Oh the joys of being an army wife! Trying for a baby without Hubby; how does that work? I should be writing this blog from snowy North Yorkshire in our new married quarter talking about how the stress of moving and then unpacking can affect TTC, instead I'm sat on my laptop alone (Lil'Pip is in bed) in rainy wet Plymouth, while Hubby is staying in the Single Block in Topcliffe talking about TTC without a partner. Turns out our new house wont be ready until the 19th March but Hubby's job started on the 6th of this month so he's had to go without me and Lil'Pip for 6 weeks!!
So how do we try without the nookie? There will be no posting Hubby's little men, my turkey baster is for poultry only! So what can we do without spending a lot of money travelling up and down the country for just an hour of baby making, well it gives me a chance to get to know my body again properly (not in any 'self-service' sense) but it's been nearly 2 years since I've had a proper cycle.
I got pregnant in March 2010 so that was 9 months, then I've had 13 months of breastfeeding and the implant so last month, after cutting down on the number of feeds I was giving Lil'Pip and having the implant removed in December I had my first period, which when TTC is always a little bit :( but it means my body is now definitely ready to make another baby.
So now I can start learning my cycle again and noting when I'm most fertile, bring on the graphs!
So what else can we do while were apart? (Because lets remember it takes two people to get pregnant) Roughly working out (without obviously knowing my cycle properly) were going to be apart for 2 cycles so it would be great to actually use this time positively instead of just wasting 2 months trying when were already limited on time before Hubby goes to Afghan.
The most positive thing we can do now is prepare our bodies for TTC and in my case being pregnant again.
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| Image from http://www.sanatogenpregnancy.co.uk/ |
I was lucky enough a couple of weeks ago to attend the Emma's Diary bloggers event where I got to meet some of the lovely companys which support the Diary. I also got some samples to try, one of which is Santogen's 'Mother and Father to be'- Multi vitamins for couples when trying for a baby.
I'd never seen multivitamins for a man TTC before but the 'Father to be' contains key nutrients including Zinc which is important for a healthy male reproductive system and then it also includes Santogen's 'Mother to be' which contains 18 vitamins and minerals including Folic Acid, good for your health and Baby's development once you get pregnant. So even apart we each take our 1 tablet daily (when remembered- this is why I had the implant and not the minipil!l) and together are getting our bodies ready for TTC.
Another great company I talked to were the ladies from Tena who have just released a great free app for iPhone and android for your Pelvic Floor exercises. Last time I was pregnant I didn't really think about my PF until after Lil'Pip was born which meant I had a couple of 'Ooops moments' including at 8 months pregnant walking to the Midwifes (luckily only round the corner) and sneezing... DO i need to explain any more lol!
So this time I'm starting early (or should I say continuing as still do them since Lil'Pips birth) and The ‘my pff’ application is awesome, it has daily reminders and has tutorials from professional pilates instructors so no excuse not to do them right or forget. Also little tip, Pelvic Floor Muscles don't just help with those 'Ooops moments' its also great for your sex life, especially if you can learn to do them while your 'ahem' making, it keeps the fun in trying (or not trying) and believe me your partner will thank you :P
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| Image from http://www.lightsbytena.co.uk/ |
Finally, and probably the biggest task I'm attempting is to lose some weight (OMG Wish me luck) to try and get down to a healthier BMI after having Lil'Pip. Not only is a healthy BMI recommended when TTC but I'm running out of excuses now to still have my baby weight (and a bit more lol) I've used the breastfeeding excuse for 13 months now to not diet but the time is here, its time to lose some tires! It'll make conceiving easier, pregnancy healthier and I'm sure Hubby wont complain when with more body confidence I jump him :P
So wish me luck TTC without a partner, and a big shout out to any other ladies out there who have to cope with being away from their husband regularly whether TTC or not. It's not easy to be away from the person you love and it takes a lot of strength to be in a relationship when one or both of you has to be away for long periods of time. But hey, they must be worth it or we wouldn't do this to ourselves, I know Hubby definitely is :)
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