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.

Hi all. May I join this thread too please? DH and I have been discussing the possibility of having another child for a good couple of years and I think we're finally getting there. I would be ready to TTC immediately but he's nervous and worried because we have had a tfmr in the past. I must admit I feel a bit wobbly about it too sometimes but the urge to have another child is strong!

I don't know if we will fully ditch protection this month but I'm hoping to do it soon. Weirdly AF came today and it was a week early for me. Don't know what that's about. 🙉 But we'll see how it goes. Hope you're all doing well on your TTC/preparing journeys!

Ovulation confirmed by temp for Saturday, which makes sense as I had a positive clear blue advanced ovulation test on Friday so I'm officially in the TWW 😬 I hate this part so much as I feel like we've done everything we can but at the same time I struggle accepting that the temp and test are correct and worry about missing ovulation. I've got OCD and anxiety issues which doesn't help ...

Morning all! Hope those back at work today aren’t feeling it too much!

quick questions!

flo seems to have gotten my ovulation date wrong, so I’m now taking tests- once I’ve got a positive test does that mean I’ve missed my chance or?

also BOOZE! Is anyone cutting out alcohol full stop? And is their DH following suit?

last one I promise! Does anyone suffer with ovulation pain? Mine kept me awake last night :(

much love and hope for 2023! JR x

I think the tests detect LH surges before ovulation so you should still have a shot.

Alcohol - I'm cutting out, primarily for general health reasons though not for TTC. DH is doing dry January but will probably continue to drink after that. Neither of us drink a lot though

@JRabbitx I'm not an expert but I think that after a positive opk you have something like 24 hours? Hopefully someone more savvy can clarify!

Also yes to ovulation pain! Mine is always worse than any period cramp and it can last for hours. 😫

@JRabbitx were both doing dry January and trying to cut down. We’re classic binge drinkers, so trying to avoid any big nights out and aim to stick to a couple of weekend drinks post January. I don’t want to have any ‘so hungover I might die’ days but comfortable sharing a bottle
of wine on a Saturday IFSYIM.

It’s going to be tricky as our friendship group is quite boozy!

I relate to this.

I'm freelance and work from home. If it makes you feel any better I set my alarm for 7 this morning but woke up at 09:30 😂(normal weekday is 08:00)

At weekends I can sleep in till 10:30/11.

I'm not a get up and go person in the morning, but what I tell myself is I don't have to be because my current lifestyle doesn't require it. When you are not naturally a morning person, forcing yourself to get up early when you aren't motivated for whatever your doing is really hard work.

But, I think it's an entirely different feeling when you need to get up and someone's relying on you. Not saying you won't miss lazy mornings, but I think you'll adjust, and as there will be that sense of need more so than just rolling out of bed and turning your laptop on, that'll get you going in the morning!

@123ROLO exactly the same sleep pattern as me! Over Xmas reverted to my natural 1am - 10:30am pattern so this morning was hard!

I think that’s right about it being different. I don’t really begrudge getting up for pets (well, I do a bit but I crack on). Just another unknown I guess in the journey!

I'm exactly the same - currently enjoy sleeping in and on weekends we don't really do anything household/admin related so often laundry and stuff builds up. I do worry sometimes about managing it all with a newborn but I'm sure we'll just adapt to it

Speaking as someone whose DC regularly woke before 5 for over a year you do get used to it. We now sleep until 7 and yesterday DS didn’t wake until 8 so it doesn’t last forever.

My AMH test has just arrived!

@Hopingforno2in2023 thats somewhat reassuring!

Let us know how the test goes!

@Hopingforno2in2023 I didn't do a very good job of waiting until 2023 and I was 12 weeks pregnant yesterday :)

@Mushroo I can relate! I do the exact same. Then you kind of worry, don’t you, and think how miserable you’ll feel when you have to be up every single day hours earlier than this. But as PPs have pointed out I’m sure we’d adjust. If you never want to risk change to your sleeping habits I guess that’s deciding never to start a family! Haha

You might get a good sleeper, besides. My friend recently had a baby and her 10 week old sleeps 8:30pm-8am. I think this is the minority though!

@happyfeet5 absolutely!

I think I was a non-sleeping baby so going to expect the worse, then be pleasantly surprised if it’s better!

@Hopingforno2in2023 thank you soooooo much!!

Ive had the loveliest few weeks focusing on finishing work on a high, eating and drinking and dancing and long walks and trying not to think about the impending 2023 so avoiding mumsnet and wedding planning forums like the plague ahah

BUT HERE WE ARE EVERYONE! And what an everyone..... so amazing to see so many kind supportive comments of people in so many situations. I can only hope 2023 gives us all the magic we hope for <3

Updated list incoming - please let me know if anyone has been missed or any info needs to be changed! xx

Pregnant!

@marleyandme 27, No.1

TTC

@Weefreetiffany No.2
@WanOvaryKenobi 30, No.1
@louloulollipop 31, No.1
@Tophy124 30, No. 2
@Foreverhope82 40, No.1
@Mushroo 31, No.1
@GlosGal 32. No. 1
@Firsttimetrying2022 No. 1
@PeopleAreToads 28, No. 1
@Summer022 25, No. 1
@JRabbitx
@Floralsandsmiles 35
@CRbear 32. No. 1
@Hopefulhoney6 34, No. 1
@AROSE9 25, No. 1
@Ella31
@CGallo95 27, No. 1
@Notyetamother 29, No. 1
@Babydustthisyear 32. No. 1
@madeofcodes No. 1
@SJ2 32, No. 1
@Almondbut 31, No.1
@bethhop85 37, No.1
@TrudyProud 36, No.2
@Mummymidwife33 38, No.3
@Ellbell1234

February

@babybrainfart 33, No.3
@winterbabyrose 27, No.2
@LovelyBitOfSquirrelll 33, No.3
@Lilothblos 30, No.1

March

@happyfeet5 No.1
@pmore23 28, No.2
@LongDistanceLife 33, No.3
@Hopingforno2in2023 34, No. 2
@Mumof1hopingfor2nd 32, No. 2

April

@Leopardlover 37, No. 2
@SweetLion 30, No. 1
@WolfMother326 38. No. 2
@kiwifruit1234 34, No. 1
@CatLadyH 31, No. 1

June

@ViewFromTheAfternoon 29, No.1
@Sallythesloth3 29, No.2

July

@ShelleyPercy 34, No.1

August

@LibbyL92 30, No.1
@Imjustaherb No.1
@TheUndoing 30, N0. 1

September

@DanisEndo 27, No.1

October

@123ROLO 29, No.1

Unknown

@Newchapter23 32, No. 1
@TRFran 31, No. 2
@AlwaysWorriedAboutEverything

@DanisEndo thank you and hope you had a lovely Christmas!!

Slight spanner in the works today, my manager is having a baby so will be taking 3 months pat leave when I would be off if we conceived now.

I know logically I should crack on, but we’re only a team of 3 and I already feel guilty, especially as I’ve not even been there a year! Everything is so complicated!

Yay great to have you back Danis! Babybrainfart needs to be moved to the pregnant section :)

I'll join!

Age: 36
TTC: No 1
Starting: Now! Well, late December but that's pretty much now.

I've been on the folic acid since late November, had my IUS out late December, and now we're just getting on with it. I'm giving up the booze (DP says he will too) which will be a challenge as we're quite social drinkers with friends...the giving up isn't a challenge, but not telling people why is! We don't want to say anything to anyone so having a thread like this to chat to people will be great :)

Hi everyone. Hope you all had a lovely Christmas. Just catching up on this thread as we’ve been away.

we both caught covid on our honeymoon at end of November which screwed with Cycle 1. Didn’t ovulate until CD23 which should
put me at 10DPO today. Haven’t tested yet and don’t plan to until later in the week but had cramping for a few days, back ache and feeling so sick which is unlike me so 🤞🤞 for the end of the week. We haven’t told anyone our plans so it’s nice to have this thread!

wishing you all baby dust for the year ahead!

Anyone else think it’s crazy (and so exciting) to think this time next year, some ladies on here could be holding their new babies?
To answer a PP (I hope I didn’t dream this!) I have thought a little about age gaps, it’s just such an abstract concept when you don’t even have one yet. We are early mid twenties so could have a really large age gap between DC1 and DC2 if we wanted, I see pros and cons to it all. There’s 6 years between me and my sister and we do not get along at all, but that could just be personalities. I know I wouldn’t want a small age gap because of the sheer expense in one concentrated period, as well as demands on energy, time and sleep. I’d hope DC1 could be self sufficient and do small things for themselves as well as have a little understanding as to why all of a sudden they don’t have 100% of my attention! I really see the appeal of an age gap of 4-5 years for this reason, so we could concentrate on the early years of one DC at a time. But we’ll see!

@babybrainfart congratulations! 12 weeks already 😱. Have you had your 1st trimester scan. Enjoy your pregnancy x

@babybrainfart congratulations! How exciting- how are you feeling?

With regards to age gaps, we chose a bigger gap (8 years) purely due to financial reasons unfortunately, or we would have done sooner. Couldn’t afford nursery fees for 2 at the same time, and then we bought a house, got married, then had DC2 (2). I love how our DD (10) is self sufficient, it allowed us to have a bit more of a chilled newborn stage with DS, and she is a good help (when she wants to be 🤣) with her little brother. The gap between the third and DS (if and when it happens) will hopefully be about 3 years which will be nice, I will love to see the younger two playing together. Will obviously make sure our DD doesn’t ever feel left out/ excluded, we manage the time and age gap between them now very well, and she keeps asking for another sibling 😁

Really loving reading the thread and seeing what everyone is up to/ stage they are at x

Many congratulations babybrainfart!

As for age gaps I'm gutted that there will be such a big age gap minimum of 12years 🙁I'd never of planned it that way but sometimes life gets in the way 😅 I'm looking at the positives though I'd have loved a 3-4yr age gap but everyone is different