Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

Vitamins, lubes, magic spells and fertility chants - gimme everything.

35 replies

Ladameauxyeuxbruns · 09/07/2023 13:03

AF arrived yesterday, so it's officially our 8th month of TTC and I'm ready to try all the gimmicks, pills, potions, anything really.

I've already asked pharmacists and my doctor but no one is interested in giving me any info. Everyone's response has been "you don't need to take anything, just don't stress about it!", which is, of course, making me stress out about it.

I'm already taking folic acid and a multi-vitamin, will get vitamin D ASAP and have a conception-friendly lube on the way. What else should I be taking? Foods I should be eating? Songs I should be singing?

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Original poster
Ladameauxyeuxbruns · 20/07/2023 10:35

The pre-seed has finally arrived! Bit of a panic when they delivered it to a different part of the country so had to reorder, but it's here and I'm excited to try it!

@Giggorata Adding that to my travel plans 😂

OP posts:
Ihatewinding · 12/07/2023 11:14

Are you in the UK? Morrisons do a vitamin C 1000mg supplement with zinc - took it daily the cycle I conceived (cycle 6) and ovulation was so painful that cycle, if had been right sided I think I would have gone to A&E thinking I had appendicitis! Obvs released a working egg though haha.
Used preseed also for successful cycle and cycle 5, previously using regular lube and think that might have delayed things.
Also combined above with SMEP but had attempted SMEP for other cycles also, using clear blue smiley ovulation sticks.

Theresa88 · 12/07/2023 10:40

I see everyone else has covered the stuff I tried but… You can also try using mustard seed oil as lube because apparently it makes the sperm swim faster! But watch out because apparently it is a little spicy for your poor DH hahaha. Mine was like what’s that burning sensation?!
we got pregnant the month we used it though haha so it did the trick along with all the other tricks

Original poster
Ladameauxyeuxbruns · 12/07/2023 10:27

@Nmmck93 @suz2285 Waaaaay too many days in a row for us. We did that in cycles 1, 2 and 3 and then sheepishly agreed every couple of days was fine 😂

Yes @Nmmck93 that's what we tend to do, just in case the strips are wrong or I'm reading them wrong, best to cover all bases!

@Norachance Ah thanks, I'd read about peanuts too. Thankfully he really likes nuts so has been eating some daily.

The fertility-friendly lube (not pre-seed) arrived in the post today, so even if the pre-seed is late, I feel reassured. Totally typical in that there's currently a heatwave in France so even giving DH a hug is suffocating, so we'll be getting out the industrial-size fan for the next couple of weeks 😂

OP posts:
Norachance · 11/07/2023 18:27

Get DH to eat more walnuts, Brazil nuts and Almonds.

suz2285 · 11/07/2023 17:38

@Nmmck93 god 5-6 days straight is too much for me! 😂 it's exhausting ttc! So exhausting!

Nmmck93 · 11/07/2023 17:35

@Ladameauxyeuxbruns aw good luck! I've tried SMEP and also DTD 9 days straight 😂
Ovulation is now today apparently and we only managed to DTD yesterday but have just said we'll do every other day for the next week and a bit just incase it was false ovulation spike.

Yeah I'm a Premom avid user aswell. I upload daily hahaha!

Original poster
Ladameauxyeuxbruns · 11/07/2023 17:33

@Nmmck93 Oh ok, excited to get started with it then. I've got the other fertility friendly lube for the rest of the month and we usually do the whole sperm meets egg technique so I'm more hopeful than previous months! I quite like the easy@home strips and I use the Premom app like @suz2285 recommended. Super easy to use, just note that it doesn't change the ovulation prediction even when you pass it, it waits until you actually hit your peak so can be a bit confusing if you ovulate earlier or later than the prediction.

@Silverfoxlady Yes that's totally right! We've been doing sperm meets egg ever since I found this out and I find it gives me a bit more peace of mind, certainly during the months when I get confused with OPKs etc.

OP posts:
suz2285 · 11/07/2023 12:29

@Silverfoxlady absolutely correct, you want to catch the beginning of the surge, but you also want to roughly know when the surge may be coming, as 2 days before and 1 day before ovu are the best days for conception! Once you get the temperature rise its too late - though still work one more for good luck! hahah

Silverfoxlady · 11/07/2023 12:27

I also read somewhere that actually it is the days before the ovulation when women are most likely to get pregnant -

‘Still, studies show that it’s the days leading up to ovulation that are the most likely to result in a pregnancy. So whether your positive LH test occurred at the beginning of the rise, or after the LH peak, it’s time to get busy!’

https://proovtest.com/blogs/blog/when-is-the-best-time-for-intercourse-after-lh-surge

Also,

https://premom.com/blogs/how-to-use-ovulation-tests/surges-and-peaks-gradual-onset

I did so much research…. It kind of kills the mood though!

When is the Best Time to Have Intercourse After an LH Surge?

You’re trying to get pregnant, and you’re researching all the things that can help you conceive quickly! First things first, when you are ready to conceive, it’s important to let your OBGYN know so that they can have a preconception visit to talk about...

https://proovtest.com/blogs/blog/when-is-the-best-time-for-intercourse-after-lh-surge

suz2285 · 11/07/2023 11:56

@Ladameauxyeuxbruns easy @ home are what I used and they're good but the temperature is what tells you when you've actually ovulated and after a few months you'll see a pattern, it's 12-48 ish hours after a positive opk for the egg to release then 12 ish hours after that to fertilise

Also if you scan the easy @ home strips into the Premom app it'll read the darkness and give you a 'peak' when the readings are high enough as sometimes you think it's dark but then it gets darker later in the cycle, it's easy to miss a fertile day if you're not testing at least 2 x a day right over the sort of 2 weeks after your period! It's a lot of data!

Nmmck93 · 11/07/2023 11:52

@Ladameauxyeuxbruns yeah thats the same one I got, it comes with 9 vials but you can also use it on your finger for round the outside etc, it seems like you’d deffs get more than 9 goes out of it if you don’t use a lot.
yeah the slip and slide would be the exact words I would have used 😂
oh the pregnacare ones are big tablets in fairness, I take them and my partner takes well man conception aswell.

yeah CD10 is super early I never have strong tests until a round CD 14 / 15 when they start to rise. Just very unusual.

oh I’m such an early tester, but I don’t have any tests at home except cleavage early detection digital and have ordered some easy @ home ones to arrive next week lol. I’m going to try hold out and myself and my partner can both be there for me testing on our day off next Friday 🤞🏻

baby dust to you ✨

Original poster
Ladameauxyeuxbruns · 11/07/2023 11:43

Nmmck93 · 11/07/2023 11:18

@Ladameauxyeuxbruns other lines for affect sperm if they aren’t fertility friendly unfortunately.
I’ve been using pre seed this week and a small amount goes a long way lol, I over done it the first time 😂 also, your daily multivitamin- is it just a normal one? If it contains vitamin A stop taking it as Vitamin A isn’t advised when TTC’ing for the female. I found that pregnacare conception has everything you need including coq10 - I just take omega 3 fish oil with that now and it’s less pills to take lol.
keep updated.

I think I peaked yesterday at CD10 and ovulated through the night so hoping and praying I done enough if this was ovulation - I’m going to just keep testing for the next week as I usually don’t ovulate until CD16/17 🙈

I've never used Pre-seed, the box I've got arriving has 9 vials in it, so I assume I use it during my fertile week? I'll try not to use too much and turn myself into a slip n' slide 😂

Ooh thanks for the advice, I'm not sure if it has vitamin A in it, I'll check when I get home. I chose these ones just because I really struggle to swallow pills and these are gummies, but I'll look into Pregnacare and see if I could manage them.

You know, it stupidly never occurred to me that I could ovulate at night! I'll cross my fingers for you. CD10 does seem early, but honestly if going down the rabbit hole of TTC has taught me anything, it's that everything is possible! I'd also keep testing, I ended up ovulating far later than usual a couple of months ago and would've missed it entirely if I had stopped. Are you an early tester or do you manage to hold on until the recommended time?

OP posts:
Nmmck93 · 11/07/2023 11:18

@Ladameauxyeuxbruns other lines for affect sperm if they aren’t fertility friendly unfortunately.
I’ve been using pre seed this week and a small amount goes a long way lol, I over done it the first time 😂 also, your daily multivitamin- is it just a normal one? If it contains vitamin A stop taking it as Vitamin A isn’t advised when TTC’ing for the female. I found that pregnacare conception has everything you need including coq10 - I just take omega 3 fish oil with that now and it’s less pills to take lol.
keep updated.

I think I peaked yesterday at CD10 and ovulated through the night so hoping and praying I done enough if this was ovulation - I’m going to just keep testing for the next week as I usually don’t ovulate until CD16/17 🙈

Original poster
Ladameauxyeuxbruns · 11/07/2023 11:11

@suz2285 I have been for a few months but had a break last month. I'm back to testing now and am using the Easy@Home kit.

@QueenFree Hahahah, I can get on board with that one. I'm in France and there's nothing like a fresh baguette with salted butter!

Right, I have bought pre-seed, another fertility-friendly lube, vitamins C and D and will stop at the pharmacy to see if I can get my hands on any CoQ10 and speak with the pharmacist about anything else. I'll continue taking my folic acid (I'm on 400mg, is that a good amount or should I double it?) and daily multivitamin. I'll overhaul my diet a bit, drink lots of water etc etc. If all else fails, at least I'll be healthier!

I'm suspicious that the lube we usually use is affecting things. No clue if I'm right or wrong, but I'm hopeful.

OP posts:
Thisisus4 · 09/07/2023 22:43

We used proceive vitamins, pre seed, and clear blue OPKs (and followed sperm meets egg). So lucky to have our little girl.

mummybear2104 · 09/07/2023 22:34

Fertility acupuncture .. fantastic

mommybear1 · 09/07/2023 20:31

Read "it starts with an egg"'it has guided fertility supplements age dependent having done ivf twice the consultant really rated the supplements I was already on and only added one thing to be taken just before egg retrieval. Good luck!

QueenFree · 09/07/2023 19:53

It's a silly one -

I stumbled across a doctors blog online saying eat plenty of bread and butter (good quality) the food of conception in his words.

I had been trying for 2 years with 2 MMC. I was desperate and decided to add this to my list of conception rituals. That month I coincidentally fell pregnant and now have my 6mo DS next to me. What's weird is I've never been able to find that blog since...spooky!

BabyMoonPie · 09/07/2023 19:53

It might have been coincidence but using a fertilily was the only thing I did differently during the month I got pregnant (in my 27th month trying)

FoodFann · 09/07/2023 19:50

Oh and also, the best position is ‘doggy’ apparently for the deepest ‘deposit’ 😂

And I’ve seen some ladies swear by fertility acupuncture

tortoisepace · 09/07/2023 19:49

Coq10 does exist in the U.K. - you can buy it in lots of shops. I know Holland and Barrett sell it for example.

Ubiquinol is the pure form of Coq10. It's more expensive but apparently your body can digest it more easily.

BettyOBarley · 09/07/2023 19:49

Pre-seed and Agnus castus.

We were TTC for 18 months with DC1 (pcos) and conceived after starting both of these.
Dc2 we used them from the start (well started Agnus castus a bit before) and conceived first month.

FoodFann · 09/07/2023 19:49
  • Don't use Angus castus and Soya Isoflavones at the same time.
  • Eat dietary folate, not just folic acid, which apparently isn’t well absorbed
  • Switch to whole milk
  • For men: vit D, vit C, ascorbic acid, coQ10, fenugreek, ashwaghanda
  • For me: soya (only take it early in cycle eg CD5-9), coQ10, B vitamins, multivits
  • Smep method
  • BBT/OPKs
  • No smoking, and no alcohol in luteal phase
  • Cut down meat but be wary of tofu/soy alternatives
  • No polyester for men below the waist
  • No saunas etc for men
  • No weed killers etc
  • Only Pre-Seed has been shown not to hinder sperm
  • Seed cycling
  • Being a decent BMI
  • Get STI check

I am also on cycle 8 of TTC. I don’t do all of the above! But this is everything I could think of from following MN conception threads. Sorry, I’ve probably forgotten some.

Good luck to you! ✨✨