Wednesday, November 21, 2007

CD13: The One Where K Asks A Bunch Of Stupid Questions

Okay, so I realized last night that I have some truly inane questions, and I'm just going to ask them in case anyone has any insight. Feel free time chime in with random thoughts on such matters, whether you have actual answers or not.
  1. Preseed: P and I decided to give it a try this month. The packaging says to "apply 10-15 minutes before intercourse" in order "not to interfere with sponteneity" (okay, I don't have the packaging in front of me, but it's something like that). Applying 10-15 minutes in advance seemed to do more to interfere with sponteneity than grabbing midstream. Any advice on usage? I'm still not entirely sold on it anyway -- I don't think I suffer so much from a lack of CM as a lack of arousal fluid, generally, and it is really a substitute for the former rather than the latter, according to the package insert. Do you use it?
  2. Preseed and odor: Following an evening of preseed usage, I feel like my lady parts smell like my dorm room my freshman year of college, back when I had a sex addict for a roommate. Is this normal?
  3. Tipped uterus and optimal post-coital position: Everything I have read says that folks with normal uteri should lie on their backs with hips propped for 10-30 minutes, while those with tipped utes (like me) should lie on their stomachs, some suggesting doing so with hips propped. I seem to have some trouble visualizing what all is going on in there and therefore don't understand the mechanics of why this is the case. Anyone able to explain this?
  4. Sperm lifespan: If sperm live for up to 5 days, and you have sex five days in a row, is all the sperm just hanging out in there? Does the quality degrade over time (i.e. is there a chance that a crappy 5 day old swimmer will be the victor in the race to fertilize, creating a less awesome zygote than the 1 day old swimmers he somehow beat out who are also kicking around in there)?
  5. Sex timing (or: are we doing it too often or not enough): Based on my BBT and the fact that it didn't dip today (which it did last month on the day I o'd, in a rather pronounced way), I probably am not o'ing today, which means I likely will do so tomorrow. If we do the deed tonight, should we bother doing so again tomorrow morning? We won't be able to tomorrow night, as we'll be on a plane, so this may be our last shot. (I suggested renewing our membership in the Mile High Club, but P declared that no child of his would be conceived in an airplane bathroom. ;) )
  6. Temping: Will I get thrown off the plane and/or arrested if I try to use a digital thermometer that beeps constantly to take my BBT on an airplane? I just keep thinking about this girl.
Yeah, so sex ed seems like a really long time ago. As we started TTC, I figured so long as I knew my cycle length, a guestimate at ovulation date, and how long sperm and egg each lived, I knew enough. I now know a lot more, but clearly nowhere near as much as I feel like I should. I should probably go buy a book. Or spend more time with Dr. Google.

On an unrelated note: In case anyone wants to know a little more about my feelings about my career, read this blog post: Why You Shouldn't Go To Law School -- kinda wish I read this 6 years ago, as much of it rang true for me. The added thing he fails to mention: cognitive dissonance -- I am not the only lawyer who has convinced him-/herself that s/he enjoys the practice of law in order to explain the numbers of hours s/he spends doing it.

4 comments:

HereWeGoAJen said...

Okay, I don't know a lot of these things, but I will weigh in on what I do know.

Let me know how the preseed works, I am thinking about using it myself.

On laying down, I've heard that this is just an old wives tale. Sperm swim and I have heard that they can get to where they are going within 5 seconds. I don't know how accurate this is or if it works for everyone. I always figure laying down can't hurt.

I've always heard that sex every two days is optimal, as every day can dilute sperm.

You won't get thrown off the plane. Just act normal and don't try to hide it. It is people who look like they are up to something that are suspicious. That girl was wearing a fake bomb. Not using a thermometer.

Again, I don't necessarily know what I am talking about. Good luck!

Anonymous said...

I would forget temping on the plane. There are too many variables and without a good 3+ hours of sleep, the temperature reading is not worth anything.

Are you using OPKs? If not, I would highly recommend them.

I don't know about the tipped uterus, but I always thought the point of laying down was to have the sperm collect near the cervix -- the cervix is the same in a tipped uterus, right?. I think propping your hips up can't hurt, just to get everything where it needs to be.

I like Preseed and used it for 9+ cycles. I never noticed a smell. I wasn't trying to overcome a CM problem, but we found it more, uh, comfortable.

Also, my RE said every other day is fine. If you use OPKs, you know when to start the sex fest.

Meg said...

Let's see here, I think I have had some luck getting pregnant with some of your questions, although I have a shitty time keeping them inside for very long (I know, I am in a sick comical mood about losing 2 babies)....

Pre-Seed - I personally liked this stuff. I used it the first month I got pregnant and not the next. Never noticed a smell and it helps a lot after many days of sex, when frankly you may be over it!

Laying down- I did this every time. I elevated with a pillow and layed there for 20 minutes. Not sure if it helped but both months I was ttc, I got prego.

We had sex every other day until I got the OPK surge, then we had sex the day before surge (luck), the day of the surge and the day after......what can I say....I wanted to get prego.

Sushilover said...

I LOVE these questions...I ponder the same ones daily! (so sad huh?)

Preseed: I have been using this for 2 months I think so far? Or whenever the awful KY situation happened. I haven't ever noticed a smell either but then again I think I'm too busy lying on my back to be smelling anything. (I do the lie on the back thing too, although unfortunately I haven't looked into anything about a tipped uterus - sorry although once I was considering doing a full hips up yoga position to see if maybe that would work even better) I know what you're talking about the 15 minute thing on the directions...I actually took time to read that last time and thought it was hysterical. Sometimes if I remember I'll put it in 15 minutes prior but I don't always. Quite honestly I think the sponteneity was gone a looooooooong time ago for me! I like it because it's been very dry around here in CA with all the fires and this seems to be having an affect on my uh...female areas if you know what I mean.

Sperm Lifespan: Now this I was JUST pondering last night. I read somewhere in Dr. Google that the first batch of sperm say day 1's sperm actually are just the level one fighters thru the cervical mucus around the cervix. And they usually die clearing the way for others. After one breaks thru all the (preseed?) then the others follow in a single file (picture that!) So I'm guessing that's where day two's come in. I was trying to figure out how long it takes for them to get up there but I read conflicting reports. Now I'm trying to figure out where the girl sperm stand in all this and the boy sperm. I'll post about it if I ever figure it out.

Good luck with the thermometer on the plane! You cracked me up with that visual! :)