Preparing to Conceive - Page 2

[OSUvet]

The fertility support group sounds interesting, MotherCake! I wonder if there is anything like that in my area? How did you find out about it?

We are focusing on nutrition and TRYING to exercise consistently to be healthier for TTC. I have always been a runner but winter is a difficult time motivation-wise, so I am looking forward to the snow melting so I can get back on some pretty trails! DH is making a good effort to run with me as well, and has quit drinking soda (a difficult thing for him!).

Josie, not being experienced I dont have any specific advice for you, except that I know if I were you I would need some of that vitamin D giving sunlight just to help my mood and think clearly! :

[Blanca78]

Originally Posted by OSUvet

Hi everyone! Thanks for starting this thread, as this is where I am right now too! DH and I are both working on our health and our home, and preparing to TTC in a couple months. I have been taking prenatal vitamins daily, and this is my first cycle off hormonal bc in 12 years. I have been temping/charting my cycle, and researching homebirth options in my area. I have been surprisingly successful in getting DH on board with the idea of homebirth, which I am very excited about. I look forward to reading others' posts to see what other things I should be working on during this time!

Hi OSUvet, I'm also in Columbus! I've thought about homebirth as well--I'm really bummed that there are no birth centers here. Here's hoping we both get our BFPs this summer...

[Blanca78]

Originally Posted by Mother Cake

Blanca78, Thanks for the info on B6. It explains why my b-complex supplement hasn't had any effect on my LP--it only has 9mg . But I'm not worried about my LP length anyway. The last time I tried to lengthen it--using a tea from Yogi Tea--it did get longer, but I also got terrible PMS. I'd rather have a short LP than bad PMS!

I also wanted to say welcome to maxwill129! Glad to have you hear!

Do you remember what that tea was called? I might check it out. Thanks! One thing I have noticed, is that my cramps seemed to have greatly lessened the last few months, and I wonder if it has to do with the prenatals or the B6. Or it could be coincidence.

[JosieAK]

Blanca, have you changed your *ahem* method of absorbing AF? I have read that switching from OTC pads and tampons and using cloth, organic, or cups can drastically reduce its pain and length. Just a thought.

I would love to be in a group of people who would encourage natural health and fitness in order to become ready for babies! I know I'm never going to be a model, my DH loves me just the way I am, but my child depending on me to nurture them in a safe environment really spurs me on!

Randomly, I really like the stuff at http://www.naturallyknockedup.com/ She has a lot of good ideas and has put a lot of research into what she does--it worked for her!

[Mother Cake]

Originally Posted by JosieAK

I am not ttc yet either. I have been pregnant or nursing for the past 2 years, and I'm at the end of winter in Alaska (not a lot of fresh greens--they just don't look good--and no sunlight for me). I quit Curves when a little before Clara was born, and I really have not found something to replace it. I feel fat, blah, and totally deprived of good things. This could just be mental perception, but I do know that after I had Clara (she just turned 1, Feb 8) ), my wonderful, hard-as-rocks, never-get-cavities teeth were full of cavities. I have to believe that Clara took those nutrients that my teeth should have gotten.

So . . . I don't know if I should go to a doctor or naturopath to get help analyzing what my body needs and how to get it where it needs to be, or if I should just jump in and start doing what I know I should be doing--cutting out sugar (I am totally addicted and let it replace good things in my diet), boosting D3, iron, etc. naturally, getting in the habit of exercising regularly, getting a pap, maybe losing a few pounds in the meantime.

I really hope that this summer we will be ready to try.

Anyone have any suggestions for me? Or encouragement? Sometimes I think I must be overthinking all of this. Maybe I just need sunlight to get a boost. Am I crazy or not crazy enough? Thanks.

Welcome JosieAK. Wanted to send you lots of 's. I agree with OSUvet about boosting your mood through sunshine. Do you have any full spectrum lights in your house? Those can really help on dark days. No suggestions about the teeth though, sorry.

Originally Posted by OSUvet

The fertility support group sounds interesting, MotherCake! I wonder if there is anything like that in my area? How did you find out about it?

I found the group by dropping by the center and asking if they had anything for pre-consception. You might ask the midwives/CBE's/doula's in your area if they know of any fertility support groups.

Originally Posted by Blanca78

Do you remember what that tea was called? I might check it out. Thanks!

The tea is called Woman's Moon Cycle, and it's by Yogi Tea. I'm not sure how I feel about recommending it, since it made my PMS so much worse than usual. Over the past 10 years, I've been able to get to a point where my symptoms are much more manageable than they used to be, so for me, taking this tea was a giant step back in terms of PMS symptoms, even if it lengthened my LP. Just something to be aware of if you try it. It may not have that effect on you, though.

AF started yesterday. If DH & I can really get motivated and kick our projects into high gear, this may be my last cycle before we start TTC. Wow. That thought is both exciting and scarry.

[Qbear'smama]

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...eparing+to+ttc

Here is a thread with the same question from before I was TTC. Good luck!

[OSUvet]

Oh hi Blanca! We will have to stay in touch and share the info we find in our searches, and our statuses. Have you checked out CHOICE?

[JosieAK]

Thanks Qbear's Mama, that was a helpful thread to read. No sense reinventing the wheel. I had to stop myself from jumping in though!

[Mother Cake]

Huge Progress

We have a living room! Well we always had one, but now it is nearly box-free, and has a couch and two chairs. So exciting. Some of the boxes are unpacked, but a lot just got moved to other rooms. But it still feels like really big progress.

Also, we are both in the process of getting doc and dent check-ups. I really like the dentist we've found. The doctor not so much, but I am really into alternative medicine and he is allopathic. I'd rather have someone more alternative/holistic as my main doc, but I think it is good to have a western doc to go to the rare for acute situations that come up once every few years for me.

I was hoping this guy would make a good ped., too, but not so sure now. The office is not at all kid-friendly, and although he claims to be 'holistic' he's still a little too conservitive for me. Oh well. I struck out with my first dentist, too, but I think I've struck gold with this new one. :-) She treats me like a real person who can understand and participate in my own care. :-)

Qbear'smama, thanks for the thread link. It was intersting to read, but I also really wanted a feeling of community with some other "preparing to conceive" mama's, just like the TTA and TTC people all chat with each other. That's really what I was hoping this thread could be.