Hello New Friends!

Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog. My name is Becca, I am 32 years old and recently married. My Husband and I have been together for who knows how long, but only made it honest December 21, 2012. The end of the world supposedly, but the beginning of my married life! This blog is to serve the purpose of being a reference to myself, and others out there like me, that are having trouble conceiving.

In the years since we have been together I have gotten pregnant one time which ended in an early miscarriage in December of 2008. In September of 2009 I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Like many women I did not have all the signs of PCOS. I didn’t have cysts on my ovaries, but I did have hair loss, obesity, and irregular periods ranging from 30-52 days. During that visit I did have an endometrial biopsy due to a thick lining, which came back normal. At that time I decided that I wanted to live a healthier lifestyle before trying to conceive, so I was started on birth control pills (BCP) and Metformin. The BCP definitely made my cycles regular, but caused other issues so I stopped taking them in November of that year. The Metformin, well if any of you have taken that, you will understand. I was praying to the porcelain gods more often than I cared to, and I stopped taking those shortly after. I went through a denial period where I decided to ignore my diagnosis. I also suffer from depression and decided I didn’t want to take that medication either. Rather than try to live a healthier lifestyle I stayed stagnant, and became even more unhealthy.

Fast forward to May 2013. My biological clock is not just ticking, it’s banging. And that gets pretty damn annoying! It’s banging for my hunny too! We went car shopping last week and he tried his hardest to get me to buy a mini van. Now I’m an all or nothing kind of girl, but that has failed to work for me in the past. I am trying baby steps at this time. Adding something new each cycle, and keeping my fingers crossed. Here’s a run down of the changes:

January 2013-I decided to start tracking my cycles on a mobile app. I really just wanted to get an idea regarding my cycle regularity.

February 2013-I started taking all my medications like prescribed, with the exception of the BCP with the blessing of my family doctor. That includes Metformin, ugh. However my doc suggested that I try a medication called Glumetza, basically a form of Metformin that is coated so it takes longer to absorb. I still have GI upset, but it is so much more manageable!

March and April 2013- Research, research, research! I tried to find natural supplements and vitamins that are beneficial for a woman with PCOS to take. Although I am not against interventions such as IUI or IVF I want to give this an honest try for 6 months to a year before trying them. I decided on trying Vitex first.

May 2013- D-day for my little eggs. They are going to mature, and they are going to implant, and they are going to stick! By this time I had learned that my cycle was about 34 days in length. I found an awesome sale on Clear Blue OPKs at Walmart and I got 6 months worth for $7 a box! Starting on CD1 I began taking Vitex 900mg daily (600mg in the morning and 300mg before bed). The only side effect I noticed was a crazy headache for the first week. On CD 19 I got a smiley face on my OPK! However, because I don’t chart my basal body temperature (BBT) I do not know if I really ovulated or not 😦

June 2013- I continued taking Vitex 900mg daily, and added Maca root 1500mg daily (1000mg in the morning and 500mg at night) and Royal Jelly 1 teaspoon twice a day. The R.J. was awful for me to take. The kind I bought is in raw honey, but the taste is so sickening sweet..blech! Anyway, I drink water right after so it’s not so bad anymore.

July 2013- I added inositol to the mix, 4g daily. It comes in a powder form and I don’t even taste it. On CD 18 I had another +OPK. This cycle I also started charting my cervical mucous. BUT I still don’t chart my BBT.

I am now in the two week wait part of my cycle. Because I have just started paying close attention to my body I am not expecting a BFP. If I get one then great! If not…it’s another month to try!

Next steps:
I need to get a handle on this BBT thing. I work nights, but on my days off I do not always sleep all day, though I try to stay on a night shift schedule. It’s not a night shift world, it can be hard to do. I think I am going to wait until the next cycle to try this out. So do I temp after I wake up, no matter if it is a different time? Or do I just not count the temps the days I get up in the morning?
I also need to focus on losing weight. I tried Weight Watchers, and while it was good for me, I was still able to eat not-so-good-for-me foods as long as I stayed in my point range. I think that I will try a low GI diet to help keep my insulin levels under control. It’s so hard though…I’m a third generation sugar-addict. But I am willing to try! Whatever I need to do to be a mama and have a healthy baby!

Thanks for sticking with me through this long winded intro into my life! I welcome questions and comments! Until next time…
Becca