First month TTC and Im so lost...

Its our first month TTC. I test daily with OPKs and definitely felt 'mittleschmirtz' on days 9-12. I am on CD 14. No positive from OPKs and I have been taking my PNV, baby aspirin and B6 every day and we have been BD every other day. I am not sure if these OPKs are reliable enough that we should assume I didn't 'O' yet this month, or maybe I did and OPKs just aren't working for me... I do feel kind of lost - I never learned about CM to track it or CP to track that either. Can't temp since I work 3 nights a week over nights so I can't temp at the same time everyday. Not sure what anyone can give me.. Maybe just some hopeful dust that my frustration will fade...

Re: First month TTC and Im so lost...

Hi there! You CAN BBT chart according to fertilityfriend.com. You can sign up for free at this site and record your temperatures and waking time and the software will tell you when you ovulated. Ive been using it for 3 cycles and so far so good. They say this

"Take your temperature at the time you wake up when you are most likely to have had the most sleep. Be as consistent as you can. On your days off, take your temperature after you wake up as well, even if it is at a different time. Make a note on your chart of changes in your waking schedule."

If you want to chart CM and CP, all you have to do is stick a finger up there (make sure you wash your hands and keep your nails trimmed). This is what i've learned from my reading:

For CM, you can check it multiple times a day and you may be able to tell just from wiping after going to the bathroom. it starts out dry or sticky, goes to creamy, then wet and then possibly stretchy like egg whites. Then after ovulation, it'll dry up again. All women don't get all of the textures so don't worry just yet if you're not experiencing some of them but you're most fertile when you see the most egg white cervical mucus (EWCM) or wet CM. You're looking for texture rather than color. If you don't have a lot of CM, you can use something like PreSeed or PreConceive, which is sperm friendly lubricant (KY and other brands apparently kills sperm or make it less mobile).

To check CP, while you're up there, feel around for your cervix. It's kind of cone shaped (at least for me anyway) and towards the back a little. Right after AF, it'll feel hard like the tip of your nose, closed at the end, and low so you can reach it. As you approach ovulation, it MAY get softer like your lips, open, and higher so you may have a harder time reaching it. It may disappear altogether. They say you're ovulating when your cervix is Soft, High, Open, and Wet (SHOW) Then after ovulation, it'll start getting hard, low, and closed again. You should pick a time of day and check it at that time every day.

Since it's your first month and you're getting to know your way around, don't get discouraged if you don't notice all of these changes in synch with each other. It takes a few cycles to get the hang of it.

And if you're never getting the +OPK, try testing at a different time of day next cycle. Sometimes you have the surge earlier in the day and it's gone by the time you test. You're lucky you get that ovulation pain so you can kind of tell. I never have ovulation pain so I just have to temp and cross my fingers that fertilityfriend is right!

Baby Dust! And it's only your first month and it sounds like you're doing everything you can so far so don't stress out just yet. I'm sure you'll be PG before you know it.

Message edited 7/11/2009 6:33:34 AM.

Re: First month TTC and Im so lost...

hi! i am definitely not an expert when it comes to this stuff but i wanted to tell you not to give up on the OPK's! even though you are on CD14, you may just ovulate later than what you thought! you may not get your surge until CD16 or 17 depending on how long your cycle is. sending you lots of !

Re: First month TTC and Im so lost...

I went through 2 OPK kits the first month I used them. I was getting ready to call the Dr when I finally got a on CD20.

Before TTC, I knew absolutely nothing about my cycles. It is very possible you just O a lot later then you think.

Good Luck!!

Re: First month TTC and Im so lost...

I have never used OPK's and so I can't help much...but my doctor said when I was ready to TTC that DH and I should just BD 3-4 days a week after AF and everything will work out....well first month of this i got my BFP...unfortunalty I lost the baby...but I know that when we are ready I will do it that way again. I felt less stressed and DH and I had a blast...To be honest I am sure over time it would get rough to keep that schedule and I would move to OPK....but in the beginning it was great to be relaxed....
Sorry that didn't really answer your question...but i just wanted to share what worked for me Good luck and

Re: First month TTC and Im so lost...

stress is your worst enemy...try not to think about it

Re: First month TTC and Im so lost...

Re: First month TTC and Im so lost...

Hang in there. It is frustrating. Someone here suggested that I use fertilityfriend.com. At first I was . It suggested I had O'd until I input the OPKs which of course say otherwise. So maybe they don't work for me either...or I'm not testing at the right time of day for ME. I test in the afternoon after work. And even on the weekends, I test at about the same time.

Either way, I think I was happier when I paid less attention to details so I may go that route next cycle.

Re: First month TTC and Im so lost...

To be honest, I was like you and started TTC very gung-ho. Temping, charting, OPK's, the whole nine. The minute I stopped stressing about it was the cycle I got BFP. I used the cheap 20 pack OPK's. Tested in the am and before bed around CD 8-9. And BD'd every other day until the lines went away. You will get lines when you O.

Don't stress and it WILL happen.