[HildeS]

Does anyone else out there have bad habits that they know they should break in order to maximize fertility but haven't been very successful yet?

I stopped all bad habits completely with DS but relapsed since his birth (in 2000), and I know I'll have no problem quitting everything if I get pg again, but having a hard time while TTC. I eat almost exclusively organic (and largely vegetarian) and try to get some exercise, but still ...

... feeling guilty/worried.
Hilde

 

[owensmom]

I have to say I kicked my bad habits when TTC ds. After 6 months and no pregnancy and half the women at my work getting pg the day after they got off the pill (or by accident!) - well, I was terribly frustrated. So, I'd have the occasional beer. I lightened up a bit between AF and ovulation, and then acted as if pg from ovulation 'till AF returned. I was much more relaxed...

don't beat yourself up, treat yourself on occasion to a decaf soy caramel latte...

 

[HildeS]

Thanks for the reply! I assumed by thread was a "dead end"!

I'm not doing anything all that bad; so I'm not really all THAT worried, but thanks for the reassurance. I know what you mean about all the "accidental" pregnancies we have to face.....

Hilde

 

[gonnabeamom]

Hilde,

I've been intending to reply since I saw this.

I've been kicking bad habits and adjusting my diet in an attempt to get healthy enough to try and conceive, and then to ttc for almost 2 1/2 years. All of it comes and goes.

My current bad habits are mostly "nots"

not enough vegetables

not taking my multi vitamin every day

not exercising enough

not doing my meditation

not taking my vitex,

not drinking my fertility teas

I also binge on chocolate and decaf soy mochas, eat too meat while eating out (when I can't ensure it's organic), I forget to take my temperature, I do all sorts of things I should and shouldn't do.

I guess what I'm saying is that if you're here it's a long haul, and it's important to be both good to your body, with healthy habits, and kind to yourself mentally and emotionally. It's easy to get down on yourself, but it's not helpful. So cut yourself some slack about what you don't do, and give yourself credit for what you do do.

 

[jenniferB]

coffee coffee coffee

i reduced to 1/2 cup a day once when i thought i was pg and i started getting ewcm! i should keep that reduction and even cut out. but i'm so miserable not being able to get pg that going thru caffeine withdrawal seems like a added insult.

 

[gonnabeamom]

I weaned from coffee to decaf, then from decaf to Inka, which is one of those ground toasted root things. It's the only one that helps me. It's bitter and it's warm, and it's gets me through my coffee fits.

 

[LazureFairie]

I have problem with junk foods (those that contain sugar)
I have now switched to buying "organic" sweets but let's face it sugar is sugar even if it is organic

:
I am trying to walk the thin line between eating the right things (more veggies, all organic etc.) and not becoming a fanatic--really, is that occasional non-organic sweet treat going to prevent me from conceiving & carrying a pregnancy to term???
Probably not.

:
Mainly I am trying to lower my stress level (ie lower the cortisol output which does upset reproductive hormone balance) and obsessing about some food issues can really be stressful.
Some days I am better at this than others.

And it is so important to be kind to youself.
It is amazing the silly things we will mentally beat oursleves up over.

 

[proudmamanow]

Boy can I relate to this thread!
I had been really good for about 6 mos. rigorous vitamins, herbs, fertilty tea, no caffeine, alcohol, lots of fibre, fruit, veggies, organic meat etc.
And I got pregnant & then m/c 1 wk later--emotional junk food eating, coffee drinking all came back! I've given myself 6 weeks leeway, and now I'm back to caffeine free, (or green tea if desperate), lots of healthy food (mostly), and some vitamins. But it's harder work this time! Yoga, which I was doing faithfully for a while, I haven't been able to get back into yet--tomorrow I promise! And exercise hasn`t been great either (it doesn't help that winter is almost here).
Sweets are a big downfall for me too, Lazurefairie.

But I am trying! I really want to have a great environment for my baby--but without driving myself crazy & being too obsessive

-`cause stress is bad for fertility too

:

Happy, healthy baby dust filled wishes to all!

-Jesse

T
when is the best time to take vitex, in your opinion-pre-O, post-O or all cycle long??

 

[BeeandOwlsMum]

soda is my biggie.

I can't seem to kick it.

I can stop coffee, I quite smoking, i eat pretty well. But Coke....especially vanilla coke....i keep coming back to.

I have to make it through the closing of my show and then I am kicking all caffeine!

And either I will know I am pregnant by then, or be starting another cycle! So I think that is a good time.

 

[MommaWannabe]

Soda was my downfall too. I had switched to diet vanilla coke because of the calories in regular soda, but didn't want the nutrisweet in my system any longer, so I went back. Every time I tried to drop the soda, the caffeine headaches were horrible.

I finally found my solution - Every other day at lunch, I open a can of vanilla coke and pour it into 2 cups. One goes in the freezer, the other I drink. The in-between days, I get the frozen one.

It has kept my headaches away, and the rest of the time I drink water. Yay!!!!

As for sweets... I'm a lost cause. Since I was a kid I've been told I have chocolate syrup for blood :LOL

You do the best you can, but don't beat yourself up because the stress is probably even worse for you.

 

[storeimy]

Coffee is a biggie for me! I am down to a couple days a week of one cup of coffee and the rest of the mornings I do green tea with lots of honey and a bit of cream. I also like sugar way too much and am a terrible emotional eater. I have been out of the loop excercise wise for about a month now. It started with an injured foot and now I'm just lazy! Once I start though I know I can continue, it's the inital step that's hard!

Oh well, we're only human! We keep trying though and that's all we can do...

Blessings~

 

[LisaJD]

Me .. I just can't stop drinking Coke .. I know its really bad for me ..I'm gonna have to just go cold turkey

 

[Astrid]

I should exercise more!! I get into daily walks for a couple of weeks then I stop. Right now im blaming the cold weather :LOL

 

[Missgrl]

I stopped coffee.....
and scorching hot baths....(just in case)

 

[MommaWannabe]

Oooh old post!

I'm happy to say I dropped soda completely! I now drink only water - I finally figured out I can drink it with a slice of ORANGE in it. YAY!

I did also stop taking hot baths, just in case

 

[Suzetta]

Coffee, soda, lack of exercise, not relaxing enough etc. DO NOT CAUSE INFERTILITY!!!!!

I have known enough malnourished, drug addicted, fat, lazy, smoking child abusing slobs who have baby after baby to convince of this.

Ladies...stop blaming yourself if you are having trouble getting pregnant! Women take the blame for too enough of society's problems...we have to stop taking things we can't control on our shoulders!