To ovulate or not to ovulate

I find it interesting that every time Queen Naturo has tested me for ovulation through E2 and P4, it has always indicated that it is unlikely that I’ve ovulated.  Yet, everytime I was test for ovulation at the fertility clinic, she always said that I was.

It could be co-incidence.  Maybe that’s the way it worked.  FC caught me on a ovulating cycle and QN didn’t.  It could also be that FC only ever tested for P4, while QN tested for that as well as E2 – and it is always my E2 levels that are too low for ovulation, the P4’s are ok, but not great because they are affected by the low E2.

Seeing I’m not pregnant, I think I lean towards QN’s analysis more!

Yet, perhaps it was a meant to be thing.  Perhaps my destiny is not to be pumped with artificial drugs but to conceive through natural treatments.  If that is the case, then I am really happy with that.

Perhaps also I am reading far too much into it.  Creating hypotheses where no theories are present!!  Who knows!  It is just all very interesting.  The whole natural medicine versus standard medicine.  Yet, my experiences have shown me that natural medicine is much more effective, more intuitive, more revealing and solves the problems rather than masks them symptoms.   Time and time again, this has been proven to me.

Natural medicine will always be my first port of call.   But when it comes down to it, if we have to go IVF, IUI etc we will, and if I ever got really sick, like cancer, then thank goodness for standard medicine!   I am grateful to have access to both!

 

Test Results

I’m really please with my test results today.  In all but one area, excellent improvements all around.  And the one area where there was no change, has given us a focus on what we need to work on.  I feel really encouraged by this!  I’m glad that so much has improved.  And I’m glad to know where the problem is and that there are solutions.

My homocysteine levels have improved dramatically!  They are now the best results she has ever seen.  If your homocysteine levels are too high there is a risk of miscarriage and down syndrome, so it was very important to get these levels down!  Queen Naturo would have been happy if these levels had dropped to around 7.  But mine are at a specy 5.5 (range 5.0 – 15.0)!

My testosterone levels have also improved, going from 156 pmol/L down to 121 (range 24-137).  She is happy with this!

My progesterone levels were okay, she said and did increase in the second test 2 days later.  A good sign!  But they need to be better and will be, once my oestradiol (oestrogen) levels are fixed.  This is where the problems lays.  Progesterone levels will improve once my oestradiol improves, so Queen Naturo is now no longer worried about the P4.

My E2 levels were the same as they were 9 months ago – at 2 pmol/L.  (Range – 6-14).  They are way too low which indicate that, at least for last month, I didn’t ovulate.  Oestrogen is what drives the release of the egg.  Without it, no ovulation.

I am actually really happy with this.  I was worried that the results would be fine and it would all be a big mystery, just as it was at the fertility clinic.  But instead, we have some focus.  We have an area that isn’t working and we have treatments to get it working!

I started taking progesterone tablets just a couple of weeks ago.  These will help me hold a conception.
And now I will begin taking tablets to help increase the E2 levels and encourage ovulation.

The two together should do the trick!  Fingers crossed!



On another medical note, my arthritis has flared up hugely this week.  Worse ever.  Both King Acupunc and Queen Naturo believe the weather is a large factor.  It has turned cold and wet here this week.  She has recommended some new tabs for me to take.  However, I haven’t been able to find them in store.  They are a new release to the over the counter market. One chemist, though, was able to give me the name and number of the agent that supplies them.  So, a phone call to her will in order tomorrow.  In the meantime, I have some cream – Traumeel – to rub into the joints.

I’m feeling so much more positive and hopeful now than I was yesterday!

Homocysteine – 5.5 umol/L (range 5.0 – 15.0)

Oestradiol (E2) - 2 pmol/L.  (Range – 6-14)
Progesterone (P4) – 306 pmol/L increasing to 407 2 days later (Range 140-520)
Testosterone – 121 pmol/L (range 24-137)

Tuesday update

I have a naturopath appointment tomorrow to get the results of some more tests.  They are re-runs of previous tests she has done to see what improvements and changes have occurred.  I’m eager to find out what has happened and to see what is the next step for us.

Maybe this will help me to find my positivity and enthusiasm for our conception journey again.  I am still at a bit of a loss with it all and find myself with no expectations at all of ever becoming pregnant.  It seems such a lofty dream now.

I’m now officially in the long term phase for Queen Naturo.  Only one other person she and King Acupunc have treated took over a year to get pregnant.  This other lucky woman is now a Mum, so there is still hope.  But trust me to be in the difficult category!

I’m still on a break from King Acupunc.  I have decided to stay on this break until my next cycle.  I just need some time still.  Normally here I would write - “that is of course, if there is another cycle!”, but that positivity and hopefulness just doesn’t seem to be oozing out of me right at this minute.  You never know though!

To help with the process of finding my mojo again though, it is time to start posting those cute baby pictures again…



Most of my focus is going towards healing myself of my addictive behaviours towards food.  And while any progress with this, may also help us on the road to conceiving, I’ve decided to write about in my other blog – creating peaceful thoughts.  Because that is what it is all about – finding peace with my head, quietening the crazy, demanding, overwhelming voice that tells me to do things that I really don’t want to do.

There has been progress, but there is still a long way to go.  So, I’m off to my other blog to find my peaceful thoughts.

Peace and love to you all!

Flower Power Mom on CNN

I received an email today from the amazing Angel La Liberte of Flower Power Mom
She was just on CNN supporting motherhood over 40.  On her request

, here is her email.  Go and check out the interview!

You may remember that I launched a  Mother’s Day awareness initiative on later life motherhood, on behalf of  Flower Power Mom—The Truth About Motherhood After 40.

On Saturday 22^nd May,  I was interviewed for a live debate on CNN News with anchor Don Lemon, regarding the issues related to over-40 motherhood (connected to the Kelly Preston story).

In case you’re interested, I’ve enclosed a blog link which contains the footage:

You can view it at the main site or standalone blog.

Main site: http://www.flowerpowermom.com

Standalone: http://flowerpowermom.com/wordpress/?p=1720

Please consider forward this email and spreading the word to your friends and contacts. It was quite a breakthrough in generating more understanding and support of women having children after 40!

Kind thanks,

Angel La Liberte, Founder,  FPM

The Truth About Motherhood After 40

No more counting.

I have decided that as of now, there will no more counting how many cycles we have gone through without success.  It’s been over a year, so I’m done with that!  It’s really hard to do, but I am not thinking about what number this is at all!!

So, the good things about starting a new cycle…

It was my friends 40th birthday celebrations last night.  It was great to be able to enjoy a few drinks and relax.

I was able to poison the weeds in the garden today.  I won’t go near the poison at any other time than the first few days of a new cycle.  I am so glad to have gotten that job completely done.  There was SO SO many weeds coming up.  But no more!!
I hate to use poison, but in my yard at this stage, we have no choice.  We have talked about other options, such as weed mat etc, and hopefully we will get to that soon.

I’m not having an easy day of it today and am struggling with a few too many things at once.  One of which is that

I’m starting to think my body doesn’t know how to get pregnant.  I am ovulating, all my bits are in good working order, D is fine too and we cover my fertile period well. 

 

So, why no conception?

I am completely and utterly baffled.

 

But, I’m going to do the usual thing of one step at a time and see how well I can get through the rest of the day.

Right now.

Well, our journey towards parenthood is still going.  It’s not as all-encompassing anymore but it is still happening.  We are still taking all our herbs, still not drinking alcohol, still keeping track of my fertile period and still waiting.

I find myself though, not focusing on the journey so much.  Life has come up and taken hold and there are too many other things going on.  Too many other goals to reach and things to do.

I suppose that is a good thing, not having our desire to conceive to be in the forefront of our lives.  Sometimes though, I wonder if it is a ‘giving up’ on my part, a loss of faith that it will ever happen. 

I stopped going to acupuncture three weeks ago.  I just needed a break from it.  I’ve been going every week for about 8 months now.  I know I will resume it again.  But aside from needing a break, I think I have also lost a little faith in this as well.

But, we are still trying.  We are almost at the end of the two week wait.  It seems to have been going for a long time this time around!  I am impatient to know whether I am going to be really happy to be pregnant or happy to be able to enjoy a lovely glass of good red wine at the start of a new cycle! 

It is so nice to be able to have the second option as a happy thing when we find out we aren’t pregnant.  At least there is something good in it!  But I am certainly looking forward to completely giving up drinking for over a year and growing and feeding our little bubby instead.

Anyway, that is where I am right now.  A little on the back leg, a little disillusioned, a little despondent, but still walking!