Preconception planners - still planning

Hi everyone, sorry I haven’t been on here for a few weeks. Life has been crazy! Thanks for all the congratulations on our new house, we’ve also got a buyer for ours so hoping to be in by Christmas! I’ll have a proper catch-up this weekend on everyone’s news as trip to Newcastle cancelled (thanks Boris!) @sunflowersaremyfav93 just seen something on a recent message, hope everything is ok with you?

Anyway, my BIG news is that I got my BFP today!! We were super lucky and caught first cycle, although now I’m praying it sticks as it’s still super early. I’ve attached both tests I did and I did them with afternoon urine 9 DPO so I was surprised at the strength of the line on the FRER! I think maybe I implanted early because I had awful cramps at the weekend which would have been 6-7 DPO which is the earliest you can implant apparently. Anyway, I thought I would share all the things I did in the months and days leading up, just in case it helps anyone to get their BFP 😊

• Started taking folic acid and calcium with vit D supplements 3 months before.
• Switched to full fat Greek yog instead of low fat / zero fat as I read full fat dairy can boost fertility. I didn’t have it every day but probably around 3 or 4 times a week.
• Ate more oily fish such as salmon and mackerel (twice a week) and took a fish oil supplement on days I didn’t eat any fish - just make sure it doesn’t have any cod liver oil in.
• Ate more leafy green veg such as spinach and kale.
• Cut out white bread as much as possible and had wholemeal instead, also tried to eat more whole grains such as brown rice and quinoa (I couldn’t switch to wholewheat pasta though, I love white pasta too much!)
• I tracked my cycles using the Clue app but didn’t temp, just went on cervical mucus and then I used OPKs for one cycle to check I was ovulating when I thought I was.
• I didn’t use OPKs the cycle we started TTC because it was our anniversary weekend away and I just wanted to enjoy it. I think that helped me feel more relaxed, but it also helped that we were on a romantic getaway as that tends to equal more BD’ing! So I would encourage you, if you can get away even just for one night in your fertile time it might help put some romance into TTC 😉
• We BD’d every day in my fertile window except one (CD9 & CD11-15) and I had EWCM on CDs 9 & 11, I was following the tip from TIWGTGP to do it whenever you see egg white!
• We had morning sex 2 or 3 of the days as I’d read that morning sex is more likely to catch the egg, and we did a mixture of missionary and doggy (sorry for TMI but I know there’s always the positions debate!) and yes, I did put a pillow under my bum afterwards and stayed lying down for 10 mins 😂

I think that’s everything! Can’t wait to catch up on everything that’s been going on with you ladies, and I’m crossing my fingers for you all that your BFPs appear as quickly as possible 😊

@CookieMonster3001 Good luck I’m sending you all my positivity!

@Curiosity101 Literally everything You said is what my husband has said - he’s an August baby and it was rubbish for him. I turned 18 3 months before him and he hated it, never mind the rest of our friendship group also being before him. He felt like he missed out.

@CookieMonster3001 good luck tomorrow morning and hope you have an amazing time in the cotswolds :) xxx

@CookieMonster3001 🤞🤞🤞🤞

I'm another August baby avoider. For me it's purely around school years. DS will be starting school a year earlier than he should be. He'll be starting a day or two after he turns 4. When you consider that he'll only be potty trained between 2-3 it means he'll only have been potty trained for 18 months best case scenario. If we'd managed to hold on for just 2 more days he'd literally have had a whole extra year before he needed to start 🥺. Not to mention he'll be the last to reach all the major age milestones in his circle of friends. And if he decides to go to uni then he'd be starting only a couple of weeks after turning 18. Its daft things like if all his friends want to go on an end of school holiday etc. 😔

If it wasn't for school I'd love an August baby. In terms of temperature and weather it couldn't be much better really. And it's such a happy time of year with long days and lots of flowers / sunshine. 😆

Hey my lovelies!! Will properly catch up with you all soon as just got back from Devon. Me and OH are off to Cotswolds on Thurs so going to test tomo morning. Not feeling optimistic tho as got a few cramps so possibly af on the way. Due Monday. Will update you all in the morning!!

@MayDay27 ah sorry to hear your coil removal got delayed what a nightmare! Hopefully the next appointment will go ahead and you can avoid august when ttc like planned :) I look at dates etc alll the time! Plan my hypothetical life around it lol!

@lj1995 hope you also can avoid an august baby :)

There seems to always be people who would love an august baby or totally avoid one based on school years :) I would love an august baby :)

@CookieMonster3001 did you decide to do a cheap test when you got back today in the end or sticking with 12 dpo? Fingers crossed for you xx

@CookieMonster3001 Good luck with testing, thinking of you xx

Hey everyone! I’ve missed a lot of chat in the last few days, but I’m happy there sounds like a lot of good things going on for people :)

@Pebbleinthesand your gratitude list of five things really inspired me. I’m going to try to follow your lead x

@butterfly5291 congratulations on your wedding! Such an exciting time for you both.

@Curiosity101 I’m stoked that your DH say yes to TTC in Jan! What a great thing to look forward to.

@TTCWC2 really well done with your exams :)

@sunflowersaremyfav93 I’m so happy you’ve got the mri booked in. Fingers crossed it will give you all the answers you need. I totally understand it’s nerve wracking... but at least you’ll get certainty. And afterwards you’ll get to cuddle Archie!

I do the exact same thing! 😂 hence why we’ve decided to start TTC in December too. We’re not telling anyone we’re going to be trying as we’d like some surprise when we tell them we’re expecting. Mumsnet is now my outlet for constantly wanting to talk about it 😂 Husbands already talking about it non stop questioning why we can’t start trying now.

Thanks so much guys! It's so good having a group to chat to about these things with no judgement!! That's exciting i only have two months to wait before starting to TTC! I don't talk about this with anyone else, do you think everyone else does the same thing looking at dates and ovulation or can some people just go with the flow!

@MayDay27
So if your period is on time your due date would be end of September.

@MayDay27 I've worked it out to be 22 Sept x

@lj1995 so if the first day of my last period is the 16th of December is that avoiding August?

@MayDay27 if you conceive in January your DD would be mid October. Due dates go on the date of your last period.
My first baby I conceived in Jan, last period was 31st December - due date was 4th October.
I have a period due 1st November, if I conceived in the month of November due date would be 8th August. Meaning for me a December cycle would bring due date to September.
Hope this makes sense!
I’m also having my copper coil removed at the end of this month - I’m calling local sexual health clinic who do same day appointments for removals. Me and my husband are also starting to try in hopes of not conceiving until at least December so we don’t have an august baby.
Nothing against august babies - just that husband is an august baby and he doesn’t want his child to be if it can be avoided.

Hi everyone, I've been a bit quiet but looks like everyone is pretty busy with weddings, new puppies and sorting out appointments! I had my appointment cancelled to remove my coil and rebooked for the 09/11 which was annoying but we weren't going to try until Jan/Feb anyway so it doesn't really matter except I'm worried that it will keep being cancelled! I'm being completely ridiculous but I spend my days wondering whether to start trying in Jan or Feb! Ovia says I ovulate the first week of each month so then based on that if I conceived in Jan it would mean due date in mid Sep? Ideally we want to avoid August so then is that too risky! This is all just hypothetical and ultimately doesn't matter because I doubt it will be first time lucky but I don't know about you guys but waiting to try means I just spend my days wondering different scenarios!

@Curiosity101 thank you :) ah I bet it was amazing! Haha shoving it under his nose that actually made me laugh out loud ah that’s amazing :) bet you wanted to just take it on the train lol!

@lj1995 sounds like the blue ones are fine :)

@sunflowersaremyfav93 aw that’s so exciting :) I bet! Ah that’s so sweet :)

I know exactly what you mean about the fear. So hard isn’t it. I’m hoping to get a balance of telling people I am close to and would want support from vs nosey social media onlookers! 100% you will most likely be consultant lead from the offset like me and I personally think that’s so reassuring being in the best hands :) if you are anything like me the fear won’t ever go totally but it gets like less crippling that’s for sure as you come to terms with it :) just remember knowledge is power I found so much comfort in reading success stories and what others recommend :)

So happy for you that you have mri 9 nov:) fingers crossed they can move forward your gynae appointment too.

Hopefully they are able to give you more solutions this time round and get your procedure in before Christmas so that it’s a more positive appointment. Keep us updated and always here if you need to chat :) xx

Not jumping the gun at all I've tried to find the answers online already haha 😂 so after hysteroscopy if it's just to have a look around it's 2 weeks no sex to reduce risk of infection and I watched one Youtube video that said after the uterus is fixed you can't TTC for 2 months but I don't know if that's accurate. So ideally the sooner I can get it fixed the better so we can start TTC in Feb as planned but I'm not holding my breath that they'll fix it this year.. knowing my luck something else will go wrong but I can only hope. @Curiosity101 xx

@sunflowersaremyfav93 oh my gosh! What great news, I'm made up for you. I really hope you manage to organise it so that this can all be done and out of the way pre Christmas!

I might be jumping the gun a bit here, but do you know what recovery times are like? Specifically how long they suggest waiting between the procedure and TTC

Hi ladies - just a quick update from me.

Got my MRI booked in on NHS for 9 Nov which is a lot sooner than I thought it'd be so I'm super pleased with that.

They booked me an appointment to discuss results with the gynae for 15 Dec so I've left his secretary a message to see if/how I can get a call with him sooner. If I have to pay for a private call I will do, just need to know what's what so I can get on the waiting list for the procedure hopefully before Christmas. We paid for a private appointment with my haematologist when I had my cancer diagnosis which was £100 so not as horrendous as the £500 Private scan.

Feeling weirdly emotional now that it's booked - like I'm going to find out more information that I don't want to hear but have to if that makes sense? I'm also due on in 3 days so that's prob a lot to do with it.

Thank you as always for the ongoing support.

@mackjm20 Aw thank you! He’s so cute I can’t wait to have cuddles with him. We have so many dogsitting offers Nearly everyone in my family had the same breed dog so Archie has so many friend waiting for him 🥰

Oh gosh wow, that’s a lot for you to handle so hats off to you, you sound like you’ve dealt with it all so well and logically. I am SO with you on the social media thing, before this I thought I’d do a really cute announcement have a lovely baby shower but now I’m feeling like I don’t want to tell anybody other than immediate family and a few friends and of course you guys. But the fear is so real isn’t it!?

You’re so right and my mum said it too- we’ll be looked after more and what better position to be in than the medical team will be aware of any complications that may arise because they would have dealt wit it before. That doesn’t take my fear away personally but I’m very much a ‘what’s the problem, what’s the solution’ type person so yeah it’s all just swings and roundabouts isn’t it.

I can imagine being an absolute nightmare during the TWW but how bloody exciting!!!

@lj1995 hahaha ☺️ sounds like we have the exact same plan then.

@Curiosity101 for my first baby I used onestep and had no negatives. So I’m sticking with those and then I’ll pay for the expensive ones if they show positive. I’ve attached a picture of my first pregnancy tests which were one step tests. They were stronger, this picture was taken a week after.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you @mackjm20. And yes, I remember the day I got my BFP very well. DH describes it as me shoving the test under his nose at 6.30am and telling him there was a line when he'd barely woken up yet. 🙄 At the time he told me I was seeing things but I wasn't convinced and we were travelling down to London for the weekend at lunchtime so I popped into boots to buy the early response CB. The whole train journey I was thinking about doing the test so I did it as soon as we arrived at the hotel. I took a 'before' picture this time though so they could be compared. He couldn't deny it then 🤣 he was pretty shocked (so was I TBF).

@lj1995 Please don't worry about the blue dye tests. They're no less accurate, generally they're just a bit harder to read in the early stages. Having said that there are some tests I'd steer clear of like Tesco and Sainsbury's own brand. I've seen people get a lot of false positives on those. Not even chemical pregnancies, just straight up false positives where the person dipped that and other tests into the same urine and it was the only one that showed positive. I've gone for one step strip tests. If/when I get a hint of a line on a OneStep HPT strip I'll do a FRER. 👍

@lj1995 I know I didn’t even think and then when I did the sainsburys one and it was blue I remembered a few people saying :) although as @Curiosity101 says above she didn’t have any trouble with the blue ones so I’m sure it will be fine :)

I have ordered some vitamin d thank you for reminding me I keep forgetting that I put it in the cupboard :) x