Preparing Your Body

[readyformore]

(I'm an OB RN and see women on a daily basis that eat exclusively fast food, doritos, and coke and they pop babies out like a pez dispenser).

For the last 2 babies, I haven't needed to chart or use OPKs, just because my signs of ovulation are very obvious to me.

I am currently charting soley for the purpose of taking something with me to see my RE next month.

So, I don't do much. I just live my life normally (which is interesting to say because I am completely and totally obsessed with becoming pregnant).

Lol Are those women all about 22 though? They might find that lifestyle catches up with them in about 15 years...

How long have you been ttc this time?

I guess I'm one of those people who has to feel she is doing something - it helps me with the PMA. Plus, I've never tried to conceive before so have no idea what to expect.

13 cycles this time.
My PMA left about 7 cycles ago.

And yeah, I think you're right about the lifestyle catching up to them. One of them is a co-worker, and although I like her quite a bit, she's now easily 50 pounds heavier than when I met her 10 years ago!!!

 

[NorthStar]

I tried Asda's own make of Guafesnin last month, it tastes like vomit.

Do you find it makes any difference? I used Benylin but that had evomenthol in it also, taking it actually made me want to cough.

I'm not sure, it definitely makes me snottier so I would imagine it must be making me more mucusy in the cervix as well and I started EPO at the same time, so IDK.

This is only cycle 3 for me, and before I started TTC I was entirely (blissfully) oblivious to the existence of CM, so I can't say whether it makes any diff or not, becuase I don't have any data from before to compare it to.

Oooh Indigo, interesting side effect of the SI

 

[velo]

Thanks for the tip about guaifesnin, I had heard of it, but hearing quantitative results helps!

I've struggled with depression for a long time so my focus is on keeping that under control while trying to reduce what medication I am on. Doctors say that untreated depression is worse for TTC than antidepressants, so make sure you have a plan in place to deal with coming off the meds!

Taking a while to TTC has been good because it has made me more focussed on trying to improve my body (in hopes of TTC but its stuff that is good overall). Mostly in terms of what I eat, which was already pretty healthy, but I was getting much more specific. The caveat is though trying NOT to lose weight as my BMI is about 20, so I don't want to lose any or I would probably have trouble TTC. So I cut out the chocolate and red wine and I increase the exercise, and hey I start losing a few pounds I don't need to! (so I've added back chocolate to the diet )

 

[velo]

I tried Asda's own make of Guafesnin last month, it tastes like vomit.

You can get Guafesnin in capsule format too...

 

[Bubba3]

Hi interesting thread. I too firmly believe timing is the real issue but that being in as good health as possible is important for me more so this time around at 36.
Ive cut out caffeine , not liked doing it but it was easier than I thought. This supports my bid to increase iron uptake.
Not a big drinker but will still have a glass of wine if I feel like it. Living in a dry country has helped....until we move back to Oz !
My biggest area of change has been to increase my ferratin levels ( iron stores ). I'm now taking 200 mg of iron twice a day.
I take a pregnancy multi vit. The last two months I've added royal jelly , also to aid iron up take.
I'm undecided about the cough medicine , it worries me a little so have steered clear. Instead to encourage ewcm I drink tons of grapefruit juice which I love , vit c helps and have really increased fluids.
I add linseeds to my breakfast and try to eat well.
I'm learning this cycle to relax more , after being so sad last af I decided I needed to chill with it all. I now only temp until I confirm o then stop. Chart watching os too stressful for me. I don't test early , again I find i don't trust the results and get heart broken at all the negative tests .
Good luck and huge dust all round

 

[Suki73]

Thanks for the tip about guaifesnin, I had heard of it, but hearing quantitative results helps!

I've struggled with depression for a long time so my focus is on keeping that under control while trying to reduce what medication I am on. Doctors say that untreated depression is worse for TTC than antidepressants, so make sure you have a plan in place to deal with coming off the meds!

Taking a while to TTC has been good because it has made me more focussed on trying to improve my body (in hopes of TTC but its stuff that is good overall). Mostly in terms of what I eat, which was already pretty healthy, but I was getting much more specific. The caveat is though trying NOT to lose weight as my BMI is about 20, so I don't want to lose any or I would probably have trouble TTC. So I cut out the chocolate and red wine and I increase the exercise, and hey I start losing a few pounds I don't need to! (so I've added back chocolate to the diet )

Velo, I'm worried about coming off meds too. I have made 2 or 3 attempts to come off them over the past five years or so and each time the return of symptoms has made me go back to my maintenance dose. I agree about untreated depression/anxiety being worse for ttc - stress is one of the biggest factors in failing to conceive for a lot of people, I'm convinced. And stress hormones are arguably as harmful to a foetus as anti-D meds. It really is a question of taking it slowly and doing whatever you can to avoid depression recurring. I find exercise works wonders, it's like taking a happy pill But I have to overcome my natural laziness first.

My BMI is about 19.5 - 20 too and have suffered with underweight in the past, which really adversely affects fertility. My BMI has dropped to about 16.5 on occasion (directly linked to depressive episodes). I also had an ED in my late teens which caused my periods to stop completely for about a year. Thankfully I recovered completely from that, but I occasionally wonder whether it has had any lasting effects on my reproductive system.

I feel well at my current weight, however, and I know I'm eating enough good stuff. It is slightly alarming how much weight I lose when I stop tippling, it really makes me feel I've been overdoing it

Chocolate is another matter though

 

[Suki73]

Hi interesting thread. I too firmly believe timing is the real issue but that being in as good health as possible is important for me more so this time around at 36.
Ive cut out caffeine , not liked doing it but it was easier than I thought. This supports my bid to increase iron uptake.
Not a big drinker but will still have a glass of wine if I feel like it. Living in a dry country has helped....until we move back to Oz !
My biggest area of change has been to increase my ferratin levels ( iron stores ). I'm now taking 200 mg of iron twice a day.
I take a pregnancy multi vit. The last two months I've added royal jelly , also to aid iron up take.
I'm undecided about the cough medicine , it worries me a little so have steered clear. Instead to encourage ewcm I drink tons of grapefruit juice which I love , vit c helps and have really increased fluids.
I add linseeds to my breakfast and try to eat well.
I'm learning this cycle to relax more , after being so sad last af I decided I needed to chill with it all. I now only temp until I confirm o then stop. Chart watching os too stressful for me. I don't test early , again I find i don't trust the results and get heart broken at all the negative tests .
Good luck and huge dust all round

My preconception tab has iron in it, I'm not a big red meat eater so this is something I have to keep an eye on too.

I'm thinking of adding royal jelly too; strangely enough I've had a little difficulty finding any in health food shops and I'm unsure what a good brand is. My brother keeps bees so I might ask him if he can get me some
What brand have you been using Bubba?

about the stress. How long have you been ttc altogether? It's almost like you have to look at it, post BD, out of the corner of your eye. Which for something so urgent and important is really, really difficult. I'm WTT at the moment (will probably start ttc in October), but I know it'll be a struggle for me to avoid symptom spotting and worrying...

 

[Bubba3]

Hi Suki
We've been ttc for a year. However we have two wee girls that i fell very quickly soI was pretty casual about it all . Which has bitten me on the arse , but the last few months I'm monitoring things which is great in figuring out a few fundamental mistakes ie I o a lot earlier than I realized but the down side is you become a bit obsessed and stressy even when trying not to be! Now I feel guilty for taking it all for granted , and being a little naive or arrogant about the whole thing. It's given me a who'd new respect for all that go through this. This will complete us , it's also sorted any niggling doubts I had. Hubby was always slightly more desperate for another.
Good luck to you , I've learnt heaps here

 

[NorthStar]

I tried Asda's own make of Guafesnin last month, it tastes like vomit.

You can get Guafesnin in capsule format too...

Ok thanks well I'll definitely go looking for it once I finish this bottle of puke syrup

I only take it for about 5 days and it costs next to nothing so I'm giving it a go, I might try a month without it and see if I notice the difference.

Grapefruit is my least favourite fruit in the world, I don't think I could choke down any grapefruit juice.

Velo, Suki, are you actually receiving counselling for your depression as well as medication?

 

[Suki73]

Hi Suki
We've been ttc for a year. However we have two wee girls that i fell very quickly soI was pretty casual about it all . Which has bitten me on the arse , but the last few months I'm monitoring things which is great in figuring out a few fundamental mistakes ie I o a lot earlier than I realized but the down side is you become a bit obsessed and stressy even when trying not to be! Now I feel guilty for taking it all for granted , and being a little naive or arrogant about the whole thing. It's given me a who'd new respect for all that go through this. This will complete us , it's also sorted any niggling doubts I had. Hubby was always slightly more desperate for another.
Good luck to you , I've learnt heaps here

I know, I read some of the stuff on here and have such admiration for these women. The really crazy-making thing is the whole process is so mysterious

Charting for the first time this month has been a revelation for me - I was always vaguely aware of ovulating but never paid a lot of attention to it - turns out I ovulate later than I thought (CD19 or 20) and my cycles are slightly long. Exactly the same as my mum actually, and she's also been really supportive. My OH is also keener on ttc than I have been - up to now!!! lol, I've overtaken him lately.

Don't think you need to feel guilty for taking fertility for granted - so many people do, especially when you're young and paranoid and trying to do everything to avoid it lol

 

[Suki73]

I tried Asda's own make of Guafesnin last month, it tastes like vomit.

You can get Guafesnin in capsule format too...

Ok thanks well I'll definitely go looking for it once I finish this bottle of puke syrup

I only take it for about 5 days and it costs next to nothing so I'm giving it a go, I might try a month without it and see if I notice the difference.

Grapefruit is my least favourite fruit in the world, I don't think I could choke down any grapefruit juice.

Velo, Suki, are you actually receiving counselling for your depression as well as medication?

I read about grapefruit increasing the levels of circulating estrogens and don't want to to anything to increase them in my body because of the potential health risks (although first time pregnancy brings its own long term risks at this age, unfortunately ) . Here's a link: https://www.livestrong.com/article/108077-estrogen-grapefruit/

It can also have interactions with drugs. I do think soy isoflavones and grapefruit are potentially very powerful, to pharmacological levels.

I'm not having counselling and am trying to manage coming off the drugs myself. I had a very bad time about six years ago on the breakup of an abusive relationship, which is when I was put back on the anti-depressants. But things have improved a lot for me since I cut contact with my abusive ex and fx'd they stay that way. My bad depressions are almost always reactive rather than coming out of nowhere.

 

[Elodie]

Thanks Suki - interesting thread! I'm new to this game but know I have to start looking after myself, and this has given me a bit of inspiration. Watching the 'Tour de France' unfortunately doesn't qualify as exercise...

I've got a stressful job too (number-cruncher also) and it is hard not to get stressed out at work because there are always deadlines and millions of things going on at once that I have to juggle. I reckon that the stress is the worst - as many people have said here, there are plenty of people who get pregnant with less than ideal lifestyles.

So, this is what I'm doing:

Taking 400mg Folic acid per day
Taking a multivitamin for women (may change to the 'pregnancy' one - but I HATE anything labelled as such, as I'm afraid of anyone seeing the packet and knowing what I'm up to!)
Trying to cut down drinking (difficult as is a real crutch to deal with the stress unfortunately)
Stopping smoking - I only smoke a few a day but it needs to GO
Drinking loads of water
Cutting out coffee (I don't even LIKE it but it's become such a habit)
Trying to eat more fruit and veg (not into junk food at all)
Exercising more regularly
Plus I'm taking my temp daily and may get some ovulation kits to start tracking my cycle and getting a clue of what's going on in this body of mine!
Good luck everyone and let's all take care of our bodies.

 

[aliss]

Strength training is very important. Yes, cardio (ie jogging, swimming) is important, but so is a proper weights routine (or at least body weight routine). Squats, planks, pushups, lunges. I had a very long, difficult labour and delivery, and I swear that consistent strength training really made a massive difference. The OBGYN said that a woman with any less strength/endurance would have had a C-section. Remember that pregnancy is the long journey but think of labour as "the big event" at the end - it is very important to be in the best shape for that.

And of course, 35+, you should take into consideration that muscle decreases as we age and the risk for osteoporosis starts to rise, so strength training doubles for both pregnancy and to keep us in tip top shape as we get older. I am far more fit now than I was at 20!!!

 

[dachsundmom]

In my case:

Sex, drugs (Tamoxifen), and rock n roll!

 

[Suki73]

Thanks Suki - interesting thread! I'm new to this game but know I have to start looking after myself, and this has given me a bit of inspiration. Watching the 'Tour de France' unfortunately doesn't qualify as exercise...

I've got a stressful job too (number-cruncher also) and it is hard not to get stressed out at work because there are always deadlines and millions of things going on at once that I have to juggle. I reckon that the stress is the worst - as many people have said here, there are plenty of people who get pregnant with less than ideal lifestyles.

So, this is what I'm doing:

Taking 400mg Folic acid per day
Taking a multivitamin for women (may change to the 'pregnancy' one - but I HATE anything labelled as such, as I'm afraid of anyone seeing the packet and knowing what I'm up to!)
Trying to cut down drinking (difficult as is a real crutch to deal with the stress unfortunately)
Stopping smoking - I only smoke a few a day but it needs to GO
Drinking loads of water
Cutting out coffee (I don't even LIKE it but it's become such a habit)
Trying to eat more fruit and veg (not into junk food at all)
Exercising more regularly
Plus I'm taking my temp daily and may get some ovulation kits to start tracking my cycle and getting a clue of what's going on in this body of mine!
Good luck everyone and let's all take care of our bodies.

Hi Elodie

I read what you said on your other thread about your work environment and colleagues being into going out and getting drunk still. Lol - I know all about that. I've worked in a hard-working, hard-drinking job for a while now. Lots of coffee and lots of booze after working hours.

It can be hard to back away a bit from that.

Lol, I wish preconception vitamins were more discreetly labeled too. My box has a big egg and sperm on it and a smug-looking woman stroking her enormous belly

The temping and opk's give you a real insight into your body. Timing is EVERYTHING Good luck!

 

[Suki73]

Strength training is very important. Yes, cardio (ie jogging, swimming) is important, but so is a proper weights routine (or at least body weight routine). Squats, planks, pushups, lunges. I had a very long, difficult labour and delivery, and I swear that consistent strength training really made a massive difference. The OBGYN said that a woman with any less strength/endurance would have had a C-section. Remember that pregnancy is the long journey but think of labour as "the big event" at the end - it is very important to be in the best shape for that.

And of course, 35+, you should take into consideration that muscle decreases as we age and the risk for osteoporosis starts to rise, so strength training doubles for both pregnancy and to keep us in tip top shape as we get older. I am far more fit now than I was at 20!!!

I find weights a bit scary - anything beyond my 10lb dumbbells But bodyweight stuff is more manageable. I did a military style fitness course for about 4 months earlier this year, really intense interval training using a lot of those techniques, and I really should try and use some of that stuff again. Problem is it tends to be all or nothing with me.

I know someone my age who recently breezed through her first pregnancy and labour. She has always been a really fit and healthy girl and I honestly think that has a lot to do with it.

 

[Desperado167]

Suki I think if u are doing some exercise every day it really helps strengthen your body and it is also great for your well being,am so glad u got rid of your ex and feel much better now,that must have been so difficult for u Hun,

 

[Suki73]

Suki I think if u are doing some exercise every day it really helps strengthen your body and it is also great for your well being,am so glad u got rid of your ex and feel much better now,that must have been so difficult for u Hun,

Thanks sweetie yes, it was sometimes difficult to believe there was light at the end of the tunnel. But there was

 

[Desperado167]

Suki I think if u are doing some exercise every day it really helps strengthen your body and it is also great for your well being,am so glad u got rid of your ex and feel much better now,that must have been so difficult for u Hun,

Thanks sweetie yes, it was sometimes difficult to believe there was light at the end of the tunnel. But there was

 

[73pink]

Such an interesting thread.

Last time I was TTC i gave up the booze, smoking, caffine, did vitamins, opk, preseed etc
Was fitter, thinner and younger!!!

This time, as we have only just decided to try and we were NEVER expecting to try again I have done bugger all but you Ladies have certainly made me think about what I need to do!