7 Stages of Postpartum Weight Loss

Did I mention that I'm preparing to TTC again?  Well, preparing I mean getting my body back into a shape just so I can wreck it again.

If there is a next pregnancy. 

*knock on wood*

*meditate to Buddha*

*do a rain dance*

Now that we're 6 months postpartum, like many new moms, I'm shifting gears towards health and weight loss.  Though I might not be mentally ready for another wee one, if my previous experience with a biological clock has taught me anything, that ticking starts quickly and gets unbearably loud faster than I can get my body ready for it.

I'm going to do this in stages.

Stage 1
Implement the least difficult changes. Like dieting but not really dieting it at all.
Get physically active at least once every other day.
Lament over how slowly the weight is coming off.

Stage 2
Backslide and reason that I'm not going to try to have another baby for at least a year and a half.

Stage 3
Panic that it's about to be swimsuit season and TTC weight loss be damned, it's now about the fear of looking like a hippo in the pool.
Implement dramatic unsustainable changes like raw foodism and juice fasting.

Stage 4
Realize that I'm not really going to drop all the weight in time for summer. 
Repeat Stage 1.

Stage 5
Incorporate more difficult diet changes like cutting out junk food.
Incorporate more physical activity in the form of more frequency or difficulty.
Pick up an athletic goal like a 5k.
Be happy that weight is coming off regardless of how slowly.

Stage 6
Achieve ideal weight through healthy eating habits and regular exercise.
Bask in the warmth of success.

Stage 7
Get pregnant again and eat all the things.

That's about right.

Making Babies: A Proven 3-Month Program for Maximum Fertility

After my scary day at the doctor's, when I finally snapped out of my funk I went and picked up a few new books and a slew of fertility friendly supplements.  Basically, I spent mad cash to feel like I had some kind of control over the situation.

But this Making Babies book, written by a Western fertility specialist and an Eastern fertility specialist, was the best book I've read so far.  After reading Taking Charge of Your Fertility, what so many women consider the bible of infertility (not so much), Making Babies was a welcome breath of fresh air.  It made it clear that many unexplained infertility issues can be resolved, but more importantly, that one little change can make a world of difference.  Anything from unidentified infections to intercourse position changes have helped many patients go for unexplained infertility to the birth of healthy babies.

The book breaks monthly cycles into Menstruation, Pre-Ovulation, Ovulation and Implantation.  The authors recommend diet changes, exercises and massages based on cycle phases because the body's needs vary based on each phase. 

In addition, there are checklists that help the reader identify which of the 4 types of infertility the reader has and natural treatment based on type. This portion veers more heavily towards Eastern medicine, recommending many of the same things that my Acupuncturist/Eastern Fertility Specialist advised but with more detail.

This is the most comprehensive book I've read so far explaining in detail the various questions I've had, easing my fears and renewing my hope in successful baby making.  

Switching to Kaiser for Fertility

We've been with Healthnet for the past three years and over the past two years the premiums have doubled twice and the copays doubled once.  And as irritating as that is, when I compared their coverage with the less expensive Kaiser, they didn't include a lot of treatments that are now important to me while we are TTC.

For instance, Healthnet didn't cover acupuncture.  Kaiser does which means my $60 visits turn into $30 per visit.

Healthnet also covers only 6 cycles of IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) for a lifetime while Kaiser covers outpatient IUI at no cost with no limit.

Neither, however, cover IVF. 

After 2 hours on the phone with varying answers from each company's reps, we've decided to go the Kaiser for half the price with more coverage related to fertility.

The Monthly Rollercoaster

This is what my month looks like, with slight variations, but you get the idea.

Day 1-4: Shark Week.  Augh, I am so disappointed AF is here and I'm not pregnant.

Day 4-a few days before ovulation: I hope my cycle is shorter this month.

A few days before ovulation: I have a good feeling. Let's baby dance everyday this week.

A couple days before ovulation: Yes, baby dance day two.  Feeling good about this.

A day before ovulation: Hmm, this is overkill.  Aren't the two days of baby dancing before enough?  Alright fine, but I'm starting to get sore.

Ovulation: YES, OPK positive!  So glad we BD'd yesterday.  Still, just in case, we should BD tonight. So sore.

A day after ovulation: Augh, BD again just for the sake of being sure.  May not be successful on DH's end.

Two days after ovulation:  Ooh, that feels like a cramp.  Is that an implantation cramp?

A week after ovulation: Ooh, that feels like a cramp.  Is that an implantation cramp?

A week before AF: My breasts are sore.  I'm so tired. Maybe I'm pregnant.

A day later:  Still sore, still tired. I should probably stop doing everything that I would stop doing when pregnant. DH must clean the catbox and do all heavy lifting.

A day later: Time to take a HPT.  Negative?  Let me check the chart to see what the accuracy  of HPT at 10 DPO is... oh, that low?  I'll test again in two days.

Two days later:  Take another HPT.  Negative?  Let me check the chart to see what the accuracy of HPT at 12 DPO is... oh, that low?  I'll test again in two days.

Two days later: AF AGAIN?!

Cycle repeat.

Clomid: The First in Fertility Last Resorts

Up until this point, I have been against treating my infertility (augh, I hate that I have to use that word to describe my condition) unnaturally.  So acupuncture, supplements, Chinese herbs and even royal jelly with bee pollen were ok.  Gluten free, no problem.  I mean, that's even MORE natural right?  3 months in to gluten free living, week after week of getting poked by needles, costly supplements and doctors visits, I give up.

I am going on Clomid in addition to everything I'm already doing.

Why was I so against Clomid?  Probably because the few people I know that had multiples were taking it and didn't have any history of multiples in their families.  In one sad story, one of the women that was taking Clomid became pregnant with triplets which resulted in complications and they lost all three. I can't imagine the pain of losing three at 5 months.

There it is.  Fear.  Fear of multiples.  Fear of losing complications.  Fear of losing multiples.  Fear that it won't work at all.  Fear that it will make things worse.

But Clomid is the first thing doctors prescribe once hitting the 1 year of infertility mark.  It's the first thing doctors recommend when they believe you have a fertility issue.  And in my mind, it's the first thing that I'll take because I really don't believe I'm going to get pregnant without modern medicine.

Now that the self pity realization is out of the way, here is what Clomid is all about.

Clomid jump starts ovulation by inhibiting estrogen receptors which results in the surge of hormones.  The hormones surge encourages the development of more than one follicle that will erupt and bring on ovulation.  In a normal cycle, one follicle will erupt releasing one ovum at a time.  Multiple follicles means multiple ovum which is the reason that there's a 10% risk of twins and increased risk for multiples when taking Clomid.

Rare side effects include hot flashes, abdominal discomfort, visual blurring, and/or reversible ovarian enlargement and cyst formation.

After 6 months of Clomid treatment, if still unsuccessful, we'll have to look at IVF.

I Am Done With My Current OB/GYN Office

I have been avoiding going to my OB/GYN.  Mainly because I think they doesn't give a damn about whether or not I get pregnant as long as they get a co-pay.   It's a husband and wife team that took over the office from a kind hearted, excellent OB/GYN who had retired.  The previous doctor was excellent and I was disappointed when his practice was sold to this couple.

The last time I went to this doctor's office I had a 20 minute wait in the waiting room, then another 20 minute wait for the female doctor to come in and talk to me while I was already in the room and another 20 minutes wait between the talk and the actual exam.  It had taken so long between between the talk and the exam that one of the nurses came in convinced that my appointment was over. 

And when I told the nurse that I hadn't had my exam yet she insisted that I had.  I explained that the Doctor just asked me to disrobe and change into the flimsy paper exam clothes and I was waiting for her to return she insisted AGAIN that my exam was over.  Then she yelled to the Doctor across the hall in Vietnamese (which I understand) "Her exam is over right?"  The Doctor said "No," and finally came in 5 minutes later to perform my exam.


Then, I asked her to run some additional blood work per my Eastern Fertility Specialist's request, she said she would run all the tests on the list but when I got the results, she had only run a fraction of them. 

While I was checking out with the front desk, I heard her on the phone with her husband arguing about who should go see a patient who had been waiting the whole day to be sent home at the hospital.  The patient couldn't leave until she was seen by her OB/GYN and here the couple of doctors were arguing over the phone about how neither one could do it because they were both so busy with patients between their two offices.

I don't want to be waiting in the hospital after surgery or childbirth because my doctor can't appropriately schedule their time.

Plus, the first time I had an appointment at this office, the husband did the exam and he brought in some creepy student that was shadowing him. As if a pap smear with a male OB/GYN was uncomfortable enough, he's got a side kick and the requisite female attendant to make sure there's no funny business.  That's an audience of 3 people in my first appointment with the new doctor and they didn't even ask if it was ok for the student to be there.  Augh.

The female doctor did recommend a prescription for Clomid since I had hit the year mark and I told her I'd hold off and call her if I changed my mind. When I called today to see if she could just send the prescription to my pharmacy and I would pick it up and I'm told that she no longer works in that office and I'll need to come in for a whole new exam.  As though they can't just look at my file?!

I'm done.  I have an appointment with a new OB/GYN next week. 

TTC Straining Our Marriage

DH and I have been fighting. In trying to pinpoint exactly where it all started I realize it's a million different frustrations. Diverging attitudes towards conception, changing priorities and regular disappointment have brought us to a really dark place.

Our first time getting pregnant was so simple and the experience of the miscarriage was so profound that if I had to define where this all started, it would be there. Though DH was sympathetic, he was clear that he simply didn't feel the loss the way that I did.  How could he? No fluctuating hormones or feeling a physical void for him.

We're also very different in being proactive.  When I hit a wall keeping me from something that's this important to me, I'm willing to change it all up to get around the wall, break down the wall, explode it with dynamite.  Whatever.  I am the same about reproduction.  DH, however, believes that my proactive nature is stressing me causing more problems with getting pregnant than helping. He believes, we've gotten pregnant before so we can do it again.

I am obsessed with reading about TTC whether it's online or in books.  DH is skeptical of everything he reads about methods to improve fertility.  He feels like everyone gets pregnant so easily without sacrificing so there's no reason we shouldn't be able to.  I know that we're different and his denial of the fact that we have to do things differently than the majority of other reproductively successful people (aka parents) just makes me feel like I'm fighting this battle alone.

We both took tests to check for issues with our respective "parts" and found that he had a sperm morphology issue.  It seemed simple to me that we should take the natural road and try to adjust it with diet changes before going to meds and labs.  He, instead, found articles that disproved sperm morphology test results and their effects on fertility.  But he humored me.

Because he loves me, he was willing to go alcohol and gluten free because I believed it would help.  And though I was appreciative, it was taxing on him because his sacrifice didn't come from his own belief system but as an act of love towards me.  And when told that it would take at least 3 months before any changes to our diets would have an effect on our TTC chances, he said he couldn't do it for that long.

We argued over whether or not to just treat the problem with conventional medicine.  Clomid, IVF, whatever else happens in a lab. Taking Clomid seemed like a waste since my charts proved I was ovulating. And the idea of getting impregnated in a lab instead of through an act of love brought me to tears.

In turn, the confines of TTC were making him feel trapped.  Unable to simply do what he enjoyed like having a slice of full gluten pizza or a couple of beers whenever he wanted made him resent me. So I caved, it's more important to me to have a happy marriage than stress over marital problems.

And he's back to doing almost everything he was before we got serious about TTC.  Though he is drinking less alcohol, there are no more diet restrictions for him.  But another set of problems has cropped up.  That same resentment for having to bend over backwards for fertility has just manifested itself across the rest of our life.

And truth be told, I'm angry too.  I'm angry a lot of the time.  Angry over things that I don't even have the words to express to him anymore because we've argued about it so much.  Angry because I can't and don't want to change the person he is but in order to reach our goals I have to completely change my life.  Angry that it seems more comfortable to be apart focused on our own distractions than have to deal with each other. Angry that his resentment has grown to resentment over anything I ask him to do. Angry that I can't talk to him about fertility without it devolving into an argument or hurt feelings.

 I don't want to feel this angry.  I don't want to feel let down. I don't want to feel any of this negativity. But I just feel defeated.  I know how that my only solution is to resort to having doctors handle my fertility in a lab because there's nothing else I can do. And I don't want to wait any longer because time is ticking away but I can't try to have a baby when I feel like this in my marriage.

Charting Changes and Acupuncture Successes

Jul-Aug: 42 day cycle, 96.5 low temp, 98 high

Don't let the overly optimistic title fool you, I am not pregnant. I am however, going to show you my charts, not because I am awesome at it but because up until the past 2 months, I was terrible at it.

You might not think that getting up at the same time everyday and popping a thermometer in ones mouth would be difficult but it definitely was for me.  Changes in weekend schedules, a lack of routine and general laziness really got in my way.

Charting is so extremely important though.  From charting, I found a couple of major issues in my reproductive cycle that acupuncture has helped to fix.

I went from tracking my Cervical Mucus (CM) and Basal Body Temperature (BBT) to tracking CM, BBT, Ovulation Prediction Kit (OPK) and Cervical Position (CP). I'm not so hot at CP tracking. I think my stubby fingers are just too short.


The problems I found? First, my basal temperature is fairly low which mean my body might not be warming up enough to sustain a little bun.  Second, my cycles were extremely long.

Aug-Sep: 38 day cycle, 96.8 low temp, 98.5 high temp.

My lackluster attempt at charting in July showed a 42 day cycle.  My cycle before that was 40 days which wreaked havoc on my psyche.  Every month I was late leading me to hope that I was pregnant only to be disappointed that my cycle was just lengthening. With a 42 day cycle, I would only get 8 chances a year to ovulate compared to the typical 12.

August's chart was a little better as I had started acupuncture, my cycle went from 42 days to 38 days. My high temp sent from 98 to 98.6 and my average temperatures stayed in the 97s instead of the previous 96s.

Then, while I was on vacation in Minnesota, Shark week came to town 10 days early. Yes, TEN DAYS.  I was thrilled (and completely surprised that I needed to make a Target run for feminine products)!  A 28 day cycle?!  I haven't seen one of those in years.

A 28 day cycle means I get 12 chances to ovulate!  But what about my temperature?  My high temp was back to it's original paltry 98 degrees.  Well, we're working on that.

Sep-Oct: 28 day cycle, 96.8 low temp, 98 high temp.

So I'm going to celebrate this victory and continue to get poked with needles a couple times a week.

How Far Would You Go?

My husband often teases me what he would call my impressionable mind.  He is stubborn as a mule and has to come to things on his own, first, as in before anyone else.

Me?  I'm willing to try most things to see if it works for me.  And if the wisdom of someone else with more experience can help me get to where I want to go faster, I'm going experience it for myself to see if they're right or not.

When the idea of going gluten free crossed my computer screen and was reaffirmed by my fertility specialist, I had no problem hopping right on board.  DH, on the other hand, was unconvinced. Did I say unconvinced, I mean unwilling to hop on on the G-Free wagon with me.

fast forward a few weeks, DH and I both got tested for fertility purposes.  Unfortunately, DH's results came back with some morphology issues, specifically in the shape of the head.  My results came back normal but I am going back to get progesterone testing done.

Now, he's gluten free too on the off chance that that will improve our fertility chances.

It always astounds me when I have conversations with women (mostly via the ttc forums) where they've been TTCing for years but still drink alcohol.  Or when fellow TTCing women say "I don't think I could go gluten free." Or "I can't give up my morning coffee."

To that I say, how badly do you want it?

I'm pretty much willing to do anything by way of natural fertility to try to have this baby.  Clomid and some other treatments are giving me pause because they just circumvent whatever is wrong in my body causing the infertility issues. But if my natural methods don't work within the next 3 months, I'll go on Clomid too.

But not being willing to give something up in order to try to get pregnant and have a healthy baby?  I consider this a primer on motherhood.

An Ideal Day in the Life of TTC

You know what I thought would be a great idea while TTCing?  Getting a puppy. Yes, fitting in feedings, potty breaks, play time and obedience training seemed like a good idea while undertaking Eastern fertility treatments on top of my long work schedule and active social life.

There are totally enough hours in the day, said no one ever.

But how can you turn down a smile like this?

DH truly believed that getting me a puppy would help me "Take It Easy," (his mom's frequent suggestion).  He was right.  I don't stress so much about trying to juggle everything.  I just do it.

Our social life is currently non existent because neither of us are drinking or eating gluten.  But hey, those extra hours had to come from somewhere!

Luckily, 3 weeks into being a puppy mommy, I've finally figured out a schedule that works  for little Charlotte Bark (see here) and an ideal schedule for me to strive for in regard to my fertility.

The big new integration is going to be adding back in my gym time.

Ideal Day
6:00am: Take temperature.
6:05am: Ovulation Test and belly ointment rub.
6:15am: Royal Jelly and a glass of water.
7:00am: 30 minutes of walking or yoga.
8:15am: Breakfast, supplements, prenatals and a huge glass of water.
11:00am: Snack. Huge glass of water.
1:30pm: Lunch. Huge glass of water.
4:00pm: Snack.  Huge glass of water.
5:30pm: Either Acupuncture or 45 minutes at the gym.  Swim, hot tub, steam room, sauna.
7:00pm: Dinner.
10:00pm: Sleep.

Do you feel like TTC is taking over your daily schedule?  What does yours look like?

Surprise Panda Pregnancy

Did you hear about the surprise panda pregnancy? Read it here.

Mei has had five consecutive false pregnancies since 2007.  She was going to be sent back to China if she if she didn't pop out a cub soon at the National Zoo.  Talk about TTC pressure.

Luckily, for her and my fragile panda loving psyche, she gave birth to a little cub the size of a stick of butter.
Congrats Panda Mei!

What to Eat While TTC and Gluten Free

Supplements and vitamins aside, there's a general consensus about what someone should eat while trying to get pregnant.  It's pretty much the same thing a woman should eat while pregnant. (And not the Britney Spears kind of pregnancy diet of 7 Eleven food.)

But a gluten free TTC diet, this is a new revelation in fertility foods. (For more information, go here.)

Going gluten free isn't actually difficult, it's just not convenient.  Saying goodbye to all the typical junk food, quick eats and restaurant meals means that almost every meal has to be planned.  Seriously? Yes. Seriously. But there's a bright side: Built-in crap filter.

For instance, there's cake in the breakroom at work?  No cake for the G-Free gal.  At least, not any cake that doesn't come from a gluten free bakery or is made at home. Pizza, Cheetos and dip at a party?  Oh no, not without personally making it or seeing the packaging to read the ingredients. Quick bite at a restaurant? Not unless a call is made ahead to make sure they have G-Free options.  If they don't even understand the word gluten, their establishment is not an option.

Yes, I have become one of "those" people.  Correction, DH and I have become two of "those" people.  Yes, TTC diets are not just for the woman.  Gluten issues in men can also cause infertility.

Once fully resigned to the idea that it's just simpler and more delicious to eat at home, it gets pretty simple. Then the only real problem is the time it takes to cook every meal and snack.  Oh, did I forget to mention snacks?

Apparently my method of going for 5-6 hours without a meal was a problem too.  A TTC body needs to be fueled like an athlete's: once every couple of hours to prevent the body from using it's resources for anything other than reproductive functions.  Or in the case of athletes, actual muscle building.

Here's a guideline:

Gluten Free TTC Meal Guidelines
Breakfast: Protein, a cup of fruit and a serving of vegetables.
Snack: A handful of nuts or an egg with fruit.
Lunch: Lean protein with a gluten free carb and 2 servings of vegetables.
Snack: 2 servings of fruit.
Dinner: Lean protein with 3 servings of vegetables.
8 glasses of water per day.

What's your TTC diet?

Pre-Seed: Acceptable Lubrication Aid

This post is a little weird for me to write.  I'm not usually one of those ladies who goes to things like Adult Toy Parties.  My Bachelorette Party was relatively penis shape free.  My Bridal Shower was appropriately un-risque. So here's an awkward attempt at talking about lube.

Turns out, lubrication is a typical bedroom mainstay.  Like not at all kinky. Ok, sometimes kinky, unless you're trying to conceive, then it's down to the science of it all. Lubrication is needed to get the sperm to the egg.  The right kind is key.

You see, All Lubrication Is Not Created Equal.

I always thought that as long as the lubricant didn't have spermicide and was water based it would be fine.  Oh so wrong I was. Turns out that a lot of the typical lubricants like Astroglide and KY or even saliva can be causing what couples think are fertility issues.

What?  Even though some doctors recommend the use of lubricants to combat vaginal dryness? Is this why Clomid isn't always working for everyone?  (Clomid causes vaginal dryness in some users that must be supplmented with some form of lubrication.)

Yes, it turns out that some lubricants can be too thick for the sperm to get through.  Other lubricants are too low in pH to achieve the ideal 7.0 to 8.5 pH level sperm can survive in. Water based lubricants often use glycerin which is toxic to the little swimmers. The acid in saliva also causes sperm death.

Upon reading this news I immediately felt like I knew nothing about fertility.  Seriously, something as simple as lube could be standing between me and my baby?  But if I don't have enough lubrication it won't work either? BLAH.

So what do we use?  My doctor recommended Pre-Seed. It's an usually expensive lubrication ($21.99 for 9 applications or $2.44 a use), tested to ensure proper pH, keep sperm alive and to mimic natural vaginal secretions.  I've read tons of positive feedback about this product from numerous women with Big Fat Positives (BFP.)

How's that for sexy?

She Tried For 3 Years

I was at a Labor Day party on Sunday and was talking to a new mom (5 weeks) and bonding over 100Agave, this gluten free, vegan, caffeine free, agave sweetened soda that's only 100 calories a bottle, and she started telling me about her fertility story.  This whole sober partying thing isn't half bad, especially when there's at least one other person there who isn't taking shots of tequila.

There's something about hearing that another woman is having similar problems doing what we always thought our bodies should just be able to do naturally.

Anyway, when she was 14 she had an ovarian cyst that had to be removed.  5 years ago she had fibroids. When she started trying 3 years ago, she knew there would be challenges.  Hoping that nature would take its course, she and her husband just had unprotected sex for the entirety of their marriage.  Finally, after deciding to get serious about it, she bought some ovulation prediction kits and the next month she was pregnant.

Can it really be that simple?  I bought some OPKs early last week.  I hope it is.

Fertility and Acupuncture

Let’s get pokey shall we?



If it weren’t already obvious by my ingestion of disgusting Chinese herbal tonics, I believe in Eastern medicine.  So why haven’t I tried acupuncture before?  My debilitating fear of needles, of course.

But my biological clock has overtaken my irrational phobia with the help of a little scientific research.  It seems in a 2002 study “40%of women receiving acupuncture just before and after an assisted-reproductive therapy, such as IVF, became pregnant; that compared with 26% of patients who got pregnant with assisted-reproductive treatments but who received no acupuncture therapy. ”  (LA Times.)

According to the American Pregnancy Association, acupuncture and herbal medicine can improve ovarian and follicular function and “increase blood flow to the endometrium, helping to facilitate a thick, rich lining.” (APA.)

Now here I am, waiting for my third accupuncture appointment.  What is it like?

Well, the ambiance is similar to that of a massage. Low light, therapy table, relaxing music.  My Doctor/Acupuncturist guides me through a visualization of a color.  First it was green, as in imagining laying on a field of green grass under a canopy of trees filled with green leaves rustling with green energy and mentally harvesting all the energy to fill my heart area. I’m assuming the green is because that’s the color of the heart chakra. In my second session it was orange focused below the belly button and above the pelvic bone.

While she’s walking me through the visualization, she’s placing a needle in various places.  Notably, the left ear and not the right ear because the left ear is connected to the female side. Using a tube to prevent the needles from bending, it feels like a prick or pinch, in a couple of places it is painful initially, and in the rest virtually painless momentary pressure that fades.

What’s left is a sinking heavy feeling of deep relaxation.  In every session, I have fallen asleep at some point.  The needles are left in place for the rest of the session (about 30 minutes or more) and mostly painless when removed.

Some recent studies argue that acupuncture is not as helpful to fertility as originally thought but the number of success stories I have read make me a believer.

A big enough believer that that at least 4 times a month I’m willingly getting poked with needles.

New Chapter Perfect Prenatal Vitamin

DH almost spit out his drink when I told him I bought $80 prenatals. 

To my credit, I had to have the prenatals immediately and I was already at Sprouts Farmer’s Market stocking up on gluten-free food and it happened to be on sale for $60 and then the nice Sprouts lady gave me an additional coupon for $6 off!  That’s cheaper than Amazon! I’m practically spaving!

What’s the big deal about these vitamins?  

Well first, they can be taken on an empty stomach.  This, to me, is huge.  With my old Nature’s Way or whatever they sell at Target, if my breakfast wasn’t big enough I would get nauseous. Which isn’t too bad except during my Two Week Wait I would think it was possibly morning sickness.  But it never was because it was actually just a prenatal vitamin that was too rough on my system.

Second, it’s derived from whole food! Ok, so my fertility specialist is a little… granola. She personally endorses this vitamin because her concern is with chemically derived vitamins and cheap fillers.  The whole food thing also helps with the whole easy-on-the-stomach bit mentioned above.

Third, it contains probiotics support which helps prevent yeasty issues during hormone fluctuation.  

Lastly, the recommended dose is 3 pills spread throughout the day.  This is specifically so that our bodies can absorb all the nutrients better than taking all of them at once in a mega pill and then peeing out yellow vitamins because our bodies weren’t able to process them all. 

Would you spend 80 on a two month supply of vitamins?

Gluten and Fertility

After my first consult with my fertility specialist (previously mentioned DoC/Acupuncturist), she confirmed something that I had read over the previous few days: Gluten can be a cause of infertility and miscarriages.

Now, I’m not saying that no one who eats gluten can have a baby.  Of course they can!  

Quick Side Rant: It never ceases to amaze me how when you tell people what you are or are not doing in order to try to have a baby someone always says some asinine thing like “Our parents generation drank and smoke even while pregnant and look at us.” Or “People in Asia eat soy everyday and they don’t have problems reproducing.” As though some minority or majority being able to do something and still have a healthy baby should be an example to ME that I can do those things. 

Guess what?  Crackheads have babies!  That doesn’t mean it’s ok to be on drugs while TTC/pregnant. I digress. 

I am saying, however, that studies show about 10% of the population has some form of gluten sensitivity and it’s estimated that over 90% of those cases go undiagnosed. Sometimes diagnosed as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or the gluten sensitivity is too small to fall under the Celiac’s Disease or Gluten Allergy that it’s dismissed.

Is it possible that this is the infertility culprit for many women?  I don’t know.

Gluten is known to cause inflammation and inhospitable mucus in a regular body.  In a gluten sensitive body it can cause eczema, irritable bowels and digestive problems. In some studies, it’s been linked to pelvic inflammatory disorders (PID) and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). In bodies with Celiac’s it can cause    “delayed menarche, secondary amenorrhea, a higher percentage of spontaneous abortions, anemia and hypoalbuminemia.” (Gluten Free Society.)

In my case, I was diagnosed with a mild form of IBS two years ago and had no idea that the cause could have been gluten sensitivity.  

I’m going Gluten Free in hopes that it helps my fertility.  Would you?

TTC Update: Back at the Beginning

This is the first official cycle of my TTC journey that I’m actually going to get some fertility treatment.  Yes, it’s been a full year of trying (after 6 months of post M/C waiting) and finally my OB/GYN is going to do some testing on Monday!

In the mean time, because time is a ticking, I did some of my own research and found a DoC/Acupuncturist who has a 95% success rate.  During my initial consult with her yesterday, she recommended a change in diet as well as some other unusual bits of information and the statement that keeps echoing in my mind “How badly do you want a baby?”

You see, I’ve taken a somewhat lax approach to TTC over the past few months. I didn’t want to stress about it.  ”Just let it happen,” says my mom while she wants me to take Chinese fertility herbs.  ”Take it easy,” says my MIL while she recommends that I start charting my basal temperature.  I GET IT PEOPLE, you want grand-babies.

My husband, in his efforts to control his overly-emotional-sensitive-about-fertility wife and counterweight our mothers, has taken a seriously lax approach.  As in, “Just live your life and enjoy yourself now and blow everything out until you’re pregnant and can’t,” while he offers me a cocktail.

I fell somewhere in the middle between Mothers and Husband. Not wanting to want it too much.  Not wanting to do too little. Really trying to relax, not get disappointed every month when it didn’t happen, taking my mind off baby related things.

But I learned something about me over this past year. I need to go all balls out when I try to achieve a goal.  I am not a moderate person. I like getting obsessed.  And as much as I felt there was this negative stigma to having to try so hard to get pregnant and there possibly being something wrong with my fertility, I don’t care about the stigma anymore.I. Really. Want. My. Baby.

Starting today, I’m on a baby making plan. Wish me luck!

Chinese Herbal Medication

Getting some Chinese style baby dust.

Do you love your body?

don’t mean you look in the mirror and love everything you see.  Do you actually love your body?  Because sometimes I really don’t.  I’m frustrated it won’t do what I want.  It loses weight where I don’t want to lose (i.e. chest), gains where I don’t want to gain (i.e. thighs).  Things I think should work to lose weight don’t.  It just won’t simply bend to my will.  I can’t outsmart it. 

In some ways, it’s still a mystery to me.  I wonder why the hell I’m not pregnant, for one.  (This particular section of the rant should be hidden behind a jump but I don’t know how to do that.)  My ex best frenemy is now 1 month pregnant and I’m feeling pretty angry. At my body. Jealous. And petty. It’s like WTF body?!  I feed you good things, I move you around (to dance rhythyms no less), and I give you 8 hours of sleep most nights. Am I not treating you right?  I wonder why I hover around this plateau even though I’m trying to change things up. 

But maybe I have this all wrong.  Maybe those yogis and health hippies have something right.  Maybe, just maybe, I should be nurturing my body (all natural vegan foods?), loving it unconditionally, doing only soothing exercises (yoga), avoiding anything too strenuous (nature hikes instead of running).

I’m feeling a little off balance, a little lost and a whole lot of frustration.