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! 😂

Thanks @MsQueenInTheNorth - I think I am in a similar boat, even when I'm not an insomniac it's not unusual for me to wake up a couple of times in the night. Perhaps I just need to stick with the OPKs and symptom awareness for now and save temping for down further down the line. I just love the idea of having all this extra data to look at!

@butterfly5291 that's a really good website! Thank you!

@queenatom I have been temping for 2 months now, and I have cracked down on the time I take my temp, but my sleep is a bit rough now and then so have quite a spikey graph, however I have to admit it is still giving me a vague idea of period/ovulation (I think). Once I start doing OPKs I think it will really help me to drill down ovulation. I found using fertility friend has been a really good app to use as it plots the graphs for you and you can put in a whole heap of information.

I'm a data geek so I was the same and like to have multiple graphs and all sorts on the go to see whats going on with the body. It probably is a bit over kill, but I kinda enjoy it!

Having said that, my app put my ovulation date down on CD 14 based on just temps, and when I put in CM info, it changed it to CD 16. I removed the info of CM because to be honest I was just guessing and it moved it back to CD 14 and period due Monday. So now I am kinda confused as to when I am due! I can imagine this can cause so many issues when it comes to actually TTC!

@queenatom I love having the data too- it was one of my favourite things about using Natural Cycles! I have Flo and Ovia at the moment and they don’t quite agree, although I have been using Flo for a lot longer.

Would you recommend Fertility Friend @CookieMonster3001? I probably don’t need another app () but I am quite enjoying using them. I can’t work out whether it’s a paid for one or not though?

I am using Ovia too. it said my fertile day was CD 14 which is when I did my OPK which was pretty dark so I think it was then or the day before. so it seems like that is pretty accurate. Good to have somewhere to log it all. just over a week till I am due on.

Must remember to get my vitamins later.

I never thought to look up what I would get paid so I looked up the mat pay for my work and its 6 weeks full pay, 12 @50% topped up with SMP and 21 weeks on SMP, then 13 weeks on nothing. Not sure if that is a good deal or not. It doesn't sound like a lot to live off of. Has made me realise I need to get saving and have a bit put away!

May I join? "Trying" for number 2 but my periods haven't returned and DD is 19 months but breastfeeding like a newborn

I think if CV hadn't happened and she was still going to childcare I might have been in a better position but we are where we are and my preferred small age gap is growing and I didn't want a summer baby but that my be the case. She'll start nursery in September so that will cut down feeds again and there's supposed to be a way to convince your body that you it support 3 of you, need to do some more reading but I know I need to put weight on (sorry! I weigh less than before I had her and I was slim) and take vitamins (keep forgetting).

@MsQueenInTheNorth I do have to leave work 6 weeks before.
But because of the COVID situation I don‘t know if I can work regulary anyway when/if I‘m pregnant. I hope there won‘t be a second wave in fall or winter or spring :( I work with (small and not so small) children. We decided to go for a baby anyway because we don‘t want to wait another year and nobody seems to know if it‘ll be better then.

Has COVID played a roll in anyones family planning?

Thanks for talking about your apps I think I need one now :D

I have just realised that the multivitamins I have been taking have only half the folic acid I need in them, fortunately I have 4 months before I start TTC going to get some new ones today, what else is important vitamin wise preconception?

@Nate1 we've been going through a similar thought pattern ie do we wait for covid to be over. But we said we may be waiting years, I am about to turn 32 and my husband has fertility issues so it may take us a long time so don't want to wait much longer.

@wrensandrobins I'm taking folic acid, vit. D, vit. B12 and iodine. It's all in one pill though :) It's a prenatal. The iodine is recommended mostly in the area I live because of a sufficiency in many continental european areas.

@Bells3032 I know if we would wait we maybe would be waiting at least a year and even if covid would be "over" other illnesses may appear. So I think we should just live our life as good as possible :) . There are alway risks we can't eliminate. Sorry if you've wrote it before but when do you plan on ttc at the moment?

btw. I just downloaded the "glow" app and like it so far. :)

@Nate1 The plan is to stop "not trying" in October with the intention to actively try in January (in theory). This all depends on a few things like my husband passing his new job's probation in September, selling my flat and finding a new house to at least have in progress.

Plus my husband is a cancer survivor and is currently undergoing hormone treatments which we should know the outcome of late September but doctors are hopeful. So a lot of what ifs.

@Bells3032 I wish you all the best especially for your husbands treatment! Maybe we will (non) actively ttc at the same time then.
Love that you're looking for a house :)! I've visited a friend a few times just outside of London and love the english countryside.

@Nate1 we'll have to be TTC buddies :) What are your plans. We live just inside greater london and looking to move to the london/herts border. Trying to find something near by dad and sister. I was very happy with the budget yetsterday. Where abouts do you live?

@Bells3032 Yes :) Oh great I know this region and I think it's lovely there. And still close to London for jobs etc. How's the housing market? Do you have lots of choices? In my area it's awful.

I live in the southwest of Germany in a city with about 600.000 inhabitants, which is big for Germany, but of course not compared to London. I would like to live close to my family. I think it is very sensible and smart of you to think about it. Unfortunately, my husband would like to work for larger companies after his exams next year, which are of course close to larger cities, and my parents live in the country. Well, cities also have advantages of course and I support him :)

@Nate1 the market is a bit all over the place atm. The first week after lockdown everything went under offer. Thankfully put my flat on at that time and it was under offer in a week. It's currently rented out and it's got a tenant in situ. But since that first week nothing seems to have gone. A lot has gone on the market at redic over-inflated prices (about 20% higher than six months ago) so waiting for it to cool off a bit and people to realise that buyers won't pay those prices.

How is everyone doing today?

I am feeling good- I lost another 4lbs on my diet this week which is encouraging. Still a long way to go though to get back to a somewhat healthy weight!
Also paid a chuck off of my credit card. I really want to be debt free and have a decent amount in savings if I do manage to conceive.

Which brand of vitamins are people taking?

@MsQueenInTheNorth I would recommend it if you are a data gal like me! They give you a free trial of their VIP membership too so you get all sorts of cool stuff on there

@JamesZebra 4lbs is amazing! Well done! I got my folic acid from Holland and barretts and my vit D from amazon. Realised that the dosage I got is far to high, so I am only going to take one every other day (I got 100mg/4000IU dosage - probs should have read up about that before buying them!)

Still no sign of AF and I am now 3 days late because my FF app pushed ovulation back a day again. No symptoms no nothing! No idea what the hell is going on with my body at the moment. Have never been this late before. No weight loss for me this week as I just cannot stop eating! Need to put a lock on the door.

Hello!

@jameszebra wow 4lbs is brilliant! What have you been doing? I'm going to weigh myself in the morning actually, haven't weighed myself in a while.

I've been good, still waiting for the gynaecologist to call me but I feel better now I have a plan, going to have the procedure regardless of what NHS say and pleased I've still got time before we start TTC.

I bought some Brazil nuts in Sainsburys the other day for OH. They're really high in selenium which is good for sperm quality. I also popped into Lidl this morning to buy some candles and saw Brazil nuts for a third of the price so will be going there to get them moving forward.

I feel like I'm ovulating today, cramps and EWCM so I'm going to do an ovulation test. According to my app (I use Flo) I'm not ovulating for another three days but I've been reading up and basically it's a myth that women ovulate on day 14 of their cycle because our cycles are all diff lengths.

How's everyone else getting on?

Great work @JamesZebra! My weight has been stubbornly static for the past 2 weeks. I seem to go through patches where I lose nothing for 2 - 3 weeks then a kg at once, so hoping I have a drop coming soon!

I'm taking Pregnacare Before Conception multi-vitamins - they were on a deal so won't pretend there was a huge amount of science in the decision!

No insomnia for me last night, which I'm so glad about. I slept straight through to my alarm - went it started going off on the other side of the room I went to leap out of bed before realising that I needed to take my BBT. Had to lie there for two mins whilst I waited for my reading - husband was not impressed! Lesson learned...

@Nate1 Oh that’s interesting, that you have a sort of ‘enforced’ start to maternity leave. As far as I’m aware you can keep working right up until your waters break here! I’m sorry about the uncertainty though, it’s such a strange time.

Well done on the weight loss @JamesZebra! I weighed myself this morning and I’d lost 2lb since last week, so feeling pleased with that. I’ve got a couple of UK breaks planned for the summer though, so I imagine lots will go back on then

Thanks @CookieMonster3001, I might give it a go! I’m persevering with Ovia but I’m not a huge fan at the moment, so I might make a switch. Is there a free option, or just a free trial?

I Flo too @sunflowersaremyfav93, but I don’t think it’s always very accurate with my ovulation either. Isn’t it more that they’re assuming most women get their period 14 days after the ovulate, not that they ovulate on day 14 of their cycle? Flo always adjusts my ovulation date for the previous month to 14 days before my current period started. It always starts off as day 12 or 13 as I normally have 26/27 day cycles, but if I’m a couple of days late it then moves my ovulation day back? Sorry, I’m probably not explaining that very well and I might not be right anyway!

That’s meant to say “use Flo”. I haven’t quite progressed to using “Flo” as a verb

ooooh @CookieMonster3001 do you think there is a chance you could be pg?

@sunflowersaremyfav93 I am doing the cambridge diet.....good weight loss but not sure how sustainable it is long term and I have a feeling the weight will creep back on very easily the moment I stop but I needed to do something really drastic as I was ballooning! I got up to 17stone at one point!!! I am back down in the 15 bracket now but even that is far from ideal. Still I will keep going for as long as I can.
I bought my DP some Brazil nuts but he wouldn't eat them He's more of the "if it happens, it happens" mindset.
Deffo do an opk. I think I ovulate at different times each month.

@queenatom do you have to do your BBT as soon as you wake up? My friend told me one of the best things you can do with weight loss is drink loads so I am doing 3-4L a day at the mo.

@MsQueenInTheNorth there is a free version but I think it auto upgrades you for free for the first month. I quite like it and its £20 for 3 months with a voucher code to get access for a whole year at the moment, so may consider going for it! I am going to wait for the free trial to run out and see how basic it actually is.

@JamesZebra tbh, I am not too sure! Me and OH have been using the withdrawal method ever since I came off the pill. He doesn't think its possible to get preg that way, but I think it is possible, very low chance, but still possible, and we last DTD on CD12. Before yesterday it was saying that I ovulated CD 14, but after logging my temp this morning it has now moved it to CD 16. So no idea tbh!! I have been feeling superr tired, mild cramping and a couple of headaches here and there, but nothing major. Luckily when I ordered my OPKs, they come with 20 pregnancy tests too, so if AF still hasn't arrived by the time the OPKs arrive (probably gonna be 5 days late by then) then I might just test.

I spoke about it with OH last night, and although he thinks I am just stressing he did also say if you are then that's good, just not for my bridesmaid dress next year!

@JamesZebra Yes, everything I’ve seen on BBT says you have to do it as soon as you wake up before getting out of bed or it affects the accuracy. There are all sorts of other things that can throw it off too like broken sleep, alcohol and being unwell. Not sure I’ll have much luck getting accurate results.

Cambridge diet sounds hardcore!

Hi all, had previously been in contact.. just came off the pill mid june. Still no first period yet.

Out of curiosity iv taken two ovulation tests this week. First one showed a very faded line. The second today throught I'd take just had 5 mins to spare, the line is as dark as the other?? This mean its baby making time????

Ahhhhhh what to do!!!😅🤔

@KittyT30 Doesn't look quite at peak (the second line isn't quite as dark as the control) but not far off! Certainly can't hurt to get to it - and I'd also test again later this evening and see if you get a darker line then.