Changing your lifestyle to TTC

smushi · August 2013

So I realize there are many ladies who have been TTC for more than 2 months on this board. My question is, to what lengths do you go to change your lifestyle while you're TTC? Are you drink free? Eating healthy? Avoiding certain things?

DH and I have just only this month started to 'not prevent' pregnancy, so while we're not actively trying to conceive by charting, temping, and keeping an eye on things, there is still a slim chance.

My question is, what kind of lifestyle changes have you made and kept throughout your TTC time? This could be 2 months, 7 months, or 2 years. I'm currently redoing our master bathroom, and it didn't hit me until today that I've been painting with high VOC paint. We're 3/4 way into my cycle, so while no pregnant test would call me positive yet, the possibility is always there with each cycle, and I don't know if VOCs are the same at early implantation as they are during the larger part of your pregnancy. VOC thoughts, anyone?

LaDyBostonRN · August 2013

I'm only in my 2nd month TTC but I am continuing to drink (alcohol) and eat the way I was before (somewhat healthy) I was TTC. Only thing I'm doing differently is taking PNV. I don't know much about paint but we just bought a house so I would be interested to hear other's thoughts. Good Luck!

Pintobean39 · August 2013

I haven't changed my lifestyle any except quitting smoking.

I try to exercise and eat healthy all the time anyway. I really don't think painting a bedroom will cause any harm. I've painting a bedroom, bathroom, and a utility room in the last year and half of TTC. Also when I was pregnant with my two boys I painted their room. I just have lots of ventilation.

MissLadyTay · August 2013

I drink and act normally regarding exercise and activities. We TTC for seven cycles for my first child and after cycle 2 I'd had enough of abstaining from beer during the 2WW. It's not like I was getting drunk so I wasn't that worried about it. And I continued to exercise normally throughout most of my pregnancy, so it's not like that has to change at all. I would probably paint in the 2WW without thinking twice. I guess I sort of assume I'm not pregnant. Then when I get a negative test I'm not as disappointed because I haven't been changing my routine yet.

KendraL86 · August 2013

I read a book when DH and I first started thinking about TTC called "The Complete Organic Pregnancy." The book scared me. I remember feeling shocked that any baby was born healthy. One of the things the booked talked about was high-VOC paints. In short, it said to give up the dream of being a cute pregnant woman painting the nursery in adorable overalls. Rather, someone else should do it and the pregnant woman should be out of the house for about a week to let the harsh chemicals dissipate.

I changed my diet completely as a result of reading the book (I went to a completely organic diet). I do not drink alcohol except the first 3 days of my cycle, and then in very limited quantities. I open all the windows in our house for 30 minutes each day (because apparently the air inside is of lesser quality than even an urban outside environment). I am sensitive to chemical smell induced migraines, so anything that triggers a headache I stay away from (naturally).

While I know I am completely going overboard, I figure that I'd rather be safe than sorry. I'm an anxious personality, and when I do get pregnant, I'll have the peace of mind knowing that I'm doing everything in my possibility to ensure a healthy child. Anything to ease my anxieties is worth it to me.

I know tons of people who did not plan pregnancies and found out after 6 weeks of heavy partying, an unhealthy fast food diet, etc and all of their children turned out healthy and happy. I don't know how much the lifestyle/diet factor matters, but after reading the book, I just do what I can to live as naturally/organically as possible.

BethKate · August 2013

The only changes I've made is taking a prenatal vitamin every day and making a conscious effort to drink more water throughout the day. This is cycle 13 for me.

MMason12 · August 2013

I am in my first cycle actively ttc. I started taking prenatal vitamins in May in preparation of ttc. I have also cut back on the caffeinated drinks (mainly coffee) that I drink on a daily basis in order to make it easier to do if I am blessed with a BFP. It also is healthier to cut down on that anyways. I stopped drinking soda last October for the most part -- I have about one a month now. I am pretty active -- as I training for my second marathon, which I am running in December.

I not a very big drinker and even when we aren't ttc, I only drink about once or twice a month and rarely have more than two or three drinks. I do drink during my tww; however, I usually don't have more than one or two drinks which is normal for me anyways.

Other than that I haven't made any major changes since I started preparing or actively TTC.

megastar007 · August 2013

I guess you could say that I'm changing my lifestyle this cycle... but I've done it before prior to TTC a second. I guess I'm looking for a good excuse to stick with it

I've been a vegetarian for the past 2 years, with a brief 6 week vegan/no processed food stint. On Monday (because my birthday is this weekend) I'm going to go back to the vegan/no processed thing. I've decided that I'll stay on it until I get KU and then I'll just do the no processed thing for ever hopefully. I felt better on it and it made me more inclined to exercise too

ETA: I still do not plan on giving up the nectar of the gods... aka coffee and booze until I'm actually pregnant

LaDyBostonRN · August 2013

megastar007 said:

I guess you could say that I'm changing my lifestyle this cycle... but I've done it before prior to TTC a second. I guess I'm looking for a good excuse to stick with it I've been a vegetarian for the past 2 years, with a brief 6 week vegan/no processed food stint. On Monday (because my birthday is this weekend) I'm going to go back to the vegan/no processed thing. I've decided that I'll stay on it until I get KU and then I'll just do the no processed thing for ever hopefully. I felt better on it and it made me more inclined to exercise too

ETA: I still do not plan on giving up the nectar of the gods... aka coffee and booze until I'm actually pregnant

LOL nectar of the gods

Snowflake312 · August 2013

I drank sparingly for a while, but now that it's been nearly 3 months since AF, I figure I might as well enjoy it while I can. ::sips delicious Cabernet::. I exercise regularly and eat reasonably healthy as it is. I've added a PNV and calcium supplement, but other than that, not much has really changed.

Arinias · August 2013

I started taking PNV in May and we started actively TTC in June. I am towards the end of cyle 3 and expecting AF any day now. I have cut way back on my caffeine intake, which has been horrible. I am allowing myself no more than one soda or coffee in a day, and not every day. My OB suggested cutting out alcohol while TTC, I have for the most part but I have had a few drinks at the beginning of my cycle. I am also trying to drink more water in a day, but have not been doing great at it. When I am lucky enough to get my BFP I will probably try to eat a little healthier. I do light exercise, go to the gym and do a half hour to an hour of cardio maybe three times a week. I have been continuing that throughout. I really want to start horseback riding again, but am a little afraid to get back into it then get my BFP as I am not sure how I feel about riding while pregnant.

Valancyy · August 2013

The only thing I changed for my previous pregnancies was take a PNV and cut down on coffee. I only drank decaf my first pregnancy, and just limited regular coffee for my second. I do usually eat pretty healthy anyway, though.

FWIW, if you happen to get morning sickness during your pregnancy, that can throw a wrench in your healthy eating plans. What helped me feel better? Pretty much junk food! I couldn't even think about eating most vegetables during the first few months, I just couldn't stomach them.

sexyntexy · August 2013

Nothing. I changed things once I got my BFP and I was WAY less strict w/ #2.

smushi · August 2013

Nectar of the gods indeed! I freaked out earlier when I was starting the bathroom remodel. I fell off the toilet (standing on it) and gave myself a pretty sizable lump on the head (from toilet to floor). I didn't have any tylenol and freaked out thinking I shouldn't take Advil or any other headache meds. Needless to say... pain. lots of pain.

Pintobean39 · August 2013

Arinias said:
I started taking PNV in May and we started actively TTC in June. I am towards the end of cyle 3 and expecting AF any day now. I have cut way back on my caffeine intake, which has been horrible. I am allowing myself no more than one soda or coffee in a day, and not every day. My OB suggested cutting out alcohol while TTC, I have for the most part but I have had a few drinks at the beginning of my cycle. I am also trying to drink more water in a day, but have not been doing great at it. When I am lucky enough to get my BFP I will probably try to eat a little healthier. I do light exercise, go to the gym and do a half hour to an hour of cardio maybe three times a week. I have been continuing that throughout. I really want to start horseback riding again, but am a little afraid to get back into it then get my BFP as I am not sure how I feel about riding while pregnant.

My aunt rode horses while she was pregnant. She rode until the day before she delivered my cousin.

I think it depends on the pregnancy. My last pregnancy that I MC we were headed to the lake house and my dr said no riding on the jet ski not even slow. Then again I had been spotting.

jenb_99 · August 2013

I don't go to any extremes, just a few minor changes. I quit any potentially unsafe drugs and supplements a week or so before TTC (magnolia bark, 5-HTP, diet pills, Advil, Aleve) and make sure I don't go overboard with the caffeine during FW or 2WW. That's really it, though. Same stuff I avoided or limited during pregnancy. I didn't cut out nail polish, cold cuts, cookie dough, or any of those things.

Oh, and we painted DS's room when I was 36 weeks pregnant. We used Zinsser primer and Olympic paint. I don't know that either was specifically labeled low VOC, but it had almost no odor. I was told that most non-oil-based paints nowadays are fine for TTC and pregnancy.

megastar007 · August 2013

LaDyBostonRN said:

megastar007 said:

I guess you could say that I'm changing my lifestyle this cycle... but I've done it before prior to TTC a second. I guess I'm looking for a good excuse to stick with it I've been a vegetarian for the past 2 years, with a brief 6 week vegan/no processed food stint. On Monday (because my birthday is this weekend) I'm going to go back to the vegan/no processed thing. I've decided that I'll stay on it until I get KU and then I'll just do the no processed thing for ever hopefully. I felt better on it and it made me more inclined to exercise too

ETA: I still do not plan on giving up the nectar of the gods... aka coffee and booze until I'm actually pregnant

LOL nectar of the gods

Do you disagree?

mrs_tacos · August 2013

The only changes I made were taking a PNV, and my temping and charting. Life goes on as usual, as it should for the sake of my sanity. If I treated myself as though I were pregnant every month on the off chance that I could be, I think it would make the wait harder.

KingLED · August 2013

I've been TTC for some time now, and haven't really changed anything that wasn't medically necessary. I stopped taking all of my class x and class d meds. I try harder to not get stressed because I have stress induced seizures. I actually drink MORE now that we're TTC because I'm not on all those meds.

I continue to exercise and eat healthy. I try to get more sleep, but it's never really going to happen.

Daisylola11 · August 2013

Before actively TTC I've added a PNV, eating healthier and exercising to lose a few pounds as well as temping, I still drink when I want to and live my normal life. I too think like pp that we need to take advantage now and spontaneously go on a roadtrip or weekend getaway w SO before getting KU!! Who knows when the next time will be when we get to do all this

I'm not sure about the paint but I would probably also keep painting in a well ventilated room till I have a BFP, obviously no sniffing involved lol

Stasi · August 2013

I try to lay offon the crack pipe during my 2WW....

I kid.

I try to maintain a healthy lifestyle anyway, so I really won't do anything differently until I get a BFP. I last time around I would avoid going on long (5+ mile) runs during the 2WW and I regret that because it was adding more stress not being able to workout (I had TTTC last time) and I could use all the stress relief I could get!

Siamese253 · August 2013

Initially I changed a bunch of stuff. Only ate organic, cut out caffeine, stopped drinking during the 2ww, etc... After about 6 months of that and no BFP, I gave up. Now I'm doing nothing, just taking PNV.

JNova78 · August 2013

I actually haven't made any changes, besides the addition of a PNV. I do a half hour of cardio six days a week, try to eat reasonably, and get the same amount of sleep each night. I haven't moderated my coffee intake (3 cups/day) or my alcohol (a couple of drinks a couple of times/week) during the 2WW.

mrsflamingo · August 2013

I started PNVs and fish oil and am working on healthy eating and exercise habits. We eat mostly organic and unprocessed but I'm paying more attention to specific nutrients now. I've struggled with exercising consistently in the past but TTC has given me great motivation to stick with it. I've cut back on coffee a little but I wasn't drinking a ton to begin with. We painted our apartment a few months ago and used a low/non-VOC paint, but that was because I believe that's healthier for myself and my husband, not because we were TTC. So I guess I've made some changes but they're all lifestyle choices that I expect to continue even after we have kids, not just for TTC and pregnancy.

KatieN123 · August 2013

I started taking PNV in January to prepare for TTC in March. In March, I exercised three times a week (before January I exercised off and on), limited my intake of caffeine and alcoholic beverages and shopped more at whole foods for some organic produce and meat. Since I have no AF since March and was diagnosed with PCOS ( anovulatory and IR) two weeks ago I changed my diet and have been exercising five times a week. I now drink when I go out with friends, but will limited the drinking after I get an AF and can chart using FF.

Pepper6 · August 2013

I have a fairly healthy lifestyle anyways (ie, regular exercise, eating relatively well, don't drink regularly, etc), so the only thing I added was a PNV and trying to drink more water. Also, I've been adding a little more core to my workouts (both to help during pregnancy and to hopefully help get back to normal afterwards), but really, I like doing core anyways, so I don't really count that as something I've done specifically for TTC.

KatieN123 · August 2013

opps.. a week. LOL.

kristine526 · August 2013

I haven't been too drastic. I started taking PNV. I kicked my Diet Mountain Dew habit (not only because we're TTC, but because that stuff is ridiculously bad for you) in favor of more water. I don't abstain from alcohol, but I'm not going to go get black out drunk in the 2WW (*Moar Booze*). I guess that's all.

runawaylaurel · August 2013

I've half-assedly tried to cut back on my 2nd cup of coffee each day, and cut back drinking to 1/week, but since I haven't gotten AF yet (CD 58! woohoo...) I'm pretty much just living my life. I'm running a marathon in October, so I'm training like I'll be running that whether I'm KU or not.

I've been on PNV for about 6 months. I ran out of regular ones and replaced them with the prenatal just in case.

StacyJYay · August 2013

When we were TTC my son, I would abstain from typical pregnancy "no-nos" during the 2 week waits, as this is what my ob/gyn recommended. This was not a big sacrifice for me though since I'm not much of a drinker (I drink maybe 1 alcoholic beverage per year because I don't like the taste of it!); I don't smoke; and I don't generally eat raw cheese/cold cuts. We're finally ready to start TTC #2 and this is what I'll do again. My doc and I are both "conservative" when it comes to pregnancy so this felt like a good path for me. Other doctors/women who are TTC can and do take a different approach.

The one thing I would recommend to all women who are NTNP or TTC is taking a prenatal vitamin! Folic acid intake 3 months before pregnancy and during the first month of pregnancy is critical.

smushi · August 2013

Thanks everyone for all the great input! It's a big help to see what other women do/opinions on certain things. I'm not on a PNV, because I figured with my Paleo diet I'm getting a good amount of folic acid daily through my food, but in reading, it sounds like your body appreciates the synthetic stuff more. Anyone want to rec their PNV?

smushi · August 2013

HAHA! I have beaten the siggy monster!

KatieN123 · August 2013

I have been taking New Chapter since January. It is made with organic vegetable and Herbs and its a complete trimester's worth. My body has not had any side affects (such as nausea) with taking it. I read many reviews about it before choosing this PNV.

AppleGrapeMSTK · August 2013

We have been TTC for a year and just decided to cut out alcohol for both of us. We had unprotected sex for 7 months and got KU with DS, not having a single drop the entire time. In the last year of TTC, we pretty much always had beer in the house and drank regularly. So in addition to adding a PNV and charting this cycle, we are cutting out the booze. We figure it can't hurt.

StacyJYay · August 2013

agoodse said:

Thanks everyone for all the great input! It's a big help to see what other women do/opinions on certain things. I'm not on a PNV, because I figured with my Paleo diet I'm getting a good amount of folic acid daily through my food, but in reading, it sounds like your body appreciates the synthetic stuff more. Anyone want to rec their PNV?

I'm Paleo too; I'd still recommend a PNV to make sure you're getting adequate folic acid every single day. Best of luck in trying to conceive!

rtv3 · August 2013

So far all I've done is started taking a PNV and drinking more water. This is only my 1st cycle TTC, though, we'll see what craziness I buy into if it takes a long time.

MrsHennyBee · August 2013

It will be a year next month TTC #1 - I started trying to lose some weight, and I am keeping up with eating healthy. I should be further along on my weight loss, but whatever, it is hard and slow going. Other than that I haven't changed much - I was never a drinker, and neither is DH, so we didn't have to adjust there.

smushi · August 2013

*

smushi · August 2013

StacyJYay said:

agoodse said:

Thanks everyone for all the great input! It's a big help to see what other women do/opinions on certain things. I'm not on a PNV, because I figured with my Paleo diet I'm getting a good amount of folic acid daily through my food, but in reading, it sounds like your body appreciates the synthetic stuff more. Anyone want to rec their PNV?

I'm Paleo too; I'd still recommend a PNV to make sure you're getting adequate folic acid every single day. Best of luck in trying to conceive!

Yes, I've read that bodies prefer the synthetic stuff. The question was, recommend the one you take

SkeeterMom08 · August 2013

I've been taking PNV for about 3 months because I knew were were going to start TTC in July. As far as diet I already eat healthy and get exercise, so I'm just continuing that of course. The only thing I have had to cut back on is caffeine. I don't drink coffee, but I drink hot tea in the mornings and usually have some unsweetened tea a couple times throughout the day. I gained a lot of weight with my first baby (I was overweight when I got PG), so I'm trying to do a lot of things differently this time around with my diet and exercise.

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Changing your lifestyle to TTC

Re: Changing your lifestyle to TTC

BFP on 11/23/13!! Due date is July 20, 2014!

Yeah! DH and I did it on our own without any treatments or procedures. We are excited about our miracle baby.

BFP on 11/23/13!! Due date is July 20, 2014!

Yeah! DH and I did it on our own without any treatments or procedures. We are excited about our miracle baby.

BFP on 11/23/13!! Due date is July 20, 2014!

Yeah! DH and I did it on our own without any treatments or procedures. We are excited about our miracle baby.

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