Preparing for conception

[AwkwardHuman]

Hi everyone

I’m about 6-12 months off TTC but starting on vitamins, cycle tracking etc to be prepared. I want to get going but have some weight to lose and recently started a new job, plus we have a holiday booked for next Feb (lots of drama there) but want to feel like we’re on our way there, to me it feels like I’ve been waiting for years to get going. Is there anyone else on here pre-TTC? (Sorry if this is way too early and I’m just a massive over thinker ). I’ve read and heard of so many horror stories I’m honestly freaking out so much about this process. Can anyone share some advice or heartening stories to help us early-panicers?

Ooh good thread! I'd also be interested in other people's stories. I had about 3 months to prepare and started on Inessa Pregnancy mutli-vits and some other general ones like Omega. I also tracked my periods just on the Clue app. However, I realised that I have a bit of a wonky cycle pattern so their ovulation prediction was off for me so I used OPK and felt a lot more in control as it my ovulation symptoms were subtle so I'm not stressing and relying on them but I found it a useful exercises.

I'm also just generally eating better and upping the exercise (from nothing to something lol every little helps!)

I'm also saving hard for maternity etc.

I’m on a similar time frame, waiting to move house and to be entitled to an enhanced maternity package but time isn’t massively on my side. I’m just hoping I fall pregnant as quickly as I did with my other but that was 7 & 10 years ago!
I’m still on hormonal contraception as it would not be good for us to have an early oops. About 3 months before ttc we both plan to start taking conception vitamins, but I’ll remain on birth control until right up to ttc. Again hoping my cycle will be regular like it has been before ttc my other two.
I’m also losing some lockdown weight and hoping to have been at goal weight for a few months by then. My bmi was over 30 which after losing a stone it isn’t now. I want it to be under 25 before we ttc giving us a better chance.
I don’t plan to track ovulation, or time sex as I have never done so before, however this time will be with a new partner so not sure how it will go.

Ahh good to know I’m not alone! Really glad to have heard from you

@Upsideandundergarments Thanks, and glad you’ve not found the tracking too stressful, I’ve heard it can be quite a process. I’ve been on the pill for about 10 years and I’m really not sure what’s going to happen when I come off, I had long-ish cycles before and missed a period if I was super stressed but I was 18 in A-levels at the time so who knows how it’s changed from then 🤷‍♀️ With you there on maternity, that’s part of the timeframe for us especially since I want to take a year off. Is this your first?

@HippeePrincess We’ve just moved too, don’t know how you’re finding it but we found it really difficult in current circumstances, but also very happy about the stamp duty freeze! Well done on the weight loss! I’m working through that too, of course for the health benefits but I’m also really anxious about judgy nurses which I’ve had a couple of 🙃 2.5st out of the 5 lost so far, hoping to really kick it in come summer weather. Hopefully cycles will be as with your previous two! Can’t remember what mine were like really so wanting to track to learn about myself a bit, though I’ve got it pretty good on the pill so not keen to spin the wheel of uncontrolled symptoms either 🙈

I have a loud bio clock ringing so constantly researching baby things, got a box full of bits we buy when we see them in sales etc… know we’ll be massively better off in a few months but honestly I’m just so excited to be a mum.

Not been on MN long but I think the phrase is ‘baby dust’ to you! ❤️

The most important advice I'd say would be to not have high expectations for it to happen quickly (which is not to say it won't) and not to put too much pressure on yourself.

Just before I started ttc a friend said to me the same thing and added that it took 2 years for her to fall pregnant with her child and her fertility was perfectly fine, it just took time. My words back to her were, "No, I can't wait that long." However, it took me 8 months to conceive, then I had a missed miscarriage and then another 8 months to conceive, so my journey start to birth was 27 months. Point being - more than 2 years!!

You read so many stories of people falling pregnant first, second and third time but it actually is much more common to fall pregnant in the 6-12 month bracket. Thing is, people don't brag about it taking them 10 months so you see it much less!

Good luck for the future! I now have an 8 month old dd and may start ttc #2 in September time.

I actually haven’t even put my house on the market, I haven’t had the time and I’ve got a couple of things to sort out. Depending on where we plan to go my partner will need to have passes his driving test which has been tricky with COVID! I don’t think we will get the stamp duty discount because I don’t even have a payslip yet let alone a mortgage in place etc. Luckily the stamp duty won’t be huge as our budget isn’t massive.
I doubt you’ll be judged by anyone about your weight but it’s always best to be in the best shape you can beforehand and I’ll try and watch what I eat during the pregnancy this time too!
I remember coming off the pill after 10 years it took me 3 months to get a period and I was full of symptoms all of the time.

Love this thread OP. I'm like you in that I've been waiting for ages to get started and love to plan and prepare for things- to the point where I've put dates in my calendar for when to start taking which supplements etc! We're starting at the end of this year. We were going to go for it in the summer but with all the covid stuff going on longer than we thought we decided to push it back. personally it would take more than a pandemic to stop me wanting to have a baby but my partner wanted the extra time.

So far I've been focusing on my health. So I've cut back on drinking and I've been taking some extra supplements. I have mild endometriosis which can affect egg quality so I've been reading "It starts with the egg" to get my body/eggs in a better place. I've cut out sweetener in my coffee and also reducing my caffeine intake 😃