Benefits of charting before TTC?

[auchencook]

My husband and I are planning on ttc starting in June. I've heard that a lot of women go off birth control pills and use another form of (non-hormonal) birth control for several months before they start ttc, and use that time to track their cycles and get a good feel of where they stand.

As far as I know, my husband and I are both perfectly healthy, and supposedly the women in my family get pregnant really easily. So he is of the opinion that I should just finish my last pack of BCP in May and then we start TTC. I'm not sure where I stand.

Here's my question, then: If we don't expect to have any problems conceiving, are there benefits to charting my cycles for a few months before TTC?

[ultrafighter]

Subbing

We just started TTC on a whim with this cycle so I haven't had time to think about tracking or charting anything.  I'm interested in what ladies have to say in case nothing sticks this month.

[pokeyAC]

If I were in your situation and under 35, I wouldn't bother personally.  If you have no reason to think you will have any trouble, just go for it.  I know someone who got pregnant the first month after she stopped BCP's.  If it takes a while, you might want to start to get a better picture.  Charting can be a good bit of work and it isn't always necessary.   I charted ahead of time because I was 36 when I started and I was using frozen sperm so pinpointing ovualtion was crucial.  Fresh sperm can live for several days in fertile cervical mucus so it's easier to be successful.  If you want to track a little, you could always start with when your cycle starts and when you have stretchy/fertile mucus.  There are apps for it.  I used Fertility Friend.  Good luck! 

[dakipode]

If you're the scientific kind of person who loves to analyze data then there is no harm in charting just in case it takes longer than expected.

I'm really glad I did it, I learned so much about my body and I feel empowered by that. It's also useful to know your fertile time etc. in case you decide to use FAM as your prevention method after you have the baby.

[LilyKay]

I really like charting, mainly because I find knowing what is going on with my body fascinating. Even more so when you see on paper how certain things affect you (illness, alcohol, staying up late).

With DD we got pregnant easily, but with #2  we TTC for a couple of months without charting and i found it very stressful not knowing what is going on. A couple of days late drove me crazy.

I'd say if you are not in a rush and can see yourself trying for 6months without getting upset about not being pregnant right away, then skip charting and enjoy not having to use contraception. If you're quite impatient (as am I) then charting will give you a lot of information on what is going on and an (imagined?) sense of control.

About stopping the pill, there is a lot of discussion about the pill depleting the body of certain nutrients (mainly by increasing the nutritional needs of the user). Using those few months to get to know your body and re-nourish it might not be such a bad idea. All of that said, it should not be a reason to stress! I have a couple of friends who conceived right after stopping the pill and have healthy babies. Best of luck! Hope your stay on the TTC boards is short

[pokeyAC]

One thing you should do early is start taking folic acid.  It is best to start taking it 3 months before you start TTC.

[erigeron]

I would stop the pill a few months before starting to try, to give your body time to get used to being off the pill. I don't chart on cycles where I'm not trying, personally. I'm just too lazy, and CTA is not a good option for us (my cycles are short and I can't tell that I've ovulated until several days after I do, so the number of "safe" days we get from CTA is pretty darn low). You could chart if you want to try to get a feel for what's going on, or you could skip it. 

[auchencook]

Thanks, everyone!

I just learned about BCP depleting the body of certain nutrients. Why did no one tell me this when I went on the pill? I would have started taking vitamins then!

I've started taking the Rainbow Light Prenatal vitamins already, drinking lots of water, and drinking pregnancy tea (almost) nightly. If nothing else, I'm trying to create good habits.

I'm going to talk to my midwife at my pre-conception visit about going off the pill - I'm still not sure if it's worth it for us. I'd love to believe that I'm the type of person who will be able to just relax and let it happen when it happens, but I'm not sure that I am.

That being said, I'm working on mentally preparing myself for the possibility that I won't get pregnant right away even if we do chart. Also taking the Purposeful Conception course, so I'm sure we'll deal with this in the class too.

Again, thanks for the advice!