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As some of you may know, I suffered a miscarriage 3 and a half years ago. It was hard for me to wrap my mind around it at the time, but as the days go on, it becomes a little easier to deal with; not forget, because I will never forget that I had life in my womb for 2 and a half months.

A couple of weeks after my D&C procedure, I had a follow-up visit with the OBGYN who did my surgery.  Basically asking what my plans were and how I was feeling and if everything has been alright post-op. Everything was pretty normal. Very minimal bleeding and pain, emotions like a rollercoaster. I literally cried when Shrek 3 came on TV after seeing all of their babies. I was sad before that but that just pushed me over the top. I still get sad of course, but life must go on since I had my Arya girl that I needed to be mentally, emotionally, and physically there for.

My doctor said my husband and I could try to conceive again after I had my first menstrual cycle, but we had decided to wait a few months since I was dealing with waves of emotions with hormones and needed my mental health to be prepared for anything. We did end up trying a couple of months after that and then ended up getting pregnant in August with our Delilah girl.

Pregnancy can be scary and stressful, especially if you’re worried about all of the possible scenarios that could go wrong. My suggestion to you is to just enjoy it, connect with the growing life inside of you, and don’t worry about the what-ifs. But, if you can’t get past the thoughts in your head, you can try these things before you attempt to get pregnant. Some obvious no-brainers too.

 

5 Things You Should do Before Trying to Conceive

 

1.) Quit drinking, smoking, doing drugs.

These should all be common sense, but you would be appalled at the number of people who continue to smoke throughout their pregnancy. My sister and my mother both smoked with every one of their pregnancies, and thankfully, every one of us turned out fine, but that doesn’t make it okay. Studies have shown that even second-hand smoke can cause fertility issues.

Some doctors say that a glass of wine is okay while pregnant, but experts at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics, as well as other public health officials in the United States, recommend that pregnant women (and women who are trying to conceive) play it safe by not drinking alcohol in any amount.

2.) Start taking folate immediately.

You want to be taking it at least a month in advance of trying to conceive. This will lessen your chances of having a baby with spina bifida by 50-70%! If you take a multivitamin with folic acid in it, make sure it’s at least 800 mcg. Just know that folic acid is the synthetic form of folate and folate occurs naturally in food.

3.) Lessen your caffeine intake.

If you’re a big coffee drinker who has to have multiple cups of coffee a day, you need to at least cut back to 200 mg which equals one 12 oz cup of coffee until more conclusive studies are done on the effects of caffeine on a fetus.  And a new study shows that high consumption of caffeine is linked to miscarriages. I did not know this. I drink about a cup a day, but more so when I go to Dutch bros and get the medium drink.

4.) Research OBGYN’s in your area that accepts your health insurance.

Nothing is worse than getting stuck with someone who doesn’t listen or care for your needs like they should. I recommend reading reviews of doctors and the clinic you would be seen at before deciding. If you’re in Vancouver, WA, I highly recommend Dr. Anna Bell-Hibbs and Dr. Jacob Calvert

5.) Stock your fridge with healthier foods. 

You’ll need to start making nutritious food choices now so that you will be getting all of the nutrients you need for a healthy pregnancy. You should try to eat at least 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables every day, as well as high calcium and protein-rich foods.

Just know that these tips won’t guarantee that you will become pregnant. If you have fertility issues, you need to seek medical advice from a practitioner. I wish everyone success who is looking to become pregnant. It is no easy task, especially if you’re desperately trying to conceive.

Once you’ve done these things, you will want to start tracking your ovulation so you know the best time to try and conceive

Grab SmileReader Ovulation Test Kits so you can take the guesswork out of trying to conceive. SmileReader aims to be a strong supporter during the process of pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. The SmileReader Ovulation Test Kit includes ovulation and pregnancy test strips and can be used together with the SmileReader app to aid you in conception. I loved being able to track my ovulation cycle so that I knew when I was most fertile. It really didn’t take too long to conceive my babies, but it was a downer every month when it didn’t work. You literally have a 25% chance of getting pregnant each month, which isn’t high odds, so figuring out when you’re ovulating is a BIG BIG help.

 

About SmileReader Ovulation Kits

• With the SmileReader Ovulation Kit, you get free access to theSmileReader app.
• The test strips are easy to use and over 99% accurate
• They take the guesswork out of trying to conceive.
• The kits are available in various size options that include both ovulation and pregnancy tests.
• SmileReader Ovulation Kits are available in various quantities and typically retail for: $3.49 for the 5 LH + 1 HCG kit, $11.89 for the 30 LH + 10 HCG kit, and $13.98 for the 50 LH + 20 HCG kit.

What Can The Smile Reader App Do?

The app allows you to track various factors that can affect your fertility: period, basal body temperature, cervical mucus, sex, notes, symptoms, and mood. It also allows you access to your test history and a simple way of marking whether or not you had sex with a discreet heart that you click.

One of my favorite parts of the app is that it allows you to look at a chart of your results that also estimates when your next expected period is. When you take an ovulation test and upload your results to the app via a picture they are seamlessly added so you can help increase your odds of getting pregnant.

Use the test kit to predict ovulation using the following instructions

Enter your last menstrual cycle into the SmileReader app, complete a urine strip test, and upload an image of the strip. SmileReader lets you know the best time to take your test and provides tailor-made message cards. Messages correspond to your unique status, but work towards the same goal, as outlined below.

1. Once you have entered your last menstrual cycle dates, the app will calculate the best time to start ovulation testing.
2. Until the LH hormone fully peaks, you may see several messages such as “Try Tomorrow”, “The LH level is low”, and “The LH level is in mid-range”. SmileReader recommends tests be taken at the same time each day until you have a surge in the LH hormone.
3. When your LH levels have reached their highest value, the app provides a message reading “You got a peak today, you have the maximum chance of conception” with an image of a baby’s smiling face.
4. Keep testing until you see a message “As LH surge has passed, you are ovulating today! Today is the last day of the period with the highest likelihood of conception”. This will be displayed a day or two after the LH surge. Just keep this in mind, test until you see a baby’s smiling face displayed on your screen. Those are your most fertile days, on which you are most likely to get pregnant.

Get 20% off the SmileReader 50 LH + 20 HCG kit on amazon.com with the promo code SMILE5020 through December 31, 2020.