What changes have you made?

[NatoPMT]

I agree, i think 5-8 cups a day is a lot, i dont drink coffee at all so i cant really say how id cut the down, i know theres a physical withdrawal mind.

I honestly don't think people realise the emotional tie with cigarettes, some people can do it easily, others, like me struggle seriously. I am training to be a counsellor so have to go to psychotherapy to make sure i am not a mentaller, and my therapist and i discussed the link to smoking in great depth, and the stuff that started coming up ...i was agog.

Its often not just a case of get over it and give up, its a case of deep rooted fixations that have roots beyond your conscious control. That said, it just takes a switch or a trigger to stop that smoking need being overwhelming. It really can be done, might help if you go to the nhs counselling that they offer for giver uppers. You just need to find out how to switch it off or find out your trigger to stop. My boss told me about a year ago that i was the most addictive person he'd ever met, and it scared the crap out of me. I am, i can get addicted to ANYTHING, i was even addicted to grapefruit squash. I get obsessive and fixated on things and need them (like you said) as a crutch (rather than a crotch..snarf)

understanding it is part of beating it for me, but you know yourself best and you know how best to deal with your stuff. I tell you what though, starting the quit with 'hello freedom' rather than 'sniff, goodbye cigarettes' helped me massively - that way it felt like i wasnt giving something up, but gaining something

and I was just sick to death of hating myself for always being the mess up and feeling bad about what i was doing. By the end of smoking, id say i was thinking about smoking for 80% of my waking thoughts. I just thought this is a waste of a life. I might even never have children cos my 38 year old fertility might be compromised by smoking, i might one day just look back and think, 'Nato, you absolute knobhead"

 

[KitKatBit]

I bought some milk thistle today, but it says not to use it if you're pregnant. I've Googled it and some sites say it's fine to use during pregnancy, in fact recommended, but others say it shouldn't be used if you're pregnant or planning a pregnancy. Does anyone know which is right and why?

 

[NatoPMT]

it depends on what else is in the tablet / tincture i think. My dr said milk thistle as a supplement was fine and that some women even use it to ease morning sickness

Take the bottle to your drs and they will tell you if that brand is ok

 

[KitKatBit]

Ah I see. Yeah I read that about the morning sickness, hence my confusion. My OH is going to start taking them too (he has digestion issues lol) so he can have these ones if they're no good for me and I'll get another type. I'm really excited tbh! (sad but true lol)

 

[KitKatBit]

Re. the smoking thing, have you tried the Allan Carr books - The only way to stop smoking permamently in particular? It did the rounds among my friends and they ALL stopped forever, one after the other. It helps you understand the root of the addiction and tackles it in a completely different way from most quitting methods.

 

[NatoPMT]

i went on the Allen Carr course free with work about 10 years ago and walked out of the room, ran round the corner so the others off the course couldnt see me and lit up straight away.

I tried nicotine replacement and ended up heating the patches up with my hairdryer to get a head rush, I tried hypnotism and he said he would replace the smoking neurosis with another, but healthier addiction, ended up smoking while drinking fruit tea which id never had in my life before....wondering what he planted in my head (it was the fruit tea), my psychotherapist has also been tackling it.

to be fair, the allen carr was the close to working, in that it changed how i think about it, and now i have given up, i am drinking 15 fruit teas a day and using some of what i learned from Allen Carr to get my head round it and wondering how messed up i must be as a result of what my therapist has told me.

bloody smoking, what a pile of crap it is.

 

[BizyBee]

I have switched to paraben and phalate free shampoo, conditioner, and other hair products. I use all natural/organic products like face creams, deodorant, and make-up. I also try to eat more organic products.
I take baby aspirin (prescribed by dr.) along with the other meds (Clomid, Prometrium, HCG trigger). I have always taken a prenatal vit, but I now take an organic one that is taken 3 times per day instead of 1 (supposed to be better for absorption). I go to acupuncture every other week and she recommended I take royal jelly (queen bees make/eat it for fertility) and co-enzyme Q10.
I don't smoke or drink coffee (never have), rarely have alcohol, and have cut down on soda (only have a few ounces a day).

 

[KitKatBit]

It's great that you're managing to do it this time My brother still smokes and it worries the hell out of me (when I'm not busy worrying about my health, my OH's health, etc, etc lol). There are enough things that can go wrong that are completely outside of your control, without adding to the list yourself (says she, scoffing down a bowlful of not-so-nutritious cream egg ice cream! lol).

I've looked at those milk thistle pills again and there's nothing in them besides 450mg of pure powdered seed and the HPMC stuff for the capsule shell. I will check with my GP like you say, but from what you've said and what I've read online I reckon they'll be fine to take

 

[Sydd]

i went on the Allen Carr course free with work about 10 years ago and walked out of the room, ran round the corner so the others off the course couldnt see me and lit up straight away.

That's one of the most epic things I've ever heard! I also failed with the book... Just got bored of him just literally saying 'YOU DON'T NEED TO SMOKE'... Well Mr Carr, I know this but I like it and it's like my warm fuzzy friend

I gave up before for 4-5 months, had a bad car accident and went straight up shop to get fags! LOL

A lot of it has to come from wanting to give up though... I didn't know NHS offered counselling to help jack it though!?

The emotional tie does suck!

 

[NatoPMT]

I was getting all smug about how i havent been eating more since i stopped smoking, and i have just weighed myself and put on 3 pounds, and i have had 4 biscuits tonight, checked the packet (after id eaten them) to discover they are 120 calories, EACH. They are good biscuits though.


Hi Bizy - the paraben thing is a nightmare, i have to try about 30 products before i find a shampoo that doesnt make my hair go so flat my ears poke through, or a foundation that doesnt shrivel my face up, and testing organic products is an expensive business. I tried a couple of years ago and ended up looking like wurzel gummidge for about 6 months.

for visual reference, see:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/ilove/years/1979/images/gummidge173.jpg

If you can recommend any products, that would be great

Kitkat, if you hide a milk thistle in your ice cream, your ice cream automatically becomes good-for-you.

Sydd - i actually dont know about the nhs counselling, i just know because someone told me their notes said they refused it when she got pregnant - check the nhs giving up website perhaps.

erk sorry to hear about your accident, i know what you mean about straight on automatic cigarette buying mode

 

[BizyBee]

I use organic expressions face creams from DermaE. I have tried a million shampoos also, but have the opposite problem because my hair is think and curly. The product I have recently settled on is Wild Aid by David Babaii. I also use a serum to help with frizz. I really want to go back to my old shampoos, but have decided to stick it out. My hair doesn't look that bad and it's worth the lack of chemicals. Still haven't found a great foundation though.

 

[sophster]

Hi

I don't think any of these things can hurt; but I was doing all the right things until I got pregnant last June (and being super careful at the beginning of my pregnancy) but still had a MMC. I do think its easy to become obsessive to the extent you blame yourself if things go wrong again; and thats not healthy. I used to take a lot of supplements but now I just take pregnacare as I have a much healthier than average diet anyway, I do like chocolate and sweet things but only occasionally, and I do have a coca-cola vice but I've cut down a lot; having three boys and chronic fatigue syndrome I have found caffeine to be the only option (believe me I've gone months without) and coke is the lesser of the evils on that front. I very rarely drink tea or coffee. I also prefer natural toiletries and cleaning products; but mainly thats because I have chronic fatigue syndrome and anything with artificial fragrances or strong chemicals does exacerbate my symptoms. My husband and I don't drink but thats mainly for religious reasons. I've cut down to one takeaway or restaurant meal a month and if I want pizza or anything like that I make it from scratch now. My husband does love his McDonalds and KFC and his job is well known to not be great for men's swimmers but then again we had three kids without a problem when he was working longer hours and a more stressful route than he does now, still he is trying to cut down on the junk food and stretch his legs a bit more; and he's also going to start taking a multivitamin again. The most important thing though is to see any lifestyle changes as positive no matter what; and don't beat yourself up over things you are not doing, as my favourite author on this type of subject Dr Marilyn Glenville says; being good 80% of the time is enough; and its better that than to burn yourself out by trying to do the impossible...

Soph x

 

[MinnieMone]

I'm waiting for my first period after my second mc and then I'm going to be super good. I'm taking 75mg aspirin daily ... checked it out with my dr and he said it 'wouldn't hurt' though he did say I should stop if I become pregnant, which seems to defy the purpose, but I'll cross that bridge when it comes to it.. he told me not to take a high dose folic acid, but I'm taking 2 400mg anyway (the rebel in me!)... I've cut down my smoking to one or two a day, which I'm feeling super guilty about.... I can always stop dead as soon as I know I'm pregnant, but until then I'm really struggling.. yet i love it when I don't smoke... so I can't really understand why I need those few in the evening...

I've switched to green tea (though having read NAto has given that up too, I'm now thinking it might have too much caffeine in).

I'm taking pregnacare tablet 1 x day.

I eat healthy anyway, everything is cooked from scratch, the odd malteser thrown in.

I think I'm more relaxed this time in that I'm not opk'ing, but we are still using pre-seed over days 10 - 18, though I have no clue where my cycle is at the moment, after the first mmc it came back 28 perfectly but only got one more 28 day before I was pregnant again, so just hoping it will happen again.

I do want to prepare my body as best I can, but I'm really not sure if it will have any difference on whether I miscarry again or not.... the dr is sending me for a sticky blood test (or something related to that?!), although he said I would have to wait for a 3rd mc before i could be referred fully.

Do you think mental preparation is just as important as the physical? I tried to have a PMA before my 2nd mc and it did no bl&&dy good....

How is everyone preparing mentally this time?

x

 

[NatoPMT]

gotta be quick cos im at work, but Tulip told me that green tea is not good for TTC due to the tannins

im drinking fruit tea now which helps stop the cigarette cravings too

just quickly found this on google about green tea

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-341463/Green-tea-danger-pregnant-mums.html

we cant do anything can we. booooooo.

 

[NatoPMT]

Thanks Biz, my local Waitrose has loads of natural and organic products which ive been eyeing up for a few months, i wish they would do sample sizes so i can try without having a landfills worth of 3/4 full bottles

I have switched to mineral foundation though, less chemicals in general and better for your skin, but Im using Mac Mineralize foundation so not sure if i am kidding myself, but found this:

https://www.moderncosmetics.com/mac-mineral-make-up-explained-in-simple-terms

which suggests some of the chemicals are reduced, which has gotta be better than no reduction

Hi Soph, i hear ya, theres only so much you can do, but i just feel like is hould do everything i actually can

Sorry to hear about your chronic fatigue. My mum has ME and she swears by co enzyme Q10 - it has something to do with releasing energy from mitochondria and helps her fatigue, so might be worth a shot if you havent tried it

https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=...&aq=1&aqi=g4&aql=&oq=coenzyme+q10+fa&gs_rfai=

Your favourite author is who my book is by too! shes sending me do-lalley, another good one is Hazel Courteney - she sends me into a health food frenzy

Hi Mone how you doing? This (doing physical stuff) is my only way of mentally preparing, i dont actually know how to otherwise. I have a session with my psychotherapist tomorrow but im dreading it, i just want the course i had to do over so i can show my tutor i have been to 10 sessions. Stop digging around in my head please, i have a certificate. Im not a very good advert for a newly trained counsellor am i.

 

[sophster]

Hi

thanks for the Q10 suggestion I may try that at the moment though am still addicted to coke lol. I really like Dr Marilyn's books; some people say shes harsh but you need to look at the whole picture and as with anything take some of her advice with a pinch of salt.

Soph x

 

[Sydd]

I'm now taking multiviatmin and iron tablets oooops
as soon as OH agrees we can try... i think i will be a maniac about shit for me and him
I spoke too soon!

 

[sar35]

Ive gone the other way! Much more relaxed and non obsessed over it! still taking EPO and FA though and getting back into charting...GL ladies x

 

[NatoPMT]

avert your eyes Sar, more obsessive information:

my sister said that her IVF doctor advised her to drink a litre of milk a day from af to create a healthier egg - right sort of protein or somert. I hate milk as well but am gonna do that.

I love her advice soph, i defo cant do everything she advises but if i do what i can, ive done what i can. Obviously, ahem.

whats the deal with that Sydd? does he not want to try straight away?

 

[Sparkly]

I think my first AF may be on her way - it will be 1 month tomorrow since my m/c. I've had some spotting today and that's usually the sign she on her way. I feel relieved in a way, that my body is getting back to some normality and we can think about when we'd like to try again.

So I will be back to charting, to add to my list and also using my clear blue fertility monitor and I've been seriously considering trying soy isoflavones too! to help with ovulation .........hmm what next??? I'm rattling already!!!.............Oh yeah!!! A litre of milk too!!