Waiting to try :) Advice?

[plutosblue]

Hi Guys, I'm new to this so please bear with me!!

I guess I'm just looking for some advice, I am waiting to try for my first baby sometime next year. Story being that I recently came of my contraceptive pill (micrgynon) but due to my hormones going out of balance I became depressed/anxious and I am now on 20mgs of citalopram (My GP has estimated I will be on this until December and then I cam be weined off them).
I am all prepared, I have my blood test form ready so I can be all updated with my Rubella and I am already taking Folic Acid so I can get a good store up. (Obviously I will not be trying while I am on the anxiety tablets(citalopram), hense the plan to start next year)

Question is, is there anything else I could be doing to prepare? I am trying to exercise and eat healthily but its easier said than done! Should I be taking vitamin supplements? I just want to be in tip top condition !

Also before going onto the Microgynon I was always irregular with my periods, then on the pill I was regular as clockwork, now I have stopped them I had my withdrawl bleed but since that I have had nothing and its been 3 months.. How, if I stay irregular will I guess when I am ovulating? How long did you have to wait until you had a real period after coming off the pill?

Thanks in advance for any responses Sorry I know I'm a bit of a worry wart! I just want to give my baby the best start!

 

[mommyB]

Hey, welcome to WTT. I`m pretty new here as well, just joined at the beginning of October. It sounds as if you have a good plan when it comes to TTC. My husband and I are waiting till Jan.2010 to start trying. I have pretty much been taking a prenatal vitamin since beginning of September, prior to that I was taking a womens multivitamin. I have been starting to chart my basal temperature, so I can get in tune with my body and when I ovulate. That is pretty much it. I find this forum is extremely helpful, and all the ladies are in a similar situation, so there is lots of good advice.

 

[plutosblue]

Hi, thankyou for your response Yeah I was thinking about multivitamins of some kind. I never thought about temperature, but that does make good sense. I will have to try it when I finally have a period! My partner and I have been together for 3 and a half years and have waited until we are stable (own a home, secure jobs, etc etc) we are trying to be sensible about it. We aren't married but that is just our decision as a couple. I am not against marriage at all it just doesn't feel like the right thing for us. Good luck for January, I hope everything goes smoothly for you, a new year baby how great!

 

[mommyB]

Thank-you! I don`t think you have to be married to have child as well, I think as long as you love each other, you have a roof over your head and you can finacially take care of a child...I think that`s all that matters. And I don`t know where you live, but here where I live you are considered common law after 6 months of living together (I beleive it is 6 months). So you are practically married. Good luck to you and your partner, I hope it doesn`t take you long once you start.

 

[plutosblue]

Yes I believe a similar law applies here.... I live in Cambridgeshire in England I just think we thought about it but after seeing the rifts divorce can cause in our own families etc etc (As if splitting was not hard enough as it is... and it costs!) We just decided not now. We haven't ruled it out completely though, we even thought it might be a nice family event later in life with our child involved!

I am just very excited, I have a great family support network, my family and his have been so supportive and I have been ooming and uumin about it for ages but we have plenty of savings, our jobs pay enough and we have worked it out.. Plus well you can never afford a child you just live to your means sometimes I think!

 

[mommyB]

That`s true. One thing my mom has always said to me , children can be as expensive as you want them to be. I don`t know if I said that right, but it is true. You could spoil your child like crazy, when you don`t need to.

 

[plutosblue]

That is so true you only spend what you can afford.. Well fingers crossed all goes well and I wish you all the luck in the world with ttc

 

[mommyB]

Thank-you, and you too!

 

[LadyofRohan]

Welcome to WTT!

In addition to prenatal vitamins and charting, you can go to your doctor to get a checkup. Make sure you are healthy, up to date on vaccines, and ask as many questions as you want about pregnancy/getting pregnant. I went to my GP in September and spent about 30 minutes just talking to her about TTC. She had a lot of helpful information and wrote me a prescription for prenatals too.

Of course, I don't know how that works in England (as far as getting appointments for preconception checkups and such). Though I should know considering that my sister in law is a doctor there.

 

[Missi]

Hi plutosblue

I only joined BnB in September and have learned loads already. I am currently WTT until April 2010 at the latest (Jan earliest). I have been charting my cycle since December 2007 when I came off mycrogynon. My af did go straight back to normal as I had always been very regular before the BCP. In the last 6 months I have been using OPK's to see when I ov and have just started to record my temperature. I have also monitored my CM. This has taught me loads about my cycle that I hadn't taken any notice of before. I never knew how many days my af lasted or how long the cycle was.

I am starting to take pregnacare conception tablets in November as the guidelines say you can take them for 3 months before you TTC. Other than that I am going to reach my target weight asap. I am 5 ft 3.5 in and currently 9 st 7 lbs. Would like to loose at least 7 lbs. Then I plan to go on the slimming world diet to maintain the weight and plan to continue this diet throughout pregnancy. Alcohol and caffine will stop when TTC. I also walk to and from work (3 mile round trip) and continue to do this until I am too heavily pregnant.

I understand what you all mean about marriage. I got married over a year ago and our relationship has not changed one bit. Don't think it affects having a child together.

Sorry about the ramblings, hope it helps. x

 

[plutosblue]

Thankyou for both your reponses, and Missi don't worry about the ramblings I am one of the worst people for it! Yes I have an appointment in a month with my GP for a standard check up to do with my Citalopram, and when she says I can be weined off I intend to have a full body MOT. (She is well aware of my plan to try for my first once I am well) I will talk to her about my cycles because they have never been regluar, I remember waiting 8 months before I went on Microgynon. I will begin to chart to see whats going on when I have my first period ... whenever that will be!

Missi you are the same height as me! Although the weight issue is a little different, I am only 7st 8 lbs, I'm scoffing my face trying to put a little on as I'm notorious at skipping meals until dinner. (Its not an eating disorder thing, breakfast just upsets my tummy!) I also am going to try and stop caffeine... I wonder how I will cope without my morning cup of tea....

 

[Missi]

I don't like eating breakfast too. Have to force myself otherwise I snack on the wrong things until dinner!

Hopefully your Dr's appointment will help in some way, I hope your cycle regulates so you can gat a lot out of your monitoring. I am on my second day of temperature monitoring now, it is much better than the saliva test that I used to do as that was pretty difficult to read.

I don't crave coffee (don't like tea) but I think when the time comes it will be on my mind that I am not allowed it and therefore want it. I like to have a few margaritas or beers on a Saturday night and I think that I will miss that more.