Fast Forward - 49 Days to GO!

It's hard to believe it has been ~7 months since I found out we were going to have a baby - and ~4 months since we found out we were having a baby girl :-)

The first 12 weeks/1st trimester seemed to pass by slowly but after that, everything has been moving at the speed of light.

I am so grateful that this has been a "boring" pregnancy; no complications, healthy vitals for me and the baby, and minimal symptoms. I guess we went through enough on the front end which now in hindsight doesn't seem so bad, but at the time felt like some of the biggest challenges I'd ever gone through.

The 3rd trimester is officially in full swing and since I am scheduled for a C-section no later than week 39, we have 49 days until we meet our sweet bundle of joy! 

We are currently accepting name suggestions ;-)

My Journey - Part VI

Sooooo...I've been MIA for awhile and I know I am way overdue for a post.

To pick up where I last left off here, I was finally able to regulate my progesterone levels and in about 3 months we found out we were PREGNANT! Praise God! Yes..surprisingly enough, it was a shock that it happened, when it happened. That month was a challenging month for conception. Between my husband traveling for work, us both getting sick with the flu (recovering with Tamiflu), traveling for the holidays, not to mention the typical holiday stress, I thought we up against too many odds. But that really confirmed to me that when God speaks and confirms something to your heart, no obstacle...no insurmountable odds.... nothing, can come against it. 

When I started questioning the whole fertility journey and became really discouraged back in October of last year, I cried and prayed about it and heard God say that we would conceive by the end of the year. So I remained hopeful, but of course wavered when the circumstances didn't seem to add up with His word. Sure enough at the very last possible moment, He revealed His perfect timing. At the end of December, after returning home for the holidays, I noticed some changes in my appetite and energy levels. I figured it was probably due to the fact that 2-3 weeks prior, I had recovered from the flu and my system was still off. But even after a day of recuperating from traveling I still didn't feel like celebrating New Year's Eve - which was out of the norm for me. So I took the plunge and pulled out a HPT (Home Pregnancy Test), even though I had become pretty skeptical about their accuracy. On the very last night of the year, we were ecstatic and humbled to celebrate the new life God had promised.

Psalm 113:9

He maketh the barren woman to keep house, And to be a joyful mother of children. 

Praise ye Jehovah.

My encouragement to others on this reproductive journey is to keep looking and watching for God's word, and not your circumstances or obstacles. If He has ordained it for you, it will come to pass at the perfected time.

My Journey - Part V

 

So my myomectomy was a success and three months later my doctor cleared us to start trying to conceive. I knew I had some irregularities that started after the myomectomy but I figured that was just my body re-adjusting. Well the symptoms didn't go away and we hadn't conceived 6 months later so I went back in and found out that I had a cervical polyp...which I've had in the past. I figured since the doctor was able to remove it with no issue, I didn't have anything to worry about. My symptoms stopped after that, only to return a month or so later. I thought maybe it was a hormonal imbalance issue and started looking at a couple of different natural remedies. I found out Maca was suppose to work to balance your whole endocrine system as well as your hormones, and since it was a naturally occurring, root vegetable in powder form, I figured it was worth a try. When I started using a teaspoon of the powder in my veggie/fruit smoothies or yogurt in the morning, I noticed my energy levels increased right away, and my complexion even started to clear up. Additionally, my cycle which was coming every 25/26 days, came on day 28 the next month. But, I read that you are not suppose to take Maca more than 6 weeks at a time, so I took a break only to have my symptoms and irregularities return.

Well I finally decided it was time to make another visit to the doctor. Deep down I knew there was probably more to the story than just that one cervical polyp he saw. He suspected that I had uterine polyps so he scheduled a HSG. During an HSG, the doctor inserts a saline solution into your uterus and simultaneously uses the transvaginal ultrasound to see the inside. This will reveal any structural abnormalities that's aren't visible with a regular ultrasound. Well sure enough, there was a nice, round polyp hanging out in there...so my next course of action was a D&C. I was especially anxious to get this done because I had read that polyps can indeed prevent pregnancy and he also confirmed they can cause miscarriages. I scheduled the outpatient procedure that same week. It was a very simple procedure (they are literally just scraping the polyps/lining of the uterus off) and took about 10 minutes total. I woke up with minimal discomfort and was on my way home. I didn't have any major side affects and my next cycle was much lighter.

I was still determined to make sure my hormones were balanced so I finally decided to consult with my naturopathic doctor again. She mentioned that she knew a lot of women who were deficient in progesterone and who had similar symptoms. So I started using a natural progesterone cream. The dosage took some tweaking initially - you are suppose to gradually increase the dosage after day 7 and day 14 of your cycle. However, I soon realized that my dosage was too high because I had an abnormally heavy cycle the first month, and then the next month I am pretty sure I had an annovulatory cycle (no ovulation), which too much progesterone is known to cause (i.e. birth control pills). So after about two cycles I was relieved to have my cycles return to normal and I was also confident that the correct dosage would help minimize any further fibroid growth.

"Are You Pregnant, Yet?"

Once upon a time this was an innocuous question...OR I probably just assumed it was, but now...well it has become the question of the hour that becomes more and more uncomfortable with each person who asks. If we take a moment to think about it and understand that this can be a sensitive question, we would be a little more hesitant in throwing it out there like a common pleasantry.

 

As someone who has been on a personal journey to carry a full term pregnancy, I have been pretty candid about my experiences and struggles - at least in my blog. (I will say blogging is totally different than speaking openly in real life but it has helped me to be more open face to face). So when I contact someone who I haven't spoken to in a while and one of the first things they ask me is (even via text) "Are you preggo, yet?"...I am a bit taken aback. Obviously, there are only two responses, either of which could play out quite awkwardly.

 

1) Yes! ...which no matter how joyous this news is, the fact that I had to contact you for you to ask me (via text) about something so sacred and personal, seems a little inappropriate given this journey I've been on. Not to mention if I am not past the 1st trimester, I am forced to decide do I tell you before I really want you to know, or brush your question off.

 

2) No!...which only serves to remind me that I have thus far been unsuccessful in my pursuit of motherhood, as I am swallowed in shame, gloom, and disappointment.

Yes, unfortunately, it can be that serious some days. Its just one of those buttons that no matter how often it's pushed, you just never get used to...even though, most do not even realize it is a button.

And when I say it is personal, it really is. The occupancy of someone's uterus is only something that God, that person's husband, and that person should know - and apparently sometimes that is a stretch, e.g. the "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" show.  The polite thing to do is to allow that person to share the information with you IF, they are at that point that they want to share...especially for those who have miscarried before.

I guess this is a venting post but also just a post for awareness, because those on the outside looking in may not understand this perspective at all. I get it - because you will not understand or really be able to empathize unless you have walked this path yourself. Even before I experienced any of this, I suspected that asking "are you pregnant?/when are you having kids?", no matter how much or how little I knew about the person's/couple's reproductive history, was not a conversational topic. If I happen to be in a one-on-one conversation with a friend and we are sharing about the topic, that is different; but I will never agree that anyone's uterus occupancy is a social topic to be had in public.

On the flip side I do believe some people are genuinely anticipating these blessed, new arrivals and are excited to share in that news. However, you do not have to attempt to beat the mother-to-be to the punch because more than likely, in due time, she will be more than happy to share that news. Plus time is the bearer of all secrets and you will surely know sooner than later ;-)

Raw Veganism & Pregnancy

I came across this article the other day about a woman, who is 26 weeks pregnant and reportedly eats 10 bananas for breakfast, 5 pieces of fruit for lunch and a salad for dinner. Her diet calls for 80% carbs, 10% fat, and 10% protein.

I think veganism is great if that's what works for you, and raw veganism sounds like it can do wonders for your health, if you are able to get all the appropriate nutrients. Kudos to her for changing her lifestyle and eating habits in order to gain health/healing, but I hope this extreme diet is not causing harm to her or her baby. I am not sure how much protein a pregnant woman is suppose to eat but I imagine it's more than that 10%. I assume she is under a doctor's care so I hope she is heeding to her doctor's protocol.

What are your thoughts? Would you ever do a diet this extreme - even temporarily?

Product Review: Lavanilia Natural Deordorant

 

Before you turn your nose up at this post...keep reading! Honestly, I was not in pursuit of a natural deodorant. I saw the commercial for the new Oil of Olay Even Tone antiperspirant and thought

I'd give it a try (to even my tone of course)...well the local CVS did not have it in stock so

I started looking at the natural deodorants again, thinking they should also help to

combat discoloration and irritation. Tom's was a no-go because it was way too

watery and did nothing for me when I tried it before.

I stumbled across a FB post that had reviews for the best natural deodorants and I read the

reviews for Lavanilia which were really good. So I ordered the grapefruit vanilla scent, and even though that combination didn't sound too appealing, it actually ended up having a really nice smell.

So the most important test of all is whether it can withstand the test of......B.O.! Well it's definitely not an antiperspirant (which deactivates or blocks sweat) so you will experience sweating and some body odor - point blank. The good thing is it does work very well in comparison to the other natural deodorants I have tried and if you do start to smell "oniony" halfway through the day, just keep it nearby and re-apply. For me this is essential. I never had to apply antiperspirant more than once a day, so this was a bit of an adjustment for me. However, its worth it to be able to eliminate the extra toxins that antiperspirants contain, on a daily basis. The aluminum zinc in antiperspirants builds up in our bodies and can become detrimental to our health since it's so close to our lymph nodes and breast tissue. Medical experts suspect there is a link between breast cancer and the increase in the use of aluminum zinc-based antiperspirants over the years. Additionally, it has also been linked to Alzheimer's disease. Whether these issues concern you or not, by trying a natural deodorant, you are definitely giving your body a better chance to detox and heal itself.

Testimony Sunday: DeAngela's Baby Journey

 

It's very refreshing and encouraging to encounter other women who have journeyed down similar paths on the way to motherhood. We never really know, although sometimes we assume we do, what someone else has gone through. I am so glad that I decided to attend a women's bible study this summer where a fellow church member, DeAngela, shared a brief testimony about how she had undergone a myomectomy and despite one doctor's negative report, went on to conceive and have a baby. It is certainly true what they say - you can not have a testimony without a test! Here is DeAngela's story, which she so graciously shared:

 

In 2011, I became pregnant but at my 8 week appointment seemed to be further along, based on my size. At that time the doctor diagnosed me with fibroids. At 20 weeks I went to see a specialist for testing - at that point I was told that my cervix was thinning out and dilating. Shortly after, I miscarried and delivered via C-Section. Afterwards the doctor stated that my fibroids were so big that she believed I would never be able to have a baby. She even went so far as to suggest a surrogate. Thankfully, I came across Dr. Parnell, a fellow church member, who is an OB/GYN that specializes in treating women with fibroids. Before he performed my myomectomy he put me on Lupron for 3-4 months to shrink the fibroids. During the myomectomy, he not only had to remove the fibroids, he had to remove scar tissue from the first C-section, which had been performed with a vertical cut. So instead of the planned robotic myomectomy, Dr. Parnell had to perform the myomectomy with a full incision to effectively remove the fibroids as well as the scar tissue. The surgery went well but the recovery became challenging as I was hospitalized for 19 days due to a bowel obstruction - one of the risks of myomectomies.

After I was released, the doctor wanted us to wait a month to attempt to get pregnant. We started trying to conceive in October but for the next few months, nothing happened. So we stopped actively trying in December, but in January I ended up pregnant!

Towards the end of my pregnancy, I was put on bed rest due to placenta previa. My C-Section was schedule for 37 weeks and in late September, my healthy baby girl, Hannah, was born.

 

So there you have it...my first testimony post.

I pray I have the opportunity to write many, many more!

 

Revelations 11:12

They overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony!

 

My Journey - Part 4

Once I recovered physically from the miscarriage (My Journey - Part III), I had to consider the next step. My two largest fibroids were now around ~6 & 7 cm big...and that was just an estimate. My OB/GYN at the time recommended I get them removed. However if she removed them, she would have to perform a full cut (similar to a C-Section) and that was not something I wanted since it would require a longer recovery time (~ 4-6 weeks). I looked into other options and was referred to Dr. Eisenberg by a friend who had undergone a robotic myomectomy. A robotic myomectomy is less invasive and has a shorter recovery time. At my first appointment, he evaluated the size and number of fibroids I had and he did not see any reason why he could not remove them robotically. I was SO relieved! I was a little apprehensive about the "robotic" part of the procedure - I mean machines are somewhat reliable and all, but how does a robot perform a surgery?! Turns out the doctor "remotely" controls the robot from the same room. The robot and it's tools are smaller than a doctor's hands and allow for more discrete cuts and movements - which is why it's less invasive. I learned that the doctors that perform robotic myomectomies take years of training in order to get certified and Dr. Eisenberg had already performed hundreds of them..so I felt I was in good hands.

I scheduled my myomectomy about four months after the miscarriage. I think I just needed to wait awhile to adjust to the idea of surgery. If you have never had an operation, the prospect of one can be very scary. Even though people have them everyday, I never thought at the age of 32 I would need one. But once I started to weigh the Pros and Cons, it seemed like the best move.

I knew that there could have been a correlation between the miscarriage and the fibroids. At the rate at which they had grown, I did not want to take a chance with them getting even bigger, with or without another pregnancy, potentially causing even more complications. Plus my doctor told me my uterus was already the size of a 13-14 week pregnancy :-o So the chances of a successful pregnancy would improve if I removed them, since they were distorting my uterine cavity.

Anyone performing a myomectomy will always say there is a very small chance that a full cut will have to be performed and/or that a hysterectomy will have to be done. Dr. Eisenberg assured me that had never happened to him, and the risk was very low in my case. Also, the thought of going under anesthesia was very nerve wrecking to me. However, when he told me it would only be a ~2 hour operation, that put me at ease.

The day of surgery, I checked in around 7:30am, and was scheduled to go in at 9am. I would say my biggest complaint that day was that it took 2 nurses, 1 anesthesiologist, and 6+ pricks to start an IV! I had many bruises to show for that! I remember the anesthesiologist telling me he was going to give me something to relax me... He asked me something about children.... and it was lights out. I woke up with a nurse giving me ice cubes and telling me I should continue to cough, with the pillow to my stomach, to get the incubation gunk out of my lungs. I was in quite a bit of discomfort but as soon as I received my Percocet dosage, I was good to go :-)

I spent most of that day dozing in and out of sleep and although the nurses seemed in a rush to get me home, I stayed one night which was needed in hindsight - the reclining bed made all the difference in the world. My core muscles were so sore from the gas they pumped into me, as well as from the cutting, that a simple laugh was excruciating. While my mom was there entertaining me I had to keep reminding her to not make me laugh!

To get my core activated again and to get rid of the gas pressure, the nurses made me get up and walk a lap or two every few hours. This helped tremendously with pain and flexibility and in the next few days I was able to get around very well.

I took 2.5 weeks off of work and didn't get back into the gym for another 2 weeks - at least not any strenuous classes or heavy lifting. But the doctor pretty much released me to do anything after 10 days.

At my follow-up visit Dr. Eisenberg told me he removed a total of 7 fibroids, even though we only knew about a total of 4. The two I mentioned above were the biggest and the remainder were pretty small.

Oh and the highlight of my follow up visit was.. I received my very own video copy of the surgery o_O

TIME Magazine Article About Infertility

This is a very interesting article about the stimga associated with couples who have had fertility challenges...especially those in the public eye. I think it is encouraging to hear others talk about their struggles and triumphs - no matter what method for reproduction is used.

Coming Out of the Fertility Closet

What are your thoughts? Do you think it is still taboo to talk about these issues among your peers, family, etc?

For The Love....and Hate of Okra

 

You gotta love it when you find one of your favorite vegetables or fruits in season!  Vibrant colors, abundant supplies, and low prices! (#winning). So when I saw this okra the other day, I thought I'd post about how I use to absolutely HATE it.  As we were all once forced to eat something we loathed, okra was #1 on my list. It's tough texture and slimy interior....ugh...why would anyone be subjected to such an abominable food?! 

I laugh now because I absolutely love the flavor. 

When okra is steamed just right, it has a sweet, 

savory flavor that keeps me going back for more.

Of course it has many wonderful benefits which you know I have to share:

Good Source of Folate

Folate is a B vitamin your body needs to help produce and maintain new cells. It is especially important during periods of rapid growth, such as pregnancy and infancy. Women of childbearing age need adequate intakes of folate to prevent neural tube defects in their children. A 1/2-cup serving of cooked okra contains 37 mcg of folate, meeting 10 percent of your daily value.*

Low In Calories

Okra is a low-energy-density food, which means it has a low-calorie content for its serving size. A 1/2-cup serving of boiled okra contains just 18 calories. Eating okra can help fill you up without costing you too many calories, making it easier for you to stay within your daily calorie budget for weight management.*

Good Source of Fiber

Okra is a good source of fiber, with 2 g in a 1/2-cup serving, meeting 8 percent of your daily value for fiber. Fiber in food also helps with weight management by slowing digestion and aiding in hunger management. Including more fiber in your diet can lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart disease. In addition, a high-fiber diet can lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.*

 

Good Source of Calcium

Including okra in your diet can also help you meet your calcium needs. A 1/2-cup serving of cooked okra contains 62 mg of calcium, meeting 6 percent of your daily value. Ninety-nine percent of the calcium in your body is found in your bones and teeth, where it supports structure and function. The other 1 percent is found in your blood, where it assists with muscle function and nerve transmission. Calcium in the blood is also necessary for the contraction and dilation of your blood vessels.*

 

Good Source of Potassium

A 1/2-cup serving of okra contains 108 mg of potassium. Including more natural sources of potassium in your diet can help you control your blood pressure by blunting the effects of sodium. The American Heart Association recommends you aim for 4,700 mg of potassium a day for heart health. Eating okra can help you meet your needs.*

*See Source below

 

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/443176-how-healthy-is-okra/#ixzz2b26KnJm0

What's up with Soy & Fertility?

More than we realize! Some years ago when Soy Milk was the craze, it became my go-to milk-substitute....anything was better than dairy I thought.Well, that was short-lived, because along with some unpleasant side-effects, I also found out that soy, in its processed form, can be detrimental to hormonal balance. Specifically, processed soy is known to contain phytoestrogens that act as access estrogen in our bodies and cause hormonal imbalance. This was later confirmed by my ND last year; however, the jury was still on whether soy beans/edamame had the same effect. In the meantime, my new milk alternative is Almond milk!

Check out this article linking Soy & Infertility.

Cleansing - Part I

Although the word itself can cause me a bit of anxiety when I start to think of the foods I will have to give up, cleanses are a really great way to reset your immunity and get your health on track.

My first experience with a cleanse was over a decade ago and it was the candida cleanse. In my last year of high school I was over-prescribed antibiotics, and in my first year of college I started having chronic fatigue, acne breakouts, allergies, and re-occurring ear infections.

I soon learned that antibiotics not only kill the bad bacteria in your intestines, but also the good, healthy flora that helps fight bad bacteria and diseases. So I could only imagine what multiple rounds had done to my system. With all the good bacteria gone, the fungus (which exists naturally in our bodies in small amounts) and bad bacteria can invade your system. (I know this sounds like a plot from a bad sci-fi movie, but I promise you this is not fiction.) This fungus overgrowth is also known as candida and candida feeds on sugar which is in practically everything we consume. Once this overgrowth begins, the immune system is further weakened when the candida attack the intestines walls and cause leaky gut - allowing undigested food particles, minerals, parasites, etc to leak into your blood stream. Some of the symptoms include, but are not limited to:

- Inability to focus

- Persistent fatigue

- Cravings for sugar/alcohol

- Irritability 

- Bloating

- Acid reflux

- Indigestion

- Mucus in stool

- Acne

- Cysts

- Fungal infections of skin/nails

- Athletes foot

- Mucus in throat

- Sinus congestion

- Chronic post-nasal drip

- Re-occurring yeast infections

- Frequent colds/flu

- Food sensitivites

- Inability to loss weight

- Heart palpitations

- Chronic body/joint pain

- Allergies

Prescribing antibiotics to small children is especially harmful as their flora and immune systems are still developing. It can even take adults years to recover from candida overgrowth, depending on the severity.

The cleanse I completed to balance the candida had two parts: supplemental and dietary.  The supplements I took were part of the Candistroy system by Nature's Secret. One of the supplements was a pro-biotic which is used to restore the natural flora in our system. I recommend, even outside of a cleanse, that everyone take a pro-biotic daily because we are always trying to maintain balance in our digestion and this is a great way to do that. The other supplement had a blend of herbs that actually target/kill and flush out the candida.

Since almost everything we eat has sugar, the candida diet is a very strict one. No fruits and only low sugar vegetables are allowed. No shellfish, but most fish is allowed, as well as poultry. The only grains allowed are gluten free grains, with no yeast.

The other important aspect of this cleanse is facilitating the excretion of the candida/toxins from your system.

Drinking plenty of water, 8-10 cups a day, with lemon helps flush candida out and alleviates some of the detox symptoms. Exercising at least 3 hours a weeks helps to increase circulation and allows you to sweat out toxins. Lastly, are the detox baths. This consists of soaking in a tub of hot water (as hot as you can stand) with epson salt or ginger root for 10-20 minutes, and rinsing off in the shower afterwards.

After 30 days of the candida cleanse, I had didn't have any more ear issues or allergies, my acne had cleared up, and I had lost 5 lbs/2 dress sizes. If you think you might need to cleanse, but aren't sure if the candida cleanse is the right one, take this questionnaire, and talk to your Doctor/Naturopath about it.

Even if you don't want to commit to 30 days, in just10-14 days, you can start to see some improvements.

Happy Cleansing!

My Journey - Part III

The stenographer at the new doctor left me somewhat relieved. I did not have countless fibroids as the other doctor had implied - in fact according to her, I only had four as far as she could tell. Two of which were pretty sizable...approximately 5 & 6 cm.  At the doctor's consultation, she indicated that I should have them removed to increase fertility and to minimize the risk of them getting even larger with time. Seeing that I was only 31 at the time, she had a feeling they would continue to grow out of control. She did mention that some of her patients have fibroids and go on to conceive and have healthy babies. My plan after that was to continue to work on shrinking the fibroids through supplements and diet as prescribed by my ND(as I shared in My Journey - Part II).

A few months later I was essentially weening myself off of most of the supplements, as some are only meant to be taken short term, but I was following a restricted diet which was pretty clean, and I cut back on my beef and chicken intake. That's around the time my husband and I started to discuss the possibility of conceiving. My plan was to wait another 6 months or so, but at that point we just decided to let whatever happens, happen.

Around our 3rd anniversary celebration I noticed I became particularly moody - so much so that I was on the verge of tears when we arrived all dressed up and ready to dine at 560 and they would not let us in without a reservation! In the week that followed I started noticing a major breakout as well as other symptoms. So I make an appointment with my general practitioner for some topical acne meds, and while I was sitting there waiting on her to come back with the script, I start counting ...and realized I was over 5 days late and I am  always on time. So I decided to ask her for a test (actually I wanted to take a test at home that morning but I have this theory that home pregnancy tests just don't work O_o) but when she came back with a "You're Pregnant" I was beyond shocked. With the size of the fibroids, I just didn't think it would happen...especially not that soon. So with tears of joy welling up, I immediately called my husband and told him the good news - he was just as shocked, and very happy. At that point I was only 5 weeks along, so my OB/GYN would not take an appointment for another 6 weeks or so.

Very early on I was having pains that I tried to manage, along with some nausea. I wasn't sure if what I was feeling was normal "stretching" pains, or from the fibroids. I knew that fibroids can grow very quickly during pregnancy....and that they did! I became very bloated and there was enough pain associated with their growth, and their degeneration, that I had to take Tylenol and use a heating pad on several occasions.

By the time I was able to manage the nausea and felt a little more energy, it was around the 7th week...which was the week I also miscarried. In my limited knowledge of miscarriages, I did not know all of the things your body goes through...from the fluctuation in your hormones to the nausea and fatigue. And maybe my experience was worse because of the fibroids, but I know that is something I would never wish on anyone. It was a gradual process, and from the time the miscarriage symptoms started to the time the doctor confirmed that the pregnancy never developed normally, I thought I would be able to get back up and going sooner, than later. I've never been more mistaken. By day 3, I was at the ER with severe nausea and fatigue. The sonogram was the most uncomfortable experience at that time, but the doctors determined that I did not need a D&C. As soon as I took the medications they prescribed, I was throwing up again. My doctor recommended that I just take extra dosages of Advil which eventually did help. I was still home on bedrest for 4 days and I tried to go back to work on day 5, only to get sick again. So after about 9 days of rest, and hardly any food, I was able to return to work.

Dealing with the physical aspect of the miscarriage left me with little bandwidth to deal with the miscarriage emotionally. As soon as I returned to work, I was suppose to help with the planning of a good friend/co-worker's baby shower. I soon realized that even though I thought I could help and definitely wanted to, the stress of the whole situation was more than enough to take on at the moment. So I decided to help, but I had to restrict my participation. I think having just miscarried and not understanding it, I had to try and find out what was "right and wrong" for me. No two people grieve the same and the good thing about that is, no one can tell you how you should grieve, act, or react in that situation. Some people grieve right away and others like myself did not start grieving until weeks later.

I remember crying every day on my way home for about 2-3 weeks straight. Which was really a surprise to me - I hadn't accepted my miscarriage as a loss...I was only a few weeks along, I hadn't heard a heartbeat, there was no sonogram, nothing tangible to warrant this reaction - that was my reasoning anyways. I started to blame the emotions on my fluctuating hormones. Later on, after confiding in friends and listening to their experiences, I started to understand a loss is a loss no matter how far along you are. That first excitement and joy you feel when you get the news of pregnancy plants something deep inside of you and even though you may not have witnessed any manifestations, the conception of a soul is a miraculous and undeniable gift. And even through the grieving, we were able to remember this and thank God for this gift, even though we did not produce a child.

As For Me and My House...

...We shall serve SMOOTHIES!

For years I have been an avid juicer - mainly because you can get a big helping of veggies/fruits in a single cup, as well as all the wonderful enzymes that raw foods provide. Somehow, even with all the nutrition juicing provided, when I would have to throw away all of the pulp that was produced in the process, I felt like it was a huge waste...and deep down I was mourning that extra fiber! So when I saw that the Vitamix blender took everything in my juice, and blended it up into a nice, refreshing smoothie, I was like "AH HA! That's what I need!!" Well.....until I came across the $400 price tag. However, I decided to try some green smoothie recipes in my good 'ol, faithful and inexpensive GE blender and they have been coming out great! So Green Smoothies have become a staple in my house. I add RAW Protein powder, with some flax seed and I am set for the morning.

Let me know what you think about Green Smoothies.

Hormonal Imbalances

Speaking of hormonal imbalances, here is an article that indicates 5 causes and how to remedy them:

5 Causes of Hormonal Imbalances

Balancing Hormones with DIM

In my previous post My Journal Part II, I mentioned how estrogen dominance can lead to hormonal imbalance. A supplement that I have found to be helpful in balancing out hormones is DIM, or Diindolylmethane, which is a phytochemical produced during the digestion of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower. DIM works by assisting in the metabolism of excess estrogen in your body. Therapeutic levels are considered to be ~100-200 mg a day which is why just eating a few servings of the veggies listed above will not have the same impact; you would need to eat about 1.5 lbs to get your recommended dosage of DIM.

I was introduced to DIM through my Naturopathic Doctor and I noticed improvements in my cycles and overall health when I took it consistently. This was also something that she recommended I take continuously since there will always be an abundance of  xenoestrogens floating around in the environment, that will contribute to estrogen dominance.

This site, Natural Fertility Info, is a great resource for all types of fertility information, including DIM.

Have you heard of DIM or taken it? If so, what has your experience been?

Are You Waiting?

Are you waiting........?

I don't know what you are waiting on....but maybe you are waiting on your baby blessing(s), as I am.As much as I do not like waiting, I know it is part of the "process" ...and that our patience is growing, while our faith is being strengthened as we continue to wait on God. 

Have you ever had a vision, maybe just a glimpse of your future, and couldn't wait to get to there? I know personally, as a child/teen I was SO excited about college and the independence it promised. I was somewhat sheltered, raised as an only child, and my exposure to the outside world was limited. Even the prospect of getting a license and being able to drive, held limitless possibilities...even if I was only allowed to drive my parents to the store! lol! The restlessness I sometimes felt was not comfortable but I believed it enabled me to not only develop patience, but to dream and envision what I could not see, hold, taste, smell <= the very substance of hope and faith! God does not withhold anything from us! He is allowing us to get every single morsel of the spiritual blessing that He has in store for us.

Knowing this: that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be 
perfect and entire, lacking nothing. 
James 1:3-4

I look back and realize that because I cherished the idea of independence, college was not an opportunity to run wild and squander the wisdom my parents had given me. I was able to appreciate all that it stood for and I was determined to get the most out of that experience. (On a side note, that patience I developed came in handy because if I had of been required to take one more math/science class, I would have been running laps around the campus like a mad woman ;-)

When it comes to the subject of waiting in the Bible, I am highly encouraged by the women of faith who were once barren but went on to conceive. Sarah, Elizabeth, and Rachel all were unable to bear children for some time frame, but God eventually opened their wombs. That is a testament to the fact that just because your season has not come, does not mean that it's not on the way. I'm certain that God was working out something in them, their families, those around them, etc.....before He opened that door for them to conceive. It is comforting to know that along with developing patience and faith, God is also working out other things to prepare us.When I think of how Sarah laughed when the servant of God told her, in her advanced age that she would be a mother, I can understand how unbelief could have been mingled with some fear. 

Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in years; it had ceased to be with Sarah as with [young] women. [She was past the age of childbearing]. Therefore Sarah laughed to herself, saying, After I have become aged shall I have pleasure and delight, my lord (husband), being old also?

And the Lord asked Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 

Shall I really bear a child when I am so old?Is anything too hard or too wonderful for the Lord?

Genesis 18:11-14

I know God has always been in the miracle business but if I was well past my prime and everything had seemingly dried up, I would not only be worried about the impossibility of it all, but also about the "what if's?". What if there are complications? What about the health of the baby? What about my health? But nearly a decade later, she was blessed with His perfect promise, Isaac.(Genesis 21)

No matter what you are waiting on, the principles stay the same: If you belong to Him and He has spoken a promise to your heart, that promise will arrive at the appointed time. All because.....  

He hath made every thing beautiful in His time. Also He hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.(Ecclesiastes 3:11)

I love the intro to the song, No Limits, because it is a declaration of who God is and what He will be to those who need Him. We can not put a box on Him because He is doing something amazingly wonderful, in His timing. I am encouraged when I remember that His plan is perfect! 

Vitamin D & Fibroids

I mentioned in another post how vital Vitamin D is in our diets. Vitamin D allows our bodies to maintain proper levels of calcium and phosphorus and aids in the absorption of calcium.

Some of the symptoms and/or diseases that Vitamin D deficiencies can lead to include:

• Cystic Fibrosis 
• Psoriasis
• Muscle Weakness
• Schizophrenia and Depression
• Cancer
• Asthma
• Diabetes
• Periodontal disease
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Fibroids (inconclusive but studies are showing a link!...more on that in a minute)

If you suspect you have a deficiency, consult your doctor and get tested (and ask for the 25-hydroxy-  vitamin D).

Our bodies are able to produce Vitamin D through exposure to sunlight and people with fairer skin can get enough exposure from just 10 minutes in the sun. However, people with more melanin do not absorb it as readily (possibly needing up to 6 times more exposure) as others and need to get it from other sources, including a Vitamin D supplement. 
The government's dietary recommendations are 200 IUs a day up to age 50, 400 IUs to age 70, and 600 IUs over 70. But many experts believe that these recommendations are far too low to maintain healthful vitamin D levels. They advocate for supplementation in the winter of about 2,000 IUs per day and a dose of daily sunshine in the summer.  2,000 IUs is actually what my doctor (Endocrinologist) prescribed.

Oh and by the way, they say the sunlight you get from driving in your car does not count, as the UV rays that allow our cells to produce Vitamin D are filtered out by the windows :-(

Here are some food sources that contain Vitamin D:

• Fish (Tuna/Sardines)
• Egg yolk
• Beef liver <= YUMMY!
• Cod liver oil
• Mushrooms

As I mentioned earlier, there have been studies that link Fibroids to Vitamin D deficiencies.
According to the National Institutes of Health, a study found that women who had sufficient amounts of vitamin D were 32 percent less likely to develop fibroids than women with insufficient vitamin D. Interestingly enough, Vitamin D was shown to shrink Fibroids in Rats!

I do know that when I started taking Vitamin D my energy levels improved tremendously and my mood swings were not as prevalent.

Have you had any experiences with Vitamin D?

My Journey - Part II

.... I had considered seeing a Naturopathic Doctor for awhile but a few years prior, their presence was very limited in the DFW area. I started to do some research again and found that the number of NDs in the metroplex had suddenly multiplied.

I had some experience in my past with what I call holistic practitioners. They are not necessarily doctors or educated in conventional medicine, but they approach health from a holistic view, and start at a basic level to determine the underlying causes of symptoms. Previously, I was able to use their guidance to help correct my immune function. NDs generally have the same philosophies but they are trained and have a 4-year doctorate degree.
 
I narrowed my search down and spoke to one of the local NDs. The main downfall to using a ND is that they are not covered under health insurance...so all costs are out of pocket, but thankfully, this ND was reasonable compared to most. The good thing about her was that she was very thorough so she took all of my medical records and tests, prior to our appointment and was able to get a good idea of what regimen to prescribe. Prior to seeing her, I went to an Endocrinologist to get a battery of tests. That was definitely a good move because I found out about my Vitamin D deficiency which is something most people of color are deficient in (that's a separate post ;-)..and the ND was able to better understand what my hormone levels looked like.

In between me finding out about the fibroids and seeing the ND, I found a ton of information on the internet about them. All the different kinds, what potentially causes them, and how they are treated. I found multiple sources saying that excess estrogen (and progesterone) causes them to grow but nothing really definitive as to why they develop in the first place.

As I delved into what the cause might be, I asked my mom about her history because I knew she had a hysterectomy after I was born, and after she had a miscarriage. She tried to describe her reproductive ailments, which she had alot of, but I'm not sure they were fibroids. However, she was very young (21) when she had me and when she had her hysterectomy so I imagine if she had them, they were not noticeable at that point in her life. With all her medical history, part of me also started to think there was a genetic factor to them developing too.

So back to the ND...At my first appointment she focused on several things that would not necessarily shrink the current fibroids but that would keep them from growing and that would potentially keep more from developing. The main thing was a liver cleanse. Our liver is what detoxifies our systems and rids our bodies of excess hormones (ie estrogen). That extra estrogen floating around  that our liver can not cleanse out, can wreck havoc on our systems, especially if there has been estrogen dominance/hormonal imbalance for years. And there are so many sources of estrogen - meats, dairy, hair products, food containers, etc...not to mention the other pollutants that tend to disrupt our normal hormonal functions.

To aid my liver detox she prescribed a blend of supplements, as well a a special diet that excluded refined sugars, wheat, caffeine, and dairy...basically anything that might taste good! The diet focused on veggies, beans/legumes, fruits, & whole grains. It actually had some pretty tasty recipes that I will have to share in another post.
 
To aid the cleanse, I also had to do 3-4 hours of cardio a week, and there were two more supplements, plus a tea that I was to take.
I have to confess I am poorly disciplined when it comes to "diets" so I think I only stuck with the dietary restrictions for 2 weeks, but I continued on with the supplements and saw alot of improvements in my symptoms. Over the next year, I did not see a doctor to actually see what the fibroids were doing.
 
I found a new OB/GYN and scheduled an appointment. On my second appointment, I saw the stenographer who I was very thankful for..she actually talked to me and told me what she saw!

(Check back for Part III, coming soon....)

P.S. If you have any question about the specific supplements I was prescribed or any questions about the details of the regimen I was on, feel free to post a comment or send me a message.

Confessions of a Foodie

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love food! All kinds....healthy, unhealthy...fattening, low-fat....deep fried, baked...raw, cooked..etc. But I also hold firmly to the belief that what you put into your body, directly impacts what you get out of it and how it functions.
..And so begins my Foodie dilemma - wanting to eat for sustenance & nutrition vs being tempted to eat for pleasure.

Exhibit 1:
No vegetables with a prepared meal.

Raise your hand if you grew up eating veggies and understand that they are beneficial and necessary in our diet. This may seem like common knowledge, but I have witnessed many meals with only meat and starches and not one veggie. I'm not talking about the occasional lazy night where you don't feel like cooking a full meal.... I'm talking about all-out vegetable neglect. I'll be honest, if you are cooking for me, my feelings will be a little hurt if I don't see anything green or vegetable-like on my plate :-\
Ok, so you say what's the big deal? Why are eating veggies so important?! Per the USDA, here are a few benefits:

• Eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce risk for heart disease, including heart attack and stroke.

• Eating foods such as vegetables that are lower in calories per cup instead of some other higher-calorie food may be useful in helping to lower calorie intake

• Vegetables are important sources of many nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, folate (folic acid), vitamin A, and vitamin C

• For those trying to conceive =>  Folate (folic acid) helps the body form red blood cells. Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant should consume adequate folate from foods, and in addition 400 mcg of synthetic folic acid from fortified foods or supplements. This reduces the risk of neural tube defects, spina bifida, and anencephaly during fetal development.

I realize this is is very basic to some, but it bears reiterating. For more information on healthy eating tips, go to: Choose My Plate
They have some very good tools and resources.


Exhibit 2:
All things sweet.

I've always had a sweet tooth and for the most part it did not subside when I became more conscious about what I put into my body. The struggle got very real last year when the company cafeteria decided to start selling fresh baked chocolate chips..Every.Single.Day. *SIGH* Forget that one cookie was almost two dollars, if I stepped into that cafeteria, I became cookie stalker (True story: My co-worker and I would wait around and harass one of the servers.."when will the cookies,be ready???" - I won't even talk about how the cashiers hated to see us coming because we always complained about the conflicting/fluctuating prices).

While one cookie a day does not seem like such a horrible thing, I can't help but feel like I am creating a monster by feeding it daily (..get it monster..cookie monster!). Ok so I have been able to ween myself for the most part but there is always sugar lurking somewhere...a potlucks at work, birthday dinners, etc. We are so conditioned to having sugar in our diet, that our bodies start to crave it once we decide to quit it.

In my studies on refined sugar, there are numerous reasons to limit consumption:

• Sugar is toxic. Ever heard of a book called Sugar Blues? Check it out.

• Sugar suppresses your immune system 

• Sugar can lead to tooth decay

• Sugar can interfere with the absorption of protein

• Sugar can cause depression

 Here's a good article:
 Sugar Health Effects: The Truth About Sugar


So....here's to striving for a good balance between veggies & desserts...All things in moderation, right?!! (Except veggies..you should eat lots of those;-)