7 days of mindfulness

I have completed 7 days of mindfulness practice according to my Daily Mindfulness app.

Does anyone else practice mindfulness? What is your experience of it? What are the best bits?

Caffeine Withdrawal Symptoms

Zita West Accredited Acupunture

This week I have been very excited to start seeing a Zita West Accredited Acupunturist called Ian, who is based in Hove. Who knew there was one based in Hove!?

Whilst going through my case history and hearing myself talk about my diet and lifestyle, it sounded like I really shouldn’t have any trouble getting preggo. I don’t smoke or drink, I don’t eat crap food, I don’t drink caffeine as much as I would like to, I don’t do drugs and I take all the right supplements. I’m not stressed and I’m essentially happy.

So in reality, why isn’t it happening?

Maybe I should start blaming my hubby ?

Is there really anything more I can do? Or anything more I can restrict?

Whilst all around me my friends and colleagues announce their first babies, and then their second babies.

Infertility is like a silent scream, all day, everyday.

I Love This

Blustery, sunny, Sunday mornings. In the park, with Nancy and her amazing home made meringues!!!

http://www.whatnancydid.blogspot.co.uk

Cobwebs blown away and feeling inspired!

ICSI Babies

Hello!

This is a guest post written by my lovely friend Karen, who I met when I was in my early 20’s whilst at work. I thought she was “well cool” because she can speak, like, 10 languages and she’s a lawyer!!! She wrote this lovely story of hope all about her ICSI miracle babies.

This Easter weekend has been a bit of a special one for us. Easter Sunday was my gorgeous boy’s 6th birthday. He was born after our first round of ICSI back in 2007. And then Easter Monday was the two-year anniversary of our frozen embryos (from that same ICSI cycle) being transferred! And then today, the 22nd, my beautiful daughter is 15 months old!

When I hear other people’s stories, I know how very very lucky we were to have success first time after both ICSI and a frozen embryo cycle. In no small part it was definitely down to the very wonderful people at the Esperance Hospital’s Assisted Conception Unit. For us they couldn’t have been better and I would rate their embryologists as second to none.

But I think just being relaxed and positive was a huge contributor too. How I achieved that is anybody’s guess because I am one of the biggest stress monkeys you could ever wish to meet! But I always approached the process as just that – a process. It was something I didn’t have any specific control over until those little babies implanted themselves in my expectant womb. Everything else was down to other people, medicine, fate… And so I couldn’t control/change/blame myself for doing anything wrong if it didn’t happen. And I never entered the process thinking that it may not happen, either. Again, so strange for me because I always worry about what could have/would have/should have been.

If I could only tell all of you going through IVF how to achieve that calm, positive approach, I would bottle it and give it to you all for free. But it definitely seemed to work for us. I did dabble with a little acupuncture (more on that separately). In fact less than a year before we went for IVF I was a physical and emotional mess. The lovely people at Dragon acupuncture clinic in Brighton put me back together and maybe the soothing calming effect of acupuncture stood me in good stead.

Not even Hospitilisation for OHSS when I got pregnant with my son could break my positive spirit.

So keep the faith ladies! I’m no spring chicken at 42 now and definitely won’t be going through any more fertility treatment. But whatever your age or your history, I wish you all the very very best in your quest for a family.

I am Fat

I am fat

I am fat.

I’m not entirely sure how I now manage to weigh 2 stone more then my pre-ttc weight. The last stone has crept on after I had my son, in fact that last stone crept on in the last 3/4 months.

My arms look like the Michelin Man, and I look like I’ve swallowed a duvet.

I am not a pretty sight. Luckily I’m not at the stage where I have to buy a new wardrobe to accommodate my ever increasing thighs, but I’m ever so close.

To top it all off, I do not feel very good, neither health-wise, nor mood-wise. After  my failed IVF I decided that enough is enough. So I contacted Kelly from Fit not Thin @FitNotThin.

Initially, I was convinced my expanding stomach was due to damaged muscles due to carrying a baby, but given that I gave birth to him nearly 2 years ago, cant really hide behind that tired old excuse, can I!? And Kelly confirmed that there is not much wrong with my actual stomach muscles. Although, she could be wrong, she had to press down through an awful lot of fat to reach them, that’s for sure!

So here’s what’s happening, I am no longer eating cake. I am not eating carbs. I am eating salad. Lots of salad.

I see Kelly 2/3 per month. The sessions are excellent and all about weights and using the vibrating machines at the Re-vitalise Studio in Hove. I’m really loving it.

Sadly, I have also discovered a correlation between my coffee consumption and weight gain, i.e. the more coffee I drink, the more weight I gain.

Goddammit, no coffee, no fags and no cake.

 

 

 

 

Smoking Preggos

Last night I went to the pub. The whole place was heaving with families and pregnant women.

I felt completely surrounded by those lucky, happy preggos.

Some of them were smoking. SMOKING!!!!

I was so upset, I actually cried. Granted I’d had a couple of sherry’s by that point, but seriously, HOW CAN THEY DO THAT TO THEIR BABIES???? How?

So I cried out of anger and frustration and jealousy.

One of the preggos asked me if her smoking had upset me? And I said no. How could I get into an argument about this in public? How can I explain to her that I will never, ever be as blessed and as lucky as she is right now, without sounding like I’m completely barmy?

I tried to explain how I felt to my friend, who just kept saying how lucky I am to have had my son, and yes, I know I am lucky, and more thankful then you could ever imagine, but I’m sad for me and I’m sad for a future that will never exist. But most of all I am sad for my little boy, because I feel like I’ve failed him.

Anyway, this walking away from TTC is much harder then I thought.

Reflexology

 

A few weeks ago I attended an event for mums called “Big Sunday” www.bigsunday.co.uk

 Its brilliant and gave me the opportunity to do loads of lovely things like, Yoga and pilates but I also had reflexology by the wonderful @Lunatreatments.

It was only for 20 minutes but I remembered why I loved reflexology in the first place and wondered why I had stopped going? I used to go every couple of weeks when I first started trying for a baby 6 long years ago.

So I booked another appointment and went to see Selina at Gingko in Kemp Town last week for the full hour!

Even though I am no longer trying for a baby, there are benefits in having reflexology for fertility purposes:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-20980/Is-reflexology-new-cure-infertility.html

Ok, ok! Not the most scientific of articles, but you get the picture!

Have a look at this article for more info:

http://www.naturaltherapypages.co.uk/article/reflexology_for_fertility

Anyway, I loved it! Such a nice treatment, really relaxing and I had some much needed alone time! Its great to just lie back and relax. Something I never, ever do.

Selina picked up my lazy left ovary – amazing!

If you want a bit of “quiet from the crazy”, I would recommend this. Its good to be kind to yourself. Something us IF ladies never do.

I also booked a session for my husband. I really hope he loves it too!

If you are in Brighton, check out http://lunatreatments.co.uk/

Fertility Massage

A couple of weeks ago I went and had a fertility  massage. It was a first for me. I have done lots of complimentary treatments for fertility, but a massage was a first.

What had led me to fertility massage?  A conversation I had with a lovely lady who runs a baby group I’ve taken my son to. She told me she had been diagnosed with infertility issues and had managed to conceive naturally by having acupuncture, fertility massage and doing fertility yoga.

I went to see Jo Kellett who works from home and is fairly local to me, here in Brighton.

She lives in a lovely part of Brighton and her home is beautiful!

I was with her for over an hour in total. We started the session by going through my fertility issues and what I wanted to achieve from the session. And then the actual massage started.

I’ve only ever had a massage once and that was when I was pregnant. I must admit I found it all a bit awkward to be honest! But not so with Jo, she is wonderfully warm in personality and puts you very much at ease.

A part of the reason I went to see her was because my period had gone AWOL. I am a very regular 26 day kinda girl but this was day 33. Not hugely late, but a first for me. Obviously I immediately start thinking its the menopause! Anyway, hey presto, my period started the morning after seeing Jo!

A coincidence? I think not!

After the session has concluded, Jo sent me away with a bottle of my own personally blended massage oil – a mixture of rose, damiana and grapefruit. Its beautiful stuff and I massage it into my belly nightly!

Overall, an excellent and highly beneficial experience. I can totally recommend he services to you!

http://www.fromtheseed.co.uk

Connect with me more!

Twitter: @assistfertility

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AssistFertility

Website: http://www.assistfertility.co.uk

I sell fertility tea! Contact me for more information

jo@assistfertility.co.uk

 

 

 

Hormones

I’m fairly sure my hormones are all over the place at the moment. What makes me say this is that I have spots! On my chin and on my back and its not from the DHEA as I haven’t been taking it recently. Plus I have definitely had some angry moments recently. (mostly aimed at my poor husband).

If my hormones aren’t “right”, then I doubt my baby making capability is 100%. In fact I’m certain that if my hormones are functioning properly, I’ll never make a baby without the aid of IVF.

This is what I am doing to try and correct this problem.

•  I have cut out caffeine
• I have stopped eating wheat and any “white food” – I’m trying to lower my gluten as I’ve heard good things about gluten free diets or at least low GI diets
• I’m not having any artificial sweeteners – aspartame is now banned in the US, so that cant be good
• I’ve started taking Wheatgrass juice again
• Agnus Castus
• Vitamin B supplement
• Evening primrose oil
• Fertility Tea – it contains Red Raspberry to regulate menstrual cycle (mine has been all over the place recently – uh oh – is that the menopause looming????!!!)

 I am also exercising. I just feel that if I can make my body as healthy as I can, then things might start to work properly.

I have also been helping a friend who might have PCOS. I really think going on a PCOS diet could be really beneficial for her.

 I’ve also started listening to the Zita West CD. Its very relaxing and I hope that its doing some good. My FSH has always been bad but recent tests have suggested its ok. The Zita West CD talks about optimal amounts of hormones being released. Hope its doing me some good.

What more can I do to balance my hormones? Any idea, tips or tricks, let me know!

Connect with me more:

e: jo@assistfertility.co.uk

t: @assist fertility

f: www.facebook.com/AssistFertility

w. www.assistfertility.co.uk

buy fertility tea: www.assistfertility.co.uk/buynow