What I Changed to Enhance My Fertility the Month Before My Postive Pregnancy Test
The day after I posted A Vision of Our Future Child, an announcement that we have plans to pursue adoption, we got a most amazing surprise. Two lines on an at-home pregnancy test!
Isn't life funny?
I confirmed the pregnancy at the hospital today and got an estimated due date of February 4, 2016. Wow. There is a new life growing inside me. I keep laughing and crying because I'm so incredibly happy!
We're still going to pursue the adoption as soon as we're able, just like before. We're so in love with our daughter from the vision. Who knows, maybe she and the baby we just found out about will be close in age.
We're 4-weeks pregnant right now, and I know not everyone would announce pregnancy this early because the first trimester can be risky. But we believe life starts at conception and that every life is worth celebrating. We wanted to share our joy with the people we love so the baby will know he or she was loved by many from the start.
Since we struggled through infertility for 19-months, and my heart is with everyone still on that journey, I want to share the things we did differently this month that could have made a difference. I can't say for sure which one of these changes made the difference or whether it was all of these changes working together. I can't promise they'll work for you, but I remember the desperation and willingness to try anything. I sought information about what worked for others, so maybe someone out there can benefit from what helped me.
First of all, I should say that my infertility was caused by anovulation, which means I wasn't ovulating/releasing my eggs. After a lot of research, I made these changes to help my body ovulate:
(This post contains affiliate links. See my policies and disclosures page for more information.)
-Clomid. This wasn't the first cycle I'd taken Clomid. In fact, it was my fourth. The difference this time was that my doctor gave me a double dose.
-Maca Root supplements.
My husband has been taking this supplement for months because we read that it boosts fertility in men. I read somewhere that it helps women's fertility too, but mostly I'd seen in geared towards men. Since Maca Root is an all-natural supplement that anyone could take anyway, I thought, why not give it a whirl?
-Self-fertility massage. I found free videos on YouTube, lathered up with coconut oil
, and massaged my ovaries and uterus between my period and ovulation time.
-Exercised every day. Some days, this meant hardcore cardio at the gym. Other days, I went for a fast-paced walk. Whatever workout I chose, I made sure to get my heart rate up. Exercise also helped me work out my frustrations.
-Drank 8-glasses of water every day. Our bodies really do function much better when we're properly hydrated. Every cell needs water.
-Took my focus off TTC. I tried for months and months to relax, like I was told from everyone who gave me unwarranted advice. But if you're trying to relax, are you really relaxing? I think this is the hardest one of all. Everyone has to walk out their own journey and get to their own place where this is possible. For me, it took God giving me a vision of my black daughter to relax. First of all, I was going to have a daughter. Secondly, she was black. My husband and I are white. That means adoption, and adoption means the pressure was off TTC. All my focus was on adoption, and we were talking about stopping fertility testing and treatments. The pressure was off.
Whether one of these helped me ovulate or it was all of them together, above all, my little miracle is from God. I'm so thankful. And so hopeful for anyone waiting for their miracle.
I'm off to be healthy and enjoy this amazing gift. Cheers!
I confirmed the pregnancy at the hospital today and got an estimated due date of February 4, 2016. Wow. There is a new life growing inside me. I keep laughing and crying because I'm so incredibly happy!
We're still going to pursue the adoption as soon as we're able, just like before. We're so in love with our daughter from the vision. Who knows, maybe she and the baby we just found out about will be close in age.
We're 4-weeks pregnant right now, and I know not everyone would announce pregnancy this early because the first trimester can be risky. But we believe life starts at conception and that every life is worth celebrating. We wanted to share our joy with the people we love so the baby will know he or she was loved by many from the start.
Since we struggled through infertility for 19-months, and my heart is with everyone still on that journey, I want to share the things we did differently this month that could have made a difference. I can't say for sure which one of these changes made the difference or whether it was all of these changes working together. I can't promise they'll work for you, but I remember the desperation and willingness to try anything. I sought information about what worked for others, so maybe someone out there can benefit from what helped me.
First of all, I should say that my infertility was caused by anovulation, which means I wasn't ovulating/releasing my eggs. After a lot of research, I made these changes to help my body ovulate:
(This post contains affiliate links. See my policies and disclosures page for more information.)
-Clomid. This wasn't the first cycle I'd taken Clomid. In fact, it was my fourth. The difference this time was that my doctor gave me a double dose.
-Maca Root supplements.
My husband has been taking this supplement for months because we read that it boosts fertility in men. I read somewhere that it helps women's fertility too, but mostly I'd seen in geared towards men. Since Maca Root is an all-natural supplement that anyone could take anyway, I thought, why not give it a whirl?
-Self-fertility massage. I found free videos on YouTube, lathered up with coconut oil
, and massaged my ovaries and uterus between my period and ovulation time.
-Exercised every day. Some days, this meant hardcore cardio at the gym. Other days, I went for a fast-paced walk. Whatever workout I chose, I made sure to get my heart rate up. Exercise also helped me work out my frustrations.
-Drank 8-glasses of water every day. Our bodies really do function much better when we're properly hydrated. Every cell needs water.
-Took my focus off TTC. I tried for months and months to relax, like I was told from everyone who gave me unwarranted advice. But if you're trying to relax, are you really relaxing? I think this is the hardest one of all. Everyone has to walk out their own journey and get to their own place where this is possible. For me, it took God giving me a vision of my black daughter to relax. First of all, I was going to have a daughter. Secondly, she was black. My husband and I are white. That means adoption, and adoption means the pressure was off TTC. All my focus was on adoption, and we were talking about stopping fertility testing and treatments. The pressure was off.
Whether one of these helped me ovulate or it was all of them together, above all, my little miracle is from God. I'm so thankful. And so hopeful for anyone waiting for their miracle.
I'm off to be healthy and enjoy this amazing gift. Cheers!
Other items you might find helpful:
First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test, 3 tests
Other posts you may enjoy:
A Year Ago: The Day a Positive Pregnancy Test Changed Our Lives
A Prayer of Comfort for the Infertile and Mother of Angels
To the Infertile, from Someone on the Other Side
How My Past Infertility Impacts My Motherhood for Better and for Worse
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