We're having a baby!! We're 6ish weeks along as I type this (I'm waiting to hit publish until we are further along) and it seriously still makes me cry every time I say that I'm pregnant because I just cannot believe I can finally say those words! I wanted to share a little bit about our journey of TTC (trying to conceive) in hopes to give some comfort for other couples who might be having a difficult time getting pregnant.
It took us a year and a half to finally get that positive pregnancy test. I know for a lot of people that might not seem like a long time, but anyone who really wants a baby knows how disappointing it is month after month when you are struggling to get pregnant.
The last year and half was seriously the most lonely, frustrating, and depressing time of my life. I didn't really want a lot of opinions/ advice on the matter so I only shared my fertility struggles with my mom and a few close friends. The only person who really knew how much it is was affecting me mentally was my husband and even though he was super supportive, I just feel like the man in the relationship will never truly understand how hard it is for the woman. When people would ask if/when I wanted kids I would just say something like "hopefully soon" and I now understand why this question is so inappropriate especially coming from strangers! I know it's just a topic of conversation but it's so incredibly awkward and just a reminder to anyone dealing with infertility of their challenging situation.
When Kevin and I first got married he was ready to have kids right away but I wanted to wait a little while longer. Even thought it was always my dream to be a mom someday, I had just started my first job out of grad school and I wanted some time to enjoy adult life with limited responsibilities. Around our 1 year anniversary I told him I was ready to start trying for a baby and I naively assumed it would happen right away. I thought it was strange that after about 6 months that I still hadn't gotten pregnant, so I started doing some research on fertility, hormones, supplements, etc. Linked below are a few books that I read that were really helpful. I also listened to the Fertility Friday podcast as well as a few episodes on nutrition and fertility.
Even though I was tracking my ovulation using apps, I didn't really think they were accurate so I started using ovulation test strips and taking my temperature every morning. I even bought the $300 Ava bracelet which is absolute garbage! I seriously hate that thing do not buy it lol! Basically I was trying EVERYTHING... except going to the doctor of course lol.
As we approached the 1 year mark of TTC I started to worry that something was wrong so I decided to make an appointment with my doctor. I actually wish I would have done this sooner because it at least gave me some peace of mind that I was making progress towards getting pregnant. I started with my family doctor who was also my OBGYN. She told me she could do a pap smear test and some basic blood work to check my thyroid. That all came back normal so she recommended that I see a fertility specialist as a next step.
I chose to see a more natural/ holistic based clinic in my area because I really wanted to get to the root cause of what was going on. They did some more blood work to check my hormones as well as an ultrasound to check for any abnormalities. They also requested a semen analysis for Kevin. All of our results came back normal so they recommended that I attend a class that teaches you a very detailed way of tracking your ovulation through observing your cervical mucus. I took the class and started meeting with a nurse practioner who reviewed my chart each month to determine if I needed any interventions.
Although she did not recommend any medications or treatments, based on some of her comments while analyzing my chart, I took it upon myself to start taking extra vitamin B as well as use two essential oils that are known to help balance estrogen / progesterone. Ironically, the cycle that I implemented these 3 things is the cycle that I finally got pregnant! Of course I can't say for sure if this is what helped us finally conceive but I will 100% be doing this again when we try again!
In addition to taking prenatal vitamins and other supplements, tracking my cycle, and working with the fertility clinic, I made a few lifestyle changes as well. I eliminated almost all plastic tupperware, dishes, cups, water bottles, etc. I am actually planning on using glass bottles with our baby also. I made sure that all of my makeup and personal care products were free of hormone disruptors and tried switching as many of my husbands products too. I cooked more nutritious meals at home and added salmon to our dinner rotation at least once a week. I tried getting better quality sleep at night by reading before bed instead of scrolling and starting my wind down routine earlier. Lastly, I tried to reduce as much stress from my life as possible. I was able to negotiate my wages at work to cut a day from my schedule, said "no" more to people and situations without feeling guilty, and focused on low intensity exercises like pilates and walking. Oh, I also started sleeping with socks at night (lol) this apparently sends blood flow to your reproductive organs?
I think it was a combination of things that finally helped me get pregnant but above everything we truly believe it was all in God's perfect timing. It's crazy because I kept seeing the number 1111 EVERYWHERE! Every day I would look at the clock at 11:11 to the point it was actually starting to annoy me and freak me out. I finally googled what it meant and it said something along the lines of your angels are sending you a message that you are on the right path, to trust the direction you are going, and that everything will fall into place. I knew that meant I was going to get pregnant soon and I think God put me through this challenge for several reasons. Overall, it's made me realize how much of a miracle and blessing it is to become pregnant and carry a baby and I am truly just so grateful and excited for this journey. If you are dealing with infertility please know that you are not alone and I am wishing the best for you!
I am planning on sharing a first trimester update because let me tell you, these first few weeks have been NERVE WRACKING! Make sure to check out that post next if you haven't yet!
