What do I need to do before we start TTC?

[dreamingofanallotment]

Hubby and I have been chatting lots about babies for a while now - we had always said that we wanted to own a house before we got sprogged up....but we're getting impatient! We've got the best part of a house deposit saved so it's in the not too distant future - so we're now thinking we want to start trying for a bubba in the summer...

Sooo....that's just over three months away and from a few bits I've read, it talks about preparing to TTC 90 days before you actually start. Is this right? What do I need to do?! (if anything!) I'm currently on the pill and I'm not planning on coming off the pill until we officially decide to start trying - is this best? (I've seen quite a few people on mumsnet talking about themselves or friends getting pregnant straight after coming off the pill so kind of hoping this happens for us!) All feels rather real andslightly scary now - after being a nice daydream for the past few months!

Any wise words very welcome - and others who are in the same boat as me!
Thanks in advance!

Meant to add, if anyone has any good conception/pregnancy book recommendations, they'd be much appreciated! I've been looking on amazon but there are soooo many, I don't know what to go for!

The only thing that I did was get my travel vaccinations up to date as we went to Thailand when I was pregnant and you can't get vaccinations whilst pregnant. Well you can but it's not recommended.

Other than that take folic acid once you come off the pill.

I didn't bother buying a conception book, the info on here is pretty useful. I got the Sue Lawrence pregnancy week by week book which I found really good.

My preparations were:

Come off pill a bit in advance - I think I've read that it's better to do that so that your periods return to normal and all the hormones get out of your system.

Take folic acid (can't remember the exact advice but I think you are meant to for 3 months before TTC - easily googleable though).

Remind myself roughly when ovulation is during your cycle!

Have sex!

To be honest, unless you are particularly old or have some particular medical issue, I personally think a conception book would have stressed me out - not ideal when you are TTC. I would have read up more if we'd have had problems conceiving, but I think just giving it a go is best to start with .

In terms of a pregnancy book, I really like Expecting - no nonsense, tells you everything you need to know.

Good luck with it all!

Thanks both! I didn't know about taking folic acid that far in advance - best get to Boots in the morning!

Wigeon - I'm glad you've said that about the books - all the ones I'd seen were for people that were having trouble conceiving, or were older (I'm mid 20s) and I thought I was just looking at the wrong ones! Hadn't come across the Expecting book - looks good, ta!

The whole ovulation thing is what puzzles me at the moment - I think because I've been on the pill for so long, I've forgotten what happens in a 'normal' period!!

Stop smoking (if you do), cut out recreational drugs completely (if you do), get alcohol consumption down to light/moderate, check your BMI, eat well and take folic acid supplements.

Don't worry too much about what your "normal" cycle looks like at first, all you really need to see is one period off the pill. If nothing happens in the few months after that, then start looking more closely at cycle awareness.

And do have lots of sex

Hi Dreaming. I would definitely second the advice about coming off the pill in advance. I stopped taking it at the end of January and have still only had 1 natural period (and it's not because i'm pregnant ? I checked!!) We meant to start trying at the beginning of April but still haven't really because my system still seems to be all over the place, which would make dating it really complicated.
Natural periods are a bit odd when you've been on the pill so long. It's hard to predict when they'll come, and how long they'll stick around. Also I'd forgotten how much better my skin was when I was on the pill. Came off it and got all spotty and gross!!!

OP - if you are mid-20s, definitely don't read any books, don't obsess about it, just buy some new sexy underwear or something and get into bed!!

I really like www.babycentre.co.uk for sensible advice about things like: when, typically, is ovulation during a normal cycle. And it's really good for pregnancy, and then baby-related advice. And funnily enough the editors of that website edited the "Expecting" book I've linked to.

On folic acid - looks like you only need to take it from when you start TTC, not weeks before NHS advice here (think advice was maybe to start taking it a bit in advance when we were TTC DD, in 2007. Although we have since conceived DC2, due in 3 weeks - can't actually remember how early I started on the folic acid!)

Thank you, that's lots of really useful advice! I won't bother with books yet then...I'll wait until I get preggers!

Discovered that I'd run out of my pill yesterday and had forgotten to collect my next prescription - so that has made the decision about coming off the pill for me! Although like you say Knitting, I'm not looking forward to seeing what my skin does as hormones etc all settle down again!

Ta for the NHS folic acid link Wigeon, I'll save my pennies for the minute then!

also, it would be smart to get your rubella status checked to see if you are still immune. catching rubella (german measles) during pregnancy is v bad for baby and you can have mmr jab before trying if you're not immune x