Hi Ladies! Thanks for visiting my blog, which I started in 2008. In January of 2012 I got pregnant for the first time, at age 43, after 5 years of trying to conceive. I always wanted to do it “the natural way,” without the assistance of IVF or fertility doctors, for many reasons. They say you can learn a lot from other people’s mistakes... but more than anything, I hope you will learn from my successes! Thanks again for stopping by, and best of luck in your own journey to TTC!
I just shared this with a woman who got a water machine, and thought it was worth posting, here. I'd heard it is a key factor in reversing Erectile Dysfunction in men, partly because it makes the insides of your blood vessels "slippery" when the L-Arginine is converted to Nitric Oxide. If something is slippery, like the inside of your fallopian tubes, wouldn't that make it easier to get pregnant? Just a thought : ) : ) : )
5 Reasons Why L-Arginine Improves Fertility in Men and Women
L-arginine is an amino acid often taken as a supplement by couples facing fertility issues. L-arginine is a semi essential amino acid used in a number of physiological functions. The body is able to make l-arginine, though dietary intake is important for ensuring you have enough of this amino acid. Good dietary sources include nuts, lentils, kidney beans and fresh soybeans. Other dietary sources include egg yolk, meats and dairy products.
L-arginine is important for optimum health, and is thought to protect against a number of health conditions.
L-arginine is important for a strong immune system, and is also recommended for couples facing fertility issues. As well as eating a diet rich in the food sources mentioned above, you may wish to take a daily supplement to increase your l-arginine intake. Speak to your healthcare provider for advice before you begin taking a new supplement.
L-arginine is thought to improve the reproductive health of both men and women because:
1. It increases blood circulation to the uterus, ovaries and genitals - increased blood flow can improve reproductive health. L-arginine allows for better blood circulation to the ovaries, allowing for optimum egg production. The increased blood flow to the uterus also creates a better environment to allow the implantation of a fertilized egg. Blood flow is important for the proper functioning of the reproductive organs, and may improve the chances of conception.
2. It increases Nitric Oxide levels - L-arginine is used by the body to create Nitric Oxide (NO). Research has found that increased NO levels supports healthy inflammation levels which may help to prevent uterine fertility issues such as fibroids, endometriosis and PCOS. Inflammation is a contributing factor to a number of fertility issues shown to negatively impact conception and implantation.
3. Supports normal sperm production - research has found that taking a l-arginine supplement daily can increase sperm production in men. In the study, the effects were noticeable 6-8 weeks from the start of supplementation. L-arginine may also improve the motility of sperm, thus increasing the chance of conception in couples suffering from low sperm motility. Where IVF is used, l-arginine can be used to improve the quality of sperm, increasing the the chance of achieving a fertilized egg.
4. Improve the production of cervical mucous - the increased blood flow to the reproductive organs can aid in the production of cervical mucous. Abnormal mucous production contributes to the challenges faced by around 1 in 20 women dealing with fertility issues. Some women do not produce enough cervical mucous, and others produce a mucous that is too thick for sperm to travel through. L-arginine can encourage better production of cervical mucous through improved blood flow.
5. Supports a healthy libido – L-arginine increases blood flow to the genitals in both men and women, leading to an increased libido. In men, increased blood flow to the penis can result in more frequent and sustained erections. L-arginine is often suggested for men suffering from erectile dysfunction. In women, increased blood flow to the genitals can lead to increased sexual arousal and orgasm. A healthy libido plays an important role in conception.
Please note: You should not take l-arginine if you have herpes as it can trigger an outbreak.
I got my period on September 16th, so today is day 10 of my cycle. I figured I was probably ovulating because yesterday (day 9 of my cycle) I went to use the ladies' room at Costco and there was a HUGE glob of eggwhite cervical mucus on the toilet paper (ironically I was in the same stall where I took a pregnancy test that confirmed I was pregnant about 4 years ago... what's with me and Costco)?
I can always tell when I'm ovulating because I start to smell different during that time. it's like the cervical mucus has a different scent... and it's one I've grown to appreciate. My husband has commented that he loves that smell. It's funny, he can be such a sweet and sensitive guy, I remember thinking a bunch of times when I first met him, this guy is too good not to be gay. My first boyfriend turned out to be gay so I've always been slightly paranoid that a guy is going to switch teams on me. Anyway... I remember that when my hubby said that he loves how I smell (down there), I thought... ok... maybe he's not gay. We recently celebrated 8 years together so... so far so good : )
Anyway... I've been having mittelschmerz "pangs" on BOTH ovaries for I think about 4 days now. No kidding. And they were strong. It's pretty weird that they were on both sides, too. Usually it's just one or the other.
Last month I got a few pangs but not like this. This month, it was to the point where it was almost annoying because it was slightly painful (more like a little "zing" here and there). Nothing unbearable, but if it got any worse I'd have had to have some ibuprofen.
Last month I think I ovulated during the first week of my cycle... it's been like that the last couple of months.
But I did something different this month.... I gave up sugar (at least, the excessive amount I was used to having).
I can't help thinking that has made a huge difference. One reason is this... I've been drinking this special water that is known to help the body quickly remove toxins and bring the body back into balance, and I heard that it isn't nearly as effective, when you add sugar to it. Well, I had been in the really bad habit of adding sugary powdered drink mixes to the water. Like Tang and iced tea. I went through a lot of stress in the last couple of years, and sugar became my drug of choice.
It makes me kind of sick now, to think of how much extra sugar I was consuming on a regular basis... day after day after day, for years, I was ingesting SEVERAL TABLESPOONS of excessive sugar (in the form of sugary drinks)... and wondering why I couldn't still figure out some way to get rid of candida. It's like someone eating a whole cheesecake every day and hoping to wipe out the fat by popping a couple of fat burning pills. It just doesn't work that way. You have to eliminate the SOURCE if you want to see real results.
But I will admit...the only reason I eliminated the source (sugar) was because I was just too busy to get to Costco and pick up more of the sugary iced tea mix I was used to drinking. So, I just made a bunch of tea, with lipton tea bags, and started drinking sugarless iced tea instead. I found that it gave me a really good buzz, so eventually I just got used to it. I was drinking iced tea, without sugar, for about a month, and then for the last 2 weeks I was too busy to even make tea, so I just started drinking this special water, with nothing else in it.
Not only did my period last an entire week (instead of the 5 days I've grown used to) but omg.... over the last month, my candida seemed to VANISH.
For years I have struggled with candida, in the form of athlete's foot. I've written about that before. And this is the first time that I've really just had almost no symptoms... for like a month! The water I've been drinking did help the candida to some degree, but nothing was able to TAKE IT AWAY like simply ELIMINATING THE PROBLEM. I am so happy!!!! Now, even if I have one of my usual "trigger foods" I can skip having a reaction, because my body isn't in "overload mode." It's awesome.
I have heard some women report that the water helps them with female issues, and a good friend of mine swears this reversed menopause for her, by about 5 years... actually she may have said 7, I forget. But it was a long time! She had been going through menopause and then when she started drinking the water, it stopped, and she got her periods again, for another 5-7 years.
Anyway, the other thing I wonder is if it really could have the power to unblock fallopian tubes. The reason I wonder this is, I am not used to ovulating on my right side. It is almost always on my left. When I did a hysterosalpingogram a few years ago, to see if anything was blocked, you could see that my right fallopian tube was slightly blocked. Not completely, but slightly. It took longer for the dye to go through that one, than the other. So I always figured this is why I almost never feel any ovarian "pangs" on my right side.
Anyway, I have heard that there are ways to unblock fallopian tubes. If there is a lot of scarring, believe it or not there are things that have been shown to reverse the damage. And I can't help thinking there is a good chance that this water has reversed some of that damage, because this water has a lot of the same properties as those things that can get rid of scar tissue. Because I don't remember EVER feeling that many pangs in my right ovaries. Like I said, it was almost getting annoying! So I couldn't believe it when I could feel it on my left side, too, on the same day as my right. How many eggs is this body trying to drop on me at once?
Oh and by the way, about a week ago I did the candida spit test, and DIDN'T FLUNK, for the first time. I was so happy to see my spit actually floating in a glob at the top of the glass. After a while a few small "strings" appeared, but... it was MINOR compared to what I've seen in the past. My previous tests I did about 9 months ago looked like a giant jellyfish : D
Anyway... I just had to share that. Ladies... if I keep mentioning the water and giving up sugar... you know why : )
For the last three days I've been experiencing many of the same symptoms as I had, just before I found out I was pregnant in 2012. These symptoms (which are rare and unusual for me) include:
-REALLY bad lower back pain
-Fatigue
-Irritability
-Headache
-Diarrhea first thing in the morning
In addition, I felt nauseous in the morning, about 5 days after what I think could have been a possible conception date. I know, it seems way too early but a bunch of women said they felt nausea at that time, and also went on to have successful pregnancies. And I also had a really rapid heart rate, something I also googled and it seems a lot of women report this as a symptom of pregnancy.
Whatever the case, I took a pregnancy test and it's negative. And I took another and another and another and they're all negative (I thought maybe cause it was a cheap test from the dollar store maybe it wouldn't work but... I'm thinking it's probably accurate).
I'm not sure what would cause me to have those same crazy symptoms and can't help but wondering if it's possible for the body to become pregnant, but it has to go through a "waiting period" to determine if that little zygote is going to be viable or not.
UPDATE (an hour later): OK so I got my period this morning so I can forget the idea that those pregnancy tests could have been inaccurate since they were from the dollar store, or that they weren't working since they were a few years old.
But I still think it's funny that I had so many symptoms that were just like the time I got pregnant. I know there are some people who might say all those symptoms I had are just PMS symptoms, but for me, that is highly unusual. It's just not like me to get any of those things. I haven't had back pain for years (though it seems like I had it pretty bad when I was in the throes of all my TTC stuff).
I'm going to write about this later but... I have gotten to a place where I feel pretty OK with not having kids. I'm like... 90 percent ok with it. I think this is because I feel strongly that I still could get pregnant, if I wanted to. I realized that, for me, getting pregnant wasn't so much about NEEDING to have a baby, and needing someone to take care of and love me, as it was about wanting to know my body was functioning properly.
When you are unable to get pregnant, you feel really "left out" from this big group of women in the Mother's Club. But I just want to say to all the women out there, who have been struggling with TTC... I really think just about all of us COULD get pregnant if we really wanted to. But... how much would that change our lives? I realized, I'm pretty happy with my life the way it is now. I don't feel like I'm "missing anything."
I suppose I also have Facebook to thank for the fact that I feel that I've been able to live vicariously through other peoples' baby experiences, over the last 5 years.
Me and a friend of mine were trying to get pregnant at the same time, years ago. She spent thousands of dollars on fertility treatments and finally she and her husband decided to adopt. This friend of mine, whom I'll call Judy, is the PERFECT Mom. She is the kind of Mom who would ENJOY spending ALL DAY with her baby. And I have always imagined that I would NOT be that kind of Mom. That's not to say I wouldn't be a good Mom (my Mom was like the opposite of Judy, but I still consider her to have been a great Mom). It truly warms my heart to see Judy having so much fun with her daughter. She recently announced she was thinking of adopting another baby and I gasped out loud, joyfully, "Oh My God!" I was so excited for her. And not jealous in the least. I guess it's because I really feel like I could have had a baby if I wanted to, and a strong part of me feels like I still could.
I know some women might be reading this and say, Yeah Right! You're 47. But I have felt more fertile than I have in years. I've been drinking antioxidant water like my friend who swears it helped her turn back the clock on her menopause for 5 years, and am getting regular periods, a good amount of cervical mucus, and I feel like I'm ovulating normally. I recently also cut back on about 3/4 of the sugar I normally consume, so...I feel like my body is in a better position than ever, to have a baby, if I wanted one. And no, we are not using any birth control. So I really feel like it could still happen. But I'm kind of leaving this one up to fate.
I learned I really do value my "alone time." Because I like to write. And I like to spend 12 hours a day on my computer. I realize my entire life would change if I had a kid. I think the whole point of having a baby is to try to bring a good person into the world and do what you can to make it a better place. So if I did have a baby, I would do what I could, to ensure that this person was a good little human, who cared about this planet, was kind to others, and tried to make the world a better place. And if I don't end up having one of those little humans, it will give ME more time to do what I can to make the world a better place, and I plan to continue doing that by writing as much as I can (I know I haven't been doing much here on this blog but there are other projects I've been working on).
I can't help wondering if the fact that I gave up sugar was somehow causing some kind of detox reaction. I should probably write a separate post about this but I'll just try to say quickly that... I think I... no, I KNOW I had major issues with Candida, and that is DANGEROUS for a pregnancy, and can make it just about impossible to conceive. I was completely addicted to sugar. I'd have it every day, all day, in the form of powdered drinks. And it was causing really bad candida in my system. How do I know this? Because it gave me athlete's foot. Whenever I have too much sugar or yeast, my feet itch. If I had beer, soda, a doughnut, bagel... you name it. My feet itched. But now that I've given up the daily sugar consumption... my athlete's foot has pretty much VANISHED.
There were things that would help alleviate it temporarily. The antioxidant water helped somewhat, and the acidic water our machine makes was able to wipe it out externally... but I could still feel the tingling on the INSIDE. Because its seemed that this is where the yeast or candida was somehow settling, and thriving.
An interesting thing happened when I stopped consuming sugar. My feet got WARMER. Like the blood in them was circulating better. I didn't think the circulation was that bad before, especially because I was consuming antioxidant water, but... there is only so much the water can do when a person is unwilling to take away the SOURCE of the problem!!
I read up on some of the side effects of giving up sugar and people can feel nausea, headaches and more. So maybe this is what I was experiencing... who knows.
Anyway, I took a bunch of Vitamin D (10K usually keeps back pain away but I bumped it up to 50K today). I also took Turmeric, B vitamins and a bunch of other vitamins, and the pain doesn't seem to be an issue right now. Knock wood. It was just killing me yesterday so I am relieved that it seems to be gone now.
Ok ladies... I just learned about something big, and I mean... BIG. When it comes to TTC. I met a woman who shared a story about how she actually turned back the clock on menopause, by drinking a special drink that has 10 times more antioxidants in it, than green tea. I know it sounds too good true but please hear me out... this is for real. And I know that there is something to consuming large amounts of antioxidants, because of what I learned about how pycnogenol helps reverse endometriosis and helps women get pregnant (and I can vouch that this really does work!!). And this drink has even MORE antioxidants than pycnogenol (but is way less expensive). She said that, when she started drinking it, about 7 years ago, she literally felt like she had turned back the clock on menopause. I know that sounds too good to be true but I can tell you I started drinking the same stuff she drinks and she's for real. I had kind of put the whole "baby thing" on hold, but after everything I have read (about how this water seems to rejuvenate a woman's "female parts," I now feel 100 percent confident that I could get pregnant again in the next few years. Maybe it won't happen (and I'm actually ok with that too) but if it and when it does, I will be sure to report ALL the details here!!! So far this water has given me more energy and a positive outlook, it's making my teeth whiter, my hair and skin are softer, I'm sleeping better, my periods are great (bright red blood), and it also seems to be making my hair a little darker! And it's doing wonders for my hubby, who reports that THE WATER IS LIKE VIAGRA!!! And I am happy to say that it seems to be true ; ). I've also heard other men report this, too. But about the woman I met... In her 40's she had a lot of "female issues" including fibroids, urinary tract infections, yeast infections, and endometriosis. She started drinking this water and not only did those things REVERSE, but her periods actually came back!!! She had stopped ovulating for a while and reported that, before she started drinking the water, she was getting all the signs of menopause: hot flashes, irritability, increased insomnia, and erratic menstrual cycles. She also had difficulty breathing (felt like she was suffocating and constantly was worried she'd have heart failure), had heart palpitations, severe gum disease, tooth infections, severe acid reflux, bloating, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and horrible insomnia. She also had a stabbing pain from something that she suspects was a fibroid, and she almost went to the ER, but she didn't want to see a doctor about it because she knew he would probably insist on a hysterectomy. She also said she would get severe bronchitis once a year, but the water turned that around. It even seemed to reverse the FLU when she and her hubby started coming down with it!! She said the insomnia made her put on a lot of weight, and she spent a fortune trying to figure out what was wrong. She tried all kinds of diets, supplements, alternative practitioners, including acupuncturists, chiropractors, homeopaths, naturopaths, and even went and got allergy tests and an EKG to make sure there wasn't something wrong with her heart! The ONE person who was able to point her in the right direction was actually a spiritual healer who told her that her body was waaaaaay too acidic. LADIES, PLEASE RESEARCH THIS. I just found out that ALMOST ALL DISEASE IS CAUSED BY OUR BODIES BEING WAY TOO ACIDIC. This includes fibroids, endometriosis, cancer, diabetes, you name it. The ROOT CAUSE is that we are too acidic! The key is to make your body more alkaline! Disease cannot thrive in an environment that is too alkaline (look it up, it's true... which seems hard to believe since no doctor will ever mention this but... trust me on this one and yes please look it up for yourself!) By the way, for anyone who has never heard the story about Nicole Kidman attributing her first pregnancy to having bathed in waters in , guess what? THOSE WATERS ARE ALKALINE (I looked it up). They are like the many healing waters of the world (that are considered Healing Waters because they have Active Hydrogen). Other places in the world that have these waters include Lourdes, France; Tlacote, Mexico; and Nordenau, Germany. Nicole Kidman told The Australian Women's Weekly:
"I never thought that I would get pregnant and give birth to a child, but it happened on this movie.....Seven babies were conceived out of this film and only one was a boy. There is something up there in the Kununurra water because we all went swimming in the waterfalls, so we can call it the fertility waters now."
I imagine that she was probably drinking the water from the region as well. I thought about the time I got pregnant when I was 43, and realized, I was VERY alkaline at that time. I had stopped drinking sodas (omg sodas are SOOOOOOOOOO ACIDIC... just one 12 oz. soda will require 25 12-oz glasses of alkaline water to flush out the acidity). I was drinking lots of green tea, and I believe that the "Fertil Plus" supplements that I swear helped me get pregnant, also helped my body to become more alkaline. I had nooooo idea that just by making my body way more alkaline, I could greatly increase my chances of getting pregnant! I feel like I've discovered this HUGE SECRET to getting pregnant and just had to share this with you guys who take the time to read my blog! I do realize, maybe this is written in fertility books but I've never actually read any fertility books all the way through... most of the information I've gotten is online, or from standing at the library and skimming through fertility books : D. Anyway, back to the story... So, a friend of hers encouraged her to get a machine that makes this crazy kind of "healing water" (YES, I KNOW how kooky that sounds!). But the reason it is considered healing water is because it has active hydrogen in it, just like those healing water places I mentioned, like Lourdes in France. There are machines that really can make this kind of water!!! They do it through electrolysis. ONE IN FOUR households in Japan has one of these machines (we're just slow to catch on in America!). In addition to seemingly being able to "turn back the clock" on menopause, she and her husband noticed that their hair was turning dark again (both of them were going gray), and she lost 15 pounds!Within days of drinking the super alkaline water (that's full of minerals and antioxidants), she had no more constipation, her heart palpitations went down from about 20x a day to 3x a day, and she was able to sleep great (for the first time in 10 years). Her teeth started to regain their bone mass (she could literally see the translucent parts turning white again... and I can vouch this happened to me, too!!!). Her receded gums started growing back again (though her doctor had said this was IMPOSSIBLE). She wasn't saying they were 100 percent healed but they were greatly improved. And her hubby's hair started turning black again (same thing happened to MY hubby!!). So I can imagine that if it seems to be turning back the clock on aging for her hubby... that's probably pretty helpful for sperm, as well! In ADDITION TO YOUR EGGS! She said that after 3 months of drinking the water, she started ovulating again (she was 48 and had not shown any indication of ovulating for several years. She had not had a single female infection since she'd been drinking the water. The bloating and the IBS were gone. She was able to breathe more deeply. The heart palpitations practically vanished. Her knees and ankles no longer creaked and popped when she exercised. And her skin got really smooth and soft, including the skin on her heels (I can vouch the same thing is happening for me). And her acid reflux was GONE (this also happened to my hubby). And just as a little side note.. the water really helped her dog, who was sick, blind, and deaf, and they were about to put him down. After drinking this water, his eyes became clear and bright again, and he lived another 4 1/2 years! This water also helped me to reduce my symptoms of candida (though I must tell you, NOTHING will get rid of candida like getting rid of the SOURCE, which is SUGAR). Please see my post on candida, fungus and autism.. due to some things I've heard, and a ton of research I've done, I really believe there is a strong link between Autism and Candida!!! You can get one of these machines for just $44 per month if you have a credit score of 600 or above. I couldn't believe what a cheap offer this is (the payments do go up after a year but it's interest free for the first 12 months). This woman can even show you how you can get this machine for FREE. IF THIS MACHINE REALLY DOES HELP YOU WITH INFERTILITY, IT WILL BE A HECK OF A LOT CHEAPER THAN GOING TO A FERTILITY CLINIC!!! I have friends who couldn't get pregnant because of fibroids, blocked fallopian tubes and endometriosis (many naturopaths will recommend that to get rid of these problems, you should make your body more alkaline!). They've spent tens of thousands of dollars on treatments, and some were just plain unsuccessful (and either they gave up, or they ended up paying more money to adopt). THERE IS NO WAY TO MAKE YOUR BODY MORE ALKALINE, FASTER THAN YOU CAN IF YOU DRINK THIS WATER!!! To think that this machine could have saved them SOOOOO much money makes me feel like, I need to get on a roof and shout it out, to every woman out there!!! This machine makes water that kills E coli, salmonella, fungus, staph, MRSA and other infections. She also treats her cats' wounds with this water! Worth a try, anyway... EB
In this post, I've done my best to show you why foster parenting can be a really great thing. Even if you don't ever decide to foster a child, I wanted all "potential parents" to have this information. There are a few benefits to fostering that many people may have never considered.
The first benefit I want to mention (just because I think a lot of people don't know this is true) is that it can cost you little to NO money to adopt a foster child. Whereas a "standard" adoption can cost from $15,000 to $50,000! Taking care of a foster child will cost you less money than taking care of your OWN biological kids, because the state pays for the majority of the child's expenses.
I hate to put this as the first thing on this blog post because the money shouldn't matter, but I was worried that if I didn't put it first, some people would click right OFF this page because they thought it would be too expensive or thought they couldn't afford it. Many people don't realize how it all works (I didn't), so I wanted to share this information with others. You can see a video by some foster parents if you scroll down the page (it's the very last video at the bottom) that will explain a bit about how it works. There are a lot of myths about Foster Care... you see many of them "debunked" by clicking HERE.
When I got pregnant at age 43, it was shortly after I'd watched several videos by the Adoption organization Adopt US Kids. I'd never heard of them until I had seen this commercial on TV (below), and then ended up watching a ton of tear-jerking videos on their site. I was so moved by the videos, it really made me want to become a foster parent! Although I was never adopted, I do have a few friends that were adopted (and they are great people). I also relate to some of these kids who keep getting shuffled around and are very frustrated because they can't seem to find a permanent home (more about this later).
My mother was a social worker, and she was always asking me if I had any friends that might be interested in fostering. She saidthere are never enough foster families to provide good homes for all the kids that need them!
One of my coworkers from a job I had when I lived back home, ended up becoming a foster parent. He wasn't perfect (who IS??), but the key was, he had a BIG HEART. It's funny... when I worked with him, he always appeared a little lonely and sad, but when I talked to him after he became a foster parent (this was years after I moved out of state) he seemed a lot more cheerful. He ended up fostering several children and my Mom told me he was one of the best foster parents they'd ever had.
After watching the videos on the Adopt US Kids site, I was SO SURE this was the route I was going to go down... to the point that when I actually did end up getting pregnant, I yelled "NO F---ING WAY!!!" I almost felt as if it was throwing off my new plan! It was just like John Lennon said: "Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans."
Being That Person (or couple) who makes a Pivotal difference in Someone's Life
Did you know that John Lennon, Steve Jobs, Bill Clinton, Faith Hill, Richard Burton, Nelson Mandela, Marilyn Monroe, Edgar Allen Poe, Director Michael Bay, Sarah McClachlan, Melissa Gilbert, Jamie Foxx, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jesse Jackson, Eartha Kitt and Babe Ruth were all adopted? (there are MANY MORE adopted celebrities but that's just a handful). I realize most of them were adopted at a young age, but I'm just saying.... providing a nurturing and supportive home for a child can have a huge impact on a child. They may not become a movie star, famous songwriter, or the president of the United States, but you could really make a difference in their life.
You can see a list of even more adopted celebrities, by clicking HERE. (and even this will just be a partial list).
Going with the flow of the Universe
We've all heard that there are many cases where a couple decides to adopt a child and then suddenly the woman gets pregnant, because she is no longer freaking out about her fertility. Well I can't help thinking that was part of the reason I finally got pregnant. I didn't actually adopt a child, but I had decided that adoption could be a really good option for me, and that enabled me to stop freaking out about trying to have a baby just because my clock was ticking.
Great things in life aren't supposed to happen in a really stressed out way. Seedlings don't strain to grow. The sun doesn't strain to rise and set. And we women aren't supposed to freak out and stress out and strain to have babies! At the time I got pregnant, I had decided that my quest to get pregnant was really interfering with my life. I decided I wanted to train for a marathon (I'd put it off for years because I was worried it would negatively affect my fertility). I decided not to worry about it so much anymore, and if it happened, it happened. And then BAM... as soon as I started worrying so much about things... I got pregnant! It's true, I was still doing a good amount of things to increase my fertility, but I knew that by going running I could screw it all up (and I did it anyway!).
Wanting to get pregnant for the Right Reasons
Have you ever tried really hard to get a man to like you or pay attention to you, and it just DIDN'T WORK? I can't help thinking it's because there is a Great Power up there going, there's something wrong with this picture. She's doing that for the wrong reasons. She needs to feel confident in herself, and love herself FIRST, and stop worrying about what a man thinks of her! Whenever I tried too hard to get someone to like me, it had way too much to do with my ego, and it wasn't about me loving someone for the right reasons.
When I was trying to get pregnant, looking back at it, it seems like I was trying to do that for the wrong reasons, too. It had a lot to do with me just trying to see if I COULD get pregnant. I didn't want to be one of those women who couldn't, or who would be forever labeled as infertile or barren or incapable. I didn't want to be the only single parent out of all my friends who seemed to be getting pregnant left and right! How come they were able to have babies (seemingly at the drop of a hat) and I couldn't??? You could say I had something to prove.
When I finally got pregnant (shortly after I'd decided I really wanted to foster a child) I couldn't help feeling like The Universe was finally saying, OK you've passed the test. It's obvious you wanted to have kids for the right reasons, because it wasn't "all about you"... you really did want to provide a loving home for a child, including a foster child, and try to make the world a better place because of it. I'm not saying this is for sure what happened, but that's certainly what it felt like. Obviously, if God or the Universe put this test on everyone, then there would be no parents out there who would be having their children taken away. But I still can't help there was a higher spirit involved in me getting pregnant, and somehow there were some spiritual reasons behind it. Sadly, I did have a miscarriage which I will always believe was the result of taking a mega dose of Vitamin C (you can read about that in one of my other posts listed to the right), but I also think it was because I just had too much stress in my life.
Babies have been one of the last things on my mind recently (I've got a lot of stuff going on), despite the fact that my clock is ticking VERY loudly (I'm 46). I revisited the Adopt US Kids website last night and was bawling all over again. There are sooo many kids that want to be adopted and just want a permanent home!!!
Why (in my opinion) Couples who struggle with Infertility could make good foster parents
I think that couples who have been struggling to conceive will have a slight advantage over other parents, because they know what it's like to not have things come easily. If you have been frustrated by your own infertility, you know how frustrating it is to see all the people around you having babies, babies and more babies, while you still don't have a kid of your own. You know pain, and you know heartache. And you also know what it's like to go through this private hell while trying to put on a happy face and pretend nothing is wrong. So there is a part of you that will probably have some real empathy for a child who feels unlucky, frustrated, and different from all their peers (but has to keep trying to put on the happy face). These kids must spend a lot of time wondering, "Why me?" "Why can't I just have a normal life like everyone else?"
Why I can relate to Foster Children: I know how frustrating it is to not have a permanent "home" when you really want to stay in one place.
I was raised by a single mother, and there were many summers where she would send me and my sisters to live with my grandparents. I loved my grandparents, but didn't feel comfortable there because it wasn't my home. They were very strict and I often felt like I just couldn't relax. I knew they loved me, but... it was no comparison to being at home. Like Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz: There's no place like home. There is nothing like feeling like you're in a place you're familiar and comfortable with, and you can just relax and not be constantly worried that you're about to do something wrong!
Another reason I can relate to foster kids...
From the years 1998 to the present, I have had way too many temp jobs. Partially because I like having the time and the freedom to write. I never wanted to work in a corporate environment, permanently. And yet, it was hard not to want to have the health benefits and 401k plan, etc., that come along with being hired as a full time employee.
Well, there were many, many times where I would be at a temp job, filling in for someone on maternity leave, and I would get really used to the place, and end up loving it, and want to work there, permanently... but couldn't. Once the woman came back from maternity leave, I was out of a job... I had to pack up my stuff and move on to the next job. I knew from the getgo, there was a chance that maybe the woman I'd be filling in for would decide to become a stay at home mom, and not return (temp agents sometimes tell you this, to make the assignment sound better). But it never happened. They always came back, and I was always having to find a new job. And... it... sucked. It was like, DAMN. Just when I was totally getting used to the place and it started to feel like home... I have to move!!?? It didn't help matters that I only wanted to be a receptionist, and didn't have a college degree, so there weren't a lot of other places in the company where they could put me.
One day I had this revelation that, Omg, this must be what it feels like to be a foster child (only it must be way worse for the foster child). It was then that I thought, I really want to be a foster parent one day. So although I am still doing what I can to hang on to my fertility, I know that I may never end up having a baby on my own (biologically). It just may not be in the cards for me. Yes I want a baby, but I don't want one so badly that I would actually go through fertility treatments. Honestly, I would rather adopt a foster child. And even if I ever do get pregnant, I would still like to try to adopt a foster child one day.
My own Personal Experience with Fostering... and how REWARDING it is
Although I have never fostered a child, I have fostered many cats, and can tell you it is an extremely rewarding experience that is worth all the effort you have to put into it. Whether you're fostering people or pets... the love you feel in your heart will be greater when you know you are making a big difference in the life of another being.
I have a few adopted cats that were once feral, and I have to tell you... the one that was the most feral (and therefore least likely to be adopted into a "regular family") is my favorite. By just giving him food and shelter, being really sweet to him on a daily basis (and knowing when to give him his space), he went from being constantly fearful and insecure and afraid, to being incredibly sweet and gentle and appreciative of all the love and attention that I give him. I've had him nearly 10 years, but when I feed him, he still sometimes looks up at me like, "Are you sure it's ok for me to eat this? Is this food really for me?" I've had several cats in my lifetime, but watching him eat his dinner gives my heart an incredible surge, like nothing I've ever experienced with another cat, it's because I know I have truly made a difference in his life. He doesn't have that sense of "entitlement" that my other cats seem to have! (I'm not saying cats or children AREN'T entitled to have a good life, but... you're probably less likely to see "entitlement issues" in a foster child, than a biological one).
He taught me to be a better individual. I am a better "pet guardian" than I ever was. He (and my other feral cats) have taught me an incredible amount of patience. I've learned when to give him attention and when to let him be alone. I know that I am a better person because I took him in and gave him a good home where he can always feel safe and secure. I am always aware that if I didn't step in and help him, he would still be flea ridden, hungry, cold, afraid, injured from other cats or dogs, and could have easily contracted a number of cat diseases like FIV, FIP, or FELV. He could have been hit by a car or swallowed rat poison from someone's property while scrounging for food. Giving him a good home actually increased my confidence and feelings of self worth, in a way that I never experienced with other (non-feral) cats (and I have had many, from childhood through adulthood). You always have this sense that you're pretty damn awesome for making such a big difference in "someone's" (even "just a kitty's") life. Even just thinking about it, right now, makes my heart feel big. So imagine how good you'd feel if you were providing a better life for a CHILD!
Like I said earlier.... there just aren't enough good foster families to go around. You can see some of the sad statistics about the current state of the Foster Care system by clicking HERE.
Here are a few commercials (below) from the Adopt US kids website. Overall I think these commercials are good, because I'm sure they recruit a lot of good people and families who may have been afraid to foster because they just didn't know about it or think they were good enough. I'm really grateful these commercials were made, because if they weren't, I'd have never looked up that site.
But I also want to comment that every child deserves a good home. Sometimes I wonder if foster kids watch these commercials and feel offended because they think, why are they trying to stick me with these wacky people? But if you're a foster child reading this for whatever reason, I can tell you this much. Pretty much every parent out there is a little wacky. The single ones are wacky too. The rich ones are wacky, and often have children who have very little appreciation for all they have. I grew up in a pretty poor, dysfunctional, chatotic (but loving) family. THE most important gift you can get from a parent is love. If for any reason you don't get enough of it, it's because they don't have enough love for themselves, and you shouldn't ever take that personally. You need to learn how to love yourself first because just like the song, that really is the greatest love of all. And one day you will have the ability to give as much love, to a child, as you want!
Omg this one would be me....
Just a few touching SUCCESS STORIES...
(You can find many more adoption success stories if you just go check out YouTube).
Can you imagine how nice it would be, if even 1/10th of the people out there, who were trying desperately to have a baby, could just take a break for a couple of years, and commit to adopting a teenager for a couple of years and say, for the next two or three years we are just going to SHOWER this kid with as much love and attention and support as we could possibly give them!
Adopting a teenager in need could be a good thing for all parties, for many couples who are TTC, for several reasons:
-It's just a couple of years (though if you have a great relationship with them, you will probably have their love for a lifetime). I truly believe that you could greatly improve your chances of conception if you spend the next two years taking great care of your body, taking CoEnzyme Q10 and Astragalus (see my post: "An Easy way to improve the quality of your eggs".. listed to the right... or just look up Astragaus and "telomeres" if you don't believe me). Also by adding regular exercise, PEMF (see post to the right), Vitamin D (again... see post to right), drinking plenty of water, and stopping the fertility drugs... I really do believe your body will be in BETTER baby-making shape than it is now... EVEN if you are in your 40's!! (this may be just my opinion but I can tell you I've been feeling SUPER FERTILE at age 46, and these are pretty much the only "fertility" things I'm doing).
-It could get you to stop obsessing so much about your biological clock, and focus on what's really important: Loving a child and providing them a solid, nurturing environment so they can become a good, productive member of society.
-Watch the videos below, about "Aging out" - and you will see, the experience of being adopted at an "old age" is PRICELESS for a child.
-If you feel anything like I do, when I take care of my feral cats, your heart will feel BIG (not empty because you don't have a child). And this could probably help you get pregnant if that's still what you want!
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I'm not saying teenagers are easy (trust me, I know... my stepdaughter is a teen), but it would be a great preparation for what it would be like to have another teenager one day (it could make having your own biological child seem like a cakewalk). And a child adopted through the foster care system will probably have more appreciation for your support (whether they show it or not), than a biological child could ever possibly feel.
I know that if I ever adopt a teenager, I'm going to make sure to NOT expect it to be a piece of cake, or easy (I think a lot of foster parents probably fail and can't handle it because they expect the child to show appreciation and gratitude and love when this poor kid who does NOT want to be in the foster system whatsoever... I know I sure wouldn't!!!). It's probably best to never expect the child to be grateful, happy, laugh a lot, etc.. (they probably WILL, on occasion, but expecting it will only set you up for frustration and failure). I'm going to expect them to be miserable, brooding, uncomfortable, etc. etc.,... but hang on to the hope that if I just SHOWER them with love and support, every chance I could possibly get, for those few years that I do have them... then I will have done a good thing for the kid (or kids) and it will all be worth it. Any small sense of love or appreciation that I might get back, will just be gravy.
Foster kids talk about what it's like to be a foster child
Watch the videos below and you will see, there are sooo many kids who need a good home, and they LONG to be adopted so that they can just have that validation that someone cared enough about them to go through the legal process. They say it can just take ONE person to make a huge, life changing impact on a child's life. You could be that person!
And here is that video about what it's like to train to become a Foster Parent.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. Even if you end up conceiving naturally or adopting a child through regular adoption (or just plain decide to remain "child free"), I think it's important to get the word out.
When I took my HSG test in 2009, I discovered that one of my fallopian tubes was partially blocked. During the X ray, I could see that the dye in one of my tubes did go through, but it took a little longer than the other side. So I know there was at least some blockage. Luckily it didn't seem blocked to the point where it would cause a huge issue, but yeah... it could have gotten worse if I hadn't taken the right supplements.
I know it must be devastating for women to find out that they have blocked fallopian tubes, and/or endometriosis, but there are things (besides surgery) that you can do that could help... and your doctor probably will NEVER tell you about some of the things that really can help you!
It REALLY REALLY TICKS ME OFF how doctors and websites like this HUGGIES SITE are perpetuating the idea that there is no cure for endometriosis, and if you have it, you're stuck with it and there's nothing you can do (well... except maybe surgery). That is TOTALLY NOT TRUE!!!!
Not only can some cases of endometriosis be prevented, but they can also be reversed (to the point where you may be able to get pregnant) by taking Pycnogenol.
I want to bring up some of the things that can cause blocked fallopian tubes.
Here is some interesting info I found on this page:
What is a Blocked Fallopian Tube?
Blocked Fallopian Tube or Fallopian tube obstruction is a major cause of female infertility. Blocked fallopian tubes are unable to let the ovum and the sperm converge, thus making fertilization impossible. Fallopian Tubes are also known as oviducts, uterine tubes, and salpinges (singular salpinx).
What Causes Blocked Fallopian Tubes?
Scar tissue within the fallopian tubes is a major cause of blockage, and this can be triggered by infections, endometriosis, or inflammatory bowel disease, amongst others.
HMMM!!! Endometriosis can cause blocked fallopian tubes?? Why is it that I've never heard of this, OR the fact that eating too many white flour / sugary products can cause endometriosis, which can cause blocked tubes and therefore, infertility?
If you suspect that you have endometriosis OR blocked fallopian tubes, I would highly, highly recommend that you please read THIS POST about Candida... which can CAUSE endometriosis!!
When I was a teenager I used to watch the soap opera "The Young and the Restless." I remember hearing one of the characters, Faren, telling her man, Andy, that she couldn't get pregnant because she had endometriosis. That was the first time I'd ever heard of it, and it sounded like this really scary thing, like it's just something that some people are destined to get, and can't do anything about it. Or, maybe it was a little over dramatic because after all, I was watching a SOAP OPERA. But, seriously... it is a very real thing that can cause serious problems for people. As I have mentioned in previous posts, both my aunts on my dad's side had it, and one was unable to have kids because of it. My other aunt had kids, but also had serious complications during one of her pregnancies, because of it.
But now that I truly believe that you can get rid of endometriosis on your own (please google: get rid of endometriosis). It will really help to change your diet, eat more healthy food (and by this I mean LOTS of vegetables, fruit and WHOLE grains), and cut way back on sugary foods and processed white flour products. Like bagels. I'm not saying never have a bagel, but if you are eating them regularly, it's time to STOP. They are not healthy. You can find them on several "foods not to eat" lists, like this one. Of course, I think they'd be ok in moderation, but definitely not as a daily meal if you have endometriosis and are trying to have a baby.
I would also HIGHLY recommend THIS BRAND of pycnogenol, which is less expensive than the Costco and also the Puritan's Pride brands which I previously recommended! (I just found this out). This is by far THE cheapest place I have seen, to get it, and overall, the reviews make it sound like it's pretty good.
I would also highly recommend you check out a supplement called Serrapeptase. Serrapeptase is an enzyme that dissolves scar tissue and has other health benefits. Please do your own research to see if it is safe for you to take it. If I thought my tubes were still blocked, I'd definitely take it.
This review is from: Doctor's Best High Potency Serrapeptase (120,000 Units), 90-Count (Health and Beauty)
Purchased this product because I was informed I have 2 blocked fallopian tubes
The first 3 days of taking this product a huge mucus plug came out! I looked onl
ine to see blocked tubes look like with scar tissue and mucus and the mucus plug I passed look exactly like the gross pictures of tubes filled with gunk. Thank god this product worked so fast I will continue to take it and do a follow up HSG in 4 months. If I get a BFP I will return for sure either way I will update in 3 month.
Wow... I had never heard of that whole "mucus plug" thing.
So I googled it, and found some info on this page.... and this statement:
If the fallopian tube is in fact blocked, it is often blocked by a mucous plug
You can read more about the mucus plug (and the reason we have them) HERE.
I have copied the following info below, from THIS SITE.
Laparoscopy for Proximal Tubal Occlusion (PTO)
Fig. 12Fig. 13Fig. 14Fig. 15
Sometimes the tube is blocked at its narrowest part, at the point where it is closest to the uterus (fig. 12). This is called Proximal Tubal Occlusion or PTO. This blockage is most often caused by spasm of the tube, thin scar tissue or a mucus “plug”.The end of the tube is entirely normal and reopening the tube can be successfully accomplished with simultaneous hysteroscopic and laparoscopic surgery. "OR SERRAPEPTASE." (note from me...just my opinion)
First, a fiberoptic hysteroscope is gently inserted through the cervix and advanced into the uterus. A camera attached to the hysteroscope will project a magnified view of the uterine cavity and the opening of the tubes on a video monitor. A thin soft catheter is guided to the tubal opening (fig. 13) and advanced into the tube, clearing away the mucus plug.
Blue dye is injected into the tube (fig. 14)
The laparoscope, allows the surgeon to see the other side of the tube (the one closer to the ovary) and make sure that the dye injected into the tube (fig. 14) exits from the end of the tube (fig. 15), confirming that the tube is now open
Laparoscopic scar tissue resection
Scar tissue or adhesions occur most frequently after pelvic infection, previous surgery or endometriosis. Adhesions may cause pain and/or infertility when they involve the ovaries or the fallopian tubes. Bowel obstruction can occur when the adhesions involve the intestines.
Fig. 16Fig. 17Fig. 18
When mild scar tissue (fig.16) involves the end of the tube (closer to the ovary), surgery is often successful. The delicate part of the tube responsible for transporting the egg into the tube can be nicely restored (fig. 17). When severe scar tissue involves the tubes and ovaries (fig. 18), surgery is unlikely to be successful, and IVF should be considered instead.
During laparoscopic surgery, absorbable adhesion barriers are often utilized to cover the surgical area and to minimize the risk of recurrence of scar tissue. It is important that your doctor is an expert in laparoscopic fertility techniques, handling the tissues delicately to avoid further damage and scar tissue formation.
In my opinion, it's better to try alternative treatments like herbs first, if you are able to and they are safe for you, and if that doesn't work... maybe do surgery. But I would only want to do surgery as a last resort.
Next topic...
I have never tried herbal tampons, but I would totally use them if I felt that my fallopian tubes were any more blocked than they already are. I trust this company that makes them, because they also make Fertil Plus, which I believe was one of the key reasons I got pregnant in just about a month! You can find their herbal tampons by clicking here
If you do enough research, you will see that there are a lot of women online who say their tubes were once blocked, but they were able to unblock them, either with herbal remedies (herbs taken orally or used with a herbal tampon), surgery, or a combination of both. But I truly do believe it is possible for most women to unblock their tubes with herbs, exercise, and of course, eating healthy and taking care of yourself! (those other things are really important!!!)
I may be adding more to this post later but this is what I've got for now.
Fiona Peacock
L-arginine is an amino acid often taken as a supplement by couples facing fertility issues. L-arginine is a semi essential amino acid used in a number of physiological functions. The body is able to make l-arginine, though dietary intake is important for ensuring you have enough of this amino acid. Good dietary sources include nuts, lentils, kidney beans and fresh soybeans. Other dietary sources include egg yolk, meats and dairy products.
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