Preconception planning - anyone want to join?

[sunflowersaremyfav93]

Hello!

I've been reading loads on the importance of pre-conception nutrition and preparing your body. Some say 3 months before and I've seen some that say 6 months before.

I find myself trawling through threads on Mumsnet but wondered if there were any ladies planning to start TTC in the next few months and wanted a forum to chat about ways to prepare / excitement of it all etc.

I often find myself going on to my bf and mum and they're like ok ok! 😂

@CookieMonster3001 nice to meet you too! So our birthdays must be quite close, I’m 33 on 26th July and from how far away you said your bday is I’m guessing you’re 33 on 31st?? Also you came on last night (sounds painful, hope you’re ok!) and I came on this morning...freaky!! I’m still trying to get the hang of periods just happening without me knowing as on the pill I would always know exactly when, and this is only my second cycle off the pill. Was only a day earlier than I was expecting though so guessing my cycle is more like 27 days (annoying though as DH and I have come on our first weekend away since Valentines Day and now we can’t DTD! Oh well, at least we aren’t trying yet )

@Emgem89 hi! Not a smoker but I do like a glass of wine or 2 from about Wed onwards! Used to be Thurs but then lockdown happened! I’ll definitely cut down once we actually start trying and want to lose about 10lb so will potentially start cutting down on alcohol from August onwards (it’s both our birthdays this month so getting those out of the way first!) xx

@maloney123 yes please let us know! I’m going to do some reading up on it too, literally want to do anything I can 😂

@cookiemonster3001 omg tell me about it!! It’s amazing how little they know about what it actually takes to make the baby 😂 and brilliant news that you’ve sooner to your sister about it! My friend ordered some bridesmaid dresses today, I’m asking for a size up so I can have it taken in if I do fall straight away, I’ll be about 12 weeks by her wedding so the size up will be ok and can have it taken in if I’m not (hopefully will be though).

Hi @emgem89 - my bf stopped smoking just after Easter, he didn’t do it for TTC reasons he just decided to stop generally because it’s not good but he found the stop smoking app to be really helpful. He does like a beer and I worry that will effect us? He keeps saying It just know it, I have strong swimmers’ ...typical man!! But I’m doing all I can to help without helping if that makes sense.. loading up our dinners with veg, buying loads of fruit, making him eat Brazil nuts (apparently even one nut a day is good) and I’m going to get him some male preconception vitamins too. I know there’s so much info, I really overwhelmed myself at the start of lockdown, I became obsessed with researching but ultimately being stress free, balanced diet, being active and folic is all you really need.

@sunflowersaremyfav93 my DH says that too about strong swimmers but annoyingly he actually knows that as he had to have a sperm count test after a testicular scare to make sure nothing was affected, and they told him he has a high sperm count! So I’m never sure whether I should be less anxious because at least I know his swimmers are good, or whether to be more anxious as if we have problems I’ll know it’s me! (Silly to worry about that but I’m such an over-thinker!)

Does anyone's OH take any supplements? What ones do people recommend?
Turning into a costly business this TTC!

@butterfly5291 some men take Zinc but i think no cigarettes, alcohol and coffee is even more important

Evening ladies!!

@Bells3032 my bdays 31st July! Day before yours!! And not too far from yours too @Lollipop87. And yep 33 this year!

Dont know if its just me but I have found my periods are super short since coming off the pill. Like a day or 2 long.

Welcome @Emgem89 so good to see so many of us pre-planning! Makes me feel less crazy haha.

My opks arrived today but think I will wait till Aug before using them!

Was thinking of getting zinc for hubby. You think itll increase his sex drive too? I sold it to him by saying itll help him with his balding too haha. Tomorrow is his last day vaping and then he is going cold turkey. Dont think I can stop him from drinking though. We dont drink much to be fair... just weekends so figured it will be ok.

Also picked up my first batch of decaf coffee. Thatll be fun!!!

My cousin also announced shes pregnant today and as much as I am soooo happy for her. Im also super jealous!!! Also turns out my older sister will be TTC for their 2nd child soon too and there could be a high chance (touch wood) we could both be pregs together. My little sister is sooo excited but cant help but feel anxious and a little pressure now!

@cookiemonster3001 my cousin just got pregnant too. I'm so jealous and Anxious

@CookieMonster3001 same here with the periods! My sister was on the coil and after she had that removed she had what she called a “monster period” but then got pregnant on her first cycle after that. So I was fully expecting my period to be much heavier than my pill “periods” (aka withdrawal bleeds) but they’re the same if not slightly lighter / shorter! Glad it’s not just me! Oh I have also switched to decaf tea but can’t honestly tell the difference, might be more noticeable with coffee but I don’t drink it!

So nice to know how that lots of you have also looked ahead and calculated how pregnant you’d be in future months depending on which month you fall. I can’t talk to DH about that, he already thinks I’m crazy thinking about Christmas in the summer but I’m a natural forward planner!

Just weighed myself, I weigh even less than I thought was my lowest point (and I swear the scales said I'd put on weight the other week) not sure I'm actually going to be able to convince my body to start having periods at this rate.

I made a spreadsheet to work out how long I'd have to pay overlapping childcare, every month I'm not pregnant the overlap gets smaller so easier on the budget, shame about the small age gap though.

A friend got pregnant a few months ago and when she told me I was really jealous because she was doing what I can't atm (our DDs are the same age) but she unfortunately miscarried and I feel awful about it and for her, especially giving the CV protocols in hospital atm (going to scans alone).

@CookieMonster3001 I quit caffein a few weeks ago and I still struggel on busy days :D It‘s hard! But I wanted to cut down a long time now and this is the perfect reason to quit. I drink lots of decaf though :D.

I feel you all with the baby envy I just saw an old friends newborn and he‘s sooo cute :)

@olderthanyouthink How much weight to you think you need to put on? I‘m slightly on the low side of the bmi messure too but never thought about it being an issue.. :D

I have been reading 'the impatient women's guide to getting pregnant' and she suggests calcium supplements in the months prior to getting pregnant and also fish oil, I'm starting to rattle with all the vitamins! One benefit of the calcium prior to conceiving is that it apparently reduces PMT which would be wonderful as I am absolutely all over the place one week of every month! My poor partner!

Apparently the 3 months before you conceive are really important for these things because it's those 'stores' and nutrition that will feed the tiny little developing embryo when it is first conceived and developing important bits like spinal cords and nervous systems :)

You shouldn't continue to take fish oil or calcium once you are pregnant though!

My partner said yesterday that he thinks I'm going a bit over the top with the supplements yesterday as we aren't going to try till December but I really do feel like getting myself in shape is giving me a focus, and will ultimately be good for me and any future babies! Yes most stuff says 3 months before for vitamins etc, but it can only be good for me to start now surely! It's only a month and a half earlier than the guidelines.
Also I have been dieting and losing weight and that can leave you short of nutrients!

Can you tell I feel a bit defensive 🤣

Sounds like everyone is doing really positive things to prepare. I think with everything CV going on at the mo it's nice to have a distraction and something to focus on.

Got horrible cramps today but I'm not due on for another 5 days so I'm not sure what is going on there. Going to distract myself with some decorating
Hope everyone is enjoying the nice weather again.....I managed to burn myself to a crisp in it yesterday

@Nate1 umm not sure but maybe 3-5kg? 5kg would put me where I was when I got pregnant but I weighed less before and had periods

Is it too late to join in? I’m planning to start TTC in October. Got implant out last week and starting vitamin D and cutting out alcohol and slowly cutting down caffeine but big think is I want to lose 4kg to be a healthy weight - thankfully gym opening again soon but struggling to motivate myself to slim down during lockdown.

Another fan of the inpatient women’s guide - full of lots of great info

Oh I wonder if The Impatient Woman’s Guide is the book my boss read, just read the Amazon reviews and everyone says it helped them feel calmer and more positive about the journey ahead, so thinking I might buy the kindle version when I get home tonight

@JamesZebra my husband and I went to the beach for our first post-lockdown weekend away and it was so lovely to be out and about, but I’ve just looked in the car mirror and my nose and scalp are looking rather pink, oops!

Hiya is it okay to join please?

We are planning to start ttc baby #1 in September and I am so happy to have stumbled across this group having read through the full thread it is so nice to hear other people having the same thoughts as me!

Trying to spend 12 weeks getting fit and losing as much weight as possible so doing the cambridge diet which is miserable but does seem to be working.

Also started taking folic acid but plan to get some vitamin d tomorrow after reading these posts :)

I had the coil taken out in Jan but truly I had no idea there was so much to all the tracking etc until I started researching!

Nice to know others are in this advance planning stage too :) x

@mackjm20 theres a support group on the diet page for cambridge too. I'm doing it at the mo. I'm on week 3 and I'm really hungry......I think its coz I'm due on. I caved tonight and ate a pasty which was over 300cals! So naughty. However tomorrow is a brand new day and I find it much easier to stick to it when I have work to distract me.

@JamesZebra Oo really which page? well done making it to 3 weeks that’s amazing! I did it before my wedding and lost so much so just hoping it will give me a 12 week burst :)

Omgosh I agree completely so much easier in the week and like you said tomorrow is a new day :)

@mackjm20 hi! It’s great to know there are other women going through the same thing isn’t it There are quite a few on here planning to start TTC in Sept/Oct so it’s nice that we’re in the same kind of pre-planning phase with all the weird and wonderful thoughts that go along with it!

@Lollipop87 thank you. Omgosh isn’t it just. I was starting to think I was genuinely going crazy so it’s reassuring to know I’m not the only planner out there :)

That will be amazing in sept/ Oct when some of us start ttc at the same time! X

Good morning :) just came here to wish all of you a good start into the new week. And hi to all of you who joined.

Morning all! Hope everyone had a good weekend?

My period/withdrawal bleed (not sure whether it officially counts as a period?) arrived in full force on Saturday. Like some of you have mentioned, I'm interested to see what they look like after the implant - before contraception mine were short (3 days) and not too painful, so would be good if they could be like that again!

Morning everyone!

@queenatom mine this month has seemed to only last two and a half days! Although it could come back, it does that sometimes I’m not sure if maybe my uterine layer just hasn’t built back up enough yet. I think I’m probably ovulating though, I’ve been logging my cervical fluid (sorry for TMI) and it seems to match what it’s meant to be like leading up to and around the day of ovulation and it’s different to when I was on the pill.

Downloaded The Impatient Woman’s Guide last night and already started reading it, it’s very interesting!