This blog will primarily be about my ttc (trying to conceive) journey. We are ttc in our 30's as full-time working professionals, and trying for our second baby. We have been blessed with one wonderful child.

I decided to start this blog to record my experiences and express myself, to give information and support to others, and to receive information and support from others. Please understand that although this blog is public, my husband and I plan to keep it anonymous. Please feel free to leave comments or ask any questions. I hope you will share this journey with us!

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

TTC methods for #2



I am using the Fertility Awareness Method, focusing on primary fertility signs of basal body temp and cervical mucous.  I generally have egg-white cervical mucous, EWCM, for 3 days and ovulate on the third day.  Along the way, I've learned my other signs of ovulation: including a high energy day right before ovulation, changes in libido, changes in wanting to look prettier/dressier around ovulation, and usually ovulation pains the day of ovulation.  I can even tell which ovary I ovulate from.  My ovaries tend to take turns each month, and I've always thought my right ovary was the better one, that was the one I had ovulated from when I got pregnant with DD.  If you had asked me prior to TTC if I ever had ovulation pains or could detect ovulation without an OPK, I would have said, "no!  what are you talking about?!" 

And with temping, I am fortunate enough to have an ovulation dip on the day of ovulation.  Temping is my favorite.  It tells me: the day I'm going to ovulate, if I've ovulated (which OPKs do not), when I have an estrogen surge (changes in hormones) after ovulation, when it is looking good or not for pregnancy, and if I'll probably be getting my period soon.  It gives new meaning to having your "hopes up," as long as the temps are up!  Whenever someone signs up for fertility friend through my page, it gives me 5 free VIP days.  This has happened twice recently, so I really appreciate it!  If you sign up, please do so through mine or someone else's page.  Thank you!!

Since we have a girl, and would be interested in having a boy (of course, we would be thrilled with either, and the most important thing is having a healthy child) we are very casually trying the Shettles method for gender selection (I haven't read the book).  This involves timing bd close to ovulation, and even changing the Ph balance in the reproductive tract, via diet, etc.  So I've been eating more bananas and drinking more orange juice.  Interesting to note that everyone on both sides of our family has had a girl first, and then if someone has a second child, it is a boy.

How else is TTC different with #2?  Of course, there is less time and less energy to give to TTC, already having a young child.  I suppose there is a little less urgency or pressure.  There is some familiarity with ttc and what worked previously.  However, it also really messed with my head the first month ttc, because I was having all the same symptoms I had when I was pregnant, and I swore I was pregnant!  It just goes to show, there is really no way to know if one is pregnant during the two-week wait, even with prior pregnancy experience!!

Coincidentally, the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays fell during my two-week wait.  Holiday cocktails were offered to me, of which I drank a little bit.  We were also out of town around the time I was expecting to test or get AF for both holidays, a little odd but not so bad.