Some background, I'm 34 (nearly 35 in a few months), no previous pregnancies. Husband is 35 (36 next week).
It's probably been about 5 or so months of TTC so after the first couple, I gave up that early POAS stuff because even at $1 a pop, I felt I was throwing money down the toilet while also bumming myself out. On the first day of my cycle last month I decided I was going to try the CB digital monitor - I figured the OPKs at twice a day would be pricey and the monitor at least is a smidge cheaper for the sticks. I didn't think it would only be used for one cycle (then again, one never know - I hope he/she sticks!). Good old Amazon Prime had it on my doorstep two days later literally (CD4) just in time to use it the next morning (if you don't start by CD 5 you have to wait another cycle).
I started getting high readings on CD6 (!). I think I must have high-ish estrogen, naturally, as that is one hormone it tests to determine fertile days, in addition to LH. Finally CD 16, I got the peak reading. Which is pretty much in-line with my cycles (29-31 days). I had also been temping and I had a jump of about .8 degrees on CD17. Did the deed CD 14, 16, and 17. Didn't do the business of sitting there for 5 minutes elevating my read. I am rather impatient and I've read that it's not really a factor.
1-6 DPO: nothing. 5 DPO I ran 16 miles and a good pace as I was still planning to race a marathon in May. 6 DPO was Easter and, seriously, I probably drank the equivalent of a bottle of wine through the day yammering with family, cooking food, etc. Whoops. I thought this cycle was a bust at that point seeing how I had absolutely zero symptoms (as opposed to previous cycles).
7 DPO: temp drops .4 degrees after being consistently 97.6 for 4 days straight. That was strange. In the afternoon I get the most random heartburn every in addition to a pinching pain under my right rib cage. Every so slightly nauseous.
8DPO: temp back up to 97.6. Again with the heartburn. Get a gnarly sinus headache in the afternoon (literally distracting me from being able to do work). Take an ibuprofen. Drinking water like a camel (something like 64 ounces over about 6 hours). Run 6.5 miles during lunch break.
9DPO: Heartburn and nausea gone but now... I am feeling like I am getting sick. When no one else around me is sick. And I get colds about once every 2-3 years. Very weird. 8 mi run after work and normal pace.
10DPO-13DPO: Cold continues - ears and sinuses plugged up. We go on a long weekend vacation hiking in the Sequoias. Find myself out of breath easily when going up inclines (it was 7000 ft so I was chalking it up to elevation). Still having a beer or a glass of wine at dinner or lunch throughout this week.
14 DPO: No real symptoms other than when I ran 6 miles, I found my normal easy pace kind of hard, and my lower abdomen felt bloated and like I had to pee. CD 31 - if AF doesn't come tomorrow that's the longest cycle I've ever had.
15 DPO: woke up nauseous. Still no AF. Decided I would test beause of the nausea. Bright line came up on FRER almost instantaneously, almost as dark as the test line. 5 mi that evening yet slower pace than normal felt the best I could do (in fact, felt like vomiting when I tried to run a just a bit faster).
What is funny to me is that this cycle I didn't avoid alcohol that much in the TWW as I had done before (I will not have to hold on to the memory of my last glass of Pinot Noir from 14 DPO for the next 9 months if all goes well), I had quite a bit of coffee, etc, and, yet, everything worked. Makes me think that if it's meant to happen it'll happen without drastically changing your lifestyle.
The one change I did make in January that I think was actually key for me is I stopped drinking soy milk daily (and eating Luna and Clif Bars - full of soy). I have been drinking it in my lattes for 3+ years and, interestingly, those 3 years I have had the worst acne of my life (mostly in the chin area - which apparently is often caused by excessive estrogen). I spoke with a coworker about soy and a light bulb went off about all the phytoestrogens that are contained in unfermented soy. Within a month of stopping, my acne had cleared up. I can't help but wonder if this was screwing up my ovulation and/or the luteal phase thus why it took 5 months of concerted trying to finally be successful.