The Great Big Conception Experiment.- Ladies in white coats in here......

[Thandeka]

Okay in an attempt to stop me obsessing and to try and make this more fun (well the BDing is fun the other bits are annoying!) I have decided to look upon TTC as an experiment where each month I am going to try something new which is supposed to help me concieve. Obviously if its just me then its not a fair test so anyone up for joining me? We can also post tips and ideas for conception.
Some of the ideas and things I want to try are:
Much Healthier diet
Give up alcohol & Caffiene
Increase water intake
Increase exercise
Massage
Reflexology
Accupuncture
Using pre-seed

(There are 8 things there- I am hoping it won't take me 8 months to concieve but since the average is 7-8 months TTC then this seems reasonable).

So always one to start on the easiest (and not quite ready to give up alcohol!) I am starting on the massage this month but I am also going to increase the exercise too (Need to have a pain and reward thing going on!).

So who is with me? (Oh yeah and I am on Cycle 2 CD8 of TTC#1)

where can i buy preseed and how much does it cost approxiamately?

haven't tried this yet but am going to do it next month - an obstetrician called Dr Gowri Motha was my guru when I was pregnant with DD, she has written a book called The Gentle Birth Method, and it involves diet, self hypnosis, reflexology & other stuff that is meant to ensure you have an enjoyable pregnancy and 'easy'(!) birth. Anyway, there is a small section in the sequel book (The Gentle First Year) on preparing for a second baby - she says (this is quite long by the way - I'll try and summarise where I can):-

• 5mg of folic acid every day - Biocare or Solgar are the best (ok this is a bit obvious)
• Eat more dark-green leafy veg e.g. broccoli, green cabbage, swiss chard & spinach leaves. If possible, juice them
• Take steam baths in the first half of cycle, before ovulation, to help sweat out heavy metals and cholesterol. Avoid steam baths after you think you have ovulated in case you are pregnant.
• One of the reasons I mention heavy metals is that many of us have been given amalgam fillings by dentists. There is good evidence to suggest that too many mercury ions or other heavy metals in the circulation can suppress ovulation and cause toxic conditions within the lining of the womb, preventing implantation. In my work...I have had many mothers fall pregnant almost immediately after they finished replacing their amalgam fillings.

-See reflexologist & ask them to concentrate on detoxifying and clearing your pelvic lymphatics & stimulating our ovarian reflexes as well as your hypothalamus. As a general rule avoid reflexology in the last week of your cycler.

• Get plenty of good fats or omega oils in your diet - sunflower or pumpkin seeds, oily fish.
• Take 500mg of vitamin C daily.
• Make sleep a priority.
• Bring down your exercise routine - cut out contact sports & high-impact activities, carry on cycling, rowing(!) and walking.

Hi Thandeka

The acupuncture varies i find from location to location. Was living in Leeds Yorkshire when first got married and the nice man there was 30 for first session and 25 after that.

Now in Manchester and it seems a bit more is 45 for first one and down to 30 after that. I have cut back loads of things so hopefully wont feel it too much but am sure its an indulgence that if no improvement or results just becomes expensive.

Where abouts are you are there no holistic places near you. I think its just a matter of finding one and giving it a go. I not scared of the needles as first time i had it for sinus probs they were gone the next day and always works for this. so really hopeful that will work for fertility.

AF has arrived this am so clomid cycle starts tomorrow. really nervous about it.

c1ndy there are lots of websites that sell preseed but i tend to buy from access diagnostics they deliver the next day are reasonably priced give discount vouchers if you go back (every little helps) and they usually have special offers on everything.

Love and baby dust

this is such a good thread, thank you for starting it.

Have been ttc no.2 for 3 years with one m/c 8mth ago. have one dd who is 4.

had never heard of pre-seed so will tyr that and the other suggestions.

but the accupuncutre thing, do yuo just call any of them listed and where are they listed? or are there special fertility ones around?

Ooooh I have found something for all the londoners: Accupuncture for £15 per session www.lcta.com/treatment/acupuncture/lctaacupunctureclinic.php

You are getting it from a trainee but I dont think that matters too much as is cheap enough to have a lot more of it!

I have my first appointment booked for 24th october. I am soooooo excited.

ooh thanks for that thandeka, am going to book myself an appt - had acupuncture when I was pregnant with DD (she was breech & I wanted to try and get her to turn round - got it on the NHS amazingly), I really didn't like it but am willing to go through with it if it gets results

Ohhh lucky you lot in London wish i could find the same in Manchester.

Migola just relax through it deep breaths and close your eyes. It may have been more sensitive due to pregnancy.

Just had my first one on CD1 and he said will warm up uterus and all those bits next week. Feel positive about that (PLACEBO effect do you think)

Good luck with it

Lots of baby dust

Hi ladies

Loads of great ideas in here. My top tips to add are:

Someone asked about green tea - caffeine is the issue as it can have quite a lot in and caffeine inhibits effective operation of reproductive hormones. A couple of cups a day is fine.

Grapefruit juice works better if unsweetened but can't remember why!

When BDing , best positions are missionary and rear entry positions. The latter is the best position if you have a tilted cervix - about 40% of women do and you may have been told this at cervical smear appointments.

Orgasm (for you) after your partner helps the uptake of semen into the uterus.

Good luck!

Hi all,

The acupuncturist said he would help get things started as thought it was cd1 AF then ground to a halt and started with massive pains and bloating last night. looked at least 6 months gone andnow its arrived this morning with a vengenance sorry TMI wonder if the acu could have such an immediate effect.

Any one know anything.???

Love and baby dust

I think it does work straight away bec. when I had it to try and turn my daughter around, she was going mental in my tummy whilst they were doing it, and carried on moving loads that same evening - she didn't turn enough though, she knows her mind and she clearly didn't want to turn!

Hi migola thanks for that. My next acupuncture is on wed next week which will be cd6 wonder what effect that will have.

Am going to try the grapefruit juice thing.

been really tearful today seem to be crying at anything and everything. wonder whether laughter therapy works for fertility could certainly do with some

Hi Pinkie, I know the feeling. My therapy is to watch Tim Minchin videos on youtube. They just make me smile and he is sooooo cute.

xxx

Pretty convinced have start of AF. Had pink spotting yesterday which is not normal it is normally brown at start of AF, but I have light brown CM today. That was preseed- of which I still have some, but this month will also be grapefruit juice....

Another experiment I mean to try is temp taking, not much use as a predictor of ovulation (as once it spikes it is too late!) but as an early predictor of pregnancy because if your temp is elevated for 18DPO then you are pregnant but it will start to fall after about 8DPO if auntie flo is on her way. This way I figure I can try and use temp as my main symptom spot and start to deal with the disapointment of a BFN a bit earlier rather than keeping my hopes up.

Not that I am not being positive bout it tho!?- because my Positive mental attitude is making all the difference, I cried a lot last week and since I made this concerted effort to be positive I have been really happy and excited about TTC again, even though I am about to ovulate and me and OH have to abstain this month coz of the infected fallopian tube. Sniff.

If anyone is giving up caffeine - like me.. have you tried Red Bush tea.. its a great replacement to Coffee and Tea!! its an
South African tea made by Rooibos. So going off the caffeine need not be so hard with this type of tea... its caffeine free

I love rooibos tea! I worked in africa for a while and we had it all the time. It can be a bit of an aquired taste. I am trying to cut down on sweetner now too so I am trying xylitol which is a bit peculiar.

Hi all,

I havent tried the tea yet but will. Have bought the grapefruit juice and am on second glass while typing. Have gone with the unsweetened one yuck!! Does the taste get better?

I have managed to cut out the sweeteners in hot drinks swopped over from sweetners to light granulated sugar then half teaspoon then none so really pleased with that

AF has been really light cd4 and day 3 of clomid and shes gone yeahhh!!

Is that the clomid or acupuncture will ask on Wednesday.

Hey pinkie,
well done on getting to none in tea/coffee, i so need to. I have bad teeth (getting my first crown at the dentist tommorrow- am bricking it) so I can't go back to sugar but sweetner is so bad too- I need to train my tastebuds.

Xylitol is good for your teeth but makes your coffee extra refreshing! but it does have calorific value in but in a GI good way unlike sugar. (GI7 compared to GI100)

Hmmm maybe that should be the task for the rest of this month- get rid of any form of sweetness in tea and coffee. (my decaff versions of course)

Oh and fingers crossed for you for this cycle- clomid and accupunture- those eggs will be fools not to get fertilised and implant- fools I tell you!

xxx

For all those on the experiment and those that find this thread.

I have just placed an order on access diagnostics and received a discount voucher code of "thank you". Was told in the email that this can be passed on to friends and family. It is quite a well priced website and although the discount is only about 6.5% all helps.

Having acupuncture tomorrow CD6 and last clomid pill day.

Have been drinking the grapefruit juice.

how is everyone getting on.

Will keep everyone updated tomorrow on what acupuncturist says.

XX

Hi all - this thread seems to have been lost in the ether, but thought i would say I have booked in for my acupuncture, and wondered how pinkie's went? Anyone?
x

Hi lou

Acupuncture last week really seemed to work. The overheating side effect of the clomid disappeared apart from the start of one but no where near what was going through before.

Am going again this afternoon to help with release of egg as CD13 and also blood supply to uterus etc.

It has been very quiet on this thread i think everyone must be busy with their experiments.

Let us know what you think of your acupuncture. WHat time are you going ? what point in your cycle are you ? it will be good to compare notes

I'm still here. As I am out for this month (had ovaries scanned today for this random unexplained pain- results next week) I have not been doing much experimenting (have had no sex for past 15 days as dr banned us! NARGH!) though I have first accupuncture booked this friday.

Hope everyone elses adventures are fruitful!
xxx

HI Thandeka

Ouch poor you - has the pain gone. Could it be ovulation pain. They can the ovulation site ie where the follicle was attached to the side of the ovary.

Have really liked the acupuncture. Todays treatment was very similar to last weeks except she started with my stomach first. Its a very strange sensation. Then my lower back and top of my bottom.

Now got some strange aches in ovary/uterus area hope thats good sign.

Have been drinking the grapefruit juice, couple of glasses in the morning.

What cycle day will you start your acupuncture

Baby dust to all

The pain has lasted into its 7th week now so unlikely to be ovulation. Accupuncture will be on day 27 of cycle but since I don't think I ovulated this month (little sign of CM and persona didn't pick up testing from day 13 -20) then I have no idea how close my period is. My cycles go between 28 and 35 days dependent on ovulation but I usually have an LP of 14 days. just trying to get the pre ovulation bit of cycle down to 14 days too so I its not as long in between cycles when TTC!

The acupuncture will def. get things moving for you. I am a huge believer in these alternative therapies.

When i first had coil removed nothing was making even a slight surge happen until i started reflex.

Now moved onto acupuncture as its even more accurate and deeper and i love it.

Hoping you will too