Naturally Increasing the Odds...

This week I've started on Maca, Royal Jelly (w/ pollen & propolis), Spirulina, and Red Raspberry Leaf tea. I'm still taking my Raw Code food based prenatal vitamins and getting bi-weekly acupuncture treatments.

Since CM is still an issue for me, despite the surgery to open up the scar tissue closing my cervix... I'm thinking of starting some guaifenesin today until ovulation. We are spacing BD out and will begin using PreSeed on CD10 until ovulation is confirmed. We know that daily BD depletes the sperm count, so our goal is to increase the count to a healthy level AND not miss our window of opportunity prior to ovulation. We are taking a BD break on CD8-CD9, CD11 & CD13. So, BD will be CD10 (72 hour break), CD12 (48 hour break), & CD14 (48 hour break). If ovulation hasn't occurred, we will continue with every other day spacing until we are sure I've ovulated. Then DD can go back to his voracious appetite. :-)

This cycle, I purchased the First Response Daily Ovulation kit. This kit tracks your personal LH level so it will detect the surge even if it is lower than established values (common, especially in women like me with PCOS). I'm having ovary discomfort already (started on CD8) so I expect a CD13-14 ovulation.

I'm also considering a mostly plant based diet (lacto-ovo vegetarian), my husband balks at this, so I'm sure we won't be 100% vegetarian around here plus I'm a WAPF follower and truly believe that a healthy diet should contain all whole food groups. I am hoping to replace the majority of our meals each week with meatless, plant based options. I'm thinking quinoa, artichoke, and sun dried tomato alfredo. . . who'd miss the meat in that dish? Tonight, we are having cheese & veggie pizza (homemade) with a giant garden salad and baked apples (it is Lent, so tonight must be meatless). When we do have meat, it will be local & grass fed.

We will still consume lots of eggs (our staple protein) and the best quality dairy we can get. I'm going to try to replace most baked goods/desserts (except maybe one a month) with fruit options... baked apples or pears, berries & cream, fruit parfaits, etc. . .

I feel like breakfast is already a pretty good meal in our house... we have scrambled eggs w/ gluten free oatmeal (or whole grain toast for the non-gf peeps). I limit cereal to once or twice a week with eggs. I'm weaning the children I didn't give birth to off cold cereal and it's a challenge. I think we can amp this up by adding in fruit and/or veggies.

I'm also going to get back into full baking with almond and coconut flours, alternative/low GI sweeteners, and coconut oil.

I have broken my one modern food addiction- coffee shop Snicker Mocha's (can you say sugar overload?). Coffee is the one thing I consume that isn't whole food/nourishing, so this was a big deal for me. I gave up caffeine months ago, but I was still addicted to the sugar.

If nothing else. . . the dietary changes will help keep me busy and give me a sense of empowerment through this time of rest from conventional treatments.

While We Wait

Since baby making is on hold for the next two months, I've decided to jump back on my clean eating bandwagon and shed a few (or 30 pounds). The last time I stuck to clean eating, I lost 40 pounds in just over 3 months... A year later the weight started creeping back on because I wasn't eating clean anymore, going out for dinner too often, and enjoying a few too many mocha's.

I know that weight isn't contributing to my infertility issues as my ovulation pattern has been more regular than ever AND I conceived three children previously with my body at the same weight... this is the place my body likes to be even though I don't like it here.

For the first two weeks (when I know there is ZERO chance of conception)... I am taking Alli as well as recording 100% of food (calories and fat). I'm eating clean... I'm eating every 2-3 hours... I'm drinking lots and lots of water. I'm food obsessed but it's only day 2... it will get easier. Today I took in 1681 calories & 58 grams of healthy fats. I know many people think of a weight loss diet as having a much lower calorie intake, but I tell you this... I would not survive. I've discovered the metabolism miracle of eating clean, frequent, and in the right combination actually allows me to consume more calories than I would on the Standard American Diet.

I'm not sure that I've mentioned... I'm Celiac but 100% gluten free... not sure if that is at all related to the infertility...

Here's what I ate today:
7am- 2 eggs (free range) scrambled, 1/2 cup GF oats, 1 tsp coconut palm sugar, 1 Tbs. cream
8:30am- Coffee w/ 4 Tbs creamer 140 calories/6 grams fat (and not clean, this is going soon)
10:30am- yogurt 190 calories/2 grams fat (better if homemade)
1PM 1 cup brown rice w/ 1 small zucchini & 1/2 cup mushrooms (saute), 1 oz grated cheddar cheese, Celtic sea salt & pepper. 376 calories/ 11.5 grams fat
3:15PM 1/2 Lg. banana w/ 1 Tbs chunky peanut butter 175 calories/8 grams fat
6:00 PM GF spaghetti w/ ground turkey, big organic salad, 1 Tbs Ranch 460 cals/17 grams fat.

I'm drinking lots of water and taking one Alli with each of the three meals.

Maybe the weight loss focus will help redirect my baby crazy brain... :-)