Reddit mentions of The Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant

Plan to study about fertility because the road is uncertain and understanding your body is the best thing you can do for yourself!

Two Books: I loved the second but people here are fans of the first:

https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Charge-Your-Fertility-Anniversary/dp/0062326031/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=N70G5RAJRC1PGK7QSCDA

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https://www.amazon.com/Impatient-Womans-Guide-Getting-Pregnant/dp/1451620705

The latest studies point towards O-2 being the most fertile day, so don't stress!

From The Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant:

> Most books, Internet sites, and OPK or fertility monitor instruction sheets say that the day you ovulate is the most fertile. But the latest research, based on four different studies, shows that the most fertile days are one and two days before ovulation. For women in their late 20s and early 30s, the chance of getting pregnant on the day of ovulation is less than 1 in 10, but two days before ovulation it’s 1 in 3— three times higher!

And no, the sperm won't survive. They can last for days inside you, but they die very quickly outside the body.

Were you on BC? If so, when did you come off?

If you will notice, a lot of women here are past 2 cycles. Why? B/c TTC is 80% luck and only 20% of what you do. So don't stress out too much that you're on Cycle 2 and haven't won the lottery yet :)

Do you have an app to track your cycle? (I recommend Fertility Friend of Ovia) This will help a lot. You can narrow the serious baby makin' to 5 days of the entire month. However, you would likely be fine with doing it every other day.

(Note: Those Amazon fertility tests don't test mobility, just count...not the most reliable)

I would also recommend getting "OPKs" from Amazon (Wondfo brand is cheap). This tells you when you're having a hormonal surge right before ovulation.

I also recommend buying "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" or "The Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant. These books give you all the information you need to know about your cycle. (The second book is the shorter version)

ALSO, Are you tracking your cervical mucus (CM) or cervical position? Cervical mucus changes throughout your cycle, and it is the best natural indicator of when you're most fertile.

Position doesn't really matter - your body is developed to get preggo in all sorts of positions.

Sorry if I gave too much information and not what you were looking for. I've been here too long. hahahah

I have found that the books are always less-stressing. My favorite was the Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant.

If price is an issue, your local library will either have a copy or can do an inter-library loan to get it for you.

Otherwise, Amazon has it on paperback or Kindle

Welcome and congratulations on starting your TTC journey. It's usually a very exciting time for couples. :)

I'd suggest reading Taking Charge of Your Fertility as it explains a lot of things that will be helpful to you as you continue in your TTC efforts. Another book I've heard is good for TTC, though I haven't read it myself and cannot confirm, is The Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant.

> I tried a few ovulation tests earlier in the month and after getting faint second lines I decided it was close enough and we BD'd.

It's good that you've been having sex so you don't miss your fertile window. But you should know that an OPK isn't considered positive till the test line is as dark, or darker, than the control line. A lot of women, myself included, will literally always be able to pull at least a faint line on an OPK. I could drink a gallon of water at 11pm on CD3 and still get a faint test line. I've literally never seen an OPK without at least a faint line on it. And I realized the other day that I halfway (completely illogically) believe that if I dipped an OPK in water there would be a faint second line. Which of course isn't how it works but to illustrate just how weird it would be for me to see an OPK without a test line.

I personally would chalk up the spotting and the symptoms to your hormones regulating after the pill. A lot of ladies have a wonky first cycle or two. I know some lady who had strangely short cycles. Other have weirdly long cycles. Some ladies have a normal cycle length but O'd late and had a very abnormally short luteal phase. Basically what I'm saying here is that yes your cycle may be totally normal the first month but more often than not something is off with the first cycle. And what that something is could be anything.

Just to dispel this myth really quick: implantation bleeding isn't really a thing. No I'm not saying you can't have spotting/bleeding and also be pregnant. You definitely can be pregnant and have some spotting/bleeding at some point. It isn't even that uncommon to have a tiny bit of spotting/bleeding at some point during a pregnancy. However, there is no evidence at all that implantation is capable of causing bleeding. So "implantation bleeding" is at the very least a misnomer. Here is a study on bleeding in very early pregnancy. Here is a quote from the study:

>We found no support for the hypothesis that implantation can produce vaginal bleeding.

I've looked at a couple of other research articles on the issue and I have never once seen anything in the research that suggests implantation can, or does, cause bleeding.

There is also this study that is based off self-reported data on a TTC site. It found:

>There is no solid evidence in the graph for the occurrence of so-called implantation spotting.

and

>The chance that spotting will happen on any given DPO is greater for non-pregnant women than for pregnant. In DPOs 0-9 this means that spotting is a slightly negative indicator for pregnancy.

>In DPOs 10-20, in contrast, it is a strongly negative indicator since the primary cause of spotting in those DPOs is oncoming menstruation. The large bulge in the non-pregnant curve shows this clearly.

I'm not saying you're definitely not pregnant. I'm just saying that you may not want to assume that spotting is a great sign that you're likely pregnant. It seems like a great way to end up really hurt by false hope.

A mental mind fuck can be nice . If I when I'd like this book

If you haven't got it already, I would get Taking Charge of Your Fertility http://www.amazon.com/Taking-Charge-Fertility-Anniversary-Edition/dp/0060881909/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376092312&sr=8-1&keywords=taking+charge+of+your+fertility

A lot of people also seem to like the Impatient Women's Guide to Getting Pregnant, but I haven't read it myself. http://www.amazon.com/Impatient-Womans-Guide-Getting-Pregnant/dp/1451620705/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376092348&sr=8-1&keywords=impatient+woman%27s+guide+to+getting+pregnant

Personally, I like charting on the taking charge of your fertility website (tcoyf.com) better than Fertility Friend. The website does run a little slow but it is easier to use in my opinion.

Good luck to you! I really love the book The Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant. You can get the Kindle edition immediately (if you're impatient like me!).

I suggest keeping it simple. Focus on eating nutrient dense whole food as much as you can and take a good prenatal (or 400 mcg folic acid/folate at the very least) to start.

I can't comment on the Celiac, but I have IBS and throwing a bunch of new things into my diet all at once is never a good idea for me. I also try to manage my stress, get enough sleep, and exercise moderately.

When I first started trying, I was tempted to take all the things. The great wild internets makes it extremly tempting to take all of the supplements and herbs. I also think that the fertility "industry" does a really good job at preying on our desire and our insecurities about fertility. So, in my opinion, a lot of this stuff hasn't been rigorously scientifically proven enough to be both safe and effective enough for me to take it.

In the Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant, she recommends giving your body at least 3 months to do it's own thing before adding in extra supplements and herbs beyond the basics. This gives your body a chance to start regulating naturally, especially after coming off of the pill.

I also really liked the recommendations in It Starts with the Egg because the author goes into the science behind egg quality, evaluates the studies, and makes recommendations.

I settled on my own routine that I'm fairly happy with. A prenatal, Vitamin D, Omega-3, Ubiquinol (a form of CoQ10), and B6. I'm still skeptical about the B6 even, but it really seems to be helping my CM.

Good luck with everything. I'm sure you'll get tons of advice.

edit: Spelling because I'm tired.

The Impatient Woman's Guide to getting pregnant: http://www.amazon.com/Impatient-Womans-Guide-Getting-Pregnant/dp/1451620705

I'm reading it right now. Very research-oriented and practical while also fun to read, I like it a lot.

I really liked The Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant when we were trying to conceive and then the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy once I was pregnant

tl;dr: had it for 8 years, out in Dec, pregos in Feb, start taking a prenatal now, don't stress out too bad

Hi OP! It really causes some anxiety, right?? I can totally relate. I had my mirena for 8 years (I know, I know) so when I had it removed in December when we were ready to TTC, I was super stressed. (Like worrying for months before removal that I was screwed, but not in the good, let's make a baby screwed kind of way.) My first period after removal arrived right on time, but it was really short and light. So I started taking a daily baby aspirin along with a prenatal, tracking my cycle, trying to get an idea for when I should ovulate, and read a couple of good books to help me understand the whole conception process. (OMG. The things I know now. Creating life is a goddamn miracle.) I estimated the best window, and got busy every couple days during it. 👍🏼 No dice for January. Period came right on time and that shit was heavy and lasted a goddamn week. (Like full on, this is why I went on the mirena, hurry up and get pregnant so no more periods, I need a menstruating hut so I can deal with this in a safe space, PERIOD.) Afterwards, I went back to tracking my ovulation and made sure my husband and I had some fun around the right time. "Haha," we joked, "wouldn't it be hilarious if we conceived on Valentines Day and were totally that couple, lol lol lol." 🙄

So, now I'm 14 weeks and a few days. Everything is going well so far 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼although, did have some minor spotting and cramping around 6 weeks. I'm still taking the prenatal, but quit the baby aspirin after The Period. (Which was good, because apparently it's not a good thing to take once you're actually pregnant. 🤷🏻‍♀️)

About the baby aspirin: I read some studies that showed it can increase blood flow and help thicken the uterine lining. I reasoned that my body was probably like "lol, what's a uterine lining" after 8 years on the mirena and never getting a period during those 8 years. But, I am NOT a doctor or a nurse and I did NOT consult a doctor or a nurse before hand. So please don't take that as advice.

Here is the advice I would give you: have fun. Have so much fun. Have all the fun. Enjoy the process. Have sex because it is fun and helps you and your partner connect and become closer. Honestly, I'm a little disappointed that things happened so fast for us, cause a couple more months might have been good for us. Also start taking a prenatal now!

But. If you're like me and need to understand how TF this all works, read some books. My sister gave me these books: https://www.amazon.com/Impatient-Womans-Guide-Getting-Pregnant/dp/1451620705 and https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0062326031/ref=pd_aw_fbt_14_img_2/130-9845686-7028617?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=AM8QGX8PCVXKVWT3V6J8, both of which clarified all the things for me. I also bought this OTK (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00E5LAXZW/ref=mp_s_a_1_6_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1494602119&sr=8-6&keywords=Easy%40Home) because I am not a patient woman.

I'm rooting for you and I hope you come back in the right amount of time for you with good news! 😘😘😘

Hi, you sound like me! I'm also 32 and WTT but until January 2019, and just got off the HBC pill a month ago after 15 years on it so that I could start temping and tracking, which I've been doing this month (and was very proud of my body for ovulating right away! Not what I expected since last time I went off it took my body 3 months to ovulate/get a period). My biggest recommendation: buy Taking Charge of Your Fertility. It explains temping and tracking in great detail and will overall teach you all kinds of things about your body - I found it fascinating. All the elements you have to know are a little too complicated to explain in a small space, so I really recommend reading the whole book. It also tells you how to use the method as (very effective!) birth control, which is what we are using (along with withdrawal around fertile times) for the year. I also recommend The Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant, especially since you mentioned age worries - the author wrote it with women like us in mind, as she had two children in her mid-late 30s and another at 40. She reviews a ton of research and generally made me feel a lot more relaxed about my age. (Coincidentally, those are the two books this sub recommends, but I have read both and really think they cover everything!)

Also, join us at /r/waiting_to_try!

I can't remember the specifics but in The Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant she mentions being careful to not take too many B supplements. I would suggest doing a little research and checking to see how much B vitamin is in your prenatal.