Anyone else waiting to TTC?

[happytobemrsg]

I thought we could keep each other company while we wait!

Your age/DH age: 29/39
Baby #: This will be #2
When are you TTC: I think we should start in June when DS is 2 but we are so broody it might be sooner
Why are you waiting: We are doing some house renovations at the moment & sorting out some stuff financially. Everything seems a bit up in the air & I can only stress about a couple of things at a time. I'm looking forward to life settling down only to have a newborn mess it all up again
What are you doing to keep busy?: I'm project managing house renovations & enjoying one-on-one time with DS before he (hopefully) becomes a big brother. DH & I are having a huge joint birthday party in September for my 30th & his 40th so I'm enjoying planning that!

@NoseringGirl, no idea what caused it! I'm gonna have a chat to my GP about my history to double check, but yeah I guess I could just take folic acid by itself if necessary. Will probably try one or two other brands first before doing that, thanks @mussie for the recommendation. And thanks for the tips re ovulation tracking Nosering, I think I'm gonna 'spray and pray' (lol @mussie) for a few months and if no success, start tracking (otherwise I'll get very obsessive I reckon!)

I know what you mean @pebbles, I'm also worried about having a lovely accident before August/September as (sounds stupid) but I really want to know what it feels like to TTC, have the TWW etc. My gorgy DS1 was a lovely surprise so I don't know what it feels like!

Hello all, thought I would join on here.

I've been symptom spotting last few days and one thing that is different for me this month is my awful wind!!! Sorry about that, too much info! I had a little google and see wind is a "thing" so crossing fingers, I have had terrible wind all day for a few days... also raised temp which i do get anyway until period arrives, this morning I had lots of painful cramps down low which I don't normally get with periods normally higher if I get cramps which is not often.

If I am this would be baby #4!

I am due on Wednesday,

Good luck to everyone!

Hi everyone! So exciting that people are symptom spotting now!

I am measuring temperature but not sure how precise it is. When I had my blood test, my temperature spiked around one week before my period. I hope this means that I do ovulate, just late? Yesterday and today my temperature has been particularly high, but could that be influenced by the heat outside? My bedroom is certainly hot at the moment.

Roller, that sounds horrible! Poor you.

DH got his Zika test results back and they're negative which is amazing! Obviously the test is new and not 100% reliable, but I find it very reassuring! We have discussed paying for an extra private scan in pregnancy though if we are worried.

@TheOneWithTheBaby great news about the zika test!
I think with temping it can take a few cycles to work out your pattern. The luteal phase (after ovulation) should be anything from 10-16 days.

We didn't do any monitoring when I started out TTC#1. I have irregular cycles though (PCOS) and drove myself completely mad because I never knew when my period was due or if I'd ovulated. I was doing loads of pregnancy tests because I thought my period was late but I probably hadn't even ovulated. I feel a lot more comfortable and relaxed knowing where I am in my cycle. I think if I just had a regular cycle, I'd just leave it and see what happened!

@theonewiththebaby congratulations on your husbands zika test! That's really exciting for you!!

Just been catching up with the thread! Hi to all the new people and really exciting to see people are starting to ttc! Seeing lots of people tracking cycles too!!

My last contraceptive pill is tomorrow and then we are officially TTC. Feeling nervous, excited, scared etc! I know it will probably be a while before anything happens (if it ever does) but I can't help feeling hopeful. Xx

@TheOne, congrats on the zika test result, that's great news! Hopefully puts your mind at rest.

I had my coil out today, it's kinda weird knowing that I'm no longer protected against pregnancy! I've been trying to find out where on earth I can get a diaphragm/cap for use between now and August without paying for one myself online (both my local sexual health clinic and GP don't do them). I'm not keen on paying for one when I don't even know if I'll like it / my body will agree with it and when it used to be/should be free! The Caya one online is one size fits 80% of women and for £40 I'm not sure I'm willing to take the risk of being in the 20%...

It's been so long since I was last here that I'm struggling to keep up with who is doing what!

Welcome to @Messyhouse5 @Pebblespony @BackAwayFatty @Mamabear0717 @cherryblossom4 @kez1875 @MaGratgarlik1983 @RocketPockets and @rollerskaterdata 

Thank you for all the good wishes. My beautiful Nana grew her angel wings a week after I last posted so it's been a bit of a whirlwind. Work were very good though, they gave me a week compassionate leave so I was able to be there until the end. I^^ decided to tell her of our plans and she was delighted - she said all she ever wants is for us to be happy. She also told me what she thinks our little one will look like. Watch this space!

I can't believe we are over 600 posts! We will soon be starting another thread although I am secretly worried I'll be the last one on here. The absolute earliest we can start ttc is Christmas, although I would like to wait until next May if I can. So at most it is 12 months from now! I am already off the pill and my cycles seem to be doing well so far. My first was 28 days and since then I have had two 30 day cycles and one 31 day cycle. I had thought the stress of everything that has happened recently might affect things but it seems not. Long may it continue! I'm also taking folic acid just in case.

I am super duper excited for everyone who is now ttc but is there anyone else that also still has a bit of a wait? We are serial planners so made the decision to ttc 18 months before we could (Although that's good right because that means we are 6 months down already???). I need to wait until Christmas as I have lots going on at work - including going for promotion in December - and we have a few final things to do to our house, but otherwise we are good to go! I want to be fully focussed on everything in the run up to our year end but I don't think I'd delay ttc another year if I didn't get the promotion. I could always go for it after maternity leave!

I've done the sums on maternity leave and thanks to generous maternity pay and the fact OH has very a good job, I should be able to have the full 12 months off. It is the norm where I am to have up to 14 months off (once you've tagged on holiday) so I'm feeling lucky. We should also be able to afford for me to work 4 days a week rather than 5. I feel like I'm over organising but I'm preparing myself for the 'young and naive' comments even though I'm not really that young.

@BackAwayFatty I am also finding it frustrating that my OH isn't quite as much of a talker about it all. Which is why I'm pleased I have everyone here!

Just a few formatting issues in there....

Interesting thinking about maternity leave @dottydally. DH is really keen on shared parental leave. I'd have to do the first six months (my company do enhanced pay for six months, so if I did any less then I'd lose out money-wise. Also allows for six months BF without too much difficulty) and then me and DH would figure out how to divvy out the rest of it. I'd probably head back to work at 8-9 months, and then he would do the last chunk. His keenness to get stuck in with our hypothetical baby just makes me even more broody 😂

I've heard that lots of people make plans like that though, but then once the baby's born, it's much harder to contemplate going back to work any sooner than necessary. It's a tricky one. Has anyone else here got experience of SPL...?

I'm so sorry to hear about your Nana @dottydally, it's wonderful that you got to discuss your plans with her though. What lovely memories to have!
I reckon I'll probably be around still when you start TTC. Both my DC took nearly 18 months of TTC so it won't happen quickly for me even though we're starting now.

@rollerskaterdata I'm sure I remember reading a thread on here about those diaphragms. Might be worth doing an advanced search and having a read!

@mussie I have a few friends that have split the leave and have been quite happy with it. Two couples I know did 9 months with the Mam and 3 months with the Dad. Another couple did 6 months each. My friend (the Mother) felt like her husband got the fun part of the leave though!
I think you're right that how you feel can change when baby is here. I was going to take 9 months off at the most and go back full time when I was pregnant with my first. I ended up taking 13 months and getting a different job two days a week. I'd never have even considered that before he was born.

My OH has ordered himself some Vitamin C and Zinc tablets “to help the swimmers along” and is going to start taking them when I start mine next month as it’ll be 3 months until we start trying. I’m so excited but also nervous as it’s coming by so quickly!! I’m really happy he’s done his own little bit of researching as although it was originally his idea to start to TTC, he never seems as enthusiastic as I am. It’s just a little reassurance that he is as invested as I am. 😊

@dottydally, hi! Sorry to hear about your Nana but I'm glad you got to have that time with her. I'm waiting to TTC until August (it was September but we've now decided to start the week we get back from our holiday) so I'll be waiting along with you the next few months. I also get enhanced mat pay for 6 months but will probs take another 3 at lesser pay as 6 isn't enough for me! Not really explored SPL but DH is keen. When DS was born I went back full time for a year, decided I couldn't hack it anymore and now work 3 days a week. Best decision I ever made, and we actually have more money in our pockets because we're paying significantly less childcare! I'll keep doing the 3 days when DC2 is born.

@Assume, wish my DH was as enthusiastic about taking supplements! He automatically assumes his swimmers are fine given his age and fitness level which I suppose is a reasonable assumption, but you never know and I don't think it can hurt any taking them anyway!

@Nosering, thanks the advice. After many many phone calls to various clinics in the area I've managed to find ONE that still does them for free so going down this week to hopefully get sorted

Just catching up with everyone's news after a crazy few days at work (bank holiday madness!)

Sorry to hear about your nana @dottydally- glad that you told her of your plans though.

I hope everyone had a good bank holiday. Welcome to the newbies!

@kez1875 - Congrats on graduating we are ttc this cycle too.
@AssumeItWasSomethingClever - You're lucky your DH is so happy to take supplements. My DH hates the taste of his, so I practically have to force feed him - after reading your post I have ordered some chewable vit c to help the others go down!
@dottydally - So sorry to hear about your Nana, but how great you were able to talk to her about your plans before she passed.

I work freelance from home, so think I get rubbish maternity pay. I am naively thinking I will be able to just take a month off and go back to doing a little bit of work with some help from my Mum. May be a ridiculous idea though! Luckily we can cope on my DH's salary though so may just see how it goes.

Shall I start a new thread for those of us who are now TTC? What do you think?

@FlapJackered thank you! It was quite amusing this morning, I had my last contraceptive pill and me and my partner sat down whilst I had it as if it was a ceremony! Haha.

We're both really excited and not even technically trying yet but I guess it gets real from here! I'm a little concerned about how I'll work it all out after my withdrawal bleed but going to do my best to be as calm as possible (I'm a bit of a stress head!) xx

@dottydally that's really good about your maternity leave. I took 13 months off in the end & went back 4 days a week. After 5 months I left completely. I enjoyed doing 4 days though. It was a good balance. I had Wednesdays off so I never had to work more than 2 days in a row!

@rollerskaterdata so interesting that your DH wants shared maternity leave! DH had DS 2 days a week when I went back to work & be loved it but said he couldn't gat anything done all day. Yet now I'm a SAHM he wonders why I struggle getting things done

@happytobemrsg did you have to request going down to four days from five? X

Kind of an odd question... but did anyone suffer from hair loss after coming off the pill? My hair has been getting thinner for the past couple of months and I've just noticed a bald spot on my crown. Hoping it's just because I've come off the pill and nothing more permanent!

@mussie shared parental leave does sound like a good idea. It's not something we had given much thought to. I did mention it last night but he didn't jump at the idea! In any case, my OH's office do flexi time so he works his full time hours over 4 days, so he will have 3 days a week at home too. I did briefly consider doing this, but it wouldn't be practical as it means long days out of the house! At present I leave the house at 7:30 and get home around 5 for 4 day a week and then work at home on wednesdays, which is very convenient. I would like to do 3 office days and 1 at home once we have a little one so fingers crossed it's doable.

Will this be your first @mussie? I have no idea how I will feel and I'm worried I'll struggle to want to leave the baby. We could manage on just my OH's salary but I don't think it would be much fun. We are also not married so I am keen to keep working (I know having children unmarried is very frowned upon on MN so I am preparing for a bashing)

@NoseringGirl I'm crossing my fingers that it happens quickly for you but will appreciate your company as long as you are here!

@rollerskaterdata woo! Also pleased to have you here for a few more months. Enhanced pay is so much better and I do feel really lucky to be able to take a year as I know a lot can't. Was it easy for you to go down to 3 days? I think we would probably still be better off if I worked 5 days (even taking into account childcare) but I would feel I was missing out on too much.

@happytobemrsg wednesdays sound like such a good day to have off as it does break up the week nicely. I'm sure I've asked before () but what made you give up work in the end? Did you find 13 months too much? Some people talk about being bored...

@AssumeItWasSomethingClever I didn't lose any hair but I did get awful headaches for a month or so and my skin appears to have reverted back to its teenage self bastard spots so I wouldn't be surprised if it is playing havoc with your hair. The headaches wore off and my skin is sort of clearing so with any luck it's temporary! How long have you been off it?

@dottydally Thanks for responding! Been off it since the end of March. I know your hormones can go a bit crazy and cause all sorts of things so I'm hoping this is something that'll settle down.

Just trying to catch up.

Dotty, so sorry about your grandma. I'm glad you told her of your plans!

And thanks everyone for the Zika well wishes. It does make me feel really excited.

Three of my friends told me this week that they're pregnant. I am so happy but also a bit worried it won't happen to us (as easily) as it did for them with the PCOS somehow. I swear there's something around though, they're all pregnant now!

@dottydally really interesting to read having babies unmarried is frowned upon on here?! It's 2018! X

@1875mlk it appears so! It surprised me at first but it can be quite negative on here about having a baby unmarried. From what I've seen the general opinion is that you will have the baby and then when your OH leaves you, you will have ruined your employment prospects and they won't have to give you anything when you separate!

I'm personally of the opinion that whilst I would like to get married one day, I'm in no rush for it. We've got a mortgage together and will hopefully have a baby, so I don't doubt the commitment. I also watched my parents get divorced after 25 years together and it was ugly, being married definitely did not make their separation any easier.

Enough of the negativity though! What's your wait?

@dottydally couldn't agree with you more! I'm really sad to read that tbh.

Well we are waiting for a few reasons, we've just moved house and also wanna pay off a few things first - having said that, we will be trying as of next week which is exciting. I think I'm boring people how much I keep talking about it though haha x x