I do go in for blood tests tomorrow to see what my luteal phase is so short and to verify ovulation. I won't make any firm decisions until we hear the test results, but after 7 months, I think we are ready to take a break. I really think I could use 2 months to focus on losing some weight and getting back in the habit of exercising again and I know our sex life could use some pressure-less attention! So, for those of you that have taken breaks in the past, what did it mean for you? I'm thinking no opk's, no tracking symptoms of ovulations, etc. on fertility friend, but no preventing either.
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@owlteach: I think a break, for me, would just mean not using OPKs, not temping, not timing sex. I'm kind of doing that right now, but cheated today and used an OPK, only because I pretty much already knew I was about to ovulate.
I think we all need a break from TTC once in a while. It's so consuming, psychologically. But, it's so hard to try to give up that control!
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Basically exactly what you said. It was kinda weird though, to know I was ovulating (by that time, I knew my body well enough that I could tell without tracking), and do nothing about it.
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We took a break a year and a half ago. I didn't take Clomid that month, I didn't use OPK's, I didn't do anything. I was told that I *needed* Clomid to ovulate. Yeah, i got pregnant that month and found out I was almost 6 weeks along after I thought my persistent hangover might not be a hangover. And now that baby is 9 months old
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Taking a break for me means actively avoiding!
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To me taking a break and NTNP is just kinda going with the flow and not thinking about it. Don't worry about O signs, just have sex when you are in the mood and see what happens.
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No temping, no tracking. Just making love when the mood strikes. If it happens to be around O, since that's how we are biologically wired? So be it. Just continue on your prenatals and fish oil.
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For me, taking a break is not trying and using protection. Otherwise it's NTNP.
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@pui: I could definitely see this. Especially if you were taking a break for a specific purpose, ala...not wanting to be pregnant on a trip.
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I decided to do a mini break this month which for me meant adjusting my expectations to not expect a bfp this month, no temping, opks or stressing about the timing of bd and I have spent very little time on the poas thread or googling pregnancy related things. It has really taken a lot of the stress out of things for me and I did it because I knew I would ovulate right around Christmas while we are at my in laws. Turns out our timing has been the best this month so we will see if I can avoid stressing over the next two weeks.
Short answer is for me it is adjusting expectations, having fun with my husband and ignoring the rest.
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Good question! I too am ready to take a break, I also need to start exercising again. To me it means to skip charting and not worry about BDing at the right time or holding my legs up after BDing which I started doing.
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For me, "taking a break" = preventing pregnancy. I consider NTNP actively "trying" (sinc there's a possibility of pregnancy). That's just my personal view, though!
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@Cole: were you actually able to stop yourself from thinking about it all the time? That's my only concern, that because I know its still a possibility, I will have a hard time being disapointed when I start my period!
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For us it means that sex is for fun, and that's it. I still track my cycle because I enjoy that, but that's all. No trying to time it to ovulation specifically.
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@owlteach: It is this month that I am trying it so I guess I can keep you posted. It took a lot of stress out of timing for me because I decided it will be what it will be and I didn't even give mental space to silly things that I had been preoccupied with in previous months. The tww may prove trickier though but I am hoping not knowing when I ovulated will help, I could have ovulated anywhere within like a four day period maybe even a bigger window so I am not going to be able to start testing super early. I also only have expensive tests at home and I hate using those for random experiments.
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we had a couple "month breaks" here and there for different reasons but it was similar to you. Didn't track O, didn't know was CD I was on, wasn't timing BDing. It was nice because those were the months were I was happy to start me period because it meant a fresh start, not a sad ending.
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I would say for me, taking a break would be a month or two of not thinking about it, not necessarily preventing, but having sex when we felt like it, not timing etc. we are on month 8 of not preventing and month 5 of actively trying and I'm starting to feel like a break may be in 2 months for us if we are not preg by march. could use a month off before we start down the medical route!
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@pui: Agree! Taking a break means you're actively avoiding getting pregnant with plans/thoughts of getting pregnant later (so not the baby factory is closed). If you're not using protection, then you're NTNP!
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Taking a break would mean that you are preventing, otherwise you are NTNP.
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