Hi. I'm new. I have questions. =]

[lanyac]

I wanted to say hi. Most people say that they've been lurking and are just coming out of the woodwork, but I just started coming here a few days ago, when I convinced DH I'd like to get pregnant some time in 2013. I'm way confused about all these abbreviations, but I'll try to ask my questions as clearly as possible!

1) I'm like overwhelmed by everyone's knowledge of whats going on in their bodies. I don't track my period, I don't know when I'm ovulating, and I have no idea why you're tracking your vaginal temperature for. Can someone explain?

2) 2 weeks after my period (I don't know how many days post-anything...) I get pain, usually on one side of my body. I assume it's somewhere near my ovary. What is this? Does it correspond to fertility in anyway? My mom calls it mittelshmertz (not sure I'm spelling that correctly.)

3) I'm overweight (maybe 100 lbs or so) and I'm wondering how this will affect my fertility.

4) I've never been pregnant, or tried to get pregnant, and I'm basically clueless. I've been off bc for 3 months, and we've been using condoms. Do I need to be off longer than that before it "wears off"?

I know these probably sound stupid to you vagina gurus, but any answers are appreciated!

[Teachermama]

Thank you for asking these... We are in Almost the same situation


Please don't judge errors....Sent from my iPod touch using ProBoards app

[urbancowgirl]

I was in your position a few months ago. You can learn a lot from the ladies here, but I'd like to recommend two books for you to read as well. I found What to Expect Before You're Expecting and Taking Charge of Your Fertility very helpful. You might also schedule a prenatal appointment with your doctor to discuss your concerns about your weight and bc.

[jewel]

Read: Taking Charge of Your Fertility and sign up with fertility friend to track/take the tutorials. There's just so much to know...

LOL @ vagina temperatures. We're just taking regular temperatures.

[HoneySpider]

Welcome! Don't worry about the questions - everyone has been new to this at some point and it definitely can be overwhelming. I definitely suggest getting a copy of Taking Charge of Your Fertility - I found that reading (and re-reading) this book was helpful, as many other ladies have also found.

Tracking your period, ovulations, temps, etc is just a way to give you a better idea of what is happening with your body and when...having this knowledge can help you time things better, recognize if there are any problems, etc. Temperatures are important because after you ovulate, your temperature will spike. If it drops, that indicates AF is coming. If it stays high, that indicates pregnancy.

The pain you experience could be ovulation - some women do get a pain during this time.

Being overweight could be an issue but it also might not be. I recommend talking to your doctor about your TTC plans as s/he might have advice.

It takes different people different amounts of time to lose the effects of bcp - it depends on things like how long you were on it. Three months should be long enough for it to be out of your system, especially if you're getting periods on a regular cycle.

[HoneySpider]

Nov 7, 2012 17:38:36 GMT -5 jewel said:

LOL @ vagina temperatures. We're just taking regular temperatures.

:Y:

[litasail]

1) I'm like overwhelmed by everyone's knowledge of whats going on in their bodies. I don't track my period, I don't know when I'm ovulating, and I have no idea why you're tracking your vaginal temperature for. Can someone explain? You should read Taking Charge of Your Fertility - it will tell you everything you need to know, very quickly. Short answer is that people are tracking their temperature (which can be done vaginally or orally) to pinpoint when they ovulate, which is when you want to time sex. People also use Ovulation Predictor Kits or Monitors to do this, as well as tracking their cervical mucus.

2) 2 weeks after my period (I don't know how many days post-anything...) I get pain, usually on one side of my body. I assume it's somewhere near my ovary. What is this? Does it correspond to fertility in anyway? My mom calls it mittelshmertz (not sure I'm spelling that correctly.) It could be you ovulating, but the only way to know for sure is to take your temperature.

3) I'm overweight (maybe 100 lbs or so) and I'm wondering how this will affect my fertility. I am also overweight and was concerned about this. It took us three months. You won't know until you try.

4) I've never been pregnant, or tried to get pregnant, and I'm basically clueless. I've been off bc for 3 months, and we've been using condoms. Do I need to be off longer than that before it "wears off"? Three months is fine - when you start tracking your period and temping, you may find that your body is still regulating, but there's no harm in trying while that happens.

[tarheels]

Ditto the others - welcome and read Taking Charge of Your Fertility (TCOYF) My small town library had it or you can get a used copy on Amazon.

[winecheery]

You've been given good advice here. The best thing you can do for yourself in my opinion besides learning HOW to conceive, and what your body may or may not be doing with temps, cervical fluids, etc. is to get on a pre-natal if you're not already.

I would also touch base with your doc to let them know what your intentions are and if they have suggestions based on your health history as you begin to TTC.

I will say that most docs seem to recommend being at a "healthy weight" (whatever that would be for you) before starting TTC, BUT you will soon find that the journey is different for all of us, and some people will get KU no problem no matter what weight they're at....among other incredible variables involved in this.

I say at the very least begin tracking your period to start. Mark when your last one was, sign up for fertility friend, and it will predict when your next one is due. Good luck!

[magpie]

Hi. I'm still rather new myself, but I agree with what's been said. I also found the "welcome to getting pregnant" post on this board to be very informative (especially for all the abbreviations).

Oh, another read that I thought was really helpful and interesting is the Fertility Friend ebook. It's free as an ebook on Amazon. Did anyone else read that?

[awick14]

pandce.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=gp&action=display&thread=72377

Here is a link to the abbreviations that you will want to learn.

[ilovecandy]

What everyone else said. Definitely read taking charge or your fertility it explains everything. If you are concerned about your weight I would ask your doctor. I also wanted to say you might want to prenatal pils or frolic acid ones now. And Welcome!

[lanyac]

Nov 7, 2012 21:24:45 GMT -5 awick14 said:

pandce.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=gp&action=display&thread=72377

Here is a link to the abbreviations that you will want to learn.

Haha, thanks. That's super helpful.