You can create a unique signature for your profile that will attach to each of your posts. This signature (or “siggie”) can contain a brief bio, images/badges, a link to your chart or blog, and anything else you’d like. Below you can find instructions for how to add a siggie on both desktop and mobile.
Please note that the GoodbyeCB forum uses bbcode, not html.
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At present, CAL only has 2 official check-ins for members (although we also have several daily threads open to all members.) All members of the community are welcome to post in either check-in.
The CAL community is an amazing place full of supportive women with tons of knowledge to share. Once you’ve posted an introduction on the main board, please feel free to join the “What’s up Wednesday” check in. It’s a great way to get to know the community members better. This check is posted every Wednesday by rotating check-in leaders (@megrae12, @yummybunny, @4furrypaws, and @rslh10).
If you get a BFP, please message any of your check-in leaders, and do not post your BFP on the main board for the other members to see (see Should I post my BFP? for more information.) BFPs are difficult to see and the check-in leaders take the necessary steps to warn the other members of a new graduate and minimize any potential hurt.
This check-in is run on Mondays and Fridays. It’s for anyone who is striving to live a healthier life. Whether you’re trying to losing weight, gain weight, stick to a specific diet, count calories, avoid counting calories, start to exercise, continue to exercise, or anything in between, this check-in is for you!
An HSG is an X-Ray test that looks at the inside of the uterus, the fallopian tubes and the surrounding areas. During an HSG, a dye is put through a thin tube that is put through the vagina and into the uterus. Pictures are taking using a steady beam of X-Ray as the dye passes through the uterus and tubes. These pictures can show potential problems such as an injury or abnormal structure of the uterus or tubes, a blockage that could prevent an egg moving through a fallopian tube to the uterus, or problems inside the uterus that could prevent a fertilized egg from implanting to the uterine wall.
Before an HSG it is recommended that you take an OTC pain reliever. Again, like everything, everyone is different. Some women have only slight discomfort or the feeling of pressure during the procedure and others have more severe cramping and pain. After the procedure they will provide you with a pad for any leakage or bleeding that may occur. Often times only slight spotting occurs. But if you fill a pad within an hour or are having severe pain please contact your doctor immediately.
When a MMC is confirmed using misoprostol (cytotec) is another option in some cases. Medical management of miscarriage makes the most sense in cases where the miscarriage is confirmed but the bleeding has not yet started. This medication is used to cause your body to expel the pregnancy tissue and placenta. Although you can take the medication by mouth, your healthcare provider might recommend inserting the medication vaginally to increase its effectiveness and minimize side effects such as nausea and diarrhea. For approximately 70 to 90 percent of women, this treatment works within 24 hours.
There is a possibility that a second dose of the medication may be needed. That is usually administered 24 – 48 hours after the first dose.
Risks of using medication to expedite a miscarriage are about the same as the risks of miscarrying naturally. There’s a small chance of hemorrhage, infection, and needing a D&C later on if tissue remains in the uterus.
Every person has a different reaction to this medication. Some women only have mild cramping where others can have severe cramping, vomiting and end up going to an ER. Contact your doctor immediately if you are filling a pad within an hour or less, have chills and fever or crippling pains or if you have any questions. Never hesitate to call your doctor!
It is often advised to wait at least one full cycle to let your body recover before TTC again. As with all of this, it is different for everyone and please follow your doctor’s orders.
A D&C is a minor surgical procedure. During this procedure, your healthcare provider dilates your cervix and removes tissue from the inside of your uterus. Complications are rare, but they might include damage to the connective tissue of your cervix or the uterine wall. Surgical treatment is needed if you have a miscarriage accompanied by heavy bleeding or signs of an infection. This procedure can be done in some Doctor’s offices or under general anesthesia in a hospital.
Following a D&C procedure you may experience mild cramping and bleeding. It is different for every person being that every situation is not the same. Typically resting with a heating pad and OTC pain relievers helps to soothe minor cramping and discomfort.
It is important that if your bleeding fills a pad in one hour or less, if you experience severe cramping, or you have the onset of chills or fever you should contact your doctor immediately.
The nature of this procedure is rough on the uterine lining and this is why it is typically recommended to wait to TTC for at least one full cycle to help build the lining back up. Some doctors may recommend waiting longer depending on your specific situation.
Please follow your doctor’s orders.
Women can experience a miscarriage without knowing it. A missed miscarriage is when embryonic death has occurred but there is not any expulsion of the embryo. It is not known why this occurs. Signs of this would be a loss of pregnancy symptoms and the absence of fetal heart tones found on an ultrasound.
The main goal of treatment during or after a miscarriage is to prevent hemorrhaging and/or infection. The earlier you are in the pregnancy, the more likely that your body will expel all the fetal tissue by itself and will not require further medical procedures. If the body does not expel all the tissue, the most common procedure performed to stop bleeding and prevent infection is a dilation and curettage, known as a D&C. You may also be prescribed misoprostol/cytotec to pass the tissue non-surgically.
Conceiving after a Loss is an established support network for ladies who have lost pregnancies, infants, and children and who are currently trying to conceive. This blog exists to support the CAL community, providing information about community etiquette and answering common questions about loss and TTC.
If you have come to our community because you are looking for support after a loss, we are so sorry for your loss, but we are glad you’ve found our community. Before you begin posting, be aware that because we are a community dealing with loss, grief, and difficult emotional and medical situations, we have a unique etiquette meant to protect our members and keep CAL a safe space for them to grieve and discuss what they are experiencing. Read through this blog carefully–start on the Newbie page if you’re brand spankin’ new–before posting.
If you have questions or would like to request we post information on the CAL blog, please e-mail us.
Charting is tracking your basal body temperature (BBT) daily to determine whether you have ovulated. Your BBT is typically lower in the first half of your cycle, called the follicular phase, and then goes up in the second half of your cycle, called the luteal phase. Your temperature is lower in the follicular phase because this phase is estrogen dominant, which causes the body to be cooler. It is higher in the luteal phase because this phase is progesterone dominant, which causes the body to be warmer.
You can usually determine you’ve ovulated by 3+ days of temperatures up by at least .2 degrees.
Most of us on CAL prefer an online system like Fertility Friend because it will create your chart and set cross hairs indicating ovulation for you. Fertility Friend is free, but you get perks if you buy a VIP pass. There are many different internet sites dedicated to charting, just find what you like the best. You can also find charts you can print out all over the internet if you prefer a physical copy.
Set an alarm to wake up at around the same time every day. Yes, even on weekends. (This may be a little hairy if you don’t have a consistent sleep schedule. Just try to make sure you get at least 5 straight hours of sleep consistently before you temp.) If you don’t take your temperature at a consistent time, you may not be able to get a reliable pattern on your temps to determine O.
When you wake up, you can take your BBT either orally (under the tongue) or vaginally (exactly what it sounds like).* Then record your temperature. If you use an internet application, it should plot your temperatures on a chart for you. If not, you will want to plot your temperatures manually on pre-printed chart. By recording your temperature each day, you should over the course of your cycle see a pattern. Lower temperatures before ovulation, higher temperatures after.
* Some people choose to temp vaginally rather than orally because it tends to provide more stable temperatures, especially for those who sleep with their mouth open at night.
So your charts are consistently a big ol’ mess, and you aren’t seeing any indication of a temp rise in your cycle. If you find you haven’t ovulated in 3 or more cycles, go to the doctor. One or two anovulatory cycles is NOT abnormal and your doctor may not want to do anything. If you’re over 35, though, or if you consistently are not ovulating, there may be an issue that would require medical intervention.
When is it OK to post your BFP announcement on this board, instead of going directly to Carrying a Rainbow (“CAR”) and posting your announcement/intro there? Good question.
It is often hard for someone who has experienced a loss to hear about someone else’s BFP. When you have been on your TTC after a loss journey for a long time, it can be particularly painful to watch others “pass you by.” Because of this, posting BFPs has long been a contentious and emotional subject. After a lot of debate, the community agreed upon the following guidelines for posting a BFP on Conceiving After a Loss (“CAL”):
Written by Petra (11/29/2011, edited by therealbug 01/27/2015)
The average first day for getting a positive pregnancy test is 13.6 DPO or .5 days before a person’s period is expected*, according to Fertility Friend. Your best bet to avoid testing too early and getting a BFN when you may still get pregnant that cycle is to wait to test until the day you expect your period to arrive. Some people may not get a positive test until a few days after they expect their period. Check out Fertility Friend for more detailed information on when you can expect a positive test if you are pregnant.
* You can only determine when your period is expected by charting to pinpoint ovulation and to see over the course of several months how long your luteal phase (the time between ovulation and menstruation) is. If you aren’t charting, you can’t know for sure when you ovulated and therefore whether your period is due.
It depends on the brand. Most range from 25-100 mIU/ml. You can find a list of the sensitivity of different pregnancy test brands here.
Yes and no. HPTs can only detect hCG levels in your urine, and your body only starts producing detectable levels of hCG after a fertilized egg implants in the lining of your uterus. A fertilized egg can implant as early as 6 DPO or as late as 12 DPO, with most implanting around 9 DPO.
If a fertilized egg implants on the earlier end of the spectrum, and if your luteal phase (the period of your cycle from ovulation to menstruation) is on the longer end of the spectrum, it’s entirely possible you might see a positive pregnancy test 5 days before you expect your period. If a fertilized egg implants on the later end of the spectrum, and/or if your luteal phase is on the shorter end of the spectrum, you may not see a positive pregnancy test until closer to when your period is due or even after.
No. If you are pregnant, you will turn a home pregnancy test positive. While a blood test at your doctor might be slightly more sensitive than an HPT, anything that could be detected with a blood test could be detected within a day or two with an HPT. Keep testing once a week or until you get your period. If you go 60 days without a period, call your doctor.
Conceiving After Loss 
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