Trying to Have a Baby!! - Chicago,IL

Eat low fat food, excercise, no alcohol, no smoking, no drugs of ANY kind (sometimes a combination of different over-the-counter drugs can decrease fertility), and make whoopie every OTHER day (not every day).

Best of luck! :)

It took me a lot longer to get pregnant with my second. I started using the ovulation tests (the ones that look like a pregnancy test) and it worked very well. Can't remember the brand, I think it was Clearblue easy, try to get the ones with multiple in a pack. Good Luck!!

Try the ovulation sticks. One round of those and we were pregnant the next month. I'm 36yrs with a beautiful 6 month old. Thanks to ovulation sticks.

I wouldn't over think it, make it a job or a mission. Just enjoy this time with your husband and make some love!

I second the book "taking charge of your fertility". It worked for me and I can't tell you how many people I have referred it to who later told me, "I can't believe I was doing it all wrong". "It" refers to the whole temperature, ovulating, cervical mucous thing, not the sex part!!!
I don't know much about the IUD situation, but I know this books help you know when you CAN get pregnant and and it helps you figure out your cycle.
Good luck,
S.

Track your ovulation and have sex 2 days prior to ovulation and very regularly over that time, and continue doing so until 2 days past your ovulation date. Start taking prenatals now, esp folic acid and avoid alcohol, smoking, etc. Lay flat for as long as you can after intercourse (or just go to sleep). Have fun and just try to forget about it! It may happen the first month but probably won't. The more you stress about it, the longer it will take!

Hi T.!
Exciting to try! My husband and I will be there in a couple months. The suggestions I have are this.
1)Know when you are ovulating. I know the tests can get expensive, but if you want to conceive sooner than later that's the best bet.
2)Start taking a pre-natal right now. It's a good vitamin in general, so it can't hurt.
3)Have sex everyday during your ovulation "window." If it helps, go to www.babycenter.com and track your ovulation (then use the tests to see exactly when). Type in ovulation calculator into search engine.
4)Don't stress and just have fun!!
You'll find a TON of suggestions/advice from any and everyone. One suggestion we used was having sex in the morning after we found out that I was ovulating and then I laid with my hips elevated for like 20 minutes while I caught some extra zzz's.
Good luck and let me know if you have any other ?'s!

A.***

I was 30 and had a ParaGard (copper T) IUD for 5 years before beginning to try to have our second child. It took us about 8 months of faithfully using ALL the guidelines in "Taking Control (or is it Charge?) of Your Fertility" before we got pregnant. In the meantime, it made me crazy to hear people say stuff like, "Relax. It will happen when it happens." It was a mistake to tell my family and friends that we were trying to get pregnant because everyone started asking how it was going. When it wasn't going well, I was really sad.

I think posting questions on a board like this is a great way to get support and guidance. Best wishes to you!

Hi T.! I read a book called "Taking Control (or Charge) of your Fertility". It was very interesting and taught me how to learn the natural cycle of my body. It worked for us - every time we tried to have a baby, I got pregnant right away (it worked 3 times - my first one was a miscarriage). But I got pregnant within the first 3 days of tring, which was great, because sex when you're trying to have a baby rather than have fun is EXHAUSTING!!!! Get the book though - there are just some really good things to know about how our female bodies work. Best wishes!!! It'll happen for you when it's meant to :)
E.

I used the Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor and got preganant the first month I used it with my first child (I was 31), and the second month I used getting pregnant with my second child (was 33).
I bought my monitor on ebay and test sticks on ebay as well.
Also, I started eating better, exercising, and taking good care of myself before I got pregnant. And I took prenatal vitamins while I was trying to get pregnant.
Good luck & best wishes!

The Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor is the best and sooo easy to use! After we tried for about a year my doc. recommended it and it worked the first month we used it! Definitely worth the money. I bought mine on Amazon.

Make sure you're taking prenatal vitamins.

Ovulation tests are great. You don't have to buy the expensive ones, in fact, I found that the Target brand was more reliable.

Decrease or eliminate alcohol & caffeine, and just generally try to eat well and take care of yourself. Decrease stress as much as possible, and relax & have fun while you're trying! You're still young, so don't worry right away. I believe the average amount of time to get pregnant is 6 months. (But if you do end up having trouble, consult your doctor. IF you need a fertility doctor, Fertility Centers of IL is wonderful! DON'T go to a man named Dr. Scott Springer!)

Good luck!

I love the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility". It tracks ovulation and lets you know when your best chances of getting pregnant are. You can either chart it on paper or download software (for a fee) to help you out. It worked great for us and many friends of ours! The website is www.ovusoft.com. Good luck!

Hi,

Congrats on the decision to expand your family! I used the clearblue easy fertility monitor. It is a little expensive ($200.00) at Target, but you can look around on the internet and find it cheaper. It is different from other test strips because it is digital, so it completely eliminates any guessing about your ovulation date. It also gives you a larger window of time, because it tells you when you are at low, high and peak fertility. I also charted my basal temperature which for me, corresponded exactly with the monitor results. One other thing, there is a holistic place called pulling down the moon, and they counsel about pre-conception vitamins and lifestyle changes that can help with fertility. They also have acupuncture and massage to assist with fertility. They are located in Chicago, Naperville and Arlington heights. Feel free to email me if you have additional questions!

Good luck!

Reduce or eliminate caffeine intake prior to conception and at least through the first trimester.

You should look into www.fertilityfriend.com to learn about your body and learn how to get pregnant faster.

chiropractic and acupunture.I know a wonderful Dr. if interested

T.,
there are ovulating kits that you can buy that will tell you exactly when you are ovulating, and also, you can go to Fruitful Yield (there is one in Schaumburg) and buy fertility supplements that will nourish your body and make it more likely to conceive. They are in the women's section. If you go on a Saturday the staff is very knowledgable.

Try taking geritol, it worked for me & i got pregnant with my 1st child at 38. it worked for a few of my friends also. The old folks would say it makes you fertile. Good luck.

Hi T.,

I see your other responses about the books and ovulating and I would take that advice. I can tell you that one of the most important things is try to get it off your mind. It took me 16 mo. with my first and 14 mo. with my second. My husband and I both had fertility tests and everyting else and we were fine. The doctor said that if I obsess over it (which I was with both) that it could actually throw me off and take longer. Soooo, relax and let nature take its course. Good luck.

Read "Taking Charge of your Fertility" by Toni Weschler. It will tell you everything you need to know about the best way to get pregnant, and the best way to avoid it, using your body's natural signs and cues. http://www.amazon.com/Taking-Charge-Your-Fertility-Annive...

I would definetly give it some time, and pray about it. You just recenly got the I.U.D. removed, just wait a little and try not to think about it and just enjoy your life and continue to make love to your husband, not thinking about conceiving. If your body is under any stress that can interfere with you conceiving. Just relax and go with the flow.

"Taking Charge of Your Fertility" is an awesome book which helped me get pregnant after just 4 months (having taken the pill for the previous 18 years). All you need is a regular oral thermometer to track your basal body temp first thing every morning.
Good luck!

Hi T.,
Congratulations on taking steps to have a baby! Vitamins are a good idea and making other healthy food choices. I usually get a sensation of mild cramping when I am ovulating. I suggest taking a local yoga class to open your hips.

C.
mother of 3 and yoga teacher

Hi T.. Have you tried Acupuncture? Acupuncture and chiropractic works well. There are test kits out there that can tell you when you are ovulating. Eat a balanced, sensible diet. Get a blood work up done and take it to the chiropractor. If your uterus is tipped, he can help with that. The acupuncture can help free up the pathways to help the process along. AND NO DRUGS! S.

Hi T.,

For both of my pregnancies I used an ovulation calendar that let's you know your most fertile days. You just enter the first day of your last period and the lenght of your cycle and it calculates the days for you. Both times I was pregnant within a month and a half. I used the one privided at www.BabyCenter.com. I believe webmd has one as well.

Good luck!

M.

you may also try a website called www.fertilityfriend.com. They have a free "course" that helps you to understand your fertility signs and also how to take and record your basal body temperature. I think you get one month free VIP trial and then after that, the charting part is free...and if you want to have access to the message boards and stuff, there is a fee, but it is reasonable.

Read the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility. Use Fertility Friend.com to chart and track your cycles, including cervical mucous. Start taking a multivitiman with a folic acid pill or a prenantal vitamin everyday. Have sex in your fertile window either every day or every other day. (Very Important) Remember that the average healthy couple takes 6-12 months to get pregnant (it is rare to get pregnant on the first cycle). Every healthy coulpe only has a 20% chance of getting pregnant each cycle.

You can also use OPKs (Ovulation predictor kits) to find your fetile window (especially if you don't see fertile cervical mucous). They DO NOT tell you when you ovulate. They predict a time frame in which you might ovulate due to a hormone called Lh (leutenizing hormone) in your system. (Ovulation is also affected by stess, illness and your body. It can be delayed due to outside stresses) OPKs can predict your ovulation in 12-14 hours beforehand. The ONLY way to know you ovulated is to chart your temperature every morning with a BBT (basal thermometer).

Good Luck!

Try not to THINK about it. Just do it...once we stopped TRYING is when it happened. Good Luck!