chart stalkers

[CB23]

What area do you research/teach in kittykins?

I'm a partner in a firm of chartered accountants I specialise in corporate finance so I work on listing companies on the stock exchange. Fascinating. Not. Hideously long hours at times, followed by lulls between projects.

ROM I'm thinking of having a mid life crisis and giving it all up to do flower arranging. Not that I can arrange flowers, but sometimes during the long tedious drafting meetings its nice to daydream of pretty flowers and stuff.

 

[reallyoldmum]

Best thing I ever did Claire, but it was hard work to and no holidays - not the best time to TTC - take my advice have your family while someone else employs you

I thought about a florist but talking to a friend of ours from another part of the country its very difficult to make a good living with flowers...... It was bad enough with juice and smoothies......

Claire30 its nice that you can enjoy your daughters when they are little... make the most of it they will be all grown up before you can blink...

 

[Kittykins]

I specialise in corporate finance so I work on listing companies on the stock exchange. Fascinating. Not. Hideously long hours at times, followed by lulls between projects.

That's what caused my mid-life crisis! 3 acquisitions and an IPO in one week, a total of sixteen hours sleep between the Sunday and Saturday - I was a walking zombie, had resorted to communicating with DH via notes on the kitchen table and figured there had to be something more to life! So I decided to go back to university and do a PhD. I research comparative literature. I've since met so many other people who've decided to do a PhD in their thirties or forties after working as accountants or lawyers or similar, it seems to be the thing to do these days. Probably because after years of 30+ drafts of a set of year-end results, you really don't mind being on draft 30 of your own thesis chapter.

Now I'm worried I might know you or have worked with you on a deal, CB23! Every so often I wonder if anyone I know is reading my posts, and now knows we're TTC. Of course, adding 'kins' to my name was hardly a sophisticated disguise - wouldn't take long for anyone to work that out!

claire30 - nursing on a children's surgical ward sounds like a hard job - not one I'd be very good at I once had to take a friend's kid to A&E and then for an operation - I was so relieved to get out of there, some of the kids were so ill and so small...

ROM - I wondered if that's what you did! Must have been quite a stressful couple of months for you then, with a new business on top of all the TTC aggro...

 

[CB23]

Kitty I don't think I know you so don't worry! So it was a good move then to change careers?

ROM I think anyone who runs their own business deserves a medal, OH is self employed as was my dad and I know exactly how hard it is to have a holiday etc. Your set up now sounds nice though, hope it goes well

I won't be giving up work - in fact it is far more likely that OH will be giving up work to be a full time dad if we do manage to have a baby or to pursue his interest in nature photography if we don't/in the meantime sort of thing. I actually like what I do so I don't mind carrying on. The thought of 6 months maternity leave is so lovely though

 

[Mildly]

How interesting hearing what everyone does for a living I work in IT Support at an academic establishment. I like messing about with computers, they make total sense to me!

 

[babydust]

its funny how people are suited to certain jobs, for me nursing is second nature, mind you when my little girl had to go in to get her kidney out in the summer there she was in my old ward and it was strange being on the other end of it (i couldnt wait to get out of the bloody place)

My dh is in IT he does support for a hospital in town, i hate computers

 

[Bagpuss17]

I work in IT too but am thinking of a career change at some point. Not sure what though

 

[Kittykins]

morning all!

It's interesting finding out what everyone does...



Sorry - a long post follows, I need some opinions from you all:

I'm having a bad day Desperate for loo at 5:50, so jumped out of bed, realised on way back that I'd forgotten to temp (first time since starting charting - and what a day to pick). So - I temped at 60, my usual time, when I got back to bed, and it was 36.04. I then went back to sleep about 15 mins later, woke up very warm at 7:15 (our central heating has been coming on at 6:10 for a couple of hours for the past couple of weeks; in the evening, the central heating is on from 5-9pm, and we sleep with the window open), and my temp was 36.44.

So, do I go for the temp at the right time, after several hours of sleep, but after a trip to the loo OR a temp an hour and a quarter later than usual, after 1 hour's sleep, after the heating has been on for an hour, but immediately on waking?

Obviously neither is accurate - but the first temp is a pre-ov temp, the second is definitely a post-ov temp.

Oh, and the CBEFM came back High AGAIN this morning. 6th day. I really don't know what to make of it. If I had ovulated, but it hadn't detected a LH surge, it should have gone to Low, I believe, because the High reading means that it has detected high oestrogen. The other possibilities are that it'll be Peak tomorrow (same cycle day as the cycle before last), or that this cycle is annovulatory. But can these be reconciled with my temps? Does it look like I've ov'ed or not?

I'm still inclined to think that I'll ov in the next couple of days, but FF still thinks I have already... My shortest cycle ever has been 33 days (4 of the last 5 cycles) - before I went on the BCP, it was 34-37 days. If I'd ov'ed when FF thinks I have, I'd expect AF to arrive on CD28, 5+ days earlier than usual. What do you all think?

Oh, and the Shagometer says BDing is getting easier, suggesting I'm going to ov soon! DH says the Shagometer is the only sign worth trusting, and if it shows green, we should go for it like bunny rabbits - but he would!

 

[Bagpuss17]

Morning,

I would be inclined to agree with DH and go with your shagometer. Listen to your body.

If it was me I would probably use the first temp.

As there's a little doubt in your mind just make sure you keep BD'ing

I'm feeling sooooo happy today. Yesterday I got a very faint line on my opk test. It was after the 5 mins so put it down to being an evap line even though I never get evap lines. They're always totally clear. Tested this morning and got a faint line! I usually fade in on my LH surge detection, I should get a positive tomorrow or Monday which means my cycle looks like it's back to normal

So pleased, although I ought to wait to get my + first on the opk but the last 2 cycles I never got any faint lines at my usual time of ov'ing even though I had lots of EWCM. So I'm sure it's not my body playing tricks on me.

It looks as though I was right Evening Primrose Oil capsules just didn't agree with me.

So BD'ing for the next few days for us now

Did you enjoy your evening out last night Kitty?

 

[reallyoldmum]

Kitty have you tried the temp corrector on FF - its under data I think - if you put in your first temp and the time you usually wake and the second temp and time it will work out what it thinks your waking temp would be at normal time!! Not 100% accurate but perhaps it would settle your scientific mind!!

Not sure what is going on with my temps this month they seem higher than normal might well be the heating I suppose. Had what looked like the start of ewcm this morning (I usually get that for 4 days prior to OV) and son was at work so only just let DH out of bed - this month we are going for quantity not quality!!!

 

[sookie]

Morning all!

So nice to read all those posts about your lives It's nice to know a bit more about everyone.

Obviously I am a primary school teacher. Sometimes I wonder if it make me more desperate to conceive quickly. The kids really become partly 'yours' and it helps you to understand a little of how it would be to have your own. It's also like a microcosm of parenting. You have a lot of crap to put up with but there are wonderful moments!

Kitty - what kind of literature? I'm really into Wharton and James. My DH is starting his PhD in Jan. He was a lawyer but has worked in research for a long time (researching area of law that need to be changed and then writing reports for parliament or different institutions on how to do it). We are hoping that he'll be able to manage a fair bit of parenting when we have a child, as I will want and need to keep working.

How lucky you are to get 6 months maternity leave! In Oz we are still backwards and only get 3 months. This was one of the reasons there wasn't such a conflict for us to ttc here in Colombia, as I wouldn't get any more time at home than I do here.

Yesterday was the kids last day of school for the year. I was naughty and went out drinking with some other teachers. I must say it was the best last day drinks ever. We sat at a bar on the beach, drank and ate. Then we went and sat on the beach under these cloth tents you rent with chairs. Bought a bottle of rum and whiled away the afternoon. We had massages and I called DH to bring the swimsuit down. Not half bad really. Today we are going to another beach for the day. It's a tough life on the tropical Caribbean.

Kitty - I am also inclined to say go with the first temp. I think it would be a bit more accurate that the second one. I also think that the shagometer is a great sign and you should respect it. Enjoy

Bagpus - glad your cycle is back on track

Well still no real EWCM. I will probably O the day we fly to Medellin

 

[Kittykins]

bagpuss - good timing if you get a + tomorrow or Monday, lots more BDing opportunities at weekends!

I used the earlier time in my chart, but made it an open circle. DH assures me that the trip to the loo will not have caused my temp to vary much in 5 minutes, but I don't know what he's basing that statement on!

So what effect did the EPO capsules have, then? I've just realised that my Omega 3, 6 and 9 supplement capsules contain EPO - I never realised, it just says 'contains fish oil and olive oil' on the front, you really have to read the small print on the back. I didn't take them last cycle, though I've been taking them for the past couple of years - I ran out and didn't get round to replacing them for a few weeks. Now wondering if that's having an effect... also, are you supposed to stop taking EPO after ov? Think I might just stop straight away, I eat loads of oily fish and olive oil anyway, so I probably don't need them. Oh dear, more things to worry about!

We had a great night last night, thanks - we went for a floatation session first, which was quite odd. DH went straight to sleep in his pod, I lay there worrying about whether there were ventilation holes in the lid, what would happen if there was a fire, had they forgotten I was there, had I remembered to turn on the house alarm, etc. I'd just started to relax when the hour was up! Then dinner - yum yum! I had a couple of glasses of red wine, for the antioxidant effect - and really enjoyed them. Well, I couldn't have let DH drink a bottle of a good burgundy by himself, could I? The only downside about the evening was that the really salty water in the floatation pod badly mats your hair. I put on a deep-conditioning treatment this morning, and have been sitting here for 4 hours with my head wrapped in a towel!

Hope everyone's having a great weekend - how's everyone else doing with their charts?

 

[Bagpuss17]

Thanks girls, fingers crossed I get a + over the next couple of days, I'll be gutted if I don't.

What does it mean when you get the open circle on your chart? I have one too.

For me I've convinced EPO made me ovulate late, I've read that it can cause delayed ovulation in some women. And yes, you should only take them up to the time you ovulate. It doesn't have that affect on everybody though, it's just I seem to be extremely sensitive to vitamin tablets etc since having my son and with having IBS (since having my son). I would have thought if EPO is contained within other supplements the concentrate is less so perhaps not an issue taking them past ovulation. I took them without any affects in the month I conceived with my first pregnancy.

Just found out a close friend is pregnant with her 2nd after one month of trying, as with their first. Obviously really happy for them but feel really down that again it hasn't happened as quickly for us. Ridiculous as it's only our 2nd month of TTC. Bought some lovely food from M&S and a small bottle of wine as supposed to be abstaining from alcohol as it's so close to ovulation.

Sookie, I'm thinking of retraining as a primary school teacher in the future. Would you recommend it as a career?

 

[Kittykins]

ooh, I didn't see ROM's and Sookie's messages earlier, I obviously spent too long typing my own!

ROM, the temp adjuster wouldn't work today, because I actually temped at the right time - the problem was that I'd jumped out of bed and gone to the loo before remembering to temp The later temp is even less reliable, after an hour's sleep and after the heating had come on. If I adjusted backwards from it, I'd still have to factor in those two influences as well. I just can't believe I was so stupid. Anyway, there's nothing I can do about it. Guess I just have to see what the next couple of days do...

Wish I'd get that Peak on the CBEFM. It's really annoying not knowing whether I ovulated very early and it wasn't picked up, or whether I haven't yet ov'ed...

Sookie, sounds like a good way to finish! So how long are you on vacation for then?

Bagpuss, the open circle is when there are factors that suggest the temp is not reliable - the two most common are taking the temp at an unusual time (I think FF allows about 20 mins leeway) and sleep deprivation - if you've had less than three hours' consecutive sleep before temping. Hmmm, it'll be interesting if I do ovulate late this cycle! Def stopping the supplements. I know how you feel - four friends gave birth this summer, another's now pg, and all 5 of them conceived on their first month of not preventing (you can hardly call it trying! ) I keep thinking, s***, I'll be making up the average for them, then... 13 months of trying for me... I must stop trying to do a statistical analysis of everything!


So who else is ov'ing or has just ov'ed? How many are now in the 2ww? Anyone symptom-spotting yet?

claire30 and Trudy, how are you both now?

 

[Bagpuss17]

LOL, that's so true. You can't call it trying when you get pg the first month of not preventing. Oh well on a brighter side, at least we can continue to have fun trying DH is quite happy about that.

Keep going with the CBEFM, you will get your peak I'm sure of it. What day do you usually ovulate on?

 

[babydust]

hi im fine now, af is finally tailing off, my chart isnt doing much just now just waiting to ov. im really going for it this month i have ordered fertilaid off internet for him and her someone else mentioned it in here, so thought i would give it a go but i takes 2 - 3 weeks to come, as its from the states , but i was in my local supermarket and found some sanatogen for him and her so i will try that this month, but the tablets are huge and dh hates tablets

we had i lovely day we went for lunch in town and took the girls to see the christmas lights and watch the ice skating in the town, they have made an outdoor ice rink in the square.

 

[scones]

Evening girlies, I know I only pop in now and again but I just wanted to say hello. I should get a basal thermometer and chart properly i think, first thing on my list for tomorrow, when do u start to take temps? First day of AF? :Last day?

 

[sookie]

Hi girls,

I already posted in the main section but am after your support here.

We are bumbed. DH's sperm analysis came back with bad results. He has a very low count of 6.5million per mil.

They're slow swimmers too, they don't liquify and the pH is too high

Maybe the count will improve but it's depressing right now. Makes me wonder why I have been bothering to try so hard with my own temping etc. I know that is important too but I am down about it all right now.

Kitty - you asked if I have PCOS? Well not that I know of. I don't seem to have any of the symptoms. So here's to hoping that is not also a factor. To answer your other question I will be on holiday until mid January, which will give me loads of time to drive myself crazy.

Bagpus - yes I would recommend teaching, but I would definitely recommend doing some work experience first. It is a hard job and certainly is not for everyone. Most teachers quit within 5 years of training. Also think carefully about the kind of system you want to teach in. There are alternatives to the mainstream school system and you might find they interest you, and if so it is better to incorporate their training into your mainstream qualification.

 

[CB23]

Sookie what have they suggested as next step for you bith?

 

[CB23]

I went into town today and got some pre-seed from the Garden Pharmacy in Covent Garden. Can't believe its £13 for 6 tubes!!

I have been having what I think are ov pains today. I have them right side only on and off. I had a scan a good few years ago when they started (and wasn't ttc) and was worried and it showed no problems in ovaries. What I don't know is how close having the pain is to actual ovulation. But I assume is imminent.