Every piece of advice for TTC, food, lifestyle, the works

[ScarlettInSpace]

Chuck 'em all at me.

I'm over a year into this TTC malarky and with 1 tube & a hycosy looming [whether this month or next is dependant on whether the surgeon has time to see me when he gets back from his holiday in South Africa ] I'm going to throw every bloody thing I can at it over the next couple of months.

So far in the last 12 months I've done the obvious: cut out caffeine, just about stopped smoking ish and tried to limit alcohol intake apart from during AF as I have a generally sod it attitude for those 4 days stopped taking ibuprofen for pain-relief, aiming to limit OH to SWI every other day, vits & folic acid every day obv...

What other pearls of wisdom do you all have?

Should I be eating 7 cranberries on the 7th day at the 7th hour?

Tried and tested, old wives tales, or even just amusing anecdotes, please let me know what else I can be doing to chivvy mother nature along...

Scarlett (sorry - an old face for you here but hey) - has OH been tested too? And is he doing his bit - manvits etc - like you are. It takes two to tango, as they say.

Other than all of the above that you list, maybe just a bit of gentle exercise that makes you feel good? (I manage some sloppy yoga but it has helped.)

Oh - and make yourself happy. Go out to the cinema, meals etc, buy a load of nice clothes - whatever makes you feel good. Obsessing takes its toll (don't I know about it).

When I conceived DS (I was 37) - I thought it would take ages so had limited expectations. Pg cycle 2. Then I thought DC2 would be a doddle and had big expectations. One year on, and nada. BUT we have just discovered that DP has poor motility (as well as my age being a barrier). I have done everything from acupuncture to cough medicine for EWCM and wheatgrass. OPKs and CBFM etc. But DP is really only just on board - has given up drinking and is trying acupuncture.

And actually, I realise just need to chill the fuck out if at all possible.

BTW - AF always does this to us, I think. It feels a bit more manageable after she's done her worst.

Chin up and we're brooking for you. You will get your BFP.

Agree your DP must do his bit - I read something about avoiding using laptops on your lap and eating brazil nuts?!

I also really recommend accupuncture and/or reflexology - I found they really work. I also took loads of vitamins but cant work out whether it made any difference or just helped to bankrupt me - Marilyn Glenville's website has advice on this.

Is annoying when people say this but trying to stay relaxed/not stress - I know easier said than done! But that's why giving up alcohol and caffeine is such a pain...

good luck!!

bean yes re OH, he had his SA this morning and was very proud that he was in & out so quick he didn't have to pay for parking at the hospital

and yep, this is no doubt fuelled by my AF-induced melancholy

teaandchocolate brazil nuts?! I'm sure someone once mentioned walnuts too {bean was that you?]

Acupuncture, hmmmmm might look into that...

Brazil nuts for the selenium I think.
I'm not sure how good my advice is, 5 years in and not a sticky bean in sight!

Apparently men are suffering from lower sperm count and poor swimmers these days due to wearing 'tighties'. Anyway don't know how much truth there is in the theory but dd was conceived during a two weeks holiday with dp swinging his balls freely in swim shorts.

I am currently 10 weeks pregnant with dc2 after 4 months of trying. And you guessed it they were conceived on holiday!

Brazil nuts contain selenium which is hard to ingest in vitamin form. My GP made some quip about the Russians swearing by walnuts for sperm. But my GP experience re' TTC has been pretty dismal.

Yes - to boxers instead of the other type. But my DP has always worn boxers.

Also hot baths are not recommended, esp' for guys.

We are trying acupuncture for both of us now. And Chinese herbs. But be prepared for an empty purse after this lot. We're giving it another three months... Will let you know if I think it has helped!

Holidays are important. Apparently our fallopian tubes tense up just like other parts of our body. Hence the utterly effin annoying advice 'Just relax' having some truth in it. Darn it. We are house-swapping to avoid the Olympics in London. I'm hoping this might lead to a bit of BFP action.

And summer is coming - which is generally a nice time to cuddle up.

Keep smilin' Scarlett - and please tell me the same in a couple of weeks when AF gets me.

Oh and congrats to Quit.

Conceive Plus lube worked for us-I think. At least, we got pregnant in the month we started using it-no way of knowing whether it was that I suppose. Are you charting? Toni Weschler's book was a godsend.

OPKs - after 8 months TTC my DS the first month i got these i realised i OV later in my cycle. Fell PG the month I realised.

Other things I did differently the month i conceived:

I had an orgasm immediatley after sex
We had morning sex.
Started swimming regularly.

Trying for another baby again. On CD1 of cycel 2. Maybe i should take some of my own advice.

I'm comPletely despondent TTC for second child after first happened stupidly quickly. But then we were über relaxed at my parents and I'm not sure we fully sobered up for those ten days - you know that warm fuzzy tipsyness.

Perhaps I need to take my own advice!

This month I was feeling desperate =...I threw everything I could atit!
I was already seeing a homoeopath and traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner (herbs and accupuncture) and charting/temping, and OPQ and prenatal, extra folic acid, extra b6... DH was limiting alcohol and taking a well man supplement.

This month no drinking during AF either (after I read in TCOYF that the body is preparing for the next cycle before the next one starts and my OV day had been day 8 the month prior)
Also I took my DHA supplement every day not 2-3 times a week
Used that pre-seed thing
Cut out sugar and increased good proteins
Cut out caffeine, well had 3/4 decafe and 1/4 regular in my one cup of a morning
Cut back on my work (had a successful flexible working application go through last month)

At time of writing my period is late...I'll have to let you know!

sorry for the typo's trying to cook dinner here and tend to a toddler

Thanks everyone!

I know it's basically a case of luck, timing & circumstance all being in the right place at the right time but I do think it's interesting to hear what people did differently. [My consultant likened it to trying to find a rowing boat in the atlantic] [I guess I'm trying to narrow down the map co-ordinates iykwim]

OPK's I've been using for a while but find them a bit hit or miss, they didn't seem to pick up a surge at all the month I had my day 21's which showed I did ov so have lost a bit of faith in them.

Charting - I don't do it but am starting to think I should, I like the sound of a machine that does it for you as I'm too busy lolling round the bed like a teenager first thing in the morning to do anything responsible like temping

Conceive-plus, I guess that's like pre-seed? Might give that a go too.

Holiday we've had already this year, and that didn't work despite hideous amount of SWI/SFF . I deffo think me & OH need to do more date-y type things together tho...

orgasm after actual sex?? Mine are always before maybe will speak to OH about that...

And abstaining from vino during AF, oooh that's a tricky one, AF for me is a little like half term, free rein to do what I want.

sedgie ooooh fingers crossed and bean you will not need cheering up in 2 weeks, as you will be celebrating

Mary that sounds about right.
Maybe I'll book a 5* all inclusive week's skiing in Canada.

hey everyone, TTC is bloody horrible isn't it. I know it should be fun but after the first couple of months it's just not.

I am feeling extremely grateful as i just got my (not very B or F) P so just hoping it goes well from here.

When my last AF arrived we decided to change a few things so here they are, hope it helps:

1. No alcohol for me, limited for DH (to be fair our DS was conceived in an alcoholic haze so not sure about the booze and TTC thing in general but i wanted to feel i was doing what i could.)
2. No smoking for either. gave up in dec.
3. No soya products for either.
4. I took pregnacare conception. DH took Zinc and magnesium.
5. we both ate a couple of brazil nuts whenever we remembered.

I don't know if any of this helped or not but worth sharing with you hopefully.

Have you got a CBFM? I didn't get on with OPKs but found the CBFM very easy to use. It still took a few months after doing it at the 'right' time to fall but i found it useful nonetheless.

I wish you all the luck in the world and hope you get your BFP soon xx

I don't have a success story to share at the moment (ttc no. 1 on cycle 3) but I read on the Conceive Plus website that peas are to be avoided because they act as a mild contraceptive!

I then did a bit of googling and came across a story from one lady who said she used to eat peas more or less every evening with dinner and when she was told to stop eating them conceived 2 cycles later. So peas are off the menu at the moment.

Apparently manuka honey is meant to be good for stimulating blood flow to the right areas but you need to get a high rating (high rating of what, I don't know, but all the jars have numbers on and the higher the number the more expensive it gets...). Ooo - and cinnamon.

Ooh ooh I've got a question for all your BFPers/parents...

How many times did you shag during the "fertile window"? Were you twice-a-day-every-day people, or was once enough??

Hey Berries - huge congrats. How long TTC for this one? Do you think soya makes a difference? I've cut down on dairy products but occasionally have a soya decaff...

Hello all. I am brand new to this so please bare with me while I get up to speed on the abbreviations etc. Im 28, recently married been ttc for 5 months and was diagnosed with PSO about a year ago. My Dr put me on metformin 9 months ago so my body could get used to it for when we started trying. Had a few 28 day cycles then last month had 30 and this month 35 so really got my hopes up but sure enough along came my period this morning. I hoped I would have no issues due to the metformin but now im starting to feel like this is not going to go my way which cannot be helping. My husband already has a 9 year old and is desperate for us to conceive ourselves but I do feel this hits me harder and he does not understand my longing to be a mother and the pain I am feeling. When I came on this morning I went back to the bedroom in tears and he was lovely. He just held me while I cried. However 30mins later in the car as he got out he tapped my thigh in the car and said cheer up. Feel so miserable and the desire is consuming my life. Im either ov testing, reading stuff like this or taking preg tests. Sorry if I have moaned and you are suffering much worse. I just wanted a bit of support and advice As I feel like i cant get off the starting blocks let alone finish the race. Terrified it will take years to conceive and thats only then the start of it. x

Peas? Wow I didn't know that one. I'm off out to buy some Manuka honey.
i read yesterday on the web (who knows if it's true) that we should be drinking Organic Milk because the cows are fed with some sort of artificial hormone and it messes with ours. Can't verify this though, but I'm going to go Organic to see if this makes any difference.

We aim for organic everything, especially meat. Dairy - in general - not great for TTC. It increase mucus for one. And yes, it's full of hormones.

Having said that I eat too much (mainly dark) chocolate and a sugary diet is a bad idea for TTC as well. You can't win 'em all.

Lots of protein is good though.