Preparing to TTC in 2023

[DanisEndo]

Hi,

I'm part of a lovely thread which was started in 2021 for those planning to start TTC in 2022 and it was such a supportive group! we've now seen lots of positives and given each other a lot of support and tips through ups and downs.

I'm now 'pausing' TTC until after my wedding in 2023 and thought it'd be nice to start up a similar thread to see if there is anyone else now prepping and getting excited for next year!

On the last thread everyone introduced themself by saying their age, what they're trying for and when they plan on starting - I'll then keep a list up to date and post so everyone can easily see others who are at the same stage as them!

I'll go first:

Age: 27
TTC no: 1
Starting: Sep 23

Between now and then I'm going to be taking folic acid, try and loose some lbs to get closer to a healthy BMI, save some money in a baby pot and enjoy some 'baby free' activities (i.e., wine, gin, sushi and surfing!). I have endometriosis and PCOS so going to try and get my periods more regular and pain management via diet.

I’ll join! We were going to start about now but we’ve decided to wait until December / Jan (I think I’ll ovulate around New Year’s Eve).

I have PCOS and came off the pill ages ago. Months of no periods but I’m now finally pretty regular and I’m confident I’m ovulating so fingers crossed.

Im taking inositol, vitamin d, c, zinc and folic acid. Trying to stay healthy but eating well, cutting back on alcohol and exercising is so hard in the run up to Xmas!

Im 31 and it will be our first. Starting Jan 2023!

@Mushroo Yay!!! A fellow PCOS tryer!

It seems so symbolic to be ovulating NYE - new year new start and all those cliches aha

Oooo I defo need to up my supplement game.. what are they all for?

Omg could agree more, I signed up to a load of gym classes for this and next week to try and give myself a bit of a kick up the backside. Booze wise im actually pretty ok but can defo see the calendar filling up with fun boozy xmas activities! Since ive got till Sep im just going to enjoy myself this year. Just try and be not toooo indulgent with the food side.

TTC 2023

January
@Mushroo 31, No.1

September
@DanisEndo 27, No.1

hello! I’ve been ttc number 2 for a long time now with a couple of early miscarriages. Not waiting til 2023 but just keeping going with the hope of having a baby next year.

With number one we both took pregnacare and omega 3 for 3 months and then got pregnant first month trying so there’s something to both of you being rested and nourished for 3 months before starting. Unfortunately I’ve not had a good nights sleep since then, which is par for the course! And probably affecting conceiving number 2.

But I’ve recently started taking maca, extra vitamin c and a pregnancy probiotic and I can really see the positive changes. Might of interest to anyone ttc with pcos. Good luck ladies, lots of baby dust to you!

@DanisEndo it’s so nice to have an outlet like this as no one in real life knows! Completely agree on the New Years ovulation, just need to not have a wild New Years party haha.

Supplement wise inositol is apparently great at regulating blood sugar and helps with PCOS. It’s definitely helped with my cycle so would suggest! Zinc also helps with PCOS although I can’t remember why, and vitamin d and c I was taking anyway. Feel like a chemist some mornings…

Definitely spend your time until September doing fun stuff. This year we’ve been on holiday loads (doing things like city breaks that will be out of the question for awhile!) and been out for loads of meals,

@Weefreetiffany what does the maca root do? Best of luck!

Trying

@Weefreetiffany

TTC 2023

January
@Mushroo 31, No.1

September
@DanisEndo 27, No.1

welcome @Weefreetiffany !! Oh god i can imagine the lack of sleep not helping TTC from many perspectives 😆

@Mushroo it really is, i have a couple of people irl who know we are TTC / will be soon. But i hate talking about it too much as feels like jinxing! And with the health aspects god knows how long it's going to take.

Saving for the wedding at the moment so lots of holidays might not be on the cards, but meals, day trips, lay ins! All those fun things are definitely being taken advantage of while we can aha

Oooooooh thanks both for the supplement advice! Theres so much out there and so difficult to know whats worth it and not....

@Mushroo ik not a doctor but it’s an adaptogen so supposedly balanced yur hormones. I’m quite estrogen dominant and I feel like it’s helping give my progesterone levels a chance

@DanisEndo thanks for the add

Ahh I have been waiting for a thread like this for ages! I have been reading the 'preparing to TTC in 2022' all year and thinking to myself "this will be me next year!" I'm so excited that I can finally join a thread and be involved instead of just lurking.

I am 29 and we will be TTC our first in June. It feels like so far away still so I haven't even come off the pill yet or started taking anything. I was thinking of doing all of that round about March time.

I have endometriosis and within the past couple of years I have had two surgeries. One to remove a cyst on my ovary tube and another to remove the endo. This is another reason why I don't want to come off the pill too soon because as I understand it, being on the pill stops new endo growing???? I THINK. That might not be completely true but it's what's in my head so I'm scared to come off it too soon and also have to deal with horrible period pain.

I have been mentally ready for a baby for the past two years so I'm SO excited that TTC is less than a year away. Until then we will be going on trips and getting as much "us" time as possible

Ahh I can finally join a thread! Came off the pill at the end of September, just waiting for AF to show up now and it's taking ages. I'm 27 and TTC #1
We're planning to properly try from February as there's a few things I want to tick off the to do list first but a lot of it is my brain just wanting to be as prepared as possible which isn't possible!
DH would be happy to conceive now so I might be persuaded to see what happens soon if my anxiety improves and AF returns 🤞

Trying

@Weefreetiffany No.2

TTC 2023

January
@Mushroo 31, No.1

February
@marleyandme 27, No.1

June
@ViewFromTheAfternoon 29, No.1

September
@DanisEndo 27, No.1

Hi @ViewFromTheAfternoon and @marleyandme welcome!!!:)

@ViewFromTheAfternoon I’ve also had 2 laps for endo over the last couple of years!! It’s such a pain. I was on the coil after my first Gynae said it’d stop the endo growing…. I got a new consultant after I realised how much bullshit the first one was spouting and he basically said contraception won’t stop the endo growing at all, just minimises the pain as it stops the cyclical thickening and shedding of the tissue. I’m so sceptical of doctors These day but do feel like this guys has been really good and I’ve basically had no pain since he operated!

@marleyandme so nice to have other people the same age also trying! My brain is the same ahah need to research and prep everything to feel productive. What’s on your pre-TTC list?? Fingers crossed your AF arrives soon!

Hi everyone! What a lovely thread.

Age: 30
TTC No: 1

Similar boat to a few people here. Started TTC this year and then subsequently found out I have PCOS. Now playing the waiting game for fertility treatment as the natural route looks unlikely. So focussing on making myself as healthy as possible, eating lots of fruit and veg, and exercising three times a week. Taking a bit of a break from tracking everything as it was getting very depressing (90 plus day cycles) but will start again next year.

Trying

@Weefreetiffany No.2
@WanOvaryKenobi 30, No.1

TTC 2023

January
@Mushroo 31, No.1

February
@marleyandme 27, No.1

June
@ViewFromTheAfternoon 29, No.1

September
@DanisEndo 27, No.1

@WanOvaryKenobi welcome!! Sorry to hear natural route hasn’t been working for you. Hopefully we can all be a listening ear for whatever the TTC journey throws at us all!! Have you listened to the BFN podcast at all?? It’s really interesting they have a lot of good guests on speaking about different routes to parenthood and fertility treatment. I’ve learned a lot!

@DanisEndo I have not heard, will give it a listen now! Thank you so much. Hoping for a better year next year x

@WanOvaryKenobi fingers crossed and baby dust to everyone! ✨✨

@DanisEndo thanks for creating the thread!
My pre TTC list are things like finishing a house extension which is due to finish by Christmas, have my smear test which is due in January, DH to pay his car finance off also due in Jan. Basically we've done the sums and could easily cope with getting pregnant now but also I want everything perfect before we try 😂 I know this is unrealistic and knowing me I'll come up with more excuses in a few months!
I think I'm just scared of trying 🙈 maybe I'll change my mind on the February plan and do it sooner.

We've also got a little break booked for next September so if we got pregnant now we'd have to change it which wouldn't be a big deal but equally it's another stopper in my head for not trying 😂

I hope I'm not the only one that wants to try but keeps coming up with excuses!

@marleyandme this is me 😂. I had to wait until October to qualify for enhanced mat pay at my work. We’re now waiting until January so I can enjoy Xmas and in an ideal world would prefer an autumn baby.

Definutely think going to go for it in Jan. Our other option was move house first but I think we’re just going to go for it and move later. The smaller mortgage where we are will definitely help with childcare costs!

@marleyandme good list, especially getting extension finished - don’t know how people do building works pregnant/with kids! Also will be so nice for your to enjoy your home kid toy free for a bit as well! Ahaha I’m exactly the same, we COULD do it now but it’d mean moving and scaling down our wedding, which already isn’t lavish, so just makes sense to wait. It is scary!!! I’ve been wanting it for so many years but when OH gave the green light I was like “woah you sure?!” 😂 now we’re paused it’s sad seeing him a bit disappointed it didn’t just happen super quickly.

@Mushroo gotta get that last amazing child free Christmas celebration in!!😂 good thinking with the smaller mortgage, rates at the moment are so scary. Would you be able to squeeze a little one in where you are now or would you be looking once pregnant?

@DanisEndo thanks! The shell is going to be finished next week so me and my DH have been talking even more about how maybe now wouldn't be the worst timing.. We'll see!

That must be difficult with the stop starting but I'm sure it'll work out to be perfect timing for you when it happens! It'll be great to enjoy your wedding exactly as you've planned it too 😊

@Mushroo ah exciting! Good luck 🎉

Woohoo! I have an update.

Went to GP today for a face to face after multiple blood tests. Confirmed PCOS (again). I have been given a private letter of referral to endocrinology and am now on the waiting list for gynaecology. So that's something.

I have also been given a 10 day course of Norethisterone to shed my endometrial lining and prevent other associated health problems from oligomenorrhea. I will be taking these every three months from now on.

Will be on the waiting list for reproductive help but won't be seen until August. At this stage I am just happy that I am (finally) being listened to.

@Mushroo what will the space be like for you with moving afterwards? We rent a one bedroom at the moment and I had it in my head that this isn't ideal and would need to buy a two bedroom house before TTC. However, when we were looking earlier this year the house prices were crazy and people were putting in offers way over ours. And now the rates are insane! So it's really looking like we aren't going to be able to afford to buy for maybe a couple of years. However I don't want to wait that long to TTC because by then I'll be like 32 and we don't know how long TTC is going to take etc so I feel like we have to just go ahead and do it and manage in a one bed until we can afford to move. It does worry me though!

@WanOvaryKenobi thats amazing! So glad the docs are doing something.

@ViewFromTheAfternoon were in a 2 bed flat currently but we both work from home so we will essentially lose an office. Like you the mortgage rates are scaring me so moving right now wouldn’t really be an option without severely compromising. Our next move will be to a long term 3/4 bed house. We also think if for whatever reason kids don’t happen, we don’t want to have stretched to a bigger house in a family area for no reason! Sounds like we’re in a similar position anyway, I’m sure it’ll be fine - they’re in your room for awhile anyway!

@ViewFromTheAfternoon we are currently in a two bed with one bedroom needing to be renovated. Neighbours upstairs managed with a little one in a one bed flat. I also know people who spent a fortune on nurseries that their kids didn't use until they were over a year old. My main concern is how to manage all the toys and have adequate play space!