Wanting but Waiting...

[amc80]

I was reading one of the other threads and have a few more things I need deciphered

Wondfos
betas

Wondfos are also known as Internet cheapies. They are cheap OPKs or HPTs that you can buy in bulk online.

Beta is short for beta hcg. It's the pregnancy blood test. In early pregnancy, you want your beta levels to double every 48 hours. Most women won't have this tested, unless there have been prior issues.

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

Thanks, Amc! It's nice to have an alumni for help! Where would you suggest getting the wondfos from? Do you order from a specific place?

 

[amc80]

Thanks, Amc! It's nice to have an alumni for help! Where would you suggest getting the wondfos from? Do you order from a specific place?

No problem! I find it all very interesting, so I love sharing what I know.

As for the wondfos, I'm not sure, as I never bought them. I relied on FRER tests for HPTs. For OPKs, I used the CVS brand. They are about $20 for 20 tests, so not too bad.

 

[tammy77]

Thanks, Amc! It's nice to have an alumni for help! Where would you suggest getting the wondfos from? Do you order from a specific place?

Wondfos are mostly from Amazon. If you happen to have a prime membership, they ship super fast for free. A combo pack of 40ish opk and 20hpt is something like $15.00 iirc. A 50 pack of the hpt are also $15. They're fantastic for obsessive testers. I will say that I used more of their hpt than I ever plan to admit, and I never had a false positive. It also picked up my bfp at 10dpo. Good luck, and happy peeing!

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

Thanks, ladies! I think I'll check out Amazon, but will probably just snag a few hpt and opk from Target (or CVS) to start.

Now, what is bfp? I feel like I'm a student in the school of baby making!!

 

[tammy77]

Bfp = big fat positive/pregnant; bfn = big fat negative/poop not pregnant.

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

Bfp = big fat positive/pregnant; bfn = big fat negative/poop not pregnant.

LOVE IT!! By the way, congrats, Tammy! I was following your story on the other 'trying' thread..how exciting!!

 

[tammy77]

Thank you! Still nervous, but excited and feeling very grateful!

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

So the hubs and I were talking last night and out of nowhere he goes 'so, I want a daughter first'..um, ok, that works for me lol..He said he had been thinking about babies and such yesterday afternoon and came to the conclusion that he would like a girl first (if only we can plan that out lol). We had some in depth conversation about if we started to try, when I would actually have the baby and I mentioned that I think he is a little more reserved in when to start ttc solely because he thinks that if we say 'ok, lets start' that will mean the baby will be there the next week. He even kind of agreed with that lol...I spelled out that if we started to try in April/May that we would be married for almost a year and a half when we have the baby (so it won't be like we 'rushed'). he said that he always envisioned us ttc after we had been married for a year (hence the ttc date of September). The only negative with that is that I would be full on pregnant during the summer and we don't have central air (old house) and I'm just worried about being miserable. If that is the case, we would have to wait until Feb-May of NEXT YEAR to ttc, making me 32 (or around there) for our first baby, which worries me. I think that by giving the actual time frames it helped to put things into perspective, but we will just have to wait and see...wish me luck ladies, as I think I'm wearing him down lmao

 

[tammy77]

Keep at him! I know this topic isn't always welcomed because it can be seen as a "downer" but have you thought about having your AMH tested? It's a simple blood test, costs about $60 (free if you're insured). It's much better for telling you how much more time you have left (as in, how long your ovaries can be relied upon usually to pop 'em out). I was *shocked* when I learned mine was below normal when we finally got tested many months in. MOST women are fine, but if you're worried about it, it's totally worth the peace of mind to find out!

 

[aviastar]

No need to wait! Just get some of these babies and you can be comfortably preggers all summer long!
http://www.target.com/p/royal-sover...odSlot=dlp_medium_1_10&term=portable+ac+units

Our house does actually have a/c cause HVAC had to be added anyway during the reno (like, electricity and running water had to be added, too, so some HVAC wasn't that big a deal ), but my office is also an old building and it doesn't have it. We have a couple of the stand alone units and they do a pretty decent job.

Buuuuut...I wouldn't hold off on trying just to avoid summer in any case. We're holding off till April to hopefully avoid having a newborn right in the middle of our busiest time of the year, but I am willing to be 7-9 months preggo during that time (I hope I am that lucky and quick to get KU!). No time is perfect; summer is hot, but winter is dreary and you have to wear so many layers all the time Think about getting to go to the pool in the summer and float all the baby weight away for a little while, all while being cool and comfy...

I'm with you on the slow wearing down of the husband! I feel like we have gotten to the point that we can have a casual conversation about things like cribs and midwives vs. OB's; he's still a little anxious cause it will be so different and I think he has a hard time visualizing that, but I think I have conquered the timeline! I am halfway through my second to last BC pack and I have my well woman/meet the midwife appointment on Monday- CRAZY!

 

[aviastar]

Oh yea, and I'm an auntie again! My sister had her second, a little girl, this week at 38 weeks- she's a little peanut, 5 lbs. 15 oz, and the labor was quick and straightforward, all are healthy, happy, and home already!

She is just the most beautiful and I am so ready for one of my own I can't hardly even stand it!

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

Keep at him! I know this topic isn't always welcomed because it can be seen as a "downer" but have you thought about having your AMH tested? It's a simple blood test, costs about $60 (free if you're insured). It's much better for telling you how much more time you have left (as in, how long your ovaries can be relied upon usually to pop 'em out). I was *shocked* when I learned mine was below normal when we finally got tested many months in. MOST women are fine, but if you're worried about it, it's totally worth the peace of mind to find out!

I would totally be up for having this tested...now, what is it lol I just want to call my doctors office and set something up. I would rather know NOW so we can start trying asap if there is a chance it is going to be a problem for us.

No need to wait! Just get some of these babies and you can be comfortably preggers all summer long!
http://www.target.com/p/royal-sover...odSlot=dlp_medium_1_10&term=portable+ac+units

Our house does actually have a/c cause HVAC had to be added anyway during the reno (like, electricity and running water had to be added, too, so some HVAC wasn't that big a deal ), but my office is also an old building and it doesn't have it. We have a couple of the stand alone units and they do a pretty decent job.

Buuuuut...I wouldn't hold off on trying just to avoid summer in any case. We're holding off till April to hopefully avoid having a newborn right in the middle of our busiest time of the year, but I am willing to be 7-9 months preggo during that time (I hope I am that lucky and quick to get KU!). No time is perfect; summer is hot, but winter is dreary and you have to wear so many layers all the time Think about getting to go to the pool in the summer and float all the baby weight away for a little while, all while being cool and comfy...

I'm with you on the slow wearing down of the husband! I feel like we have gotten to the point that we can have a casual conversation about things like cribs and midwives vs. OB's; he's still a little anxious cause it will be so different and I think he has a hard time visualizing that, but I think I have conquered the timeline! I am halfway through my second to last BC pack and I have my well woman/meet the midwife appointment on Monday- CRAZY!

Thank goodness we DO have ac units! I think we just may need a few more. It's a pretty big house, which is both good and bad sometimes.

I definitely think that husbands tend to freak a bit because their life is changing..but um, not only will my life change, but my body too! Scheesh lol...he is talking about it and bringing it up more, so I know he is receptive and wants a baby, I just think that me wanting to try 5-6 months earlier than he does is just worrying him. In the grand scheme of things, that is NOT long time. We do talk about buying cribs and supplies starting now if we see something we love, so that isn't worrying him. I just think that the 5-6 months earlier seems to him like we will be moving a baby in next week lmao

 

[tammy77]

Stacey, here's an article about it http://www.advancedfertility.com/amh-fertility-test.htm but don't let it scare you! Since it's a relatively new test, it's most often associated with outcomes for assisted conception. Most doctors will check FSH levels, but that's a less accurate option for reasons I can explain...but you probably don't want/need me to.

It's just a blood test that gives you an idea of your "ovarian reserve", meaning approximately how many fertile years you have left (aka how long you can put it off for). Mine was lower so my doctor referred me straight to a specialist because I didn't have all the time in the world.

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

Stacey, here's an article about it http://www.advancedfertility.com/amh-fertility-test.htm but don't let it scare you! Since it's a relatively new test, it's most often associated with outcomes for assisted conception. Most doctors will check FSH levels, but that's a less accurate option for reasons I can explain...but you probably don't want/need me to.

It's just a blood test that gives you an idea of your "ovarian reserve", meaning approximately how many fertile years you have left (aka how long you can put it off for). Mine was lower so my doctor referred me straight to a specialist because I didn't have all the time in the world.

Thank you so much! It does make sense to have that tested (worst case it's a waste of time, best case we know what we're in for if there is a problem)! I am going to give my doctor a call a little later or some time tomorrow I appreciate all the help, Tammy! You've been in my shoes, so I'm glad for all the help we can get!

 

[tammy77]

Nah, best case you have great reserve and can stop worrying about it for a little while. That's worth it to me! So glad to help. Hopefully your doctor is willing to do the test. If they give you excuses, you can just tell them you'll pay for it if you have to, that you want it in order to get an idea of your fertility since you're delaying pregnancy.

ETA: You can have it done on any day of your cycle too. Good luck!

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

Tammy, you're totally right! I didn't get the chance to call them yesterday, but I'm planning to call today.

Ok, so the hubs is a big ol' weirdo! He told me last night (with no prompting) that he thinks it would be fun to not plan for a baby right off and to just take our chances...so starting last night ( ) we will only be using bc at random times to see if we can have a nice little surprise. I have a few more days until ovulation, but hey, it's just fun to know that we will be taking our chances! Seems like we could totally be pregnant earlier than even I thought we'd be, but we're not officially 'trying', just kind of winging it. This took a TOTALLY different turn than I anticipated! If we aren't pregnant by September though, we're going to start trying with more seriousness. I do love that crazy guy!

 

[aviastar]

Tammy, you're totally right! I didn't get the chance to call them yesterday, but I'm planning to call today.

Ok, so the hubs is a big ol' weirdo! He told me last night (with no prompting) that he thinks it would be fun to not plan for a baby right off and to just take our chances...so starting last night ( ) we will only be using bc at random times to see if we can have a nice little surprise. I have a few more days until ovulation, but hey, it's just fun to know that we will be taking our chances! Seems like we could totally be pregnant earlier than even I thought we'd be, but we're not officially 'trying', just kind of winging it. This took a TOTALLY different turn than I anticipated! If we aren't pregnant by September though, we're going to start trying with more seriousness. I do love that crazy guy!

Stacey for the win!

How fun, I am totally jealous! Seems like you have officially graduated to Not Trying, Not Preventing. I guess, technically, that's our plan too, come April, since I don't plan on tracking. I am going to guess you will be pregnant waaaay before September!

 

[tammy77]

Awesome news, how fun!! NTNP is how it usually starts, I think guys feel like they can handle that mentally a lot better than purposefully trying. It takes the pressure off and avoids the "omg this is likely to result in a BABY" thoughts while he's getting used to the idea. I bet you're not even going to need that amh test.

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

Tammy, you're totally right! I didn't get the chance to call them yesterday, but I'm planning to call today.

Ok, so the hubs is a big ol' weirdo! He told me last night (with no prompting) that he thinks it would be fun to not plan for a baby right off and to just take our chances...so starting last night ( ) we will only be using bc at random times to see if we can have a nice little surprise. I have a few more days until ovulation, but hey, it's just fun to know that we will be taking our chances! Seems like we could totally be pregnant earlier than even I thought we'd be, but we're not officially 'trying', just kind of winging it. This took a TOTALLY different turn than I anticipated! If we aren't pregnant by September though, we're going to start trying with more seriousness. I do love that crazy guy!

Stacey for the win!

How fun, I am totally jealous! Seems like you have officially graduated to Not Trying, Not Preventing. I guess, technically, that's our plan too, come April, since I don't plan on tracking. I am going to guess you will be pregnant waaaay before September!

Ha! YES!! Ok, we need to be pregnant together and REALLY set up that shopping trip lol..I seriously hope we get pregnant before September, as a fabulous surprise!

Awesome news, how fun!! NTNP is how it usually starts, I think guys feel like they can handle that mentally a lot better than purposefully trying. It takes the pressure off and avoids the "omg this is likely to result in a BABY" thoughts while he's getting used to the idea. I bet you're not even going to need that amh test.

I think that you are totally right! He would rather have the 'oh hey, we accidentally got pregnant' thing happen than for us to be like, 'ok, we've reached this time frame, let's get started on ttc' Boys are hilarious!

 

[gem_anemone]

Good luck, Stacy!!

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

Good luck, Stacy!!

Thanks, Gem!

So, reading facebook recently, I had 4 girls I went to HS with get pregnant since NYE. I was starting to feel some baby envy, but then yesterday it turns out one of the girls miscarried. She was about 3.5 months along. Man, that just scares the crap out of me and is one of the main reasons I wouldn't be making it public so soon. The poor thing! Hearing that kind of thing makes me panic a bit, but it's not like you can do a whole lot to prevent that sort of thing. I think this is one of the main reasons I worry about waiting to get pregnant, because what if we wait, then I miscarry?! So much time will have gone by. I'm just thankful that we're NTNP at this point.

 

[aviastar]

Hi Ladies!

I visited the midwives for the first time yesterday for a well woman visit- it was really nice! I'll definitely being staying with this practice. Basically, she said we were good to just stop taking the BC whenever we were ready and simply not start a new pack.

We talked about pre-natals and she advised taking folic acid all by itself for me since the mulit-vitamin caused such painful and long lasting heartburn. Without the fillers, iron, and stuff it should be easier to break down and cause less trouble. So I stopped by the pharmacy on my way home and picked up a bottle to start last night. So far so good!

I also asked about Pertussis vaccine; my DH and I have just about every vaccine known to man since we traveled overseas this year, but we don't have that one. Found out it can be given after the first trimester or we can both get it through our GP anytime, so we'll think about that and figure out when we want to get that taken care of. Are you going to ask family members to get pertussis vaccines? My midwife recommended child care providers, parents, and sibs- so if Grandma and Grandpa aren't going to be regular childcare providers they should be ok. We have both sets of grandparents within 20 mins and my mom will be providing regular care, but she already has the vaccine, and I work with my MIL and bebe will be tagging along, so I think I had better ask them to get it as well. This is one of the reasons I am interested in carrying with a wrap- keeps the baby away from touchy and kissy people at church and such, without being on house arrest.

We talked about the timeline the practice follows, too, for early pregnancy. They offer all sorts of testing, genetic and also things like an MMR titer, pre-TTC if you want it. Between travelling this year and being an egg donor, I've had almost all of it already, so we didn't do any blood work yesterday. The first appointment post-BFP is mainly a talking one, around 6 weeks, they do an urine test, a pelvic exam if you haven't had one recently- also checking the shape and size of your pelvic bones to see if you are likely to have any labor issues due to small space, and talk about options and nutrition and all that jazz. Since I was am planning on TTC soon, she added a few of those in yesterday and I can skip that appointment if I want to. Then they do the first ultrasound at 10 weeks. This sounds a little later than what I read about on here, but my sister's dr. is the same way. If we get preggo within the first 3 months off BC they will do a dating scan at the 6 week appointment, cause she said the first three periods after being off BC aren't as reliable for dating since your cycle is re-regulating itself and I won't be tracking so I really won't know

So I feel as prepared as I am going to get! I'm down to 5.5 weeks till TTC- that seems manageable!

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

Avia, ok seriously, how excited are you?! YAY for getting good information, realizing your doctor's office is fabulous AND having on 5.5 weeks to go! So awesome to hear thing moving along properly! Oh and I'm happy to hear you're just doing the folic acid and not having bad luck thus far. Hopefully it keeps in working and you have no icky heartburn or pain. You sound like you're ready to go and that is just plain AWESOME!!!

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

I was just reading one of the other threads and saw something about royal jelly (thanks, Tammy!). Does anyone take or plan to take this?

 

[aviastar]

Avia, ok seriously, how excited are you?! YAY for getting good information, realizing your doctor's office is fabulous AND having on 5.5 weeks to go! So awesome to hear thing moving along properly! Oh and I'm happy to hear you're just doing the folic acid and not having bad luck thus far. Hopefully it keeps in working and you have no icky heartburn or pain. You sound like you're ready to go and that is just plain AWESOME!!!

Um, PRETTY EXCITED! I asked DH this morning is we couldn't, ya know, just stop taking BC after THIS pack instead...no go, haha. Apparently, a deal's a deal and April it is!

I always felt like the three weeks of colored pills went by so fast inbetween yucky AF visits, especially when you can see all the empty little holes in the packet, but now this is a great thing! It's so easy to count down!

 

[tammy77]

I was just reading one of the other threads and saw something about royal jelly (thanks, Tammy!). Does anyone take or plan to take this?

Hi Stacy! Royal jelly is fantastic stuff, but probably not necessary unless you end up with diminished ovarian reserve. It won't hurt anything at all though if you do decide to take it for the egg boost. It won't cause multiples, just healthier eggs! I didn't take it for my first two pregnancies (conceived quickly for both at 25 & 27ish yrs old) but I started taking it about 6 weeks before my bfp with this little bean (at 35, pushing 36 ugh!).

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

Avia - Well shoot! I wished he would have gone for it...no worries though, this last pack will go by super quickly (here's hoping, at least!)! Yay for almost being ready to ttc!!

Tammy - I started ready about the royal jelly stuff last night and it does seem to give some good added health benefits, regardless if ttc. Do you just eat it or is there a pill form? Do you recommend using a specific brand?

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

Scratch the royal jelly for me..I just checked and they don't recommend using it if you have asthma. Boo!

 

[tammy77]

Ahhh yeah it's a danger for you because if you happen to have an allergic reaction (since it's a bee product), it could be REALLY bad. Like I said though, I *highly* doubt you'll need it. Good luck, and have fun!