Keep Living Your Life

Once you decide it's time to have a baby, it can be a very stressful time in your life. When you are trying to conceive (TTC), you are warned to always behave as if you were, in fact, pregnant already. Some doctors recommend not drinking any alcohol, decreasing physical activity, taking prenatal vitamins, decreasing travel, etc. This is to provide the best chances for your baby, should you indeed fall pregnant. But what about those women that take years to get pregnant? Should they act as if they are pregnant for years? Then your entire life revolves around this one thing, that may not change for a long while. 

I had been hesitant to sign up for anything or plan any trip in the early months of TTC. I kept thinking to myself, maybe I'll be pregnant by then, so I shouldn't waste my money on that! By now, I've become a bit more rational and realized you have to just keep living your life. If you don't, you can end up obsessing and feeling really depressed about actually doing anything with your life while you are waiting. 

As for me, I've just signed up for a half marathon and a half ironman. One of my doctors has recommended I get down to a BMI of 22 (!) so races are a good way to have a goal to reach while decreasing my weight. Apparently, losing body fat can trigger ovulation in women with PCOS. I am one of the lucky ones, a "lean" PCOS with an acceptable BMI. These races aren't only good for decreasing my weight, they are also giving me something to look forward to. I've decided that, worst case scenario, I can just pull out of the race. It will mean I lose some money - but if I'm pregnant, I don't think I'll mind much. I'm also looking into a few local trips to take - things I'd like to do one last time pre-baby. Like a trip to Cinque Terre, Italy, or a weekend visit to Croatia. In fact, I'm taking recommendations for travel in Europe if anyone has any ideas! 

Finishing my first half-ironman!

If you're reading this because it is also taking you longer than you thought to conceive and you are wishing for your rainbow, how do you keep living your life? That glass of wine with dinner (savoring it and wondering if it might be your last), that soak in the hot tub, that exotic beach vacation? Because while TTC can really affect your current life, you shouldn't have to stop living.