Pre conception prep for the control freaks

[Serenitysutton]

Hello!

Did you do anything pre conception? I have to wait until our house is sold/ new one purchased as there are some debts to be paid of before we can afford a baby!

I was thinking diet, vitamins? Any recs or good websites? I know many people just start shagging when the time is right but I may as well use my time well!

Thanks

Right, time to add all of those. I guess I just need to record my period dates for a few months before I have enough data to use one of those cycle predictor things??
Thanks so much

have you thought about temping, because knowing when you ov is very helpful?

what do you mean by cycle predictor thing?

Thanks all, will add to the list. I've realised it must be close-ish to 3 years since my last smear so may as well get that done now.

I think I mean ovulation predictor- you know, charting the days of your period to calculate when you're ovulating?

Hi

I'm doing much the same as Maples! I also use Period Tracker on my iPhone (which tracks your period dates and therefore predicts your ovulation date). I have also now invested in a clear blue fertility monitor. As you can see I'm a little obsessed! I'm 34 and hoping we haven't started too late!

The other thing I try to do is drink plenty of water! It's not exactly a wine substitute but ah well! :o

Good luck x

I'm making a effort to ensure our diet is healthy and will get some pregnacare - and that app! I don't have any apps as last time I loaded loads it corrupted my phone and I had to wipe it clean! Lol.

V interesting about red meat and I LOVE the Idea of one veggie day

i'm probably going to be massively unpopular for saying this but i think getting too obsessed in advance might work the other way for you. TTC can be stressful and i would wholeheartedly recommend not putting yourself under any additional stress.

Assuming you are a healthy weight and don't smoke then I wouldn't do too much prep TBH.

Eat healthily and cut down on or cut out caffeine and alcohol. Take folic acid. Enjoy your DH :)

If you have regular cycles then you will ovulate 14 days before your period (in almost all women this is the case). having sex a few times a week around the time of ovulation should do the trick.

I believe if you TRY too hard then if you don't conceive one month you will feel as if you failed.... sometimes it just takes a while.

Good Luck with it all

Hi berries

I think there is real merit in what you are saying - I certainly try to stay relaxed. For me, just feeling more in control is better - id be more stressed if I didn't have some kind of plan. That's just my way I think!

X

i know what you mean, i like a plan! For me, getting and holding onto pregnancies seems to work better when I don't try to hard - so that's my new approach! I am going to try really hard to not try really hard. oh how ironic. :)

I wish you all the luck in the world x

Thanks all. Thanks berries, I do appreciate what you're saying but I've already seen too many people get obsessed so absolutely won't go down this route! I fully expect it to take the average 8/9 months, I'm just trying to fill the time really tbh! I think it would be interested to know about my cycles, just really to understand my body a bit better. And of course I'm only 50% o the equation- who knows what's going on in my husbands bid eh? Lol.

My list would be:

Get fit
Lose any excess weight
Start eating well (check out the guidelines for healthy eating and follow them from now on, esp re fish, fruit/veg, reducing sat fats & sugar etc)
Persuade DH to do the above 3 points too
Take folic acid and vitamin D supplements daily
Stop any hormonal contraception early
Learn how to do pelvic floor exercises and get used to doing them from now on forever

Read Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler

And, more light-heartedly... go on a nice long relaxing holiday, leave razors lying around with gay abandon, read a few novels uninterrupted from start to finish, enjoy multiple lie-ins, have whole conversations with DH, revel in going to the toilet alone, in peace and with no pressure to finish quickly...

Good luck!

Thanks for all the good wishes! Exciting!

Has anyone mentioned loose pants? I'm sure DHs are supposed to wear loose undergarments

Tell oh to avoid putting the laptop in his lap - anyone else heard this?

stop eating soya, drinking soya milk etc....

controversial one but it worked for me