TTC-Baby preparations

[Hudson_Hawk]

Once you decided you wanted to conceive, what type of preparations did you start making?

 

[janinegirly]

I made some slight diet adjustments and that''s it (decaf, more whole milk products). I added folic acid along with a multivitamin. It happened quite quickly for us (3 mo''s into marriage) so I wasn''t as aware as some are. In a way that might have been better since I kind of panicked once preggo about a bunch of stuff (face cream, mulitvitamin make up, etc) that turned out to be unfounded concerns.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

I''m taking vitamins (prenatals when I remember and gummy vitamins when I don''t

), trying to eat more cleanly, exercizing more, cutting out all caffine (except a little chocolate).

 

[parrot tulips]

I''ve started taking prenatal vitamins per my doc''s suggestion, and am trying to be a little more aware of my eating/exercise habits (which I should have been doing anyway...have put on a little weight in the past year). I''ve never been a big coffee/alcohol drinker, so no biggie there.

Other than that, I haven''t been doing much. I tried temping last month, and taking the ovulation predictor tests, but when nothing "happened," it bummed me out enough that I''ve decided to relax for now. If nothing has happened after 6-9 months of trying, I''ll probably ask my doc to make sure everything is looking on the up and up.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

prenatal vitamin. That''s it.

 

[steph72276]

Prenatal vitamin and cutting back on coffee...

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 1/4/2010 11:38:04 AM
Author: steph72276
Prenatal vitamin and cutting back on coffee...

yup

 

[Rachel9]

Prenatal & B6 [50 to 60 mg] daily.

 

[lucy.lucy.80]

Prenatal Vitamins
Cut out caffine & alcohol
Had basic blood work done at doctors office (which also checked for genetic mutations)

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 1/4/2010 11:41:15 AM
Author: dreamer_dachsie

Date: 1/4/2010 11:38:04 AM

Author: steph72276

Prenatal vitamin and cutting back on coffee...

yup

Yep. And make sure you have maternity coverage with your health insurance. And make sure you know what your out of pocket cost is. For some people this could be THOUSANDS of dollars for the delivery. So just make sure you know what you are dealing with.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Started the below about a year before we actively began TTC:

I got serious about losing weight and dropped 25 lbs
Began taking a prenatal (trader joes)
Got off the pill (it took something like 6 cycles to get back on "track")

 

[brightlight]

Switched insurance companies
Researching OBGYNs
Reading a lot about pregnancy and parenting
Taking prenatal vitamins
Eating better
Switching all my skin care products to be as natural as possible - also dropping retinol and salicylic acid
Making lists of everything we/baby will need and things we need to do while pregnant
Keeping a fertility journal w/ info about my cycle
Pre-conception appt. with my gyno.

That''s all I can think of right now.

 

[MonkeyPie]

I was taking a multi-vitamin and that''s it - but we didn''t plan ahead.

Checking out your insurance is a BIG must though. I checked mine when I first started at this job over a year ago just to be sure, and we had no intentions of having a baby any time soon back then. Anything else is more for your own piece of mind.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Six months before, I began taking prenatals.
Took care of insurance and changed plans. Good decision b/c I ended up with 2 c-sections and they ran about $30K total.

 

[swimmer]

HH is all over the insurance knowledge! If it is possible to find out from HR what maternity leave is std for your place, that seems pretty important to know as well.

I like the target brand prenatals, super cheap plus less of the fishy aftertaste. Plus a fish oil for brain devt and for your digestive system. You have no idea how badly progesterone is going to sloooooooooow things down. Some studies have suggested that men who take folic acid also can help the spinal cord defects...this study was done on high risk families, like if you have a relative with Spina Bifida or something and are really concerned. But hey, can''t hurt and DH now has really fantastic nails. I also cut out the salycillic acid and use a fresh lemon every week or so instead for a homemade sugar/lemon scrub. Same acid idea, not toxic in the bloodstream. We had genetic screening/counseling, but just b/c Askenazi Jews are higher risk for certain diseases.

Coffee is fine in moderation! A bit of caffeine is front line treatment for morning sickness. Coffee in excess of 5 cups a day will hamper TTC. Yikes, I can''t imaging that much coffee!

We also mentioned to our landlord that we were trying and he gave us plug covers for the outlets (so sweet!) and said that yes, our 180yr old place had been de-leaded. Not that it is a landlord''s business, but I wanted to be polite and he lives directly above us. Seemed like the right thing to do.

Once you do get knocked up, it seems like registering for maternity classes is done pretty dang early and childcare searches can be complex depending where you live. I was late to the game signing up at 14 weeks for both of these.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

LOL, yes I''m down with the insurance stuff. Actually I''m now looking into supplemental STD from AFLAC to cover the 31 days before my company STD kicks in.

I''m taking the CVS PNV with DHA and I''ve not had any issues with them thus far (a little backed up but manageable)

For me the biggest thing is getting back on my gluten free diet. I''ve slacked a bit lately and it''s really bad. Makes taking the PNV kind of pointless because one of the major problems with Celiac''s is malabsorption. However, I did try to give blood a month or so ago and my iron levels were great (I''m usually anemic). I was screened out because of my honeymoon destination being a malaria risk.

Other things we''re doing is confirming that we''ve got enough life insurance and starting to squirrel away money like there''s no tomorrow.

 

[dcgator]

We are hoping to get pregnant in about 5 months, so we will probably start officially start TTC in 3 or so months, however, this is what has been done so far:

- Talked to Dr. about TTC plans
- When I learned my Dr. didn''t have privileges at any hospital w/in 30 miles, I decided to look for another Dr.
- Researched OBGYNs with privileges at hospitals nearby and with NICU''s (just in case)
- Met with and picked a new OBGYN
- Got tested for Rubella (which you can loose immunity to) and Toxoplasmosis *Very important for us ladies with kitties!*
- Checked insurance coverage and maternity/short term disability coverage
- Began reading What to Expect Before You''re Expecting
- Hubby gave me Taking Charge of Your Fertility for Xmas, will begin to read that

Next up, I am going to
- Stop BC in the next few weeks and will switch my daily vitamin for prenatals
- Start to chart my cycles
- Losing a few pounds/toning up before I get preggers (although I intend to continue my running into pregnancy)
- Have fun with the BD''ing

 

[ChinaCat]

Prenatal vitamins is about all I did. Oh, and reading the TTC and preggo threads.

I did not cut out caffeine or alcohol.

 

[Po10472]

Cut out alcohol
Cut down on caffeine
Cut out chocolate/sweeties/junk food
Eating better foods, more organic fruit/veg and chicken and fish
Increased exercise
On week 9 of pre-natal vitamins
Lost 30lbs so far
Bought a CBFM will start using it this month
Reading more info on pre-conception/conception/babas
Trying to de-stress as much as possible and get a good nights sleep

Don''t need to worry about insurance as I live in the UK so we have the good old NHS, but can''t believe that 2 c-sections would cost $30k, wow! The things we take for granted here.

 

[icekid]

prenatal vitamins; will not start DHA until pregnant.
did not cut back on coffee, I work too much to go without. Just one cup, anyway

Stopped using differin (adapalene)
And I read TOCYF a year or so ago.

That's about it!

 

[Lanie]

Date: 1/4/2010 2:50:15 PM
Author: dcgator
We are hoping to get pregnant in about 5 months, so we will probably start officially start TTC in 3 or so months, however, this is what has been done so far:

- Talked to Dr. about TTC plans
- When I learned my Dr. didn''t have privileges at any hospital w/in 30 miles, I decided to look for another Dr.
- Researched OBGYNs with privileges at hospitals nearby and with NICU''s (just in case)
- Met with and picked a new OBGYN
- Got tested for Rubella (which you can loose immunity to) and Toxoplasmosis *Very important for us ladies with kitties!*
- Checked insurance coverage and maternity/short term disability coverage
- Began reading What to Expect Before You''re Expecting
- Hubby gave me Taking Charge of Your Fertility for Xmas, will begin to read that

Next up, I am going to
- Stop BC in the next few weeks and will switch my daily vitamin for prenatals
- Start to chart my cycles
- Losing a few pounds/toning up before I get preggers (although I intend to continue my running into pregnancy)
- Have fun with the BD''ing

DCGator -- I thought you were already pregnant for some reason!

My doc tested me for Rubella as well...do you know (or anyone else) know why they do this?!?

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

I took daily pre-natal vitamins. Well, I planned to and I sort of did. I took one daily pre-natal vitamin, as it turned out. Other than that, the only preparation we made was turning out the lights.

 

[Dandi]

Date: 1/4/2010 6:20:37 PM
Author: Mrs Mitchell
I took daily pre-natal vitamins. Well, I planned to and I sort of did. I took one daily pre-natal vitamin, as it turned out. Other than that, the only preparation we made was turning out the lights.

 

[Dandi]

I know all of the obstetricians in our city through work, and have asked a couple of them for advice. I don''t drink much alcohol or ANY coffee anyway, so on their advice I''m just keeping sugar and salt intake to a minimum, and continue to eat properly and exercise regularly, which I have always tried to do. We upped our level of private health insurance to full obstetric cover, which was one of my biggest concerns, because I already know which obstetrician I want!!

Also in a year or so when we start to TTC, I''ll start taking prenatals 3 months prior, and get off the pill then.

DH turned one of our spare bedrooms into a study/office a few years ago. He is already starting to move all of his computer setup out and clearing the room to prepare to turn it into a nursery. Bless him.

 

[Delster]

Date: 1/4/2010 6:00:13 PM
Author: Lanie

Date: 1/4/2010 2:50:15 PM

Author: dcgator

We are hoping to get pregnant in about 5 months, so we will probably start officially start TTC in 3 or so months, however, this is what has been done so far:


- Talked to Dr. about TTC plans

- When I learned my Dr. didn''t have privileges at any hospital w/in 30 miles, I decided to look for another Dr.

- Researched OBGYNs with privileges at hospitals nearby and with NICU''s (just in case)

- Met with and picked a new OBGYN

- Got tested for Rubella (which you can loose immunity to) and Toxoplasmosis *Very important for us ladies with kitties!*

- Checked insurance coverage and maternity/short term disability coverage

- Began reading What to Expect Before You''re Expecting

- Hubby gave me Taking Charge of Your Fertility for Xmas, will begin to read that


Next up, I am going to

- Stop BC in the next few weeks and will switch my daily vitamin for prenatals

- Start to chart my cycles

- Losing a few pounds/toning up before I get preggers (although I intend to continue my running into pregnancy)

- Have fun with the BD''ing

DCGator -- I thought you were already pregnant for some reason!


My doc tested me for Rubella as well...do you know (or anyone else) know why they do this?!?

I believe it''s very dangerous to an unborn child if you catch it while pregnant, particularly I think it can cause deafness? All girls are vaccinated for it over here at age 11. I didn''t know you could lose immunity though.

 

[mayachel]

Rubella is something that you can loose immunity to. If you haven''t been vaccinated, or it has worn off it is worth getting re-vaccinated prior to conception. You won''t be able to receive the vaccine while pregnant, but will be encouraged to get it immediately following.

Here''s some info from the March of Dimes site:

Babies whose mothers contract rubella during pregnancy are often born with one or more birth defects that, together, are called congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). Maternal infection (1, 3):

* In the first 12 weeks of pregnancy results in birth defects in up to 85 percent of cases
* From 13 to 16 weeks of gestation results in birth defects in 54 percent of cases
* At the end of the second trimester results in birth defects in 25 percent of cases

These include eye defects (often resulting in blindness), hearing impairment, abnormalities of the heart, mental retardation, and a few rare disorders. The infection also causes miscarriage and stillbirth.

Some infected babies appear normal at birth and during infancy. However, all babies whose mothers had rubella during pregnancy should be monitored carefully because problems with vision, hearing, learning and behavior may first become noticeable during childhood (1). Children with CRS also are at increased risk for diabetes (1).

 

[dcgator]

Date: 1/4/2010 6:00:13 PM
Author: Lanie

Date: 1/4/2010 2:50:15 PM
Author: dcgator
We are hoping to get pregnant in about 5 months, so we will probably start officially start TTC in 3 or so months, however, this is what has been done so far:

- Talked to Dr. about TTC plans
- When I learned my Dr. didn''t have privileges at any hospital w/in 30 miles, I decided to look for another Dr.
- Researched OBGYNs with privileges at hospitals nearby and with NICU''s (just in case)
- Met with and picked a new OBGYN
- Got tested for Rubella (which you can loose immunity to) and Toxoplasmosis *Very important for us ladies with kitties!*
- Checked insurance coverage and maternity/short term disability coverage
- Began reading What to Expect Before You''re Expecting
- Hubby gave me Taking Charge of Your Fertility for Xmas, will begin to read that

Next up, I am going to
- Stop BC in the next few weeks and will switch my daily vitamin for prenatals
- Start to chart my cycles
- Losing a few pounds/toning up before I get preggers (although I intend to continue my running into pregnancy)
- Have fun with the BD''ing

DCGator -- I thought you were already pregnant for some reason!

My doc tested me for Rubella as well...do you know (or anyone else) know why they do this?!?

Lanie - Nope, not pregnant yet. I am just making preperations to TTC now....

I think that Mayachel covered all the highlights with what happens to babies who catch Rubella when mommies get it. (end of thread)

Just fyi, in the States, most people get the MMR (measels, mumps, rubella) vaccine as a kid. However, as my doc explained to me, you can loose your immunity to it (Rubella) as you get older. You can''t get the vaccine when you are preggers so my doc tested me before I wanted to get preggers, so that I could get it if I needed to. She called me yesterday to tell me I am still immune, so yeah to one less shot

 

[charbie]

HH- i''m glad you started this thread because DH and i are planning on starting in July.

I''ve heard conflicting reports about when to come off the pill tho- my own OB/GYN suggested waiting until you are ready to start TTC and then come off the pill- something about it being fertile right away afterwards. I''m not sure tho...part of me wants to be off the pill to "get to know my cycle" again beforehand.

honestly, i think one of the biggest things to prepare for us right now is just talking about it freely. i know we both really want kids, but are both sort of freaked out by it, so just becoming more comfortable with the whole thing has been a little hurdle. i used to be the one bringing it up more often, but decided i''d stop talking about it so i didn''t feel like i was rushing him. sure enough, he now is the one talking about "making a baby." in fact, he is getting some of the house projects we wanted to do out of the way so that once we decide its time to start we can focus more on that and saving for it and not worrying about bathroom renos or whatever.

 

[Blenheim]

Prenatal vitamins.
Cut back on coffee... but I was drinking like a pot a day, so I really kind of needed to for my own good.

Set financial goals, saved up money so that we could buy a more family-friendly car (I was driving a two-seater).

Other than that, not much. I was charting to avoid and so had a pretty good handle on my body, and already took care of my self fairly well as far as diet (minus the coffee) and exercise were concerned.

 

[kama_s]

HH, I asked my family doctor this question this morning (even though we aren''t TTC-ing for another 1-2 years). The one thing she mentioned that I hadn''t thought of was exercise. She said I shouldn''t start any extra exercise during pregnancy, so I should be regularly working out at the level I''d like to work out when I''m pregnant.

Other than that, personally for me, I''ll be starting pre-emptive NVP (nausea and vomiting in pregnancy) treatment with Diclectin (which isn''t yet available in the US though). A good friend of mine is leading the research on Diclectin right now, and so far it looks like preemtive treatment of NVP is very beneficial. I know I''ll have terrible NV because I''m very sensitive to estrogen surges (I was nauseous and couldn''t eat a bite when I started on the pill for a good 5-6 months!).