Sisters,
Sorry for the late reply as I was feeling unwell and took leave to rest at home. Then had problem logging in from home. Given longwinded style, also cannot write on iphone…hehee..
Lyn,
Sister, I really want to hug you very tight when you said that your conscience is clear and you have tried your best. Hands up and legs up. What is more important than that, trying one's best. I am not humoring you when I say I am proud of you. Seriously, I respect you a lot more than those people who have just take things that fall on their laps for granted. Trust me, the courage we have gained over all these trials will serve us right into our old age. It may seem very tough now but no matter how thin we slice a potato chip, there are still two sides to it. No one knows what the future holds, as long as we try our best today, we leave our god to decide the outcome as a long as you keep doing what you think is right and give yourself the happiness you deserve for being such a great person, happiness will definitely look for you in due time.
Sister, I totally support you in your thinking that if you are happier trying naturally for now, go for it k
A happier mind will lead to a healthier body and a healthier body is a so powerful and yet mysterious it will reward you in ways you can never imagined. As you said, start to make yourself happier k, or I will be angry with you de you know. Lyn, I do not have any younger sister and always hope to have one that I can take care of when I was a child. I look upon you as a younger sister that I can share my old woman experience with. I really feel for what you are going through and as somehow, that road you are walking is ever so familiar to me. I am not going to tell you to give up trying and it will just happen by accident as I know that is not what people like us want to hear. But think you are at the right direction now, don't give up but also live for the seek of a happier Lyn and take mind off "total ttcing". With a more relaxed mind, I want to give you blessings that you can conceive naturally
Thanks for believing in my diet recommendations, it will also give us a healthier body in return, not just fertility.
Hear me out that I have a few words to say about FSH level:
Actually when you described what dr foong said when he declined your request for DHEA that "given your age of 32, he expects more eggs", I really think he was thinking to himself "I shall not let Lyn try DHEA first as I believe that her ovaries do have the potential of producing more eggs if given the right conditions and environment". I really don't think he is hinting that you have a low reserve. He is thinking of that, he would have given you DHEA straight away right sister?
Actually both you and Rostrum are right. My own experience and readings these years tell me that your high FSH is not a sentence against your ovarian reserve. But rather, the number is trying to tell you something. Just like when I saw my low estradiol and high prolactin, I imagined my body was telling me "master, you are hurting me with your stress, please be kind to me and treat me with tenderness". And I believe your FSH number is trying to tell you something. That you need to address the high stress (we both have that problem) and to treat yourself with a lot more goodwill than now. Yes, I am extremely and ultra sure that stress can cause FSH to shoot up. It is quite impossible that your ovaries reserve can deteriorate over a matter of few months (yes, I remember you told me your FSH shot up last year suddenly). However, it is highly possible that the ability to generate eggs lying in the ovaries (another aspect that FSH measures) can deteriorate drastically over a matter of three months and since you do not smoke or take drugs, I think stress is the major culprit. Stress can do anything to living things, studies have shown that it can lead to faster tumor growth in white rats. The high FSH number can be a self fulfilling prophecy. When we see high FSH, we get stressed and the more stressed we are, the higher the FSH becomes and the vicious cycle goes on and on.
What your hubby said about giving up than can to me means "more haste, less speed". And I am very guilty of that too sister. That’s why I got such lousy estradiol and prolactin reading and cannot ovulate properly over so long.
Its important to take dang gui after O. Best is after menses and right up to ovulation. Definitely not during luteal phase as like Gan said, it activates blood flow and can threaten the lining that is settling down to receive the embryo.
For AF arriving before HPT, it depends (depends on which day the gynae scheduled for HPT, is if day 12 or 14 after ovulation). As long as your ovulation day and the day that the AF arrives is at least 12 days (that period is called a luteal phase), it is not considered a luteal phase defect. Anything less than 12 days will not give the embryo a sufficient chance to implant and is a defect. However, if the gynae has given a lot of support (eg inserts) and say AF still arrives on say day 13 after ovulation, it could hint at a defect. For no assistance such as inserts, 12 days is good enough. Luteal phase defect is a result of low progesterone indeed. But low progesterone could be due to insufficient estrogen at the beginning of the cycle itself. In order words, low progesterone is not the problem, it could be a manifestation of the problem of low estrogen or possibly egg quality problem. (egg quality problem can be improved, no doubt about that).
For royal jelly, I personally believe its the source and how we eat it (must be before water and food in the morning and wait for at least 15 to 20 mins than can eat breakfast) that is important. Try to get those from Australia or New Zealand as its less polluted. Eating polluted royal jelly is as good as not eating. I eat the Nature's Way brand in capulse form from Unity or Watsons. I have checked out the pure paste type (comes in small bottle and must be refrigerated) and they are very expensive to consume on long term basis (for two persons to eat, it could be about $200 a month). (hubbies must eat too and its good to eat continue eating even after ttc successful). So I would say the capulse form is good enough as long as from reputed brand from Aust or NZ. For bee pollen, I buy from a counter at the guardian pharmacy at clifford centre (next to raffles place mrt). The distributor is:
http://www.snhoneyhouse.com/index.php.
If you want to find the outlet that carries bee pollen (not all their outlets have), call (65)6333 6398. The lady that I spoke to was very nice that she will ask you which outlet (found on their website) is most convenient and she can send the bee pollen there. Each bottle (you can see it on their website) only cost about $37 or so and can last for three months. When scooping, use a plastic or wooden teaspoon to prevent reaction with any metal. Put under tongue and let it dissolve. After 15 minutes, take a capulse of royal jelly with a monthful of water and swallow it all these with the remaining bee pollen still in the mouth. Wait at least 15 mins then take can take breakfast. Initially, you might feel a strong burning like sensation after you take the bee pollen as it is a strong power reactive food. Endure, the feeling will soon disappear. Hubby don't have to take bee pollen, just let him take royal jelly.
My AF has always been a pathetic 1.5 days of heavy flow and 7 days of long spotting (long spotting is a sign of homormal imbalance too caused by kidney deficiceny) during these few years of fertility challenge and its really due to lack of estrogen. Amazing after the failed ivf when I felt more relieved that I have tried my best and also paying more attention to lifestyle changes (diet, exercise, mood), it increased to 2 days of heavy flow, followed by one day of moderate flow and about 4 days of spotting.
Lyn, if you ever want to lend money to that thick skinned BIL and SIL, be prepared you will not get it back. Personally, I will not lend to them, I will just buy them an expensive house warming gift. You are not responsible for their new lifestyle in a nicely renovated house. If they can be "assertive" enough to ask for loan, you can be assertive enough too to reject. Better to reject it than feel angry later.
Meow,
Like Elle suggested, don't take birdnest until 2nd trimester. I read before that it is not suitable for any developing fetus in first trimester. And hope you bloatedness has eased off bit by bit. If painful, don't walk so much. Lay in L-shape position and listen to music, read books k..
Sunflower
I see I see, no wonder, I did try to check with GNC before on Vitex and they said they don't carry it anymore. It’s a shame because it’s a natural supplement for fertility.
Jia you jia you jia jia you for your May cycle. My atenna senses that your body is so nourished that you can very soon nourish a baby..heeee..
Yes, you are right about the Dang gui pills. If you track O, stop after you know you O liao..
Rostrum
Actually red date drink of 4 to 5 mugs do contribute to your daily intake of water as our body does not distinguish liquid between plain water or water in other forms (say found in cooked white rice). The only difference comes when we suffer from UTI. That is the time we must drink plain water and avoid any sugary drinks in order to flush out bacteria in the tract. So you are doing fine with the red dates drink
To be frank with you, I have a few motivating factors that made it such a health food fanatic. After I failed the ivf, I asked my hubby if we have no kids and with more money to spend, how would he want to spend his retirement life. He told me he wanted to go around the world following major track events held regularly as he used to run competitively in school and running is his major passion. So I said will accompany him and to travel like that in old age, must be quite healthy. That is another important motivating factor besides ttcing. I gathered that using ttcing is not enough because that as the sole factor can be very stressful when see AF reports for me. Also, another factor is also vanity lah. At 34, skin more saggy and although already an auntie, cannot look too much like a "obasan" Hey, if you are free, check out this website to check your realage (our age taking into account how well we eat and how our lifestyle like having pets after our real underlying age).
http://www.realage.com/ Click on the big orange button to do the test.
So to stay motivated, think of other few factors other than ttcing k..and it’s a matter of time before you can share your successful story, I am sure of that
Yes loh, I was shocked to experience that bloated even after two to three months of the cycle. Initially, immediately after the cycle, I was puzzled why I did not put on weight as that is often a side effect of ivf. After two months, I thought I "escaped" from it liao and that was when it hits. Don't worry, you will loss that bloatedness eventually. You will look normal again, really.
Gan,
Thanks for the useful info on Dang gui, it is really nature's great gift to women.
And I am screaming with excitement in my heart now. You will make a great mum and your child will be so lucky. I am so happy and excited for you
Take leave/mc to rest whenever you need to especially in first trimester. I also have a some spotting and like Elle said, in first trimester, very easy to have since uterus is still so small and placenta could be near to cervix. Try to minimise big movements, no intercourse or swimming (what they call pelvic rest). If can, lay down more to fight gravity and very soon as the uterus grow, the placenta will shift up.
Tigi,
Brave girl, if your heart tells you you are ready to try ivf, go for it! It is very nerve wrecking at first but it will also be very fast once the injection starts.
Elle,
Hope the infection has cleared. Wear more skirt might help k. I am only wearing skirts these days as need to let down there air more. I believe the bacteria you had earlier could either be yeast or group B strep from what your dr described. Wear skirt will help to prevent them from thriving further. Eat yogurt too.
My morning sickness has started to kick in and the worst is fatigue. Feel like I do not own my body anymore but I supposed its good as baby is taking energy from me to grow. Have some spotting too and gynae used his very powerful machine to narrow it down to a low lying placenta too. So cutting down on all physical activities now.
For yoga, I used to to it once a week at a community centre near my home and another once a week at fitness first next to my workplace but they all don't offer prenatal yoga. You want to check out
http://www.motherandchild.com.sg/yoga/yoga_main.htm (at Tanglin)
http://www.inspiremumbaby.com/ (at East Coast)
I got these two places from my friends who have signed up with them before. Too bad I cannot join you now..heeeeee…
Miraclebaby,
You are another brave girl. You really earn my respect
For raw papaya and also pineapple, they both have an enzyme that will lead to small uterus contraction and is not ideal when trying to conceive. Some say only very raw papaya will cause that but since its hard to distinguish what is really raw, substitute it will other fruits/vege high in vit A like pumpkin or moderate mango intake. Some even say mango is liang but I don't feel its so liang. Moderate is ok.
Yes, royal jelly in fact is one of the remedy for endo as it tries to balance out the hormones (out of whack hormones causes endo, one of the cause of out whack hormonesyhat leads to endo is liver congestion). In fact, when I was reading up on royal jelly, it is highly recommended for endo.
I have noted your tcm conditions, I will write up the recommended food list for you over the weekend plus the list of kidney yin deficient for Rostrum and other sisters. Take them as reference k.
Sisters,
One more power food I started to eat while trying naturally was black sesame. It is an old tonic for woman's health in the older days. Its easy to buy hot black sesame paste from dessert stores all over the island. A very very good food for woman. I eat it like 2 to 3 times a month before I strike.
