With the therapy finally having some effect (there's a big back-story here, sorry!! Anyone who really wants to know can PM me) my best beloved and I are really hoping that we can be actively TTC by ..the end of the year or so.

I need to read the Weschler again, that's on the list.

I want to get my body ready: I've been doing WW and have lost a LOT of weight, and going to the gym and stuff and so I'm probably generally healthier than I've *ever* been before. But............................

What else can I do that will help my body get ready for this? I suppose I'm thinking along the way of......quality but economic ovulation testing (for back up, my BBT is not reliable because I don't sleep well. Oh, and I'm in the UK, so stuff that I can find here would be best :wink: ) and whether or not I really need to take a pre-natal vitamin, whether a regular womens one will do...all that kind of stuff. We already figured out how we're going to re-organise the house and stuff, so that's not so much of a worry. (I worry about that sort of stuff) I guess I could ask my GP, but I'm not really ready to talk to him about this stuff yet, I'd rather ask people I feel some connection to.

*runs off to ring the natural family planning nurse*

I took a regular woman's vitamin until about a month or two before we started TTC. Regular vitamins have too much Vitamin A and I don't remember what that's not good for a baby.

I didn't chart or use BBT with either of my pregnancies, but I did keep an eye on cervical mucus. I did for a couple of months before TTC and got used to what my body was doing since I'd never really paid attention before.

Good luck to you Bees!

Congrats on getting into such great shape! With my son, we were never really planning- in fact I was on depo at the time. However right now I'm nursing my 13 month old, and still haven't gotten my PP AF yet and not any signs of fertility (we will be TTC soon...).

I got the Ovusoft software, which is really cool in helping you chart and figure out fertility signs. I can't do a BBT either, since DS wakes me up at all kinds of hours. But, you can check for cervical mucus changes and cervix position too. I got the Ovulook saliva testing thing (for estrogen surge), which was pretty cheap and I don't need to buy anything else for it (like strips or whatever). I was thinking of different OPKs, but they are too expensive in the long run for my tastes.

Good luck!! :flowers:

Start charting ASAP. I had to see a fertility specialist and it made things quicker that I already had months of charting to show him. If I hadn't, I would have had to wait while I started charting. As it was, he identified the issue (no luteal phase) right away, started me on Clomid, and I was pregnant that same month! The result is DS who you can see pictures of in my journal. :)

Don't forget it takes two people to make a baby. Your SO can take some zinc or antioxidnats to help improve sperm health. He also needs good health and nutrition to help get you pregnant!

Bees,

Folic acid is essential for spinal cord development in the baby. It was recommended that I take a pre-natal vits.


You go girl.

I am glad things are looking up for you, Bees :grin:

My dr. recommended taking a prenatal ahead of time, just in case I got pregnant and didn't know it. For the folic acid.

I agree with the folic acid recs. You can take a regular vitamin plus extra folic acid instead of a prenatal, but you should take the folic acid ASAP.

I charted my cycles as both birth contol and TTC, and I got pregnant first try both times (but this is unusual even when charting, though). I love TCOYF...wonderful book. One thing you might try with the BBT is to take it early in the morning (like if you typically awake around 4 a.m. in your night wakenings, that is a good time to take it). If you can get a good 3 to 4 hour block of sleep, you'd be surprised that you can still BBT. They might not be hardly as consistant, but you will probably still see a pattern.

I'm not sure how good they are but I think UK has this ovulation prediction monitor that can be used for both BC and TTC.

Bees!!!! :grouphug:

Well my doc advised folic only she does not rate the 'special' preggers multi vits, said they are not really approved by the health people. Avoid too much vit A apparently. Cut back on any drinking, but that's not an issue. Relax about it all, it's not a race and enjoy the process so DH doesn't feel it's all about one aim. So pleased therapy is making a breakthough
Weschler :cloud9: thanks for recommending that to me!
I charted using Fertility Friend and it is a great site, I upgraded after one cycle I liked it so much. I did temping orally mostly really, did try to introduce myself to my cervix but was not sure I was getting the mucus that either Toni or FF mentioned, Toni talks about cough medicine to thin the mucus to make it more fertile like but that's for further down the line. Did not do the cervix thing at all this last time as nervous about what they'd done to it after d&c, just did not want to feel if it was different.

Avoid watching Discovery or Living when they do all the baby birth programmes if squeamish - could put you off for life (although my mum says she doesn't know what all this screaming is about, thinks they are being over dramatic :lol: :rolleyes: )

I quite liked the ovulation tests but they are expensive (I have a couple left over if you'd like them?)

Ditto about DH and zinc & ginko biloba improves blood flow shall we say :wink:

You're already sorted on the healthy balanced eating and excercise thing

Pillow under bum and no moving for half an hour :lol:

P.S. The gals on the ttc discussion board here www.babyworld.co.uk are very helpful and supportive too

Congratulations! The only thing I wanted to add... though I don't know if this is the kind of thing you meant... is yoga (and then pregancy/pre-natal yoga when you get there!). Several people I know have said that yoga made all the difference in their pregnancy, birthing, and recovery.

Best of luck!

Dvips

Bees!!!! :grouphug:

Ditto! :grin:
(and, I have no advice, whatsoever).
:flowers:

Thanks all of you's.

Today I went vitamin shopping, and that was a confusing experience. I ended up standing in the supermarket with two brands in my hand (one a very well known and well respected brand, the other the supermarkets own brand product) and while the branded one was nearly £5 for 30, the supermarket one was less than £1. I bought the cheaper one. If it doesn't sit well with me for some reason (non vitamin additives?) I will try a different one. It has exactly the same ingredients, even looks pretty much the same.

I also noticed that my workplace has ovulation prediction tests for about £4 each, which seems way cheaper than the up to £19.99 ones I have seen about. I just searched Froogle...not sure I really want to buy my OPK's on ebay, but thanks all the same!! There are some cheaper options on there too, but I might try the work one for a start. I really want it to confirm what I'm already thinking is the right time.

Dvips, the yoga suggestion is exactly the other kind of stuff I mean. Right now I'll take all the information I can get, I have plenty of time to sift it while I get ready to try, so...it's all good. My physiotherapist up at the hospital has been FAN.TAS.TIC. and also handles the ante/post-natal physio anyway, so she's just fabulous to talk to. I intend to go and see her when I know I'm pregnant (some...when in the future!!) and talk to her about healthy backs and other things during pregnancy and labour. I have a book here to read "Alternative Therapies for Pregnancy and Birth" that was on our random books shelf at work, looked interesting, thought I'd try it...that sort of thing!!

Siobhan - I should think we'll see/talk to each other in the next weeks anyway, so I'll let you know when I'm good to talk more FF type stuff.

:grouphug: to all of you girls for feeding a rookie lots of information. *grins* You know I'll keep you posted.