Preparing and TTC in 2023 - Thread 2

[DanisEndo]

Thread no 2 as thread 1 was so close to getting full!

As a reminder this is a positive support thread for anyone preparing and planning to start TTC in 2023 💖

If you join start by introducing yourself with your age. what no. you're trying for and when you plan on starting plus any goals you might have before then! for example:

@DanisEndo
Age 27
TTC No.1
Starting Sep 23
I want to:

• loose some weight (would like to get down to a healthy BMI by exercising and doing all home cooking, nothing to major or restrictive)
• do some decorating around the house
• get married (1st September woooo!)
• change job / company

I have endometriosis and PCOS, 2 surgeries down and hoping I'll still be all clear by the time we get to trying.

Theres a long list of us now so bare with me updating it as we go 😅

Good luck everyone!!!

So sorry to hear of your MMC fleur

Had my history taking appointment yesterday, next step is to call in on my first day of AF which should be around the 7th March. Can then book in for all the tests needed.

Hi, not sure if I’ve picked the right thread to post in as new here.

TTC first baby this year, 37 years old and been on the pill for 19 years! Mini pill for the last 7 of those. Took my last one yesterday.

Looking for some advice on where to start really, tracking periods, ovulation, best apps, supplements etc.

Any advice for a new start would be so greatly welcome ❤️

Hi @Edinnewmum

Welcome! How exciting.

I came off the mini pill and started tracking using the Natural Cycles app. I really like it! One thing it identified was that my leutal phase was quite short (which apparently can be a thing especially after first coming off the progesterone only pill!). I've been taking Wellwoman supplements and I've been feeling a bit more energised and also got my leutal phase up to more like 11 days now. It's still a little on the short side but hopefully it's long enough to get pregnant.

I've not started TTC yet but will do in July. I like that I already can see in the app my monthly patterns for when my FW is. There is also an optional 'partner view' in the app which is great at DH can check the app too and can see where I am in the cycle and be involved.

All the best TTC x

Hi @Edinnewmum. I’m 35 and also TTC #1. Was on the pill for 17 years. It took a while for my cycles to return, but on most mini pills I think you still ovulate, so should be fine.

The best book I read is The Impatient Womens Guide to Getting Pregnant. It’s nice and short and explains stuff simply (taking charge of your fertility is another one recommended, but it’s BIG!).

Good to get an app. I think Fertility Friend is best personally if you want to track your temp to see if you’ve ovulated (+other symptoms). It uses lots of statistics to pinpoint ovulation. I found it super helpful, temping every morning. It stays low before period and then rises when you have ovulated by 0.2-0.4C. Found that on a 28 day cycle I ovulate on day 18, so relatively late.

Biggest thing you’ll notice probably coming off the pill is changes in discharge and the “egg white” mucus that is slippery when you wipe - that’s the fertile window to DTD! I’m much more conscious of it now.

We TTC for 5 months and got pregnant but sadly had a missed miscarriage. Since then I have been using ovulation kits to track ovulation. Expensive but I like the Clearblue Advanced ones, which flash for fertile days and then have a solid smiley face when you’re about to ovulate, as I find the cheap ones struggle to find my peak.

Or you can just go with the flow for a bit and have lots of sex and see :) but I think most people on here want to feel a bit of “control” and that’s what the book I recommended above helps with!

@Hopefulhoney6 thanks so much for the information really appreciate it. Will look into your book recommendation, feel like a total beginner at something that should be so natural! Giving myself the next few months to regulate and get my body sorted out, get to grips with tracking etc before hopefully trying in July/Aug time!

@LightBlueJeans thanks so much for your reply! I’m looking at TTC July/Aug time aswell. Will look into the app and supplement recommendations you mentioned, using the next few months to get up to speed with that before trying in the summer!

Well I finally got AF after 7 weeks of not being on implant, so I don’t know if the last few weeks much was happening, so counting this is first real cycle.

Gonna keep temping and will start with the sticks as soon as I can. Hope my old ovaries are still firing!

I've caved and bought the Clearblue advanced ovulation tests to try out this month, my last cycle was long and it was hard to pinpoint ovulation on the cheapies, I just kept testing almost positive for about 5 days then it faded away. I'd like to know when exactly my surge happens ready for when we are TTC, hopefully next cycle (currently CD6).

I need to get a new pre-natal supplement as the hair skin and nails one I've been taking only has 200 of folic acid and I read we need 400 a day ideally.

@CinderRosie I recommend the Conceive Plus supplements, they have a lot of recommended vitamins. I do top up with CoQ10 400mg, vit b complex, zinc and vit C however as a lot of supplements don’t have high enough levels

CD9, lots of EWCM today which I’m happy about! Need to start DTD!!!

CD11 and had two positive OPK today, a day earlier than usual. Also quite crampy today.

Hi all,

Hope everyone's doing well! 😊

Finally think my bleeding is slowing down from my chemical (started bleeding on Tuesday)... Looking forward to trying again this month but extremely nervous. Been stupidly googling literally everything to do with ttc after chemicals and I've seen so many mixed experiences! (I know this isn't a good representation as not everyone posts about it online etc.) But, from what I've seen, a lot of people either get a bfp the cycle after, or it takes ages. I've also seen a lot of people saying they have had multiple chemicals in a row... I know no one knows or can predict what will happen to them after a chemical, but I know I'm going to feel so much disappointment if I don't fall again straight away as so many do... And obviously even more disappointment if I have another cp.
I can't believe quite how hard this has hit me and how I feel like it's really going to tarnish our ttc experience going forward.
I now won't be able to get excited if/when I get another bfp... How do people deal with the anxiety after a loss?! I feel pathetic as I was only 5 weeks, but still...

AF due on Monday and expecting it to arrive.. Previous months I have got my hopes up so just find it easier to not expect to not be pregnant again.. Now on month 5 ttc.
Each month I tend to get couple days spotting before my period which gets my hopes up that could be implantation bleeding but never has been..😕

Do any of you ladies also spot before period and get hopes up that it could be implantation bleeding?

Hey @Jennifer89 yes this happened to me just this week, although I am convinced it was implantation bleeding because my AF has been so heavy, I don't usually have heavy periods. On 8dpo I got light pink spotting which is unusual this lasted until 10dpo and then on 12dpo I have horrendous back pain pain in my pelvis and the heaviest period. I am convinced it was implantation but just didn't stay.

I'm not getting ready for next cycle next week. Baby dust to you xx

I'm now getting ready that should say lol

@Babydustthisyear it is odd isn't it.. Think our body likes to play tricks on us. I usually do get some spotting before my period arrives so hard to tell really but guess I will know if AF arrives soon..
For some reason as I get spotting I just assume period is on it's way but then knowing about Implantation bleeding does still make me wonder..
Thank you and you too! if this isn't the time then roll on March ttc. December pre Christmas birth date isn't most ideal but I am not going to hold off for that..

@Jennifer89 i really would have liked to avoid December and January birthdays. My DS2 is 14th Jan and I’m 15th Jan 🙄 but this has gone on too long to hold off to avoid those months. My ideal would be a March/April/May EDD but when you’re 20 cycles in that really doesn’t matter anymore

@Mummyme87 I would actually like a Jan due date, would bring some joy to celebrate birthday during an otherwise boring month and no one is I am close to has a Jan birthday. Now December already a few birthdays in the family plus Christmas lol but also wouldn't want to miss ttc as you just never know when could the magic month..🙂

Re the Dec/Jan due date, this is something that bothers me too…. I’m not TTC this month as already have my teenage DS who is a late November baby and I struggled having the whole of winter ahead of me with a newborn. However we are hoping to start TTC next cycle and my EDD would be around New Years Day I don’t think I want to hold off any longer with TTC though as I know we’d be very lucky to fall pregnant the very first month.

A January due date would be quite nice I think, something to look forward to after Christmas, and not long til the days start getting longer. We have no January birthdays in the family at all.

@CinderRosie yea that's true. Jan is otherwise generally boring 😅.. Also true about it being close to spring within a couple months..

@Jennifer89 if you don’t fall pregnant within a few months might be worth getting there spotting checked out. It can be a sign of progesterone lowering and luteal phase defect (ie luteal phase is short which makes it harder to conceive). The GP would usually do some progesterone checks. My friend used to spot every month 5 days before AF, but actually she still conceived. So probably nothing…. But the spotting is usually a sign of progesterone having already fallen. So just one to watch (rather than worry you!) and if you have a 14 day luteal phase, then it being 12 would be no worries anyway :)

@Hopefulhoney6 ah I see..I do spot on average 2-5 days before period. I am in process of getting some fertility blood tests and appointment for scan as my period is very heavy first couple days so just checking if anything underlying, couple years ago I had test that found very small 1cm fibroid. My cycle varies on average 27-30 days if that helps?..

@Jennifer89 …. Worth googling luteal phase defect and having a read then? Could ask about it alongside your tests?
With a 27 to 30 day cycle no set rule on when you ovulate. I use BBT to confirm my ovulation. I have a shortish one of 10 days. But OPKs are quite good to pinpoint it too if you know you are ovulating. Then you can work out how soon after ovulation you start spotting and whether it might be an issue.

@Hopefulhoney6 I have been tracking with clear blue tests and this month spotting started couple days ago so will be 4 days before AF if arrives Monday so works out then my luteal phase is around 10 days if based of when spotting starts. My period usually starts 14 days after ovulation pretty much on track.
Is 10 days very low? Hopefully blood tests and scan I am getting done can track if any underlining issues..