*Warning: this is not a happy post*

I do not want to type at first but I know letting this out will help me ease out a bit.

It's Father's day on Sunday. At first I don't wanna dwell on it but my facebook feed is now filled with lots and lots of greetings and quotes for Father's day.

2 years ago, I lost my earthly Father and though it is true that time heals all wounds, I still feel the pain of not having him anymore specially in times like this.

Apart from that, and this one hurts me most this day- the realization hits me again that my husband might never have that chance of receiving that special greetings from his very own child.

We have long accepted the fact that I am now too old to bear a child. Our chance got slimmer and slimmer  in each passing year. I know there are alternative ways and procedures but that also means huge money and we don't have that.

I remember a post for Father's day  I made years ago- I was full of hope that someday soon a son or a daughter will greet and make a card for my husband but......

So there, on Sunday, our church will bless all the Fathers and they will call them in front again, maybe there will be a special song for them along  with a tiny gift and each year they fail not in including my husband (same goes on Mother's day) in hope that he'll be a dad also someday soon. And in reality, I dreaded that moment  because they do not know how it hurts me deep inside, at first I gladly accepted that but  it's kinda different now.

Better to skip church on Sunday (that I also do during Mother's day)

Sorry for ranting. Just want to let this out. Thank you for reading.

Vitex and shorter cycle

I had my period last November 11 and guess what? I think the Vitex is working. Why did I say so? because this time I did not have any menstrual cramp or any menstrual pain as in NO PMS at all. My period  lasted for 7 days and surprisingly it is not as heavy as my normal periods before. 

So, yes I can say Vitex is slowly working and I'm hoping I'll get a positive result someday soon!

So far, from July to September my cycle count is 69 days, from September to November-it was reduced to 52 days. I can't wait for next month :) I hope I'm slowly getting at least a shorter CD and a regular one.

My husband took another additional vitamins (Rogin-E) and next month I will also add Vitamin E with Selenium to my supplements.

I really hope this all work together and that we will have our gift soon. Please keep on praying for us.

Fertility and Vitamin B12

Aside from the chasteberry fruit or vitex that I am taking now as supplement, my husband and I are also taking Vitamin B12 (and three more vitamins which I will all blog here). Hoping and praying that in due time, we will have our own bundle of joy :)

So why B12? How does it affects fertility?

Because according to studies (so many literature-you can all google them) )B12 can improve sperm quality and sperm motility (for men) and deficiency of B12 may result to irregular ovulation or no ovulation at all (which is my case)

 It also helps boost the endometrium lining in egg fertilization thereby decreasing the chances of miscarriage which only means B12 will  help pregnant women  carry the baby in full term.

I hope it would really help us this time.

Chasteberry fruit or Vitex

It's been 23rd day since I started taking this supplement. I can not say yet if there are changes in my cycle because as I have read, I should wait for at least 3 months to see the benefit of this.

Anyways,I decided to try this herbal supplement after reading from  natural fertility website.

According to the article, Vitex Agnus Cactus or also known as the Chasteberry fruit has been shown in studies to:

Inhibit follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH): Vitex increases the secretion of luteinising hormone (LH), which in turn increases progesterone.  

 Lengthens a short luteal phase: Studies have shown vitex to be affective at lengthening the luteal phase. While it does not contain any hormones itself, it does help the body to increase its own production of luteinizing hormone (promoting ovulation to occur) which in turns boosts progesterone levels during the luteal phase of the cycle. 

Increased progesterone levels: Vitex has been shown to stimulate the formation of the corpus luteum. The corpus luteum is responsible for the secretion of progesterone. In a study of 45 women, 86% responded positively with normalized or significantly improved progesterone levels.

Reduces advancement of mild endometriosis: Vitex is used in Germany by gynecologists to treat mild endometriosis and prevent it from advancing.

May help prevent miscarriage: Vitex has a beneficial impact on progesterone levels. If miscarriages are due to low progesterone, vitex may help to normalize or increase progesterone levels. Vitex may be considered safe to use during pregnancy, but make sure to consult with a healthcare practitioner when using this herb during pregnancy. Also make sure to read our ‘Use During Pregnancy’ section below. 

Relieves PMS: Clinical research has shown that vitex may be very beneficial for PMS symptoms, especially depression, headaches, rashes, acne, allergies and sensitivity of the breasts. In one study improvement of PMS by the first month was experienced by 32% of the women. By the third month 84% of the women experienced improvement of their PMS.

Lack of menstruation (amenorrhea): In a study of 15 women with amenorrhea, 65% had resumed a menstrual cycle by the sixth month of use. Progesterone levels also increased.

Irregular menstruation: Vitex has been shown to help balance both an absent menstrual cycle as well as aid a menstrual cycle that is heavy or too frequent.

Uterine cysts: Vitex has been found to be helpful at reducing cysts that are growing within the smooth muscle layer of the uterus.

Stabilization of menstruation after stopping birth-control pills: After discontinuing estrogen-containing birth control pills, vitex taken for several months has been shown to help stabilize the cycle and induce ovulation more quickly.

Helps stimulate milk production in new mothers: For over 2,000 years vitex has been used to help stimulate mother’s milk. Begin using vitex right after birth and continue for 10 days or more as needed.
Acne: Several studies have shown an improvement in the skin with the use of vitex. Along with appropriate diet changes vitex may help acne.
Vitex can help basically any issues that one experiences that disappear once pregnancy begins and returns after breastfeeding ends.

If you want to read more about vitex and fertility, click on the link above. I've learned a lot about natural fertility in that site, not only about Vitex but also natural foods that helps you get pregnant. I hope I can have good news to you all after some more months!!

Abbreviation of terms in Fertility

For many years that I've been reading about infertility and getting pregnant I've encountered lots of terms that at first I was like"what is this?" and often times i stop reading and search for the meaning of that abbreviated word or the acronym.

I gathered some of the words and listed them here hoping that it would help those who are reading about infertility too.

TTC - Trying To Conceive

CD- Cycle Day

OPK - Ovulation Predictor Kits

BD - Baby Dance (which means making love or the intercourse)

BBT - Basal Body Temperature (this is being use to chart your body temp, to know if you have ovulated or not)

 HPT  - Home pregnancy test

AF - Aunt Flo (menstrual period)

BFP - Big Fat Positive ( which means a positive pregnancy test)

DPO- Days PAst Ovulation

PCOS - Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome - which is my case :(

Those are the very common acronym words I see from day to day, but feel free to add  the words you know too.

On Infertility and detoxification

French scientists discovered a connection between infertility and environmental toxins in the 1850s. In addition to an unusually high rate of miscarriage, they noticed that lead workers' wives had trouble conceiving.

Their discovery was hardly groundbreaking; the Romans had already made the connection between infertility and environmental toxins in the second century!

As our environment has become more toxic, infertility rates have skyrocketed, too. In the United States alone, infertility affects over six million American women and men, approximately ten percent of the reproductive-age population, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.1
Infertility is now such a critical health problem that in 2006, New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. unveiled his plan to set up infertility task force legislation. The group called for more research related to environmental toxins, citing specific examples of increased infertility in patients exposed to contaminated water.

Read the whole article here.
source : www.puristat.com

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Now, I'm wondering should I begin detoxification? will it make my hormones balance? Sigh. How I wish I knew the answer beforehand.

I spoke with Tere again last night and she too was now desperate to have a baby and she ha snot been back to her OB too. (birds of the same feather flock together) It's been a year since my last check up too and I am planning (for the nth time) to consult another OB. Sometimes I think of the money being wasted but I guess I have to make sacrifices.

I am still hoping and I don't get tired of praying and asking God for our gift. I know He will hear me and bless me soon.

MY DAY

I snag this from jody.

Here are the Rules:
1. List 6 things that describe yourself today or yesterday.
2. Add your blog to the list. Feel free to add all your other blogs.
3. Tag other online friends you know.

GailAdi/Momeen/Emmyrose/Dennis/Dette/Jirl/Janny/Nanay Belen/Carol/ Something Purple’s cucina / Vanity Kit / Mind Bubbles / Stripe&Yellow / Something Purple / Em’s Detour / / Mommy Talks | Aggie Shoots. Aggie Scraps | All Kinds of Me Stuff | The Salad Caper | Winding Creek Circle | InkBabyStudios | Spin180 / Wisdom City / MY Happy Place / IamDzoi / ClikTrik / I Love the Thirties / The Shopaholic in Me / Scribbles of My Life / In this Game of Life / Through The Rain / God’s best gift / YOUR BLOGS HERE

I’ll divide my answer to YESTERDAY and TODAY

YESTERDAY

1. I had a chat with my bestfriend and I was happy, It’s been so long and we missed each other much. It’s so nice to catch up and share something about us again.
2. I discover the link between infertility and detoxification, and that when detoxify women are likely to get pregnant. Learned that colon cleanse and liver cleanse is imprortant. For more info visit this site.
   
3. We had dinner at my sis house because it’s my nephew’s 8^th birthday, tatay is here also. We had a good time.
4. I was nominated this week for Carlota’s customized lay out (pls. vote for me) and I learned that only yesterday.sigh. so I’ve been campaigning although not to the max pa.

TODAY

1. Will campaign again and do more blog visits.
2. I’ll start filing ( the papers in my office table is already up to my neck)

Have a good day everyone! Am passing this to joy-anne, jammy and hailey.