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Did you do anything special before TTC?

blingbunny10

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Messages
848
I'm still pre-TTC, but hope to start trying next spring or summer. I went in to my primary care doctor, but she said I don't need to do anything at all to prepare for a smooth pregnancy (no change in diet, no special tests, etc.). I guess I like the idea of having a bit more control. "Do nothing" doesn't really fit my MO, ya know?

Is there anything I should be doing now as an anxious 30 yo looking to get pregnant for the first time? I just started taking prenatals and have started reading various baby/pregnancy books. What are you glad to have done before TTC? What do you WISH you had done?

I also plan to see an OBGYN soon. (I haven't been in... around 4 or 5 years.)
 

amc80

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 18, 2010
Messages
5,765
Hi! I'm another one of those "no way I can sit and do nothing" people.

I started charting and using OPKs about six months before we started TTC. It 1) confirmed I was ovulating, 2) confirmed I had a healthy luteal phase, and 3) allowed me to learn my ovulation symptoms (since charting only confirms ovulation, not predicts it) to know when it was go time.

Go to the OBGYN. Get a pap and and all of the basic labs done. Be sure to get your iron levels checked, as well as your rubella immunity. Make sure your TDap (whooping cough) is up to date. DH and I both got our about two months before TTC.

Remember that a perfectly healthy couple with ideal timing has about a 20% chance each month. It's really hard to remember that some times.

If you are going to be using day care/nanny/whatever, figure out how much that will be and start saving that amount each month. I didn't do this, but a friend did, and it really built up a nice savings. It also got them used to living on that much less each month.

Check out your employer's benefits. Does your state offer disability? Or is it through your employer? My state has no STD, but my employer provides it. They pay 100% of the premium. If I elect to pay the taxes on the premium they pay, then all benefits are provided tax free. That's a huge savings, and something that needs to be elected in advance. So look at that sort of stuff.

Hope that helps!
 

NewEnglandLady

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
6,299
I hate admitting that I'm Type A because I'm afraid of being perceived as a controlling b-word (though truthfully I probably am). But being the anxious planner I am, I was very much ready to get the ball rolling on all things TTC about a year before we were scheduled to actually try. Things I did to bide my time:

1. I read "Take Charge of Your Fertility"
2. Went off birth control ~8 months before trying, then charted to track typical ovulation patterns
3. Reviewed any fertility coverage + maternity leave policy through my company. My company has very good coverage (covers 90% of infertility expenses in case I needed it) and they have a great maternity leave policy. I was in the process of interviewing with another company at the time and received an offer with an higher salary, but the benefits were lacking. I decided to stay put and am very glad I did (I've had 2 children since and am able to work a reduced schedule).
4. Looked into average childcare costs for my area and braced myself for the impact on our monthly budget + savings plan
5. We bought our house a couple of years before trying, so I started working on the kids' rooms + bathroom before TTC. I remember stripping paint from a wall with strong chemicals and being very glad I wasn't pregnant! Not to mention the extra energy needed for home projects.

I also did a few things more loosely related to having a baby:
1. Took some fabulous and fun vacations with my husband
2. Checked out local resources for things like mom groups/kids classes when the time came
3. We got a second puppy a couple of years before trying for a baby. I'd wanted a second dog for a while, but didn't want a puppy and a baby at the same time

I don't know what I wish I'd done that I didn't. I was well aware that my days of being "free" were numbered and my husband and I definitely enjoyed travelling, going out to dinner, and doing fun spur-of-the-moment things that you can't do with kids. So even though I miss those days at times, I think I appreciated them when I had them. I do remember being very afraid of my life after kids, even though we really wanted them. I guess I wish I weren't so afraid of how they'd change our lives. Because being on the other side, it's much more fun than I ever imagined.
 

TrakHack

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 6, 2014
Messages
26
We aren't trying just yet (still need to actually get married), but I am in the pre-planning stages. Things I did/am doing:

1) Stopped hormonal birth control.

2) Starting charting to determine what my cycle is and when I ovulate (I really like the OvuView app).

3) Visited my primary care PA, who also does my yearly exams. I brought in a spreadsheet with all the vitamins, supplements, and prescriptions I take and reviewed it with her. I already take pre-natal vitamins so things were good there. There are a couple supplements I will stop taking, one prescription I must stop taking, and one prescription which I will need to check with an obstetrician about.

4) Changed my diet and habits slightly. I'm not much of a coffee or alcohol drinker, but I cut out all caffeine and am very deliberate with any drinking I do. I've also changed my habits to be more active in doing every day things (much more walking) to get both my body and mind in a "good place".

5) Researched birthing options. I do not like the medicalization of normal life events like birth and death (watch "The Business of Being Born"), and I would much prefer a midwife-assisted birth in a birthing center. Luckily, there is a great birthing center in a city a couple hours away (the nearest hospital that does deliveries is about an hour away, and I would rather drive the extra miles for a setting I like).

6) Checked insurance coverage (this is still in progress). I doubt my insurance will cover the birthing center costs, so I'm planning to pay those out of pocket. If the costs are covered, great. If not, we'll be prepared.

7) Thought about day care and schooling. Day care really isn't feasible in my area, so I will likely need to go at least part time or take a break from work. I work remotely, and besides conference calls I can do my work any time of the day, but I don't realistically know how caring for a baby and working my day job in addition to taking care of things at home will work. I decided to wait to get serious about researching schooling and home schooling until we actually have children, but at the moment I'm leaning towards home schooling through grade 8.

8 ) Thought about how I will continue my hobbies when I'm pregnant and a mother. I have horses and ride nearly every day, and safety is a big concern. Many women ride well into their pregnancies, but I will just have to see how things go for me. I may breed my main riding mare, and I need to think about the right timing for that, too.

9) Started the discussion with my future husband around the question of "what if we can't conceive naturally?" How long will we try before seeking fertility help? Is IVF something we want to do? How much money would we spend on it? Is adoption something we want to do? He thinks we will have no problems at all, but I will be 39 when we get married and I know I'm working with months, not years. This conversation is an ongoing thing. The point made earlier about healthy couples having a 20% chance each month is correct so I know I'll need to be patient, but since I am older I do not want to wait past 6 months if we decide to seek fertility help.

10) Thought about how obsessive I would get about certain things. I think with all the information and all the online forums it is *so easy* to get obsessed and drive yourself into a frenzy over-thinking things. I decided I would do my research about certain things, make decisions, and move on.
 

monarch64

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Aug 12, 2005
Messages
18,394
I don't recall doing anything special before TTC. We are both pretty laid-back people, and honestly all we were thinking was gee, I hope we CAN get pregnant because it would suck to find out we CAN'T. The only other thought we had was timing as far as when our little one would start school. We both were among the youngest in our class and wanted our child to start earlier as well.

I had always exercised, eaten a very healthy diet, and had normal Paps and regular periods and excellent overall health, so I wasn't too worried about any of that and didn't even start prenatals until they were prescribed at my first visit 10 weeks into being pregnant.

The rest of the things everyone is listing just followed naturally for us. We happened to get pregnant the first time we didn't try not to try, if you get my meaning. We were actually going to try in August and September, and if neither try worked, we were going to wait to TTC again until the following year. But, as fate would have it, things aligned perfectly and we got pregnant right away. We figured everything out from there, and really none of it was that stressful.

If that style isn't for you, then by all means get your ducks in a row as soon as possible before you begin TTC. Good luck! :wavey:
 

SMC

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
2,035
I started taking prenatal vitamins more regularly in the month before (ideally, you should start 3 months before). I used this app called Glow to track my periods for a few months before I started TTC. It was also helpful to remind me when to have sex. We BD'ed every day during the week that I was supposedly most fertile. I was going to start taking my temperature but I got pregnant in the first month of trying too.

I've also been healthy, exercise regularly, and get my yearly OBGYN checkups. My OB said that given my health and age (early 30s), I should have no problem getting pregnant within 6 months of trying. She was right.

I think that if you're healthy and you haven't had any problems before with irregular periods, bleeding, etc, it shouldn't be that hard. If you don't get pregnant within 6 months of actively trying, that's when you go in for more diagnostic tests.
 

Asscherhalo_lover

Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
Aug 16, 2007
Messages
5,338
I'm still in that stage, will be TTC in December. I had my BC out in the beginning of September, I started prenatals at the same time, I have daycare figured out (thanks Mom!), I've been researching baby gear and birthing, basically anything and everything.

The most important thing I've done is shared everything with DH and make sure we're on the same page. You're damn sure he knows my temp every morning and how crazy it's been making me since coming off BC. This is a serious team effort, lol.
 

blingbunny10

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Messages
848
amc80|1413478830|3768010 said:
Remember that a perfectly healthy couple with ideal timing has about a 20% chance each month. It's really hard to remember that some times.

I had no idea the chances were this low! I wasn't sure if I needed to chart or not, but given these chances I guess I should start.
 

Laila619

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Messages
11,676
Hi,

I read Taking Charge of Your Fertility, took prenatal vitamins, and went to my doctor to see if I was immune to Rubella (I was).
 

shihtzulover

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 30, 2010
Messages
717
I made an appointment with my OB-GYN to discuss getting pregnant and whether or not I would have any specific health concerns because I'm really petite and I was super paranoid. I also had my IUD taken out and started on a prenatal vitamin. Other than that, we just started trying when we were ready. :)
 

livannie

Shiny_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 10, 2013
Messages
314
I wish before my pregnancies with my kids that I would have gotten in shape, like gotten used to at least walking a couple miles everyday. When I am pregnant, my pelvic bones kill. I think that is the worst part of being pregnant for me, or the hardest thing I should say. When I am pregnant, it hurts to walk, so when I tried walking to keep active during my pregnancies, it was very hard. When and if I have another baby, I want to be in better shape before getting pregnant.
 
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