Through a series of observations, like:
1. Ovulation tests
2. Monitoring of cervical mucus
3. Observance of non-pregnant status
... I have determined I am not ovulating.
I've also diagnosed myself with Lotsa Fatitude with Extreme Estrogen, which I believe is causing my anovulation. Making Babies says fat releases lots of estrogen. If there's too much fat on your body, you might as well be taking a birth control pill.
I've given myself til July to rectify the issue. If it's not solved by then, I'll be seeing a doctor again.
Plans are:
1. Walking 5 miles a day
2. Drinking buttloads of raspberry leaf tea
3. Taking buttloads of B vitamins, among other supplements
4. Abdominal massage, as recommended by Making Babies
5. Dust off The Machine (my very fancy ovulation predictor)
6. Track basal temps
I've quit coffee and am slowly cutting out "acidic" foods. I've removed gluten, sugar (although I've flubbed here and there) and most starches from my diet. Next up is dairy, then alcohol (*sob*).
So, two months. We'll see what happens. It's frustrating, and I'm getting anxious, and I don't want to be anxious.
Too heavy = fertility problems. Too skinny = fertility problems. It's amazing we continue as a species! Good luck on your two-month quest. I've been trying to go Paleo (no carbs, no dairy, etc.) and I know it's no picnic. SIGH.
ReplyDeleteI know ... as of today I'm convinced my shampoo and conditioner are causing my infertility. Heh. No carbs and dairy is no picnic, but honestly I feel better without them. Still: I love bread, with a burning passion.
DeleteWhat can I say? You are a stronger woman than I.
ReplyDeleteI like "fatitude". I may just steal that sometime.
I'm definitely NOT a stronger woman than you. Fatitude's free for the taking. ;)
DeleteIf you are ready for making that baby already...I would suggest (not that you are asking :) ) to just go to the doctor and let them do the monitoring and the probing and the figuring it out. As your friend, I know you are stressing(which is quite understandable) but I just think you should hand some of the stress and headaches to the doc's and let them have the pressure of figuring it out. I know some great doc's who made things happen for us. I say stop the torture. Give your own self a little mental break and put the ball in their hands (or the vagina or the penis...hehe). You know it can happen for you and that is a good thing. There are some amazing doctor's out there who have spend their whole professional lives getting this fertility thing dialed in...not that they are God in any way and not that they can make it happen for everyone but give them your stress for awhile. Just my opinion (not that you are asking).
ReplyDeleteAlthough, in the same breath. Once you start seeing the infertility doctor's a whole new ball of stress begins because now you are PAYING someone to make it happen. It's stressful no matter how you look at it but I just think the sooner you see someone, the sooner you will have this happen for you. And I just want this to happen for you :)
DeleteYeah ... I know you've got a much more take-charge approach to this, and it's obviously paid off for you, so you know what you're talking about. My reasoning for not going to the doctor immediately is just that ... I don't wanna. Call it denial, I suppose. But as you say, once that ball is rolling with a doctor, it's a whole other stressor. I just haven't accepted that I might need some kind of medical intervention. It may come to that, but I don't think giving it another couple of months is going to hurt anything. At least, I hope it won't!
DeleteOf course it won't hurt anything! Just worry about the amount of stress that is on your shoulders...but it doesn't get any less stressful once doctors are put in the mix either. That is quite nerve-racking as well, considering you could buy a car with the amount you are paying them to make something happen. I just liked having every aspect considered and looked at so I could stop making guesses at what was going on and actually have concrete things to look at. It sucks. It's a long road for sure. But the longer the road, the more you appreciate it. And the longer the road, the more you want to stop the rest of the world from procreating and to make laws for crappy ass mother's to be sterilized. I know it's going to happen for you. I know it with all of my heart. You have created life once before. I know it can happen again :)
DeleteI'm back on the "trying to be less acidic" thing too. First to go? Diet Pepsi. I really have been holding onto that though. It's been my "I don't have a working uterus, for God sake give me my drink" card.
ReplyDelete