Preparing for TTC

Larubia292

Hello!
So I have a couple questions that I rather have real people answer instead of looking it up on the internet. 
1) my TTC date is September 1st and I'm planning on stopping the pill at the end of May. That will give me 3 months to detox my body from being on the pill for 7 years. But I wonder if it's necessary to detox and have a period of time off of the pill before getting pregnant? Or could I stop the pill at the end of June instead?
2) my doctor recommended and I'm currently using nestle materna prenatal vitamin and I'm wondering if that is the best prenatal to take? It days is #1 doctor recommended but I wonder if there's another prenatal out there that's better or has more vitamins in it? I'm not having any problem with materna I am just curious. 

Thank you!

JNCPro3130

Hello! I'm beginning to TTC in June. I went off the pill in January but I did it because I chart my cycles (track my temperature and CM to pinpoint ovulation). I wanted to let my body regulate so I could get an idea of how my cycles worked. I did that when TTC DS.

As for PNV, I'm just on One a Day. I was looking for something with a lot of folic acid. It has 800mcg which I thought was good. To be honest though, I'm going to ask my doctor for a prescription for Prenatal Plus. It has 1mg of folic acid. Again, I used it with DS. It was $10 for a 3 month supply without using my insurance.

Good luck on your TTC journey!

glitzandglitter

You will get different views on #1. I suppose it depends on you. In the past, I have gotten off a few months before trying so my cycle could regulate and I could start temping. This time I spoke with my dr. and I think I am going to stay on the pill until I start trying. 
I am taking one a day PNV my dr. said they were fine. If my dr. had recommended a PNV (like yours did) I would probably take what she said. 

catlady2015

Hi, @Larubia292
Like @JNCPro3130, I went off the pill in January, because we initially thought we would TTC in March. That didn't happen, but I didn't go back on it because we hoped to be trying soon. I wanted to track my cycles and temp to get to know my cycle again. I'd been steadily on the pill for 16 years and remembered nothing about my periods before the pill except for the cramps.

There's nothing wrong with staying on the pill until you're ready to start trying, because it is possible get pregnant the first month off the pill (e.g. - happened to my sister). If you do go off, I do suggest trying to track your cycle somewhat, so you can see when/how your cycles regulate. If you go off in May instead of June, it's just another month for your cycle to regulate and help you predict when ovulation would be (if you have regular cycles) to hopefully increase your chances of getting pregnant sooner. 

As for prenatal vitamins, like @glitzandglitter, I would say to take what your physician recommends. I didn't have that discussion with my doc, so I take Rainbow Light Embrace 35+ prenatal. It also has 800mcg of folic acid. I was looking for something with a lot of folic acid and also would be formulated for older moms. 

notthefather

I can't come off birth control prior to actively trying due to medical reasons. My doctor's advice was to "get pregnant as soon as possible" and not wait. I could be wrong but I think the advice to wait a month to begin trying to get pregnant is so that, if you do get pregnant, it's much easier to determine gestational age. If you don't have an accurate "first day of last menstrual period" you don't fall into the standard calculations. 

As far as prenatals, I would take the advice of your OBGYN and not just whatever the label says about whether or not it was top rated. Personally, while trying to get pregnant with out daughter, I chose one with folic acid but without iron because it made me sick. Once I became pregnant I switched to one that had an iron supplement.

Best of luck to you!

livingthedream-3

1.) I wouldn't stop unless you are ok w/ the chance of getting KU prior to TTC. Many people can get KU as soon as they stop and some women need a month or two for their cycles to regulate. If you are ok w/ an oops prior to 9/1 go for it. Also check out Fertility Friend and the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility. Seriously huge information when it comes to TTC. I was really misinformed going into TTC, embarrassingly so. Charting can not only help you conceive but help you avoid until your 9/1 TTC date.
2.) I actually take a regular women's multivitamin versus a PNV. Mostly because I like the berry flavor chewy the most. Honestly as long as you have a well balanced diet and eat lots of foods high in folic acid (one of the big reasons to take PNV) you will be fine. Women were having healthy babies for years w/o taking PNVs, but people have gradually eating crappier.

You're Welcome and Good Luck!

JNCPro3130

@LivingtheDream, I totally second the Taking Charge of your Fertility book recommendation!  It was SO informative.  I really attribute a lot of our ease in having DS to that.  Such a great resource! 

dimeadozen

We are going to start TTC in June. My OBGYN originally said because it seems like I'm a healthy girl in my 20s that stopping birth control one month prior of TTC would be fine. After discussing it for a few minutes she said if I wouldn't be devastated by getting pregnant in May I could stop BC in April to give my body two months to regulate itself before the official TTC date in June.

I take Spring Valley Prenatal gummies from Walmart, they cost $8 for 45 days. My OBGYN looked at them and approved. She did, however, suggest I start taking 400mg of folic acid with what's already in my prenatals for a total of 1200mg a day. 

Good Luck with TTC I hope things go quickly for you!

ChloandCoco

@Larubia292 - I take Materna prenatal vitamins. I used to take a generic prenatal and that one made me feel quite nauseous so I switched. You might have to try a few different brands before finding one that works for you. Also, taking the prenatal after eating a big meal really helps to keep it down.

easttxmamas

No advice on the BC since I have extremely normal periods and am married to a female, so no need for BC  

I take One A Day Prenatal 1. One A Day has a different prenatal that is 2 pills, but I opted for the 1 because, as the name suggests, it is only one pill. My fertility doctor (RE) has only one requirement for my prenatal: 800 mcg of folic acid. This meets that. But if your doctor recommended one, I'd stick with it, unless it starts making you queasy. I will stick with this one because a lot of vitamins I have to eat with or I am super nauseous. I can take this one any time and have no problems!

dreamscapes_

I don't think it's necessary to "detox" from BC, but your mileage may vary. I was on the implant (Nexplanon) for six years, and I had it removed last July, without replacing it or getting on another form of BC. Like someone else said, it's entirely possible to get KU the first month you're off it (and, of course, while using it, if you're not using it correctly).

As far as the PNV, I feel like as long as it meets any suggestions your doctor may have and they don't make you feel sick, they're the best to take. Everyone is different with different tolerances. Personally, I have a medication I have to take with food anyway, so I just take it and my PNV at the same time and call it a day. Sometimes I feel queasy, but I never really know if it's the PNV or my muscle relaxer. I use the NatureMade Prenatal Multi with DHA. My doctor said it was fine.

UterusesBeforeDuderuses

I opted to stay on BC until we are ready to start trying. I wouldn't have minded getting off a few months early to track, but have some events in May that I would rather not be on my period for...so BC provides some predictability! Plus for some reason I feel like dropping the BC earlier would freak out H a bit. Easing in to the process will be best for us, I think.

As for the PNV, I went a little crunchy and found one with Folate instead of Folic Acid. Does it really matter? Probably not. I take 3 a day and it isn't cheap, but I'm happy with it!

kindbytealikat

***I just posted an intro so I hope I don't come across as some rando, but I've been waiting to tell you my experience here.***
So to answer you BCP question, going off BCP early can be handy to see if your cycles regulate and predicting due date. We used condoms for three months. That said my cycle never "regulated" in those three months and I got pregnant within the first week we stopped using condoms and dating conception time was difficult anyway. This time around we're giving it another try with the two/three months to regulate, so we shall see. 
As for prenatal do what your doctor recommends, mine wasn't picky just specified to make sure it had folic acid. I take and off brand one a day prenatal. 

Edited for clarity

UterusesBeforeDuderuses

@kindbytealikat I totally read "dating was difficult" and first thought, geez you were dating around and trying to get pregnant with DH? 

dreamscapes_

@UterusesBeforeDuderuses Honestly, I did that, too. I had to re-read it a couple of times.

kindbytealikat

@UterusesBeforeDuderuses & @dreamscapes_ OMGoodness I am going to have to change that now. #IneedtothinkbeforeItype

dreamscapes_

@kindbytealikat Once I re-read it, I totally got it. It was just one of those "...wait, what?" things

KSMcClary

My doctor told me that I can start trying as soon as I am off the pill.  I asked her if it necessary to wait 3 months because I had a few other friends doing that, but she said I should be fine.  It all depends on how fertile I am?!  Or something like that.  I am about to start my last month of pills!  So my fingers are crossed for June.

My doctor did have me start prenatal vitamins at least 3 months before we start trying, but I have been taking them for at least a year now.  They are normal Women 1-a-days, but I got the ok from my doctor since they have all the right amounts of vitamins I need and all that. 

lilsebastian

No thoughts on BCP since I've personally never taken it and have no experience to offer.

For prenatals I LOVE smartypants gummies. I love that they have folate instead of folic acid, which I read is supposed to be better for some reason.* Plus they are freaking delicious so I never forget to take them because I look forward to it all day. You get 6/serving so it's like a little healthy but sugary snack

*I'm not a scientist or a doctor so don't hold me to that claim, but I read it on the internets and I'm going with it.

JennyColada

I was on BC (pills, then IUD, then pills again) for 12 years, and really haven't read anything to say that normal women really need to "detox" from BC. I went off of it a few weeks ago, so we'll see how it turns out for me.

As for PNVs, it's a bit pricey, but I've been taking MegaFood Baby and Me. When compared to other brands, it has one of the highest rates of vitamin servings. It may be a bit overkill with a proper diet, but

https://www.vitacost.com/megafood-baby-and-me-pre-post-natal-whole-food-multivitamin-mineral

https://www.amazon.com/MegaFood-Prenatal-Postnatal-Support-Tablets/dp/B00GZ9H8PU/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1493832993&sr=8-1&keywords=megafood+baby+and+me&th=1