ktgrok Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 (edited) If we do have a 4th child (current kids are 16, almost 6, and 3) we'll be trying around March or April. Not before that, as I have a book deadline the first of December and don't want to be in labor while finishing a book, lol. So, I have a few more months to maximize my health before we try. And if we don't ( But I think we will) getting healthier is only a bonus anyway. So...I'm losing weight because of my surgery, but it has slowed down and is not extreme. I am losing about one pound a week, on average, some weeks none, some weeks two pounds. I am 2 lbs away from being no longer obese! So, that is one major goal to hit before trying. I'd like to be several pounds under that BMI level, actually. So there is that. I am eating well. I eat protein and veggies at each meal for the most part...sometimes breakfast is a low carb flax meal muffin and I don't have veggies when I have that. But otherwise, usually some meat and veggies and often a sprinkle of cheese or a bit of butter or sour cream for flavor/fat. Lots of roasted brussel sprouts, which are my new addiction :) Vitamin/Supplement wise I currently take a bariatric multivitamin once a day, calcium citrate 500mg with D twice a day, CoQ10 200mg three times a day, DHEA 25mg twice a day, and 2tsp of Barleans Omega Swirl which has EPA and DHA. When we start trying I'll switch to a prenatal, or a bariatric vitamin with lower/safer amounts of fat soluble vitamins...waiting to see which I can tolerate. And I'll drop the DHEA at that point, and probably the CoQ10. The DHEA is for low libido (my levels tested at the low end of normal) and because it is supposed to help improve egg reserves and reduce miscarriages in women of advanced maternal age, as does the CoQ10. My labs a few months ago looked great. Not anemic (yay), ferritin was normal, Vitamin D was at 50, B12 was good. I'm going to repeat the labs next month and will add in a Folate level. Exercise wise I've been on the injured reserve list due to skin cancer being removed behind my knee but I will be back at the gym on Monday. Plan to do yoga classes several times a week, and walk a few days a week. I am also active in general and get 6,000 to 9,000 steps just with daily activity. Once I can go back to the gym that should go up to 10k most days. Anything else I should be doing? With my first it was an oops, same with the third, and with the 2nd I was a newlywed and didn't even think about things like getting healthy first. But now, knowing I'll be 40 in 3 months, I'm trying to do what I can to maximize the odds of a healthy pregnancy. I have always been easily fertile, but I know at this point I can't count on that. Oh, and I have a mineral IUD that I'll get removed...the doctor says you can start trying immediately but it seems to make sense to wait a month afterwards? To let the uterine lining thicken? Edited to add: Medication wise I'm only on nexium once a day. I'm attempting to wean off of that right now. The surgeon thinks I shouldn't need it anymore now that he fixed my hiatal hernia and have lost weight, but I get rebound acid so it's a slow process. Taking Zantac when I don't take the nexus, to keep the rebound at bay. I am pretty hopeful though. Edited January 21, 2016 by ktgrok 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Make sure your skin cancer issues are completely resolved. Once your body kicks into "growing" mode, everything grows, especially cancer. I took a higher level of folic acid this past go-around due to AMA. She had me take 4mg of folic acid daily to prevent neural tube defects AND she wanted me to be on that dose for a full menstrual cycle before I actively tried to conceive. She also boosted my other B vitamins and checked the other things you mention--D, various irons, etc. The geneticist emphasized that nutrition levels at the time of conception and those first 28 days are extremely important. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 I was AMA for two children. I was told: * Folic acid is very important. Take it daily to get your stores up before conception. * Up to date immunizations. The rise of no-vac families has increased the incidence of pertussis among infants. My younger two are eighteen months apart and I was given the diptheria/tetanus/pertussis immunization both times. Certain areas (like mine) have sizable no-vac/delayed vac groups and thus become illness clusters. * Rest and hydrate. Its easy to get caught up in the older three kids schedules and schoolwork. Make sure you're taking care of yourself. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 One more important thing is muscle tone. Now is a good time to work in som interval training or weight lifting if you aren't already. Nothing extreme but increasing your lymphatic pumping and blood flow is very helpful to your overall health (and I find I tolerate pregnancy much better when I've been stronger going into it, not to mention faster labors). Everyone else hit my original points already :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Did your surgeon give you suggestions? A friend of ours was told to wait 18 mos after surgery before trying to get pregnant. She had to up certain vitamins but I'm not sure on specifics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted January 21, 2016 Author Share Posted January 21, 2016 Did your surgeon give you suggestions? A friend of ours was told to wait 18 mos after surgery before trying to get pregnant. She had to up certain vitamins but I'm not sure on specifics. The surgeon's office said that although technically they prefer you weight a full year, there is no risk at this point either if I'm able to get enough food in and vitamin levels are good. And my OB said not to wait....he wanted me to already have started trying because he said each month I wait increases the risk of miscarriage or not getting pregnant at all. When I explained that to the surgeon they had no problem with me trying now, and said to get a folate level added to my regular blood work I have scheduled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 (edited) Eat well (and take whatever supplements the surgeon says) take folic acid at whatever the recommended dose. The exoensive antenatal vitamins do not prevent neural tube defects - it is the inexpensive folic acid in them which was $8 for 90 days worth or something when i bought it from the chemist. Get your husband to eat heathily, exercise, lose weight id necessary a full 3 months before you aim to conceive. The sperm needs to be healthy and you need to be healthy as possible but the egg was made a lifetime ago. I conceived in a couple of months at 39 by watching my cycle carefully but i was fairly lucky. Edited January 22, 2016 by kiwik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted January 22, 2016 Author Share Posted January 22, 2016 Eat well (and take whatever supplements the surgeon says) take folic acid at whatever the recommended dose. The exoensive antenatal vitamins do not prevent neural tube defects - it is the inexpensive folic acid in them which was $8 for 90 days worth or something when i bought it from the chemist. Get your husband to eat heathily, exercise, lose weight id necessary a full 3 months before you aim to conceive. The sperm needs to be healthy and you need to be healthy as possible but the egg was made a lifetime ago. I conceived in a couple of months at 39 by watching my cycle carefully but i was fairly lucky. Ooh, good point. He is trying to lose weight. He's eating healthier and taking a long walk on his lunch break instead of eating at his desk, that kind of thing. I got him a fitbit surge for Christmas and he actually likes it. I did realize today that I need to get more sleep, that's one health parameter I've been neglecting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RioSamba Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 I followed a plan from the book linked below and conceived at 43. The specifics of the diet and accupuncture or acupressure depend upon your circumstances. The book has an extensive diagnosis section. I did follow the plan for six months before trying to conceive (recommended), and I conceived almost immediately. I did not take the Chinese herbs. The changes in my body and cycle were swift and dramatic, and you can see the result in my signature! http://www.amazon.com/The-Infertility-Cure-Wellness-Pregnant/dp/0316159212 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted January 22, 2016 Author Share Posted January 22, 2016 I followed a plan from the book linked below and conceived at 43. The specifics of the diet and accupuncture or acupressure depend upon your circumstances. The book has an extensive diagnosis section. I did follow the plan for six months before trying to conceive (recommended), and I conceived almost immediately. I did not take the Chinese herbs. The changes in my body and cycle were swift and dramatic, and you can see the result in my signature! http://www.amazon.com/The-Infertility-Cure-Wellness-Pregnant/dp/0316159212 Thanks, I'll check it out. I also realized I should get myself to the dentist ASAP. I have some more work that needs to be done. Bergh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.