January 23, 2008

Riding and Making Babies

We just came back from a long weekend of snowboarding in Vermont. If there was any chance of a baby, then I knocked it right out of my fallopian tubes.

CD 18.

It should have been a perfect baby making time because I ovulated during our vacation. On the other hand, we were on a vacation where I did a lot of falling on my ass. I just started riding 2 years ago and this was our first time this season. I was a little rusty going down the slopes. By the second day I felt all brave and decided to hit the blue trails where I did most of the hard landings.

It would seriously be a miracle if the spermies held on and met up with my bouncing egg.

I'm kinda pissed about this. Between my tea drinking and vitamins I think I produced some good ewcm. I saw some for a few days before ovulating - that was a first.

I think I'm going to take next month off. First off, I dont want a Nov/Dec baby. 2nd, I want to be able to ski again. Hubby and his friends have had a tradition of taking an all guys ski trip during Presidents Day, where the wives stay home. Now that I ski, last year I decided if he goes, I go. And so I was the only female there. All the hubbies don't want their wives there, but i'm not having that. I want to go skiing just as much as he does, so why should I be left out. I'm starting a new tradition.

Anyway, I'll still drink my tea and take the vitamins, but i'll try Not to be so conscious of days (I said try, but i know I will still obsess).

January 17, 2008

Good Things

CD 12 and i see stretching!

This is great! I saw it this morning and I saw it again this afternoon. The only other time I've seen ewcm in a past cycle was once in the morning, then it was gone. So I’m super excited that I've seen it through out the day. What makes me more excited is that when I took the OPK this morning it came out negative. Not that I’m excited about the negative, but maybe this time the ewcm will be more abundant, providing the little swimmers a better environment. I'm thinking all my tea drinking, evening primrose and vitamin taking is actually helping my cm. Yeay.

My lower back has been killing me, another clue that O is right around the corner.

January 12, 2008

It's called Desperation

I’m on CD 7 and excited about O coming soon.

This cycle I’ve been really good about taking the prenatal vitamins. When I visited my doc in Sept (no, not to discuss being infertile), he gave me a prescription for vitamins that are vegetarian friendly (they’re made without fish oil). I hate them because I have to take 2 horse pills instead of 1. Also, there’s no generic brand so every month its another $35 for vitamins.

In addition to the vitamins I started taking Evening Primrose Oil and drinking 1 cup of green tea, and 1 cup of some other tea with Dong Quai Root extract. I know, I’m sounding desperate, and believe me, I am. I will do anything (well almost anything) not to hit the infertile mark and realize there’s some really wrong with me. When I got AF this time I had a 2 day long OCD moment and researched everything and anything to help me get pregnant. I read that Evening Primrose Oil is supposed to help promote EWCM. I don’t usually get the eggwhite stuff that everyone talks about. I think I’ve only seen it once in the 9 cycles we’ve been trying. So I’m hoping this will help.

The Dong Quai Root is supposed to help with hormone balance (which I think every woman needs). The brand is Yogi Tea, and it says ‘woman’s moon cycle’ on the box. So if anything, it should at least help with my horrid PMS.

And the green tea, well we all know that green tea is the ultimate, so I figured that cant hurt. Drinking the tea also forces me to drink fluids and stay hydrated. I generally don’t drink that much during the day. There are days when all I drink is my morning coffee and some sips of water at night. I know that’s not good for me but I’m never thirsty, plus I hate having to pee. And god forbid if I really gotta go and can’t get to a bathroom.

Speaking of bathroom, I also bought some OPKs (I know, leave me alone, I already mentioned my desperation). I've bought them twice before and I know i get my surge around CD14. But I'm not taking anymore chances. My body has done some weird things these past 9 months so I want to make sure I got the timing right, especially cause I lack in EWCM department.

Keep your fingers crossed for me.

January 10, 2008

Kale, the Superfood

I've been doing a lot of research to find out what will help my fertility before hitting the 12-months-and-now-considered-infertile due date. And of coarse a lot of the reading includes the ‘fertility diet’.

I've always considered myself healthy, and when I went vegetarian a year ago, I’ve become really conscious and trying to eat even better. Low fat, lots of fresh veggies, fruit, grains and beans. No processed foods or chemicals (well, Once in a while).

This past summer we joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), and have already signed up for this year. Every week I go to the pick-up site and get what was harvested that morning from a local farm. It's the best way (and not overly expensive) to get fresh, organic, local fruits and veggies. It also exposes me to new foods I would never usually buy. One of those foods I became very fond of was kale. I don’t think I was crazy about it at first, but it’s grown on me and I’ve learned to love the stuff. We got so much at our CSA pick-ups and I had many opportunities to play around with flavors. It’s also considered a superfood. It’s packed with vitamins (especially K, A, and C), low in calories, high in fiber, has a cleansing ability and fights against certain cancers (like ovarian). To learn more about kale go here. I guess that's why when they talk about a fertility diet, they always mention kale. So kale I eat.

Last night I made a vegetable soup loaded with kale, carrots, pink beans, chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic, veggie broth and pasta, oh and some parm cheese grated on top. It was tasty, fast and packed with nutrients. I also had a baby spinach salad with slivered almonds and dried cranberries with a maple mustard dressing I adapted from Vaganomican – my new favorite cookbook.

I'm off to make Crispy Kale Chips, yum, the perfect snacking food.

January 9, 2008

My Obsessions

I'm a vegetarian foodie (actually, pescetarian), and wanting a baby. I obsess about food - mainly reading, cooking and learning about it. I must subscribe to a hundred different food blogs and read cookbooks like novels.

I also want a baby. When we started to plan on trying, I went a little OCD on the subject, reading everything there is to know about preparing your body for pregnancy. Being on our 9th cycle of trying, I try not to obsess about it as much. It’s been the most frustrating and sad experience I've ever gone through; an emotional roller coaster to say the least. I've been reading a lot of ttc blogs and the stories are heart breaking. Some eventually get pregnant, and others don't. I truly hope I'm in the first category, but I can't help but think I'll be the latter.

Anyway, I’ve tried this blogging thing before, and I seem to be much better at reading them than writing them. I’ve always hated writing and have always been terrible at it. But I don’t care. Maybe this process will help me (and a few others) through this uncontrollable road.

Food and babies. My two current obsessions.