school, so nothing happened, our friend who lives with us and works nights didn't work Mon night, so again nothing happened, Dh is out at a board meeting tonight (still!), tomorrow night is our big kickoff event for Youth for the year... ladies, how do you make time??
Confession: our other problem is that I prefer it at night and dh likes it in the morning... see the problem?
OK... dh just got in, and our friend is working tonight so I'm gonna sign off... lol
Will journal again later!

Tripper, You are so funny. Dh and I don't lead a extemely busy lifestyle. Plus, he is home more than other dh's. So time is not a problem. Our problem, or my problem, is that from cd4-cd14 we bd so much, that I get sick of it. and when I O late I miss that day because i'm just worn out. so I rest for 2 days and start up again and so on....

Isn't God's peace amazing? He is so good to us.
Well ladies, God answered my prayer in a strange way. this mornings temp didn't go down. But it isn't real realiable either. Abby woke up at four a.m. and had an accident, so I got up and changed her and her bedding. I went back to bed, but couldn't fall asleep so I thought I should take my temp. It was five a.m. and it was 98.4. Well Abby called me again, so I went and put her blanket back on her. I still couldn't sleep and took my temp at six, which is my normal time and it was 98.6.
So God kept my temp up, but I don't know if it is because of how it was taken. So I'll see what tomorrows temp is like. If it is still up I'm gonna test!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh Esther!!!! I am praying!!!

Hey Esther,
Where's today's temp? I hope it's a good one!

Praying for you dear sister,
Amber

Praying for you, Esther!!

[[hugs]]

Thanks Girls, but temp dropped below coverline. 97.7
However af isn't hear just yet. So I'm just waiting.
What about you Amber, how has things been?

So sorry about AF Esther....even though I know this is the way the Lord made our bodies, I am so tired of AF. LOL, ok, I have to be honest, I only had two AFs from November 04 until I had Noah in May of 07...LOL, BUT I have spotted or had AF every week or so since, so I think I have had my share of her for a while! I think we all have!!

Life is so good. I look at my DD and just thank the Lord for her so much! She's so funny, so smart, so cute...you know, all those things we ALL think about our kids. I just never knew how much I could really LOVE someone until she came. It makes me see how much the Lord loves us.....and it's SOOOO much more than I could ever love my DD. It's truly amazing to know that he loves us that much, because loving us that much means that he will never leave us, always wants to bless us, and hopes we try and do things that please him! What an awesome God we serve!!

Took my 4th clomid pill tonight. I don't seem to be having any side effects as of now. I don't really remember any from when we got pg with DD, and I am so thankful for that. Please pray for my mental well being. I went a little crazy...or A LOT crazy last time (I wasn't saved though, so I am sure that made a HUGE difference) I just talked to one of my friends who was raised in a Christian home, has know the Lord for a VERY long time, and she said she went a little crazy on clomid too. She was on it for a lot longer than I was or will be, but knowing that she had this side effect....ick! So, please pray, I don't want Dh to have to go through me being a loon again!

Blessings my friends!!
Amber

I have a friend that is a Christian, and is experiencing the same thing. When you feel yourself starting to get irritated and uptight. Stop what you are doing go pray, and then do something for yourself. Read a book with your dd. Go for a nice walk. Take that energy and release it in a positive way. My friend will go for a brisk walk, or lay out on her hammock and she said it does wonders.

Or you can come her and vent (as long as you have your one praise ) hehehe!

LOL about venting with the one praise!

Praise the Lord, so far so good! I have a bit of a cough right now, and feel a bit lethargic, but overall I feel pretty good. I know this cold could have been WAY worse, so no worries!

Blessings,
Amber

p.s. ahhhh, to swing in a hammock, my dream!

OK, so when I posted earlier this week I think it may have been a little bit TMI... <grin> sorry if anyone thought so! I kinda realized it AFTER I posted... lol
I saw a really good anti-cyberbullying commercial today, and it just reinforced the idea that I need to think about what I type online... if I wouldn't say it in person, why type it? Good thought, huh?
Anyways, I now have a question about TTC Journals: Do you want us to just post here, or start our own threads? This could get pretty huge if we all post here!

Well.... I think it may be better to start our own thread. But if you choose to do it here in this forum that is fine.

I'm gonna have to go back and re-read your post, because I don't think I read anything that contained TMI. When ttc there isn't really anything you don't talk about KWIM?

Thanks Esther... I guess that's true and it makes me feel better!

Ok, here's my praise...at least one of them! I had been praying that Dh and my BD wouldn't feel like it was a chore just to catch that eggie, and the Lord, of course, totally came through! Dh and I are not the most "active" of people...with his meds hindering, my completely messed up hormones, having a toddler, spotting every other day, and his work schedule, we never seem to hook up! Yeah, doesn't help getting pg huh? I asked Dh to commit to BDing every other day until obvious O while we do the clomid. I don't want to take this meds just to lay next to my Dh knowing we missed O. KWIM? So I brought it before the Lord before all this started, and once again, the Lord answered!!! Please pray that this is a continuing trend for us!
So far no O, but I'm only what? CD10? I feel my little ovaries waking up...they like to talk to me, so maybe the Lord will bless us with 2, 3, maybe 4? Dh would pass out! Haahaa!! The Lord knows, whatever His will is for us and our family, we will rejoice in that.
I decided that if AF comes, I will rejoice because the Lord didn't open my womb just because I WANTED it. If we get a BFP, I will rejoice for the blessing the Lord trusted us with, for however long that may be. Really, with our Lord Jesus, how can I lose?

I hope you are all doing well!
Blessings,
Amber

Amber,
What a fabulous way to look at it! I'm going to pray that God would bless me with that same attitude!

Sarah

On a more exciting note, September 24 we are going to be leaving for California!!!! Whooo Hooo! My BIL is getting married, so we are going a week early to spend time with my big sis, and so I can see my new little nephew :O) Then... We're going to Disneyland and California Adventure!!! I'm really excited, being that Abby is tall enough to ride more of the rides!

We should get together girlie! Go out and get some coldstone. ;)

Wow, where did we all go?

Praise.....I ovulated! Finally! I wasn't sure I was going to this round, and it gets irritating to "have" to DTD just to catch that egg. I kept praying the if it was the Lord's will for us to get pg, that he would put desire on our hearts during the "right" time. I went to a women's retreat Friday night, and only slept 2.5 hours, so I couldn't temp. I had a small temp spike the day before, but then my temp went down the next day, so that missing temp was SUPER important for my own personal knowledge. I know that if AF doesn't come in two or three weeks, I should test, but we either got a BD round in on time, or we kind of missed it. I recorded my CM and just going by that, it looks like I o'd in time, but with temps, it's iffy.
I know the Lord knows, so I rest in his perfect will. I am just thankful I O'd!

How is everyone else doing? It's been so quiet here. I've been no online very much, I think I forgot to respond to a thread I started.....

Blessings,
Amber

Amber,
I can't stand it when you miss and important temp like that! I'm not sure which day I O'd because I took my temp at 6:00 my time but it was 5:00 California time, so I'm not sure if that made differance. Also with traveling and stress temps are iffy! And we didn't BD very much on vacation, which was when I was suppose to O. But we'll see.


I haven't been online very much either. I think next month i will take a break from the boards and temping. I need to lose some weight and get on track with my Bible reading and prayer time.

Keep us posted!

Glad to see you are back Esther!

Hey Esther, I wouldn't worry about that one hour difference, it won't make that much of a difference! ;-)

We are close in our cycles...maybe we can test on the same day if we don't get AF!

Blessings,
Amber

Praise for your O, Amber!!

Glad you're back, Esther!!

hugs to you both,

Thanks Kate! How's pregnancy going for you? I can't believe you are at the bit 12 week mark! Why does it go so much faster for someone else? Hahaa

Well, I finally got my FF crosshairs, even with that darn missing temp. Our BD timing was "ok, possibly good" but I know that this is ALL in the Lord's hands. He can keep us from bding on time if he didn't want my womb open, so I just wait for whatever his will is. I guess asking for patience has manifested already! :-D

Blessings my sisters,
Amber

Pregnancy is going ok...still having morning sickness, although I have medicine for it now. I have to remember to rest more often and sometimes nap when Trevor does. My clothes are getting a bit snug...

If you remember, our BD for this pregnancy was at least 3 days before FF gave me crosshairs...so, there's hope Sistah!!

Praying for patience for you, Amber.

((hugs))

Ahhh, morning sickness. Honestly I never really had it, but I feel for you! My friend had it til the day she delivered, and then threw up after her c-section...bleh!

I'm glad this little one is staying put! Blessings to you all!

Amber

Well ladies,
It's been a while. I'm in the 2ww, but I haven't really been concerned this month. I'm not sure which day I o'd, but I also wonder sometimes if it matters. Don't get me wrond, I want to do all that I can, but I know that no matter what I do it is in God's control and timing. So I'm just waiting on him. I am now possibly 5dpo. So only time can tell. I'm just trying to focus on getting my body into shape.

Later ladies!

Girl! We will have to test together next friday! We "possibly" O'd on the same day!! It's our anniversary, so I thought, why not? I tested on DD's 1st bday and found out Noah was coming, why not do it on another big day? Well, we haven't ever really celebrated much, we kind of suck in that department, but hey, sounds fun! :-D

Shhhhhhh, don't tell anyone or laugh, but I bought some cheap HPTs off the internet. I am hoping they are here by then, BUT I do have some dollar tree ones. Dh doesn't want to know when I test until it's + and I don't like to pay for HPTs. I figured I would get a WHOLE BUNCH for cheap. If more than one comes up + for real, I might buy a digital one, just for fun, but that's ONLY for a very obvious BFP!

It's fun, it's exciting, it's very much a teacher of patience and desiring the Lord's will. I have to remind myself and the Lord that it's HIS will that I want, so I keep asking him to make my heart's desire match his will. So far the desire of my heart is to have more kids....well more than that, the list is long so PM me if you want to know it all! haahaa!!

Blessings my dear sisters!
Amber

Esther, your chart is looking so good! I know things can change so quickly, but hey, hey, hey, it's looking good! You going to test tomorrow like FF says? Keep us updated, it would be so awesome if you got your BFP tomorrow! :-D

Well, I praise the Lord He makes His will be done! He knows what we need, and I praise him for not giving me over to my desires for consequence reasons!
Af came yesterday, and I am ok with that. Yes, I would have loved to been pg the first round of clomid, but I know the Lord knows, and I'm very ok with that. I am on to round two...and if the Lord brings it to mind, please have him pray for my emotional state. I can always use the help! Haahaa. I have been like a REAL PMSer the past few days. This is my first REAL AF since before I got pg with Emma. All the others have either been PPAF or messed up hormonally. Today, I feel like a real woman again! BLEH! Haahaaa!!!

I hope everyone is doing well, and Esther....if you feel it's the Lord's will...TEST!

Blessings,
Amber

Amber~
You know what my friend, whenever I read your posts I just want to hug you. I've been praying for you, I know from other and what I've read that clomid can be mean.
I am sorry af came, but gald you feel like a woman again!? (smiley)

If my temp is still up tomorrow, I may test. The one bad thing about temping is it can drop so fast over night. Like a sledge hammer crashing down. But at the same time you know once that happens, to be ready for af. I'm not getting too excited because I've been having my normal pre-af symptoms. breaking out, bloating (always a favorite :/ ), fatigue, emotional/sensitive. You know the usual. But nothing is impossible with God! So we'll see. I always have a little bit of hope, and God always cushions my falls.

I let you know if I test! Love you guys!

Awww, I feel hugged! :-D

Yes, I know, temps can go waaaaaay down so fast! Mine did! It's cool how the Lord made our bodies with a built in "warning system' that AF was coming! Haahaa...He is so good!

Please, if the Lord brings it to your mind, pray for our DD Emma. She has been doing weird things with her eyes, and we are going to get her checked out. Please pray that whatever the Lord has in store for her/us that we except it graciously and humbly. She may just have bad eye sight, but we just don't know!

Blessings,
Amber

Oh my! What do you mean? What sort of wierd things?

i will be praying! keep me posted!

Thanks for the prayers. She keeps blinking A LOT...a lot more than normal, and she squints A LOT and then blinks rapidly afterwards. It's like she has something in her eye, or that the light is to bright, or something. If it only happened once or even twice, I really wouldn't worry, but she seems to do it a lot. It's hard to ask her what she can and cannot see, but she did identify a tiny American flag on her clock, and was about 10 feet away, so I know she can see something, just not sure why her eyes seem "irritated"! I did try some eye drops for dryness, but it didn't seem to help.

I am so excited for tomorrow. I hope that doesn't make you feel pressured Esther, we love you no matter the outcome. But, I pray you get your heart's desire tomorrow!

Blessings,
Amber

Esther, it only went down a little, please say you tested, just to see! If not, go get a $tree one and test tonight!!! I know, I know, it's hard to think you are going to get a BFN, but don't your temps usually drops A LOT by now?

Just hoping, and wishing, and praying for a BFP for you my friend!

Blessings,
Amber

O Buttercup! (big cheesy grin) no I did not test. I'm gonna wait until tomorrow. Yes, my temps usually drop a lot, but I am going to wait.

I slept with the window open last night, and I was cold. I woke up at 4:40 and took my temp and it was 97.9. I grabbed the top cover and pulled it up on me. went back to sleep and woke up at my normal time (6am) and it was 98.5. I'm sure sleeping with the window open and being cold had affected my temps. But I just don't know what to trust.

Thanks for thinking of me.

Thanks for the prayers. She keeps blinking A LOT...a lot more than normal, and she squints A LOT and then blinks rapidly afterwards. It's like she has something in her eye, or that the light is to bright, or something. If it only happened once or even twice, I really wouldn't worry, but she seems to do it a lot. It's hard to ask her what she can and cannot see, but she did identify a tiny American flag on her clock, and was about 10 feet away, so I know she can see something, just not sure why her eyes seem "irritated"! I did try some eye drops for dryness, but it didn't seem to help.

Hi Amber, just wanted to see how your dd is doing...any updates?

Thanks for asking, she hasn't been blinking as much today as she was on Friday and Saturday. I may call the doc and ask him about it tomorrow, since I forgot today...nice huh? (roll eyes here!)
Please keep her in your prayers though, and I will update you when I know something!

Went to the doc today for the " baseline" ultrasound. PTL no cysts. The doc is also going to be checking my progesterone this cycle...so we will see what happens! I ordered some OPK's online, and they came today. Just internet cheapies, but I have enough to start testing early and see if I can see a surge! I forgot how exciting TTC was...LOL!

Blessings,
Amber

p.s. I cannot believe you are over 13 weeks now! I just noticed, you are now exactly how far along I was when we found out Noah was sick. It's hard to imagine, but your little one is formed so well already, that they can detect problems! Just amazing!

I'm glad to hear that your dd is doing better! Also that you have no cysts!! Praise the Lord! Hope the OPKs work for you...have you ever used them?

I can't believe this little one is 13 weeks either! Every time I check to see what he/she is growing or forming this week, I can't help but praise God! He's amazing!

Amber,
Still praying for you over here (and your little girl). I hope this is your month but your trust in Him is amazing...

Amber, I never shared your enthusiasim for ttc But I am thrilled to find out that you don't have any cysts. Keep us posted about your dd.

Now hurry up and meet me on the other side!

LOL, my ovaries can only work so quickly! :-D

In the Lord's timing, but I would love to be pg buddies with you!

Blessings,
Amber

Just wanted to sneak in here and start a journal as well. God has blessed us with three beautiful children. Our last baby was born full trisomy 18 on March 30th and we had two beautiful months with her. I have always wanted a big family and wanted to try again right away. I am so praying that God has more children for us, but trying to be patient in case he does not. It is hard not to dwell on it, this will be the Fifth month. I am at the excited and waiting part right now. Cd 30, but I have been having long cycles 31-34 days.
Waiting:).....

Was just in the kitchen and feeling icky and thinking oh! I hope this is morning sickness. Hee hee I am probably the only one hoping for a little sickness. It could just as easily be AF coming. I have learned that to trust God is the only way, but sometimes the waitng part is hard.

Welcome to the journey of ttc! i did it for almost 2 years! I am not preggo C= and I know exactly what you're talking about! I promised myself that when and if I got pregnant I would not be complaing about my pregnancy symptoms, infact I welcomed them at that point. And now, I am still thankful and still not complaing. I've not had much sickness, but I did catch a cold and I did complain about that C=
But hope you can join the other board soon! All in Gods timing.

Esther, look at that cute little belly. Hopefully it's twins and not gas! Haahaa!!

Praise.....I praise the Lord that Esther's little bean is chugging along! I pray that he/she/they (heehee) are strong little beans!

I O'd!! PTL! I had a good O this round, and my body seems to be doing things that it should but normally doesn't! So another HUGE praise god out to the Lord! If it's his will, it will work! :-D

I think I am getting past the clomid "mental ickies" now. Please keep me in prayer. I find that while I am on the clomid, I tend to lack conviction in things I KNOW I need it in. If that makes sense. I know it's the meds, and I am trying to keep very close to the Lord and not listen to stuff right now....but it's hard being in such a weird place. I do love our Lord though!

So, how's the rest of the gang doing?

Blessings,
Amber

Welcome to the journey of ttc! i did it for almost 2 years! I am not preggo C= and I know exactly what you're talking about! I promised myself that when and if I got pregnant I would not be complaing about my pregnancy symptoms, infact I welcomed them at that point. And now, I am still thankful and still not complaing. I've not had much sickness, but I did catch a cold and I did complain about that C=
But hope you can join the other board soon! All in Gods timing.


Esther, you mean now I think...
=)

Oh! Yes I meant NOW!!! teehehee. Thank you

And thank you Amber for your prayers. I've been praying for you, especially because of the clomid. It must be hard, but I am thrilled to hear your body is doing more of what it is suppose to be doing. It's funny you should mention twins. My dh's mom is a twin, and she has a brother and sister who are twins as well. and on my side every first and third generation has twins. My sister being the first generation was pregnant with twins but the other passed early. I am the 3rd generation..... so we'll see! You never know what God knows, and though I don't think we could handle twins, He may! C= But other than that I think my stomache is just pooched.

Esther, you're looking good! Congrats again girl! And as for twins... well, I think it depends on the mother's side of the family - dad has nothing to do with producing twins! Also, if God does bless you with 2, I know he'll provide a way for you to handle it too!
My mom is an identical twin, and my dh's mom is also an identical twin, so you know what we're expecting to have happen... although knowing God's sense of humour, He'd give us one, then when we try again, we'd have 2 and end up with 3 in total! <grin> That would actually be perfectly fine with me!

SavedByGrace ~ I am glad you finally got your baby!!! Your belly looks so cute! My tummy popped right out with my second two babies too.

Buttercup ~ I have been praying for you. I hope this is your last month on clomid. So glad you O'd! How many days past?

Blessings!
Kathaleen

Trip, just FYI, identical twins can be from either side because it's an egg that splits AFTER conception, and fraternal twins are from two eggs, which is up to the Mom because she has to ovulate two eggs. ;-)

Esther, will you be getting an ultrasound other than the 20 week one? I know I will if I get pg with clomid because the look for multiples just in case. I will only have the early one and the 20 week one unless something unexpected happens. We were blessed to find out about Noah really early, but I just want to enjoy another pg for a while. KWIM?

Kathaleen, thank you for your prayers. The Lord totally knows, and we did everything we could have. I guess there always could be more BD, but hey, we did pretty well this cycle. :) I am 4dpo today according to FF, I think maybe 3dpo, but we will see! It's only one day, so that's not too big a deal!

Blessings,
Amber

Well, I am almost 7dpo. Not too long to go before I either get a BFP or AF. My friend ask me the other day if I felt anything happening or being good. I told her "I never feel anything!" Haahaa! I am soooo not one of those woman who KNOW they are pg the moment it happens. I just happen to test with Noah because it was DD's bday and thought that would be cool! :-D
Doing well. PTL the clomid fog is lifting. It usually gets better towards the end of the cycle when the hormones are settling down a bit or whatever they are doing! I am very happy right now, not too anxious with wanting to know. I am just so very blessed to have a Lord that loves me so much that he gives me so much peace! Praise him for that!

Please pray for wisdom for Dh and I. We are looking into making some BIG decisions about the future that has me going back to school for, oh about 5 years or so. There are waaaaaay too many factors to list here, but just know that we are being very careful with our roles here, and are seeking out the Lord's will in it.

I hope you ladies are all doing well!
Blessings,
Amber

OOoooo! How exciting, Amber! What day are you gonna wait until to test? Praying for you, sistah!

((hugs))

Who knows when I will break the tests out! Haahaa I bought some internet cheapies and have about, oh 25 of them, (roll eyes here) and so I might test before I go into my progesterone test on 10DPO. If I do that, it would be tuesday I think. Heck, I may even break down and start tomorrow...just to compare....haahaa!!

Kate...how on earth did you get to be 16 weeks already? I am amazed at how time flies for others...at least for me! When's the big ultrasound? Gonna find out?

Blessings,
Amber

Ok, Tuesday it is! Hehe...

16 weeks i know...so fast - yet so slow!

((hugs))

I have just been sitting back and basking in the glow. Inside glow LOL I still look the same. I tested on Thur-13dpo. I almost tested Wed, but I knew I would always remember that I tested on Halloween, so I was silly and waited.
God so took care of me. My brain was getting TTC weary! He gave me patience and peace either way. This baby is such a blessing and we are so Happy! God is good! We are going to wait until Christmas morning to tell the Monsters. Our five year old daughter is going to be so !!!!!!!!!. What an awesome gift!



Amber I can not believe you are already 7dpo! I am glad the clomid is treating you ok. Happy that God has been giving you peace. Hope this is your month! Waiting to hear...

Blessing!
Kathaleen

Congratulations Plaid!!! You didn't have to stick to this forum long! PTL.

Amber, keep us posted about your hpt! What a day it will be when you get your BFP! Is your dd better with her eyes?

Kate, I was thinking the same thing. I can't believe you are already 16 weeks! I feel like I'm stuck on week 7..........

Congrats, Plaid!!!! WOOHOO!!!! What number is this for you?

Amber, getting to week 10 was hard - we chose to wait to tell people (other than our immediate family) until we heard the heartbeat. Seemed like it took *forever*! Now, getting to 20 has been fairly quick (so far...). I think past 20 it's going to be slow again...waiting, counting...praying.

Also, I forgot to answer your other q's, Amber. We are hoping to find out what we're having. Our ultrasound is scheduled for sometime in December. We're trying to decide how to break the news to everyone if we DO get to find out. So, we haven't told anyone the exact date of the u/s. ;)

Wish I was looking preggers. I just look thick around the middle and feel fat. ICK!! :rolleyes: I know it's coming...Also, it took me 2 years to lose my Trevor weight and I'm sooo not looking forward to that again. I guess I'm wanting to look pregnant and not wanting to gain weight! HAHA - not sure it works like that!

Kathaleen! Praise the Lord! What a blessing! I am with you finding out on Halloween. Haahaa, what a weird day that would be! When are you due? I am so excited for you! Thank you for your prayers!

Kate,
Try looking preggo without a baby! Praise the Lord he is so kind to us, me in particular! I actually looked (in my VERY humble opinion...haahaa) pretty good after Noah. I have to say that I look good for a few weeks/month after I give birth, then everything tends to get back to it's normal place, and I start looking fat again! Ha!
Don't sweat the looks gal, this baby is a blessing, and even if you gained 100lbs, if that little one comes home healthy, Praise HIM for that, and forget how you look...at least for now. Enjoy it while you can, because soon you will have to start worrying about that again...but not now! ;-)
Let us know when you find out what you are having..it's so exciting!! Do you feel the baby move a lot? I have totally forgotten what that felt like.

Esther....if I have good news to spread, believe me, I will post! :-D You are my sisters, and have gone through a lot with me! You will probably be the next I tell after Dh!

I am going to take a nap while the sleeping is good!
Blessings all!!
Amber

Thanks for the perspective, Amber...You're so sweet and so right! I will let you know when we have our u/s. I haven't felt the baby move yet - I think I'm looking forward to that more than finding out if it's a boy or girl! Those little flutters are due any day now!

Thanks guys I am so excited I could hardly sleep the first few nights.

Piano Mamm ~ this is number four for us. We have a five year old girl and almost three little boy. Our last baby girl was born this past March very sick. (full trisomy 18) She lived for two precious and scary months. We miss her and have given her to God and so wanted another baby, so this one feels like an extra special gift. God is good!
hee hee I remember feeling the same way about my belly one lady actually asked me if I was pregnant and then said OH good I thought you were getting fat, but I did not think your arms looked any bigger! lol I think most people know it is a baby in there though.

Amber I am guessing about July 8th because I have long cycles. Soo will be thinking of your test!

God please in Jesus name we pray if it is your will let there be a baby for Amber this month. Please help her to trust in you and give her peace in you.
Thank you God~Amen

I don't know how the face got in there. Should be 18. It still says 18 when I try to edit ??? OOPS...

probably because you put the 8 next to the )

Kathaleen, Thank you for your prayer! What a blessing! I hope we can both give our little heaven babies siblings! How cool to be pg together after going through what we did about the same time! You know, I just thought about it, Your sweet baby girl and my Noah passed around the same time. Wonder if they are playing together in Heaven! :-D

I am one day less DPO than FF first said. I was thinking I o'd a day later than it first said, so it seems more accurate to me. So, hold on gals, it's a long week! haahaa!! The Lord knows though...and that's all that counts!

Blessings,
Amber

Thanks for trying to help Kate, I had to go earlier and now it is too late! Thanks.
Kathaleen

Keeping my prayer hands folded for you!!!! God is so good all the time isn't He!

Buttercup I was thinking lots about our babies in heaven last night . It sure makes heaven more real. I wonder if they are still babies?? I know God has made them perfect now and it makes me feel so much better to know that they are not hurting anymore!

Hey Amber - did you POAS yet?

love ya, chica!
[loveyou]

Kathaleen....I agree, knowing Noah is perfect now....I just can't help but "fall" to my knees in joyous praise! I too wonder their physical state...but we know whatever it is...it's perfect now!

Kate....I did POAS...just for you....or me (haahaa) but I'm only 9dpo, so not surprised it was BFN. No worries....;-)

Blessings,
Amber

Buttercup ~ no pressure, just thinking of you. How is your brain?? hee hee

Blessings!!:)
Kathaleen

Doing well. Had my progesterone level tested today, should find out how well I ovulated in a few days! :-D I did have a dip in temp today, and if it goes back it "could" be a good sign, but hey, no worries. Like I keep saying, it's all up to the Lord! I never really "feel" pg until I am farther along, so I can't go by signs! haahaa!!

Thanks for thinking of me!
Blessings,
Amber

:D Keep us posted, sistah! Prayin' for ya...

Thank you! Today I feel like this is a busted cycle! My tests are still snow white...I actually thought today that they are as white as I am now that I was washed by Jesus' blood! Haahaa..I'm a nutcase!

Anyways, I would think that I would at least have a super faint line by now, but I know i'm not out yet. I am ok with not being pg....I would just be bummed that I have to go through ANOTHER cycle of clomid. Sometimes it's hard to feel broken, but I am keeping my eyes on the Lord, and his perfect timing. I foresee this being ANOTHER trail to teach me patience.....have I NOT learned that yet? haahaa!!

How're my girls?

Amber

Amber mine was super faint on day 13! I had a cheapie test, I don't know if that matters??:):)

Praying!
Kathaleen

I too had a negative on day 11 dpo and then on 12 dpo I got my super, super, super faint line! Hang in there, Amber.... we're praying for your BFP!! :)

hey amber! sorry to hear that the clomid May have not worked this cycle. But of course we know God has a plan. and I believe that you will carry His plan out with grace.

Thanks for the encouragement girls. I feel so PMS-y...I forgot how that felt until last cycle because I hadn't had a real cycle since late 2004! Haahaa, I enjoy pg much better! :-D

I know I am not out until AF comes....just don't "feel it!" I actually ordered next rounds clomid, so watch me get a late BFP! Haahaa!!

I will let you know what comes about...

Blessings,
Amber

maybe the clomid has clouded your motherly instincts!!!
To be honest, I didn't "feel" it either. If it wasn't for tracking my temps I would have never known. Looking back AFTER I found out I could put two and two together, but I really thought I was out of the game.
1.dh and I only bd twice the week I O'd, two days before I O'd and on the day I O'd.
2.I didn't lay around for the 30min's, maybe like 5 mins.
3.plus we were traveling and arguing and i thought for sure the stress was making my O date wrong all together.
4. took my temp at the same time but in a different time zone
5.Did I mention that I thought i was just out of the game?

Anyhow, I never thought that I would've been able to get pregnant at that time. Especially because before I was "timing" everything, using pre-seed, using instead cups, bought the ov watch (but never used it) But God likes surprizes!! because He really surprized me!!!
So yes, keep us posted Amber, we're all cheering for your BFP!!!

You are so cute Esther! :-D Thanks for the cheers!

My temp went down a bit again today, so I am hovering VERY close to my coverline, and those of you who know about charting know that that is a very good indication that AF is on her way. I have been super crampy today, and even had a tiny bit of spotting. I will be super surprised if my temp doesn't crash tomorrow.
I praise the LORD for his perfect timing! I thought I would be a bit more bummed than I am. I know that is ONLY from the Lord and his amazing grace! The cool thing is, if I get pg this next cycle, I will have gotten pg on the third round of clomid the second time around, AND I will be due pretty close to DD's bday! I didn't realize it at the time, but my three cycles on clomid last time are almost parallel to this go round. I have heard that some women tend to be fertile around the same time each year, and well, in all my times of being pg, it's all been around this time. (give or take a month here and there)

I picked up my clomid today, so I will be starting my pills on cd1 this round. Please pray for protection from hormonal issues this time around again, please! I feel better this week than last, and know that is the Lord answering prayers about this! He is still my No.1!!!

Blessings,
Amber

p.s. Don't forget to thank a Veteran tomorrow! (Dh is a former Marine!)

Saying a prayer for you, Amber! Your faith in God is so inspiring!!

Oh Buttercup you are a Blessing!:) I know God has a plan for you and your family! Will be praying praying praying for you!

Thinking of you,
Kathaleen

Thanks gals...well AF FINALLY showed up today. I never really have cramps before AF, but I was getting them for days. I just took my first pill of clomid for this round....hopefully this is the one the Lord will use to give us another blessing, if not, I trust him.
Uggg.....cramps are yucky! Haahaa

You are all such blessings, I am glad I have you to be with me, it's great to be so supported!

Blessings,
Amber

Well on to round two, right!!! Still cheering for you! hopefully you can control the clomid better this time around. praying for you sis!

Esther, round three my dear...l:-)

I think I will O around Dh's bday.....guess we all know what he's getting! Haahaa

Blessings,
Amber

Praying, Amber! Hope you do ok with the Clomid this time around. I have a friend at church that is on her 3rd round of clomid also...I don't know her super well, but she's in the choir and she's told me a few times that she's on it so she doesn't know what to expect and if she's gonna show up for choir, etc. Her dose was upped this time, is your higher or the same as last time?

Nope, same dose! Feel free to give her my email addy if she would like to chat. PM me for it if you need it!
I think the doc will up my dose next cycle if no BFP this round, not sure though. I O well on 50mg, so we will see!
So far, I feel great this cycle. I forgot how much I disliked the actual AF....just so messy! Haahaa!! Other than that, the Lord is being way more gracious than He ever should be with me! I praise him for that!

Blessings,
Amber

OK, no BFP... just in case that's what you thought! lol
I just went to see my fertility doc today to finally follow up on all the tests I had done in the summer: all is well, everything is functioning normally and I should be able to get pg naturally. So why am I not? Who knows...
Dh still won't make a 'donation' to get his sperm tested, so we have to assume that everything's ok there too. Besides, what can/do they do if it's not?
So... doc explained my options: 1. Clomid, 2. other "un-natural" fertility options ($$$!!) or 3. adoption. (Btw, please don't take offense if you used option #2 - it's just the only term I could think of to describe it!) Dh & I will have been ttc for 2 years this coming March, and I think that's kinda the date I've set in my mind for trying Clomid... any words of wisdom, encouragement, or other? You ladies have been the BEST resource ever!

Thanks!
Sarah

Wow, two years! dh and I ttc for over a year and a half. you know, I really think a lot of it is timing. The timing of your O, how fertile your cm is and if it is what God wants. If you KNOW you are healthy and ovulating on your own and you know dh is healthy, then really it may be timing. I bd two days before O and on the day of O! ( although that wasn't planned, it happened and worked) Do you KNOW you are having sex on or very close to O day?
Praise God you are healthy ! Hang in there and cling to the hem of His garment!

Hey Sarah,

Glad to hear everything is running well "under the hood" so to speak! Haaha!!

FYI on the SA thing: If your Dh has a low sperm count, they usually advise him to try a few things, like wear boxers to let the "boys" hang and not get too warm from tight underwear. They suggest no smoking, no drinking, no hot baths or hottubs/saunas. I know there are supplements out there that "can" help, but you will have to google that. If they find that he has a physiological problem, like something kinked in his tubing or the like, I know they can offer some therapies/surgeries to help, but I don't know how far the surgeries go. My Dh is just fine, so we didn't have to go any farther than the SA.

I also agree with Esther...but put the Lord's will first in the line up! (I know it wasn't meant that way Esther! ) We can do EVERYTHING humanly possible, but if the Lord isn't opening your womb, all those things will fail. I hope you and Dh are bringing your desire for a baby before the Lord often. We will never know if this is the reason, but the Lord I think waits til we call on him sometimes. He isn't vindictive of course about it, but he wants us to bring our desires before him! I also suggest that you start temping, if you are not. Following your temps/ovulation/luteal phase can give you a good indication to what your body is doing during your cycle.

I am now on our third round of clomid, and it took a lot of praying/talking/and medical advice before we went that direction. I think the Lord gives us medicine to help with the issues we have due to the fall, but I think we have to seek His will in everything we do! It's hard to take that next step, but if you feel the Lord leading you in that way, I say go for it. Just know that clomid can affect your emotions/mental well being. I really have to work hard to keep my eyes on the Lord, and honestly most days I fail. I just have to keep coming back to our Father, and ask him to keep me close during this time, and so far, he has done that. If you have any questions about clomid or anything, feel free to ask. I'm not an expert, but hey, this will be my 6th round of clomid total so far in my lifetime! :-)

I totally know how hard it is to TTC. After two miscarriages and five years we were blessed by the birth of our daughter. It was a long and sometimes very hard road, but the Lord used the whole thing to bring me to Him!

Keep us updated!
Blessings,
Amber

Buttercup I think you are so right that circumstances bring us to God. It will happen over and over in our lives that we need to trust God and give everything to him. It is a hard lesson to learn. I keep trying to take things back, but it is such a relief when you remember to give it to God!

Will be praying for all you girls!
Hope this round of clomid goes well Amber. Does it effect you just the days that you take it or the whole month?

Blessings!
Kathaleen

The whole month! Haahaa! I actually am feeling REALLY good so far this cycle. I know it's the Lord's hand in my life, but it's so nice to not feel weird. Maybe I am getting use to feeling weird...LOL!

I'll let you know when I start going crazy again this cycle....haahaa!! Just kidding!

Have a great day all!
Blessings,
Amber

Oh, and just FYI, we are getting rid of our landline and internet, so I won't be able to come online as much. I will keep you all updated, but it won't be everyday. Not sure when the official "last" day will be, but I'll let you know!

Blessings,
A

Oh, and just FYI, we are getting rid of our landline and internet, so I won't be able to come online as much. I will keep you all updated, but it won't be everyday. Not sure when the official "last" day will be, but I'll let you know!



AW!! [sadashamed] I know of people getting rid of their house phones...we'll miss you!

Thanks sweetie, I will miss you all too, but will come on as much as possible.
Blessings,
Amber

Amber, just know that we'll be praying for you. I'm glad to hear that this cycle of clomid is going better! Love you.
Esther

Still trudging along, waiting to O! Praise: The Lord is helping me come close to him and is still giving me such peace and comfort this cycle. I did get very grumpy yesterday, but the Lord kept me from running people over in my car...haahaa (really just kidding) and by the afternoon I felt great again! Our Lord totally rocks! :-D

Hope all is well with you ladies! Have a fantastic Thanksgiving, there is so much to be thankful for in this life, and remember...stuff yourself with turkey/stuffing/mashed potatoes/pumpkin pie and don't look back!

Blessings,
Amber

Buttercup, hope you are well and this round is treating you good!!

God please be with Amber and bless her.

OK, so dh and I had a good, long chat today for the first time in a while about our ttc, and let's just say we're on 2 different pages in a few areas...
First of all, he's big on exploring the adoption option because he doesn't believe in medical intervention when our bodies are supposed to be able to do this themselves naturally. That's a whole other issue between us, since I grew up in a medical household with mom as a doctor and pills to take whenever anything went wrong - to handle the symptoms, kwim? He doesn't think even that's necessary and of course, my fear (to take this to the extreme!) is that if anything medically ever happened to him, he'd refuse treatment at first thinking he could 'get over it himself', and then I'd end up having to care for him long term and might even resent him for his decision... I know, I know... not very likely and not a reality for us right now, but... my mind does a lot of wandering!

Secondly, I've had a few tests done on myself to make sure everything's ok, but he won't do the same because even if there is something wrong, he wouldn't want any medical help - we'd just adopt. I've tried to explain that there's something beautiful and special about conceiving your own child and that THAT's what I really want, so now he wants to back off the adoption thing for a while too, since I might end up resenting any child we adopt.

Sad thing is, I wonder if he's right.

I take care of 25 children every day at school, and love the rewards of it - even the struggles! I'm just not sure if I'm ready to be a MOM, kwim? I know I'm putting additional pressure on myself that isn't really there, but that's how my mind tends to function. Does that make sense to anyone else? How do I control it? Wow, ttc really IS a rollercoaster! I mean, most days I'm good with letting God do it all, but sometimes... my selfish desires just creep in and take over.

Another thought I had was a memory from when I was a child of playing house with friends, and always feeling angry at my baby/kid doll... That's what also scares me. Was I picking that up from my parents somehow, and will that resentment carry over into reality if we do have kids?

OK, enough ranting... if you've read this far, thanks for sticking with me! My mind tends to jump all over the place, and I just hoped that this forum would be a safe place for me to get it all out on 'paper' and get some encouragement and feedback.

Thanks

Tripper~You have a lot of feelings to sort through. Hopefully you guys can have a few more talks to try and get on the same page and pray together.

~will pray for you.

Today I feel... a little embarrassed, a lot calmer, and not as confused. God really spoke to my heart this morning in church as our pastor preached on God's blessing and how we need to not just obey God, but honor Him with our obedience.

It made me realize how much I've been depending on myself to handle stuff in life lately instead of giving it to Him... I've got a lot on my plate these days and the stress has been piling up on my shoulders, instead of rolling off onto His.

This afternoon and evening I've got to stay home 'cause I'm having a colonoscopy tomorrow (blech) so I can't exactly go anywhere as my body is preparing for the procedure. This will be a great opportunity to pray, reflect and think about where we go from here... I'm SURE that the stress of this procedure affected my ability to handle the whole ttc conversation yesterday, but sometimes God puts stuff like that in my life to help my true feelings surface, when I'd much rather deny them and push them away. Now that I'm feeling more rational, however, I plan on hashing this out with dh - he REALLY helps me put my feelings into words!

So thanks for reading, don't worry about me 'cause everything's going to be fine, and I'll update with any further decisions, etc. when I can.

Thanks ladies!

Hey ladies! I miss ya, but am making it through the days without the internet! Haahaa!!
We are all doing pretty well. I didn't temp this cycle but three times. I figured I usually O around the same time, and if it's the Lord's will, he will put it on our hearts and bodies to get together. I think we did have good timing, but only the Lord knows! :-) I figure if I don't get AF by about Dec. 13th, then I will test. It's been nice to not feel pressured by temps and whatnot! Dh's birthday was right around O, so you can probably guess what he got for his present! Haahaaa!!!!

Anyways, you are all on my mind, and in my prayers throughout the week! I miss you, and will keep checking in as much as possible.

We had an unexpected issue come up financially, so sadly I am trying to go back to work. I can make way more than than Dh because of my history at my last place of employment, so I will work until we are debt free....hoping it's only about 3 years! School is still in the works, but I will have to probably go slower than I wanted at first! But I rest in the fact that the Lord knows! Such a comfort!

Keep me updated on you all!
Blessings,
Amber

Hey Amber
We miss you around here! I haven't been on much *busy* but I've been thinking of you!

OK wow... when God works, he really works!

No, not a BFP or anything. Just some work on my heart and my mind.

So I went for my colonoscopy Monday and had an adverse reaction to the Fentenol (sp?) they used for sedation - basically, I couldn't keep anything down for a few hours afterwards. They also did a few biopsies because of inflammation (apparently colitis) and I bled a little afterwards. On top of all that, there was a HUGE snowstorm that day and we're about an hour's drive from the Hospital... needless to say, it was a trying day and I ended up taking Tuesday off work too.

The surgeon who did the procedure wanted me to take a couple of meds that, first of all, are QUITE expensive, and secondly had some side effects I didn't know if I wanted to live with (dizziness, etc.). My mom (a family doc) didn't think I needed one of them because I wasn't still bleeding and when she looked up the med I'm currently on for anxiety, she found that it can cause appendicitis (been there, done that 4 years ago) and colitis... hmm...

So I've stopped that taking that medication and have made an appt to see a naturopath! I just really felt that I know my body better than anyone and that if I can control this with a change in diet and some supplements, then that's the way to go instead of heavy meds and side-effects.

The amazing thing in all of this is how God has worked to use this to help me understand where dh is coming from. JUST before my procedure, we had been talking about why he was so against medical intervention to accomplish our goal, and now I think I understand a lot better. And I agree.

I am SO grateful to God for putting me - no, allowing me to go through this experience so dh and I could get onto the same page! I'm now starting to temp and chart my cm instead of planning and plotting ways to convince dh to agree with me... and I feel SO much better about it! I know that God has a plan for our lives together, and if it includes our own children, awesome. If it doesn't, awesome.

I have renewed my commitment to trying this 'au naturel' and dh is more on board with that than every. Thank you Jesus for helping me through this difficult time - and so quickly too!

Trip'
I'm glad to read that your focus is more clear (does that make sense?) I think sometimes our spiritual vision gets blurred and it takes things here and there to clear it up! What a praise that you and dh are on the same page about things. I'll continue to pray for you guys!

Thanks Esther - you guys mean a lot to me! [girlsmiley]

Tripper so glad things are going well. You sound so much better. God is good!

Blessings!
Kathaleen


~Still praying for you all..

Thanks Kathaleen! I DO feel much better overall... now I just have to keep giving it back to God so I don't feel like I can or should control the whole ttc process...
I just O'd this past weekend, and I think we BD'd at the right times, so now I start the waiting game.
The cool thing is, God asked me if I'd be willing to wait 4 years to have a baby and I said yes, so now I have that to hold on to if nothing happens and I have to keep waiting!
God IS so good!

Sarah

My colleague visited our school today with her 10 week old, and then I found out another colleague has been off with morning sickness and because there's been a case of Fifths Disease at our school...
Whew! I almost slipped back into feeling sorry for myself today because of these 2 events, but I prayed whenever I felt those feelings coming on, and I was actually able to call my preggo colleague and chat with her about how she's doing - it ended up being quite an encouraging conversation!

Also go my results from my colonoscopy today - apparently I've had ulcerative colitis! The good thing is that I went off this one med that apparently has little-known side effects of colitis and appendicitis... both of which I've had!! In the last 2 weeks, I've noticed a HUGE difference in how often I go every day, and (TMI??) my ability to 'hold it'... and what a difference that makes in my quality of life!

I went to see a naturopath last week, and I'm starting on new vitamins and looking at controlling my colitis with diet - I'm really excited about being able to control this myself, rather than taking huge amounts of expensive meds!

So there's the update... oh yeah! I'm expecting AF this weekend, but my temps have remained elevated since I O'd... since this is my first month temping, I'm wondering if your temp can drop suddenly right before AF arrives, or whether it's more of a gradual drop... anyone know?

Thanks!
Sarah

Glad you have things under control. About the temps. Then can slope or suddenly crash. My temps use to crash. The day of or the next day I would start.

Has anyone heard from Amber? I was just wondering how she's been.

Thanks for answering Esther! My temp dropped the day after AF started... ah well! :-?

Ouch, Uh... I did forget one other thing. Sometimes your temp will stay up even a couple of days after af has come. Something with your progesterone not dropping. Sorry! :(

I thought I'd move my post here, to the journals, since I'm not necessarily seeking response... just more or less keeping track and sharing. ;)

03/23/09

I ovulated earlier than usual... or so my chart says... So I was totally unprepared! I remember when I had EWCM I thought I was just having extra this cycle because I Was taking Evening Primrose Oil. I didn't think I was ovulating... but now that I think of it... I *did* mark that I was experiencing ovulation pains, though I did NOT think I was ovulating I wanted to just keep track of aches and pains. AND I had spotting the day after my chart's ovulation. Weird. Weird. Weird. I hadn't even started my OPK because I thought it was too early... but I DID take one Sunday and it was a faint line, negative, but still there. So I started my pack today, as was planned, and it was fainter than Sunday's. Which makes me think that my LH issss trailing off and I really *did* ovulate early. What a strange cycle. Anywho... I just had to share... Interesting, eh? Anywho. We did BD those two days... so who knows~

PS
You can get to my chart by clicking my FF Siggy~

Sometimes the spotting is from bding. It has happened to me once or twice.
You may have O'd early but at least you are able to read your bodies pattern and signs. Each month is a learning opportunity. But you never know, you may have gotten that little egg!

Yeah... I'm at least not "Sweatin" it... if we did, we did... but it's been a real learning experience charting and such! I've really enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing so much info and time with me, Esther and Ruth!

03/24/09

Well my temp dipped below the coverline, so my chart has now changed to saying I haven't O'd. Makes sense... but this cycle is really wonky. Interesting. I'm glad I'm educating myself on all this because my oldest sister is getting interested in it, and I think it would be great for her to pick this up as well. Not to mention my five daughters. ::snort::

So, I'm not too frustrated... just interested in the whole process here~ Fascinating~ ;) So, I guess that EWCM wasn't the real thing? Maybe I still have yet to ovulate? Time will tell, I guess! :) I'm again excited at the prospect of being able to catch my O to time things for a boy! ;) ::snort::

Hmmm...I've been looking this over...watching...I don't need to chart for family planning purposes, but my sister is TTC and I am assisting her some in learning how to.

You said you did BD during the times you thought you may have o'd...do you think the EWCM was actually leftovers from that??? I know it's gross...but hey...it could be. Or were you seeing that before you BD? Just thoughts here..

I thought that too but it was clear, not foggy... kwim? But... with that it's so hard to be 100% sure which it is... but I'm there with ya~ I'm just going to keep watching for my OPK to turn + ... I guess we'll see~

I've been doing some reading... and from what I've read it suggests that my ovulatory symptoms were more than likely false, caused by other things... and I have *yet* to ovulate. I guess checking your cervix first thing in the morning can actually lead to false results on your chart... it's better to check after you've been up for a while? Also, intercourse is surely to blame for the early EWCM... interesting stuff. I did *NOT* know that it was better to wait to check your cervix. That explains a lot. I checked twice in one day once and the findings were different. So, I guess I'm going to need to change my timing on that. It's been neat to read this stuff~ By the way, Katie, hope your sister gets a BFP soon! :)

I also found *This* on FF:


Several patches of eggwhite fluid with no clear thermal shift probably means that you are having an anovulatory cycle. You can have fertile-like cervical fluid and still not ovulate. If you have several cycles that show this pattern, you should ask your doctor to look at why you might not be ovulating. If you have several patches of eggwhite cervical fluid and a temperature rise, then your ovulation was probably delayed due to some external reason. One of the factors that can affect cervical fluid (mentioned above) may apply. In any case, you should still have intercourse every other day when you see eggwhite cervical fluid to make sure not to miss an opportunity.

By the way, Katie, hope your sister gets a BFP soon! :)

Thanks! Actually it has been super tough on her. She was in a very bad abusive marriage for 13 years to a man who refused to have children. She has now been married to a wonderful Godly man for 3 years and they have NEVER tried to prevent in any way and have been really TTC for the last 2 years with no success. They have been to fertility specialists and she does have PCOS...they have been recently considering a round of Clomid, but are still praying/waiting and charting.

And to top things off for her...her ex got remarried last year and right off the bat got his new wife pregnant!!!

If you want to see if it is truly ewcm or left overs :lol: fill the sink up with water. scoop some out and drop it in the sink. If it disolves it is sperm if it clumps into a ball it is ewcm.

and IMO: Cervix position doesn't have a lot of say. For instance when I got my bfp with Josiah and this time around, it was low and hard and my cervix felt closed. So with Jo' I didn't think I was pregnant. After about a week it finally went up. But if you do check CP, make sure it is the same time every day and in the same position.

03/25/09

Thanks Esther! I didn't know that about dissolving in water~ Interesting stuff, I tell ya. ;) Mine does seem to shift and be doing the same thing THIS cycle that it did LAST cycle... "Raising, softening"... but it was questionable back there when I had that ovulation pain (or what I thought was ovulation pain) and such.

My OPK was darker today, telling me that tomorrow I'll probably have a positive... that's what they did last cycle. Started out barely there or not there... getting darker the day before it turned +

My temp has also dropped way down telling me that this might be "my dip". I'm waiting patiently~ ;)

If it dips today then you should BD. The dip is the day you O', If you bd after the dip chances are you might miss your egg. That's if your dip is really the day of O'. So maybe you can squeeze in a afternoon rumble LOL

If it dips today then you should BD. The dip is the day you O', If you bd after the dip chances are you might miss your egg. That's if your dip is really the day of O'. So maybe you can squeeze in a afternoon rumble LOL

Well, we BD early this am when hub got home. :blush: And we'll probably again tomorrow morning. It *could* dip a bit more... as my OPK was still not strongly +. I guess we'll see... but I'm covering all my bases this time around! ::snort:: ;)

Well, we BD early this am when hub got home. :blush: And we'll probably again tomorrow morning. It *could* dip a bit more... as my OPK was still not strongly +. I guess we'll see... but I'm covering all my bases this time around! ::snort:: ;)

That's always a good idea :)
and hey, no need to blush, you have a wonderful intimate relationship with your dh. a lot of women would do anything for that! I think we are truly blessed!:-D

Yeah, Esther, I was thinking that about you the other day! How blessed you are to have a wonderful intimate relationship with your DH~ That seems to be a common complaint from my gal-pals... that area of the marriage is lacking. I *do* feel so blessed to not be able to share in that complaint~ ;)

I agree. So many look ate being intimate as an obligation or they long for it but don't receive it. I am very thankful that my dh and I are extremely close in every way. He truly is my best friend, my security and my love. Good to know huh !? LOL:-D

03/26/09

I think I'm having an anovulatory cycle. My OPKs are very dark negatives, but I haven't had a positive yet... and I've just had a dip and rise in my temps. Technically there's still time for my temps to take another dive and me get a pos OPK... but really... I think that's it... I think this cycle is just not going to produce what I need it to. Still... it's been educational, at the least. ;)

Hey Jen, what are the best type of tests to use? Most accurate I guess...and inexpensive...I got a few at dollar general that are 25 mIU. The brand just says Baby Test pregnancy test. Thanks for your help!

Well peeonastick.com says that the Dollar Tree tests are the best and I have to say, I've had my earliest positives with those at 10 DPO and earlier. I've never used the Dollar General ones. But she does list the Baby test on the POAS.com site as being "the same" as the New Choice (dollar tree) tests. I've used the more expensive tests (like walmarts) and gotten mixed results with them... I have just stuck with the cheapies.

Thanks! Dollar Tree is just down the road...I'll stop there today.

By the way... some of them have "faint test lines" which can be taken for a faint positive... I found the big difference is that the test lines are gray... the positives are pink~ HTH!

Thanks, Jen. They seem to be exactly the same as Dollar General fwiw! :-D

So uuhhh... did you get a BFP??? ;)

nope. long story. here's the shortened version: forgot to get my bc shot (depo). called a week late...had already BD'd 3 times since shot ran out. no LMP, no temping, no O date...nothing. i don't feel preggo, but just in general a full heavy feeling and back pain. nothin else. so, i will poas again on maybe Saturday and/or Monday. I think Monday will be 2 weeks since last BD.

Interesting side note: I want another child and I think at this point dh would be ok with that eventually, just not yet. I had a heart to heart with God and 'told' Him that I know that He can do anything and if He wanted me to get preggo on BC I was ok with that. ha! I even asked for twins...[clapping]

Don't think I'm preggo...we'll see...

Thanks for asking Jen, sorry for the book.

no need to apologize! I asked! I wanted to know! ;) I know where you are right now... it's where we were... ohh... about three years ago (before our twins)! I'll sure lift you up today as I think about you, Kate! God's timing is so perfect, i was just going to post about that this morning... "God's timing"... ;)

I remember your story, Jen. I knew you'd understand where I am...thank you so much! I believe in my head that God's timing is perfect. It's hard to believe in my heart at times. Like if I am preggers, baby would be due like around Thanksgiving/Christmas-ish. As a church musician, that seems like a horrible time in my human mind! And with dh's job ending in 2 months...

BUT, I know God will provide whatever is happening. I'm not afraid of that. It may be hard, but He will always be here with us, leading and guiding through every step of the way.

Your OPK was - again today?? huh...

yeah... my cycle this go round has been very strange... I have had symptoms of Ov but then my chart says otherwise... like i said... I believe God's taking the reigns out of my hands. It would be wild if I wound up with a BFP as messed up as this cycle has been... but, that's when God's biggest miracles take place... when we least expect them. ::snort:: I've been fighting off a horrible stomach bug this cycle too... sooo my temps haven't been too accurate because of that, so there's no telling WHAT's going on. ::snort:: "All in His Timing" ;)

BFN for me today...Jen you took your TTC ticker away...are you letting go like you talked about? Still temping and such or not... ((hugs))

Keeping my eyes on you ladies. Update whenever you have news. Hugs

Well, I have a rise in TEMP on my chart... I had a dip two days ago and now it has risen above what may become my coverline~ If this is my ovulation... it happened pretty late in my cycle. I guess we'll see what becomes of that~ ;) Now someone else (Like Ruth, the pro) might look at my chart and know right away that this isn't a possible ovulation. I'm surprised if it is... I expected that I just wouldn't this cycle... soo... my hopes aren't up too much~

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/19dfcd

Jen you'll have to wait and see. It looks like it *could* be a possible ovulation, but you won't know until you see a sustained rise. Now the "c" symbol for CM means that it is less fertile and drying up, right?

wow that's a huge dip. why are they open? did you take it at a different time than usual?
If your temp stays up tomorrow it is possible that you O'd. When I conceived this time I o'd on cd 16 or cd 17 which is normal if you have a 30-32 cycle.
I'll keep my eye on you.

I took it at the same time every morning, Esther. The one morning that I took it thirty minutes early it wasn't that off.

Ruth, the C means Creamy, so not watery/eggwhite. But I had that for four or five days in a row (I think). I'll be interested in what the morning brings~ Thanks for the feedback ladies~

PS
I definitely had serious changes in my cervix around the time of the dip... getting MUCH softer, and WAY more open than it was all cycle. Just like last cycle.

wow that's a huge dip. why are they open? did you take it at a different time than usual?
If your temp stays up tomorrow it is possible that you O'd. When I conceived this time I o'd on cd 16 or cd 17 which is normal if you have a 30-32 cycle.
I'll keep my eye on you.

The only thing I can figure about the major difference in temps is that I've been fighting off/dealing with a stomach virus. Ugh. I looked at when I took them... MOST of them were at seven... two were at different times... seven forty and seven thirty. ::shrugs::

eww stomach virus is a icky thing. maybe that's why you *may* have o'd late. Yah, i was just wondering why the dots are open. it doesn't matter though. can't wait to see if your temp stays up tomorrow!

03/31/09

Well I have *a coverline*! ;)

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/19dfcd

04/01/09

well my coverline changed... and I'm not sure why... instead of being four DPO... I'm three now. ::shrugs:: I don't get it~ BUT... I'm content that there is a COVERLine at all~ ;) I really didn't think I was going to ovulate this cycle. All the symptoms were there... I was just awaiting confirmation from FF. Anywho. I guess by week after next I would have a definite answer one way or the other; AF or a BFP. ;) ::hugs::

04/01/09

I'm 98% sure that AF will be stomping through next week. I'm already cramping pretty badly and my back/hips are hurting... my typical signs that AF is coming. I doubt if I'll even bother buying a test until well after being late this time.

But I have started a dollar tree test fund... I gather a couple ones from hub whenever we get cash back for anything. ::snort:: I know... I'm a goone. ;) *should* start around next Wed/Thurs... if I don't by Friday... I'll be interested in testing~ ;)

I meant to post this here...

04/03/09

Temps back up today... had a very fitful night of sleep... I was thinking this morning that I've been so focused on taking my temp at the same time every morning that I hadn't paid attention to how much I'm up in the night/early morning. I typically wake up at four or five to feed/change Eliya... so this chart is just totally bogus... I have NO idea what's accurate. BUT... either way... AF is going to be here in a week or two, and I'll have a fresh cycle to start on. I think i'm going to start vag temping like Esther.

04/03/09

Well my CM has really picked up... not fertile CM... the type you have in early pregnancy OR just before your period. KWIM? I typically have that in early pregnancy and it always makes me think I'm starting, when in fact I'm PG. I don't remember having this last cycle... so I guess we'll see, eh~ ;)

We shall see!!!!

04/04/09

I have a tad bit of cramping achiness in my uterus area.... but my back ache is all gone... still a lot of CF. I've been nauseated at night, but that is more than likely the lingering stomach bug we've had. :-/ Things are getting interesting~ ;) I'm excited for this cycle... either to get a BFP or for it to be over and to start on the next cycle~ ;) Either way I'm praising God for the miraculous way He made our female bodies~ :)

When can you test Jen??

Not until after Wed/Thurs~ But It's hard to fight that~ ;) I'll post my results~ :)

Your chart is looking good Jen!

Thanks! I'm still getting the hang of what it *should* be doing if I were PG~ Nice to have that feedback~ ;)

I was so excited to learn about charting and found it so interesting, but I had to mostly give it up when we were ttc. I was so excited! :-D I totally understand the waking up thing. :-D

Hoping you get your BFP soon!! [OK]

I'm much more relaxed this time around... I've laid my desires at the Lord's Feet... and am now just watching my chart so that I can be educated. That doesn't stop me from being *excited*... but I don't feel anxious~ :) It's actually been very enjoyable this time around... and I've included hub in this cycle's journey... so he's gotten excited with me! We both feel that if we get a BFP this cycle it would be so absolutely wonderful... but if not, we know that *HIS* timing is perfect~ :) Thanks ladies for your words and kindness!~ ::hugs::

I'm much more relaxed this time around... I've laid my desires at the Lord's Feet... and am now just watching my chart so that I can be educated. That doesn't stop me from being *excited*... but I don't feel anxious~ :) It's actually been very enjoyable this time around... and I've included hub in this cycle's journey... so he's gotten excited with me! We both feel that if we get a BFP this cycle it would be so absolutely wonderful... but if not, we know that *HIS* timing is perfect~ :) Thanks ladies for your words and kindness!~ ::hugs::

And by the way, I NEVER thought I would see the day when *MY* anti-big-family-Husband would EVER be excited to have another baby!!! THAT was been a huge and wonderful blessing during this TTC journey~ :)

I know exactly what you mean. Miguel just keeps telling me " the more I look at how beautiful and smart our kids are, the more I get excited about having another one. I mean how could I not be excited? They're such blessings"!

That's awesome Esther!!! :)

Jen and Esther, so happy for you about your dh's attitude ~ what a blessing!

Thanks Kate~ It truly is a blessing, especially since hub started out only wanting our two... and being so firm on that that I was headed to get my tubes tied! :) God is so good!!!! :)

04/07/09

Well, my temp is up again today... but I know it can quickly plummit and AF could be here. No testing today... Thursday is the "big day"... ;)

i'll be waiting...:-)

04/08/09

I had some spotting today... bright red mixed with brown. I guess only time will tell now~ :)

Well my spotting has stopped completely... hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmm......

hmmm...
:-)
waiting for tomorrow still??

because I'm a shameful POAS addict (yes I'm pathetic)... here's my $ tree test from this afternoon... take it with a grain of salt, as I am~ :)

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a188/mrsfozz/IMG_1318-1.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a188/mrsfozz/IMG_1318-1-1.jpg

i only see 1 line...do you see a faint 2nd line??

Evap, ghost line, orrrr...... ::shrugs:: guess another couple days will tell for sure.. till then.. enjoy (or not) my annoying POAS addiction!

i only see 1 line...do you see a faint 2nd line??

IRL, there's a second line... but I don't trust myself to say it's pink... it could be evap~ ::shrugs:::

how fun...I'm staying tuned whatever the outcome. :-) here for the ride!

Yup... no sweat! ;) I'm enjoying the excitment myself...... ::sits with popcorn:: (We need a smiley eating popcorn)

04-12-09

I started some sugar free (plain ole) grapefruit juice to increase my EWCM... we'll see how that works out. I'm really interested in seeing if it works or not, from a scientific standpoint. I didn't realize there were so many women out there that didn't create EWCM! Wow! I rarely create it, and when I do it's a piddling amount... so I'm excited to see how this might help. I'm also drinking some Green Tea twice a day!~ Should be interesting~ ;)

I picked up a pack of the answer ovulation predictor sticks. I figured... Eh... why not. Anyways... this cycle will be interesting from a testing out theories perspective~ ;) I can't wait to see the results. :D

It's quality that counts not quantity. You can also take generic robetessuin. The one with only Guaifenesin. It helps in crease your fertile cm. I used this while ttc with Josiah. If you can stand cough syrup than this works awesome.

04/14/09

I took my first OPK today and I had a line already... usually the OPKs start off with faint shadow, then right before I ovulate I get the "almost there" lines. This wasn't an "almost there" line but still darker than what I usually get at this point. Weird. Maybe I'm going to ovulate early this cycle? I guess we'll see! The Grapefruit Juice and Green Tea are working fabulously this cycle, already! Interesting stuff, I tell ya. Who knew that juice and tea could help so much? Anywho. This should be an interesting cycle.

I might just eat these words later but I've had a "feeling" that this cycle will be *it*. Weird, right? Last cycle I had TWO dreams about starting my period, and whenever I get those dreams, I *DO* start soon after. Don't ask me why... maybe my subconscious telling my conscious what's going on? Either way... I had a dream last night about being pregnant... ::snort:: Too funny~ Anywho... off I go to fix dinner for hub before he heads out for work! ::hugs::

04-20-09

I'm still in shock... We have EWCM!!! Definite, positively, sure fire, EWCM. Now that I'm actually, really, truly seeing it... I know that *this* isn't what I've been having in my other cycles... Grapefruit juice, water and Evening Primrose Oil... who knew. I'm pretty sure I'm Ovulating as we speak?? I guess a few more days will tell for sure... ;)

ETA: I got a positive opk yesterday and today~ :)

Woohooo! Great news for you, Jen!!!

04-21-09

I thought for sure I was ovulating yesterday... but my temps don't agree... sooo... maybe I just have an early OPK? I guess we'll see how the rest of the week goes... but I'm confused. :: shrugs :: Oh well. ;) This will be yet another interesting cycle~

04-23-09

I got a positive OPK this morning!!! I was so sure I wasn't going to get a full blown positive on them this cycle... and there it is! Woo hoo! My temp is *up* today, so I'll be watching for a temp drop in the next day or two... but everything else is a full go... high, soft, open cervix, watery/EWCM... I'm ready! ;) We'll see if God allows it to happen this cycle! :)

Somebody send Tommy a message to be ready when he gets home cause Jen is READY!!!

[rotfl][rotfl]

Yea Jen!

Am I the only one who has a feeling the kids are going to be put to bed a little early this evening???

Yea Jen!

Am I the only one who has a feeling the kids are going to be put to bed a little early this evening???

Ha! Yer funny! Hub works nights... so he has to work tonight (bummer) and then he's off tomorrow and Saturday. I managed to still get in some BDing in spite of his odd work schedule, but it's been difficult! I think that's partly why we haven't conceived is because of his work schedule and when I ovulate. Anywho... don't get me ramblin on that. I can't help but be so excited each cycle... I so don't get this. ::snort:: I feel like such a dork~ ;)

Possibly TMI Here... so be warned. ;)


PS

Hub said he'd play along and is up for trying tonight~ ;) ::snort:: YaY for another day of BDing this cycle! Woo hoo!!!

have fun Jen! *snort* (as you'd say!!hehe!)

You're funny, Kate! Going off this morning's temp, I am *pretty sure* I actually ovulated the night of the 22nd. I am still getting the hang of all this charting stuff, so I don't quite understand why my temp would drop and THEN the next day I would get a + opk. Soooo... I guess we'll just have to see how the rest of my chart turns out, eh? I'm excited to see how this cycle goes! :D Anybody agree/disagree with that theory? Ruth? Esther?


http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/19dfcd

You may still have some (what hormone is it?) left just enough to still give you a +.

Wow you're good, you've already bd on Sat and it's not even Sat yet[rotfl]. OPK's can be inaccurate, so I wouldn't put your trust in that more than your chart. I really hope this is the month for you.:-D

yeah, I filled that in because I knew we would anyway, I'm lazy like that... get it done while I can. ::snort::

I'm wondering if I just haven't even ovulated yet... I duuuuunnnnoooo... I guess we'll see in the next few days, eh? ::shrugs::

Heres a small tib bit. http://www.peeonastick.com/opkfaq.html can answer some questions about opk's and hpt's.

11. I chart my fertility. My chart and my OPK disagree. Which is right? All forms of charting are accurate to within +/- 3 days. Though we use terms like "days past ovulation," we really cannot pinpoint the day of ovulation. In rare cases, it's even possible to have all the signs of ovulation without having popped an egg. It is also possible to have a positive OPK and then fail to ovulate (see FAQ 9 (http://www.peeonastick.com/opkfaq.html#9).)
Additionally, a positive OPK indicates that ovulation will likely occur in the next 12-36 hours, so it really gives you only a "window" of ovulation, and not an exact day. (The only 100% positive way to know ovulation occurred is to get pregnant! Some women undergo ultrasound to monitor their follicles for fertility treatments, but even this can be flawed. It depends on the skill of the doctor/technician to perform and interpret the ultrasound. I have heard from a couple women who were told, after ultrasound monitoring, that they did not ovulate-- and went on to get pregnant that month!)
Anyway, using the widest margin of error, an OPK may be positive 1.5 days prior to actual ovulation, and temps and/or cervical mucus may not reflect ovulation for a full 3 days after that, therefore leaving a window of 4.5 days between a positive OPK and an ovulatory-looking chart. In this scenario, both the OPK and fertility charting are working the way they're supposed to!
Most often, any discrepancy between your positive OPK and your chart will be within a day or two, and that's fine. If your concern is choosing a day for pregnancy testing, assume you ovulated on the later day-- this way you won't test too early and risk a "false negative" (which occurs when a woman has conceived, but the embryo has not implanted or secreted enough pregnancy hormone to be detected by a pregnancy test.)

Thanks Esther~ I had read that too... I guess we'll know in a few more days... eh? ;) My temp rise suggests that I've got a good thermal shift going on, so I'll go off that for now... unless I get a weird dip tomorrow~ :)

04-25-09

My chart is so confusing...... oy.... I got a darker OPK today, plus I had a dip in temp last night... but my cervix is going back to pre-o spot and my CM is drying up. Weird, man.

04-26-09

I'm not taking any more OPKs. My temp is back up today and I *feel* more post-Ovulatory now. ::shrugs:: I guess another week or two will tell us something, eh? Anywho... that's about all I have for updating!~ :)

04-29-09

My temp stayed up!!! Weird!!!! My crosshairs have changed to CD 18~ Go figure! Testing May 5th/6th unless AF comes! ;)

Oooo, praying the Lord's will be done! [loveyou]

04-29-09

Well, my temp is dropping more every day... hhmmm... either way... this has been a good cycle... full of excitement and education. I *do* think that once this cycle is over, I'm going to take a break and get on top of my weight. Don't get me wrong, I doubt we'll prevent... but I won't be trying either. My weight's gotten really out of hand lately, and I'm a little afraid to be pregnant at this weight (200 pounds)... but... we'll see what the Lord has in store. ;) Only five more days till AF could be here~

yah, it's always nice to lose that weight before getting pregnant again. it also helps with your fertility.
but I'm excited for you! I can't wait to see what happens.

04-29-09

I am pretty sure I am out this month. Yesterday was such a weird day... full of weird pregnancy symptoms and such... today... I'm cramping, bloated, and have a horrible back ache and my hips ache... my sure signs AF will be here in a few days. So much so that I'm actually watching for her NOW...though she isn't due for about five or six more days. :-/ Oy. Annnnnnnnnnyways... Looks like I'll get to work on my weight like I wanted~

Welp... now I'm having some sliiiiiight EWCM, and spotting... I've never had that in this phase before... my sides (inside the hipbone area;ovulatory area) have been taking turns every day killing me... and my belly generally aches. I've still been experiencing the watery mouth... but I'm also cramping pretty severely. Oy. Add in back/hip pain... either AF is going to be a REEEEEEEEAL booger this time... or...... ::shrugs:: I think Af is just gonna be a real booger. Please pray for my peace about this... as things are going to be getting really busy... and that's all I need is a boogery Af. :(

You never know, sweet one...don't count yourself out just yet.

Either way, praying for you ~

I've been praying for you Jen, but will be a bit more specific. Hugs I hate those symptoms.

Halooooo!!! Jen, what's going on with your temp today?? I need to leave the house soon and I'm checking in on ya! hehe...((hugs))

My temp has stayed up... but then I'm only five dpo (FF) sooo... It could still crash and burn, like I anticipate. ;) Four or Five more days till AF. I have one dollar tree test... soo... I'll probably use that when I get down to the last day or something, because I'm a total POAS freak~ ;)

My temp has stayed up... but then I'm only five dpo (FF) sooo... It could still crash and burn, like I anticipate. ;) Four or Five more days till AF. I have one dollar tree test... soo... I'll probably use that when I get down to the last day or something, because I'm a total POAS freak~ ;)

I hear you, gal. I always *wanted* to exercise self-control and wait more for a pg test, but I never did. LOL. My two babies I got BFP's at 12 DPO and 11 DPO respectively.

Well, I broke down and bought some First Response Early Results tests at WM today... they have gone down in price and I figured... I'll probably use them, one day or another... ::shrugs:: Five more days~.........

You are too funny Jen! I love it!

Well... even though my body is giving me signals that Af is coming... I can't help but have a slight bit of hope, in spite of it~ I'd really love to be pregnancy again, over weight or not~ I'm at least active and healthy... ::shrugs:: Annnnnnnnnnywho. I know it's going to happen in God's timing~ ;) Something interesting though... I did take a $tree test just cuz and I didn't even have an evap... and before when I was taking them I had lines... that got me thinking... maybe I've had some chemical pregnancies or something???

Okay, my last period was the 5th of April. I ovulated on the 18th (ish) and made the most of it with DH. (blush, sorry ladies) By my calculations I should start on the 2nd. Is it too soon to take a home pregnancy test? I really want to run to the store now just to find out.

oooo, not to soon to try. :-D I would buy a first response the four day early one. Those have been great for me. Hoping for you!! Keep us posted.

Waiting on you too Jen.. [thumbsupgrin]

Okay, my last period was the 5th of April. I ovulated on the 18th (ish) and made the most of it with DH. (blush, sorry ladies) By my calculations I should start on the 2nd. Is it too soon to take a home pregnancy test? I really want to run to the store now just to find out.

It sounds like if your calculations are correct, then you are about 12 days past ovulation. I got positives at 12 DPO and 11 DPO. It's not too early to try, but I would use a cheap test, like a Dollar Store one.

Ooooooo (chants) "Te-est, Te-est, Te-est!!!!" Woo hoo! Hope you get a BFP!!!

05-01-09

My temp went up again this am after a dip yesterday... and my belly is still so sensitive. I've given this over to prayer, laid it at the Lord's feet... and feel way less anxious~ ;) Praise God for prayer~ :D

:-) what do you mean your belly is sensitive?

:-) what do you mean your belly is sensitive?

I dunno... it's just "tender"... like when you have bad gas... ya know?? ::shrugs:: I'm not "worried" about it, like something's wrong... I've had it before... just feels like a bout of lots of gas pent up... TMI??? Sorry... ::blush::

just didn't know what you meant by that::shrugs::

:-)

05-02-09

My temps took a dive this morning... sooo unless they climb back up by Sunday... I'll skip testing~

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/19dfcd

Well, I'm having more cramping, now that I'm up and about... but I'm also having a ton of achiness in my sides, that ovulatory pain, again. Weird. Sooo... this dip *could* possibly be implantation... or it could be AF coming tomorrow... as I typically start CD 26-28... and it's CD 25 today. Tomorrow's temp should tell us a little more, eh? ;)

just didn't know what you meant by that::shrugs::

:-)

It kind of has me excited, as gas seems to be one of my first early pg symptoms... but it *could* and is probably nothing~ ;)

thinking of you today and checked in to keep you company, didn't want you waiting all by yourself!

thinking of you today and checked in to keep you company, didn't want you waiting all by yourself!

AWwwwww... Thanks Jayne~ I do find myself alone in my thoughts~ Dissecting my "symptoms" too much~ so far today I've had a dip in temp (possibly imlpantation??? who knows....) and cramping that has come and gone, as well as a backache earlier, now I've got extreme vertigo that's been here for over an hour. Whew~ ;) Just a few more days of "waiting and seeing". :D

Hey Jen I am thinking of you, fingers crossed and prayers sent your way.

Thanks Zoey~ You sure are a sweetie~ Hope you're having a great weekend!

05-02-09

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”- 1 John 5:14-15

I just read this... wow... ::sniff:: God is good to us, isn't He??

He sure is Jen. As much as I KNOW you trust Him and His will, I know that ache that you get in your heart when it doesn't happen like we want it to. I'm praying for you and hoping that this month is God's will for you. Hugs and I'll be checking your chart in the morning![praying]

05-03-09

Well.. BFN, *for now*~ ;) I had the most vivid dream last night about telling my mom that I had gotten THREE BFPs, and I looked down and had a huge belly... and I put my hands on my stomach and felt *two* babies moving~ ;) ::snort:: I looooooooove dreams like that!! I can't explain it... but I think I'm pregnant... the verse last night... then the dream... I prayed a few weeks ago for God to let me have a dream (since I usually have dreams about AF coming when NOT pregnant)... and I never got one... until last night. *Could* be nothing... ::shrugs:: But, I feel like God has given me confirmation~ ;)

When's the next time you'll test you think??

I'm thinking about getting some $tree tests and taking one tonight... We'll see if I get to run out by myself~ ;)

oh too exciting!!! Can't wait for you to announce your BFP!!! Whether that be today, tomorrow... or next month!

forgot to add in my "phantom symptoms"~ ;) Achy sides still... crampy... still having some vertigo, which has my hopes way up! ;) That's about it!

Here's my $tree test from this afternoon, I'm a FMU (first morning) best tester... I'm stopping fluids at six PM tonight to have potent FMU tomorrow! ;) I'll be posting in the am! I'm still suffering from a TON of vertigo and it's starting to effect my tummy... ::turns green::

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a188/mrsfozz/IMG_1474-1.jpg

praying that your feelings is right.

praying here too, Jen. Whatever the outcome, may God be glorified! will check back tomorrow...

Praying for you Jen. I can't wait to hear the outcome from your test!

Hugs,
Sara

05-04-09

Still having vertigo today, nausea and achiness in my belly... If we're talking early pregnancy, I associate that feeling with ligaments stretching... if we're talking AF, then it's just plain ole' pain in the booty AF stuff. Either way, I am joyful in the outcome~ God has a plan, and I can be thankful for either AF to show, or a BFP. Does that mean I'm not hopeful? Not at all... I'm *quite* hopeful, but willing to accept any answer~ ;)

So... tomorrow is the *big* day... AF should be here and if not... I'm definitely going to be clinging to that hope more so~ :D God is so good, you guys... seriously... this TTC journey has been amazing on so many levels. I feel thankful for having been able to even just experience the emotional part~

I *would* love to have a January baby, though~ ;)

Well... AF found me tonight~ I just wanted to let you gals know~ :) I'm going to be taking a break from posting here... working on getting my weight down and such... I'm still going to be temping just for *future* charting purposes... but no OPKs and such. ;) And NO HPTs!! ::snort:: Thanks to you ALL for your support! AF totally shocked me tonight... I sooooo didn't see this coming at alllllllll... but Praise be to God for *it*~ HE has a plan! ;) Love to ya girls!!

love you too, Jen! you need a weight loss ticker...kick those pounds!!!!

love you too, Jen! you need a weight loss ticker...kick those pounds!!!!

I know it!!! We need a weight loss group here too!! ;)

Jen, it looks like your luteal phases are on the short side for sustaining a pregnancy. That's very normal for breastfeeding moms. Usually they lengthen out as the baby gets older and nurses less.

9 days or less for an LP is considered sub-fertile, IIRC.

Jen, it looks like your luteal phases are on the short side for sustaining a pregnancy. That's very normal for breastfeeding moms. Usually they lengthen out as the baby gets older and nurses less.

9 days or less for an LP is considered sub-fertile, IIRC.

hhhmmm... so it's possible I'm getting fertilized eggs but am unable to sustain the pregnancy?? If that's the case, that would explain my faint line pg tests. I just read online that Vitamin B6 can help extend the luteal phase??/

I'm sorry to hear you aren't preggers this month, Jen. [hug] I bet it'll happen quickly now that you're focusing on your weight loss goals. heehee! Isn't that just how things seem to work? :-P I can't think of a better diet interruption than a baby, though, and I KNOW you'll agree with me. [lovesmile] You'll be getting something you want, either way. Yay! [claploud]

See ya in your weight loss thread.... until you return here.... any second....with happy news! [pregnantside]

[sheepjumpingrope]

Joy [welcomewave]

I agree with Ruth. That's why I checked your LP. 10 is suppose to be normal, but I think it may be on the lower end of a normal LP. you could also use progestrone cream.

"A progesterone cream is usually targeted for menopausal women; however this cream is also useful in lengthening the luteal phase. A cream with natural progesterone works best. Use about 1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon of progesterone cream spread on the inner arm, inner thigh, neck, and chest - alternating places - twice a day from ovulation to menstruation or until the 10th week of pregnancy."
http://www.babyandbump.com/ttc-products-... (http://www.babyandbump.com/ttc-products-...)


But it also may be something that will regulate over time on it's own being that you haven't had problems getting pregnant in the past.