Fertility & Frustrations..

I found this site that was really helpful in learning more about natural conception. And also some information on the alternative methods when "natural" is just not working.. TTC (Trying To Conceive) is hard, no matter how you look at it, for some women its fast, and so to those who it takes much longer, are thinking "well why not me? Whats wrong with me?" and countless other negative thoughts that you just can't help thinking.. And the want is just so strong it can throw your hormones into a downward spiral, making cycles crazy, and life just down right miserable for you, for your partner and everyone around you.
From personal experience I understand this frustration, the pain, and constantly thinking about, babies, pregnancy, cycles, ovulation, testing, etc.. I've read hundreds of books, gone to countless physicians, naturopath, midwives even counseling. Just to figure something out! For some women you have a diagnosis, you know why, and there is a way to change course to shoot for your goals. Others its unexplainable infertility.
Patience is a big one, it can be so upsetting to be told that, or to just relax.. Sometimes its just not that simple.. For my husband and I we had no diagnosis, no medical reasons.. The Doctors and midwives were baffled by my case. Without cycles for almost a year, but I still would conceive but soon miscarry.. Several times this happened. We had no reason why my babies kept dying.. Well this went on for almost two years.. My husband was deployed during this last year and I went to a specialist to see if we could figure out something.. And to no avail.. My midwife however suggested I change my lifestyle, change my diet, (I'm striving to "go green") and start going to the gym. So for 7 months my husband was gone, I went to the gym 6 days out of the week.. And by the end of the deployment I had lost almost 50pounds.. My cycles returned, 28 days exact!! (which is rare for many women!) 2 cycles after my husband was home we conceived!! And have been growing strong ever since then!
Here is the point to my story, I wasn't vastly over-weight, but for some reason the way I carried my weight was affecting my fertility, and some reason the doctors could not figure that out.. I'm not saying go join a gym and you'll get pregnant.. I'm just stating that making lifestyle changes that may hinder fertility can be a huge factor. Babies are precious cargo to begin with, and their start in life should be at its best, I was really happy to have lost the weight for many reasons, but when I found out I was pregnant the relief of knowing my body is prepared to handle pregnancy was beyond happy. The heavier a woman is, the risk of complications triples..
I felt compelled to share my story, and I pray it gives hope to you TTC'ers out there.. Sometimes the hardest thing in the world is change.. Its scary, not knowing what is ahead of you.. If something will work out or not.. But I finally reached the end of my rope, I believed that perhaps I wasn't meant to have more kids, that our daughter was it. And I came to terms with that and began enjoying life again.. I know life is never perfect, but for me? In those first few months of my husband being home from Afghanistan, and me finally not being depressed over not having another baby, I felt my life was perfect.. I was happy. I am happy.. And then I found myself being blessed with this gift..
The picture below is of "cyclebeads" it is a very old tell-tale way to remember your cycle, count days, etc.. But its also a great tool for tracking ovulation! Along with purchasing a Basal Body thermometer at your walmart for about $8 and together these two can be a really great help to TTC!

Don't give up, scream, shout and cry.. But don't give up.. Doubt is what tells you to quit.. Hope is what whispers; give it one more try.. Baby Dust being sent your way in your TTC journey..

Here is that natural fertility and conception site;
http://infertility.health-info.org/natural-fertility-conception/natural-fertility-conception-home.html

And here is one of many that are extremely helpful and available to you at your local barnes and noble or other book store;

Birthin' Comics!

This site has many of THE funniest and OH SO TRUE comics! From how you choose to birth, to breastfeeding! Which I get a kick out of them! I've even paid for a few! This one below is one I purchased, its one of my favorites! :)

www.thecowgoddess.com

Tummy Tubs

I'd like to share a neat site I found, I've heard of Tummytub's and had several clients who use them! Check out their site for many more neat things they have!


TummyTub® was designed in the Netherlands by childcarers to ease the transition from the comfort of the mother’s womb.

Babies naturally adopt the fetal position and it is amazing to see how quickly they calm and relax.
# Bathing in the familiar fetal position – helps babies feel reassured and relaxed
# Stress free bathing for both baby and parent – excellent for colicky babies
# Anti-skid base and low centre of gravity for safety and stability
# Compact size – takes less space and less use of water
# Especially useful for premature babies
# Ergonomic hand grips and extremely lightweight
# Made of environmentally friendly materials
# Ecological
# Less surface area of water – temperature stays warmer for longer time
And here's the site! :) enjoy!
www.bathedwithlove.com

Mammal Lessons

Childbirth lessons we can learn from our "lesser" mammal sisters
-by Gretchen Humphries and Gloria Lemay


Cat: birth where you feel comfortable- if that's in the lap of someone you love, go for it, if you prefer the back of a dark closet, that's good too. A drawer full of old wool sweaters is paradise. Don't be afraid to get up and leave and don't be afraid to move your baby if it isn't safe anymore.

Dog: if it doesn't feel safe, don't do it. As nice as you might be normally, it's ok to be a real bitch when your baby is involved.

Cow: head first, butt first, feet first, two at a time, babies come out. If it's your first calf, you'll probably be pregnant longer than the other cows but that's normal.

Giraffes: all newborns are designed to work with the Mom's body. In this case, a fall of seven feet to the dusty earth is just part of the usual birth experience.

Llama: sing to your newborn.

Horse: the middle of the night is a good time to have a baby, but a watched uterus doesn't contract. Hard hooves and fast legs are a good protection against meddling humans.

Elephants: have the other females in your matriarchal lineage form a circle around you with their bums pointing toward you and their trunks facing out to the plain so you can give birth to something very large without having to worry about lions.

Dolphins and whales: being in water is useful to keep the helpful humans away. Your midwife dolphins and whales should gently nudge the baby to the surface once its cord has snapped. The cold water will stop the bleeding. If your baby is to survive, it must drink your colostrum.

Monkeys and apes: watching other mothers birth, feed and raise their babies is the best way to learn how to take care of your own. Privacy is everything. Leaving the placenta dangling off the newborn for days is perfectly all right. Grandmothers are the most ferocious protectors of the mothers and newborns.

But hey... we are more advanced than animals, so obviously we can rise above our limitations and birth unnaturally...