Just started TTC for Baby Number 1
Hello.
I thought I would introduce myself and give a bit of a background. I am looking for any kind of advice, and in turn if I can advise anyone I am happy to do so.
Me and my Husband are both 32 (nearly 33), been together for 13 years in June, and married 6 years in June (got married on our 7 year anniversary). We brought our new build forever home a year ago yesterday. We both work full time and both have no childre, but have three fur babies- 2 cats and a dog! We decided around September last year that we were ready to start TTC in December/ January as we were going on a Caribbean cruise in December and I said I didn’t want to be pregnant on a ship! I suffer with Emetophobia (fear of vomit and vomiting), so going on a cruise with a fear of sea sicknes and sickness bugs was enough without a fear of being sick and pregnancy added to the mix.
However, because our cruise was aro the Caribbea there was a moderate risk of Zika virus there, which is harmful to the baby if you are pregnant or TTC. It survives longer in men as it can live in the sperm, so for women they say avoid TTC for 8 weeks after returning from the Caribbean, but for men they say avoid TTC for 6 months after returning from the Caribbean. My Husband paid for a blood test to test for Zika virus, which came back as being clear- no current or past evi of Zika virus. We came back from the Caribbean 9 weeks ago today so I am past the avoiding time frame as well, I had my first natural period since coming off the pill last week (CD8 today), so we began officially TTC Friday when AF disappeared.
To be honest we don’t have a particular plan of action for our journey. We have read different things about how often to DTD, healthy eating, vitamin supplements, etc. I am taking the Seven Seas Trying for a Baby supplements and my Husband is taking some fertility and conception supplements (I think they are the Wellman ones). I have the Ava Bracelet as I don’t like the thought of peeing in a cup every day, but having said that I have got some ovulation test strips and sticks to try whilst Ava is getting to know me, and used a Clear Blue one for the first time yesterday (a little early I know but my cycle was only 27 days last month and Ava says I will start my 6 day fertile window on Wednesday so thought I would start it a little earlier this month to see, especially with it being our first month of TTC. I also have a stash of pregnancy tests (mainly cheap one) so there are some in the house, but once it gets closer to AF due date I will buy Clear Blue Digital, especially if I get a positive or an unsure result on the other tests. I have read some books on trying for a baby and brought a fertility recipe book to try out as well. I don’t smoke, take any kind of drugs or drink alcohol, so that has been som that I haven’t had to consider, but I have decided to try and cut down or even cut out on caffeine. I don’t particularly have a lot of caffeine anyway- I don’t like coffee, but do drink tea, but usually about one cup a day, sometimes more, but the most I have is about 3 cups of tea a day, and can go days without a cup. I have got some decaffinated tea bags I am trying for when I am at home (I figure that for the amount of times I have a cup of tea when I am out I would be fime with that amount of caffeine). I do drink fizzy pop though, but sugar free or diet. I know it’s not brillian but I am trying to cut it down more and going to try the caffeine free one as well. At work I mainly drink cordial (no added sugar orange and pineapple) and water, so going to try sticking to that. I know food is my downfall and I need to work on that.
My biggest issue is my Emetophobia. It is the biggest thing that has held me back from TTC earlier. I did speak to my nurse about it a while ago (she has since left though) and said how it was a reason I haven’t got children, and she laughed at me and said that she had it really bad! I have worked through the Thrive book for curing Emetophobia and tried an hypnosis track on my phone, and I am better than I was. My plan is as soon as I find out I am pregnant I will speak to the midwife and doctor to see if I would be allowed any anti-emetics or anything they could do to help me, and make sure it is in my notes that I am Emetophobic and how anxious I get about it. I could tell you many a tale but I am conscious that I have already wrote war and peace on here!
In the mean time we are trying to DTD once a day this month just to see what happens. We don’t expect to get a positive straight away, but understand that it could happen, so we are just going to see what happens really.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance and best of luck and baby dust to you all.