What things did you do to prepare for TTC?

[samy23]

I'm hoping to TTC from September this year, and want to make sure I'm doing everything I can to get my body/health ready for it. So what did you ladies do to prepare for TTC?

I TTC for 3 months last year and had no luck, so it seems even more important this time to be extra ready yk? hopefully it will make a difference...any tips?

[ZoeJane'sMommy]

Well everyone is a little different, but for me I start taking my prenatals about month before. I try to eat healthier and I am a little overweight and I have PCOS so with my first one I lost like 30 pounds. I would prepare yourself for the thought that it will probably take more than 3 months to concieve. If you are going to chart I would start charting early(I started two weeks early this time). And another problem we have come into is my DH was not used to DTD so often so we had a few snags at first so if you do not already DTD often you might start ramping that up to. And again everyone is different and does different things but this was good for me.

[Neuromancer]

Subbing. I'm trying to prepare now. I've been taking prenatals for a few months, as well as calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, and fish oil (but I think I'll stop the magnesium, as I don't think it's doing anything). I've also been working on eating healthier and exercising more since December. I'm not overweight, but I'd like to start on the lower end of "normal" for my height. I think I might go off the pill at the end of this month and see how my cycles look without the BCP doses of hormones. I'm not charting, but I am tracking my periods on a phone application. Finally, I've gotten myself up to date on ALMOST all of my medical records. I just need to go to the dentist and get some fillings done. I have that as a goal for June.

Oh, and I'm reading a TON (both online and IRL). You do not want to see my book list.

[segrau]

I started taking prenatals and joined a gym. Basically, I assumed it would take at least 6 months (since I'm doing Shettles and trying for a girl- takes forever) so I figured now would be a good time to lose the baby weight before I gain it. I'm down about 24 lbs and have 16 to go until my goal weight. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm hoping to get pregnant long before I get there (and let it be SOON!)

Anyway, I also started olympic weightlifting and running. Most Ob's and midwives will let you continue to do whatever activities you were doing before you got preggo, at least for the first trimester or so. I really want a fit pregnancy this time. I gained 27 lbs last time, which isn't bad, but I was 40 lbs overweight when I started, so a 15 lb gain would have been better. My game plan for this one is to continue working out until I can't anymore, and then do yoga and bellydance until 6 weeks after delivery.

I also upped my water intake. You need to be well hydrated to make lots of ewcm. Eating better, picking my midwife/birth center, and reading about pregnancy and birth are all my pre-baby activities.

[MaerynPearl]

we tried for 7 cycles over 2 years... so I did a LOT to prepare all of those cycles that we werent together...

Prenatals, maca, charting before starting to TTC so I know what a normal chart looks like for me... including obsessing over every little symptom both pre-and-post O so I knew what was normal for me, checking cm and cp...

used OPKs one month to be sure they aligned with my BBT O date (they did and thus I didnt waste any more money on them)

started Maca... though I had no signs of needing it... I started it 3 months before TTC this cycle and saw the effects right away... plus I think it may have helped #7 be our lucky cycle.

Drank every day half of my weight (in pounds) in ounces of water. Example: I weighed over 220 pounds, I drank over 110 ounces (it sounds like a lot but its barely a gallon... if you match it to your weigh like that you wont overdose)

Other than that... things I didnt do: Did not avoid alcohol during my TWW, just toned it down a little. I got my bfp a cycle that I ended up having drank 2 or 3 glasses of white wine the day Mae implanted.

Did not avoid hot tubs during my TWW but DID be sure that I was not allowing myself to be overheated. Will continue to not avoid hot tubs next month when I go to Michigan for my wedding but seeing as its my mother-in-law-to-bes hot tub on her porch, we can set it for a nice reasonable 100 degrees.

Did not obsess too much about weight loss. Did try, enjoyed my results, but knew if I pushed too hard I would have stopped ovulating due to the stress.

[sarahkristin]

I agree with the charting. I did 2 months of charting before I started ttc. It is interesting to know how long your cycles are and what your normal temps are before you are in the thick of it. Last month (we were half trying last month, or lazily trying) I did 8 days of opk's and never got a positive so I knew this month that I needed to wait longer or buy more opk's. I opted to buy more, because I am obsessive.

Also, I've heard that you can drink red clover flower tea to help restore and balance hormonal function (straight from wise woman herbal for the childbearing years book.) GL!

[Sweet.Bee]

As others have mentioned, prenatals are a good idea. Currently, I'm taking folic acid, omega-3, and a multi-vitamin/protein powder added to my daily fruit smoothie.

I'm also exercising to tone my muscles. 30-minute pilates workout (DVD) 3x per week when my little one allows me to do so. It's great to work out your core because those muscles really get stretched in pregnancy.

I would like to second, though, that too much exercise that results in very rapid weight loss might be counterproductive. A few years ago, I lost a good amount of weight in a very short time, and I didn't have a period for over 6 months. I had to take birth control pills to start my cycles going again.

That's not to say being thin is bad for fertility (I got pregnant with my son at the low end of "normal" BMI); I just think losing weight too fast can mess up the body's hormones.

And charting. Charting is really helpful.

[BunnyMcFluff]

We're going to start TTC this summer. I started taking a multivitamin with 800mg of folic acid and have started charting (temps, cm, and cp) so I can have a good idea of when I'm fertile. Also, I'm tapering back my caffeine intake.

That's it, really.

[Nutter]

Originally Posted by Neuromancer

Oh, and I'm reading a TON (both online and IRL). You do not want to see my book list.

Actually.... I'd love to see your book/online reading list.

I'm a birth doula and know LOADS about the pregnancy, birth, postpartum, breastfeeding end of things. Not really worried about that info at all.

TTC is a whole new game for me though and although one part me says to just keep up my regular routine (charting at FF, going to the gym a couple times a week, daily vitamins, focus on healthy whole foods, limited caffeine & alcohol) another part of me thinks I ought to be doing other things to 'prepare'.
If you're willing to share the highlights of your list I would be grateful.

[mom61508]

Originally Posted by Neuromancer

Subbing. I'm trying to prepare now. I've been taking prenatals for a few months, as well as calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, and fish oil (but I think I'll stop the magnesium, as I don't think it's doing anything). I've also been working on eating healthier and exercising more since December. I'm not overweight, but I'd like to start on the lower end of "normal" for my height. I think I might go off the pill at the end of this month and see how my cycles look without the BCP doses of hormones. I'm not charting, but I am tracking my periods on a phone application. Finally, I've gotten myself up to date on ALMOST all of my medical records. I just need to go to the dentist and get some fillings done. I have that as a goal for June.

Oh, and I'm reading a TON (both online and IRL). You do not want to see my book list.

I would continue Mag without a doubt! MOst are deficient in Magnesium and You need enough Mag to absorb calcium. What kind of Magnesium are you taking? Magnesium oil is awesome. I'm also taking Mag glycinate but from what I've read mag taurine is good too. Mag citrate doesn't agree with me and in case you don't know mag oxide isn't absorbed very well! Epsom salt baths are another great idea for Magnesium

[mom61508]

We are not TTC yet but will be trying in Januraryish.

Here's what I will be doing/doing some already

1. FCLO plus butter oil
2. Folapro which is real folate it's absorbed better than folic acid or Thornes prenatal because it contains real folate or TRY to get 2-3 cups of greens daily
3.Nettle infusions(2-3 cups a day)
4.Gluten free(no I'm not allergic)
5.Want to get a mineral test done soon
6. pilates/yoga/lots of walking-some weight lifting
7.bone broths and fermented foods daily
8.continue with mag supplement,B-vits,Milk thistle,selenium,probiotic,digestive enzymes and the very important Vitamin D.
9.Make sure I'm getting plenty of Vitamin A from animal sources(FCLO,butter, etc)Not fake Vitamin A(retinol). This one is going to be hard for me I think.

If you can't tell I've been thinking about this for a long time lol! I'm sure there's more I will be doing but there's my rough draft I was not the healthiest when I conceived DD so I want to do it right this time.

One ting I forgot to add is trying to regulate my hormones. They're out of whack right now, progesterone is lowwwww. Acupuncture has been great for this. Acupuncture is probably something I will be dong a lot of when the time gets closer. also Kan herbals 'womens precious' has a great reputation for making women more fertile. HTH!

[Neuromancer]

Originally Posted by sarahthedoula

Actually.... I'd love to see your book/online reading list.

Well, online I'm mostly just reading threads here on MDC, except when I Google a specific topic.

As for books, so far I've read the following (a few of them are about Childfree living, as I wanted to get "both sides"). Most of them are about the "the pregnancy, birth, postpartum, breastfeeding end of things," though, so this may not be a helpful list for you.

Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife
Peggy Vincent

Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace
Ayelet Waldman

The Big Rumpus: A Mother's Tale from the Trenches
Ayun Halliday

Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born
Tina Cassidy

Bright From the Start: The Simple, Science-Backed Way to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind from Birth to Age 3
Jill Stamm and Paula Spencer

Discipline Without Distress: 135 tools for raising caring, responsible children without time-out, spanking, punishment or bribery
Judy Arnall

The Experience of Breasfeeding -- bought but haven't read yet
Sheila Kitzinger

The First Birth: A Family Turning Point - bought but haven't read yet
Professor Doris Entwisle and Ms. Susan Doering

Every Child Ready to Read: Literacy Tips for Parents -- bought but haven't read yet
The Lee Pesky Learning Center

Flux: Women on Sex, Love, Kids, and Life in a Half-Changed World
Peggy Orenstein

Get Ready to Get Pregnant: Your Complete Prepregnancy Guide to Making a Smart and Healthy Baby
Michael C. Lu

Having Faith: An Ecologist's Journey to Motherhood
Sandra Steingraber

I Want a Baby, He Doesn't: How Both Partners Can Make the Right Decision at the Right Time
by Donna J. Wade with Liberty Kovacs

The Involved Father: Family-Tested Solutions for Getting Dads to Participate More in the Daily Lives of Their Children
Robert Frank and Kathryn Livingston

Labor of Love: A Midwife's Memoir
Cara Muhlhahn

Love Between Equals: How Peer Marriage Really Works
Pepper Schwartz

Magical Beginnings, Enchanted Lives: A Holistic Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth
Deepak Chopra, M.D., David SImon, M.D., and VIcki Abrams, C.C.E., I.B.C.L.C.

Maybe Baby: 28 Writers Tell the Truth about Skepticism, Infertility, Baby Lust, Childlessness, Ambivalence, and How They Made the Biggest Decision of Their Lives
edited by Lori Leibovich

Misconceptions: Truth, Lies, and the Unexpected on the Journey to Motherhood
Naomi Wolf

The Mommy Myth: The Idealization of Motherhood and How It Has Undermined All Women
Susan J. Douglas and Meredith Michaels

Mommy Wars: Stay-at-Home and Career Moms Face Off on Their Choices, Their Lives, Their Families
Leslie Morgan Steiner

Mother Journeys: Feminists Write about Mothering
edited by Maureen T. Reddy, Martha Roth, and Amy Sheldon

Mister Rogers Talks With Parents -- bought but haven't read yet
Fred Rogers

Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution -- currently reading
Adrienne Rich

Opting In: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself
Amy Richards

Our Babies, Ourselves: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Parent -- really enjoyed this one.
Meredith F. Small

The Parenthood Decision: Discovering Whether You Are Ready And Willing to Become a Parent
Beverly Engel

Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety
Judith Warner

Pink Brain, Blue Brain: How Small Differences Grow into Troublesome Gaps -- And What We Can Do About It
Lise Eliot

Pushed: The Painful Truth about Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care
Jennifer Block

Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls
Mary Pipher

SchoolGirls: Young Women, Self-Esteem, and the Confidence Gap -- so fascinating
Peggy Orenstein

Spiritual Midwifery
Ina May Gaskin

The Business of Being Born (DVD)

The Mask of Motherhood: How Becoming a Mother Changes Our Lives and Why We Never Talk About It - bought but haven't read yet
Susan Maushart

The Tentative Pregnancy: How Amniocentesis Changes the Experience of Motherhood
Barbara Katz Rothman

The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child
Robert Sears, M.D.

When Partners Become Parents: The Big Life Change for Couples -- more helpful than I thought it would be.
Carolyn Pape Cowan and Philip A. Cowan

The Whole Pregnancy Handbook: An Obstetricians Guide to Integrating Conventional and Alternative Medicine Before, During, and After Pregnancy -- currently reading
Joel Evans and Robin Aronson

Why Don't You Have Kids? Living A Full Life Without Parenthood
Leslie Lafayette

Your Best Birth: Know All Your Options, Discover the Natural Choices, and Take Back the Birth Experience.
Ricki Lake, Abby Epstein, and Jacques Moritz

-----

I have a long list of books I'd still like to read, too, but not many of them are at my library, which is frustrating. I won't get to all of them, of course, but I'll keep reading until I get too busy not to.

[Neuromancer]

Originally Posted by mom61508

I would continue Mag without a doubt! MOst are deficient in Magnesium and You need enough Mag to absorb calcium. What kind of Magnesium are you taking? Magnesium oil is awesome. I'm also taking Mag glycinate but from what I've read mag taurine is good too. Mag citrate doesn't agree with me and in case you don't know mag oxide isn't absorbed very well! Epsom salt baths are another great idea for Magnesium

That's interesting. I couldn't find the oil, so I'm taking magnesium citrate. I wish I had a bathtub for epsom salt baths!

[mom61508]

Originally Posted by Neuromancer

That's interesting. I couldn't find the oil, so I'm taking magnesium citrate. I wish I had a bathtub for epsom salt baths!

IN case your interested on more mag info! this thread also posts where to get the mag oil.

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ight=magnesium

[Neuromancer]

Originally Posted by mom61508

IN case your interested on more mag info! this thread also posts where to get the mag oil.

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ight=magnesium

Thanks!

[JENinOR]

Originally Posted by Neuromancer

I just need to go to the dentist and get some fillings done. I have that as a goal for June.

I'm not sure how soon you are to TTC, but I would not get fillings in anytime near conception. I would def. NOT get mercury fillings, ever again that is. In fact, I'm waiting to get mine out and then will have to wait a year to get the mercury out of my body before TTC. I want to be pregnant now, but there is now way I'm exposing a little one to mercury. Def. check out the dental forum here and ask questions lots of questions. Also, the unbelievable amounts of BPA in "white" fillings is just as concerning as mercury.

[dealic]

subbing for future reference

[Nutter]

Awesome list Neuromancer - thanks so much for sharing! Many of them I've read but a few were new to me. Mask of Motherhood scared me to death and I cried a lot, but it gave DH and I lots of food for discussion and now we're good. lol.

[mom61508]

Originally Posted by JENinOR

I'm not sure how soon you are to TTC, but I would not get fillings in anytime near conception. I would def. NOT get mercury fillings, ever again that is. In fact, I'm waiting to get mine out and then will have to wait a year to get the mercury out of my body before TTC. I want to be pregnant now, but there is now way I'm exposing a little one to mercury. Def. check out the dental forum here and ask questions lots of questions. Also, the unbelievable amounts of BPA in "white" fillings is just as concerning as mercury.

Agreed!

[Neuromancer]

Originally Posted by mom61508

Agreed!

That's interesting, and I'll look into the forum to find out more about the BPA in the white fillings. I don't intend to get mercury fillings.