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.

@Mushroo @WanOvaryKenobi this makes me feel a bit less worried, thank you! I mean we aren't starting to TTC until 6 months time anyway and then by the time it takes to conceive (if it does happen at all) plus 9 months pregnant, then baby stays in your room etc. By that point we may have already moved or be in a position to. Just don't know what's going to happen with these prices and when.

I keep getting moments of thinking should we just go for it now?! Like what are we waiting for, I'm sick of waiting. But H said not until may/June 😔 I'm struggling with trying to not wish the time away

@ViewFromTheAfternoon whats your DH’s reasoning for waiting? Hopefully you can come off the pill in March as planned and then just see what happens!

@marleyandme Oooooooh thats so exciting! keep us updated! thank you <3

@WanOvaryKenobi Woohoo! great update! lots of bigs words ive never heard of ahah but how relieving to finally be being listened to and see some progress!

@ViewFromTheAfternoon the housing market is MAD. we managed to buy a 3 bed in May so just before the rates went wild, although seriously regretting not fixing for longer now. hindsight aye. Its so stressful but if you're both on board with making it work it shouldnt hold you back! Life is never 'perfect'. and dont forget babies will be in with you till at least 6 months, and dont need as much crap as marketers would like us to believe... i think :')

@ViewFromTheAfternoon Everything is a compromise with property. We bought a place that was on the smaller side but it is in a very safe family-friendly area that isn't all the way out in the suburbs. There's lots to do, schools are good, and everything is a short walk away. Definitely could have gotten more bang for our back elsewhere but then there's the bugger all to do/ages away/bear pit schools. It's also quite a popular area with various arty types and a lot of pubs/cafes just in case things don't work out we still want to live here. I hate the thought of buying a big family home in the suburbs then ending up with it just the two of us and the dog! Someone once said to me there is no perfect time or place to have a baby, and if you keep holding out you will never have the baby!

@Mushroo we have a few trips coming up, including long haul in April. He wants to wait and have those trips just us first without having to worry about pregnancy or sickness/tiredness etc. I have been pregnant before, a few years ago but sadly lost it. For the first 7 weeks I was very ill and also snappy with him. He knows every pregnancy is different but if I'm the same way again then he wants to make sure we aren't away during 1st trimester so that we can just enjoy it.

@DanisEndo yes this is so true and is what I keep telling myself. We have lots of space anyway to be honest. It's not a small flat we have an upstairs and a downstairs and the bedroom is big. I just keep telling myself people have babies in all kinds of situations and environments and do just fine. Also sounds like you did buy your house just in time! So lucky!

@WanOvaryKenobi yes what you have described definitely sounds better than buying a big family home at this point, I agree it would be silly. It sounds like a really good place to live and not too dissimilar to what our area is like actually. My DH grew up around here and even though they had a 2 bed house his room was a box room and he managed just fine!

This is such a great thread.

TTC for 4 years next week. No.1
I'm 31 and quite a few people know in my life that we are ttc.

Had so many problems since coming off my implant in 2018! Long long and heavy periods, and then months with no period!

Had some tests and showed nothing, COVID really hasn't helped 🙄 but latest bloods have shown high Prolactin!

It's all so frustrating, but hopefully I think I am starting to get a regular cycle!

Joining, tentatively! Hello everyone!

We are unsure when just hoping sometime in 2023. I would rather an autumn baby but of course these things can’t be guaranteed. Will likely be TTC March time barring anything coming up. Will be our first. It’s really exciting, not sure what can do to prepare other than Vit D/folic acid and trying to be healthy?

@ViewFromTheAfternoon Similar position. It would be great to move somewhere bigger and we always had that in mind but looking at the mortgage rates thinking oh my goodness… We love the area we’re in, it’s safe and family friendly and we’re determined to continue saving so we’ll have the choice if/when the country’s financial position recovers.

Well complaining about it seemed to work because AF has finally appeared! 😂 Never thought I'd be happy it's returned.

@happyfeet5 welcome!
I agree, I think it's just vitamins/folic acid I can be doing right now. Already stocked up on pregnancy tests 😂

@marleyandme thank you!

Is anyone else really excited? It’s on my mind every day, but I also go in and out of thinking maybe waiting is better but that’s just my own self doubt talking. I am sure most people think like that from time to time and at some point you’ve got to just go for it!

@happyfeet5 i keep ranging from being super excited to thinking what am I doing 😂. It also doesn’t feel real? Almost like trying is just a an activity but that actually getting pregnant won’t happen. That sounds mad, but it just seems like something that happens to other people? Maybe because I only recently came round to the idea of having kids.

Ive noticed though that when I see a crying baby I’ve gone from rage to ‘aw, poor baby!’

@ViewFromTheAfternoon sounds like you are exactly where we are (in spirit), so go for it!

Welcome @happyfeet5! I personally take pregnacare conception with the dual tablets that have omega 3.

@Mushroo yes! It does feel like something that happens to other people lol. I think it’s hard to imagine when you have absolutely no concept of it. It’s fear of the unknown too for me, maybe it’ll take a month, 6 months, 2 years or longer… all these variables!!!!!!

@louloulollipop welcome! I know what it's like to have a cycle all over the place (90 plus days) so wishing you all the best x

@happyfeet5 I'm very very excited. For the past 11 months I have been reading threads on Mumsnet and feeling so excited at it one day hopefully being me. I also sometimes read some of the ones on parenting and see how some women really struggle and the difficulties of parenthood and babies etc and I do think to myself omg do I really want to put myself through this?! But that strong feeling of yearning and wanting never goes away. So yeah I am super excited (and nervous too for such a big life change)

@Mushroo @ViewFromTheAfternoon @happyfeet5 Those late twenties early thirties broody hormones are something else!

@WanOvaryKenobi we are actually early-mid twenties -hides face-
Seems crazy young for some and we might be crazy after all, but I would rather be on the younger side considering we both have much older parents ourselves. That’s not the main deciding factor but is one of. I fear judgement is rife though and that people will presume unplanned. You can’t really win though as I’ve learned from some threads on here, people have an opinion either way more often than not. This is a great thread anyhow for us forward planners and I wish everyone the best of luck, looking forward to following the journeys!

@Mushroo @happyfeet5 omg yes! I woke up this morning thinking that now I'd loosely agreed we'd just see what happens that I definitely don't want to DTD for ages 😂 then a few hours later I'm super broody again and excited, talk about hormones and mood swings!

@happyfeet5 you never know how you’re journey will go. So if you are in a place where you want to try, age is just a number. I wish we had started earlier, but that’s also a waste of time thinking like that.

I also go through the whole maybe it’s not for us, maybe we just stop. But we both really want this. Ah well. We will just see what this next round of tests says!

thank you @WanOvaryKenobi

Me and my partner have talked about trying and had a slip up this month, so i'll find out in just over a week if I am indeed pregnant. Realistically after talking if it hasn't worked this month then we will be TTC February whilst on holiday. This will be my third, but first with my partner. I am 33 years old.

@happyfeet5 my best friend had hers when she was 25! At the time I was so far from being ready, but with hindsight she had the best idea, she’s got the baby stage out of the way and she’s always going on fun weekends away now.

@babybrainfart welcome! Best of luck, if it has worked you’ll have a nice positive for Xmas!

Welcome @louloulollipop @babybrainfart @happyfeet5 !!

Soooo relate to the ups and downs of pure excitement to 'WTF are we thinking' :')

@happyfeet5 Honestly this is a judgement free zone, I've been wanting to TTC since 22 but OH wasnt ready so I've been waiting, tbh i dont think he'd be ready now if it hadnt been for the last 2 years (in and out of hospital, 2 surgeries, multiple invasive procedures, lots of drugs and even more pain to finally get endo diagnosis). Think it gave him a bit of a realisation there's a chance it wont 'just happen'. Anyway - i ramble - please do feel nervous or shy about your age, i really think early to mid 20's is a pretty great age if thats where you're at!

Trying

@Weefreetiffany No.2
@WanOvaryKenobi 30, No.1
@louloulollipop 31, No.1

TTC 2023

January
@Mushroo 31, No.1

February
@marleyandme 27, No.1
@babybrainfart 33, No.3

March
@happyfeet5 No.1

June
@ViewFromTheAfternoon 29, No.1

September
@DanisEndo27, No.1

I finally came on this morn CD43 signifying our official break off of TTC until September. bit of a sad feeling. but trying to focus on 10 months to tick of my mini bucket list.

Can I join if possible please :) I have a 9 month old and we want our little ones fairly close together. She will be 1 in February, so we want to wait to TTC for #2 until at least then, but we aren't sure if we are booking our delayed honeymoon in June (Covid ruined that for us 18 months ago!) so not sure whether to wait until then or not. So will be trying at some point in 2023. We have said that it would be nice for us to fall pregnant before DDs 2nd birthday in Feb 2024.

With my DD I came off the implant and then we fell pregnant with her 2 months later. I went back on the pill at my 6 weeks pp check up but came back off it when she was around 4 months as the side effects were horrible. So just been doing the good old pull out method since, and leaving it to fate until we officially start TTC in the new year!