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! 😂

@olderthanyouthink why not 😂😂😂

@mackjm20 awww that's so lovely!!! I love it when they talk about it off their own back and not because we (I) have been ramming it into every convo we have. You're absolutely right about covid F-ing with plans!! We want to move house in March h next year to be closer to my family and just feel like after this stamp duty freeze hype had died down nobody will want to move or there will be a housing crash?? Any housing market experts here?
I was also due to get a promotion in April just gone which would've been a nice pay increase and that got put on hold, at this point I'm just thankful to have a job but yep in agreement that 2020 has been an absolute shocker. So are you starting next month? How exciting!!!! Are you going to do anything different this month to prep (even more) lol.

Hey everyone, I posted really early on about possibly trying soon but dependant on if I got a new job! Anyway I got the job which means we can look into trying maybe January! Now my next worry is what happens with maternity/job security and pregnancy if you are pregnant during your probation! This might never be an issue and after I start at my new place it may be best to wait a year or so to get settled but also the point of me changing career was to be I a better position for children so we don't want to put it off too long!

@MayDay27 congrats on your new job, that’s great news! I guess you just have to see how the first couple of months goes and go from there, when do you start?

@Lollipop87

Thank you :) I know it’s such a pain isn’t it?! That’s great that the nhs website was able to put your minds at rest in fairness my 2 girlies who gave birth in June so mid lockdown said that the care they received was incredible like obviously was sad to not have DHs there for everything but both have happy healthy baby girls which is the priority :) also I believe you can still book private scans with DHs allowed to attend so I would defo do that if they restrict again.

Aww I love when they say when rather than if feels so real then doesn’t it!! Ah sounds like us I think the move will be on hold now until early next year c’est la vie! That’s so lush that he even thought about the bath! Ah exactly sometimes (I don’t know if you feel the same) but I feel like I talk about babies so much but when DH says something unprompted it makes me so happy lol!

Oh no what a nightmare so sorry to hear about the holiday!! We are due to go to Prague September but I’m not holding my breath now as expect maybe will get cancelled too. Cornwall will be so lovely too.

Eek how exciting for September and being your last cycle! :) see even if my DH agrees to start ttc in sept for me I would still have my August cycle and sept cycle then af should end 26 sept so the plan would be to start ttc then I think :)

Keeping everything crossed for you that this is your last non ttc cycle :)

@sunflowersaremyfav93

Haha actually laughed out loud at you saying about ramming it into any convo!
I swear I can turn anything into baby talk now haha! “Fancy a sandwich” ...”oh couldn’t have Brie if pregnant” Or “new guy started at work” ... “what’s his name can I add it to boy baby list” hahaha!

Covid is such a nightmare isn’t it! Same with us about moving closer to family! Haha funny you ask for housing experts as I’m actually a mortgage adviser- the stamp duty freeze is certainly causing a rush at the moment but no mention yet of a crash after March will keep my eyes and ears open though! If you need any mortgage help just give me a shout :) We will most likely move after March now and I think a lot of others will be in a similar position after letting income recoup it’s self so fingers crossed it stabilises.

Ah I’m so sorry about the promotion that’s the worst! Hopefully they pick it up when they can :)

For us earliest would be after sept af so 26 sept onwards but subject to DH really 🤞🏻 I’ve already been on folic acid since start of July trying to lose as many lbs as poss and up the walking :) that’s about it really :) remind me when are you planning to start ttc?

Honestly I’m so relieved to have this chat because truly imagine just starting ttc and having no idea about all the prep lol I would be totally freaking out if I found this in sept haha!

@MayDay27 well done on the new job :) and fingers crossed for January :) I’ve got to be honest not sure about maternity/ probation as I’m self employed but good luck :)

Xxx

@sunflowersaremyfav93 hoping to start the job in September, it's been really nice to read through bits of this post and know I'm not alone in planning! It's silly I know because you can't ever decide when it will happen but I would love an September/ October/November baby. Obviously it makes no difference and we would just be so happy to be lucky enough to have a baby but when would you look to conceive for a due date Sep-Nov? Sorry to everyone that's mentioned weddings and holidays been postponed our wedding is still going ahead but with 8 guests!

@MayDay27 for statutory maternity pay the gov website says have worked for your employer continuouslyy_ for at least 26 weeks continuing into the ‘qualifying week’ - the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth

If your employer offers more you'll have to check with them! Maybe not on your first day! 🤣 I started my job in jan, and I covertly checked the handbook and it says stat only which I expected as small charity

A January conception would be a late September baby! Nine months but first babies are usually late!

@mackjm20 yes you’re right, I’d forgotten about private scans. There’s a lovely place near us that does them, bought my sister and her husband an early gender scan as a Christmas present so my mum and her MIL could go while we were all together at Christmas which was lovely and not too extortionate so I guess that’s an option. Yes it’s great when they say something unprompted isn’t it, makes me go all warm inside 🥰

@MayDay27 ooh congrats, when is your wedding? Some companies pay extra mat pay too, but you usually have to have worked there for 1-2 years to qualify. My company is 2 years and then you get 6 months full pay (which I’ve been told by an HR friend is practically unheard of these days!) hence why I’ve worked there 4 years and won’t leave until I’ve had at least a couple of kids! You might even want to start in December for a Sept baby, especially as like wrensandrobins said first babies are often late and at least then you’d get maximum chance of a Sept-Nov baby. I’ve always thought ahead to when my potential baby would be born depending on when we start TTC, DH thinks I’m mad 😂 When I wanted to start on honeymoon in Jan I was like “aww an October honeymoon baby would be lovely!” and now my very reason for wanting to start in Sept is to try and have a baby in June rather than July as we have too many birthdays then already! I know it’s silly as you can’t really plan these things but as a planner I like to at least consider them 😂

@Lollipop87 yea I think private scans will be the way forward for a lot of people and I know they are still allowing them with DH :)

Hi everyone....hope you've all had lovely Sundays.
I had my appointment with the neurologist yesterday about my headaches and cyst on the CT scan. He said it was insignificant and they are very common. He is going to do an MRI on Friday to just be totally sure there is nothing else physical going on but he is pretty sure they won't find anything. He thinks it's likely that he'll see anything and is thinking my headache were triggered by a virus (I've heard there's one going around 🙄) and unfortunately left me with what he said the actual name is "daily persistent headaches". He did say they might go in pregnancy with the hormone changes.

I'm 12 dpo now, tested yesterday and this morning but no bfp. My temperature is still high which is apparently a good sign and that it dipped on day 8.
I still think it's highly unlikely I am pregnant but need to know for sure by Friday before I have the MRI.

@butterfly5291 that is good news! Good luck Friday and I hope that your headaches go
Soon :)

Keeping everything crossed for you keep us updated :) xx

Great news @butterfly5291 hope you are feeling better soon!

Good news @butterfly5291 - fingers crossed for the MRI!

Thanks everyone...I am actually fine if I take medication...just want to come off it for when I do get pregnant....but it would be ok to keep taking if my headaches were still bad.

@butterfly5291 really pleased to hear that, hope the MRI goes well and that your headaches go away. Fingers crossed for your BFP really soon! Xx

Woke up this morning to the arrival of AF - sigh. I know I probably shouldn't be at this point (since I've only been off contraception for five weeks) but I'm a little concerned at how short my cycle was: 23 days and an apparently luteal phase of 8 days. Fingers crossed it will correct to something a bit longer over the next cycle or two!

@queenatom I imagine your hormones are still settling down, I wouldn't worry about that! I know it's disappointing though, have a nice day looking after yourself today ❤️

@queenatom sorry to hear sending love. My cycle was all over the place the first 2 months I came off the coil and has settled a lot now so fingers crossed it settles and for
Next cycle xxx

Good morning all!!

I have had a weekend full of booze and food. Feel like a whale now, but back on track today and going for a run in half an hour!

@mackjm20 I know what you mean about COVID plans, it initially put my OH off, but I don't think we will be delaying it now. And you are right, men definitely do think about these things, my OH just isn't hugely vocal about it, but this weekend he said he couldn't wait for there to be 3 of us next year instead of 2, which was so nice to hear!

@Lollipop87 sorry to hear your holiday has been cancelled! We've just booked a camping weekend in September but not 100% sure if it is going to go ahead. OH thinks there will be another lockdown at the end of Aug and it is going to cancel it! We are also planning on going Greece in October, so not sure that will happen either (luckily we haven't booked anything yet). EEk exciting that this could be your last non-TTC cycle! So excited for you.

@MayDay27 congrats on your new role. I think that seems sensible. We did the same thing with me. Mainly because the Mat Policy doesn't kick in until you have been with them a year and we simply couldn't afford having one before.

@butterfly5291 fingers crossed for this cycle! High temps still is defo a good sign. Hope the MRI goes well as well.

@queenatom I am so sorry AF has shown up. Give it some time, your cycle could take up to 6 months to get back on track.

I am so glad we have this chat, and although a lot of us aren't planning on TTC for a couple of months, it really does keep me sane!! Thank you ladies!

3 months until my TTC journey begins and I am so excited!

Thanks @mackjm20, that's reassuring to hear. Just spoke with a friend of mine who had the implant out last year and now has a four month old baby - her cycles were consistently 24 days after getting it out but her ovulation moved forward a bit as things settled, so more reassuring info.

Think I need to demand less of my system in such a short time and also look at the positives - I do seem to be ovulating and at least my cycle isn't super long as some have to deal with. Plus having come on now means I should be finished by our night away next weekend (when otherwise I'd have been just started).

How was everyone else's weekend?

@CookieMonster3001 covid has a lot to answer for! Amazing that you aren’t delaying though and so sweet about him saying he couldn’t wait for the 3 of you aww! So exciting that you are 3 months from ttc!

@queenatom that’s okay mine have just started to settle into 29 day cycle but still think the ovulation is a little unpredictable each month so will be just trying Atleast every other day :) those are some great positives :) hope you have a great weekend away :)

@CookieMonster3001 Agreed, it's great to have a place to talk about this stuff, think my husband is very glad I have somewhere to direct all this chat so that he isn't having to listen to me fret!

@CookieMonster3001 I drank way too much this weekend too! But I am consoling myself with the fact that I haven't had any alcohol in about 6 months. Had lots of sex too so hoping we might have a bit of luck this month. I'll see if I can upload a pic of my opk's - I am not sure what to think of them.

@queenatom I know lots of people who took a few months to settle back into a normal cycle after coming off their contraception - it sounds like yours is heading in the right direction.

@butterfly5291 fingers crossed for a BFP for you, good luck with your scan!

This is my opks for this month.