Implantation Bleeding

Many women like myself scour their BBT charts for ovulation, early pregnancy or implantation signs. One of the more commonly looked for implantation signs is an implantation dip. But is an "implantation dip" a real sign of embroys implantation? Is it a genuine sign of early pregnancy during the tww?

As per my previous blog entries, ovulation can be detected on a bbt chart by slight shift in temperature mid cycle. An implantation dip is a one-day drop in temperature on a bbt chart, occurring about one week after ovulation. The dip appears during the luteal phase which is the time between ovulation and your expected AF. Implantation of the embryo usually occurs between 7 and 11 of the luteal phase and this is why some people attribute this suddent one-day dip in temperature to implantation. 

Implantation bleeding is also called implantation spotting. Implantation bleeding or spotting does not usually look like a regular menstrual period but is scanty and usually a pinkish or brownish discharge. The closer to the day when AF is supposed to begin that the bleeding is noticed, the less chance of it being implantation bleeding.

Having an implantation dip occurs usually when you are pregnant, but please note that it is not a reliable symptom of pregnancy. Of course women can have the so called implantation dip when they are not pregnant, and plenty of women who are pregnant do not show an implantation dip on theor BBT chart.

When the egg is released from the ovary, it travels down the fallopian tube towards the uterus. If the egg meets up with a viable sperm during the trip and the egg is is fertilised, it will attempt to implant in the lining of the uterus. Once implantation happens the blastocyst becomes the embryo. Due to the blood rich nature of the endometrial lining, a few drops of blood could move through the cervix and down the vagina. This blood is referred to as implantation bleeding. Usually blood pregnancy tests will become positive within 3-4 days after implantation and HPT tests usually becomes positive 4-5 days after implantation. If implantation is not successful, the egg will flush out of the body with the normal menstrual flow.

Some signs of implantation or possible pregnancy include:

• Implantation cramps - small cramps inside the uterus
• Implantation spotting or bleeding - short brief spotting (a couple of drops of light or dark blood)
• A second temperature shift on the BBT chart
• A temperature dip at about 7 to 10 days after ovulation

 All sounds very exciting so i'm fxing that i'll be able to experience implantation bleeding this time around.

CD17 Fertility Chart

Ta-Da! Here’s my freaky chart! Don’t exactly know what happened but yesterday my temp dropped the lowest low. Actually the right temp is actually 33.21C but FF could only allow me to put in 34C as the lowest!

CD17 - Take 1

This morning however, it went up again to a more favourable 36.28C. I initially uploaded this chart on a TTC forum I’ve been participating in and was advised to remove the freaky temp yesterday. This is the result. Ta-Da!

CD17 - Take 2

 

So based on this chart, I ovulated on CD13 which may actually be right. I thought I would have ovulated on CD12 but oh well I’m crossing my fingers that we BD’ed enough. Wish me luck!!

CM and everthing about CM

CD16 and guess what? Getting discharge which looks a lot like EWCM.. weird? It will be weirder when I show you my chart which I will try to post later today or tomorrow.

I have learned that its nearly impossible to predict the exact time of ovulation with just your CM observations. HOWEVER, EWCM, especially in the middle of your cycle usually means that you're very fertile at that time. Whether that means you will be ovulating soon or have already ovulated and that the egg is still viable. 

BBT charting is not 100% accurate too!

So the most important thing to know is that you are most likely fertile if you're having a certain type of CM. You would obviously have to monitor your basal body temperature and even to get an ultrasound to truly know if and when you ovulated.

As a woman's body moves throughout her monthly cycle, the consistency of her cervical discharge also changes. The changes in the mucus that is secreted from the cervix reflect where you are in your cycle. 

CM refers to a jelly-ish substance produced by a woman's body during her monthly cycle. CM helps the sperm to survive once inside a woman's body and helps the sperm get to the egg so that the egg can be fertilised. CM also protects sperm from the acidic content of the vagina. The acids in the vagina typically will stop sperm from moving. CM provides a place for sperm to go where it can be protected from these acids. CM will often detect sperm that are abnormal and slow them down, keeping them from getting to the egg and causing conception. 

Cervical fluid is produced by your cervix as you approach ovulation due to increased estrogen. It flows from the cervix into the vagina where it can easily be observed.

Before collecting a sample, be sure to wash your hands in order to prevent the transmission of germs. The most common ways of collecting CM sample are:

• Inserting your finger into your vagina and collecting some CM
• Using toilet paper and the entrance of your vagina and analysing the CM collected that way
• The most accurate way to collect (so I heard but haven't tried it myself) is to insert your finger into your vagina and circle your finger around your cervix or as close to the cervix. This will allow you to actually collect the CM instead of just it's wetness. 

• Monitoring the changes in CM is the only method I know of that will not require looking back to the past few cycles for analysis and also provide reliable results that you can trust when TTC. 

Before ovuation (low chance of pregnancy) - Usually the first few days following menstruation, there will be little or no discharge present. You will fry dryness around your vagina. During this time, chance of getting pregnant is very low.

Approaching ovulation (chance of pregnancy) - The first discharge that does appear should be moist or sticky and should be white or cream in color. In the finger test, the CM should break easily. You will only be able to pull your fingers about 1cm apart before it breaks. During this transition time, first the CM will become cloudy and slightly stretchy during the finger test (this means that it will still break before the fingers are stretched all the way). As time progresses, the CM will become greater in volume.

During ovulation (high chance of pregnancy) - Cervical discharge will appear mroe loose, stringy and slippery, much like th consistency of egg whites. Finger testing will allow the CM to stretch quite a bit (several cm) before it rbeaks (if it breaks at all). The amount of this thin CM will steadily increase until you experience your "mucus peak" which is the last day of this period where the chance of conception is high. It is closely tied to ovulation. During this phase, the sperm's survival rate is higher. It can survive in CM for up to 72 hours, a significant longer time than during the rest of the cycle. 

After ovulation (low chance of pregnancy) - After ovulation, there is a marked chance in CM appearance. It returns to the sticky stage (does not stretch during the finger test) and there is again a feeling of dryness around the vagina. 

Here are some pictures (I found on the net) as a guide to see the difference between the types of CM. Warning: Images are very graphic. 

EWCM

 

 

 

Creamy

 

 

 

Sticky

Watery

TTC and x ray

Sometimes I think I’m dumb. LOL

I went to see a GP a couple of days ago – to be specific on CD11. I’ve been experiencing really sore ribs and thought I should get it checked out. The doctor suggested that I go for an x ray just to make sure as she couldn’t really pin point what exactly was wrong with me.

So I went.

It’s been known that x rays are dangerous for your baby in utero. The vast majority of pregnant women will not even think about having an x ray.

Well of course I wasn’t pregnant.

But after the x ray as I was on the bus on the way home, I started thinking. Are x rays OK when you are ovulating or TTC?

As usual, I searched the net for answers. And I meant SEARCHED.

Came across a really good article:

According to the American College of Radiology (ACR) if you should have an x ray just prior to conception, there is no risk to you or the soon-to-be-baby. If you were to have an x ray in week 3 or week 4, the risks are probably zero at less than 10 Rads. Greater than 10 Rads indicated a possible miscarriage. In weeks 5 through 10, but between 5-10 Rads they say, “Potential effects are scientifically uncertain and probably too subtle to be clinically detectable.” Over 10 Rads and the chances of malformations increase with the dose. In weeks 11 through 17, at the 5-10 Rad dose “Potential effects are scientifically uncertain and probably too subtle to be clinically detectable.” Though ACR notes that you can have IQ damage over the 10 Rad mark, increasing with exposure. Once you hit weeks 18-27, you don’t see issues with x rays until you hit the greater than 10 Rad dose, “IQ deficits not detectable at diagnostic doses.” After week 28, the risks are the same to the baby as the mother. Doses less than 5 Rad are always considered to cause no issues at any point in pregnancy.

CD14

CD14.

Tested another OPK last night at about 6pm..and line was much lighter than the ones on CD11 and CD14. I will test another one later today. I couldn’t help but feel that I missed my O..or perhaps I didn’t O this month?

The last couple of days from about CD10, CM was very watery. I couldn’t really pin point if it reach the EWCM stage but it was very watery. And it kinda start drying up from yesterday at CD13. 

I’ve been OPKing since CD7 so that’s 7 days..but also found that I have been doing it wrong. Apparently we cant use the first pee in the morning and we’ll have to test between 12pm and 8pm. Also, we are not supposed to drink a lot of water before we test. Anyway like an idiot, for maybe 5 days I’ve been testing I the morning with my first morning pee. Since CD11 I started testing in the afternoon as well and got faint line. 

I just started monitoring my BBT and try to monitor my CM. How do we know for sure that we are ovulating? How then will we be sure? So anyway I’ve been doing some research all over the internet and here’s what I came out with.

Its highly unusual to only ovulate from one ovary and not the other. If our cycles are regular then we should ovulate every month. 

The time period between ovulation and the next period is constant, usually around 14 days. The period between the first day of bleeding/cycle can vary. In a normal 28-day cycle (like mine) ovulation happens in the middle around CD14. But in a 35-day cycle ovulation happens on CD21 and on CD10 in a 24-day cycle.

Swollen breasts, tender nipples, water retention can be symptoms of ovulation but they are not enough to make the diagnosis with sufficient evidence. Regular periods, BBT curves, OPK, cervical mucus changes and/or elevated progesterone levels seven days later are the reliable methods of tracking ovulation. 

It is possible to ovulate any time in the cycle, even the day after menstruation. Most women usually ovulate around CD14 or so, but much earlier and much later ovulations are possible. If cycles are very regular then ovulation usually happens about 14 days prior to the next cycle. That would be about 14 days plus/minus to two days.

We should also try to BD once a day, every day during the fertile days. In addition, we should BD regularly 2 to 3 times a week every week. Making love more than once a day is not suggested because the sperms have not enough time to recover. If he has enough sperm then there is about 20-25% chance of getting pregnant each month.

OPKs test for the LH hormone, which rises shortly before ovulation. So when we are not about to ovulate the OPK is negative. When it first (emphasis on FIRST) turns a shade of color, then ovulation is likely to happen within the next 12-36 hours, emphasis on within. Ovulation can happen in 12 or 36 hours. You can have a line on the OPK test for several days.

At the time of ovulation there is an increase in the estrogen hormone. This hormone increases as ovulation approaches and it changes the cervical mucus from a thick consistency to first a thin consistency and this consistency becomes stretchy. When you touch this mucus with two fingers and pull it apart, you can extend it for several inches.

Meeting the GP in an about half an hour. Will check with on my ultrasound results and whats happening to my O.

OPK Test - what happened to my postive line?

Day13.

Did an OPK this morning at 7am and line was much lighter than yesterday! Bummer! As usual, I got paranoid and asked a few girls from my TTC forum. Anyway I tested again at 2.30pm and the line was lighter than the result from this morning! WHATTTT!!???

CD13 -7am

CD13 - 2.30pm

Temperature is still low so I don’t think I have ovulated yet. Funny thing though, my CM well it’s drying up. Not as wet as a couple of days ago. Does this mean I am not ovulating this month?

Don’t quite know exactly what is going on but will test again at about 6pm today and another tomorrow evening.

Anyway this is TTC Cycle 2. Unfortunately we don’t get to BD as much as before with work commitments and long hours at the office. So I thought we might stand a better chance if I take on a more targeted approach. Which basically means only trying to BD when we think we are the most fertile – romantic devils that we are :/

I’m still doing more research as I’m not sure if I had my surge yet but here’s some info:

All OPK tests have a “control” color band (or color line) that indicates whether the test is working or not. Also, the control band provides a color/intensity baseline by which to interpret the “test” band results. The “test” color band indicates a positive or negative result. Please refer to the graphic below.

A positive result (indicating an LH surge) is indicated by a test band that is of equal or greater intensity (equal or darker) than the control band. A negative result for the LH is indicated when the test band is of lesser intensity (lighter) than the control band or cannot be seen. A negative result means the LH level of the urine sample is at or near its normal level and that the LH surge is not in progress. There is always some quantity of LH in your system so a light color band in the region is NOT an indicator of a positive result.

CD11 & CD12 - do I sense O coming?

Yippie! I got my first visible ovulation test yesterday at CD11. The test line was still a little lighter than the control line and took a while to show up. I did another OPK test today and the line is slightly darker than the one yesterday but its still lighter than the control line. When I tested morning of CD11, it was negative..so I am not quite sure if this means I will ovulate today or tomorrow but by looking at my charts, I would say tomorrow since my temperature is still quite low.

CD11 - evening

CD12 - arvo

So whats an OPK?

All an OPK does is measure the LH surge that occurs just before ovulation. Once it has occurred then that means you have just ovulated (in which case you already too late) or you may be just about to ovulate. That is why I have been testing with an OPK since CD7 just to make sure. 

The LH surge only happens once and only as it is about to release the egg. From that point on all you are reading is what is left in your body. Ovulation usually happens within 12-36 hours after the OPK first turns positive. 

Testing on OPKs are usually not enough as it doesn’t really tell you when you are ovulating. That is why most women who are TTCing also monitor their BBT to determine if their temperature rises as a result of having ovulated. Some of us also monitor our CM to make sure. Many times those who just OPK are missing timing sex since they need to have sex two days before and the day of ovulation. This is especially true if you only test once every 24 hours and that’s why you may want to test twice a day. You should not wait making love only when the OPK turns positive but make love regularly 2-3 times a week every week. That way you can make sure you will not miss the important fertile days.

OPKs are not like HPTs. An OPK has a control line and a test line, just like an HPT. Unlike HPT, if a test line is present, that does not mean the test is positive. The test line must be as dark as, or darker than the control line to be a positive result (remember a lighter line may just be picking up the LH that you have in your system no matter what day of the month it is).

If the test line looks almost the same as the control line, try testing again later that same day to make sure you catch the surge.

Since ovulation usually happens 12-36 hours after the surge. If you don’t see other signs of ovulation (CM dries up, BBT rises) within the next day of your first positive OPK, take another OPK to check for a positive result.

I usually notice some discharge immediately after sex. The fluid coming out from the vagina after his orgasm is a portion of the ejaculate. But get this..less than 5% of the ejaculate is actually sperm – over 95% is made up of other fluids. In fact, its totally normal for some of the ejaculate to come out of the vagina after intercourse. Apparently enough sperm will reach the cervical mucus especially if you stay on your back for the suggested 15-20 mins after intercourse, hips slightly elevated. 

Baby dust to all!

Why Not Me?

I was talking to my father a few days ago about my obsession with TTC. His advice? Take it easy, don’t be weird and what is meant to be is meant to be. He said that maybe John and I are just not destined to have kids and that life doesgo on.

I agreed. I didn’t want to be one of those women who spent years and thousandsof dollars trying to conceive. It takes a toll on us. It makes us resentful, depressed and miserable.

But what I told my father was – Its one thing to NOT WANTING kids..but its something else when we CANT HAVE kids.

Its funny. 

If you think about it – our bodies failed us. And that is extremely hard to accept. Many of us compound that failure by torturing ourselves with thoughts that maybe, just maybe we managed to contribute to our conception failure by our actions or thoughts. 

Smoking? Alcohol? Drugs? Caffeine? How about that hiking trip at Switzerland? Did waxing or manicure so often played a role? Should we have not used the hot tub? Maybe I need to lose a few pounds? Or is it my over demanding job that took over my life? Did I actually spent my entire life working and chasing after wealth and now its too late? Maybe its stress and I need to relaxmore?

The what ifs are endless.

These thoughts and more came flooding back into my mind this morning as Isat trapped in the bus directly across from a women who kept stoking her very pregnant belly throughout the entire bus ride. Her action tormented me. It tookan incredible effort not to scream “Why her and not me? I looked so much healthier than her, definitely younger than her – so WHY HER AND NOT ME??”

When the bus stopped at my stop, I rushed out feeling ashamed because instead of feeling happy for her, I was angry and envious.

Just by participating in TTC forums, I came to realise that women who have been TTCing and are not having success are obviously dealing with some very real emotional pain. Heck, I have only been trying for a month and here I amgoing absolutely INSANE.

Infertility, whatever the cause is not something that is easy to come toterms with. To me and I’m sure to the rest of the women who have been TTCing, itfeels like the rest of world is taking advantage.

TTC Acronyms

Have any of you ever spent time going into any Trying to Conceive (also known as TTC) blogs, forums or message boards? I have. I recently joined a “secret” facebook discussion page where women (all over Australia) share their happiness, pain, difficulty in trying to conceive. I have started feeling a strong bond with some of these women and even though I only just started to TTC.

I remembered when I first joined the group, I was a little intimidated by the acronyms some of the girls used. Internet acronyms are common, we all use them. The TTC world has a huge number of acronyms and they can be downright confusing! 

Here are some of the common abbreviations and acronyms used:

AF: Aunt Flo – menstruation / period

BBT: Basal Body Temperature

BC: Birth Control

BCPS: Birth Control Pills

BD: Baby Dance (sex)

BF: Breasfeed or Boyfriend

BFN: Big Fat Negative (pregnancy test)

BFP: Big Fat Positive (pregnancy test)

BM: Breast Milk

CD: Cycle Day

CF: Cervical Fluid

CM: Cervical Mucus

CS: Caesarean Section

DC: Day Care

DPO: Days Past Ovulation

EDD: Estimated Due Date

EWCM: Egg White Cervical Mucus

HPT: Home Pregnancy Test

IC: Incompetent Cervix

IUI: Intrauterine Insemination

IVF: In Vitro Fertilisation

L&D: Labour and Delivery

MC: Miscarriage

O: Ovulation

O’d: Ovulated

OPK: Ovulation Predictor Kit

PG: Pregnant / Pregnancy

POAS: Pee On a Stick (pregnancy test)

TTC: Trying To Conceive

US: Ultrasound

These are just some that I know. I still stumble over an acronym I don’t know from time to time. And if you do know of any which I missed – please don’t hesitate to share them with me =)

The Beginning Of My Journey

A bit about myself. I am 30. Very hard to admit that as I still feel like i'm in my 20s. When I was younger I envisaged not ever having kids and to be the next Managing Director of BAT living in a beautiful penthouse in central NYC. LOL - A girl got to dream :P

When I got married, we decided that kids are secondary and we should concentrate on our careers and to live a great life, to travel the world, be free and childish forever.

Now, 6 years later, I no longer wanted to be childish and immaure. My dreams and expectations now are a little different. I realised that I wanted a baby. OUR baby.

I was sure it would happen within our first trial and being a control freak, I spent hours on the internet trying to learn about fertility signs and symptoms. More than anything else I wanted to learn how to optimise our chances of conceiving...well straight away. I was even so arrogant enough to think that we could choose the sex of our baby. Sigh.

My husband, John is loving, caring and supportive. He understands and supports my wishes. After 6 years, our relationship keeps getting better and better. I love him so much and I all I think about is having our baby, having a family of our own. I ache to see him with our baby. I ache to see this tiny beautiful product of our love - looking and being a little bit like me and a little bit like him. It makes me smile just to think about it. :)