3 DAYS UNTIL THE END {05.08.2015}

As of today, I have three days until I start my progesterone. Tomorrow, I will start eating pineapple core and drinking my Bump Water! I will be taking Prometrium 200mg for twenty days which at the end of those twenty days I should know if I am pregnant. Basically, that means that starting Monday, May 11th, I will be in my Two Week Wait! I'll admit, I don't believe there are any TTC sisters that like the TWW. It just seems to drag on forever. I do however, like to take the opportunity to rest. You know how God spent six days creating the world and then on the seventh day He rested? Well, I know my TTC journey isn't nearly as large or important as God's creation of the world, but just as He rested after a long week of work, we use the TWW as our resting period. No stressing or worrying. It's in God's hands. We acknowledge the success that we had in sticking to our BDing "schedule" and do not dwell on the things we did not do or should have done differently.

 ~  

*Mini Q&A: Why are you eating Pineapple after ovulation? Pineapples contain an enzyme called Bromelain which is anti-inflammatory and has been known to increase cervical mucous and possibly the chance of implantation in early pregnancy. For directions on consuming pineapple for ovulation, see directions below*

I mentioned that I will be starting my BumpWater to which I'm sure some of you were wondering what in the world that meant. Well, go check out BumpWater! It's not a replacement for prenatal vitamins but instead an enhancer. Packed with tons of benefits and supplements. Not to mention, they are delicious! 12 bottles are just $28.99!!!

While I know that I have not blogged as much about this cycle as I did with my cycle in January, I have still been following the same "schedule"/"routine," so if you are a new TTC Sister and need a little help creating and following a plan that may be successful for you, then check out my TTC JOURNEY: CLOMID YEAR 2 ROUND 1 page. You can see how I tracked my cycle and other things I did to accomplish getting pregnant. For those interested in getting the full and detailed version of all the things we changed that worked for us, be sure to read WHAT WE DID DIFFERENT YEAR 2 ROUND 1 THAT WORKED!!!

Today is also my last OPK testing day and since I didn't do my daily OPK update, check out my progression of OPKs from beginning on CD to end, today, on CD 15. 

Now keep in mind, with the Advanced ClearBlue Digital OPKs, you should never refer to the lines to tell you if you are ovulating. The smiley faces on the ClearBlue will show you what you need to know. I have heard so many women say that they look at the test strips, and in thinking like the other tests, to see if the lines are the same. With ClearBlue its different. The test itself measures both LH surge as well as Estrogen, so when it gives you a blinky smiley face, you better be BDing because you are at High Fertility. When you get the steady smiley face, you definitely want to BD because you are in Peak Fertility. Once you get a Peak Fertility on the ClearBlue Advanced, there is no need to continue testing as it will display the Peak smiley face for 48 hours. After which point your ovulation will have ended. Be sure that you are BDing according to the SMEP: BD day of positive OPK, the next day, then skip one day and BD one more time, to ensure the best possibility of catching that little eggie.

As I mentioned, I am on CD 15. I awoke to a dropped temp but with my FMU I was still only receiving a blinking smiley face (High Fertility) it wasn't until second morning urine around 9:30am that I successfully received my steady face (Peak Fertility). What better day than on our 5 year (dating) anniversary? Yes, we still celebrate the date E asked me to be his girlfriend and we also celebrate our engagement anniversary. Another thing that surprised me about this cycle was that it was on time. Ovulation according to my Clomid calculator pin-pointed this date, my Ovia fertility app said this was my day, and my body sent me signals like cramping, achy boobs, and bloating. Let's just hope this means we will finally get pregnant with our Healthy Rainbow Baby!!!

This will more than likely be one of the last posts about my cycle. Since I will be starting my TWW, there won't be much to blog about as far as my cycle is concerned. I will however, let you know if there are any symptoms from the Progesterone, so for those interested in that, be sure to stick around!

 

By the way...

 

 

Baby Dust, God Bless, and Best Wishes!

 

**Directions for Pineapple Core after Ovulation: 1) Use a knife to remove the pineapple exterior 2) Cut through the middle of the pineapple from top to bottom leaving halves to work with 3) From each half, slice six to eight equally sized wedges and 4) After confirmed ovulation, begin consuming one to two slices of pineapple each day.**

 

 

WHAT WE DID DIFFERENT YEAR 2 ROUND 1 THAT WORKED!!! {04.15.2015}

I wanted to share our "changes" that took place last cycle and helped us get pregnant so quickly. Let me just say that I have absolutely no idea which of these helped boost our chances, but I can tell you that God was the main source, the rest of the things were just a little "assistance," or so I like to say. It's so important to both E and I, to acknowledge God plays and played a HUGE part in our fertility journey. Do I think God wanted or planned for us to have miscarriages? ABSOLUTELY NOT! I believe God wants us to do as we are told, "go forth, be fruitful, and multiple," and that is why He continues to bless us with babies. So, without further ado, here is our TTC year 2 round 1 list of things we did to succeed.

1. I tracked everything!!! I'm so serious y'all. I tracked my temperature on two different fertility apps.
• a) Fertility Friend
• b) Ovia Fertility
2. I took daily OPKs starting on CD 8. I did use off-brand OPKs because I couldn't find the ClearBlue Digital sticks.
3. I attended weekly acupuncture appointments. I attended one appointment before starting Provera, one after Provera ended while still taking Clomid, one after Clomid ended near Ovulation, and one final appointment after Ovulation was registered.
4. I took prenatal vitamins. I have heard countless times that prenatal vitamins are sooo important, but I never really thought about it until after our first miscarriage in 2013. After taking the break during all of 2014, I decided that I would start taking prenatal vitamins at the start of my cycles. So for my year 2 round 2, I have decided to start taking those pills two days before the start of Provera (vitamins started on Monday, April 13).
5. Clomid was moved from CDs 3-7 to CDs 2-6. I don't really think this made a HUGE difference since I did get pregnant the first time taking Clomid on CDs 3-7. I will admit that I appreciate the change, I just seem to like the CD 2-6 better.
6. Pre-seed was used every time we BD. I've talked about it before, but pre-seed is amazing! Mostly because it is the ONLY sperm-friendly lubricant that I would trust.
7. I tracked my CM daily. Sure, it may not be the most amazing thing in the world, but I learned so much about my cycle just by paying attention to my body's signals.
8. We followed the SMEP, with a few adjustments to work with our schedules. Click to see the full SMEP!
9. Last but not least, I lost weight!!! I believe this was a real help in our TTC journey. I lost close to 30lbs at the start of the year and at my appointment on January 5, my doctor said that he was impressed and just knew that getting pregnant would be easier now...he was right!!! We got pregnant immediately! Obviously, I know this is not easy for everyone, but even just a weight adjustment of 5-10lbs can drastically increase chances of pregnancy.

My goal for this upcoming cycle is to follow the same pattern. I do want to try to eat Chia Seeds regularly throughout this upcoming cycle so that my body is healthy and for all of the health benefits. Click to read all about the health benefits of Chia Seeds. I have faith that we will have no problem getting pregnant this cycle, and with my doctor now considering us "high risk," I believe we will have a much better chance at keeping the next baby.

As always, thank you so much for reading and keeping up with our journey.

God Bless and Baby Dust!!!

TTC HAUL VIDEO & MORE {04.02.2015}

So this is the Rainbow Edition of my TTC Haul! This is a list of the items that help our TTC journey and if you are new to the TTC world, maybe these will help you too! I went ahead and added my YouTube video as well so you can watch. For reference, I went ahead and added the list below...Enjoy!!!

TTC HAUL : RAINBOW BABY EDITION

Provera - 5 Days at 10MG

• This is a prescription drug that is take to help start AF
• Used typically in conjunction with fertility drugs/treatment but can definitely be used without

Clomid - CD 2 thru 6 at 100MG

• This is a prescription drug that is taken to force the body to ovulate
• Used for women who have been TTC for more than 1year if under 35, or 6months if over 35

OPKs - 10 Days using Clear Blue and First Response

• Can be purchased at convenience/grocery stores
• Assists in tracking ovulation
• Works best if used in conjunction with BBT charting and CM tracking

Pre-Seed - CD 8 thru 20 (every other day)

• Can be purchased at convenience/grocery stores
• Use at least 10 minutes before BDing if injecting, of immediately before if using just as an assistant to BDing if dry due to fertility medications

Progesterone - Daily, after positive OPK

• This is a prescription drug that is taken only after ovulation takes place
• Helps produce more progesterone in the body
• Promotes health fetus growth
• *has the potential to eliminate the possibility of miscarriage*
• Only taken up to 10 weeks of pregnancy

 

Remember to keep your heads up ladies! We WILL get our Rainbow babies!

 

 

Wishes, Love, and Baby Dust to all my fellow TTC Sisters out there!

 

 

P.S.: Next Doctor's appointment is scheduled for Wednesday, April 8 at 9:20am. I am looking forward to sharing this "hisk risk", bumpy but blessed, TTC Journey!

 



A Tribute to Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss {10.15.2014}

Hello Ladies and Happy Hump Day!

In honor of today, Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss Awareness Day, I wanted to share with you a tribute to Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss. If you have suffered a miscarriage, I want you to know you are not alone! I hope this video will inspire you to keep going on your journey. Be sure to light a candle with us tonight in honor of those who have suffered a Miscarriage or Pregnancy Loss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38Am3QD0hUU

I hope you enjoyed the video.

Tomorrow I will be doing a post all about Pre-Seed! I will also have a new Vlog on our channel that will be the "unboxing" of Pre-Seed. If you are interested in finding out whether or not Pre-Seed is worth the money, be sure to stay tuned for Friday's Vlog where I will do a review on Pre-Seed. Also, in conjunction with Friday's Vlog, I will also be doing an update for you! You won't want to miss this!!! This is probably one of the greatest updates, and best part, I didn't even expect it to happen.

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten, I will be doing a 2&3 Week PCOS Diet and TTC Update for you ladies that details out everything that has taken place.

Be sure to Subscribe to our Blog and YouTube channel so you can stay up-to-date with our TTC Journey, Vlogs are posted daily Monday through Sunday!

Our Channel "Pickles & Icecream": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSHuPHdd4MumSf76evJllOQ

Well Wishes and Baby Dust

Clearblue Digital OPK & Weekend Recap {10.12.2014}

It's Glorious Sunday!

Before I went on to my weekend recap, I wanted to share a quick video on the Clearblue Digital OPK test. I know that quite a few are interested in seeing what it looks like and how it works...so here it is!

What I didn't mention in the video is that once you eject the test strip, you can acutely see the blue dye lines like you would with a regular test. I actually like that I am able to see it digitally and regular-style. Here's what it looks like once ejected...

The O on the digital test will last for 8 minutes, the blue dye is on the ejects me test strip. As you can see, the digital read "low/no fertility" (no ovulation) and the blue dye test strip read "negative" as well. I will be taking more tests as my cycle digresses. The next test will be taken on CD 12 which is October 16, and then I will test once a day after that until I run out. Let me know if you have used or plan on using Clearblue digital tests and what you think. 

Now, I want to move on to weekend recap as well as some PCOS Diet info. This weekend, we had so much fun! Saturday we woke up and went to the shooting range, then we headed to the Halloween store, and finally we took a stroll around the local festival. Here are some photos. 

A girls got to have pink on at all times!

My handsome little black gun! 

Walking to the indoor range with our gear on!

Waiting for our target to be hung up so we can get started.

Ready?! Let's go!!!

Me first! My very first time shooting my gun.

Really great shooting for first time! Not a single round missed the circles and I got into the X.

Hubs next! He did great shooting my gun for the first time. 

All 50 rounds made it into the circles! Go us!!!

So after shooting we went to the Halloween costume store and E tried on some pretty funny, and even some scary, masks. 

So funny! It's the total opposite of my hubs! 

After playing around at the Halloween store, we took a stroll around the Katy Rice Harvest Festival.

Today, we started the day at church, praising God for our blessings!

After church, we headed out to Katy Heritage Society since I had a photo shoot with a cute little family. It was so miserably humid, so we tried to wrap up the shoot very quickly. Once the shoot was over, we headed home for some R&R! 

I wanted to touch base quickly on my PCOS Diet updates. I've decided that instead of doing updates daily, I would do it weekly and make it a recap. 

Be sure to check out our YouTube channel:   https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCSHuPHdd4MumSf76evJllOQ

Well Wishes and Baby Dust