SO and I have agreed to ttc for the first time in [name_u]March[/name_u]! I’m so excited, I want it here now!
I’m on the look out for books and things that have anything and everything to do about pregnancy and pre-ttc, but really I just want to know if there’s any general advice from you berries!
I’m currently on the pill (microgynon 30) and am planning to come off it naturally in [name_f]February[/name_f], ready for [name_u]March[/name_u]!
So, shoot! Let me know about everything! What to expect? [name_m]How[/name_m] to potentially prepare my body? Are there any rules or do you just go with it? I’m dying to know!
We just started trying in [name_u]August[/name_u]. We’re hoping this month is the month, would love a [name_u]July[/name_u] baby!
As for coming off the pill, it could take as long as 6 months (maybe more) before your body figures out it’s normal cycle (depending on the pill and how long you were on it), so you might want to talk to a doctor to see what the average is for the one you are taking. One of my co workers worked for an OBGYN practice and said she’d seen women who would get pregnant the next month after going off the pill, but others could take as long as a year!
I personally would recommend going off the pill now and switching to condoms so you can start tracking your cycle so you know when you are going to ovulate (will be hard at first since your cycle has to regulate itself and then you have to hope you have a regular cycle! Having an irregular cycle will make it harder to know when you ovulate), which will make getting pregnant easier. There’s only a small window of opportunity where you can get pregnant. Most of the time it’s just waiting. Waiting 2 weeks to ovulate, waiting another 2 weeks for AF to show or not to show, and then if AF shows, you’re back to waiting another 2 weeks for the next opportunity.
If you have a lot of questions, I would recommend scheduling a preconception appointment with your doctor. I just did it at my annual exam, I just mentioned we were planning on trying and if I was healthy and if there is anything I shouldn’t or should do. My doctor is pretty chill and said I looked healthy, nothing to worry about there. She recommend I start taking a prenatal, any generic kind was fine. [name_m]Just[/name_m] pick on you like and go with it. Other than that, she said to just relax, have fun, and don’t stress too much. Once we get a positive test, I just schedule another appointment with her and they’ll do the “official” test.
If you aren’t at an ideal weight (whatever your doctor says you should be at), that would be one recommendation before getting pregnant. The healthier your are now, the healthier your pregnancy will be. You might want to start cutting back on your caffeine if you drink a lot of soda or coffee, since you’ll be limited to only 2 cups a day (though I’ve read that you might be safe with up to 4 since the studies are iffy, depends how cautious you want to be).
I highly recommend reading Expecting Better by [name_f]Emily[/name_f] Oster. That book is amazing. Also, another good one is [name_u]Baby[/name_u]-proofing Your Marriage (just be careful with that one since it does come off as man hating - as my husband puts it - but it does have some good advice mixed in there).
My advice would be: I’d come off the pill in [name_u]December[/name_u] if you’re planning TTC in [name_u]March[/name_u]. Some women’s bodies take several months to readjust. Start taking a prenatal vitamin in [name_u]December[/name_u] as well (they’re most effective if they’re in your system for a while before you conceive). Use an app to track your cycles (Period Tracker is a good one). Figure out when you’re ovulating (usually mid-cycle), which will be harder if your cycles are irregular. The app can come in handy for that! Any other questions, please ask!
Also, vaccinations. Make sure you’re up-to-date especially with Rubella.
And…things might happen quickly for you, but be prepared that they might not. This doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you or your partner! A normal, healthy, fertile couple typically takes about 7 months to conceive, so keep that in mind
