Planning ahead!

[decafgirl]

Is it just me who's planning ahead before she's even ttc? I've decided to come off the pill at the end of December and have started to drink decaf (v. difficult!), eat more fruit and veg, cut down on the vino etc. Am I mad to plan this far ahead?

Hi guys, just a v quick update - I'm going to the doctors on fri to talk about my long cycle and the poss of coming off the pill a bit earlier. It's all getting a bit real now!

xx

Decafgirl how long is your cycle? since being on this pill my cycle varies from 26 to 30 days, not sure what will happen when I come off.

I thought about stopping mine this month but if ( a big if)I got preg straight away I would have both kids birthdays in July!!! Not brilliant planning. Must hold off till next month xxxx

Yup, as per the link Spod posted the luteal phase is the time between ovulation and your period starting. In most women it should be about 14 days. Anything less than 10 days and there just isn't enough time for the egg to get to the womb and implant (if it's fertilised) before your period flushes everything out again. In fact some doctors worry at anything less than 12 days.

Last three cycles mine has been 6 days (give or take a day).

The good news is that I have done some reading, found some supplements I can take, and I have almost enough data to put in front of a doctor to sort some treatment out (I think Clomid is a possibility).

Hugs,
Artoo.

Yikes! am now getting even more scared! hadnt heard of this problem before. i hadnt been planning on doing anything much once i come off the pill in a couple of weeks - have been taking my folic acid for 3 months, eating healthily, reading up etc. havent had a 'real' period for years as i've been on the pill non-stop, so no idea about my cycle length. maybe i need to be more organised?
good luck in getting it sorted Artoo, and here's to trying in november!

Hi artoo - I hope you get things sorted soon, let us know how you get on. xx

Hi Jersey, my cycle is (or was when I was 18) 42 days long - six bloody weeks! So hubby and I had a chat last night and decided that it would be better to come off the pill earlier rather than later so we gave my body as long as poss to sort itself out.

I'm kind of hoping that things might have changed since I was 18 and that all of a sudden I'll have a 28 day cycle but I think we all know that's never going to happen!

Going to the docs on fri to make sure I'm doing the right thing and what to do incase AF doesn't make an appearance.

Aah, the joys of being a woman

My cycle when I came off the pill when trying for DS was 27/28 days so I am hoping that this time I go back to that. Although I have been on a different pill this time due to breast feeding. The doc has said that I should be ok straight away so finger's crossed.

Good look Artoo with the doc and hopefully as you have id the problem early one things can get sorted straight away!!

Hi girls was wondering if I could join in as I'm a bit of a planning freak I'm also talking on the TTC after MC but thought I'd join in with the freakily planned ones.

I had a mc last year and so am extra plnning this time. I've got 2weeks of this pack of pills left then I'm coming off them. We're not going to actively TTC as I've got to let my body sort itself out but if all goes well ... good.

I've just started taking folic acid as didnt know you were meant to take before you were pg, thought it was only for the first 12 wks of being pg.

I've tried reading stuff up on it but cant find any good books so took to the internet for advice. What is it that I've got to do to increase my chances?

Decafgirl,

I also have a history of long cycles hence me writing this:-

Would concur with you going to the docs on Friday and tell him as well you had 6 week cycle lengths at 18. Long cycles especially if such continues over a period of time are likely to be anovulatory.

If your cycles continue to stay longer than normal (a normal cycle length is between 21 and 35 days) then I would ask to have a blood test done to check your hormone levels properly. Particular attention needs to be paid to your LH (luteinising hormone) and FSH (follicle stimulating hormone). If these two are out of balance it is then possible there could be an underlying hormonal problem. Such problems can be treated. They may even do an ultrasound scan to check the current state of your ovaries.

I would say to you that the pill has not made things worse but has likely masked the symptoms of any underlying problems.

Do not be fobbed off with him saying to you for instance, "oh come back in six months time". Ask for a blood test.

Welcome mumswish,all I can suggest is taking your temperature as that is the only thing I did last time to pin point my ovulating day, and folic acid for at least a month before conceiving.

This time I am taking pregnacare which is a vitamin designed to contain everything you need when TTC and when pregnant.

Hope this helps. Good luck

TBH

I'm worrying I wont cocieve due to having a missed mc and needing operation (Cant remember what its called) but at same time I dont want to plan too much as the last pg came when I was on the pill and wasnt even sick around the time so I think its fair to say that db's sperm is good.

I'm mostly after advice of how to make it stay alive this time

Hi all, just thought I would check in and say hello.

Sorry about the luteal phase thing Artoo. Here's hoping the doc can do something to help out.

Mumswish I'm so sorry about the m/c, you sound so anxious. I'm not an expert on these things but there can be any number of reasons for a m/c, more often than not no reason at all. In fact they are more common than I think any of us would wish them to be. If you weren't told of a specific reason then I think this time round, just make sure you take your folic acid and any other vitamins you think you need, stay healthy, exercise etc A very good friend of mine had a missed m/c and ensuing dilation and curettage (d&C, maybe the operation you were referring to)and went on to have a very healthy little baby boy. Good luck! Keep us posted.

tbh, I haven't put too much thought into ovulation, temp etc. Fortunately, I always had a very regular 28 day cycle and I am hoping that I can just stop taking the pill and leave nature to do its thing. With the odd bit of bd here and there! If I haven't conceived after six months, I'll be back asking your advice...

Welcome mumswish, the more the merrier!

My best friend miscarried her first at 9 or 10 weeks. She told me at the time that something like 1 in every 3 first pregnancies end in miscarriage.

She got pregnant again shortly after, and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl about a month ago. So please don't be anxious. You've got over the first hurdle in that you know the mechanics are all working. I wish you good luck with your trying again.

Hugs,
Artoo.

Thanks for the warm welcome ladies. Wasnt sure if you thought I would be butting in.

Well as from Friday (my last pill day) We will be trying (after the AF part of course!!) I cant wait. I'm just worried that it wont happen yet. I dont know if I can handle loads of negatives.

Went to see my best mates beautiful little girl last night and made me realise I want one right now. Cant wait the 9 months for it to grow even. Which is slightly worrying.

Anyway. Hope everyone is ok today and fingers crossed for anyone who is testing this week.

dh for sale. Any reasonable offers accepted, actually on second thoughts you can have him for free.

Figured I better get him slightly clued up on pregnancy before we started trying and his range of nonsensical comments and questions were somewhat startling.

On mentioning transition he asked if that was the bit where the baby got out of the water and onto its bike (dh is a triathlete).

Oh and he seems to think that breech means when your baby is born into a war in Communist Russia. As in 'once more unto the breech...'

I think it's a vague attempt at comedy, but I fail to find myself rofl.

If he's doing this before we even conceive what's he got planned for the delivery suite?

One can only presume it's knock knock jokes.

Seriously, one previous owner, hardly any use. Is housetrained

Hi guys, thanks for your advise! Welcome to the thread mumswish!

Well, I've been to the doctors and she was lovely; she didn't seem too concerned about the long cycle thing and even suggested that it might be different this time round (ie back to a 28 dayer) so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that.

I asked her about testing for rubella and strep b so she took some blood for the lab to test my immunity and she's going to ring me next week once she's checked what the primary care trust's stance is on testing for strep b. I don't mind paying the 30 or so quid though because IMO it's totally worth it!

By the way, the blood test really didn't hurt for any other squeamish folks out there!

She said to start with the folic acid as soon as I'm off the pill which should be the 3rd week in oct I think! She even offered to write me a prescription but I pay for mine so it's actually cheaper just to buy the stuff direct from boots!

Phew! Sorry, long thread! Hope you're all well xx

PS) Kleggie, my dh will be exactly the same - maybe we could do some sort of husband exchange when the time comes with those who whisper quiet words of encouragement rather than doing their donald duck impressions!

Just a quick update to you ladies to sey planning ahead really does work I went to see my doctor last night, armed with my three cycles worth of fertilityfriend charts, and he agreed that my luteal phase is too short. He also said that usual advice to couples TTC is to wait 1 year before getting medical help, taking my age into account they'd normally decrease that to 6 months, but given the charts he saw no reason at all not to send me for blood tests straight away

So later this month I'm booked in for a progesterone blood test between my O and AF days (hope I calculated it right LOL).

I've also had great support from my sister in law, who has passed me the remains of the herbal remedies she used when TTC. I'm feeling really well-placed to deal with all of this.

This month I'll be taking a vitamin B6 supplement, and also using progesterone cream after O to try to extend the LP a bit.

Hugs,
Artoo.

I am so pleased for you Artoo! It's great that they are listening and taking action sooner rather than later. It just goes to show that planning ahead, though occasionally intensely irritating for those around us, pays off in the end.

I'm keeping everything crossed for you, which let me tell you, ain't easy when you're making a vat of porridge, a pot of tea, juggling the folic acid and surfing t'internet at the same time. DH and I have a day off together for the first time in a long time. He's seriously celebrating by lying in bed snoring. Postman woke me at 7am with a ridiculously large parcel considering it contained a very small piece of equipment for DH's pushbike. He spends a fortune on little wiggly er tubular er metal, ding dang doodah whatsits and I'm up at the crack of dawn talking about them. What am I doing?

Big hugs to you and DH Artoo, lots and lots of luck,

Kleg

ps) Decaf, have you come across Happydaddy on here? I think he's the sort we should be aiming to swap for. Sensitive and witty in all the appropriate places. Still male though, so I'm off to try and entice him with electronic versions of beer and the remote control!!

Ah, only joking, DH is a superstar. Found out yesterday that he has been secretly buying pressies for the godchildren for Christmas because he was seeing things and 'couldn't resist'. Plus we're having family for Xmas for the first time and he's been adding things to the weekly shop and stashing them away in preparation. Planning ahead, buying the Xmas stuff early to save me from the dreaded crowds and a great godfather. Wouldn't change him for the world. Apart from the fact that he's lying in bed snoring and I'm making the breakfast.

Hope you're well decaf, stay in touch and have a good weekend- I hear you primary school teachers relish them! Did you see the thread on 'other news' about chav names indicating children who perform less well at school? Do you agree and will you be altering db's name accordingly? My friend has a latoya and a chantelle in her class. Both bad I hear!

good luck Artoo! Glad doctors are listening to you and prepared to act.

Can anyone advise me - when counting the days of your cycle after coming off the pill, do i count my first non-pill taking day as day one, or the first day of my 'withdrawal bleed'? Bit confused!

Oh dear God, Kleggie! I thought I'd had some corkers on the name front but I think latoya wins hands down! I definately agree about names versus performance and chav names are quite scary at times - some of the parents even think of a name and then spell it incorrectly! Cloweey (Chloe) is a rather good example I think! Then there's all those connors, deans and ryans out there and the dillons (dylan) One of my teacher friends swears she heard a mum in kwik save shouting 'Chlamydia!' down the aisle looking for her lost daughter! Might have to take that one with a pinch of salt though! I've definately ruled out a lot of names through teaching!

Congrats on the planning ahead success artoo! See? It does pay off in the end, I hope everything goes well for you, keep in touch.

Must go - am off to find happydaddy! Ha ha

Someone I know has just given birth to 'Summer'. Not too bad ... but middle name is 'Sky'. Summer Sky? She won't get teased at all then

I've met a jawdan, a cortnee and an emah in the past few months. Oh and a beyonce.

A girl band in the making... I'm looking out for them on X-Factor, probably called The Chavettes.

All together now 'Do you wanna be in my gang, my gang'

Well done Artoo on your planning and having a doctor who is prepared to waver the one year wait. My sister waited a yr before going to the doctors and was told it was 2 yrs at that practise!!! (She is 30). Moved house recently and changed doctor who said 1 yr is plenty, and the blood tests she had done orginally which the old doc said where fine, weren't!!! . So all this time she thought she was ok and she wasn't!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last month now and then all systems go and fingers crossed i'm still ok .

On the name front isn't it frustrating when the names you pick are then used by close family so you can't use them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!