getting in shape for 2023 sway after 4 girls

[LMSM]

Me too I was going through withdrawal not being able to be on!

I hope you all feel better and have the time you need to prep for your little boy

Thanks for checking in Treens - you are so sweet!
How are feeling right now?

[LMSM]

Yes just want to give a big shout out to the site owner for getting us up and running again - very much appreciated!

Hey, keep in mind I had my baby boy at 39!

It's so hard to know when to go for it and then the school timing really does add a wrinkle, doesn't it!!

Just follow your gut and do what's best for your family first and foremost!

I feel silly for getting my head in knots over something as stupid as to when to TTC - I feel like it's probably best to just give myself a "no earlier than" TTC date and see what comes - I mean, we may try for months and months and then my trying to control the timeline would be a moot point anyways LOL
And yes, don't worry...I am past caring about age (too much) since the whole "being done before 35" boast has long sailed! I just find it ironic that when I started TTC at 25 (only had #1 at over 28) I was adamant 35 was my limit, that I wanted a boy first and preferably a majority of boys, if not only boys = here I am considering a 5h child, with 4 daughters in tow LOL
Life has a way of throwing a spanner in the works - which doesn't line up well with my desire to control, well, life ^^

[treens]

I am feeling well. Just trying to stay super positive and grateful for all the good things in life

It's funny how we think an age is so old and when we get there it doesn't seem old. I am going to stay young at heart and mind LOL because i cant stop ageing lol. Also I had my boy at 41, so again you can get yours too!

[atomic sagebrush]

I am feeling well. Just trying to stay super positive and grateful for all the good things in life

It's funny how we think an age is so old and when we get there it doesn't seem old. I am going to stay young at heart and mind LOL because i cant stop ageing lol. Also I had my boy at 41, so again you can get yours too!

You will feel exactly the same even in your 50's! The best is yet to come!

[LMSM]

I agree! I definitely do not feel old like I thought I would / the way I perceived "old" was when I was younger haha
I at times have to remind myself that I am close to 40 - not some 20-year-old spring chicken :P seeing my not-so-taunt and somewhat fattish face on a big screen during a work Teams meeting yesterday did remind me very well, though LOL

I am tossing a few questions in my head - and if you've already answered them (sorry!), please tell feel free to tell me to do a better search on my own old posts LOL

So - still getting crap sleep - I think miss M is teething those 2-y molars so probably not going to get relief from that just yet. It is HARD for me to exercise because I am exhausted, though of course once I am done with a session, I feel refreshed so I do want to keep it up.

1) SLEEP/NURSING - I am still nursing my boobie monster (19m.o atm) & admittedly am over it - BUT I don't want to be mean and go cold turkey - after a day away from each other, she misses mummy and wants nothing but to climb on my lap once we're back home and nurse, and then wants to latch all nigh too (am DEAD! it's worse than a newborn I swear).
My plan is to look at weaning her verrry gradually in the hope that she will be more inclined to sleep (and to let ME sleep!) between now and Xmas.
--> I know BFing does somewhat sway pink - and I know we shouldn't drop Bfing just because of wanting TTC (and I won't!) - but could it be that there is a sweet spot having weaned for XX time before TTC when swaying blue?

2) EXERCISE - I currently manage 2 shortish sessions of HIIT/weights/week plus our weekend walks. The weather will soon be warm enough here that the plan is to get the kids in the pool most days after I pick them up late afternoon & goof around with them (not truly exercise when you have to mind 4 kids including a non-swimming bub alone lol - but activity nonetheless!).
I do want to up the time for the weight/workouts to up to 30-35minutes (currently 20-25" mainly because I am exhausted and time poor) - am I better off doing say one long session of 30-40 minutes or split it to 2*15/20 sessions on the days I do them? and would 3-4 sessions be better than the 2 I do atm? My gut is telling me to do more, regardless of how tired I am - just to get that push and get some tangible results...

Thanks!

[atomic sagebrush]

We don't have enough data to say. AS a general rule I think the longer you go postpartum, with or without nursing, the more blue friendly you get (within reason of course, after a while your natural settings will take over, I'm referring straight to the effects of pregnacny and nothing beyond that). I'd just roll with it and see how it goes.

RE exercise, either of those options is fine. I would do whichever works better with your schedule any given day. But if you're actually tired, I think pushing yourself too much will not help and may even hurt. If your body is tired, you can't be doing yourself any benefit by pushing even harder. I would do what you can, within reason, without feeling like this is one more thing you have to do in an already too busy life. 2x a week is enough if that's what works the best for you.

[LMSM]

We don't have enough data to say. AS a general rule I think the longer you go postpartum, with or without nursing, the more blue friendly you get (within reason of course, after a while your natural settings will take over, I'm referring straight to the effects of pregnacny and nothing beyond that). I'd just roll with it and see how it goes.

RE exercise, either of those options is fine. I would do whichever works better with your schedule any given day. But if you're actually tired, I think pushing yourself too much will not help and may even hurt. If your body is tired, you can't be doing yourself any benefit by pushing even harder. I would do what you can, within reason, without feeling like this is one more thing you have to do in an already too busy life. 2x a week is enough if that's what works the best for you.

Thanks, that makes sense.
Re the wait PP - I guess I have to try to let go of a date - it's doing my head in anyways haha. The "when will I be ok to start TTC?" minimum is what bugs me - I feel like I should just TTC once I feel like I am overall feeling healthier, stronger, fitter, more energised regardless of the rest provided we feel like we want TTC...but since I don't know when I will feel like that, it's another unknown, and I don't like having no control/an unknown element :P

Re exercise - will go with the flow, though I guess I try to really go for it on the days I have both time and energy - and not try to delve on days I haven't quite gotten to it (don't want to get into that negative, self-bashing mode).
For my own health/stamina, I do think slightly longer and frequent sessions would be good though as I can feel the benefit after the session (during am like a puffing elephant on one leg and no core lol) : dopamine high, and that competitive/feelgood feeling ^^

Overall, the more I read - the more I think I just need to focus on feeling somewhat lighter/fitter and having more protein - then when close TTC go for it with upping cals etc
I think that is where I have "gone wrong" before - wanting to plan too far ahead but possibly, losing the benefit because it was over too long a period and not "intensely" enough - I reckon light touch/steady (not really actively losing weight but looking at losing a bit of fat and building a good base/good habits) for now and then go "all in" 12 weeks prior ttc.

[LMSM]

Also - just stumbled across beef tallow tablets: these are grassfed and no nasties.
https://www.amazon.com.au/Softgel-Ca...s%2C373&sr=8-4
Assume they are ok to take? I probably wouldn't take 6 a day like recommended (I have a regime that will be quite enough things to swallow haha) , just maybe one or two - I thought that was an easy way to up the animal fat etc

[atomic sagebrush]

Keep in mind though that you may have done nothing wrong at all, it's entirely possible you had the best sway it was possible to have, and then just from luck fell into the opposites camp. Or it may have been things that happened all the way back in your teenage years were playing some part and it's just taken a bit longer for you to overcome them than it is the average person. I don't want you to look too hard for what you did "wrong" and look to change things that for all we know may have been helping!

[atomic sagebrush]

Also - just stumbled across beef tallow tablets: these are grassfed and no nasties.
https://www.amazon.com.au/Softgel-Ca...s%2C373&sr=8-4
Assume they are ok to take? I probably wouldn't take 6 a day like recommended (I have a regime that will be quite enough things to swallow haha) , just maybe one or two - I thought that was an easy way to up the animal fat etc

They're fine if you want to try them, altho I have not seen anyone else use them. Totally your call to make!