Preparing to TTC in 2022

[WingingIt09]

DH has agreed to starting to TTC baby #3 in April/May. We already have a 2 daughters (age 4 and 2). I'm so excited to start trying! I think it's going to be a long wait until we can start actively trying!

Starting to think about things to do to help prepare my body. I'm currently on the progesterone only pill so thinking of when to stop it. I have 5 days left in this packet and then one packet left after that in my current prescription. Don't know whether to stop when I finishes this packet or at the end of Jan after my next packet. Any experiences of how long it takes cycle to regulate after the pill?

I need to try and eat healthier as I've been so bad recently with Christmas but I'm a healthy weight so not too worried there. Also ordered some TTC vitamins which I remember from previous pregnancies is good to take 3 months before TTC.

Anything else I could do? Is there anyone else who will be starting to try later in the year and so excited that you're already on here 🙈?

@hevann

Hi, a thread I can finally comment on! Lol! I hope it's ok to join? I have 19 pills to take before I'm off. Not going to lie I'm really nervous. I've been on the pill since I was 16 & switched pills 6 years ago due to migraines and haven't had a period since. DH & I have been talking about having a baby for years & now after all the excuses have run out (we need to be more financially stable, we need a house... blah) we're finally there. I'm so excited to start trying but I'm nearly 36 & so scared it might not happen. Looking forward to hearing everyone's journey though & hopefully sharing advice xx

This sounds so familiar! For us it was when we get a house, and then we needed to get a dog first.. luckily he didn't insist on getting married as well! I have recently turned 34 so anxious to get on with it now. No reason to think it won't happen for us but it is still a worry. It's nice to be able to hear from people who are in the same boat. Good luck :)

Just had a chat with DH and we think we will be booking the reversal for the 14th April!

@Vasectomyreversalhopeful that's exciting!

So many of us seem to have the same worries about being able to conceive.. it must be normal and natural, especially when you hear of so many couples who have unfortunately had difficulties!

Has anyone thought of holidays next year and planning them around a potential pregnancy? We thought of maybe going somewhere end of next year but I'm like.. maybe I will be pregnant, so may plan somewhere that isn't very far away where I know there is good medical care just incase. Then again, am I jinxing it? First World problems I know!

We have a possible holiday in early summer that’s been cancelled 2 years running that we’d go on regardless but I’m not planning too far ahead (I rarely do) just in case. I probably wouldn’t want to go far for a lot of the third trimester. Also first tri if sick would not be the best but might be a helpful distraction.
One last relaxing holiday before the arrival of a first baby would be nice sometime towards the end of the second trimester.
Some people breeze through as if they’re not pregnant and some people don’t do pregnancy well, sometimes it’s different each time, and so I don’t think you know what you can cope with til you get nearer.

@HippeePrincess

We have a possible holiday in early summer that’s been cancelled 2 years running that we’d go on regardless but I’m not planning too far ahead (I rarely do) just in case. I probably wouldn’t want to go far for a lot of the third trimester. Also first tri if sick would not be the best but might be a helpful distraction. One last relaxing holiday before the arrival of a first baby would be nice sometime towards the end of the second trimester. Some people breeze through as if they’re not pregnant and some people don’t do pregnancy well, sometimes it’s different each time, and so I don’t think you know what you can cope with til you get nearer.

I think this will be the first time where we will not book anything in advance, its very true, if we were lucky to conceive we wouldn't know when and how far gone etc plus I am very sensitive to hormones, I've had to come off several types of pills because my body couldn't adjust (i.e bad migraines etc) so I wouldn't be surprised if I did get bad sickness!

A couple of my friends have just gone on a babymoon as they call it.. both 6/7 months pregnant and they took some lovely bump photos and had a relaxing time.. looked marvellous!

I cant help but feel a little jealous seeing so many of my friends pregnant/having children but fingers crossed my time will come in the nearby future!

@Summerbreeze111 we have a holiday to Disneyland Paris booked beginning of May, which is why we're waiting till then to try. I'd love to try sooner but also want to be able to do all the rides etc with my daughters and won't be able to do them pregnant!

@HippeePrincess definitely do a babymoon of some description if you can, holidays with kids are an entirely different kettle of fish and relaxing is not the word I'd use for them 😂

Our holiday is DLP too but I’m not keen to go because of the mask wearing and wary France will have more restrictions again.

I don’t think I have anyone to have my older kids (their dad is pretty unhelpful and unreliable) and we have to go in school holidays due to dp’s job so very expensive and unlikely it would coincide with a good time in the pregnancy but you never know.

I am also unsure about travel when pregnant especially in these covid times.
However, I hoped to travel to Germany to see family in the summer. Will see.

We have a weekend cruise booked in April & a big family holiday to Turkey at the end of May. I'm in a mindset now that, I have put my life on hold so much over the years with work etc.. that I need to now actually start thinking about me. Life is too short for what ifs. I may not fall pregnant this year or I may fall pregnant quickly I just don't know but what I do know is that I want to make as many memories as I can and if I am pregnant when I do them that'll be even more amazing, I think! I may not say that when I actually am pregnant though! Lol! x

It's so lovely to hear so many of you feeling the same worries as me about TTC. I just have this dread and fear that it won't be easy for us, and I've no reason to think that! Everyone around me just seems to find it so easy which makes me think I must be the one to have problems, terrible I know but reassuring that I'm not the only one to feel this way. My sister fell pregnant last year on her first try, and by first I mean they only dtd once randomly and it happened! I'm on my second cycle since coming off the pill, and still waiting for things to settle a bit. Sending love to everyone! @Summerbreeze111 I'm very sensitive to hormone changes too, I suffer with migraines and am slowly weaning myself off my preventative tablets, hoping I don't suffer too badly.

I think sometimes we know too much for our own good and think we have all this control over our fertility through contraception. It’s hammered in to us that it can take unprotected sex just once to conceive that we think that it’s so easy to get pregnant that we then almost think we can time it to suit us and when it take a normal amount of time to fall pregnant we freak out. There’s the micro managing of timing sex to ovulation as well which is marketed at all women getting pregnant when it would probably be better to just have regular sex for most couples.
We also don’t often talk to others about ttc unless it’s anonymous, or at least my circles don’t, quite often to do with this whole keeping a pregnancy secret for 12 weeks so as to throw people off the scent.
We only then hear of the accidental/surprises or when people have had to have ivf but don’t hear about the normal few months up to a great stories.
There’s so much around as well about declining fertility which doesn’t necessarily help us either.
I don’t know what the answer is.

@HippeePrincess yes I'm worried about mask wearing/increased restrictions too. It's another reason I don't want to be pregnant when we go so will wait to try as much as it's driving me a little nuts 😂 This is our last year of being able to holiday in term time before DD1 starts school so I'm desperate to get there as it'll be so much more expensive in school holidays!

@Sassy144 I think it's the relative lack of control we have over fertility/conception that causes the worries. We can do everything 'right' and there's still that element we can't control. Having a baby is such a big thing and you want to plan the best timing but unfortunately we can't fully do that, causing additional stress/worry!

I wear a mask for 8 hours a day at work but I still hate them and don’t see the point of wearing them outside in the park, and am particularly upset at over 5’s having to wear them which means both my kids wearing them all holiday - that doesn’t scream holiday for us!

@HippeePrincess

I think sometimes we know too much for our own good and think we have all this control over our fertility through contraception. It’s hammered in to us that it can take unprotected sex just once to conceive that we think that it’s so easy to get pregnant that we then almost think we can time it to suit us and when it take a normal amount of time to fall pregnant we freak out. There’s the micro managing of timing sex to ovulation as well which is marketed at all women getting pregnant when it would probably be better to just have regular sex for most couples. We also don’t often talk to others about ttc unless it’s anonymous, or at least my circles don’t, quite often to do with this whole keeping a pregnancy secret for 12 weeks so as to throw people off the scent. We only then hear of the accidental/surprises or when people have had to have ivf but don’t hear about the normal few months up to a great stories. There’s so much around as well about declining fertility which doesn’t necessarily help us either. I don’t know what the answer is.

Absolutely it's terrifying. I'm on month 5 TTC and it just isn't going well. It doesn't help me and dp don't have regular sex because he doesn't want it and refuses to have it at all if it's "on demand" aka when I say I'm ovulating it's so frustrating. All I seem to see everywhere is people struggling to get pregnant and worry there's something wrong.

Do we think fertility tests are accurate or a bit of a scam? Seems so many people have them get told there's nothing wrong yet still can't conceive.

Thanks for the welcome @WingingIt09 😁

@hevann - glad to hear it’s not just me that’s nervous! I felt amazing coming off the pill and letting my body do it’s thing. Hope it all goes well for you! Totally agree with you about holidays etc and putting your life on hold. Somethings changed in my head recently and I’ve felt the same that I’m going to do what’s right for me (and my husband).

@Summerbreeze111 - so true! I’m glad it’s not just me and I’m trying to not let those thoughts creep in! I have a holiday in March to America but I’m not too worried. If I’m pregnant, I’m pregnant if I’m not then that’s okay too. But I know what you mean it’s hard to plan any further down the line as don’t know where we will be!

@Sassy144 - This is the same as me! So many people I know have conceived quickly I just can’t imagine it’ll be like that for me but for no reason at all! Maybe we can all talk some sense into each other and hopefully prove ourselves wrong! 😁

@ShaneTheThird - sorry to hear you feel it’s not going well. I don’t know about fertility tests so hopefully someone else can help you hear but sending you lots of positive vibes and hope for the best for you. 🧡

@HippeePrincess I'm hoping things will change by May but I won't hold my breath. Luckily my kids are both under 5 so it will just be the adults who need to wear them. When are you due to go?

We provisionally said July, we are going with friends, we were booked for Spring 2020 and had to cancel, we didn't rebook due to all the restrictions and uncertainty but said we would aim for this summer. None of the group want to go with the disruptions to the shows, parades, fireworks and masks etc so I can't see us going at this rate. I was happy to put up with the masks for adults but not for our young kids. Again I can understand on inside attractions but not in the open air.

@HippeePrincess fair enough. I agree masks in open air doesn't make much sense!

Taken my last pill this evening so waiting for my withdrawal bleed now before I can start tracking my cycles!

That’s so exciting! What are you going to do in terms of tracking? Or just waiting til you next get your period?

@HippeePrincess I think I'll just track cervical mucus and symptoms this cycle until I get my period. I have some ovulation tests that I could start to use but not sure when to use them. I could use them before actively trying so that I get an idea of if I'm ovulating and when is normal for me but feel it might be OTT to use ovulation tests before actually trying! Maybe will just save those for April/May... kinda want to do the, just as I'm so excited to be taking the first step even if not actually trying yet 😂😂 I feel nuts!

I probably wouldn't waste ovulation tests til you've at least had one natural period, and I guess it depends if you want a general picture of when you tend to ovulate or if you will want/need to time sex.

I probably wouldn't worry about using ovulation tests until you've had a period or are TTC - they are expensive! But track cervical mucus, look out for pangs and pains etc. You might also get a withdrawal bleed a few weeks after coming off the pill, I didn't but I had a 40 day cycle.

I would love to join please! We will hopefully be starting to TTC Baby #2 in a few months. Like many, there are some practical arrangements we need to consider (such as WFH arrangements) but I am so excited to start trying. It’s lovely to have others in similar positions.

I am going to buy some folic acid this week to start taking. X