I'm New! Hello, and where to start?

[chicago]

Hi, everyone! I'm hoping to start posting a little around here and I'm looming forward to getting to know everyone.

A little about us - H and I are in our early 30's, married 2.5 years, together 7.  We have a French Bulldog, are foodies, and love to travel.  I work in education and my husband works in technology/event management. 

So, I've been reading random posts here and there and I'm feeling totally overwhelmed and lost!  I could use some advice as to where to begin.  I got off bcp last July.  My cycles have been strange ever since - averaging around 30-31 days, but they have been anywhere between 25 and 37.  I'm not doing any heavy duty charting, just tracking periods right now.  I also bought some CBE digital OPKs to try out the next few months to see if and when I'm O-ing.  I was thinking of buying TCOYF since it seems I'm in my 30's and still have a lot to learn about how my body should work without hormonal bc.  My health is pretty good, though I do have hypothyroidism, diagnosed a little more than a year ago.  I take 88mcg of levothyroxine and I want to go back to make sure my levels are where they should be.  Been feeling a bit "off" lately.

Any other preliminary tips to get me on track? We are taking a few more big trips before officially TTC, hoping to start in July.

[krystee]

Hi from another girl in Chicago (burbs)! I am just learning the ropes myself, but it sounds like you are on the right track!

[awick14]

Welcome, I hope you stick around and post whenever you feel comfortable.

I defiantly think TCOYF is worth the money, I read it and I felt like I should have known all of that shit when I started my period in middle school!

The only other thing I think you should do is get on some prenatal vitamins. (I you currently aren't taking any) you should start then soon as most docs recommend being on them for 6 months before starting to TTC.

Again welcome.

[chicago]

Hi, Krystee!

Thanks, awick, I forgot about the prenatals. I actually have some, but I haven't started taking them. I didn't realize that 6 months was recommended. I guess I'll start tonight or tomorrow!

[vmars]

Welcome! Longer and shorter cycles are normal. You may be ovulating later certain months due to stress/sickness etc. I would recommend charting to confirm ovulation and LP length. You can also take opks to know if your body is getting ready to O. The only way to confirm you actually ovulated is temping and observing a sustained temp shift. Also def pick up tcoyf. Good luck!

[simpsongal]

Ditto OPs - welcome!

[HoneySpider]

Hi & welcome! TCOYF is definitely good to read before starting....and then re-reading as you are going through the TTC process. I referred to it a lot.

Everyone is different as far as how involved you want to be from the start....some people start charting way in advance, others go with the flow for a little bit and first and then start with charting/temping/OPKs. It honestly can be stressful sometimes agonizing over every little detail but it really is just about finding what works for you.

[Deleted]

Welcome! I recognize you from the travel boards. We may be ttc twins because I went off bcp around the same time and was dx with hypothyroidism last month. I even have the same medication and dosage..lol. The Welcome to GP post on this board is very informative. I also think you should start temping. It is much more useful than opks, which can get pricey and hit or miss depending on when and how often you test. Ditto others about starting prenatals. Do you have your tsh levels checked normally? I heard it should be around 1-3 before starting ttc. What trips do you have coming up?

[thoseareradishes]

Welcome!

[chicago]

Feb 14, 2013 11:24:33 GMT -5 @missy1 said:

Welcome! I recognize you from the travel boards. We may be ttc twins because I went off bcp around the same time and was dx with hypothyroidism last month. I even have the same medication and dosage..lol. The Welcome to GP post on this board is very informative. I also think you should start temping. It is much more useful than opks, which can get pricey and hit or miss depending on when and how often you test. Ditto others about starting prenatals. Do you have your tsh levels checked normally? I heard it should be around 1-3 before starting ttc. What trips do you have coming up?

I recognize you too!  How fun to be hypo-twins.  My dosage was actually a lot lower, but all of a sudden I started getting symptoms again (wanting to sleep all the time, hair falling apart), and my levels were wayyyyyy off so they upped it.  I think it had been about 10 months since I had last had them checked.  I think this dose has helped, but I feel like it may be off again...I really hope not!

Upcoming trips - New Orleans next week, tagging along on his work trip; Jamaica next month; Seattle in April for work; South Africa and the Seychelles in June/July right before we start TTC. How about you?

Placed an Amazon order tonight for a basal thermometer, TCoYF, and got my prenatals out so I can start taking them.  I have a feeling this will be a long, nerve wracking road!  

[Deleted]

Welcome!

[Deleted]

That sounds amazing! We're going to Seattle and Vancouver later this month and maybe a short trip to New Orleans soon. Hope to ttc in a month or two so no other travel planned.

[vmars]

Feb 14, 2013 21:47:48 GMT -5 chicago said:

Feb 14, 2013 11:24:33 GMT -5 @missy1 said:

Welcome! I recognize you from the travel boards. We may be ttc twins because I went off bcp around the same time and was dx with hypothyroidism last month. I even have the same medication and dosage..lol. The Welcome to GP post on this board is very informative. I also think you should start temping. It is much more useful than opks, which can get pricey and hit or miss depending on when and how often you test. Ditto others about starting prenatals. Do you have your tsh levels checked normally? I heard it should be around 1-3 before starting ttc. What trips do you have coming up?

I recognize you too!  How fun to be hypo-twins.  My dosage was actually a lot lower, but all of a sudden I started getting symptoms again (wanting to sleep all the time, hair falling apart), and my levels were wayyyyyy off so they upped it.  I think it had been about 10 months since I had last had them checked.  I think this dose has helped, but I feel like it may be off again...I really hope not!

Upcoming trips - New Orleans next week, tagging along on his work trip; Jamaica next month; Seattle in April for work; South Africa and the Seychelles in June/July right before we start TTC. How about you?

Placed an Amazon order tonight for a basal thermometer, TCoYF, and got my prenatals out so I can start taking them.  I have a feeling this will be a long, nerve wracking road!  

My sister had hypothyrodism and had to get her levels perfect before she was able to get pg. I would def. make an appointment with your doctor to get a check up with your levels. 

[chicago]

Feb 16, 2013 17:31:12 GMT -5 milsaroo said:

I just keep lurking around here. Good luck for when you do start TTC!

What's your dog's name?

Thanks!  His name's Diego.  

I keep lurking on ML!  I'd post more often if I were more of a conversationalist.  You guys move quickly over there.  Never a dull moment. 

[Jalapeñomel]

My period was so screwed up after BC...the first three months, normal and then wonky for almost a year (I think I say this a lot here, LOL).

And please please PIP your french bulldogs.

Where have you traveled, and where is your next travel destination?

[chicago]

Thanks, Jalapeñomel!  I was on the pill for 12 years so I definitely wasn't sure what "normal" was like before or what it would be like post-bcp.  I finally feel normal again - my hormones were all over for a while - and I know I never want to go back to hormonal bc. 

Ok, let me see if I can pip...it's one of the few I have on my ipad.  

Attachment Deleted

Hmmm, in the last five years, we've gone to Vegas, Disney World, a Caribbean cruise (Puerto Rico, St John, St Maarten, St Lucia, Antigua, Barbados), Mexico, the Dominican Republic, London, Paris, Maui, Kauai, Costa Rica, Italy, Fiji (we got married there), Thailand, Hong Kong...I think that's everywhere!  We're going to NOLA next week, Jamaica next month, and South Africa and the Seychelles this summer.  A lot of our friends and family probably think we're idiots for spending so much time and money on travel, but it's become our favorite thing to do together and we have made some of our best memories during our travels together.  We had a pre-baby bucket list of places we wanted to travel before kids, so we've ramped it up a bit.  We hope we'll have the ability to show our kids the world.

I would love to go to Peru!  I used to teach Spanish and I've visited a lot of Spanish speaking countries, but none in South America.  How long have you lived there?

[Jalapeñomel]

Feb 16, 2013 22:57:13 GMT -5 chicago said:

Thanks, Jalapeñomel!  I was on the pill for 12 years so I definitely wasn't sure what "normal" was like before or what it would be like post-bcp.  I finally feel normal again - my hormones were all over for a while - and I know I never want to go back to hormonal bc. 

Ok, let me see if I can pip...it's one of the few I have on my ipad.  



Hmmm, in the last five years, we've gone to Vegas, Disney World, a Caribbean cruise (Puerto Rico, St John, St Maarten, St Lucia, Antigua, Barbados), Mexico, the Dominican Republic, London, Paris, Maui, Kauai, Costa Rica, Italy, Fiji (we got married there), Thailand, Hong Kong...I think that's everywhere!  We're going to NOLA next week, Jamaica next month, and South Africa and the Seychelles this summer.  A lot of our friends and family probably think we're idiots for spending so much time and money on travel, but it's become our favorite thing to do together and we have made some of our best memories during our travels together.  We had a pre-baby bucket list of places we wanted to travel before kids, so we've ramped it up a bit.  We hope we'll have the ability to show our kids the world.

I would love to go to Peru!  I used to teach Spanish and I've visited a lot of Spanish speaking countries, but none in South America.  How long have you lived there?

We also love to travel, and we went to Buenos Aires about a month ago.  It was spectacular, but the food in Peru is so much better.

I would love love love to go to South Africa.  There is a girl on the Married Life board who lives there.

We have lived here for about a year and a half.  I am slowly (very slowly) learning Spanish; I didn't know any more then, "donde esta el baño" and "me llamo Mel," before I left.  It's been a difficult task, but I am so glad to finally be learning it.  DH reads and writes very well, is conversationally fluent and picked it up rather quickly.  Bastard!

If we still live here next year (which is pretty likely) we hope to get over to Brazil to see a World Cup game; it's on our bucket list.  I'd also love to see Easter Island and the Galapagos Islands before heading back north of the equator.

[VillainV]

Hi and welcome!

Ditto what everyone else said about reading TCOYF. Also, I highly recommend the website Fertility Friend. You'll see people here refer to it a lot (FF). It's a huge help in charting/tracking, and there is even an iphone app that most of use to record temps in the morning. They also have a lot of tutorials and information on TTC, though in my opinion it's not as easy to wade through as TCOYF is. But it's a very valuable tool!


Edited to add:  Oh yeah, one more thing!  Wondofos!    You can get super-cheap OPK strips on Amazon.  I got 50 OPKs bundled with 20 pregnancy tests for like $25.   You have to dip the strip in urine yourself (instead of peeing on the stick), and reading them can take some getting used to, but they are very accurate and much less expensive than drug-store tests.

[Jalapeñomel]

Feb 17, 2013 10:05:03 GMT -5 milsaroo said:

Feb 16, 2013 22:29:20 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

My period was so screwed up after BC...the first three months, normal and then wonky for almost a year (I think I say this a lot here, LOL).

When you got off BC, were you TTC right away? And did you start temping right away? How "wonky" were they?

*fwiw, I'm planning to get off BCP in May, but probably not TTC until October. I know every body is different but I'll take all the tips, stories, advice/opinions I can get!

I was off BC for three years before we started TTC.  My period came regularly for those first three months, at like 28-30 days.  And then it started coming at all different times, some months it was 19 days and other months it went to 40 days, some months with spotting in the middle of the month some months nothing.  I am now very regular at 28 days, with occasional ovulation spotting.  I was not charting/temping at the time. 

[chicago]

Feb 16, 2013 23:06:03 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

We also love to travel, and we went to Buenos Aires about a month ago.  It was spectacular, but the food in Peru is so much better.

I would love love love to go to South Africa.  There is a girl on the Married Life board who lives there.

We have lived here for about a year and a half.  I am slowly (very slowly) learning Spanish; I didn't know any more then, "donde esta el baño" and "me llamo Mel," before I left.  It's been a difficult task, but I am so glad to finally be learning it.  DH reads and writes very well, is conversationally fluent and picked it up rather quickly.  Bastard!

If we still live here next year (which is pretty likely) we hope to get over to Brazil to see a World Cup game; it's on our bucket list.  I'd also love to see Easter Island and the Galapagos Islands before heading back north of the equator.

Buenos Aires is at the top of H's dream trips!  I would love to check out Patagonia.  

That's quite a leap of faith for you to live in a country whose language you don't speak - I give you a TON of credit.  Immersing yourself really is the best way to learn, but it comes with so much frustration along the way.  I studied in Spain in college and even though I had been learning the language for years, to really use it "in real life" was completely overwhelming at times.  Getting my hair cut was the worst experience ever!  I wound up with some crazy highlights...  Watching tv and listening to music helped me a lot.  The speaking is always the last skill to develop.  I still use Spanish regularly, but it's less conversational and I find myself struggling even now after having studied it for 15+ years.  

World Cup in Brazil would be amazing!  I have a friend who was just in Rio for NYE - he said it was the most exhilarating and frightening experience he's ever had in his life.  I can only imagine what the WC would be like!  The whole thing sounds so amazing.  How did you guys wind up there?  

[Jalapeñomel]

Feb 17, 2013 15:24:49 GMT -5 chicago said:

Feb 16, 2013 23:06:03 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

We also love to travel, and we went to Buenos Aires about a month ago.  It was spectacular, but the food in Peru is so much better.

I would love love love to go to South Africa.  There is a girl on the Married Life board who lives there.

We have lived here for about a year and a half.  I am slowly (very slowly) learning Spanish; I didn't know any more then, "donde esta el baño" and "me llamo Mel," before I left.  It's been a difficult task, but I am so glad to finally be learning it.  DH reads and writes very well, is conversationally fluent and picked it up rather quickly.  Bastard!

If we still live here next year (which is pretty likely) we hope to get over to Brazil to see a World Cup game; it's on our bucket list.  I'd also love to see Easter Island and the Galapagos Islands before heading back north of the equator.

Buenos Aires is at the top of H's dream trips!  I would love to check out Patagonia.  

That's quite a leap of faith for you to live in a country whose language you don't speak - I give you a TON of credit.  Immersing yourself really is the best way to learn, but it comes with so much frustration along the way.  I studied in Spain in college and even though I had been learning the language for years, to really use it "in real life" was completely overwhelming at times.  Getting my hair cut was the worst experience ever!  I wound up with some crazy highlights...  Watching tv and listening to music helped me a lot.  The speaking is always the last skill to develop.  I still use Spanish regularly, but it's less conversational and I find myself struggling even now after having studied it for 15+ years.  

World Cup in Brazil would be amazing!  I have a friend who was just in Rio for NYE - he said it was the most exhilarating and frightening experience he's ever had in his life.  I can only imagine what the WC would be like!  The whole thing sounds so amazing.  How did you guys wind up there?  

DH was finishing his PhD, and applying for each and every job. When the offer came it, we thought about it, and figured we will probably never get this chance again.  And DH wouldn´t have to be on the market for another 4 months, so voila we ended up in Lima.