Categotry Archives: Preconception Planning

Environmental factors and things “it doesn’t hurt to try”

It’s indisputable that there are certain lifestyle/environmental factors which can affect fertility. Street drug use is a big one with pot use usually having a negative effect on sperm quality/count at least in the short term. But what about everything else? And since dose makes the toxin, how much of those things? How much coffee? How much alcohol? How much weight loss is enough and how much vigorous exercise is too much? Do you need to switch to boxers three […]

Break for My Work Placement and Our Second Move

Super-Secret Post Pertaining to February through May, 2014 I know how complaining about delays must look. Here I am, with other things I’m prioritizing above treatment (like deciding to do a work placement instead of IVF), and moving cities twice in a year which obviously sets us back. It’s something that you can’t understand unless you’ve been there, and even then it’s a lot about personal coping. And for me, it’s a lot about working with incomplete information and making […]

Gravida 2, Para 0

Super-Secret Post Pertaining to Month 27 (which wasn’t over yet) More terrible news, this time far less expected. When last we left off, we were waiting for my next cycle to start so we could dive into the world of IVF.

Relishing the Restricted and Seizing Setbacks

In the stretch of preconception planning that accidentally lasted ten months instead of the expected six, I used the list of things I wouldn’t be able to do while pregnant as a to-do list. It doesn’t sound like a lot but it kept me busy: I went out to the bar two or three times a month and ate tonnes of sashimi. I pushed myself hard on a local hiking trail which was then far ahead of my fitness level […]

Baby Steps: Better Eating

I cleaned up my diet well ahead of TTC. What I figured out while doing so could be useful for anyone who’s sick of eating junk but doesn’t know how to start improving the quality of what they eat. Since I had been old enough to choose my own food, I just couldn’t feel motivated to eat properly. I knew that at some point I would get my act together but I figured it wouldn’t be until I was pregnant […]

The Pregnancy Calendar Generator

Part of deciding what “the right time” for us to start trying was working around a wedding we wanted to attend and the possibility we wouldn’t be able to fly our airline of choice for summer vacation (airlines are different and WestJet allows flying with a doctor’s note after 32 weeks, but Air Canada doesn’t allow any flying after the 36th week). I’m bad at month math and even worse at week math, so I created a way to see […]