5 days in a row of pos OPK....how do I do SMEP?

[1moregirl]

So, as my title says, I have just had 5 days in a row of positive OPKs (and definite positives as the second test line has been MUCH darker than the control line). I haven't tested today as only have one test left so will leave it til this afternoon some time. It's been ridiculous. And I have been confused about how on earth to do SMEP BD timing with this. Basically, we started BD on my third day of positive OPK and have done BD once a day for 3 days in a row. What do you think? Atomic...is this ok for SMEP? I probably should be doing BBT as well as this would give more indication as to when O has or will occur. Considering I had 2 days of that bad anxiety before my first pos OPK, maybe I had an extreme surge of LH which has resulted in this anxiety and the 5 days of pos OPKs....body is having trouble releasing the egg? I don't know. Should I skip BD tonight and do one last one tomorrow night? Or should we BD again tonight? Thanks.

[1moregirl]

Here's my chart so far....

32977

[Pbn3]

1moregirl many many moons ago (as in mid last year) I had 4 days in a row of pos opks using the expensive frer dip ones hoping for more accuracy. It was then that I moved onto the cb dual hormone digi's and never looked backed. The digi's were so accurate for me and so much easier using fmu. I occasionally used the dip tests again just for comparison but it wasn't needed, the digi's were very accurate. I know with your first pos opk you used fmu so that's debatable about being a true pos, but did you use afternoon urine for the following four days?

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[1moregirl]

Thanks Pbn3. I think I will go back to using clear blue digital as well. They always were easy to use with fmu and I only ever got just 2 days of positives. Yes the other times I used the Ovuplan OPKs were late morning early afternoon, but def not fmu. I did one last night and FINALLY that second line was just as dark as first line, so def fading. Does that mean I ovulated yesterday do you think? That's the only thing....it's hard to know when O has happened since I haven't been BBTing. I think I will buy another thermometer and do BBT for first part of cycle up until three/four days past O, so I can see when O happens but so that I don't start analysing patterns and looking for BFP signs in that luteal phase. What do you think Pbn3? This last week I had also mentioned to my DH how I would love to move up north to Queensland or upper Coastal NSW and low and behold....next thing I know he has been checking out jobs for himself up there and found a perfect one in IT, but would involve a 3 month probationary period where he would have to live up there (without us) for 3 months to see how it went. This sent me into panic mode as I didn't expect him to want to do it straight away. I always need a bit of time to digest something like this before it actually happens. Plus, since our two biggest kids (8 and 6) have joined school, I have made some really great friends, as they have too, and moving up there we would know absolutely no one. No relatives, no friends. Scary! Living here at least we have one set of parents (mine) just a 2 hour drive away (dh's are overseas) so if we moved up there we would be seeing less of my parents and our kids would have neither set of grandparents closeby. I do have one sister who lives up that way with her DH and little toddler girl, but two sisters who live down here. Oh man....what to do.....I just loathe our Harsh Victorian winters and think the lifestyle of sunshine and beaches up north would be wonderful for our family. Sorry for rambling....sometimes we have things on our mind that effect us and it's difficult to talk to our DH about it. It would be easy for him to pack up and move because he has already done it and his family are overseas. For me, it means packing up and moving away from my family and some great friends. Or should I be biting the bullet and just doing it? I would rather get all of us in the car and just drive up there and look around first to actually see all the places and then choose somewhere specific to buy a house.

[Pbn3]

I think that's a great idea about temping until you see crosshairs then stopping. You get the best of both worlds - confirmation you've oed without the stress of analysing temps in the latter part of lp.

As for moving well I'm abit biased as I've lived in Queensland almost all my life and don't think I would ever live elsewhere. I too cant stand winter and ours would be considered short and mild, so going somewhere where it gets even colder and for longer would be out of the question lol. I don't have any family close by (on my side) but see my mum 4-6 times a year and talk almost daily in the phone. She's in brisbane and I would love to live closer one day.... It wouldn't hurt to try a move if you're commited to the idea? What do your kids think?

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[purple]

When I was temping I just did it until the cross hairs so it wasn't as stressful. Last few cycles I stopped temping all together as it disrupts my sleep too much but I tend to know once I have ovulated as I get very clear symptoms.

Moving to qld or north nsw would be lovely. I'm in SA so it's pretty cold too, although not as bad as VIC. I don't think we would move though as DS1 is pretty settled at school and also all our family are here within 20-30mins drive.

DH actually got offered the option to relocate to north QLD or redundancy when I was 38weeks pregnant with DS2. It was really bad timing as I wasn't willing to relocate with a newborn! Although I'm not sure I could cope with the humidity in summer.

Ps. Nice to see you Pbn.. hope things are going well for you :)

[Pbn3]

Thanks Purple :) I'm going so so but working on improving that...

So happy everything is going well with you, I still pop in for a read of some threads here and there :)

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[1moregirl]

When I was temping I just did it until the cross hairs so it wasn't as stressful. Last few cycles I stopped temping all together as it disrupts my sleep too much but I tend to know once I have ovulated as I get very clear symptoms.

Moving to qld or north nsw would be lovely. I'm in SA so it's pretty cold too, although not as bad as VIC. I don't think we would move though as DS1 is pretty settled at school and also all our family are here within 20-30mins drive.

DH actually got offered the option to relocate to north QLD or redundancy when I was 38weeks pregnant with DS2. It was really bad timing as I wasn't willing to relocate with a newborn! Although I'm not sure I could cope with the humidity in summer.

Ps. Nice to see you Pbn.. hope things are going well for you :)

Wow Purple! Nice to hear from you and I see in your ticker thingy that you are just over the 14 week Mark. Congratulations! That's wonderful news! How are you feeling with the pregnancy? Did you have any morning sickness this time? Hope the remainder of your pregnancy is smooth-sailing Hun. :) xx

[purple]

I'm feeling well... morning sickness wasn't too bad really, it did make me worry that things weren't going well but it was probably similar to with DS1.
Up until my 12wk scan I was convinced I would lose this one so it was a surprise to see a healthy bub at the scan. I'm only just getting used to the idea that I'm pregnant now although it still doesn't feel real.

I hope you get a sticky bfp soon!

[1moregirl]

I think that's a great idea about temping until you see crosshairs then stopping. You get the best of both worlds - confirmation you've oed without the stress of analysing temps in the latter part of lp.

As for moving well I'm abit biased as I've lived in Queensland almost all my life and don't think I would ever live elsewhere. I too cant stand winter and ours would be considered short and mild, so going somewhere where it gets even colder and for longer would be out of the question lol. I don't have any family close by (on my side) but see my mum 4-6 times a year and talk almost daily in the phone. She's in brisbane and I would love to live closer one day.... It wouldn't hurt to try a move if you're commited to the idea? What do your kids think?

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Hi again Pbn3. Yes will def do the BBT thing again. I think FF gives you your O crossroads after 3 days in a row of elevated BBTs, so will BBT til then, then stop. I'm not sure where O happened this time but I have had some EWCM today at possible 3DPO so will see how we go. I must admit though, the thought of being pregnant again really does make me nervous (especially with those weird things going on lately with 2 eggs in a nest in the backyard and cracking open 2 double-yolked eggs in one week). Just adds to my anxiety really. Lol! This morning I had a dentist app and I was so anxious I couldn't eat anything til afterwards. It's ridiculous. I'm sure it's all down to my hormones as I am not depressed or anything. I have no idea how on earth I would make it through a first trimester again if I was pregnant without anxiety and panic attacks. Sometimes I think I am being selfish and unreasonable to try for another baby at my age. Like I should just accept what I've got (of course I know how lucky I am already) and get on with things.

Anyway, I do love the idea of living up north and I know we would all love it. It is just seeing less of family and my parents I guess that concerns me. My parents are 70 and we are already one set of grandparents absent, as DHS are overseas. I don't know. And I don't know if I could live in Brisbane or in the Gold Coast, where DH would get the work, but I'd prefer a coastal town, but then he would have to travel to work. Anyway, we really have to go up there for a holiday first. Rent a car and drive around and look at places. That would be the best way to go don't you think? Pbn - what nice places are there around Brisbane to live Hun? And the Gold Coast? Or the nicest suburbs? Thanks again. Xx

[1moregirl]

I'm feeling well... morning sickness wasn't too bad really, it did make me worry that things weren't going well but it was probably similar to with DS1.
Up until my 12wk scan I was convinced I would lose this one so it was a surprise to see a healthy bub at the scan. I'm only just getting used to the idea that I'm pregnant now although it still doesn't feel real.

I hope you get a sticky bfp soon!

Oh that's wonderful. I'm sooooo happy for you. Did you get that blood test done at around the 10 week Mark that checks for certain things? I guess all we can do is prepare our selves for the worst to happen again, and if it doesn't, then we get pleasantly surprised. And that's great you didn't get much morning sickness. I think that's the worst part. Lol! I had it quite badly last year but I think it was a sign of something being wrong. With my third child (little boy now 4) I just threw up every morning between week 6-12 and then I was fine after that for the rest of the day. A textbook pregnancy. Lol! So exciting for you. Before you know it you'll be at the halfway mark. :)

[Pbn3]

Sunshine coast is really nice but super expensive. There's smaller places like Bribie Island and Sandstone Point (mainland side of Bribie) that are more affordable and Bribie is really pretty. My mum was at Sandstone Point for awhile and her hubby used to commute to Brisbane city daily for work. Traffic can be bad but maybe better in comparison to Melbourne :)

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[purple]

Oh that's wonderful. I'm sooooo happy for you. Did you get that blood test done at around the 10 week Mark that checks for certain things? I guess all we can do is prepare our selves for the worst to happen again, and if it doesn't, then we get pleasantly surprised. And that's great you didn't get much morning sickness. I think that's the worst part. Lol! I had it quite badly last year but I think it was a sign of something being wrong. With my third child (little boy now 4) I just threw up every morning between week 6-12 and then I was fine after that for the rest of the day. A textbook pregnancy. Lol! So exciting for you. Before you know it you'll be at the halfway mark. :)

No I didn't get that test. My dr suggested seeing if my NT scan was high risk first and then do it. It's over $400 so a bit too expensive, especially after spending over $300 total on the progesterone pessaries I was put on!
My NT scan came back all normal so I had no reason to do further testing.

Oh with my m/c pregnancies I had less morning sickness. With the last one it stopped around 8-9 weeks and that is about when it stopped growing so everytime my ms went away temporarily this time I would worry! I'm so happy to be over that stage as it is really stressful.

[1moregirl]

Hi ladies. So I guess I'm in the 2ww somewhere. It's nice to not have the pressure of BBTing but I will do it next cycle (if there is a next cycle...hopefully not coz I'll be UTD) just to help pinpoint O a little better. Here's a pic of my chart for this cycle. FF marked broken crossroads for CD 19 but it could've been 17...who knows. Hopefully we did enough BD attempts to cover all bases. And I will be distracted from testing as this is the kids last week of school for term 3 so a busy week and school hols next week so these will keep me busy and distracted. Fingers crossed.....as I'm not sure how much longer I can continue on trying. With our littlest one heading off to 4 yr old kinder next year I really need to be doing a bit of paid work next year to help bring some money in. I have sooo many friends who work and see them taking their kids for nice holidays and I would really like to give our kids that too, although I have cherished every moment of being a SAHM and would not have had it any other way. I feel so lucky to have been able to stay at home with our little precious ones. Anyway, wish me luck everyone.....please...it must be my turn for success and a healthy rainbow baby...xxxooo

[1moregirl]

Oops.......got waffling away and posted before I'd included a pic of my chart. Lol! Here it is....

33011

[purple]

You look like you have it pretty well covered. Good luck!!

[1moregirl]

Thanks Purple. I'm 7DPO today I think but don't know for sure. Only thing I do know is my boobs have been extremely sore (even if the kids lean on them whilst cuddling with me they hurt), but I'm not getting my hopes up. I have also just started feeling ravenously hungry, but not reading anything into that either. Will hold off testing for as long as I possibly can....some time next week I guess. Will keep you posted. Last day of school today for term 3 for my little chickens so I'm looking forward to having them home for the next 2 weeks. :)

[atomic sagebrush]

Did I not answer this already??

ON the SMEP page or maybe in her book (which is free) she has instructions on how to do this. I don't have it here in front of me right now but I think you take a day off and have another 2 attempts, then a day off, then another two attempts, or something like that. I am not sure what her specific instructions are, but that is a sensible pattern, anyway.

OPK tests are not oracles and they just do weird stuff sometimes. Don't overthink it. They can barely tell you if you're ovulating, let alone your level of anxiety. :)

[atomic sagebrush]

You can't tell if you Oed based on when your OPK go negative unfortunatley. You can O and still have positive OPK for days, or you can have a test that has gone negative and still not have ovulated. All the test is testing for is hormone in your urine and not if you Oed or not.

[1moregirl]

9DPo today and nothing new to report. Just wanted to touch base. I soooo want to get a BFP soon as I feel like my time is rapidly running out for all of this. I don't think my boobs are that sore this morning so maybe I have just been doing the usual symptom spotting that I always tell myself not to do. Was playing a game of Uni with the family last night after dinner when suddenly we realised our 4 yr old had snuck u behind me with a pair of scissors and proceeded to give me a hair cut. I had a melt down when I turned around to see some of my long blonde locks lying on the floor. When I asked DS what he was doing he said, "I was just giving you a hair cut Mummy like you gave me a haircut." Oh Lord...how could I be angry at that? Needless to say the scissors have now been placed somewhere nearly as high as the damn ceiling in our house. Argh! Anyway, just trying to keep myself distracted otherwise as I hate the 2WW. And I have all three beautiful children home (school hols) to enjoy and do things with which is lovely. :) xx

[Pbn3]

1moregirl that is too funny about your ds giving you a haircut lol!!

You're almost at the end of the 2ww. Are you testing tomorrow?

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[1moregirl]

Pbn3 - I don't think I can test. I've had that anxiety hit me again this evening and just the thought of being pregnant again adds to it or triggers it...I'm not sure which. Now I'm thinking I shouldn't even be trying to get pregnant again....becasue if I did get pregnant again I will just be soooo anxious of having another miscarriage. I'm really thinking I should just quit and give up. I don't want to put myself, my husband and my kids through another horrendous miscarriage and me being soooo sick. And DH has never been 100% into the idea anyway....what the hell is wrong with me? Even if I didn't have a miscarriage, what if was carrying a baby with something seriously wrong with it? I feel soooo afraid....like I've been playing with fire and now I'm going to get burnt. Maybe I just have underlying issues that I need to get addressed, like missing my children when they are all off at school and feeling lost and alone myself. I really should be thinking of getting a job next year and earning money so we can take these three gorgeous kids we already have on some nice holidays and letting them do after school activities. I have been struggling with all of this for sooooo long now and I still have no idea what to do about it and still don't feel 100% either way. God help me please.....:(

[MrsGoodies]

Now I'm thinking I shouldn't even be trying to get pregnant again....becasue if I did get pregnant again I will just be soooo anxious of having another miscarriage. I'm really thinking I should just quit and give up. .:(

(((Hugs)))

And a little chuckle.... Ok, the time to think about NOT ttc is when you have a +++++opk staring you in the face....not 10 days after the SMEP deed is done.... Hee hee....by then it is tooooo late for second guessing. If you do happen to be pg, then you will have to calm down and take each day one at a time. It does no good to be thinking how you want to turn back the clock & shouldn't have tried to get pg.

If af shows then you can decide about continuing on or not. Until then assume you are PUPO bc there is a chance that you are....kwim?

[Pbn3]

1moregirl maybe its time to go and see a counsellor to try and work through these feelings/anxieties. If your aren't pregnant this cycle then it may be a big help when you start feeling that overwhelming desire to have another coming up to o and may help you work out if it really is something you want or not. If you are pregnant then counselling may help as being this anxious is not good for you pregnancy. I would just test today and next couple days as the not knowing at this point would be increasing your stress. These ups and downs must be exhausting. Please make an appointment, even just to feel the idea out.

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[1moregirl]

Thanks ladies. I still had a bit of anxiety again when I woke up this morning but it has disappeared throughout the day. I made a doctor appointment and left the three kids with a good friend for a play date and went. My doctor was great...she gave me paperwork to have blood tested for thyroid, glucose and pregnancy (just in case) and I do have a referral to see a counsellor who works at the same clinic so I will definitely do that. I had forgotten to take my antidepressant med yesterday morning also, which may have thrown things out a bit, even though I still took it in the afternoon as soon as I remembered. So I'm actually still just 10DPO today but I have just done a First Response dip and read test and it is BFN. I neither feel relief nor disappointment about that at the moment. Strange...I have felt slightly crampy this afternoon too so I think, if you look at my chart I've attached, that I actually Oed back on CD 16 and have completely missed the boat, since we didn't start the SMEP til CD 17. Stuff it! We should've started BD the night of CD16 when I got that first pos OPK. Either that or maybe I didn't release an egg at all? Who knows. When my period arrives I am going to take my course of Flagyl, to help try and get rid of these darned parasites. And I am also going to buy a new thermometer tomorrow and start BBTing again. The only other thing is maybe I Oed after CD 19 and am pregnant but it's just too soon to show up. If AF doesn't show up in a few days time I will just test again then. Thanks for your advice and support. Xxoo

[1moregirl]

Oops!!! Forgot to post the chart. Here it is.....what do you think?

33083

[Pbn3]

Without temps its impossible to guess :( however is the notes you recorded related to o pain? Or do you remember having your usual o pain this cycle? Not that its overly reliable either but if you had o pain later than cd16 then I think you could rule that day out?

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[1moregirl]

Well I'm out. Woken up with period here this morning. I'm relieved that at least I know that's partly why I had that anxiety a few days ago as well, but disappointed that I'm not pregnant. Clearly I have miscalculated when O occurred and somehow missed it, even though we did BD 3 days in a row. Bugger! But do you know what? I didn't really want to have a baby due at the start of winter, even though that didn't really matter to me any more. It would've been nice to have a baby arriving no matter what time of year or month. I guess today I will go out and buy that thermometer and start doing that again when AF is finished, get myself on the course of Flagyl, and start up on the ubiquinol again. Strange that I don't feel like giving up? I'll be 45 next month. Part of me still says "what are you thinking? You're too old? Look at the statistics?" But another part of me says "you had one when you were nearly 41. You can do it again, just gotta keep trying." I just have to be stronger if I'm going to keep trying and not think soooo negative, becasue that s where my anxiety comes in. I end up with thoughts that I will have another horrendous miscarriage that might end possibly worse than it did last time, or I could have an even later miscarriage, or a stillbirth, or a life baby at the end of it with something wrong with it. Is it really worth it with all these risks involved? Especially when I have 3 young healthy children already? These are the dilemmas I have going on inside of my head. But I will definitely see a counsellor and see what happens. DH has also been pressuring me the last few days as he found a job in Coolangatta that he'd like to apply for. It was my idea....told him to see if there were any jobs for him up that way. Yet we would be moving away from family and good friends I have made. A huge decision. Easy for him becasue he has done it a few times before. Born in STh America, but lived in a few different countries in Europe and then settled in Aaustralia. I've never moved interstate, let alone overseas. I'd love the climate up there, but.......I don't know.

[1moregirl]

Also, in my last few cycles before this one, my period has arrived exactly 13 DPO...so I'm thinking I probably had O occur on CD16 or later and even with our 3 in a row BDs we have somehow missed O. Never mind. Clearly wasn't meant to be this time. :) onwards and upwards. Thanks soooo much for your support and advice Pbn3. Keep it coming Hun. :) xx

[atomic sagebrush]

I really, really think you may want to start keeping a calendar about these feelings because you may find that they come in a very reliable pattern. It really makes it a lot easier to get through those low days when you can tell yourself "this isn't real, this is just hormones playing tricks on me here". Like I said the same pattern plagues me, too, that whole 7-10 days after O I am just very very down and glum and it just feels like someone flips a switch and I come out of it. :)

[Pbn3]

How are you 1moregirl? How are you feeling about everything atm? I think Atomic has hit the nail on the head about these emotions/anxieties occuring at the same time each month. I know I for sure had low days (2-3) which I worked out were hormonal but even with knowing that, at the time it was hard to get thru. But I always did that 2-3 days later :)

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[atomic sagebrush]

I can't tell you guys how many posts I get from people who are like, "I just had my attempt but now I'm sure I am no longer going to TTC next month because I hate my life and I am completely overwhelmed with everything and my husband and I are probably getting divorced" LOL. It is several a month. And then they are fine in a couple days and are like "oh geesh just ignore that last post." :) I think it is definitely a voice to listen to but I personally try never to make any decisions that week any more. :)

[Katt2275]

Atomic, I've noticed that pattern with myself too. The week before ovulation, the world is wonderful and I'm beaming with hope and happiness. Then, I go into a "this world sucks, I hate my life mode". Knowing what it is does help some.

[1moregirl]

I really, really think you may want to start keeping a calendar about these feelings because you may find that they come in a very reliable pattern. It really makes it a lot easier to get through those low days when you can tell yourself "this isn't real, this is just hormones playing tricks on me here". Like I said the same pattern plagues me, too, that whole 7-10 days after O I am just very very down and glum and it just feels like someone flips a switch and I come out of it. :)

You know what Atomic? Funny you mention all of this, but I have just realised a pattern and I am sure it is hormonal...or maybe perimenopausal. I seem to get the anxiety twice each cycle and it coincides with EWCM, oddly enough. I sometimes get EWCM a day or so after AF ends (and just got hit with the anxiety this cycle at that time) and again when EWCM arrives just prior to O. It is really odd because I only ever used to get anxiety the day or so before my period arrived (I would find it hard to breathe and would hyperventilate easily), yet I only seem to have a bit of irritability these days just before period arrives. Could it be an over-production of oestrogen with body going in over-drive to release an egg? (Like having trouble releasing eggs?) I don't know....and it doesn't help that the Doctors don't seem to know either.

[atomic sagebrush]

The doctors know nothing. I can remember a time, in my lifespan where many doctors did not believe PMS/PMT was real and that menstrual cramps were psychological. :p We have done more to unravel these mysteries in 20 years of the internet just by getting together to compare notes than all the doctors in history. :)

I can't tell you what is causing it. I strongly suspect that younger women experience all these same things but just don't know their bodies as well and cycles as well yet. I am pretty sure I did!!