Preconception planning - anyone want to join?

Omgosh mamouth catch up you guys have been busy!

Firstly you were all right thanks for the reassurance last week re DTD 4 days before AF due! Arrived today (2 days late so there was a mini freak out- but here so all good) such a strange feeling as I know had it not come I would have still been over the moon but at the same time nov fits in much better with all my “over planning”

@sunflowersaremyfav93 love the idea of getting a blender :) your ‘twat’ comment made me laugh out loud hahaha!

So sorry to hear about what your mum said- couldn’t agree more with everyone else in that it’s your decision and also once you have a baby it won’t be strapped to you. You will still be able to go out alone :) also I honestly don’t think marriage changes much personally (other than your surname if you decide to change it) :)

How strange my AF came today too 2 days late and I had the same feelings- must be something in the water lol! I’m going to start opks this cycle too let me know how you get on :)

Sorry that you need to wait for a follow up and ultrasound- really hope it gets resolved quickly through the private root :) hopefully it’s not severe and won’t require any intervention :)

@CookieMonster3001 omgosh love that your OH can bring home biscuits from work! Thanks I think delaying has helped reduce the stress :) omgosh I know it’s crazy it’s nearly September!

Re your meltdown moment literally that sums up exactly how I feel. So excited to start ttc but at the same time terrified! Glad to hear others are feeling the same!

Defo know what you mean about going out and enjoying time now- I don’t know about anyone else but we have taken FULL advantage of this eat out to help out lol! I really need to get back on the diet :) we had Prague booked for sept which has been cancelled but might try and get a stay-cation in before ttc :)

So pleased to hear about your nipple being okay! I bet you are so relieved!

@Bells3032 really good news about DH blood tests :) fingers crossed the rest of the tests go well :) it’s defo good that you are having the coil out 1 sept as like you said gives it all time to settle

@KittyT30 so glad dinner was successful! Such a good idea about the wine glass :) that’s so nice that you and your OH are able to have a little secret between you :) I’ll give the Australian birth stories a listen. Omgosh I bet you can’t wait to know one or two as you are a twin!

It must feel even more real now you are experiencing symptoms bless you! Defo going to get onto these podcasts!

@ThreeTree thanks for the book recommendations :) going to give expecting better a read next :)

@queenatom sorry to hear AF arrived positive thoughts coming your way for next cycle :) it is defo still early days and I think the wine and choc are well deserved :)

@GwenR sounds like you are planning the timings right with going on holiday :) are you off anywhere nice?

@Pebbleinthesand that’s a good point about the laser eye surgery I hadn’t even thought about pregnancy affecting things like that it’s mad how many things it does affect really isn’t it!

@Lollipop87 that will be nice to get away and stay with your sister in law and lovely to share with her if you decide to :) fingers crossed for your first cycle! I’m the same re opks have avoided them until now but going to try this month before ttc just to try and get a more accurate gage on ovulation timings. Will see if they are too complicated I will stick with CM tracking!

@MrsM21 welcome :) I track my cycles with flo but haven’t started opks yet so many on here have though :) I’ve just ordered some but haven’t started yet will wait until after this AF

@TheNewMrsW welcome :) ah January that’s exciting it’s so nice to have more of a definite date isn’t it?! Congratulations on the wedding earlier this month :) sounds like you have a great plan in place for the rest of the year :) The bible is like a must have in this group haha!

@Clouless welcome :) ah how exciting that you have brought it forwards :) you are defo in the right place:) it’s nice to share in here so that OHs don’t know the level of crazy haha!

@RBCoxie welcome :) a lot of us just trying not to drive ohs mad haha!

@gems05 eek how exciting really hope this means another Positive soon:) keep us updated :)

@wrensandrobins I know what you mean about feeling anxious and impatient it’s such a strange feeling as it gets closer isn’t it!

Ah just reading through to catch up I love that we have this little group as it genuinely is like reading my own thoughts when I catch up on everyone’s comments and nice to not feel on your own :)

Hope everyone is okay :) xxx

@Lollipop87 @CookieMonster3001
Mostly cos I don't believe it as I've literally just got implant removed and not even had a cycle yet!
I'm psyching myself up for it to be a false positive... I'm gonna try the hcg strip again tomoz morning - making sure I follow the timings exactly
I know I'm being a downer about it but it just can't be real?!

I have been off the pill a month now, and have been using LH strips, I haven't had a peak although I have had lots of medium dark getting close strips- no period or bleeding. I'm using natural cycles and my temps are literally all over the place, also none of my body signs are matching, my darkest LH strip I was completely dry downstairs, and I have had egg white mucus and a completely negative strip, temps completely wrong too!

I do think that my temps are starting to look a bit more steady and less erratic now though!

I am anxious about it which is silly because we aren't going to TTC until December and that's exactly why we came off the pill in August because we knew it took time for hormones to settle.

I feel like I'm impatient for everything at the moment! Impatient for periods, impatient for a regular cycle, impatient for for TTC 🤣

Oops last bit of message went wrong! Was meant to say @cookiemonster and @thenewmrsw I’m so glad you both got the book, let us know what you think! Thenewmrsw your plan made me laugh out loud, I love it!! 😂

@gems05 welcome and hopefully congrats! How can you wait until Friday?! I’m impressed, I’m so impatient I’d be straight down to the supermarket or local chemist!

@Pebbleinthesand I know what you mean, it’s very exciting seeing some BFPs already 😊

@sunflowersaremyfav93 ah yes, I remember now! Crossing my fingers that you get your scans quickly and that it’s all ok. Also I know what you mean, I actually almost look forward to my period as it marks another month closer to TTC! I can’t decide whether to try OPKs for my last cycle before TTC to see if I’m guessing the timing of my ovulation correctly. Are they expensive?

@rbcoxie thank you 😊 You must be excited too if you’re starting after your first period. Hopefully it doesn’t take too long to show up so you can get cracking!

@cookiemonster and @CookieMonster3001

The Impatient Woman arrived today and I am whizzing through it 😃 knew most of the science already from TCOYF but the chapter on diet and supplements is useful and I like her chatty, less academic tone and humour.

@sunflowersaremyfav93 the other book was one mentioned by someone else on this thread, Expecting Better. From a quick look it’s more about actually being pregnant than TTC but I don’t think it does any harm to be informed as I think there is a lot of misinformation out there.

I also read on another thread about a book called It Starts With The Egg about improving egg quality etc which sounds interesting so will probs give that a go too esp as am mid-30s about to ttc #1!

I’ve started on FA, Vit D and CQ10 and AF should arrive next week so I will start properly charting and hopefully get a few properly charted cycles in before ttc in Jan.

Just browsing through this forum the last few days I have come across so many things I didn’t know about for fertility diet-wise - pomegranate juice, grapefruit juice, pineapple, seed cycling IT’S BLOWING MY TINY MIND GUYS 🤣 I may have started an iPhone note right next to my note of baby names LOL

Also did some practice POAS for LH and decided peeing into something rather than into something is def the way to go

I think my plan could be summarised as:- Read All The Things, Eat All The Things, Drink All The Things (But Not Those Things), Take All The Things, Chart All The Things and Pee On All The Things 🤪

AF arrived here this morning too. It did cross my mind how in a few months how disappointed I’d be to see her!
Booked a smear in for next week, and also a dental cleaning for the week after. Thought I might as well get all these checkups in now.

@CookieMonster3001 Wine and chocolate solves all! Yeah, this was cycle two, guessing it might take a little longer? Mostly just annoyed that, based on current cycle length, I'm going to be on AF again when we're away for DH's birthday in September - and alone at my parents in Scotland during the following fertile week!

Thanks all, defo a relief!

@clouless I started taking folic acid as soon as I came off the pill and thats coming up to a year ago now. Defo worth taking

@lollipop87 42 days? how exciting!!!

@queenatom wine and chocolate sounds perfect to me!! Im not even on AF yet and I ate an entire share bar of gingerbread chocolate haha. Hope your cycles regulate a bit more soon but you still have some time ahead of October, they usually say it takes about 2 cycles?

@sunflowersaremyfav93 I totally agree. I also had 32 grapes today... I wonder if that counts as 2 portions of fruit and veg?? Ive been absolutely obsessed with tomatos, onions and balsamic vinegar recently and have it with everything!! Bit annoying that the drs are asking for another scan when you have already had one

@pebbleinthesand sorry to hear your still waiting for AF, that must be so frustrating. Hoping it arrives soon for you.

@RBcoxie welcome! wow first AF in 13 years! Hope it isnt too awful!

@gem05 congratulation thats amazing! I think you might be our 2nd BFP now :) you will have to show us your digital when you get it! I get so excited when I see people post their pregnancy tests with the word PREGNANT

I also downloaded google ebooks and managed to download 'Impatient womans guide to getting pregnant' (finally!) and started reading it last night.

@Lollipop87 thanks so much! Really useful to know you've had an experience with coming off the pill and regular cycles! Fingers crossed this happens for me too as I LOVE to plan! Yes, planning on TTC after my first period - but if this doesn't arrive for a while then I'll start tracking ovulation a bit closer and just start TTC. I'd seen the same advice about folic acid and vit D so think I'm just going to stick to those two for now. VERY exciting that you're TTC October - not too long to go! Sounds like you're very prepared so hopefully you'll get your BFP very very soon!! Completely know what you mean about craving the bad food - it's making trying to be healthy so much harder!!

@Bells3032 thank you! I'd seen exactly the same things online and quite a few people saying it messed up their cycles too, so I've avoided those for conception for now. Got Folic Acid and starting the vit D today too. Thanks so much for the advice!

@Bells3032 oh phew I'm glad I can continue with the prenatals. I know OH will continue to take his too, just in case. Pregnancy sex drive sounds great 😂 can't wait to see how this pans out
@Pebbleinthesand thank you - I've just ordered the digital clear blue ones off amazon. Find out for sure Friday morning then 😬

Congratulations @gem05 looks very positive. You'll have to let us know how the more expensive test goes later.
It's so exciting that some of us are actually pregnant already after messaging on here for so long.

@gems05 you're still meant to take the prenatals up to 12 weeks.

feel bad for your OH then. although I have heard that pregnancy hormones can make your sex drive go nuts so i am sure he will enjoy that

[quote Bells3032]@gems05 looks very positive to me. congrats[/quote]
Ok so not dumb...
Well I think that's thrown all my prep out the window considering I bought bulk pre natals on boots special offer or the opk kit.... I may have to offer these to anybody on here.
Not to mention my OH will be disappointed in the "trying" dept
So I guess I'll be getting an expensive pregnancy test later today

@gems05 looks very positive to me. congrats

@butterfly5291 I had mine out on the 14th July so about 43 days ago now . Are you TTC now then?

We were NTNP but since I've booked my laser eye surgery we're now using condoms until after then so hopefully be able to start TTC at the beginning of October. I doubt I would already be pregnant because I have no idea when I would have even ovulated but if I have come on by the 1st Sept I might take a test, just to be sure.

Hi guys...

I was lurking in the background on this topic to prepare myself for TTC
So I'm 35yrs, had implant removed 11th aug, thinking to wait to actually get a cycle ready to start AF/opk tracking but nevertheless to start prenatal vitamins. Prepare myself, trying to cut down alcohol, eat better.
We have just moved out of the in-laws into a rental cos we've been there long enough (15mths) and decided we will begin ttc

Now we have dtd a few times over the last 10days and I don't know wtf going on cos I haven't had a cycle yet but I've been having some cramps that feels like AF but nothing's appeared yet.

Just on the off chance to do a hcg strip test and am I being dumb or does this look positive?

@butterfly5291 and @Pebbleinthesand did you start trying before your first period? i am having mine out on Tuesday. I've heard things about not trying in the first month (though given my husband's low fertility i doubt we'll try and prevent anything). So hoping to get going in October once we have fingers crossed bought our new house!!

@RBCoxie welcome!!!! From lolling about on here i've seen a lot of negatives about the preconception vitamins like seven seas and pregnacare and how they can wreak havoc with your hormones. I looked at the NHS website it said folic acid and vitamin d so got a combination of those from boots for a fraction of the cost of pregnacare. I'm also taking iron supplements but I have always been very anaemic anyway

@Pebbleinthesand I got my coil out on 4th July and didn't get my period until 6th Aug so 34 days later. It did feel like a really long time but we had started trying that month so I was waiting to see if I was pregnant too! Hopefully you get it soon. When are you starting to TTC?

@wrensandrobins you’re probably right 😂 If you even look around the internet there’s so much info, most of it conflicting! In a way maybe it was easier for our mums, at least they just followed what their doctor / midwife / 1 book said!

@queenatom hope you enjoyed your wine and choc, mine started to get into a pattern by my 3rd cycle so hopefully yours will start to lengthen out.

@sunflowersaremyfav93 sorry I can’t remember what the issue is with your uterus, please can you remind me? No I’m not due on until next week so don’t think it’s AF, think maybe it’s just my cycles getting back to normal and getting normal luteal phase symptoms as my friend said she gets tender boobs in the second half of her cycle. I know what you mean, there’s always the small hope that maybe we’re in the 1-3% (not actually sure what it is!) of people who the condom doesn’t work for!

@Pebbleinthesand all good thanks, that sounds like a definite sign! Will be good to get to know your cycles, I’ve actually found it quite interesting! Couldn’t have cared less when I was a teenager but it kind of makes a difference when you actually want to become pregnant!

@RBCoxie hi and welcome! I came off the pill in May and we’re starting TTC in October. My first cycle was quite short but by my 3rd cycle they’d settled into a nice 27 day pattern. Are you starting TTC straight after your first period? Very exciting!! I did some research around vitamins / supplements and there’s lots of different advice but the main official guidelines just seem to recommend folic acid and vitamin D. So I’m taking those and have got some pregnacare (the ones for when you’re actually pregnant) to take once I’ve hopefully got my BFP. I just kind of thought otherwise I might end up spending loads of money if it takes a while! So trying to eat more fruit and veg although I am finding I’m craving more “bad” food at certain points in my cycle now I’m off the pill.

@sunflowersaremyfav93 LOL comparing counting grapes for my bulldozer baby

@CookieMonster3001 yes, she is determined... glad you lump is nothing to worry about

I had cramps on Saturday, felt like a period (or early labour) for maybe an hour and then it went and nothing happened, again!!! Ffs.

Hey ladies,

Hope it's okay to add a message to this thread - as @Clouless said, I'm going to end up driving my OH mad otherwise!!

I stopped the pill earlier this month so now waiting for my first proper AF in 13 years(!) before starting to TTC. I'm hoping this will come next week as I had my withdrawal bleed as normal, but completely appreciate this is wishful thinking and it may take a while to get to a regular cycle, if ever!

I've started taking folic acid, but not sure whether I should be swapping these for a proper pre-natal vitamin?

Hope everyone's alright - any tips and tricks would be greatly appreciated! :)

Hope everyone's doing alright. I'm still playing the waiting game with first proper AF since having my coil out almost a month and a half ago but I've been eating everything in sight for the past 2 days when I'm normally really healthy which I used to do before having the coil years ago so hopefully that means it'll make an appearance soon and I can start to get an idea of what's going on.

I'm now 25 days from my strange 1 day period 2 weeks after the coil was removed so I think the time line fits for me being due on soon.