Pill to alter cycle for TTC & Nervous about being pg in Mt Isa

Ok so a bit of a hybrid post here, but it is all rolled in a big mess so need your help to sort out my head a bit and also a bit of practical advice.


Hubby and I have been TTC #2 since October. However, he got a new job, and as many of you know his is FIFO 2 weeks away, 2 weeks home.
It just so happens that the 2 weeks he is home is the week of my period or just after and he is gone either one day after or the week before I ovulate.

So in essence the poor guy is home for my ever increasingly bad PMS (Since having Charlotte my PMS is back to pre-pill days of my late teens and getting worse as the gap between birth and now lengthens, not sure why), my period. Which means we rarely get to DDT anyway and when we do there is such little possibility of getting pregnant it is not even funny.

Given we can't change his work, we need ot change my cycle. The only way I know I could do that is to go on the pill and skip a couple of periods and then come off and hope the chips fall in a more favourable position.


Then my life beliefs kick in and I think that perhaps this is the universes way of telling me that I shouldn't be getting pg now...
DH is going for a job in Mt Isa (where he works now, but a permanent non-FIFO job on site) so that means moving to Mt Isa.
I am really not keen on doing this personally, but we need the job - it is a $50k pay increase, means he can come home every day which DH needs, and is 4 days on 4 days off, as opposed to 14 days on 14 days off.
However, Mt Isa has the HIGHEST rate of childhood cancer IN THE WORLD. The place is built right next to the massive Tailings dams and the soil is so contaminated with lead that just playing in the dirt in the yard can give massive readings.

I am so hesitant about even living there with Charlotte, let alone being pregnant and living there.

If he does get the job we wont even know for a month or so, then by the time I sort out the house ready for renting out here it will be a good 3 months before we would move (DH would go ahead and Charlotte and I would follow). We would be in Isa for about 18months-2 years at the most, then back home to Melbourne (Which is my end goal as quickly as possible)

I really don't want to put off TTC anymore, Charlotte is already 27 months, and I don't want a huge age gap. Also I want to go back to work, and I don't want to go back as a chef if I am going to leave again to have a baby - it requires commitment and the time dedication is HUGE to go back to a 5-star kitchen..

ARGH! Too much lol

Any advice is welcomed lol I need it!

But my question is - how do I use the pill to change my cycle?
And has anyone lived and been pg in Mt Isa? How did you control your lead levels and keep bubs healthy?

TIA :)

I haven't lived in Mt Isa, but my dh and his entire family and 90% of his friends grew up there. Most still live there. They are all bringing their children up and don't have any concerns with regards to the lead. To be honest, when I mentioned the part where you said 'Mount Isa has the HIGHEST rate of childhood cancer IN THE WORLD', they really didn't believe that. Could be true, but he, myself and a lot of people living in Mount Isa have never heard of it. Do you know of anyone that lives there? Perhaps you could talk to them directly about what it's like living in Mount Isa, and your concerns. Council, schools etc.
For me personally, Mount Isa wouldn't be a town I would move to without doing a lot of research about the place so you know exactly where you're moving to. I've been there to visit, and don't like it.

I don't have any adivce - but just wanted to give you a hug :hug:.

LimeSlice,
My friend was at the Isa for some time whilst her husband worked at the mines. She made some great friends whilst there and now she has moved on she often talks about going back. It might take a little adjustment but it's a great community.
Re: cancer concerns, the mines paid for blood tests to make sure there was nothing to worry about.
As for adjusting your cycles, have a look at menstration.com, there is a discussion how the moon cycles can change your cycle. It can take up to two months though. When I tried skipping AF and took a pill (can't remember the name) it didn't work, AF still arrived.

I can email you the moon cycle info if your interested. Pm for details.

Hi Limeslice - I can feel your pain a little bit - my hubbie is FIFO as well - 2 on, 1 off, so only every second time he is home I will be ovulating - the imbetween times I most likely will have the AF, which cuts down how quickly I get pregnant (which is why I am hoping for pregnancy this first cycle, cause I won't be ovulating next time DH is home).

With your cycles, taking the pill and changing the timing of your cycle is the only way I can think of doing it - I can't think of any other drugs that would effect the timing of your cycle like - well, ones that doctors will agree to prescribe you without feritility problems.

With the lead thing in Mount Isa - Limeslice you're a Perth girl like me, no? Do you remember about 10 or so years ago when a waste disposal site in Forrestdale got into trouble, because they were right near a primary school and lots of kids got sick from the high lead levels? My sister was one of the kids at that school, and she's not much of a "play in the dirt" kind of kid, more nerdy than that. She had only been at the school for a few months and her lead levels were through the roof. I suppose you guys are going to have to choose - health, or more money. Lead is not good for you, it can effect you in so many ways....and not jsut your daughter, you as well!! It acts on all your organs, and it can affect your fertility as well!

Sorry not going to be a huge help here but ill try. I tried the pill a few months before my wedding and i still had break through bleeding when MY AF would have been due, so when i stopped the pill i went straight back to 'normal' timing, so this wouldnt help you.

Also i have a friend that fell pregnant and had her first bub in Mt Isa, she never mentioned a problem and i can ask her about it if you want. You could probably go and see a naturopath and see if there is anything they can do to counter act it??

Sorry not really helpful. I do agree that sometimes you get a sign that says its the right or wrong time to TTC! Only you will know the answer to that one!

Goodluck~!

I live in Mount Isa. Moved here about 2 years ago (from Melb originally). TTC at the moment.

LOTS of my friends here were born here and/or had kids here and haven't had any problems.
Never, ever heard of a high rate of cancer in kids here.
Lead is a concern, however they are really working on cleaning it all up (like digging out the river bed and getting rid of the contaminated soil). You can get them to come out and test ur house and cars etc. for lead and as long as you get blood tests to keep an eye on it, it's usually fine.

It's not a bad place, everyone is really friendly and nice. They have everything you need.

Check out this site:

Home

It's about living with lead in Mount isa.......

Limeslice, there is a website all about living with lead in Mount Isa.

I posted it in a message, but they won't put it up til it is checked, I guess coz it has a link in it. :-) So if the post may come thru later....

Do a google search on Living with Lead Alliance. :-)

I have used the pill to adjust my cycles. It usually works perfectly. As soon as I stop taking it, 4 days later, AF arrives. The last time I did this, it took 6 days. But that is the first time it has ever done that. Could work for you.