TTC for the first time and Scared!!

prettybell

Hello everyone I am new on this journey of TTC. My husband and I made the brave decision to stop BCP at the end of September and now we are going with the flow. I flubbed up and used an app that told me my most fertile dates and ovulation dates but it was set to a 28 day cycle and I am a 21 day...Who knew?...lol well hopefully now we are on the right track! 

I am so scared of everything and for the longest time I thought I did not want kids but when I met my now husband all of those fancy dancy things changed...now I am worried that  something will go wrong bc of my family history: my granny had a full hysterectomy at age 25, my mom at 36, my sis has PCOS and is also TTC, my aunt has fibroids etc... . I am relatively healthy except for my weight but I have lost about 70 pounds over two years. This is an emotional ride already and we haven't even been trying long. Btw I am 30 and my husband is 33 we were married 5/24/14 and this will be a 1st child for us both if or when it happens, we purchased our home in 2013 and have plenty of room for growth, finances are in good shape so we feel like we've done our best and this is the next phase for us...  so I amScarily Excited... Any advice or otherwise is greatly appreciated. Trying not to stress.

jnnfrrose6

What's so brave about deciding to stop taking your BCPs? Otherwise, good luck. PPs have provided good advice.

jnnfrrose6

Nicb13 said:

jnnfrrose6 said:

What's so brave about deciding to stop taking your BCPs? Otherwise, good luck. PPs have provided good advice.

Come on now, give OP a break. Good grief.

 

I stand by my question. Why is deciding with your significant other that you are ready to start a family and thus must stop taking and/or using contraception brave? She received good advice from others that I didn't need to repeat, I just want clarification on the bravery of a decision to try and bring another person into this world. Seems like a weird choice of words.

prettybell

It was a brave decision for me because just for your information I started my cycle at age 10 and I have always had a horrible cycle as I am sure others have as well... extremely heavy bleeding sometimes upwards of 15days, diarrhea, headaches, out of this world pain and bcp has been the only thing to keep that at bay... I missed school, work, and many other functions due to a near inability to function at times... My period is not a joke.... and unless you have been through what I have been through please don't judge. My choice of words were fitting for me! 

Thanks

thelittlestbee

I agree with the PP that suggested downloading Fertility Friend. OP, have you been tracking your periods? I found that using the app to track my periods really helped me narrow down my fertile days. After tracking my period for a few months, I pretty much knew the exact days to try and I got pregnant pretty quickly. Just enjoy the process and good luck!

laurenr92

You definitely can't just got by a fertility app though. You're body shows a lot of natural indicators to let you know you're ovulating, and those are best to go by. You're body might still be adjusting to getting off BCPs too.  Good luck to you Tavoiya

jnnfrrose6

tavoiya said:

It was a brave decision for me because just for your information I started my cycle at age 10 and I have always had a horrible cycle as I am sure others have as well... extremely heavy bleeding sometimes upwards of 15days, diarrhea, headaches, out of this world pain and bcp has been the only thing to keep that at bay... I missed school, work, and many other functions due to a near inability to function at times... My period is not a joke.... and unless you have been through what I have been through please don't judge. My choice of words were fitting for me! 

Thanks

How can I judge something I don't know about? You said it was a brave decision without further explanation. I simply questioned why you believe it to be brave. Having awful cycles without taking anything would make anyone question going off their pills, even if they want a baby more than anything. As it isn't necessairly common (though not uncommon either), it's still reasonable to want to understand why someone feels stopping pills is brave.

prettybell

Thanks, I have always tracked my period even on bcp I just didn't quiet understand at first becasue at times it seemed as if I got AF twice a month and that was sucky but now it seems like I am getting the hang of it. My husband is also tracking and I think he is better at this than me...lol

prettybell

No I am not at this time, my plan is to get a BBT thermometer this weekend per advice from some PP's . I am learning slowly but surely that there are a lot of things I need to learn and educate myself on such as the luteal phase, cervical mucus, how to chart etc... I am super 'green' on a lot of these things but so far lurking in these forums has been helpful so I learn what to do and what to watch for.

laurenr92

I am not sure if this is known about much in this community, but check out the TempDrop! It's a thermometer you wear on your arm while sleeping. It tracks your temp while you sleep and records it in the morning, and can be set up to put in the temp automatically in several different charting apps.

laurenr92

mjreilly2 said:

Seriously. Pre-order for only $69.99 and you get ONE month of "pads." Hell no. An $5-10 thermometer last a lot long and saves a shit ton of money.

Didn't realize it went up to that price. It was $50 a couple months ago. Actually just checked their website again and dang, those pads suck. They have an arm band that you can use instead of those dumb pads, I don't know why they'd even sell them. Maybe they will figure it out when people don't buy it. Now I am annoyed. Regardless, I do think it's really cool!

laurenr92

@mjreilly2  I agree and disagree. It's nice that it's really technological and updates with your apps on your phone. It takes your BBT right before you even wake up too, so it may show more accuracy, especially for women having difficulty with temping.  I would pay $50 for it with the arm band, assuming it does everything it says and holds true to being accurate.

jnnfrrose6

mike91andlauren92 said:

@mjreilly2  I agree and disagree. It's nice that it's really technological and updates with your apps on your phone. It takes your BBT right before you even wake up too, so it may show more accuracy, especially for women having difficulty with temping.  I would pay $50 for it with the arm band, assuming it does everything it says and holds true to being accurate.

Is it accurate enough for a BBT if it's taking an external temp, instead of internally from your mouth or vagina?

ETA the price still doesn't make it worth it, but if it's not even accurate enough, why consider it?

Marley629

Welcome! I too agree with getting rid of that app. I used OPK sticks the 1st time around and was pregnant within the first two cycles but everyone's journey is different and I'm not even sure if using them helped me or not. It did let me know that i ovulate earlier than the average so that was helpful. Those might be something to look into. Temping with basal thermometer is also highly recommended as some of PP mentioned.

Good luck and remember to try not to stress! (I know it's easier said than done)

Sugarplum0217

Pick up Taking Charge of your Fertility and read the newbie blog on TTGP. Delete your silly app, get fertility friend. Knowing your cycle will make things easier and less stressful, especially as your cycles will be funky for awhile after coming off BCP.

Just because your family has issues doesn't mean you will. My family is crazy healthy and I have severe cysts and endometriosis. Also remember it can take a perfectly healthy couple up to a year to get pregnant. Good luck to you!

JennyH81

I can relate to OP too.  I have been treated for endo since I was 17 and been on the pill continuously (no periods) since I was 18.  Since I'm currently symptom free due to the treatment and haven't reached 6 months of TTC with no success, I can't get a laproscopy covered by insurance.  I'm really nervous about what is going to happen now that I'll start having periods again.  The only "safe" times for me are when I'm on the BCP for suppression or pregnant, and obviously I can't get to be the latter without stopping the former!  But I'm just trying to not borrow trouble and deal with issues if and when they come up.  Easier said than done, I know, but my DH has been a great listener and very supportive, which has also helped a lot.  GL!

mrsh82414

Not sure how well they would work on severe cramping, but thermacare sells menstrual heat wraps. Maybe the would be of assistance. I have never used them for those purposes bc I am one of those luckier individuals who don't have unbearable cramps( so sorry to you guys that do ), but I have used them on my back and they are fantastic. I love it bc they have adhesive to stick to you so you can wear them all day and not have to worry about being plugged in like you would with a regular heating pad. They last a long time too. Here's the link to check them out Best of luck ladies! I will be joining the TTC club later this month

https://www.thermacare.com/menstrual-heatwraps

littlebirdie28

@mrsh82414 you lucky bum! I'm just off BCP for the first time in almost 11 years and that is the thing I remember the most about the 5 years prior to BCP - debilitating cramps. I'll keep your suggestion in mind in the future!

prettybell

This was my first post and I am just stopping back in to announce that I got my BFP ! YAY!!! almost 6 weeks along and I am hoping and praying everything continues to go well. Blessing to you ladies on the journey! 

blondie87

Congratuations!!!! My best advice is to just try and have fun and be patient (I know that is easier said than done). Checking your basil body temp helped me to figure out my days. Good Luck!!!

Brookebrewster

I am also TTC my first child. 
Like you, I am very nervous. I try not to think about things, but it's hard not to. Just last night I was running through everything that could go wrong to my DH and it was a lot! He is staying calm and being supportive. He is more optimistic than I am! Good luck to you and I am in the same boat if you ever need to say more.

amberrmariee20

Congrats ! I stopped my pill in August 2014 and finally got my BFP feb 9 2015. We are now due oct 15,2015 and almost 21 weeks along !! Yay

wolleys10

jnnfrrose6 said:

Nicb13 said:

jnnfrrose6 said:

What's so brave about deciding to stop taking your BCPs? Otherwise, good luck. PPs have provided good advice.

Come on now, give OP a break. Good grief.

 

"I stand by my question. Why is deciding with your significant other that you are ready to start a family and thus must stop taking and/or using contraception brave? She received good advice from others that I didn't need to repeat, I just want clarification on the bravery of a decision to try and bring another person into this world. Seems like a weird choice of words. "



Deciding to start a family is a huge choice and a life changer. Being on BC is like a security blanket that you never want to take off. At least that has been my experience thus far. We've been wanting to TTC for awhile, but kept finding excuses not to. It's a big jump and can be hard no matter how ready took think you are.