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! 😂

@mackjm20 that's awesome! Well done! we are both so close! Knowing you are about to start TTC definitely helps with the motivation I think!

I have been calorie counting, for the first 8 weeks I gave up sugar but I have reintroduced it in small amounts. Cutting sugar cold turkey definitely helped get rid of the cravings making the rest of the time a bit easier! I have also upped my exercise but I did skip the run this morning when I saw the weather 🤣 driving rain and running are not my favourite way to start a week!

@wrensandrobins that's an incredible loss! Well done!!

Back on my healthy eating plan today (she says while eating an all-butter croissant) haha.

Hope everyone is well and welcome to all the newbies! So good to hear there is so many of us in the pre-planning stage.

@wrensandrobins thank you :) I know I think it defo does give you that extra motivation that’s for sure :)

That’s so good you have managed it calorie counting as keeps a much more balanced diet!

Oh gosh I know I saw the rain and thought evening run maybe! Haha x

One thing I am unsure about.. I have been having a multivitamin a day- but I noticed last month that the folic acid was only about half the recommended when you are TTC so I brought a TTC supplement, but that only has folic acid and Vit D, because I'm dieting I would rather be having a multivitamin to make sure I'm getting enough iron and calcium and other minerals in my diet, so am I am wondering if it is ok to take the multivitamin too, at least while I'm dieting and not actively trying to conceive- It doesn't have vitamin a in it which I know is a big no when you are pregnant.

My current theory is to take the multivitamin as well until we start actively trying, but then drop it and just stick to the preconception tablets.

Am I overthinking this?

Well done on your weight loss @wrensandrobins and @mackjm20, that’s brilliant! I have 24lb to go until my ideal weight, but I’m happy today as I have managed to get my waist down to 34.5 inches I carry pretty much all my extra weight on my stomach so even though I’m a size 12-14 (so not that big) my previous waist measurement was in the ‘MAKE AN IMMEDIATE APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR DOCTOR’ category
But I’m not in that category anymore!

If you’re worried about taking the vitamins together, would it be worth switching to a basic pregnancy/conception multivitamin? Then you’d know that you were getting enough of everything, but not too much!

@MsQueenInTheNorth that's great! Definitely a good achievement and a bonus for your health :)

That's why I swapped to the seven seas 'trying for a baby' brand- but when I looked it literally said vitamin D and folic acid- and I'm worried about other things I might be deficient in.

But while I was typing this I looked at the packet again- and although it does say folic acid and D on the front it has all the other ones listed on the side 🤣🤣🤣

🤦‍♀️

Hi everyone, and welcome to all the newbies 😊 I had the weekend offline to celebrate my birthday which was lovely, and I was thoroughly spoilt by DH and my family.

@Nate1 yes sorry my message was a bit confusing! I made a case for starting TTC in September when DH wants to start in October. He just needs this appointment to come through to check everything has cleared up with a testicular infection he had (apparently really common in young men), so he’s said that if it comes through in August then we can talk about TTC in Sept!

Well done everyone on your weight loss, that’s amazing! I only put on a pound over the birthday weekend, which I was quite happy with considering I had steak, lots of cake and pimms! I’d like to lose close to a stone over the next 6 weeks, so back on the healthy eating this week.

all the great weigh losses encouraged me to go for a run and I managed to run 20 minutes straight (this is a big deal for me!). I am not going to lie, the last 5 minutes I felt like I was going to die, but I did it!

My boobs were absolutely killing me while running though! Weird considering I'm not due for over a week. My nipples have been pretty painful recently.

I booked my smear for next week as well and then I bloody realised I'm due on the next day. Does anyone know if you can have a smear test if your on your period. Although I don't think I like the sound of that, but getting appointments at my dr's at the moment is a pain in the backside. I'm tempted to just wait it out and if it starts on the day then cancel?

@CookieMonster3001 I think you’re meant to avoid during as well as the couple of days before and after your period from memory. I’m not sure if this is simply due to ease for the nurse, or whether it can affect the result so might be worth checking with them

p.s. well done on the run!

@Lollipop87 Glad you had a great birthday! Nice to relax and unwind.

Yeh I think I might just give them a call tomorrow and see if they can re-arrange it for me. Maybe if I call early enough I wont have to wait too long for another appointment.

Great efforts on the weight loss all round! Number on my scale is finally moving down again, very very slowly!

@CookieMonster3001 don't think you can have a smear on your period, the blood invalidates the sample from memory. Good work on the run - I turned my ankle at the weekend whilst running so think I'll have to rest up for a few days till it feels better.

Another high temp today so think that's ovulation confirmed for me. Been feeling really weird though and my breasts are also sore - really hoping it's not AF again so soon as that would be a problematically short cycle!

wow well done on all the weight losses! I have lost 21lbs so far but really I'd like to lose another 50 lbs!!! Feels like such a far target but I will keep chipping away at it. I am losing about 3lbs a week at the mo so hopefully if I can keep that up it won't take too long.

DP is now coming around to the idea of taking some vitamins......i just wish he would agree to go get his sperm checked. I have ordered some pre-seed today so that is kinda exciting......again Dp will think I have totally lost the plot if show him.

I know what you mean about the week before your period......I found myself looking at prams and clothes and getting a little bit carried away. It's so hard waiting. I think with everything going on at the mo it makes time drag and it all feels like forever and a day away.

How are we all doing today?

All of my ads on Facebook etc are now for infertility clinics - do they know something I don’t?!

@JamesZebra that's an amazing loss! and 3lbs a week that's so good! I still cant stop myself from snacking! Ever since I had a week off work, I have been thrown off!

@queenatom yeah I think I am just going to call them and re-arrange rather than flap around closer to the time. Especially cus I keep feeling period symptoms already, so I feel like this might be a super short cycle and my period is going to come way earlier than normal!

Also noticed something really strange yesterday on my BBT chart and had a huge dip in temperature yesterday. Given that I have been feeling like I am going to start early I just thought that was it, but then this morning it shot straight back up again.

I think I am going crazy. I haven't even started TTC yet and I feel like I'm going through a TWW and symptom spotting for no reason!

Pic of chart if you are interested in my psychoticness!!

Hi :)

@queenatom :D well they sure know you want a baby and googled fertility related stuff for quite a while :D The first page whenever I‘m on YouTube looks like a mix out of fertility/baby/pregnancy/labor/veganism/yoga/hiit mix :D which to be honest is an accurate mirror of my psyche :D

@CookieMonster3001 I think a short dip in temperature is totally normal and doesn’t count. It could be because of a number of reasons - quality of sleep being one of them. :) otherwise your temping looks great! I wish mine would be as clear. I always have low Temperatur even in my luteal phase I hardly ever am above 36,4 * Celcius

@Nate1 thanks! I think the closer I get to it, the more I am freaking out over silly things for no reason.

@queenatom I know the feeling. All the adverts on FB for me are getting free baby packages, or booking in early scans or apps for tracking your pregnancy!

Oh also I wanted to tell you - since I asked for your advice here - I didn’t exactly tell my mum about starting to ttc on a certain date and therefore not being able to go on a holiday with her but I just had a great talk to her about ttc in general and other future related stuff so I think even though I didn’t say explicitly she knows :D I wonder if I get this superpower of knowing what’s going on in other people’s life’s as soon as I‘m a mum haha :D

The first month of taking calcium for PMT is not having the results I hoped for! I'm in such an irritable mood, and craving so much sweet stuff! I have managed to keep it to a square of dark chocolate but I have snapped at my partner several times and ended up apologising. I just feel irrationally angry over everything!

Coming off the pill tomorrow (but using condoms for a few months)

Can I join so much good advice on here!

Looking to start trying early next year but I am a planner and already got a spreadsheet going haha

So many big work things for me happening later this year that I need to be on top form so don’t think I can start til Jan. my best friend is 11 weeks and has really bad morning sickness from 6-10 weeks so I want to be over cautionous and get any big meetings out the way just in case!

Definitely need to loose some weight (Bloody lockdown!) and get my steps up. Looking forward to hearing more about all your journeys!

@CookieMonster3001 your chart is beautiful! Mine is a total state, I’m such a restless sleeper and I don’t think that helps. I am also symptom spotting like a loon even though we aren’t trying, so you’re not alone!

I’m not concerned about the ads for baby clothes or tracking apps - I’m more concerned that all of my ads are for IVF clinics! 😂

Welcome @smileyplant!

@queenatom My YouTube is also all baby vlog and Pram reviews. It’s linked to our TV and everytime my husband opens the page I get a “WTF” eye roll from him!!!

@queenatom thank you!! I have got much better at charting then when I first started. I set an alarm at 5am and when it goes off I take my temp, go for a wee and then go back to bed, and it seems to be working for me so far!
I have days when I don't sleep so well but because the majority of my temps are done at the same time, a couple here and there doesn't really throw it off wack as much.

@smileyplant welcome! 😊

@Nate1 sounds like you had a good chat with your mum 😊

Somehow my Facebook hasn’t cottoned onto any of this as the only ads I get are for uncomfortable looking clothes and underwear (although maybe the underwear is a hint to get BD’ing 😂) DH has ordered a book called The Life of Dad, so I’ll let you know what he thinks of it. I’m feeling super impatient today, I think partly because I know August could be my last cycle before TTC but at the same time I might have one more month after that! It’s the only time I’ve ever looked forward to my period coming because I just find getting to know my cycle so interesting! (I’m weird right 😂)