Preconception planning - anyone want to join?

Just a reminder about the new thread :)

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/4012500-Preconception-planners-still-planning?watched=1

@Bells3032 exactly such a difference depending where you shop isn’t there!

@CookieMonster3001 so glad you clarified that I thought it was the opposite haha! Not sure I’m convinced it works but interesting none the less :)

@TheNewMrsW much nicer figure than 10k isn’t it :) was so relieved :)

Ah just seen about the new thread on my way :) hope everyone moves across its been a blast :) x

@Bells3032 I would say it's totally worth it, it's the only way you'll know when you actually ovulated (well not to the hour) but ovulation can occur 12-36 Hours after a surge in LH and you might not catch it on OPKs either. I would definitely use fertility friend to track too...seems the most accurate from the other threads I'm on.

I agree. I've set up a new thread here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/4012500-Preconception-planners-still-planning?watched=1

PS are we going to need a new thread? The limit seems to be 1000 posts from what I’m gathering on other threads.

@mackjm20 yeah that’s the kind of figure I had in my head, maybe a bit more depending on the pram and how much furniture you get. Hopefully certainly not as much as 10k 😂

@CookieMonster3001 though she does then say they tried it and it didn’t work 😂 I think I would just go for day before O as that seems to have the most chance of catching.

@Bells3032 I plan to do BBT in conjunction with OPKs, BBT alone won’t help you time sex around ovulation as you don’t get the temperature rise until after ovulation, but it’s useful to see the temperature rise to confirm ovulation definitely occurred as it seems it can be difficult to catch the peak on OPKs as it sometimes doesn’t last long. Some people struggle to get a peak OPK so aren’t sure whether they have ovulated or not. My plan is to use OPKs to give me warning of impending ovulation so we can get to BDing and confirm ovulation with BBT.

I still not sure whether getting a BBT is worth it. i know it's only like £10 but still. how long does it take to get a pattern going? will it takes months? Is this better than taking regular cheap ovulation tests?

@pebbleinthesand it says that actually BDing on day of ovulation is better for if you want a girl and a couple days before ovulation for a boy. Part of me also thinks it sometimes runs in the family. My side is full of girls and hoping it continues!! Although I also wouldnt be bothered either! My periods have defo got shorter after coming off the pill. Mine last 2 days most of the time.

Stuff is super expensive!! Luckily for me, I have 3 family members who have just recently had babies and they are saving all their stuff for me!! Which saves me half of the shopping expense! Although the main stuff like nursery, crib, car seat etc we will have to get on our own.

@bells3032 yay for your coil removal!! now you can start the fun of tracking your cycles! Like @butterfly5291 said, I have a thermom that has 2 dec places (although I have never needed the 2nd dec place as my temps have always been 36.10/36.20 etc) I also have a whole heap of cheap OPK sticks which I am using to 1. understand how they work and 2. pinpoint my ovulation days as they seem to move around a bit

AF started for me today and I am in so much pain!! blergh!! Although exciting to know that I have 2 more periods left before TTC. How do you guys log your period? I technically started bleeding a little last night around 10pm. I still logged today as my first day of period because I read somewhere that if you start bleeding after a certain time then you should log the next full day flow as your 1st day. I never usually start my period early on in the day, mine pretty much always starts at night time.

@mackjm20 I was trying to do the same yesterday then my internet cut out haha. I think it depends on where you get everything from. eg ikea vs john lewis or mamas and papas etc

You can spend £150 on a cot or £1000 if you want. they do the same thing

I have just priced up a full nursery and pram etc and honestly if you do it relatively minimal I recon you could get everything for £1500- 2000 I feel so relieved :) think I had about £10000 in my head lol which was stressing me massively. Thanks for everyone’s guidance on this the other day :) x

@Pebbleinthesand aw bless I bet your little one will absolutely love it :) so so cute :) x

@Pebbleinthesand it’s so perfect for that as they can’t roll anywhere then :) especially in the summer when they want to be next to you but it’s too hot to be held all the time :)

@mackjm20 that's a good idea for on the sofa. Might be worth considering since I'll have a crazy 4 year old running around as well 😂. At least she'll be old enough to understand that you need to be careful around babies.

@TheNewMrsW Omgosh some stuff is beautiful isn’t it :) I try not to even look at Pinterest as before I know it I’ve planned the full nursery hha!

@Pebbleinthesand Yea I have too! I wouldn’t put it in the cot but they are great for when you are out and about or like to use on the sofa whilst you are awake and baby can lay down :) my sister in law is a health visitor and literally says nothing in the cot so think that’s what I’ll go with :) each to their own though :)

My periods have been about 5 days since the coil but only 2 proper days the rest is just spotting really :)

@Bells3032 yay how exciting! My cycle resumed pretty quickly after having my coil out fingers crossed the same for you too :) ah I hope ntnp works quickly for you

After having all this info I could never have gone for the ntnp option 😂

Thanks. Plan was a bit later in the year. Officially ntnp now though. But after 15 years on birth Control I have no idea on cycles lol

@Bells3032 woohoo! What other test did you get?
Regarding temperature...you need a basal body thermometer that reads to two decimal places. The temp changes are so slight that normal ones won't pick it up. They are only about £5 from Amazon.
You've still got a few months before you TTC right?
I started tracking using OPKs and bbt straight away but also started trying too.

Yay it's out!! Was a bit sore but over quickly. I also had an amh test whilst there. That was more painful. Took three attempts lol

@CookieMonster3001 what does it say about conceiving a boy or girl. I heard that BD before ovulation increases the chamce of having a girl. We said we were going to try and do that when we were trying for DD because we were convinced that we'd have a boy since there hadn't been a girl born in DHs family for 5 generations. I can't remember whether we actually stuck to it but we got our little girl either way. I don't think I'd be bothered either way this time. I like the idea of my little girl having a sister and also like the idea of having one of each.

@mackjm20 I found that you can spend crazy amounts of money if you're not careful but can definitely get by with not going crazy. There were quite a lot of things that we didn't bother with, like a changing table and baby bath. Be careful with the likes of sleepyheads. I've heard some scary stories about them and airflow for babies. We've never had any personal experience with them, so don't take my word as gospel.

Does anyone else have really short periods? I'm sure they used to go on all week when I was younger and now it's only lasted 2 days, which makes me think that my last period which I didn't think was the real deal may have actually been my first proper period after having my coil removed.

@CookieMonster3001 I thought it was interesting that her advice on how to get a boy/girl was the opposite of the advice in TCOYF! I told DH that the first time around I don’t care we’ll just be BDing round the clock to get some sort of baby! 😂 I just don’t know about weddings, I think maybe larger numbers might be allowed but will everyone have to wear masks, Will there be dancing etc?? Who knows but I do know I’m glad we just went ahead with a small wedding so we don’t have to think or worry about it anymore!

@mackjm20 @Bells3032 yeah it’s crazy isn’t it! As long as the crib/cot is sturdy enough (which I can’t complain about with ikea stuff) I think the more important thing is a safety compliant mattress, from what I’ve read! That said if I could swing it some of the Silver Cross stuff is to die for lol

@Bells3032 crazy isn’t it :) so good that you will have a good amount of savings :)

I would defo trust Ikea furniture and cot :) they must sell so many that would be recalled if there was an issue. Sleepy head, prep machine nappy bins are a must in my mind as literally all of them were a life saver with my god daughter :) other than that Obviously car seat, pram and cot but going to try and not go OTT on the rest if possible haha! X

@TheNewMrsW and @mackjm20 omg the amount of stuff you need for a new baby is insane. After seeing your posts I went and looked at the different lists and OMG. We have some decent savings and will hopefully have some inheritance by then (not hoping someone will die we are just in the pain of probate atm) so will have decent money in the bank and a job that pays full pay for 6 months and i am still worried about how much this will cost us.

I just didn't realise how much stuff there was - cots, changing tables and buggy etc i assumed but then have to add bibs, cloths, clothes, bottle sterilsers, breast pumps, nappy bags, feeding chairs, bath holder things, carry cots, bassinets etcs Ok you don't HAVE to have them but they're a good idea.

I am wondering if the ikea stuff is any good. We have ikea wardrobes and drawers etc and they're pretty sturdy but would you trust an ikea cot :-s

@TheNewMrsW yes it seems there is so much to buy for a baby! Yes I am in the same position re mat leave being self employed l! Good idea re 6 months mortgage and car payments being covered :)

Sounds like it’s all go for you with the house etc as well :) good luck :) covid certainly has a lot to answer for!

@sunflowersaremyfav93 have you started tracking now? I have all the bits ready but opened the box yesterday and it all seemed so so complicated I’ve decided to leave it another month despite by suspected short luteal phase! So no guidance on the fertility monitoring for me sorry lovelies. If npnt doesn’t work by Christmas I will defo be all over every monitor possible :)

Omgosh yes please do send the list over re costs :)

So know what you mean about being on the fast track to Christmas now! So exciting re house on the market in nov :)

@Pebbleinthesand okay £1000 has made me feel a tad more relaxed thank you :) so good that this time round you will already have a lot of bits :)

@Bells3032 can you believe it’s September! Eek sounds like an exciting month for you with dh probation ending and house exchange :) good luck with the coil out this eve :)

Bath is lovely bristol is also nice but if I were to pick between the two for a staycation would defo recommend bath :) lovely spa aswell as so much to see :)

@wrensandrobins How exciting about the ovulation :) not so much re the camping period! Fingers crossed for a normal cycle pattern for you :)

@CookieMonster3001 Glad you had a lovely bank holiday :) my dh is so keen for a boy although I’m not sure i would want to wait until the day of ovulation prediction only to try haha so luck of the draw I guess :)

Oo lovely :) that sounds so nice :) we are going to Scotland to Skye Harris and lewis and I cannot wait. Would highly recommend Edinburgh if you haven’t been it’s so so lovely :)

Work has been manic today so have barely had chance to think about everything today which has been a welcome rest :) xx

@mackjm20 oooh a stacation sounds nice. I loved both Edinburgh and the lake district. Do you like history or just being chilled and relaxed. We are hoping to do a staycation at the end of Sept and decided to do Bath but now can't decide if to stay in Bath or Bristol. I did a thread asking which was better and it was literally split 50/50.

Haha. I have no idea how to do these temperature ones. I have a normal themometre. Can I use that or do i need a specific one? will my normal themometre be enough to notice spikes?

An hour til my appointment! eeeeeeeep!!!!!

Afternoon all! Feel great after a nice long bank holiday! You guys have been a chatty bunch as usual! Always look forward to reading everyones messages. I finally finished reading IWGTGP and I really enjoyed it! Some interesting stuff in there especially about timing your BD for a girl or boy, wonder how much of it actually works, especially if you are BDing everyday, how do you know which sperm is the one that will penetrate the egg?? I asked my OH about it and said if he could choose what would he ideally want, and I was so happy when he said he wants a little girl like me! Something so surreal about hearing him say he wants a little girl. Defo made my heart skip!!

@thenewmrsW I managed to successful wean my hubby off the coffee and he is now happily having decaf with me. Not sure it will go down so well when we have the same convo about booze! lol. Do you really think things wont get back to normal for weddings next year? We are planning on TTC in Nov so that I dont have to change all my outfit choices for a wedding next Feb.

@pebbleinthesand glad to hear your cycles sounds regular! I 100% plan absolutely everything around the month I am hoping to get preg.

@mackjm20 a staycation sounds lovely! I am in the process of looking for something at the mo, couple of days with OH parents and a weekend away just me and OH. Where are you planning on going? I am torn between Edinburgh or the Lake District! And defo just go for it! Sounds like you want to start in Sept anyway and if OH is on board, nothing stopping you really!!

@sa222 welcome to our growing family! biggest tips from me is start tracking your cycles now! I found I was ovulating 1 week earlier than the apps were telling me! I am 33 so almost mid 30's! You are defo not alone :)

@bells3032 that sounds so exciting!! Hope your coil removal goes well!

@wrensandrobins sounds promising and I can see a slight rise in your temp so keeping my fingers crossed for you!