We actually ran out of condoms a little while ago. I call relying on just my birth control (I’m much better about taking it than when I was younger, but have been late by a few hours a lot lately) “tempting fate”. Andrew calls it “practicing”.

I realized while “practicing” that I don’t care about tempting fate as much as I think I should. So instead of worrying what if my pill fails, it was ‘do I have enough folic acid right now?’, in my body, at that moment. I get 100% from my prenatal (gummy) vitamins, and 100% from my (gummy) B vitamins, but folic acid is even more super important if on Lamictal (my mood stabilizer) to prevent birth defects. Also I was on some UC drug that inhibited folic acid absorption, however I’ve been on and off so many I no longer remember what it was or if I’m still on it.

I realize I don’t know how long folic acid stays in your system – should I be sipping some orange juice before sex just to be safe?

While discussing if we were going to replace those condoms I found out that Andrew thought we’d be trying as soon as he got a job. I was expecting the three-month delay after going off my meds for my body to be clean, at my doctor’s recommendation. However three months feels like a long time at this point, and the specialist did say to start right away. I think now I feel like if there is a fate to be tempted, then it’s fate if I get pregnant early.

Also faulty logic tells me that if it takes an average of X months to get pregnant at my age, then starting now means X months will come three months sooner than if we wait. I understand probability and this is not true but it still sounds like it should be true.

After trying to figure out the ideal stopping date looking at the calendar, I found a more direct method – counting my pills. Subtracting 7 for 14 days at half dosage, and 4 for another week at a quarter dosage, that leaves 8 days. Or if I leave a couple out in case the worst happens and I need to go back on, 6 days. Not sure which way to go on that yet.

However I will be picking up more folic acid tomorrow.