Endometriosis, Uterine Fibroids, and Pain with Orgasms

I decided to get on the internet and look up a problem I've been dealing with for about 2 years now. I have painful orgasms. It's not usually too bad in the middle of my cycle, but towards the end and during my period it's horrible. It just occurred to me that this could be a sign of fibroids or something like that. So I googled it and it turns out there are a huge number of women who experience this same problem, only the thing I don't have is the need to have a bowel movement right after the pain starts. Almost all of them say this is an issue for them (maybe it's just not one for me because I don't eat very much?). I can't even picture that happening once. But the rest of the descriptions are dead on. And someone even mentioned that injury to the tailbone is shown to have a link to this issue. That would be the case for me. There are 3 times in my life I've fallen on my tailbone so hard it knocked the wind out of me. An X-ray during a chiropractic exam, a few years ago, showed that area is pretty messed up.

Anyway, many women said they have fibroids or endometriosis, and I am seriously wondering if this is the case with me.

So I don't forget, here is the discussion I found online, about cramps after orgasms:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Womens-Health/Odd-cramping-after-orgasm-and-bowel-movements/show/321482

And here is another discussion thread... there are a TON of women complaining about this same thing! http://ehealthforum.com/health/extreme-pain-after-orgasm-t195005-a1.html#axzz2GbesqQvM

As for blocked fallopian tubes...

This is a site that sells Fibroid Clear, that helps get rid of fibroids: http://fibroidclear.com/

Endometriosis info: http://clearpassage.com/resources/book.php

There are also some great reviews from women who have used felopio to unblock their tubes. You can see the site at http://www.felopio.com

This is my favorite felopio testimonial: http://felopio.com/blog/?p=99

Visalus and Pregnancy - How Visalus helped me get Pregnant, and keep my energy level up

I just want to state it again, that I really believe Visalus helped my fertility and also helped me get pregnant, because they just helped me to be healthier all-around, and they also helped my husband. We were both taking the ViPak and drinking the shakes, for about 5 months prior to conception, and they say that's about the amount of time you're supposed to really try to take, to improve your health, so you can have healthy eggs and sperm, etc. etc..

I want to mention again, that I am 43 years old, had been TTC for 5 years, and this was my first pregnancy (after I took the ViPak). I never went to a Fertility doctor, or had to undergo any expensive fertility treatments (though I did take Fertil Plus, which really does work). But looking back at it, I would have been concerned about the "viability of my eggs" or the viability of my husband's sperm, if I had gotten pregnant and hadn't been on the ViPak (if that would even have been possible).  Sadly, I am not pregnant anymore, due to an overdose of Vitamin C (I miscarried at 7 weeks... you can read the full story in my other blog post on Vitamin C, which should be listed to the right).  But I am just so happy to have been introduced to Visalus! Now that I'm back on the Vi-Pak, I'm all charged up and back in the TTC pool, full force!



This is a video with Dr. Michael Seidman, explaining the health benefits of the ViPak:



I saw another really cool video on YouTube today and wanted to share it (below). This woman was drinking Visalus shakes and also taking the vitamins throughout her pregnancy, and said she never felt that good while she was pregnant.

I do want to state here, that I have heard the ViPak is not recommended for pregnant women. But I'm not sure if it was because they want to make it clear that you shouldn't be trying to lose too much weight while you're pregnant. Whatever the case, it seems to have worked well for her!

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It's making me wonder, if I get pregnant again, maybe I should consider taking the ViPak again. I had completely stopped taking it as soon as I found out I was pregnant (switched to Prenatal Vitamins I got at Costco - the Nature Made brand), and I was not one of those "happy pregnant people." My energy level wasn't as high as it used to be (I missed my ViPak!!!), I stopped jogging, and just didn't have as much energy as I did before I found out. It's true, I didn't have as much of an issue with fatigue, as I expected to (maybe because I was still drinking the shakes), but in comparison with how much energy I used to have, on the ViPak, it just didn't seem like I had as much.

I know, I know - pregnancy causes fatigue, I get it. I honestly didn't feel like fatigue was a huge issue (not like I expected, anyway). But I guess, I just wanted my energy level to be higher. I was just talking to a girl friend who said that when she got pregnant a few years ago, she felt great. Maybe she just got lucky with the hormonal changes (I hear different kids produce different hormones). Or maybe it was partly because she felt happy to be pregnant?

I have decided that, if and when I ever get pregnant again, I'm pretty sure I want to continue running. I'm going to make it one of those "survival of the fittest" things. If this baby was meant to be, then he or she is going to have to be able to withstand 20-45 minutes of bouncing around (from me jogging) 4-5 times a week. Maybe I'll be blessed with a tough cookie of a kid.

Don't worry, if I get pregnant again, I'm going to do more research before taking the ViPak - I wouldn't want to take it while pregnant if it could harm the kid! But who knows, maybe it would be safe. I'll post more on the subject when I do my research. 

Missing your Golden Window of Opportunity when you're TTC

DAMMIT, I'M OVULATING!!!! And the hubby is at work.

I swear to god, this "trying-to-get-the-timing-just-right" thing drives me nuts.

I had mittelschmerz on Sunday, I swear. It was a very obvious, sharp pain on my left side, that lasted about 5 minutes (on and off). But the ovulation tests I took around that time, for the next 2 days, showed NOTHIN was going on. I was not fertile. It just didn't happen.

I thought I just plain missed my window of opportunity this month. Especially after I did a whole bunch of research about how, if you have sex right after Mittleschmerz, it's probably already too late. But I had sex anyway, just to be sure. I had sex on Sunday, Monday, AND Tuesday! Even when I was sure I had missed my window of opportunity, since my cervix was hard and closed, and the test strips basically said, "Sorry sister."

So, I couldn't help but think of all the reasons I probably was done ovulating, and had missed my opportunity, or that I just wouldn't ovulate this month. I ran several miles on the day I felt Mittelschmerz. It must have made the egg slide right out of me. Or maybe I just wouldn't ovulate at all, because this month, I drank too much Caffe D'Vita Mocha Mix from Costco, and in the past that stuff would seem to throw off my ovulation cycle.

This was the first time in 3 days that I didn't have sex. And wouldn't you know it, when I went to the bathroom this morning, RIGHT after the hubby drove off to work, I found I had a huuuuuge amount of cervical mucus on the toilet paper (it was almost like jelly).  So I took an ovulation test, and it was POSITIVE. And I don't just mean "sort of positive." I mean, "that-second-line-was-even-darker-than-the-first-line, Positve."  Have a look:

I will admit, last night about 8:00, when I was putting away the groceries, I felt a teeny little "pang" in my ovaries. It wasn't a huge one - not nearly as sharp as the one I felt on Sunday morning. But I did notice it.  I was running out of Fertile CM, so I took 3 Oil of Evening Primrose tablets, just to be on the safe side (I wanted to save the few Fertile CM tabs I had left, for later this month, in case I needed them).

I think a part of me was just a little frustrated, that I suddenly felt Mittelschmerz again, because... sometimes, it seems like the Fertility gods are just f---ing with me.  It was hard to believe this little "pang" in my ovaries would turn out to be a legitimate "fertility warning sign" when the last one turned out to be a false alarm. And I didn't even feel any cervical mucus on the toilet paper or anything like that. I actually felt pretty dry.

I wound up going to watch TV with my husband, and we were very lovey dovey and holding hands and COULD have had sex, but... I fell asleep on the couch. By the time he woke me up, we were both ready for bed. I was thinking maybe we could "do it" in the morning, but we woke up late, and he had to rush off to work.

ARRRRGH!!!

Ladies, please don't make the same mistake I just did. If you think there is even the TINIEST chance you might be ovulating, DON'T WAIT.  Don't put it off till tomorrow. Don't fall asleep on the couch. Even if your ovulation test strips HAD been saying you're not ovulating. Keep testing. Never forget, the fertility gods love to laugh and yell, "PSYCH!!!!"

The moment you think you might be ovulating, you need to RIP YOUR MAN'S CLOTHES OFF AND BANG HIM LIKE A SCREEN DOOR IN A HURRICANE.

I wish I had a padded "love van" I could drive to my man's workplace and meet him for lunch (Somebody should seriously do that - as a rental service for ovulating women). I'd probably scare the crap out of him though. A desperate woman in heat is not a pretty sight.

Will let you know what happens...

EB

If you have Mittelschmerz and are TTC, when is the best time to have Sex?

I've often wondered just how soon after I experience mitttelschmerz, should I have sex? I just felt it on Sunday morning, and it was obvious.  I get a sharp twinge that is almost always on my left side, somewhere between the 9th and 14th day of my cycle (usually around day 9 or 10). The pain is not really bad - just a familiar sharp twinge that I might consider painful or worrisome, if it weren't for the fact that, knowing I'm ovulating makes me enjoy the feeling.

I felt mittelschmerz at around 6:00 in the morning on Sunday, just before I went out running with a friend of mine. Took an ovulation test but it was negative. True, it could be that I drank soooo much liquid the night before, that maybe my pee was diluted. I took one again today but the second line didn't show up. However, I do have a good amount of cervical mucus. It could be because I took 3 fertile CM pills yesterday, but I'm not sure. Since I did a lot of jogging, I can't help wondering, does that make the egg come out of you faster, because you're bouncing around so much? Like whacking a bottle of ketchup. The more you whack it, the faster the ketchup comes out. If you didn't whack it at all (or at least, tap it from the side), nothing would come out.

They say the egg only survives 24 hours, and if I ran several miles right after I felt the mittleschmerz, then my guess is, my most recent egg is probably long gone by now. I looked at another site, that said an egg can survive for 48 hours. Which could mean that if I have sex by 6:00 tomorrow morning I could be good to go. But I should probably try to do it now.

The last time I had sex (while I think I was ovulating) was on Friday. I did kind of feel like I might be ovulating then, but it was only day 8 of my cycle. My cervix felt high and soft, and when we did have sex, it was the first time in a  long time. I used lots of pre-seed, with a diaphragm afterwards, had my butt on a pillow, took fertile CM. But I don't think I drank any Fertili Tea or took any Oil of Evening Primrose. I drank a good amount of water, I think. And I have been drinking Visalus shakes, with maca and the pumpkinseed / flax mixture.

I checked my cervical position about an hour ago, and it's definitely low and closed. My 3rd ovulation test tells me I am NOT ovulating. But I had sex anyway. I also had sex yesterday (Monday morning). So I don't know what to think. Supposedly it's best to have sex 2-3 days before you ovulate, and if that's the case, then maybe I could have gotten lucky when I had sex on Friday evening - about a day and a half before I felt the mittleschmerz.

On Friday when I took the diaphragm out, the morning after having sex, there was a small amount of blood, like I tend to get when I ovulate. So maybe I did ovulate. I used a good amount of PreSeed in the diaphragm.

I just wonder how well my husband's "swimmers" are able to survive and also "hang on" if I'm out running. It gets so confusing, trying to analyze it all. I sometimes feel like I need to just go back to not thinking about it, and focus on training for a marathon again. That seemed to help me that last time!

Here are some of the pages I read on the topic:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080425144443AAmgo6k

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtBa4rvZ.KfPZQhPYMlh6xp_7hR.;_ylv=3?qid=20070924185125AA8CNUN

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070806225521AAtOVjI

http://www.weizmann.ac.il/Biological_Chemistry/scientist/Eisenbach/pdf/P101.pdf

How long does it take for sperm to reach an egg?

Holy moses, I had no idea those little buggers could swim so fast.  According to this article I just read, it can take just half an hour for a sperm to reach your egg.  I'm not sure why I was thinking it'd take at least 8 hours, or even a couple of days.  Apparently they can travel about 1/8 inch per minute (so, about an inch every 10 minutes, or 6 inches in an hour).

Somehow I always pictured the sperm traveling really slowly and taking it's sweet time to get where it's supposed to go. As for those women who say the sperm can last several days in their fallopian tubes.... well, good for you, but I just don't think that's the case for me. I always feel like I need to do it RIGHT when I'm ovulating.  Not a few days before. My body tends to be so dry, I just can't picture the sperm living that long in my tubes. Maybe I'm wrong but... that's just what I imagine.

Anyway, here is the article:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_long_does_it_take_sperm_to_reach_an_egg

Pycnogenol improves sperm quality AND helps with endometriosis!

I just had to share these articles that give me hope.

A few months ago I ordered Pycnogenol and CoEnzyme Q10 and started taking it every day. Well, for whatever reason, I no longer have pain with orgasms. Seriously. I couldn't believe it when, last month, RIGHT before my period, I had an orgasm that had NO PAIN.

That NEVER happens if I'm right before my period.  It's true, the Visalus vitamins definitely helped me take away the pain DURING my period (if I'm good about taking them every day, I have absolutely NO PAIN). But I would still get the pain DURING an orgasm, if I had one.

So, I'm not sure if it's the CoEnzyme Q10 or the Pycnogenol  (I'm guessing it's the Pycnogenol) that took away the pain, or if it's because I had a miscarriage and that could have "washed out" any sort of buildup that could have been causing the pain, but... I just wanted to share my experience.

Here are the articles I read. Enjoy!

How Pycnogenol helps with Endometriosis: http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/More-evidence-for-Pycnogenol-endometriosis-benefit

How Pycnogenol helps sperm:

http://www.reproendo.com/pdf/readersdigest.pdf

http://www.reproendo.com/html/pycnogenol-research-study.html

EB

TTC Abbreviations - WTF is a BFP, HPT, or a DTD?

I just had to do this post because for the last 5 years I've been going a little crazy trying to figure out what some of these "TTC Acronyms" are.

I was just reading a web discussion where some women kept talking about a BFP. I tried to guess what it means (the context of the discussion told me the "P" probably stood for "positive" but I had no clue about the rest!). 

After a Google search, I am, finally, the last person on the planet, to learn that BFP stands for Big Fat Positive (as in, a positive pregnancy test). 

I've always wondered how women know all these acronyms. Some gals throw out so many acronyms in one  discussion post, it's like speaking another language, which makes me wonder... is there some kind of TTC class that teaches this stuff, somewhere, that I just missed? Or do people really just look it up online? I am just way too impatient - until I just get so sick of not understanding what people are talking about, that it basically forces me to look it up.

For any other gals who are like me, I'm going to include a weblink for a page that explains some of the acronyms and abbreviations we keep seeing over and over again on TTC sites (I'm doing a copy and paste so you can read it within this post, but I also want to thank and credit the source: http://www.tryingtoconceive.com/abbrevs.htm).

Abbreviation/Acronym	Explanation
2ww	Two Week Wait - Luteal Phase - 14 days after ovulation
AF	Aunt Flo, menstruation, period
AFK	Away from keyboard/keys
AH	Assisted Hatching
ASYLUM	TTC Asylum, need to check in?
BABY ASPIRIN	a/k/a children's aspirin which contains only 81mg of aspirin used to quiet immune system
BBT	Basal Body Temperature
BD	Baby Dance, Sex
Beta	Blood test for PG
BFN	Big Fat Negative (Pregnancy Tests)
BFP	Big Fat Positive (Pregnancy Test)
BRB	Be right back
BTW	By the way
CB	Cycle Buddy - Same cycle day as yourself!
CD	Cycle Day
CL	Corpus Luteum
CM	Cervical Mucus
CP	Cervical Position
CYE	Check your email
DB	Discussion Boards - they are a wealth of information!
DD	Dear Daughter
DH	Dear Husband
DP	Dancing Partner; spouse, or significant other
DPO	Days Past Ovulation
DB	Dear Boyfriend
DS	Dear Son
DTD	Doing The Dance, BD, sex
DUST	Alumnae sprinkle PG Dust~*~*~*~*~*~ on us TTCers
EC	Embryo Cyro/Freezing
EDD	Estimated Due Date
EPO	Evening Primrose Oil
EWCM	Egg-White Cervical Mucus
ER	Egg Retrieval
ET	Egg transfer (can be used as 5dpet to mean 5 days past egg transfer)
F2F	Face to face
GMTA	Great minds think alike
hCG	Human Chorionic Gonadotropin - detected in HPTs
H&H	Happy and Healthy
HPT	Home Pregnancy Test
HSG	Hysterosalpingogram - x-ray
ICSI	Microfertilization
IMHO	In my humble opinion
IMNSHO	In my not so humble opinion
IUI	Intrauterine Insemination
IVF	In Vitro Fertilization
KEGELS	The muscle used to stop the flow of urine. Very important to keep it toned by flex & hold. Referred to as doing your Kegels
LH	Luteinizing Hormone - detected in OPKs
LOL	Laughing Out Loud
LP	Luteal Phase, days between ov & AF
(m)	More text in the body of message
(nt)	No Text in body of message - used when writing short messages on the discussion board
O or OV	Ovulation
OPK	Ovulation Predictor Kit
POAS	Pregnancy, pregnant POAS - pee on a stick (pregnancy test). Many women will say they are a poas addict. Sharon
PG	Pregnancy, pregnant
PNV	Prenatal Vitamin
RE	Reproductive Endocronolgist - doctor who specializes in fertility problems
RSN	Real soon now
SA	Semen Analysis
SAHM	Stay at Home Mom
ROBI	A term used which refers to Robitussin or Guaifenesin Syrup (expectorant) used to thin CM
ROFL	Rolling on the Floor Laughing
SO	Significant Other
SOD	Sex on Demand
TCOYF	"Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler
Train	This usually occurs after ovulation when you jump on the Obssession Train! Chooo Chooo!!
TR	Tubal Reversal
TTC	Trying To Conceive
TTFN	Ta ta for now
YI	Yeast Infection

Using a Diaphragm vs. using an Instead Cup or SoftCup to Get Pregnant

What's better to use as a conception aid... a Diaphragm, or a Softcup (aka Instead Cup)?

(Please note that I sometimes use the term "Instead cup" because that was what it used to be called... it's now the SoftCup, but I may refer to it by either name).

I decided to take a side by side photo of my instead cup, next to my diaphragm (which I hadn't used in so long it literally had a layer of dust on it... I would put it back in it's case but can't find the darn thing).

I got a diaphragm back in 2008 for birth control purposes and used it a total of like, two times, when my now-husband was "just my boyfriend." I'd somehow managed to convince my favorite doctor, at the clinic I went to for birth control, to give me one. I'd always wanted to try it, and was at a point where I didn't want to go back on the pill.

Although I didn't really like it as a method of birth control (partly because I didn't want to use ANY birth control) I am really glad I didn't throw it out. Because I want to start using it again as a conception aid.

I've used both the instead cup and my diaphragm, to "keep the sperm in," and I have to say - I actually prefer my diaphragm over the instead cup, for a few reasons:

1) For me personally, it feels a little more comfortable. I think it's because the "ring" around the edge of the diaphragm is thinner, and a little more flexible than the softcup.

2) It's easier for me to pee with a diaphragm in, than a softcup. I don't know what it is about the softcup, but somehow it always manages to position itself over my bladder and then when I have to pee, I feel like it takes forever... and can't help wondering if some of the pee is going INTO the softcup! That can't be good for sperm.

3) A diaphragm is generally considered safe to re-use, whereas you're supposed to throw away an instead cup after one use. For the record, I do want to state that I have re-used instead cups, after washing them thoroughly - without a problem. But I don't think you're "supposed to" do that, so I'm not recommending it.

4) Because a diaphragm has "less room" to it, the sperm are closer to your cervix and therefore, can reach the egg faster than with a SoftCup. It's true that if you "roll up" an instead cup, you can give the sperm less space to travel (you can read my prior blog post about this, and view pictures of what I'm talking about, by clicking here: http://knockknockbaby.blogspot.com/2009/10/using-instead-cup-rolled-up.html). But when I do roll it up, I can't help wondering if it's "too tight" for my cervix?

I still would DEFINITELY recommend the SoftCup for women who are trying to conceive (if you don't already have a diaphragm), but I am just saying that a diaphragm is my preferred method... when I can actually find the darn thing. I got my diaphragm practically free, from a low-cost clinic, partially because I have the best "clinic doctor" ever (I actually kept seeing her, even after I got health insurance and could see a "regular" doctor). If you don't have a way to get ahold of a diaphragm for a low cost, I'd say keep using the SoftCups.

I just spent the last hour trying to find an article I'd seen online, about some female doctor who had a huge success rate, helping her clients get pregnant, using a diaphragm (instead of a SoftCup). I know I'd seen it within the last year, but didn't save it or bookmark it, and now I'm going nuts trying to find it again.  This is driving me crazy, as it seemed to just pop right up on the first page in a google search when I looked for an article on the topic several months ago, but now that I'm trying to find it so I can add it to this blog... it's nowhere to be found. And I'm usually really good about being able to find stuff on Google, quickly. I've tried dozens of different google searches, with AND without quotes, and still... no dice. I'm not kidding, I've been looking for an hour and a half.

There is another woman who did an online post, who seemed to be talking about the same Doctor / article. She said that the doctor said it would never catch on, because the fertility docs would never make any money using this method... her success rate was about 50 percent! (maybe the fertility doctors found a way to remove it!!!). Here is her post: http://www.inspire.com/buch4/journal/using-a-diaphragm-to-get-pregnant/

So I just want to tell you that I know people have used this method with a high success rate, because I did see that article (btw if you happen to find it, please email me at knockknockbaby@gmail.com and I will add it to this post!!!). I think I just need to lay off the google searching for tonight, and hopefully the right combination of keywords will come to me in a day or two, and it will magically re-appear again.

Some articles I did find about using a diaphragm to get pregnant (though it's not the one I was looking for):
http://www.inspire.com/buch4/journal/using-a-diaphragm-to-get-pregnant/
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/artificial-insemination-at-home.html
http://www.fertilityplus.org/faq/homeinsem.html

I'll keep looking for that other one, and will be sure to post it if I ever find it!!!

Ellebelle

How to Save Money on PreSeed Lubricant

The other day I FINALLY was able to find some Pre-Seed  in a drugstore - Walgreen's, of all places (they do not have it at Target or CVS - at least not in my neighborhood - though they used to carry it at CVS).

This stuff is NOT CHEAP.  The total for one (1) 1.4 ounce tube, with tax included, was $27.05.  Which is equivalent to about $1.93 for every tenth of an ounce (less than one application), when you include the tax.

First of all, I want to say - although the stuff is expensive, I know it's worth it, and I'm very grateful to Dr. Joanna Ellington for coming up with this stuff, and for figuring out that a substance called Arabinogalactan can actually help sperm survive longer than they normally would. She's a genius!

That being said, however, there are people like me who are in our 40's, who have been trying to have a baby for several years, and have gone through a couple dozen tubes of this stuff.  So in my opinion, some of us deserve a break in the price!!!  Sadly, though, the baby gods don't really care about our poor TTC dilemmas - just like Aunty Flo doesn't really care about the fact that we chicks have to cough up extra money to buy feminine products every month, just because we're women. Men traditionally have to cough up money to pay for a first date. Who said that's fair? Life just isn't fair, period.

So it's up to us to figure out our own ways to save money.


My biggest Pre-Seed  tip on how to save money: I mentioned this in an earlier post, but am going to mention it again in case you missed it.  You can actually save money on Pre-Seed  by combining it with Astroglide NATURAL.  (you can get a free sample of Astroglide Natural by clicking here: http://www.astroglide.com/FreeSample.asp... just be sure to click the dropdown to select Astroglide natural, as the default is the regular Astroglide). If you want to buy a whole tube, you can find it here on Amazon.

Yes, this really works. At least, it really worked for me (for anyone who has never read any of my other blog posts, I got pregnant at age 43, for the first time, after 5 years of TTC). I didn't use PreSeed in it's full-strength. I used a combination of half Pre-Seed , and half Astroglide NATURAL. Basically, I just dumped a tube of Pre-Seed  into about half a bottle of Astroglide natural (It's true, I was doing a lot of other things to maximize my fertility, but wanted to mention again that I did not use Pre-Seed  at its full strength). You can read about the other things I did, to get pregnant, by clicking HERE.

I also want to note that, you can save even more money by ordering the 2.5 oz. tube of Pre-Seed  (aka Pre') instead of the small (1.4 oz) tube.  The larger tube is marked "for external use" but I found out the ingredients are the same, and the "external" Pre-Seed has the same concentration of arabinogalactan (the antioxidant that prolongs sperm life), as the small tube does! The smaller tube just costs more because  you are getting the plastic applicators, but I have plenty of those and would rather have more product instead. You may have to order this product online, though. Walgreens only carried the smaller tube.

UPDATE 10/11/14: Sorry ladies, it looks like they no longer carry the Pre'.... I think it's been discontinued. Bummer!

When I combined the Pre-Seed  with the Astroglide natural, it turned a kind of milky color, and stayed that way (I don't really understand why it did that, since both are clear when they come out of their respective bottle / tube). I did created more of the mixture the other day (photos below) and for some reason, it didn't stay that "milky color." But whatever the case - that's the stuff I used when I got pregnant. And I used a decent amount of it.

I decided to take pictures when I combined the Pre-Seed  with the Astroglide natural. It helps if you are working with a half a bottle.  I had one almost-empty bottle, so I poured half the contents of  my new bottle, into the old bottle, and then poured the pre-seed equally into both bottles, then shook them up. At first, you will see the "top layer" is milky looking, but when you shake it up, it turns clear. The first time I did this, it stayed a milky color, but this time it went back to clear.

 Pouring the astroglide into both bottles (you can see they changed the packaging, slightly, but it's the same stuff)...

 You can see the top layer looks "milky"...

 Just after shaking.... there were big bubbles at first...

 (eventually even the tiny bubbles - in this photo - disappeared, and it now looks clear). 

I also took a photo of the ingredients, which you can read  here. 

Pre-Seed  Ingredients:   Purified water, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Pluronic, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Phosphate, Carbomer, Methylparaben, Sodium Hydroxide, Arabinogalactan, Potassium Phosphate, Propylparaben.

Astroglide Natural Ingredients:  Xylitol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Potassium ascorbyl tocopheryl phosphate (Vitamins C & E), Pectin, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract (Chamomile), Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol.

Here are the ingredients listed again, side by side, so you can compare  (as you can see, Purified water and Hydroxyethylcellulose are the only 2 common ingredients).  I'm no scientist, but most of the ingredients do sound pretty safe.

Astroglide Natural Ingredients:  Purified Water, Xylitol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Potassium ascorbyl tocopheryl phosphate (Vitamins C & E), Pectin, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract (Chamomile), Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol.

Preseed Ingredients:   Purified water, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Pluronic, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Phosphate, Carbomer, Methylparaben, Sodium Hydroxide, Arabinogalactan, Potassium Phosphate, Propylparaben.

WHERE TO BUY:

I went online to find the cheapest places to buy PreSeed.

If you have Amazon Prime, that is the cheapest way to get it. If you get a 2 pack, that makes it about $16.50 per tube (shipping included... though I am not sure if there is tax). You can find the 2-Pack on Amazon HERE 

You can get one box through Amazon Prime (sold by the PreSeed company) HERE.

Other places you can get Pre-Seed online (please note pricing may be subject to change):

Walgreens.com: $22.99 (free shipping over $25)  http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/pre-seed-fertility-friendly-personal-lubricant/ID=prod6052640-product

CVS.com: $20.99 (free shipping if your order is over $49 and weighs less than 10 pounds)  http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/catalog/shop_product_detail.jsp?filterBy=&skuId=794443&productId=794443&navAction=jump&navCount=3 

Early-Pregnancy-Tests.com $21.50 (love these guys... they used to have the best pricing, but I just learned if you have Amazon Prime that is slightly cheaper): They do have FREE SHIPPING for this product in the US and Canada, even if all you're getting is this one box, PLUS they give you two free pregnancy tests with your order. http://www.early-pregnancy-tests.com/preseed-multi-use.html   You can also buy the much larger tube - the pre-seed external type, for much the same price (it's twice as much product for about the same price: http://www.early-pregnancy-tests.com/preseed-external.html).

Ebay (Variable) (There are several different sellers listing this product, and some pretty decent deals, some with free shipping. You can see them by clicking this link):
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=preseed&_sacat=0&_odkw=presed&_osacat=0

I'm seriously thinking about selling this stuff myself... will let you know if I do! (I used to make my living selling on ebay, but took a break).  Please check the main page for this blog site, and if I do start selling it, I will be sure to mention it on the main page.  Maybe I could even throw in a sample of Visalus!

Ellebelle

The POSITIVE side of a Miscarriage

Today I did a Google search to see if anyone else had written anything, on the positive side of a miscarriage. I know that may sound insane to some people, but I have always been a big believer that for every bad thing, there is a good thing that comes out of it. Even if it doesn't seem possible at the time. To my surprise, I couldn't find a single post on the subject. You can usually find just about anything on google, but I didn't find anything about there being a single positive effect of having a miscarriage. I guess I do understand it, but... it just seems like a shame, because if you can't look at the positive side of the situation, then it's like, that poor little baby died completely in vain, and I don't want to see it like that.

I want to look at it like, that baby - small as it was, and as short-lived as it's life was -  helped me in some way.  It did not die in vain. It just had a tiny chance to be here on earth, and it made the world a better place in the short time that it was here.

Several years ago, a friend of mine had a miscarriage, in her second trimester, and was pretty traumatized. My sister pointed out to her that, that tiny baby boy did a lot of good for her, during its short life. That baby boy, that never got the chance to walk or talk, actually got his mother to quit smoking. He got his mother to eat healthier. And he brought his mother and father closer together. I was really touched and inspired by my sister's perspective on the whole situation, and it helped our girl friend, too.  She now has two beautiful, healthy kids and is a very proud mom!

It's been about 2 months since my miscarriage, and I am feeling great. My body feels really good, I feel healthy and strong and ready to try to get pregnant again. My last period was actually a really "good one." I bled a lot, but I was happy about it, because I haven't had a period like that since my 20's or early 30's, and it made me feel young again. It was kind of a strange period... there was a lot of slipper stuff that came out during the first week. I think I was actually ovulating. I had very noticeable sharp pains in my ovaries - just like I get when I ovulate, only these were a little stronger than usual - and it was while I was in the middle of my period. So I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that my period arrived today.  Yes, I was a little disappointed. I had still been hoping for some sort of miracle, that I could get pregnant right away after the miscarriage, and even have a baby born in the year of the Dragon. But it just wasn't meant to be.

My last period lasted for about 8-10 days - maybe even a week - honestly, I can't remember the exact number of days it was, but I remember telling my husband it was unusually long, and heavy. I remember answering the door at my workplace and escorting a guest to the person they were supposed to meet, and feeling myself bleeding heavily and praying that the pantyliner I was wearing, would be enough for me to make it from the front of the building to the middle, where I was escorting the guests. I didn't expect it to be so heavy.  But I was glad. Because I knew it was my body's way of getting rid of some of the "extra" stuff I'd been carrying around, since I opted not to have a D & C.

The doctor at Planned Parenthood was very much against me skipping the D & C. She took a look at my ultrasound and said I have a lot of stuff left in my uterus, and said there's a very high chance of infection, which I refused to believe. Seriously? Women have been having miscarriages for millions of years - do you really expect me to believe that there's over a 50% chance I'm going to have some kind of life threatening infection by me having just one? I decided to let mother nature take her course. Yes, I was a little concerned, but not that concerned. Especially after talking to my granola hippie sister, who opted to have her two births without any kind of medical intervention. She doesn't trust doctors or their intentions, and I usually tend to agree with her.

Anyway, a few days ago I was starting to think I might be pregnant. I didn't feel pregnant, but I was having pretty heavy white discharges, as I did when I was pregnant in January. And also, the thing I really noticed was that I didn't have any pain with orgasm, even though I seemed to be due for my period (as it was around day 30 of my cycle). Which is very unusual for me. For the last three years, I've had to endure intensive cramping almost every time I have an orgasm, if it's within a few days of me getting my period. I just had an orgasm a couple of days ago, but there was no pain whatsoever. And I just started my period today. The thing that made me realize I was pregnant, 3 months ago, was the fact that I didn't have any pain with orgasm. Something must be up!

So, I can't help but believe that there is something positive that has come out of this pregnancy. I'm not sure if my past "orgasm pain" was caused by a fibroid, or polyp, or excess old tissue, or what, but somehow, I feel like, my uterus is now healthier than ever. I feel like my periods are getting back to how they used to be, and I want to thank my last baby - tiny as it was - for that.

I am also feeling very grateful that, at the very least, I know what it's like to get pregnant. For the longest time, I had no idea, and it was just this thing that everyone else talked about and knew about, except me. Well, now I know.  And although I never got to know the joys of delivering a full term baby, I feel like I have an understanding that I never used to before.

This past month has been a hard one for me. I am no longer working at the temp assignment I was before - but I am feeling more positive than ever. I have a completely different career that I am pursuing, and I feel GREAT about it.  Good things are happening for me right now, and I am starting to train for a marathon again. I just bought a ton of healthy food the other day, from Costco, and am back to drinking my veggie shakes. Things are looking good.

For anyone who's been through a miscarriage - I really feel your pain. It just sucks, there's no way around it. But if you can find it in you to look for anything positive that's come from it - even if it's just that you have more of an appreciation now, for the fact that you were able to get pregnant at all (which some people can't, no matter how hard they try), you will surely be a better person for it.