Wanting to Conceive First Child

Most doctors will tell you that it can take up to 3 to 6 months to get pregnant after you've stopped taking the pill, if you've been on it for an extended period of time. However, there is always a chance that you might conceive right away so it's best to start prenatals early. You can get them over the counter and they're good for you anyways so you might as well get a head start so that you don't have to worry later!

Hi There:

I am an adoptive Mom of a very energetic 3 yo son and a biological Mom of a very cute little 1 yo daughter. I was basically told 4 years ago that I probably wouldn't be able to conceive and maintain a full term pregnancy. We had it in our hearts to adopt for a long time before that, so we proceeded with an open, domestic adoption. Then when our son was 16 months old we decided to start the adoption process again for #2 a few months later. The same month that we decided we would start the process again was the same month that I got pg...the good old fashioned way. Because of my previous conditions we had a very healthy, but very worried pregnancy.

Since you are trying to conceive now, I would start taking a good prenatal vitamin. The one I took was by New Chapter and I got it at Henry's Marketplace. Kind of expensive, but the ingredients come from wholefoods and are freeze dried fresh. Plus those were the only prenatals that i could hold down (I had very bad morning sickness). I would also start taking some acidophilus (I take ones called Pearls in the blue box)and some Essential Oils (I prefer Udo's Choice 3-6-9 Oil). You can just add the oil into your favorite juice or greens drink. Both of these you can also get at Henry's or Wholefoods. Acidophilus is good for your digestive and defense systems. The Essential oils are good for your whole body and are really good for the brain development of baby in utero.

I really LOVE my OBGYN. Her name is Karen Kohatsu and she in RB on RB Rd and Bernardo Center Drive just East of the 15. Her number is ###-###-####. I also really like all of her staff. All of her nurses are nice and Rhoda her Nurse Practioner is also great! Since I was preggo last year she has also added a couple of OBGYN's to her practice too. Dr. Kohatsu was there for me whenever I needed her during my worrisome pregnancy. I can't tell you how many middle of the night calls she got from me. And since I was in and out of the hospital for the entire last month of my pregnancy, she came in and visited me at least once every day if not more. And this is how caring she is...she actually came in to see me one morning and told me that she couldn't sleep the previous night because she was so worried about me (at the time I was 32 weeks pregnant and having mild preterm labor). Okay, she has tons of patients, deals with hundreds of deliveries and pregnancies a year, and has done so for over a decade and she was so worried about me that she couldn't sleep? Even though she is very busy, I immediately connected with her when I first saw her about a year before I got pg because I felt her genuine compassion for her patients. Can I say enough about her or what????

Good luck!

Congrats and good luck! I would start taking a prenatal now. As mentioned it could take up to a year, it could happen very soon :) If you are eager, I would buy an ovulation kit they cost about $10.

I was told to wait a year after BC before worrying about not getting prego. Under normal circumstances, your chances of getting pregnant each month are 25%--I know this b/c I had to do insemination and the Doc told me all sorts of interesting info! If you time your ovulation and still aren't getting pregnant after 4-6 months, you might seek assistance. If you are older (over 30-35), I'd recommend using ovulation sticks, but if you are younger, just enjoy "practicing" each month and don't stress, b/c stress just makes it more difficult.

Yes, take a pre-natal vitamin each day (instead of a regular multi-vit). [I was also told, a multi is just as good, but just less folic acid, which you can take in another pill on it's own.] The brand of vitamins does NOT matter, so buy what you can swallow and/or afford.

Good luck, I am trying again too!

This is what I would do if I were you...

Put yourself on a GOOD multivitamin! That means a trip to the health food store at a bare minimum but I would really recommend getting one from a chiropractor. Many of them sell Standard Process or Metagenics. I also carry a really good multivitamin. What people don't realize about The Pill is that it depletes the body of many nutrients, the B-Vitamins being the one it depletes the most. Since Folic Acid is one of the B's you need to start building yourself back up. Yes, the B's are water soluble so what you don't need will be shed, but you want to make sure that any deficet that you might have is remedied. If this idea scares you because you think you might conceive right away then I recommend the Prenatal by Integrative Therapeutics. The prenatals that you can buy at pharmacies and the like are CRAP! They are too low in values. I was taking what I thought was a good one from a health food store and was struggling with morning sickness, dizziness and other maladies. The baby will take what it needs and leave you with nothing if it has to. Then I switched to the prenatal I referred to and I was fine. (Of course I hammed it up for my former employer so I could take more time off!)
You can get pregnant right away, but usually it's not for about 3 months.
Stay away from Kaiser OB/GYN's if you have a choice. EGADS you never know who you get and you don't get to have your OB/GYN deliver your baby. It's whoever is on duty at that time.

My husband and I conceived our first child the first month after going off of the pill. I have head it sometimes takes up to a year. When you are trying to conceive, have intercourse every other day except when you are ovulating then you should have intercourse everyday during that time.
As for prenatal vitamins they are SO important! Basically the RN at my Dr's office said anyone of childbearing years who is sexually active should be taking prenatal vitamins. The importance of this is that the neurological system...brain and spinal cord develop in the first five weeks of life and it is so important to be taking extra folic acid in to prevent abnormalities such as spinia bifidia.
A high risk OB/GYN told me when looking for pre-natal vitamins there are three things that are important: at least 1 mg of folic acid, less that 50% of a daily serving of Vit E, mine had 11IU which was 37% as too much Vit E can be toxic to a developing fetus and cause death, and iron at least 50mg. I have been taking prenatal vitamins prior to getting pregnant with my son and I plan on taking them until I go thru menopause! The biggest difference between that and a regular Multivitamin is the amount of folic acid. If your multivitamin has at least 1g then continue to take that.
If the prenatal vitamins causes nausea, take it with dinner or your biggest meal...it is best absorbed that way and least likely to upset your stomach. You can also take it right before going to bed!
Good luck!!

Hi-
I think it's a great idea to start pre-natal vitamins before you conceive, just to get them in your system. I went off the pill about 2 months before trying to conceive just to get my body regulated and then conceived the first try. But it is SOOOO different for everyone! Congatulations on your 1st daughter and best wishes conceiving #2!!!!!

As a physician, I recommend a preconception visit with your doctor (either a Family Physician or OB/Gyn. Internal medicine docs may not be comfortable with this). You should be up to date on immunizations, learn about healthy habits, take your prenatal vitamins, perhaps have some blood tests based on your history and your family history. Also, the birth control pill is a 24 hour medication and you can get pregnant immediately after stopping it. If you had irregular periods before the pill, that may continue and it may take longer to get pregnant. The only reason to wait after the pill is to track your cycle and determine when you are ovulating. If you are under 35, try for 12 months with intercourse every 1-2 days starting a few days before and ending a few days after you ovulate. If you are 35 or over and are not pregnant in 6mo, call your doctor. Ovulation typically occurs 10-14 days after the 1st day of your period if you have a 28 day cycle. You can tell you are ovulating if you have a sticky clear mucus discharge. My best advice is do not stress or worry; do eat healthy, exercise mildly to moderately, take your vitamins, do not smoke or drink and make sure your husband is healthy, not smoking, and wears boxers not briefs and stays out of jacuzzis. Good luck!