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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
A TTC/BC question
I know, I already have a kid so it might be silly asking these questions, but DS was an antibiotic baby. I now have the Mirena coil for birth control. DH and I are going to TTC for #2 later this year and I am wondering how long before the time should I have the coil out? Also I am thinking of trying charting, but have no idea how it works or what 'equipment' I might need, can someone please explain. And then my final question, how long before you start TTC should you start taking a prenatal vitamin?
Re: A TTC/BC question
I talked to a specialist about this when I first moved here and was told that it's generally three months before you have a reasonable shot at conceiving but can take up to six months for regular cycles to return.
If your cycles take longer than six months to re-regulate then you need to see you doctor.
He said between 3-6 months is a reasonable expectation.
We were a very VERY poor example of this though because I got a positive test 4 weeks after I was off of my 6 year long BC pill. My doctor attributed the speed to my long-term use antibiotics for my bladder infections the year before.
Good luck my dear!
My doctor said to start taking pre-natals 6 months before TTC.
For charting (my next adventure), check out www.fertilityfriend.com - super useful. You just need a thermometer that goes to hundreths so 100.01 or whatever. You take your temperature at the same time every morning before getting out of bed (the women on my TTC after a loss board tend to set their alarm for before they actually have to get up and go back to sleep if they have time. It's the major reason I haven't started this yet!). Plug the temperature into fertility friend and theoretically it will tell you everything you need to know. I'm sure there are other sites, but that's the only one talked about on my other board.
BFP Apr 2012, EDD Dec 19 2012 * twin h/b at 6wk, 9wk scan * Baby A lost at 12wks, Baby B was my rainbow born at 36wks
Don't know about the coil...
But for charting you need a basal body thermometer, a chart (downloaded from the internet) and a pen. Thermometer is to 2 demical places and doesn't matter if it is F or C as it is the changes that you are charting not the absolute temperatures. If you look at sites like fertility friend and sign up they give you lessons on how to chart and what to chart. I never went to the doctor about it. But do try to take your temperature as soon as you wake, at roughly same time and before you get out of bed.
Folic acid they recommend you take for at least 3 months prior to conceiving and for the first three months after conception. It was the only prenatal supplement I took and my gp told me that a balanced diet would be sufficient rather than taking supplements (other than the folic acid).
I loved Fertility Friend since I didn?t have to do the interpretation. I also set my alarm for 5.30 so I wouldn?t have been awake before, and then went back to sleep. Was never a problem for me. I??m thinking of starting charting again to aid TTA.
I don't know... I would probably go as on the Bump if no one here can answer. Is there a reason you're planning to chart? I have no choice, but you've obviously been successful without doing this last time...
Found this - http://www.fertilityfriend.com/Faqs/BBT-and-shift-work.html
BFP Apr 2012, EDD Dec 19 2012 * twin h/b at 6wk, 9wk scan * Baby A lost at 12wks, Baby B was my rainbow born at 36wks
I never TTC last time, James was a big surprise. I was on the pill, but even with that I had not had a normal AF in months. I think I would like to get to know my body better.
Sorry, just re-read my question and it sounds super rude. I'm way too outspoken.
Have you read 'Taking Charge of Your Fertility'? That and fertilityfriend are the most recommended things on my other board. Since I'm in serious denial, I haven't done either properly yet but the book is apparently really helpful.
Good luck!!
BFP Apr 2012, EDD Dec 19 2012 * twin h/b at 6wk, 9wk scan * Baby A lost at 12wks, Baby B was my rainbow born at 36wks
I think you've gotten a lot your answers already, but I'll add on. I was advised to take PNV a few months before we were planning on starting TTC. I charted (using fertility friend - link in my siggy) for about four months before that. In addition to all of the tutorials on fertility friend, I woudl also recommend reading Taking Charge of Your Fertility. I found it very useful in understanding all of the changes going on in your body throughout your cycle.
Cecilia arrived 12 October 2012
As far as I know, you can TTC as soon as you get the IUD taken out, but check with the doctor who removes it.
You should start taking a PNV a few months before you TTC. You definitely need to have been taking at least 800-1000 micrograms (.8-1mg) of folic acid for 3 months before you TTC.
I think a few months of PNV is what i was recommended pre-TTC with Matilda. And I wouldn't think you have to wait after hte Mirena is removed - I never understood why people wait a window after the BCP/coil/implant. I understand taking a while for hormones to wear off, but waiting and actively preventing then? Don't get it.
Can I ask why you're thinking of charting specifically? I read TCOYF pre-W and couldn't chart. You have to sleep too many hours consecutively. I monitored CM instead. And at any rate, I really think when ou first start TTC, just enjoy it - don't focus on temps/dates/etc - just enjoy the practice. I think those things increase stress levels unnecessarily.
So exciting you'r egoing to TTC - at last, right?
Pitt - I never read that as rude, you not normally rude in your posts so I never took it that way.
Mrs E - I know my doc did say something like that when I had it inserted, but I would have thought that I would need to give my body some time to 'normalise' and maybe have a few AF's?
Thanks Blushing :-) I had a rather upsetting email exchange with a friend today and I've really been second-guessing all my phrasing! I think you'll be fine with TCOYF and fertilityfriend.
BFP Apr 2012, EDD Dec 19 2012 * twin h/b at 6wk, 9wk scan * Baby A lost at 12wks, Baby B was my rainbow born at 36wks
I want to chart to understand my body better. Before having James I had not had a normal AF in months and think it would be good to understand myself better, if that makes sense.
And yes, it's finally, but I still have a while to go. We will hopefully get ILR this year and citizenship next year so that is why #2 fits in now.
Not trying to be critical, but don't you think you might have got pregnant first month with both even if you didn't spend the money and worry about charting? I did second month with W and first with M. It happens. I just think people think too much about TTC straight away. Take vitamins sure, but unless you've been having problems, or aretrying to get to know your body (like yousaid), I just think charting is one of those things that people feel they needto do, but dont', you know?
Full disclosure that I have not had kids and am not TTC yet, but in preparation for TTC, I read 'Honoring Our Cycles: A Natural Family Planning Workbook' by Katie Singer (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/096708976X/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1583331824&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0D4XP68ACWYZER7QK245).
Yes, the name is ridiculous, but I found it fabulously helpful at getting to know what our bodies are meant to do. It describes charting in detail and gives some sample charts for you to interpret so you ensure you are reading yours correctly. It describes four ways that your body gives you signs that you are ovulating or about to do so--not just the temp but also CM, etc. If you are squeemish, it can be a little TMI at times, but as I wanted to really know what was going on, those few moments of 'egads!' were completely worth it.
Good luck TTC!
Just a note about TCYF: I started trying to do some of the stuff before reading the entire book. We were TTA and clearly did it wrong, which was my fault for half-assing it and thinking I totally had the idea when I didn't.
As for why someone would chart when they didn't "need to" (hadn't had issues before) I wanted to do it because I assumed--incorrectly--that I would have a hard time conceiving when we did try. I wanted to get a jump on it; it seems like everyone know had some sort of trouble getting pregnant. Clearly I needn't have worried, but there ya go.
I don't understand how this is a judgmental thing at all, how we chose to do it. I had very irregular periods both before Finn and after, I was close to 35 when I got pregnant with Lila, and we didn't want to have much more of an age gap between them than there already would be. Charting was a good way for me to see when I was ovulating, since some months it would be 28 days between periods and other 36. Of course it is possible that I would have gotten pregnant the first try with both (which is why we are super careful now with protection) but it didn't hurt anything for me to chart or use an ovulation predictor kit.
The thing is, once the hormones are out of your system, you'll start ovulating, unless there's a medical condition or something preventing you from ovulating on your own. The hormones leave your system pretty quickly, that's why you can get pregnant even if you miss 1 or 2 BC pills. The hormones you get from an IUD are being secreted constantly by the IUD so I'd assume they would leave your system very quickly as well. And if you ovulate, you can get pregnant, so....there's really no reason to wait. But obviously, you can wait if you want to!
I also second the suggestion of TCOYF. That book is amazing...I had no idea my body did so many different things (because my "sex education" consisted of learning to put a condom on a wooden penis...and we didn't even get to do it ourselves, we just watched our teacher do it). I think it's a really good book to read, even if you're not TTC because there's a lot in there that most people just don't know.
No matter what, I would get TCOYF! I love that book so much. First I was charting to avoid, then I used it to TTC for two months. Even if you don't end up charting you'll learn a lot about parts of your cycle. I haven't gotten back into the swing of charting yet, but I'm hoping to soon.
Just had to toss in another hurrah for TCOYF.
Thanks Ladies! I am definitely going to look for that book!
yea definitely buy TCOYF - that will answer all of your questions
I charted for 3 years TTA, and eventually used charting to get pregnant. After 6 months or so of charting though I found I had VERY regular cycles, so just kept an eye on CM instead to know when I was ovulating. I think that book is GREAT for understanding your body, and so is charting - I say go for it!