What are you (really) doing to get knocked up??

50Wife

The pomegranate thread got me thinking...so let's here it! 

I'm not talking science things like meds, temping, or peeing on sticks. I want to know what your BFF's cousin's neighbor (or someone on this board) happened to do the month she got pregnant and you thought eh, it couldn't hurt...

50Wife

I have:
Drank a glass of milk daily 
Choked down pineapple core  
Pom juice 
Elevated hips after sex for way too long 
I was taking evening primrose oil even with no CM issues 
Preseed too
Green tea 
Smoothies with all the foods you're "supposed" to eat like lots of spinach, almonds, chia seeds, etc...
Tried to convince my husband to go commando around the house to keep his goods away from his body for too much body heat... 
Yoga to de-stress
Burned a green candle with my intention carved into it with olive oil rubbed on it. 
ETA more stuff 

[Deleted User]

Things I have done to get myself magically knocked up (for any newbies... please note that I am still here)

- Drowned myself in red raspberry leaf tea
- Taken ALL the supplements
- Worn moonstone crystals on a necklace and in my pocket
- Went on the autoimmune protocol diet
- Swapped out all my plastic dishware and bottles for glass
- Bought makeup, shampoo, lotion at whole foods so they would be phthalate free
- Set up rose quartz around my house
- Meditated
- Pineapple in the beginning of my LP
- Reiki
- Preseed
- Essential oil blend applied to my abdomen twice a day
- Kept my feet warm during my LP


Turns out none of that shit works so I'm doing IVF.  Lol.

ETA to add stuff I forgot about

doula-mama

@50Wife Great idea for a thread! Informative and entertaining all in one

I have: 
Gladly eaten the core of the pineapple while DH eats the good parts
Created a 'tea' schedule so that I can get in both raspberry leaf and green tea, while not interfering with my PNV and trying to have sufficient holds for OPKs
Started using essential oils which are supposed to help - in two different blends that I diligently use for both FP and LP
Yelled at my DH in the middle of HIO because he went for saliva

Pinky917

Sailing_Mama said:

@50Wife Great idea for a thread! Informative and entertaining all in one

I have: 
Gladly eaten the core of the pineapple while DH eats the good parts
Created a 'tea' schedule so that I can get in both raspberry leaf and green tea, while not interfering with my PNV and trying to have sufficient holds for OPKs
Started using essential oils which are supposed to help - in two different blends that I diligently use for both FP and LP
Yelled at my DH in the middle of HIO because he went for saliva

YEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS to the bolded!!!!

Also, I am pretty sure I have eaten more pineapple in the past few months than I had in the past 30 years...

doxiemoxie212

I just found an article on Parenting.com that says you shouldn't eat cold foods during your LP. That's a new one! Hadn't heard that before. Also WTF, on what planet does that make sense?

https://www.parenting.com/article/what-eat-conceive

RVAmom315

Green Tea
Pineapple
Elevated hips
No saliva near the nether-regions
FertilityBlend vitamins from Walgreens (all the reviews said they were pregnant after 1 month!)

50Wife

RVAmom315 said:

Green Tea
Pineapple
Elevated hips
No saliva near the nether-regions
FertilityBlend vitamins from Walgreens (all the reviews said they were pregnant after 1 month!)

And now here's me, planning to make a pit stop at Walgreens after work today 

elisek

Does googling RRL tea and pomegranate juice and pineapple cores and CoQ10 on repeat for hours a day count?

In actuality:
Conception Plus Lube (mostly because I need something and it's the cheapest)
sitting against wall with legs in the air during implantation window
Finishing in missionary
yoga (starting this week actually)

I would be doing all the things if I wasn't so cheap and didn't hate all forms of tea and pineapple.

mamasaurus12415

Hi, everyone. I'm new. I posted on the newbie thread earlier. I hope it's okay that I'm jumping in... My friend bought me some special rocks (crystals?) that are supposed to help fertility, so I carry those around in my pocket every day.

jenotontx

elisek said:

Does googling RRL tea and pomegranate juice and pineapple cores and CoQ10 on repeat for hours a day count?

I was thinking I should save this for my FFFC but I may have googled "can you feel fertilization" and "fertilization symptoms" yesterday for like 2 hours. 

MrsJ2410

Green tea

Essential oils

“eating clean”

ALLLL the supplements

Sat with my legs up for waaaaay too long

Sat with my legs up with a rose quartz on my belly

Kept rose quartz on my bedside table

Wore a rose quartz bracelet

Carry a miniature fertility goddess statue in my bag

"visualized" implantation/meditated during LP

Bought a space heater for under my desk because “warm feet, warm uterus”

had an irrational fear of any saliva near either of our nether region

and now I am doing IVF 

abunai523

Not a whole lot... mostly sitting with my legs up for way too long and obsessively googling everything.

JennyColada

JJMNO1616 said:

elisek said:

Does googling RRL tea and pomegranate juice and pineapple cores and CoQ10 on repeat for hours a day count?

I was thinking I should save this for my FFFC but I may have googled "can you feel fertilization" and "fertilization symptoms" yesterday for like 2 hours. 

YAS. THIS IS ME. Also "how quickly does implantation cramping occur" and "how long does it take to 'feel pregnant'".

eggplantface

Every time I think I need to do more to "increase fertility," another supplement, or exercise, food, whatever, I think of all the people who got pregnant without all that stuff and dismiss it all.

But of course I still took ubiquinol and melatonin and did the acupuncture after my second IUI.

Funny story, actually: My friend told me to do acupuncture after my IUI because it worked for her. So I thought "Fine, I'll indulge her and if it doesn't work I can say I did it and it didn't work." So I did it. And I saw her again recently and told her about my upcoming FET and she said "Do acupuncture after the transfer! Did you do it after the IUI??" and I said "Yes, I did, still not pregnant." She gave a sheepish smile and says "Well it worked for me" and I thought "Did it? Are you sure it wasn't that your husband's sperm was completely lacking in morphology issues, unlike my husband's sperm?"

I really don't mean this to be as snarky as it sounds. I'm sure there are fertility benefits to all of these things but I'm so beat down about it because nothing worked for me! Although the melatonin does help me sleep so I've continued taking that.

jsnakehole

My cousin swears the pineapple core worked for her, and I'm so tempted to try it when DH comes home. But I'd probably die, because I'm allergic to pineapple. 

[Deleted User]

@eggplantface I completely agree with you.

I think you're going to get KU or you're not - regardless of any of these things.  Some of these changes are good for your health in general (I still use glass over plastic, phthalate free products) but they aren't going to be "the thing" that gets you KU.  Fertility isn't really something that you can achieve by using cheat codes, it's just pure dumb luck most of the time.

50Wife

jsnakehole said:

My cousin swears the pineapple core worked for her, and I'm so tempted to try it when DH comes home. But I'd probably die, because I'm allergic to pineapple. 

I'd probably eat it anyway at this point. 

Edited bc the more I read my first comment I don't think it made sense...
need. More. Coffee. 

Sidenote: giving up caffeine is one thing I have not done. 

pebbledam

I'm doomed, guys. My feet are always cold. Clearly it's not meant to be for me. 

adirat

So for what it's worth my RE explained it this way.

Some people are fertile. They can choose to do anything or nothing beyond having sex and get pregnant.

Some people have infertility issues (including unexplained). These people could do everything the internet offers and they will still need medical assistance.

Some people have what he calls "sub-fertility." They'll never have the 20% per cycle chances others have; it's more like 5%. But depending on what causes their subfertility, lifestyle changes could help. My sub-fertility is caused by a genetic mutation that causes egg quality issues and low progesterone, so making egg quality changes does matter for me. Men who have a moderately below average count will benefit from sperm quality changes like supplements and taking their phones out of their pockets. 

So if it's easy, it's probably worth doing. If it's stressing you out or breaking the bank, it isn't worth doing. 

vflux33

My sister did a "spell" for me. 

I didn't ask her to, but I didn't stop her either.  I guess she and her new H are born again pagans or something. 

eggplantface

jsnakehole said:

My cousin swears the pineapple core worked for her, and I'm so tempted to try it when DH comes home. But I'd probably die, because I'm allergic to pineapple. 

Sure, you'd be dead, but you'd also be pregnant!

@adirat You're wise, as always.

leekat14

This is my favorite thread. That is all.

tryingfor1st

I can't stop laughing...people at work may think I'm nuts.
I'm doing seed rotation (flax pre-o, & pumpkin too but I'm allergic so I don't... & sesame seeds and sunflower seeds post-o)
Pineapple core smoothies right after O

And googling the heck out of everything!

*TW* ETA: my BFF got preggo on her first cycle trying while tracking cm with her oh so regular cycles, didn't want to be preggo, avoided testing and finally got her bfp and I'm over here like hello, g-d, are you there??? *TW End*

AlohaKumu

Sometimes I feel like this is me right now:

For now, I'm just trying to eat healthy, but once things get ramped up for IVF with ICSI this summer/fall, I'm going to do all the things. I have to get acupuncture for my foot, but since I have to pay for it OOP, I'm totally going to have her do some "fertility needles" before the procedure, too.

justkeepswimming8

I needed this thread so bad today...



Laughing my ass off. I don't have anything to contribute, doing the bare minimum. My doctor has told me that, since I'm overweight/obese based on BMI, I have a better chance of getting KU if I lose weight but I know plenty of women who are more overweight than me that get KU with no problem so who the eff knows.

icecubeinthedesert

I started wearing an eye mask to sleep too try to sync my cycles to the moon. And googled anything that could shorten my follicular phase. Which also led me to give up my beer for a cycle...ugh.

I'm currently hoping that having my niece (14 mo) visiting during FW and TWW will give my uterus motivation for a super sticky bean. Because, your know, starting progesterone this cycle is not the more likely thing to help...

vflux33

@icecubeinthedesert OMG I totally tried to do the lunacycling thing too! But MH refused to put up black out curtains and I can't sleep with stuff on my face, so I thought, "well, it's probably BS anyway" and gave up before I even started. 

Avrilmai

pebbledam said:

I'm doomed, guys. My feet are always cold. Clearly it's not meant to be for me. 

Crap. Me either. ^^^

I've cut down on caffeine, but it's like CD.5 for me, so I'm having an afternoon cup of coffee with some chocolate cake. 
I've added green tea, legs in the air, saying a pregnancy related mantra at the start and end of yoga.
 I have rose quartz in my house from my rock collection as a kid, why did I not know about it's ability to get me KU...goes off to Google. 

pebbledam

justkeepswimming8 said:

Laughing my ass off. I don't have anything to contribute, doing the bare minimum. My doctor has told me that, since I'm overweight/obese based on BMI, I have a better chance of getting KU if I lose weight but I know plenty of women who are more overweight than me that get KU with no problem so who the eff knows.

I mean, I'm sure losing weight does help, but *TW I have a very obese (350+ pounds) that just had a healthy baby last week. TW* It does not help my motivation to lose weight.  

RVAmom315

pebbledam said:

justkeepswimming8 said:

Laughing my ass off. I don't have anything to contribute, doing the bare minimum. My doctor has told me that, since I'm overweight/obese based on BMI, I have a better chance of getting KU if I lose weight but I know plenty of women who are more overweight than me that get KU with no problem so who the eff knows.

I mean, I'm sure losing weight does help, but *TW I have a very obese (350+ pounds) that just had a healthy baby last week. TW* It does not help my motivation to lose weight.  

I'm working on losing weight mainly to help with getting pregnant and all that jazz but also to help distract me from it as well. It was consuming me and now I have something else to obsess, er, focus on

BertieMeetsGertie

- religiously take my PNV
- Green tea even though I don't really have a fertile cm issue
- elevated hips after BD and did the Happy Baby yoga pose (@antoto I think you feel me on this one!)
- preseed even though DH hates it
- pineapple core
- yoga when I can
- I haven't yet prayed to a god that may or may not exist, so maybe I'll add that into the rotation if this cycle isn't the one! 

justkeepswimming8

RVAmom315 said:

pebbledam said:

justkeepswimming8 said:

Laughing my ass off. I don't have anything to contribute, doing the bare minimum. My doctor has told me that, since I'm overweight/obese based on BMI, I have a better chance of getting KU if I lose weight but I know plenty of women who are more overweight than me that get KU with no problem so who the eff knows.

I mean, I'm sure losing weight does help, but *TW I have a very obese (350+ pounds) that just had a healthy baby last week. TW* It does not help my motivation to lose weight.  

I'm working on losing weight mainly to help with getting pregnant and all that jazz but also to help distract me from it as well. It was consuming me and now I have something else to obsess, er, focus on

I guess it doesn't hurt to try to get healthier either way. It's definitely something else to focus on (cuz TTC is hard) but shouldn't attribute my success (or lack of) to my weight and diet and put too much pressure on that one thing.

tryingfor1st

At my first appointment with the RE, one suggestion he made was for me to loose like 10lbs because it'll really help. DH immediately pipes up and says "she eats salad every day" and I'm like "and I work out like 4-5 days/week". I keep telling myself that muscle weighs more than fat and my massage therapist told me I have well toned muscular legs. I'm technically obese at 5'2 and 165lbs but I fit into a damn size 6-8! What more does he want from me?!?!

doxiemoxie212

Can we go back to the syncing cycles to the moon? What the what? Why?

@vflux33  Also, I'd just like to say that my husband demanded I order $650 custom blackout shades for our gigantic bedroom windows because the apt across the alley turns on what must be search lights at 11pm every night, but we didn't think it through, and we can't figure out how to install them, so they've been sitting in the hallway for 6 months collecting dust. 

sunniegrly

AlohaKumu said:

Sometimes I feel like this is me right now:

For now, I'm just trying to eat healthy, but once things get ramped up for IVF with ICSI this summer/fall, I'm going to do all the things. I have to get acupuncture for my foot, but since I have to pay for it OOP, I'm totally going to have her do some "fertility needles" before the procedure, too.

DED

KariAnn323

I definitely just bought pickles at Aldi using the theory that if you crave pickles while pregnant then maybe eating more pickles would make my uterus happy and I'll get knocked up. 

sunniegrly

- convinced myself I had a thyroid problem because of my low BBT and then ate like 6 packs of seaweed chips from Whole Foods because some Chinese medicine website said seaweed is good for your thyroid
- special prayers to Saint Gerard, the Virgin Mary, Jesus, God, and my deceased aunt
- I've been wearing a relic of Saint Gerard around for 13 days
- I have a second relic of Saint Gerard (this second one is antique) currently being shipped to me from Belgium (ya'll, I have got to stay off of eBay....)
- having DH hold me upside down by the feet and shake me (ok he really just keeps doing this to be funny)
- I've looked up the number for a fertility acupuncturist in my area but haven't called yet
- I'm in my pjs but am currently considering running to the store for a pineapple 

@tryingfor1st - I'm 5' 2", 129 lbs, only work out lightly and have very little muscle tone, and fit into a size 6-8 (granted I carry all of my weight in my thighs and butt and I'm more like a 4-6 up top). And nobody has told me to lose weight. I say you're muscular. I say BMI is stupid if your body measurements put you in a different size.

Ed: to change "weight number" to "BMI" because that's what I meant but my brain wasn't working

Ed also to add: I honestly do believe the prayers and relics help but I realize not everyone has the same beliefs. But since prayer isn't scientific, I include it here on my list.

doxiemoxie212

BMI is literally bullisht. 

leekat14

doxiemoxie212 said

BMI is literally bullisht. 

^^^^what she said^^^^

eggplantface

@Tryingfor1st Yeah if you exercise and have muscle, BMI isn't an accurate health assessment. But there's also those like @mrsdaddario who don't ovulate on their own, then they lose weight and get their cycles back. I like @adirat's advice: do what works for you!