Anyone else getting ready to TTC?

[Skyla01]

Hi, I'm looking for buddies who have just started, or are about to start their TTC journey. I am TTC number 2. Stopped my pill around a month ago. Ideally want to conceive in the new year, but took a long time to fall pregnant with my first. So currently not trying too hard, but not preventing either. Would be nice to hear about other people's stories too 😊

Or happy to hear from anyone who is TTC for any length of time, don't mean to exclude anyone!

Hi Skyla. We have a 14 week old girl, and we’ve decided to try again .. I know I know, we’re crazy. I love her so much and want a big family ❤️

my first was a one hit wonder. Got the coil out in September, pregnant in October. Absolutely delighted. We are getting married next November so if we don’t conceive before the new year we won’t try until summer or so.. I don’t wana be ready to pop going down the aisle!

We have the same mentality as you, not trying too hard but not preventing. I think that’s the best mindset to have, less stress the better.

good luck sending you lots of baby dust xxx ✨✨

Hello! I think I’m in this bucket but even admitting feels like a huge step even though I’ve been lurking on this board for a while.

Currently not trying but not-not trying. Unfortunately all the action has been hampered by illness and work trips so an sure this month is the month. Thinking about TTC more proactively in Dec-Feb. Absolutely petrified buy the whole process without much reason. I’m going to be 34 in a month, married 2 years, and with DH for 10years prior to that. Have a sneaky feeling I’m not the most fertile (family history) so a bit scared that this is the start of a horrible journey. I haven’t changed any lifestyle factors, should I be? I drink wine every few days, caffeine everyday but other that that am very fit, vegetarian and exercise a good (but not excessive amount). Trying to go against my nature and not over research until needs must.
Have you ladies made life changes yet?

Hey, can I join? I had my coil out in September. I have endometriosis and we’ve started TTC after finding out I have low AMH when I went to get my eggs frozen earlier this year.. So I don’t think it’s going to be the easiest journey for us 😬 I already have one (much) older DC, but it will be my partner’s first.

Hi, new to this forum ☺️
My husband and I got married in July and started ‘trying’ last month. We were due to get married in 2020 and it only just happened this year for obvious reasons so feeling both excited and nervous to get started on our new journey 🥰

Hello - joining this thread as I have been stalking the conception threads for a while now but am actually finally in a 'preparing to TTC' time! We will be TTC #1

I have stopped my combined pill and had the normal withdrawal bleed and am currently in this cycle (CD16 from withdrawal) waiting for first real period. I'm really hoping my real period returns relatively on time and I'm not someone where it goes AWOL! We are waiting for one natural period before going unprotected (currently using condoms since pill).

DH been together 12 years and married 3.5. Excited that we are ready to start this journey. I have a tendency to be a worrier and overthinker so I'm really hoping that doesn't take over with TTC. We plan to start the first few months with just enjoying ourselves and seeing what happens and then go from there. 😊

@SmurfStar oh wow! How many kids do you think you would like? It's great that motherhood suits you so well. I think at 14weeks I'd have gotten sterilised if given the chance... You'll be really fertile so soon after one pregnancy so hopefully you'll conceive quickly and have two wee ones at your wedding!

@CityKity it sounds like you are in a great position to TTC. It is scary though, having a baby changes everything, but in a good way! And you have nine months to get used to the idea first as well. Sounds like you are pretty healthy already. I still drink caffeine/ bit of alcohol. Have you got an app or something to track your cycles and help to predict ovulation? Best advice I can give it to not get too obsessed with everything or it can get stressful. Much easier said than done though.

@overgrowngrass you won't know until you try! Would be lovely to have a child with your DP. Do you mind me asking what will you do with the frozen eggs? Can you use them if things don't work naturally?

@Laul89 you guys have had a long wait, glad the wedding happened eventually. I hope it was everything you wanted. This is an exciting journey you are starting together! Really hope it won't take too many months- it is fun and exciting for the first few months.

@Sagittarius25 that's a really good plan. It can sometimes take a while for periods to come back normally so try not to worry if that happens to you. But hopefully you'll be able to get cracking soon- it can be hard to wait when you're all set to TTC and just want to get started.

@Skyla01 we originally went for fertility tests as a first step towards having embryos frozen. I wasn’t 100% sure if I wanted a baby but wanted to freeze my eggs so I had the option later down the line. Then as part of the fertility testing we found out my AMH is low and I barely had any follicles either. That shock made us realise we both do really want a child and will just TTC now rather than just waiting and risking not being successful with Frosties later down the line. The clinic said my AMH was so low that my chances of IVF being successful were very low anyway, but it didn’t mean we wouldn’t be successful naturally. Fingers crossed! 😬

Have your periods settled ok after coming off the pill? I’m not 100% if I’ve even had a proper period yet after coil removal.

Hey everyone,
I’m TTC #2 in a few weeks when my next period comes. I fell pregnant fairly quickly in March 2021 so hoping the same again as I’d love a positive pregnancy test for Christmas! Im doing SMEP as it seemed to work last time. Has anyone else tried that? So hard to not get your hopes up xx

@Skyla01 yes I know the periods can take a while, hopefully I can just remain chilled. The run up to xmas is my fave time of year so hoping I can just enjoy myself with or without a period coming. 😊

@overgrowngrass ah ok, it's good to be prepared. Must have been a bit of a shock to hear that though. Really hope you have success naturally. I guess they can't really predict the effect that low amh has?

I stopped my pill a month or so ago and no bleed or anything yet. But I wonder if I ovulated about 10 days ago, so half expecting af this week. But otherwise just waiting for cycle to start up again.

@nadsc welcome! We tried everything last time round, including smep, as it was over a year of trying. Smep was good but not sure I could keep up with that again with a toddler tiring us out. Sounds like you have a good chance of falling quickly again.

@Sagittarius25 I love Xmas too! But I try to reign it in until 1st of December. We've ordered our turkey already though...!

@Skyla01 Lol I know we must be mad in the head! I don’t even know, 4 or 5? Maybe that’s not a big family to some. I am happy with whatever number I am blessed with even if it does end up just being my little princess atm.

@CityKity we decided january 2021 we wanted a baby, so I quit smoking and drinking and lost 3 stone. I wanted it so badly that I wasn’t going to chance having a pregnancy with complications. I even started drinking decaff coffee which believe me was hard!!! I’m also a vegetarian. Coil out that September, and pregnant October. I believe these lifestyle changes 100% made the difference. You seem pretty healthy, good luck!

@Sagittarius25 my best friend got pregnant 6 months after stopping by the pill, after being on it for 10 years. I suppose everyone is different but it’s nice to hear positive stories I think ☺️ Im also a worrier (which got worse throughout pregnancy) but as long as you have the support from your husband then you’ll be fine. I’m gonna be an absolute hypocrite here and say what I was sick hearing … stay positive!! Lol you seem to have a lovely mindset anyway.

@overgrowngrass Whenever I got the coil out I had really light bleeding for a few days, I was told I would spot just from the removal so I didn’t think it was a period but it was. I think it’s best not to compare your bleeding over the next few months to your bleeding before you got the coil cause it’s gonna be diff. I’m not up to speed with ivf and fertility issues so I can’t comment much but I really hope you conceive soon and naturally.

@nadsc hiya, I never heard of SMEP, seems a great non stressful way to try! Because I fell pregnant quickly as well we never had to try diff methods, but this time I have been tracking my cervical mucus and once it was apparently fertile we just had loads of sex.. which to be honest felt like a bit of a chore … it’s just hard not to go flat out when you’re that excited, but it’s unrealistic thinking we could have that amount of sex every month until we conceive

I use my fit it to track my cycle, but I’ve only had 2 periods from I gave birth so there’s no real pattern. I am out a fortune on pregnancy tests because I have no patience at all, I need to chill out lol I feel nauseous today but I feel these possible “symptoms” could be all in my head 😂

Hi again ladies! So nice to find us all in the same boat.

@Skyla01 I’ve actually been using Clue app for a while because I’ve been cycle tracking as contraception for years now. I was on the pill, but stopped over 5 years ago due to mental health issues and so have been avoiding my fertile window and using withdrawal as contraception without any accidents so far (sorry if TMI). It also makes me anxious about my overall fertility but I guess I won’t know until we try properly.

@SmurfStar great advice! I’ve been alternating normal coffee with decaf, so I could probably make the switch easily. It’s just the occasional glass of wine that Im finding it hard to turn down, especially as we’re not trying actively yet. I’ve decreased the intensity of exercise at the moment to reduce overall stress/cortisol levels so hopefully the will stand me in good stead too.

@Sagittarius25 you and I sound like we’re in exactly the same boat! I’m also an overthinker/worrier and tend to over research, so am trying to keep calm until the new year!

Sorry for the naive question but what is SMEP?

@SmurfStar that is a positive story to hear. I was on the pill for 11 years. Yes DH is very supportive and so relaxed about everything he's basically horizontal 😂 so we are a good balance

@CityKity yes defo an over thinker! But yes I'm the same trying to remain chill for a good few months and then I've said to myself if it hasn't happened we can work up in 'stages' of trying. Like testing for ovulation, timing DTD more etc etc.

@CityKity I googled SMEP a few weeks back because was seeing it mentioned. It's 'sperm meets egg plan' and if you Google it you can find the website and it sets out tracking ovulation then when to DTD to give enough chances of sperm meeting egg 😊

Thanks @Sagittarius25 just looked up SMEP. My word that’s a lot of DTD! I definitely think a plan like that will have to wait till the new year, this time of year always gets so busy we just don’t find that much time/energy during the week! Also planning to leave OPK tests until next year and try not to overegg things for the time being.

@CityKity I know I thought the same when I read up on it! Leaving that as a back pocket option 😂

@CityKity sounds like you know your cycle inside out, will be a doddle for you to predict ovulation! Probably best to stay away from the opks for now, it definitely adds to the stress. I wouldn't worry about what's happened (or not) before, totally different once you are properly trying. I'm going to stick with the wine for now, but each to their own. I quite like exercising too, but last time I cut down eventually as I was worried it had negatively affected my fertility. Going to keep going as normal for now though.

Definitely need to be committed for smep! No chance we'll be trying that this time round. But at least you know you've covered all your bases.

Hi ladies - a question regarding ovulation pain! Have you experienced it before and what did it feel like to you?

I haven't ovulated since before the pill (so 11 years ago) and don't ever remember feeling it back then.

Yesterday was CD16 (counting from start of withdrawal bleed) and throughout the day I had an increasing tugging dull pain in my right side. Into the evening it actually became quite uncomfortable. Not sharp pain but a noticeable, crampy, dull pain when I moved or bent at my hip. No pain when sitting still.

Seems better this morning, just the occasional mild ache when I get up from sitting.

Trying not to over think it but easier said than done 😂I also have health anxiety, so naturally any new pain or sensation for me I go a bit into overdrive and become hyperaware!

@Sagittarius25

I've never experienced it- or so I think. I always had pains on my left side, but then a few days after I'd get my period so just assumed it was that. Not until I looked into pregnancy did I start thinking that's what it could be

Still unsure cause I read somewhere you will only feel it at the bottom of your cervix 🤷🏻‍♀️

@SmurfStar ah ok interesting, everything I've read says you could feel it on the side you're ovulating. Not really any pain today so hoping it was ovulation 😂

@Sagittarius25 honestly I’d never been that aware of ovulation pain until I started tracking my cycle a bit more regularly. Even then some cycles I feel it and others I don’t. This month nothing obvious, but last month I definitely had cramping/pains on my right hand side on ovulation day, I remember sitting with a hot water bottle on that side and checking my tracker and it was bang on my predicted ovulation day! Maybe a coincidence, but I’m keeping an eye out for next month. For me it feels a bit like a period pain but definitely one sided and sharper if that makes sense. I also don’t get much period pain during my period so I think it’s more obvious to be as I’m not used to cramping etc

@Sagittarius25 maybe I didn't read that and made that up completely 🤷🏻‍♀️ 😂

My head is fried reading I must of commented on nearly every conception thread last night! (And I only made this account yesterday😂)

@Sagittarius25 I've never had ovulation pain. But will be interesting to see if you have it again in subsequent months- and if it changes sides. I would try not to worry about it though.