hi im new to this forum thought id say hi and introduce myself!

[shirleyc]

Hi all! Im shirley, im 28 and very new to all of this! After almost 15 years my husband has finally decided now is the time for us to have a baby yayyyyy. He only decided this 3 days ago and my mind has been in a spin ever since as ive been wanting a baby for at least a year, so i now have lots to do and no idea where to start.
I stopped taking the pill 1 1/2 years ago, have an awful diet am overweight and a heavy smoker and i drink way above the amount im supposed to. so i have alot of changes to make.
I have started to take folic acid and not sure what other vitamins i should be taking any suggestions? Also i drink skimmed milk so should i drink full fat for the calcium? I'm seeing my nurse tommorrow for a due smear test and am planning on discussing this with her tommorrow and also giving up smoking.
My main problem is my impatience to get pregnant. My hubbie wants me to lose weight and give up smoking which im happy to do if this will increase my fertility.
Im confused about ovulation dates all websites seem slightly different in what they say. Is there one general rule to work by? Of course as soon as he said he wanted a baby the first thing i thought was lets go have sex, which immediately made him feel pressured and thats not what i want to do. Im not a very patient person and so any suggestions on how to handle all of this would be great!
Look forward to getting to know you all in the future and thanks in advance for any help you can give me!

Hi SHirley and welcome - I'm sure you'll find lots of support, as well as a few laughs, on here.

You should start over on the Conception boards. Have a look at the Useful Stuff at the top of the page as it has all the acronymns, etc that are used - this can seem like another language at times!

Many of us have been there re the impatience to get pregnant. But you sound like you know the issues you would like to address and you will definitely increase your chances of conceiving and having a healthy pregnancy and baby if you make a conscious effort in these areas.

Try changing one thing and tell yourself that trying for a baby is your 'reward' for achieving that -I would definitely start with the smoking!

Good luck!

i AM DEFFO not ttc, but just thought i woldnt let thisgo unanswered a your new.
welcome

and good luck

Thanks for that i have seen a few acronyms that confused me so i'll take a look now! I think ive figured the ttc out .
I have decided now to give up smoking without a doubt and i know my hubbie would be so pleased. Im sure the nurse will tell me if any of the patches will affect me im sure they will be fine better than actual smoking!
Anyway i will carry on with a positive approach to this knowing its now a case of when we have a baby rather than if :-) :-).
Thankyou for your positivity!

Oh, to answer a few of your questions...

No to full fat milk - has no more calcium in it, only fat!

You should definitely be taking folic acid, but if your diet is as bad as you think, you might want to take a multivitamin as well as eating fresh fruit & veg.

This is a great motive to cut down your drinking - I cut out spirits completely and limited my wine consumption to the weekend (that includes Thurs in my book!) - some people cut out alcohol completely when ttc.

Yes, you have to be careful that sex doesn't become a chore to make a baby. In my experience, it was more 'special' because of that - lots of chat about this on the conception boards!

Re ovulation...everyone is different but it really depends on your cycle. Is it regular? How many days are in your cycle (from day 1 of period until next period).

Short answer is that most women ovulate around 14 days before they get their period, but you can learn more about the signs of ovulation and tracking your cycle on the boards.

And I am most definitely not TTC either!!!

Ooh ok so my periods work out about 4 weeks so i suppose 28 days althought its not something i always keep my eye on, i will from now on though! I came of on the 2nd this month and think this means im due to ovulate in a couple of days? As i said im so new to all of this maybe just keep an eye on dates from now on.
As for the drinking we both drink alot of whiskey thats all we drink, im happy to give it up but have to be realistic in my approach to this, im giving up smoking on Monday (says I who just lit up a ciggie not good) and just texted my hubbie to say we will be getting rid of our supplies monday and spending the money on good healthy food that i need. He was even making me drink OJ last night and this morning. Perhaps i should hop over to wine and have just a glass or so a night
I have to be honest and say its all a shock from him saying he never wanted a baby to 'i want a baby and nows the right time' one minute hes surfing the net looking for boys names (we already have girls names decided) and in the next breath hes saying he wants me to lose weight etc etc. Cant share any of this with my family as he doesnt want anyone knowing as we are not the kind of couple people expect to have a baby. We also are not sure how high our chances are of having twins as im a twin and my hubbies mum was a twin to so it runs in both of our families.
Once again thanks you've all been so welcoming!!