It's a three month process, so it would be great to have a buddy or two to go through this with. I also hope to do the cleansing aspects outlined in that page.
Is anyone else starting or recently started (heck, or even in the middle of) the NPC shutdown? We could do this "together" and compare notes, encourage each other, etc.
Hi there!
I am currently on Shutdown cycle 1 on CD22. I am using the Rexall brand from wal-mart and since I'm a pretty good size girl, I'm using 1/4tsp twice a day. The only side effects I've noticed are really bad acne breakout that started on cd 7 and has continued. And I've also been pretty moody.
Now that I am so close to being done with this cycle I'm starting to have doubts like, what if I managed to ovulate on the NPC and I might be PG? I know that if you are pg and stop the cream you could miscarry, so I'm letting all those thoughts creep in, lol! Eventhough I know I'm not pg, based on BBT, I'm still going to to an hpt on CD26 and when it's neg I'll stop the cream.
I've also heard a lot of women who did the shutdown say they started bleeding or spotting before they got to CD26 and I have no signs of any spotting so I'm starting to wonder if I'm doing this right.
Anyway, I know we are nearly a cycle apaprt, but I would still love to be buddies and share our experiences.
Yes, let's be buddies! I actually used NPC in the past for only 14 days (at that point I wasn't very sure how it worked) and I didn't have any spotting, so I wouldn't be too concerned if you don't. Today was my seventh day on it (I'm also doing 1/4 tsp, twice a day) and I started to get a little bit of "streaks" (not quite spotting, I'd say). I kind of want to keep using the cream for at least 14 days, though. My last period was in early July, though...so my body probably would like to have a period of some sort by now.
It's great to meet you. Let's let each other know how it's going!!
CD 23 here. After I posted yesterday I went to restroom and noticed CM, lots of it, creamy with a hint of light brown, so maybe I am starting to spot.
I don't think I've ever had a normal cycle in my whole life, I've o'd with clomid, but nothing else. Then last month I got aggrivated and quit all meds--BAM! ovulated on CD20 but my LP was only 7-8 days. So that's when I decided to try the soy shutdown and then I plan to keep using it after the shutdown during my LP. How are your cycles normally? Any neds?
Yes, I am having sort of mucus-y plus brown and a little blood. My cycles were actually very regular until I went on birth control pills and then the ring about 4 years ago. I was on birth control for three years, and went off them last October. I had regular cycles (26 days) until this May, when my period didn't come at all. Not in June, either. Finally, I got one in early July, and nothing in August, besides this weird spotty brown/pink stuff. I don't temp, but I have ovulated in the past and I know I'm not ovulating now. I don't think I have since April.
Have you read about women using soy like clomid? I've only started to read about it, but I think there is a thread on it on this board.
Good morning! I've done a lot of research on using soy like Clomid and tried it once. I started bleeding after the second pill and didn't stop for nearly 6 weeks. I don't think it had anything to do with the soy--every now and then my body just does crazy things like that. I had to take Provera to get it stopped. After this shutdown if I don't O on my own I'm definantly going to try the soy again. I also bought Vitex but haven't had the chance to use it yet.
So are you noticing any side effects from the cream?
Well...I don't know if this is a side effect or not (I don't think it is, it's just random coincidence), but I got my period today - not spotting or streaking, but the real deal. I guess this means I'll stop the cream...do you know if I am supposed to take a break from the cream for 7 days? 5? Until it stops?
I take vitex and today I bought bottle of soy pills in case I want to try it after the shutdown, too. Maybe when the time comes, we can be soy buddies, too!
I hope I don't have an experience like yours with the soy! That sounds a bit scary.
Oh, Jill...I forgot to ask you this. Where do you apply the cream? I try to rotate, but I feel like I'm doing the same spots too often. I do my inner arms, behind my knees, the tops of my feet, and my chest. I've read to put it on places where the skin is thinner, but every couple of days I end up cycling through those few places. Do you know why it's necessary to rotate areas? Or sometimes I forget and accidentally do my arms two days in a row...
Here is my understanding of when to start the cream again--just count yesterday, the first day of flow, as day 1, and then when you get to day 5 start using it again.
I apply the cream to my hands, chest, neck, lower abdomen, back of knees, inner thighs, top of feet, and if I've just shaved my legs I put it there too. I'm not really sure how often you are suppossed to change location and I haven't really been keeping track.
Well, today is my last day of cream for this cycle, so I hopefully won't be too far behind you in starting my period. I'm really curious about how long it will take for my period to come full force.
So where are you from? I'm from West Virginia.
I hope your period starts soon after you finish the cream! I'll take five days off starting yesterday- hey, and then we'll be closer as far as days go for the next cycle.
Good morning! Well, I'm officially off the cream and waiting for AF. Yea, we will only be a few days apart--if my AF cooperates, lol!
Wow--Cali, I've never even been there. I bet it's beautiful there.
Well, sorry to be short, but I"m off to *try* to find a good, used clarinet at a reasonable price for one of the little girls in my daycare. Wish me luck!
Yes, California is beautiful. Mountains, coastline, rivers, forests, deserts, big cities, tiny towns...I love it here. I've never been to West Virginia. I have been to Virginia before (a long time ago), but I know it's not the same state.
I must admit I was really thinking about doing soy this month, but I decided to be patient and hold out and keep going with the NPC. I don't know if I'll last the whole 3 months, but I'll go one month at a time, at least. It's really tempting to go for the soy, but I like the idea of the NPC shutdown and it seems healthy and like a good chance for the body to "rest" and maybe I'll even just ovulate on my own at the end of this.
Okay, so now I've been reading the motherhood and expecting message boards and it has me wanting to try the soy. I guess I still have a day to decide. It's so tempting...
I'm really torn. Three months isn't so long to wait, I guess. I'm also a wimp and I'm worried about things like headaches or whatnot from the soy. But I'm also so anxious and eager to ovulate and so forth...it doesn't help that I've been really letting my mind wander to what my children might be like.
Maybe I should just commit myself to one full month on the NPC at a time, and focus on my exercise and weight loss and just try to get healthier in preparation for a baby. If I look at it in one month increments, it's easier to face. So, for now...a month of NPC, focus on eating well, getting in shape.
Last edited by puffnstuff; 09-02-2007 at 05:23 PM.
I know what you mean about wanting to do the soy. I am also tempted to go ahead and take the soy this cycle too, but I'm trying to have some will power and hang in there for 2 more cycles of NPC. It's been over 48hours since the last time I used the cream and still no period, all signs are gone. I'm not really sure how long it is suppossed to take for AF to start after stopping the npc, any ideas?
Yes, we found a clarinet, it needs some minor repairs--corks and a couple pads--but we got a great deal so that's ok.
So what do you do for a living? Like I said before, I run my own daycare center. I'm 25 and DH is 37.
I think what I've read about the NPC is that when people use it specifically to trigger a period, it can take up to a week for AF to come, but that would throw off the shutdown schedule. I wonder if it's the sort of thing where you just need to take 5 days off and then go back on the cream, regardless of whether or not AF starts, and hopefully as the three months go on, your body will get into that rhythm? I'm going to read up about it more and see what I find, but I don't think you should worry yet.
I played the clarinet back in junior high! I only rented one, though. Those do sound like inexpensive repairs.
I'm a master's degree student. I am 28 and the husband is 33.
How do you like running the daycare? I have so little interaction with children, it's sort of sad, really.
You can totally hold on for two more cycles. I feel like I have to start all over again because I only got a week into this first attempt. Maybe I'll just do two months (starting with this month) and then do the soy. It's burning a whole in my medicine cabinet, so to speak!
Last edited by puffnstuff; 09-02-2007 at 08:13 PM.
NPC Shutdown Buddy? 
