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The April TTC Healthy Parents Thread

2K views 57 replies 11 participants last post by  tinytina 
#1 ·
Hi everyone! Ever since M. and I decided to throw out the old birth control pack and try for another itty-bitty baby I've been thinking about how I want to use this time before conception to get as healthy as humanly possible. I figured there are bound to be other parents on here who'd like a support thread for making the best health choices while we're trying to conceive. We all know we're supposed to but sometimes it's hard--especially day after day. Daddies-to-be are invited to join this thread, too, since healthy sperm is also important for making a healthy baby.
:D


This might sound crazy, but hopefully it'll work in action just as well as it does in my head. At the bottom I'll put something you can copy, edit with your own info, and paste into a new post. Then I'll copy what you wrote back into this first post, so that all our goals are together. I think it'll be simpler that way. It'll be in alphabetical order by user name. That's mostly for my benefit, I alphabetize everything
:wink
. And then hopefully we can all come back occasionally to share how well we're meeting our goals, cheer each other on, be encouraging, and be encouraged by others. Worth a shot?

Super Healthy Parents-to-be

Screen Name:

Alivewithyou

My goals so far:

1) take a prenatal every day
2) exercise (biking, running, or rockclimbing) at least four times a week
3) lose 5-10 lbs
4) eat healthy - I know that's very general but my focus is good carbs, protein, and fruits and veggies. I suck at veggies.
5) live in the moment and enjoy life as much as possible.
6) limit drinking as much as possible

Screen Name:

AntoninBeGonin

My Personal TTC health goals:

1. Eat more whole foods and less junk

2. Take care of my stress levels by getting a massage once a month

3. Go to yoga as often as possible

4. Get the house cleaned up now, so I don't have to bother when I'm enormous

5. Remember to take my prenatal vitamin every day

6. Get at least 15 minutes of fresh air every day

7. Be in bed between 9-10 pm most nights

8. At 8 pm my computer is turned off!

Screen Name:

Chilee

TTC goals:

1) Take vitamin c to help cortisol levels and reduce stress

2) Take camu camu powder

3) Remember supplements

4) Find ways to relax

Screen Name:

jenjy

My TTC goals:

1) Drink plenty of water.

2) Remember ALL supplements.

3) Learn SOMEthing about yoga so I can get started in some way.

4) Exercise several times per week.

Screen Name:

jsustanley

Goals:

1. Eat more fruits

2. Cut down on salt intake

3. Exercise regularly

4. think healthy thoughts!

Screen Name:

mamadance84

My goals:

1. take vitamins every day.
2. exercise (spinning, jogging outdoors and yoga are my favorites!) 3-4 times a week.
3. eat a more plant-based diet and try to cut out processed food and sugar as much as possible.
4. drink more water.
5. be positive--try not to rush things and just let life take it's natural course.
6. limit alcohol as much as possible.
7. continue using all-natural skin care and beauty products which I started in February.
8. spend as much time with family and friends as possible.

Screen Name:

MsBe

Goals:

1. Feng Shui my bedroom & Keep it clean ( I started this months ago but sort of petered out before I finished.)

2. Clean up sewing "room" and use it!

3. Some yoga daily, run 2-3x/ week, attend 2-3 classes/ week.

4. Maintain 5-10 minutes meditation/day, build to 20-40 min/day by summer.

5. Devote 10-15 hrs/week to garden. Investigate Farmers' Markets; prepare to participate in at least 1 this summer.

6. Healthy bedtime routine. ( Cut out snacks and Netflix.)

Screen Name:

NaturallyMo

TTC goals:

1) Take my vitamins each day

2) Get at least 8 hours of rest each night

3) Do some form of exercise for 20-30 every other day

4) Reduce my stress levels

5) Temp every day

6) Just enjoy the process

Screen Name:

tinytina

Goals:

1. Try to incorporate more vegetables and fruits daily (since my husband was diagnosed as a diabetic a year ago so we are definitely working on this but keeping our budget in mind)

2. Drink more water (I barely drink any now so trying for 2 big glasses- approx. 1 liter each) per day

3. Drink less pop and coffee (less caffeine *limit coffee to 2 mugs per day)- drink more mint green tea which is low caffeine

4. Exercise 5 days a week (work up to 30 minutes a day)

5. Find ways to lower stress every day (yoga, meditation, etc)

6. Do at least 1 nice thing a day to myself/me time (for ex. paint my nails, read a book/magazine for pleasure, bubble bath, etc)
 
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#2 ·
I love this idea. This has been really important to me as I want to be as healthy as possible during pregnancy so it's better to start now.

My goals so far:

1) take a prenatal every day
2) exercise (biking, running, or rockclimbing) at least four times a week
3) lose 5-10 lbs
4) eat healthy - I know that's very general but my focus is good carbs, protein, and fruits and veggies. I suck at veggies.
5) live in the moment and enjoy life as much as possible.
6) limit drinking as much as possible
 
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#4 ·
I'm in! I like what you guys have down!! Good ones! :)

Here are the ones I need to work on:

1) Drink plenty of water.

2) Remember ALL supplements.

3) Learn SOMEthing about yoga so I can get started in some way.

4) Exercise several times per week.

I tend to get lost in my work and forget to hydrate, so I need to pay better attention to that. As for supplements - I'm happy with what I have and my dosage, but my fish oil is in the fridge. And requires me getting out a spoon. That's a lot of steps, LOL, and I guess that's why I skip it too often. The yoga-related goal is because I get so stressed with work and I have to do something about that. I have phases of being better/worse with exercise, so I just need to work on being consistent- so that's what the 4th one is about.

Off to get some water. :)
 
#6 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by jenjy View Post

As for supplements - I'm happy with what I have and my dosage, but my fish oil is in the fridge. And requires me getting out a spoon. That's a lot of steps, LOL, and I guess that's why I skip it too often.
Ha! I am just as bad about supplements. I used to take that refrigerated fish oil that's a swirl of flavors. I can't think of the name of it. It's expensive (for me) so I don't buy it often. You're supposed to take a tablespoon once a day but I was never that precise. I'd just tilt my head back and squirt what felt like a spoonful on my tongue. On the bright side it was delicious. Like getting dessert.
:Sheepish
 
#7 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alivewithyou View Post

I'm terrible at water but I would be lying if I said I would get better. Pregnitude will force me into two extra glasses though.
OK, I have seen pregnitude mentioned a couple times now but no chance to look it up yet... what is it?

Quote:
Originally Posted by AntoninBeGonin View Post

Ha! I am just as bad about supplements. I used to take that refrigerated fish oil that's a swirl of flavors. I can't think of the name of it. It's expensive (for me) so I don't buy it often. You're supposed to take a tablespoon once a day but I was never that precise. I'd just tilt my head back and squirt what felt like a spoonful on my tongue. On the bright side it was delicious. Like getting dessert.
:Sheepish
Yeah, mine tastes like... fish. Rotten oily fish. I obviously need to invest in the tasty-swirly-squirt-bottle kind. Too bad I have two enormous bottles of the current kind...

I did not do well on my goals today, sadly. I DID get a lot done in other areas though
:innocent
 
#8 ·
It's a supplement that is supposed to help women with pcos specifically but it can be used for a lot including depression, weight loss, regulating your cycles, etc. it has folic acid and myo-isonitol in it. I am super excited based on the reviews and even if it doesn't make me pregnant I hope it can at least regulate my super long cycles and help with moods and weight loss.
 
#9 ·
This is a great idea. I'll join in enjoy though I am on the fence about continuing to TTC

  1. Take my vitamins each day
  2. Get at least 8 hours of rest each night
  3. Do some form of exercise for 20-30 every other day
  4. Reduce my stress levels
  5. Temp every day
  6. Just enjoy the process
 
#10 ·
I have been loiking into stress. Super stressed here..not ttc reasons.
Looks like vit c can help with cortisol.
I have camu camu powder, need to get on the remember supplements bandwagon.
I have tried to try meditation and yoga, but i swear i can not get 5 minutes uninterupted or 5 minutes without the anticipation of being interupted. Hopefully 4 kids is the magic number, because 3 is not
wink1.gif
 
#11 ·
Hi! Welcome @NaturallyMo and @chilee . I'll get your information added to the first post.
:D


Chilee, I paraphrased what you wrote into a list. Hope you don't mind.
:)


@jenjy and @Alivewithyou I had no idea pregnitude was a supplement. I thought it simply meant "pregnant attitude".
:lol


AFM I am so happy/proud/impressed by how focused I've been on eating healthy and keeping active, keeping my stress under control. I'm so bad about knowing what I need to do and talking about how I'm going to do it, but then I don't follow through. So the fact that I went an entire week with practically no junk food is amazing. I had a few single pieces of Lancaster caramels here and there and that was it. I decided that Saturdays are my day to go a little wild and have dessert, but nothing alcoholic. I'm getting a free week of yoga this week so I want to make it there today.

Best wishes, everyone! Stay focused on your goal of making a super healthy home for your little bean when you get your BFP!
:love


Also, if you want to add or take away goals, just let me know.
 
#12 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by AntoninBeGonin View Post

@jenjy and @Alivewithyou I had no idea pregnitude was a supplement. I thought it simply meant "pregnant attitude".
:lol
Oh my gosh, I can not stop laughing! Now that is what I want it to mean! LOL!!

Yay for sticking to your goals so well this past week!!!
 
#13 ·
i also thought pregnatude meant pregnant attitude! hahahah.....I had a tubal reversal in Febuary, am 40, and have never really watched what I ate or vitamins. So, since January, I have been eating spinach daily, oatmeal, add no extra salt & for the first time in my life, I'm reading food labels and watching calories and salt intake. I do pilates and elliptical for exercising. I have also cut out all alcohol and have been taking prenatals. Also have started eating fruit which I do not like, but figure it would be good for a baby....now if I could just conceive
smile.gif
....good thread btw, love all the ideas.
 
#14 ·
My goals are going okay. I'm great with my prenatal. My excercises is still happening but it is very difficult with shin splints and I'm starting to go crazy because I can't work out as hard as I want to. I have started doing push ups and would like to be able to build that up quite a bit. Weight loss is very difficult as well because no matter what I do my body is just stubborn. I'm hoping the pregnitude will help balance some hormones out and let me lose weight. I did drink a little this weekend and ate like crap so I am detoxing now and getting back into my groove.

I don't feel all that healthy today mostly from lack of sleep and been pretty down. I will have to come up with ways to pull out of this slump.
 
#15 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by jenjy View Post

Oh my gosh, I can not stop laughing! Now that is what I want it to mean! LOL!!

Yay for sticking to your goals so well this past week!!!
How to use it in a sentence: "Got that pregnitude to eat healthy and destress!"
:p
:lol


Thanks! It's a struggle. I'm don't aim for 100%, I just know that every single time I pick an apple over a candy bar then I'm doing good.
:wink


Quote:
Originally Posted by jsustanley View Post

i also thought pregnatude meant pregnant attitude! hahahah.....I had a tubal reversal in Febuary, am 40, and have never really watched what I ate or vitamins. So, since January, I have been eating spinach daily, oatmeal, add no extra salt & for the first time in my life, I'm reading food labels and watching calories and salt intake. I do pilates and elliptical for exercising. I have also cut out all alcohol and have been taking prenatals. Also have started eating fruit which I do not like, but figure it would be good for a baby....now if I could just conceive
smile.gif
....good thread btw, love all the ideas.
Hi! So great to hear what you've been doing. Do you want me to add those as goals to the top? Good luck TTC!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alivewithyou View Post

My goals are going okay. I'm great with my prenatal. My excercises is still happening but it is very difficult with shin splints and I'm starting to go crazy because I can't work out as hard as I want to. I have started doing push ups and would like to be able to build that up quite a bit. Weight loss is very difficult as well because no matter what I do my body is just stubborn. I'm hoping the pregnitude will help balance some hormones out and let me lose weight. I did drink a little this weekend and ate like crap so I am detoxing now and getting back into my groove.

I don't feel all that healthy today mostly from lack of sleep and been pretty down. I will have to come up with ways to pull out of this slump.
Hi Alive. First of all, push ups are awesome! I need to start doing them. They are such a great workout. How many can you do? Do you do the traditional floor push ups? Second, best of luck getting out of a slump. I battled (undiagnosed) depression for years until I was finally able to kick it. There are a lot of good ideas out there. You can PM me if you want.

AFM: Still doing OK with my goals. Have not been doing 4, 6, or 8 but I am going to! I really am, I swear.
:Sheepish
 
#17 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by AntoninBeGonin View Post

Hi Alive. First of all, push ups are awesome! I need to start doing them. They are such a great workout. How many can you do? Do you do the traditional floor push ups? Second, best of luck getting out of a slump. I battled (undiagnosed) depression for years until I was finally able to kick it. There are a lot of good ideas out there. You can PM me if you want.

AFM: Still doing OK with my goals. Have not been doing 4, 6, or 8 but I am going to! I really am, I swear.
Sheepish.gif
So far just girl push ups and only 20 in a row lol... Push ups are my enemy so that's why I picked them. My migraine of 3 days is finally starting to calm down so hopefully I can be more active tonight. I've definitely been eating healthier and combined with pregnitude *snaps fingers* I've dropped 1 lb since Sunday. This supplement is definitely giving me a run for my money. I've battled with depression and anxiety for years but for the most part admitting it and facing it has done be well. My good days far outweigh the bad and my slumps aren't quite as paralyzing. DH and I worked some things out that were stressing me out so that helps a ton.

I feel like I want to add more goals but I'll just get overwhelmed. There are some of mine that I will get to as well ha ha.
smile.gif
 
#18 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by jsustanley View Post
Also have started eating fruit which I do not like,
Is it because fruit is in general sweet? Or is it something else about fruit? Maybe we can brainstorm to think of some tastier options for you.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alivewithyou View Post

DH and I worked some things out that were stressing me out so that helps a ton.
Great!!

AFM - Not bad here! Def. did not do exercise and did not learn anything about yoga yet. But I WILL. Because it's there on my list, so now I am committed. Even without, I think I've been able to keep the stress down pretty well the past week. It helps that some work deadlines have been met recently and now work will be a little less stressful. For a while anyway...

Let's all keep up the great pregnitudes, everyone!
 
#20 ·
Great thread AntoninBeGonin! Can I join? My main goals are to stay stress free, de-clutter, & focus on things I can control instead of obsessing about what I can't (how long this TTC journey will be.) My specific goals are:

1. Feng Shui my bedroom & Keep it clean ( I started this months ago but sort of petered out before I finished.)

2. Clean up sewing "room" and use it!

3. Some yoga daily, run 2-3x/ week, attend 2-3 classes/ week.

4. Maintain 5-10 minutes meditation/day, build to 20-40 min/day by summer.

5. Devote 10-15 hrs/week to garden. Investigate Farmers' Markets; prepare to participate in at least 1 this summer.

6. Healthy bedtime routine. ( Cut out snacks and Netflix.)

chilee- Ugh, insomnia is the worst.
 
#22 ·
Jenjy- Yes! Fruits are way too sweet for my taste I suppose. I can get a banana down, but that's about it. I drink OJ, not sure if that's as good as oranges. I can't stand apples, strawberries, pineapple (although I have eaten that with cottage cheese & it's OK), peaches, grapes, kiwi, mangos...they are all just very yucky to me. I do love about any kind of veggie out there, just not sure about why I can't stand fruit. Would fruit juices be just as good? I might be able to do grape juice or cranberry or pomegranate perhaps.
 
#23 ·
@jsustanley -A thing to remember about fruit juice is that it contains a lot of sugar (natural and artificial) and no fiber that you get from an actual piece of fruit. Have you tried smoothies if you do not like the texture of the fruit?

I learned this from my husband's diabetes education classes.
 
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#25 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by jsustanley View Post

Jenjy- Yes! Fruits are way too sweet for my taste I suppose. I can get a banana down, but that's about it. I drink OJ, not sure if that's as good as oranges. I can't stand apples, strawberries, pineapple (although I have eaten that with cottage cheese & it's OK), peaches, grapes, kiwi, mangos...they are all just very yucky to me. I do love about any kind of veggie out there, just not sure about why I can't stand fruit. Would fruit juices be just as good? I might be able to do grape juice or cranberry or pomegranate perhaps.
Hmm.. well, fruit is so sugary that if you just prefer to eat a ton of veggies, you might be better off. However, there is something to be said for variety (especially getting different color foods in your diet) so I see the value in some fruit. I agree with tinytina to steer away from juice. What about melons? Cantaloupe doesn't taste sweet to me. Or what about grapefruit? It can be more tart than sweet...

AFM - I am wondering if anyone has any tips for meditation or yoga for a beginner?
 
#26 ·
jsustanley- I agree with jenjy, eating the rainbow (everyday, when possible) is more important than including fruits. Its can just be easier to get in those oranges, reds, blues, and purples with fruit, but brightly colored vegetables can be found. Smoothies are also a great option (as mentioned by tinytina,) with lots of nuts and yogurt and a generous handful of greens they need not turn out sweet at all.

jenjy- For yoga I would suggest finding a sun salutation or moon salutation sequence online and try doing it a few times once or twice a day. I've heard that YouTube has some nice free videos but I've never tried any. There are a couple of yoga threads on Mothering. With meditation, I started by using a simple breath awareness method for 5 minutes a day. I've been sputtering along at it for about a year now (so I'm no expert!) and now I am working on getting in 10-15 minutes most days.

I went for a run yesterday and spent some time working in the garden. But then I fell asleep to Inspector Morse.
 
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