Pregnancy after loss can be so hard, which we know first hand. After our miscarriage I remember googling tips and tricks to have a healthy pregnancy, hoping something would work. When we announced our pregnancy a few weeks ago, the top questions we got were about before we even got pregnant. So many of you wanted to know what we did to prep for conception; if I took any special supplements, how long it took to conceive, etc. Below I’ll go through the most common questions we got! Please remember the road to a baby looks different for everyone and no two people’s pregnancy journeys are alike. Maybe some of the things we did will help you to conceive (I hope they do!) But maybe some of it was just plan ol’ luck. Either way, if you have any questions or just want to vent, I’m always here!
Were you on birth control before TTC?
Yes! I had been on the pill form of birth control (lo estrin) continuously for about 5 years. Before TTC I’d read that it was best to go off 3-6 months before TTC. Your body can react a little funky for a few months while it adjusts back to it’s regular cycle. About 6 months before we started TTC I finally stopped taking BC and luckily my body immediately adjusted. I’d always had pretty predictable, average cycles. But it was still a relief when I didn’t have any crazy changes going off birth control.
Biggest tips for the period before officially TTC?
Aside from going off birth control a few months before trying, there are a couple other things I highly recommend:
(1) I definitely recommend investing in quality prenatals (more on what I take later). It’s best to have these in your system already once you do conceive.
(2) You and your partner should get a full physical check up beforehand. Focus on levels of vitamins so you can take care of any deficiencies. I had to take extra vitamin D due to my Hashimoto’s disease.
(3) Lastly, (and tbh maybe most importantly) I would start tracking your periods with an app (I used Glow). This way you’re really in tune with your cycle. You can see if there are any issues you need to address with a doctor. If your periods aren’t regular, are really long/short, you may want to bring it up to a Dr. This can be an indicator on whether or not you’re ovulating optimally. Also, if you know your cycle well it can make it easier to predict when you will ovulate…
Did you track your temperature or anything while TTC?
I didn’t. If you’re not familiar with this method, it’s called Basal Body Temperature. It’s been around since before sliced bread (99% sure this is a fact). It’s where women track ovulation by taking their temperature at the same time every day (morning, before getting up). The idea is that your temperature will rise slightly when you are ovulating, so if you track well then you can predict the days leading up to ovulation and plan sex around then. To be honest, pregnancy after loss is already A LOT of stress to deal with. This just felt like a lot of work for me and I wanted this process to feel as organic as possible without putting pressure on ourselves. Had we taken longer to conceive I may have tried this option.
Wait… so did you use anything to help predict ovulation?
Yes! Once we started trying I used ovulation sticks. These are the exact ovulation sticks I used — from amazon, obviously, lol. I liked that it was a huge pack that also had pregnancy tests (which I also used!) Another plus – they weren’t a million plastic tubes destroying the environment. I HIGHLY recommend ovulation sticks because they are the most accurate at catching ovulation. They can give you really good insight into your fertility.
How long did it take you to conceive?
I want to preface this by saying that doctors say it’s normal to take up to a year to conceive if you are under 35, so don’t worry if it takes you a bit longer! I know pregnancy after loss, and trying after a miscarriage makes every minute you’re not pregnant feel like an eternity. Just wanted to gently remind ya that it’s perfectly normal for it to take some time!
It was quick for Erik and I — the first time we got pregnant, it took 2 months to conceive. Sadly, we lost that pregnancy at 8 weeks (I’ll be sharing my miscarriage story at some point). We started trying again as soon as we got the green-light from our doctor. This time we conceived our third month trying.
In hindsight I feel so lucky and appreciative that it didn’t take very long. However, I still remember vividly being in the thick of it. Thinking I was pregnant, seeing negative tests, and truly believing I may never be able to get pregnant/carry to term. TTC for long periods of time, pregnancy loss, and infertility are the thief of joy. If you’re dealing with any/all of those I can only recommend that you allow yourself to feel all the feelings. Then get back up and let yourself enjoy the baby making process (the sex, not the peeing on the sticks and tracking shit in an app — that all sucks.)
What prenatals and supplements do you take?
Y’all know I love amazon but I cannot emphasize this enough — DO NOT BUY YOUR PRENATALS OFF OF AMAZON. There are so many scams out there, expired bottles, different ingredients than the actual pills, etc. Please go to a GNC, Vitamin shoppe, or similar store. Remember that this is going in your body and your baby will heavily rely on these nutrients. You want them to be legit. These are the prenatals I swear by. I never felt sick by them during the first trimester and I love that they are all natural. None of the filler junk that is in so many other prenatals. I also take these DHA supplements because they’re highly rated by the american pregnancy association. They give you the DHA from natural, organic fish sources.
Did you need to do anything special because of Hashimoto’s while TTC?
I could, and will, write an entire post on Hashimoto’s Disease in relation to trying to conceive and pregnancy in general. The short answer is that yes, I did need to do some special things. A few off the top of my head — go gluten free, get your thyroid levels checked before TTC, make sure your prenatal has folate and NOT folic acid (the synthetic version of folate), and as soon as you get a positive pregnancy test go to your doctor to test your levels again. They will likely be off and without medicine unregulated high TSH levels (above 2.5) can cause miscarriage. If you go to the doctor and adjust your meds you should be all good! With Hashi’s it’s just about more monitoring during pregnancy 🙂
What about workouts? Did you change anything while TTC?
A little! I did less heavy weight workouts and tried to exert 8/10 instead of a full 10/10 drenched in sweat, about to pass out, kind of effort. I mostly stuck to fun spin workouts a few times a week and lots of meditation. Don’t forget that your mental health is just as important as your physical health! Once I got pregnant I stopped working out — pregnancy after loss makes you cautious about EVERYTHING and I didn’t want to chance “working out too hard” (not a thing!) Also, because of covid starting, we fled to New Hampshire and I didn’t have our spin bike — but I did do some yoga and try to go on walks for at least an hour a day. Yes, even in the dead of winter. I’m a real trooper, please reward me in Oreos and praise.
Those have been my most asked questions about trying to conceive but if you have any that I didn’t answer, please feel free to comment below! I should have a recap of my first trimester up on the in the next week or two — that one is a real doozy with some twists and turns so stay tuned! Also, if you’re a mama-to-be be sure to check out my pregnancy page!
PS. TTC + Pregnancy after loss is hard enough so please remember to be kind to yourself! Here for you *virtual hugs*
