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Questions about getting Pregnant ...

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diamondgirl5k

Shiny_Rock
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Nov 23, 2007
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Hello everyone,
I don''t have time to read all of the information in the trying to conceive thread, but had a few questions and wanted to know if anyone could help. My DH and I have been trying to get pregnant for about a year now, the old fashioned way, and haven''t yet started to track ovulation or body temp. Since it''s been unsuccessful, can you tell me how to track my body temp, and what kind of thermometer to use? Also, I wanted to know if anyone who has been on anti-depressants has gotten pregnant, and if so, how you proceeded w/ medication throughout the pregnancy, if at all.

Thanks for all your help!!

~C
 

neatfreak

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Have you read "Taking Charge of your Fertility"? If not, go out and get it right now. It will answer all of your questions and more you never wanted to know the answers to. They go very in depth with charting, tracking cervical mucous, everything.

And as for the meds-you really need to talk it over with your doctor. It''s a situation by situation thing-not something you can get solid advice about from the internet ya know?

Good luck!
 

Sha

Ideal_Rock
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Fertilty Friend is a great site to use to learn about tracking your fertile signs, like temperature and cervical mucus.( www.fertilityfriend.com)_ There's a free course on fertility charting - a lesson is sent to our email account daily if you register. You will also have a chart on FF to track your cycles, including your ovulation dates. Plus, there are message boards if you have any questions on TTC/charting.

You should be using a basal body thermometer to take your temp - you can get this at your local drugstore.
 

diamondgirl5k

Shiny_Rock
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Thank you neatfreak, I will go out and get the book. I''m just curious if anyone else has tried the tracking of temperature, and if so, how it worked out for you.
 

diamondgirl5k

Shiny_Rock
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Thank you Sha, that''s very helpful!
 

neatfreak

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Date: 3/27/2009 1:33:03 PM
Author: diamondgirl5k
Thank you neatfreak, I will go out and get the book. I''m just curious if anyone else has tried the tracking of temperature, and if so, how it worked out for you.

Well I started tracking and that month got knocked up with twins, lol. But it was also our first month of trying. But it was very empowering to learn everything about it.

But once you understand how it works it''s a really great way to track everything and it''s very accurate if done correctly. The girls on the TTC thread are very good with that stuff, you might want to join that thread too.

Also a year is the point when a reproductive doctor will see you if you are under 35...so that may be something you want to look into sooner rather than later just to be "cleared" you know?

Hope it''s soon for you guys!
 

Tacori E-ring

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I think the official TTC thread would be a great resource for you!
 

InLuv101

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Aug 19, 2008
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Date: 3/27/2009 1:33:03 PM
Author: diamondgirl5k
Thank you neatfreak, I will go out and get the book. I''m just curious if anyone else has tried the tracking of temperature, and if so, how it worked out for you.
Hi diamondgirl!

I''m on the TTC thread as DH & I are TTC. I''ve been charting (taking temp, tracking cervical mucous) for 7 months now. We haven''t conceived yet, but I have gained a vast amount of knowledge about my body and how it works. I''m glad I did start charting right away because if I hadn''t I''m pretty sure we would not have been timing things quite right. I encourage you to come on over to the TTC thread. We don''t bite and are all very supportive of each other!
 

Sha

Ideal_Rock
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Ditto everyone else! Lots of us the TTC thread track our temps and other fertile signs..so you can get a lot of helpful input there. Tracking your temps can tell you when you might be close to ovulation, when you've ovulated, and when you might be getting your period. It can also hint that you might be pregnant! It's a very useful tool. You do have to take your temp at a particular time of day, which can take some getting used to, but other than taking and recording your temps, it's not really a difficult thing to do.

Like everyone else says, it's very enpowering to get a knowledge of what's happening in your body and why. Before joining FF, I knew nothing about different types of cervical mucus, or the fact that our temps can tell us about our fertility. It's all very fascinating, and can really make you feel more in-tune and in control of your body...and it can also help you get pregnant faster!

Think about it - if you don't really know how to tell when you're fertile/ovulating - you could be having intercourse at the wrong time in your cycle. Lots of women think they ovulate on day 14 of their cycle - but for many women, it's earlier or later than that. (For example - I usually ovulate between days 19-24). The window of time that you can pregnant in is so short - if you're doing it at the wrong times every month you might never get pregnant. But having greater knowledge of your body/cycles and help make sure that you have the most intercourse at the times you're more likely to get conceive, thereby increasing your chance of getting pregnant sooner.
 

kama_s

Ideal_Rock
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Date: 3/27/2009 1:17:25 PM
Author:diamondgirl5k
Also, I wanted to know if anyone who has been on anti-depressants has gotten pregnant, and if so, how you proceeded w/ medication throughout the pregnancy, if at all.

Thanks for all your help!!

~C
Most anti-depressants are safe to use during pregnany. With any medication in pregnany, what needs to be done is a risk-benefit assessment. So in this case, it would be the risk of being on the anti-depressant vs the benefits (/risks of NOT being on the anti-depressant). For most, the benefits far outweigh the risks. Studies have shown that children of mum''s getting adequate treatment for depression do much better than those not being treated. Also, no birth defects have ever been associated with anti-depressant exposure in pregnany.

The only thing you need to keep in mind is something known as poor neonatal adaptability syndrome. This is just basic withdrawal symptoms in the babies just after delivery - ususally last 24-72 hours max, and the only thing that needs to be done is have your OB/GYN keep an eye on your baby.

Your best source for information would be a teratology information service in your area. You can also have your MD contact one for more info.

Good luck!
 

Pandora II

Ideal_Rock
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Aug 3, 2006
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9,613
It's really worth staggering through the TTC thread - most of us used charting to get pregnant in one form or another.

I did basic tracking on FF for 5 months before we started TTC, and then temped/charted CF and cervix position for 6 weeks plus used Preseed. We were very fortunate and I got pregnant the first full month of trying especially as I'm 36 - I've always had a clockwork cycle, so we may have got lucky even without, but I wanted more control.

Regarding anti-depressants and pregnancy, there's a fair bit of info on Violet's thread. I'm 32 weeks and have taken Lamictal throughout (it's an anti-epileptic that I take for bipolar but is occasionally used for uni-polar depression) but with a lot of supervision and discussion with my psychiatrist, the hospital psych team and my OB. I did opt to reduce for the first 14 weeks as I wanted to be extra careful during palate formation (my niece has cleft palate and some studies have indicated that Lamictal 'might' lead to an increased possibility). I was also sent for extra scans.

As I also take other meds for chronic pain, I'll be in hospital for a week after the birth while the NICU staff monitor the baby every 4 hours for opiate withdrawal as she will be opiate dependant and any possible side-effects from the Lamictal. I get to keep her with me unless things are really bad rather than her being whisked off to an incubator in the SCBU and after much discussion and research on the part of my various doctors they are very supportive of my breast-feeding to minimise the impact of withdrawal.

I ended up with severe antenatal depression which frankly is more dangerous than the meds, and if I hadn't had a great team round me could have been a bigger problem than it was (I'm fortunate that my hospital in London has the only specialist maternal mental health unit in the UK).

I know a lot of people who have taken anti-depressants during pregnancy with no problems at all (my sister took Prozac during her second pregnancy and breastfed for a year and my nephew has no problems of any kind)

The important thing is to discuss everything with your doctors in advance, do plenty of research so you are informed about the potential risks and check if you need any supplements (I take 5mg of folic acid as my meds are anti-folates so the normal dose is way too small).

You will also need to be followed during the latter stages as the huge increase in blood volume during pregnancy can really impact on your plasma levels. I've had to increase some of my meds due to this, and they will be decreased down to my normal dose within 24 hours of giving birth.

So, definitely not a no no, but also something that you must raise with your doctors preferably before you get KTFU!
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Good luck!
 

Sabine

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 16, 2007
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3,445
Good luck with TTC! I found the course on Fertility Friend as well as reading TCOYF to be incredibly helpful. I was charting temps and cervical mucus and got pregnant during our 3rd month of charting, 4th of trying in general. The TTC thread is a great place to be once you need support during the incredible yet frustrating ttc journey!
 
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