First time TTC - help please!! Any one else TTC for their first time?

[BeeR2009]

Hi everyone,

Me and my husband have made the decision to try for a baby - we had a talk last month after I thought I might be pregnant (we weren't actively trying) and after 12 years together feel that now is the right time.

I'm feeling really excited and a little nervous - I know it may take a while and I just want to be as prepared as possible and be doing as many of the right things as I can.

What do people recommend for trying to get pregnant? Is anyone else in the same boat and would like to keep in touch/progress?

I'm due to finish AF in around 2 days and due to ovulate around 28th according to my tracker app - I've got folic acid and vitamin D arriving tomorrow that I can start taking, what else can I be doing to prepare as much as possible? I know it sounds silly, but do we just start 'trying' as soon as my period is over?

Look forward to speaking to you all soon!

Thanks,

Bee x

That looks pretty good ☺️ Although OPKs don't indicate ovulation necessarily, they catch the surge of LH that happens 24-36 hours before ovulation, which is your most fertile window. Think it's something like 30% change of conception on the day before and two days before ovulation, and then goes down to 20% on day of ovulation. So would say now is the best time for you to DTD ☺️ Hope that helps xx

@Aokbaby message for you above, couldn't tag you before xx

@MintGreenLife thanks for getting back to me. I'm just so excited as I was absolutely convinced I wasn't ovulating at all, will get right on it (DTD) haha 🤣 x

Hi @FridaKFangirl ☺️ Congrats that's awesome! We only started trying to TTC about two weeks ago and I'm just coming into my fertile week now. I stopped taking the pill in April, but wanted to wait until first natural AF after breakthrough bleed. On my second cycle after the pill now but first cycle TTC. Are you planning on using anything like OPKs and charting etc? X

@Aokbaby awh it's so hard not to stress about things like that isn't it! Especially if you've never paid much attention to any of it before. I was on the pill for 13 years until April so was all worried about that and my cycles going back to normal. It's totally normal to stress about these kind of things ☺️ X

Hi @LennyAndToots good advice, I’ve been having a read though the thread for tips. I’m a bit gutted at cutting down on the caffeine, I’m an absolute latte queen.

Thanks @FridaKFangirl, That’s good to know about the Seven Seas supplements, I will check them out.

@MintGreenLife I was on pill for same length of time, you just don't think about your future fertility at all. I just assumed it would happen the first month, been trying since Feb and decided to check if I was definitely ovulating this month as af has been quite light. Suppose it just takes time for bodies to adjust after being fed hormones for years. So glad it's returning to normal, well hopefully xx

Hi @MintGreenLife - thanks for saying hi! I think I will use OPKs, but like you I want to have at least one post-pill cycle, maybe even two before doing that, I don't want to freak myself out that I'm not ovulating when in all likelihood it will be 20 years worth of being on the pill leaving my system! ;). To be honest, I'm not sure about charting but will see how we go. Wishing lots of baby dust for you.

No problem @LOG8 - I found it helpful to swap them in at my 'usual' pill time... I've been on the pill for 20 years (I'm 38) so think I'll have a while before my cycle regulates... :)

Gosh so much to catch up on.

I have been keeping an eye on my cervical mucus for the last couple of cycles and it is strange how easy it is to spot when your looking for it.

I use to get confused though with egg white mucus as I was never sure if it was cooked egg whites or raw. From my experience and TMI, when am in my ovulating period it is see through stringy and sticky and near your period it goes more like cooked egg whites and not very stringy ?? ( although I am new to this so could be very wrong).

I am the same in terms of worrying of when the right time was and was hoping to have one last holiday together but I I just do not feel like I can waiting another 12 months.

My Maternity isn't great we have a spread sheet and have saved money to cover the downfall, and am still looking into if I can afford to reduce my hours slightly when I go back we will have to see.

Im taking pregnacare, they are hard to swallow but have what I need and a little extra as am a terribly picky eater. I think for this month am just going to DTD every other day and see what happens.

@HJen22 I think it's milligrams - mine is the same dosage but I have to take 2 pills a day so it adds up to 400

@Summertime1992 , I think if people were ever waiting to be able afford to have a baby, we would never have one! I think you just make it work. Even if there is a downfall financially.

My parents went through stages where they didn't have a lot of money and I never even noticed until they told me when I was older.

Someone I work with told me that she just made it work money wise so she could have 12 months off... you are just more frugal and most new mummy friends will be in the same boat so socialising is just a coffee or something.

I'm about to do an extension on my house so I'm just ignoring the money issue and realising it is what feels right. Any downfall, we will deal with.

@SaraVB thank you! Will stick with just taking the folic acid 👍🏻

@LennyAndToots i agree, everyone jusy makes it work when the time comes financially I guess and we can just try our hardest in the lead up. Since Covid I've just been saving as much as I can. My OH worries and I don't want it to be a huge strain on just him (my work is the majority just SMP other than I think 100% for 6 weeks) so if I have some money aside that I've saved myself I'll feel a bit better about it.

I've always had the fear that after being on the pill for so long it could take me a long time to get pregnant. My OH has a 11 yr old from a previous relationship who was a surprise, which seems to make him think it will be easy 🙈

@Summertime1992 I'm going with you this month and DTD every other day. Hoping AF finishes tomorrow then we can crack on! Xxx

@LennyAndToots I know I think we just have to go for it, we brought a family car last year and have finally finished doing up the house we brought over 2 years ago (well there is always more you want to do) and we have put together savings so I can take the whole 12 months off it is still is going to be a hit but manageable we are pretty frugal anyway, good luck with your extension :).

@Peach1204 My periods due to finish tomorrow as well, I am so keen to just get going now I am in the mindset.

@Summertime1992 how exciting! It's nice to know someone who is in sync so you can go through it all together. Would you take an early test? I think I would psychologically think I have pregnancy symptoms so would wait until a missed/late AF. Xxx

@Peach1204 It is, I have early pregnancy tests in the house, but I am not planning to test until day after period due if does not turn up, as do not want to worry about false negatives ( I say that now, the temptation will be hard).

I think the 2WW is going to be hard and I will be judging all my symptoms, but since I get a lot of them symptoms anyway normally with my period I am going to try and keep that in mind.

@Summertime1992 my plan too! Do it the day after AF was due. I'm quite sentimental so I'm thinking if it's this month it happens I'll tell my DH on Father's Day as all the timings would be correct. Xxx

@Peach1204 Thats what I was planning to do too if am lucky, getting a fathers day card and giving it to him saying he is going to be a dad, I am very sentimental too.

@Summertime1992 I love how we are both on the same wavelength! Keep me updated! Eeekkk! Xxx

Really sweet idea @Peach1204 @Summertime1992!! Keeping my fingers crossed!

Thank you @SaraVB - I'm not keeping my hopes up as it's all still new! Xxx

@Peach1204 @Summertime1992 such a lovely idea 🥰 everything crossed for you both!

Thank you @HJen22 😊 any pregnancy announcement is obviously amazing but it would be nice to do it on that day. We will see! Xxx

This thread is moving so fast and I’m so rubbish at keeping up

@Peach1204 hopefully in nine months when baby would be due, your DH’s work will have picked up a bit. It does sound like your DH’s boss is understanding, so hopefully he’ll be able to carry forward holiday.

@LennyAndToots my dad bought us a voucher for a weekend away. Fortunately, it’s only the Cotswolds but we’ve booked the weekend after pubs and restaurants are due to open again so we have to just wait and see what happens there. If the break is delayed because pubs aren’t open yet (the hotel is a pub), we’ll have to work out whether we delay or not. My dad will pester us if we don’t go but we don’t feel comfortable sharing that we are TTC. Hopefully, you’ll get a BFP soon and be able to explain to your parents. For the time being maybe you can just fob them off with not getting too excited as you don’t know when things will return to ‘normal’.