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 ladies, loving reading through the positive and supportive messages and feeling hopeful for cycle #2. AF is due in around 6 days and I did a test first thing this morning at 10dpo which was a BFN. Felt disappointed but picked myself up and ready for cycle #2. I just wondered if anybody had any advice, is it better to dtd every day or every other day? This cycle we did it every day and I’m wondering whether it needed to be less frequent so my partner has time to recover lol. Also, if anybody knows, with the opks, if I get a positive ovulation strip, does this mean I am due to ovulate soon or will have already ovulated? Just trying to get my head around it all x

@Summer022 I read a book called Impatient Womens Guide to getting Pregnant which explains everything. But it’s a myth that DTD every day needs time for sperm to recover (unless you have low sperm count which you don’t know without a test - My DH has done a test and all fine), but statistically every other day is pretty much the same.
I got pregnant on cycle 5 with a negative 10dpo and a positive 12dpo so you’ve still got hope (I then had a MC unfortunately). However, you never know exactly when you ovulate (unless you do BBT and it drops) so I would always keep DTD until you are sure you have ovulated.
A positive test shows a surge in LH so that you are just about to ovulate… it wouldn’t be positive after you ovulate. The egg can only be fertilised for 12-24 hours after you ovulate, so it’s better to be DTD in the five days before ovulation so that sperm is waiting around to catch the egg when it comes. DTD within 12 hours of a positive OPK.
Don't get disheartened if it doesn’t work 1st, 2nd or even cycles after that. Each month you’re resetting the clock and there’s only a 30%ish (age dependent) chance the sperm and egg will meet, implant etc so it does sometimes take patience. Good luck!

@Summer022 oh and what I meant to say is every day or every other day is fine - it’s what you prefer. My DH gets stressed if we do every day, so just do every other!!

@Summer022 it's not over till AF arrives! With DD I only tested on AF DD at 14DPO so maybe you just tested early.

Also my Fitbit had my expect ovulation day 4-5 days earlier than it actually was (thankfully I used CB OPK when TTC).

Everyone else, where are you buying internet cheapies from? For DD I was militant but this time around I'd like to be a tad less so

@Hopefulhoney6 thank you sooo much for all that information, that is super helpful and informative! I am feeling positive about it and excited to see what happens moving forward 🤞

@TrudyProud you’re so right - not out til AF arrives and it’s definitely possible I tested too early. I think I will stop testing now and just wait and see if AF arrives.

Hey all, not a positive ovulation test yet, not a bfp but for the first month (4) since my mc. I have genuine egg white cm. I'm over the moon. Now my ovulation tests are still low...is it normal to have egg white cm this early so?

Hi I’m 37 nearly 38, I have 2 sons who are 2 and 6. Me and my husband have decided this month we will try for number 3. We normally conceive very quick, 1st son 6 months 2nd was a month. We are giving ourselves 6 months of trying then we will give in due to the stress of it all.

my concern is I’m 37 now will it take a lot longer, I’ve recently had iv iron is that too much iron? I get so impatient when trying so don’t want to lose my mind lol.

my period is due on the 11th then we will start. Anyone else in the same boat?

@Lindsey02 I'm 36 (37 this year) and will TTC no2 around April . We conceived DD our first cycle so hopefully will be the same this time

@Lindsey02 dd is nearly 9 months old

We’ve decided against TTC this month as I’ve just applied for a new job. But I’m still tracking my CM as my cycles are a little different to before I had my first baby. I’m 99% sure I felt ovulation pain yesterday which means I ovulated on CD21 which is about what I expected as I have 35ish day cycles. I’m hoping by next month or month after I’ll know where I stand with the new job and we can try then. Took us 12 months to conceive our first but I guarantee this time when I could do with it taking a few months it’ll happen first time!

Hi ladies! Just been catching up on everyone’s posts! Sending love to you all ❤️
we have talked a lot about a baby this weekend. We have come to the decision that I will be coming off the pill in July and we have booked a city break to Budapest in September for our 1st wedding anniversary and with it being the potential last break before a baby comes along we said we wanted to do a fun city break away. All very exciting we even talked about how we would do the nursery and childcare options etc. still feeling slightly uneasy but more positive now! I’m now going to focus oj trying to save some money and pay my credit card off as money is a massive worry factor for me especially as I will want to go back to work full time. Would anyone else be going back to work full time? Is this frowned upon? Most of my friends went back part time but I love my job and feel that I would give up to much of myself

@Newchapter23 I will hopefully be going back full time! Important to keep a sense of self I think so don’t feel guilty with it, though nothing is wrong with part time or even staying at home. Don’t feel guilty. I think the reality is that lots of parents have no choice but to work full time!

@happyfeet5 that is another factor I couldn’t afford to give up work either. I think if money was abit more comfortable then the possibility of part time would feel better possibly

@Newchapter23 i will also hopefully be going back full time! It’s never really crossed my mind not to (mainly as I’m the higher earner) but in my friendship circle everyone has gone back full time.

my office is really good though (my male line manager has just dropped to 4 days when he came back from 3 months pat leave) so it’s nice to know the option is there.

I would like the option, but I earn a lot more than nursery costs. It’s obviously a nice problem to have but makes dropping any hours hard to justify! My DH also has flexi time so he might do compressed hours which would be great.

I think you just have to wait and see how Mat leave goes.

@Newchapter23 I'm going back FT when my daughter is 1yo. Like @Mushroo I'd never considered not. I too am the higher earner and thankfully FT nursery fees are significantly lower than my salary .

If I'm honest as much as I'm loving Mat leave I don't feel guilty about going back to work. I enjoy my career and am great at it. Plus dads are never made to feel guilty about working.

@Mushroo @TrudyProud thank you so much for your comments glad I’m not the only one then. I don’t earn loads but the company I work for pay 1 day a week childcare and my OH dad has offered 1 day a week with the 20% government funding for childcare I’m feeling hopeful that nursery fees won’t be as scary as we think!

I'm finally having my 12 week scan tomorrow, but I will be over 13 weeks. I had a private one at just over 11 weeks and everything looked great, so I am feeling positive. I think i'm starting to feel little movements, but it could be gas (it does seem very similar from when I felt with my last two children though). Still feeling sick on and off, but sleep really well besides the wee in the middle of the night. I wish I worked from home again and could have a lunchtime nap everyday

@babybrainfart congratulations! How very exciting. Will you have a summer baby then?

Welcome @Star2023 and @Lindsey02 and other newbies!

I’ve had a bit of a rollercoaster. I said I thought I’d ovulated and was in TWW but temp never rose. I’ve been awfully unwell (that nasty cold everyone seemed to have at Christmas!) and travelling too so no surprise things were a bit wacky. And because my wake ups are erratic my temps aren’t showing a rise now. But I did have an unmistakeable LH surge (first one was 1.07, this one was over 2 t/c) and my boobs got sensitive so I’m spending half my time thinking of course you did and the other half berating myself for not being so diligent with vitamins etc while away. Anyway hopefully I’m now 4DPO with test date 20th Jan.

im feeling more confident I can wait to test now as fertility friend did a study of just under 100,000 women and the average date for a positive test is day 13.6 and only 10% of women who go on to be pregnant get a positive at 10DPO. It said something about really thinking about investing your “capital” - financial and emotional - too early and really struck a cord with me.

thanks too whoever said you only have a 30% chance even if you do everything right - that really takes the pressure off!

Girls .. 12 dpo what’s your thoughts?

I’m sure when I zoom in I can see a line there xx

@LisaJor22 that looks positive to me, but I’m no expert!

I can deffo see a little something! Maybe test again later today?
it’s like emotional torture isn’t it haha

@happyfeet5 yes a July baby :)

@LisaJor22 i'm struggling to see much on my computer screen at work.