Hydration All The Way!

I know I've been neglecting my poor blog baby, but we've been SO busy here with work and the fires on the mountain.  For the past 4 days there has been a HUGE fire near Pike's Peak.  My husband and I were on our way to Rudy's Bar-B-Q when we saw it first start and have watched it grow uncontrollably in 4 days.  The night of the 24th and 25th we could actually see the flames from our backyard.  The latest news report from today there is 15,324 acres of pure fire and is only 5% contained.  We do not have enough air support or ground support to get it under control. There were no houses that burned until today.  Over 32,500 residents in the city and county have evacuated and are out of a home.  We live in Falcon, CO and are 25-30 minutes from the city.  We can see the whole side of the mountain and valleys that are being burned and the HUGE smoke cloud that as of yesterday afternoon surrounded us.  We still have ash raining in our backyard.  Today the pieces are MUCH more spread out and MUCH smaller than they were yesterday, but the house completely smells like smoke.  I'm going to have to go get a humidifier and air purifier for our bedroom at least. PLEASE pray for all the residents and commercial structures that are still in danger.  They estimate that this will not be contained until at LEAST July 16th!!!!  I don't know how much more of breathing this in I can take.  I can't imagine how the people feel who live close to this. God be with them!

This was when it first started on the 6/23/16  Around 1pm. 

We could see the flames peaking from here.

 This was about an hour later. 6/23/12 2pm

 This was on our way to the church 6/23/12 3:40PM

This was taken by my husband that night from Fort Carson.  Those are the flames.  I could see if from the house too. 6/23/12 11:16PM

This was taken yesterday evening from our backyard.  6/26/12 4:40PM

This was less than 2 hours later from our back door.  Ash was falling everywhere and smoke filled the house. So sad. 6/26/12 6PM

This brings me to a VERY important topic when TTC.  Hydration Hydration Hydration!! Too many people out there forget to drink enough water.  Who cares if it makes you have to use the rest room a LOT.  Think of it as practice once you do get pregnant.  lol.  Please believe me when I say that soda, tea, and other beverages OTHER than water does not count as water.  If you don't like the taste of water, or don't like that it doesn't have any taste, use your future baby as a motivator.  You need the extra fluids to create a healthy environment for you baby to implant and grow in.  If you're dehydrated, you could be creating a hazardous uterus, so to speak.  The amount of water you should drink depends on how much you weigh, where you live, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and some other factors.  I found a GREAT calculator/quiz that takes some information from you and calculates how much YOU should be drinking.  

http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm


Go to that link to see how much water you should be consuming to stay hydrated.  Remember, the more water you drink, you actually up your chances.  Stay hydrated ladies.  I'll continue to be praying for all of you out there in hopes that one day we'll all see our BFP!




God Bless and Good Luck,
Ashley

All I Hear is the Theme to Jeopardy.

****CAUTION**** 

Some of this blog may be TMI if you are shy about sex talk. Just sayin. Otherwise enjoy!

Did I ever mention how impatient I've grown. lol. I'm still waiting for something to happen. *sigh* 

Well, on a happy note, my mom is coming to visit in a couple weeks. Around the 4th of July as a matter of fact, so that will be good and it'll get my mind off this whole thing.




Today, we're going to talk about keeping the romance alive while TTC.  When you're TTC it can become very routine when it's time to BD and takes most of the romance out of it.

First off, do NOT call it baby dance to your hubby.  He may start feeling like the ONLY reason you're ready and willing so often is JUST to make a baby.  Remember, you're making love, not just BD-ing.  You must remember the reason you want a baby in the first place.  Because you love your husband SO much that you want to create a part of him with a part of you.  An extension to your little family.

Let him know how much you love him and focus on each other, not on creating a baby.  If you focus on each other, then you lose yourselves into each other.  You forget the stress of TTC and get lost in happy, love filled passion.  The less you think about it and stress about it, the higher your chances of conceiving are.

A guy can also start to feel like it's becoming too routine and loses interest because it's not spontaneous anymore.  Don't tell your man when you're ovulating, unless he's as into the baby making business as you are.  If he's not, then it'd be best to withhold that info.  If they want spontaneity, well then by golly ladies, lets give it to them.  If you are using a monitor that says you're ovulating or you suspect you might be ovulating, before he gets home, light a few candles, put on some music, and wear something skanky. lol.  You know your hubby's and what they like, so play with some of their fantasies.  If they are home before you or you both have been home together all day, then slip away and either dress up, or dress way down and call him to where ever you are.  

Try getting out of the bedroom.  Also, if he says he's too tired then try waking him in a "happy" way at 2AM after he's been sleeping for awhile.  Trust me, they wont realize what's going on till everything is already in full motion.  No pun intended. lol.

Don't think too hard about "doing it" right. Studies have said that the Missionary Position is the best for conception because it gets the sperm closest to the cervix, but it doesn't mean that that's the ONLY position you can do.  I mean, go crazy ladies, just make sure you're on bottom when he finishes.

HAHAHA GROSS!

Also, this is probably the most unattractive part, but make sure you lay there with a pillow, NOT A BIG ONE, under your hips with knees bent for at LEAST 20 to 30 minutes, according to research.  If you raise your hips too high, the sperm could slip behind the opening of your cervix and miss entry.  They also say to do it 2 days before you ovulate and the day of.

I'll continue to pray for y'all and pray that one day we'll all see our BFPs. Remember have fun and relax!


Good luck and God Bless,
Ashley

Acronyms and Terms Used in Infertility

2DPO.  The only thing I can come up with today is helping explain the acronyms that I and other ladies use in our blogs and throughout the TTC community.


I know that when I first started to research ways to help us conceive, I found myself SO confused on the acronyms some of the people and Dr's were using.  I had to do research for my research. lol!  Well, I'm hoping that this will help some of you out there who are as confused as I was.

Haha!! That's happened a lot. 

• BFP= Big Fat Positive (Positive Pregnancy Test)
• BFN= Big Fat Negative (Negative Pregnancy Test)
• TTC= Trying to Conceive
• BD= Baby Dance (Sex)
• BMS= Baby Making Sex
• TCOYF=Taking Charge of Your Fertility  
• AF= Aunt Flow (Your Menstrual Period)
• DPO= Days Past Ovulation
• O= The Big O or Ovulation
• 2ww= 2 week wait (The time between ovulation and AF, or between ovulation and BFP)
• RE= Reproductive Endocrinologist (A fertility doctor) 
• CM= Cervical Mucus
• EWCM: Egg White Cervical Mucus
• DH= Dear Husband (Also DS, DD for Dear Son, Dear Daughter, DF, DM for Dear Father, Dear Mother)
• OPK- Ovulation Predictor Kit
• POAS- Pee on a stick (Take a pregnancy test)
• BBT =  Basal Body Temperature 
• CD= Cycle Day (Cycle Day 1, the first day of your menstrual cycle)
• CB: Cycle Buddy (someone who shares the same cycle dates as you)
• CF =  Cervical Fluid (Another term for Cervical Mucus)
• IVF= In-Vitro Fertilization
• IUI=Intra-Uterine Insemination
• FMU= First Morning Urine
• PCOS= Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
• Endo= Endometriosis

I got this information from another blogger at : http://www.journeytobfp.com/2010/12/cracking-fertility-code-ttc.html

So thanks to my OPK I'm know I'm 2DPO and after my 2ww I can POAS using FMU and get my BFP and then surprise my DH. HAHA! Sorry, had to do it.  This is actually what a lot of the research looked like when I first started looking.  Needless to say I felt SO lost.

So Sweet!! How cool is this picture!?!? Apparently dolphins can tell 

when a woman is pregnant.  I may have to test this theory one day.

Here's to understanding each other now, and here's to tons of baby dust and high chances of getting your BFP!! I'll continue to pray for all of you ladies.

Good luck and God Bless,

Ashley

I Hate Waiting Games

Here we are 1 DPO, having complete faith that it didn't turn into a cyst.  Today's post is going to be about info on timing.  Timing of when to get busy during ovulation, how long it takes for his swimmers to reach the egg, how long it takes till implantation, and how long before you should be on the look out for symptoms and what they are.  


I'm not going to list much about how I feel or what's going on with my body for a few weeks, because I know my mom reads my posts sometimes, HEY MOMMA, and lets face it, we want to surprise our parents. If God does bless us with a surprise, then I'll write a post, after the family reveals, about how I felt from 1 DPO to my BFP followed by, hopefully, video of the surprises.


All my information is from research I found on medical websites and were ALWAYS posted by OB/GYNS or interviews with them.


First of all, before "babymaking", we want to make sure we are doing everything we can to get our bodies in shape and eating the right things to produce the healthiest eggs, and for men the healthiest sperm.  Look to one of my previous posts for information on the right foods and stuff. Also, just FYI, I stopped drinking my FertiliTea 2 days before I ovulated.


It takes 3 months for men to create sperm.  So 3+ months before you start trying is when you want to start eating the RIGHT foods and taking vitamins.  For ladies the is also the perfect time to start taking pre-natals.  You want to start taking them before you get pregnant because then you have all the nutrients the baby needs before they even settle in.


To track when you're ovulating will be different for EVERY woman depending on the length of their cycle.  It's usually 1.5 to 2 weeks before your next period.  The are a lot of ways to track it.  Basal body temperature (BBT) is one way that a lot of women use, and probably one of the cheapest.  You can buy a basal thermometer at your local drug store.  What you do is as SOON as you wake up, before you even move, you take your BBT. I suggest keeping the thermometer on your night stand. Since I have endo, I learned that this method didn't really work for me. With a normal healthy woman, you will have a base line temp that fluctuates slightly.  When your BBT dips then rises quickly to a peak, that means ovulation has already occurred. Ovulation happens right after your temperature dips.  If it stays elevated 2 weeks after your next period, you're most likely pregnant, but the missed period should have been a big hint too. lol. ;-P Here is a picture of what BBT tracking looks like.

It usually takes a few cycles of charting to understand when you ovulate.

If you achieve pregnancy, your temp will stay high, but like I said, everyone is different.






The cheapest way to track ovulation is observing your cervical mucus, because that's free.  Gross, yes, but it works for some people.  They say that dry or sticky mucus means not fertile.  Creamy is possibly fertile, watery is fertile, and an egg white type mucus is very fertile.  Usually the egg white type happens during ovulation.

This is such a perfect chart. (Based on a 28 day cycle)

Another and more accurate way of tracking your ovulation is to measure your hormones.  You can do this by buying an ovulation kit at your local drug store or online at amazon.com.  This is the method I'm using.  I have the ClearBlue Easy Fertility Monitor.  My mom bought me the monitor and I bought the test stick online at amazon.  She really wants a grandbaby from me.  At the drug store the test sticks are $55 and at amazon they are $37 for 30 test sticks.  You want the same brand test sticks as your monitor.  What mine does is that it measure your LH and Estrogen levels.  When they peak means that you will ovulate within 24 to 48 hours.  Pretty awesome stuff!

That's right. #1 Recommended brand.

Helps reduce the time it takes to conceive.

Now onto what to do before "babymaking" and when to do it.  Research says that in the morning is when men have the most potent sample.  I'm not a morning person and my husband leaves at 4am, so neither of us are in the mood that early.  Also, they say that ONE cup of coffee moments before you get it on will help the mobility of the sperm.  The caffeine gives them an extra boost.  


Dr's have said that having sex at least 3 times a week will give you the BEST chances of getting pregnant.  If you're not into doing it that often, then they said that doing it 2 days before, the day of, and the day after ovulation will also give you high chances.  The ovum will only survive for about 12 to 24 hours after ovulation.  Sperm, however, can live up to 5 to 7 days.  7 days is rare, but it is possible.

Have fun! Don't make it a routine chore. Spice it up! ;-)

Also, don't lose the romance while doing it. Yes, trying to conceive (TTC) can be such a chore and routine, but that doesn't mean that you can't have fun while doing it.  Dress up, or down ;-), light a few candles, try a different room, put on some music, or try some foreplay.  Dr's say that orgasm helps with conception because it opens the cervix and allows more sperm to pass through.  So do what you gotta do to make it better.  The more fun, the better the chances.


Everyone is confused on what's the best position.  My OB/GYN told me that missionary postion (guy on top, girl on bottom) is the best position for conception.  It places the sperm closest to the cervix than with any other position when he ejaculates.  Also she said to place a pillow under my hips and lay there on my back for 20 to 30 minutes.  Don't get too big of a pillow or raise your hips too high because you could actually prevent them from entering.  Also, use a sperm friendly lubricant if necessary.  There is one called "Pre-Seed" that was created by an OB/GYN to help aid the sperm and increase chances for conception.  Use can slather it on, or you can use the applicators that come with it to apply internally.

The applicators are on the right.  At the top of the box

it says, "Seriously fun baby-making." ;-)

I've also found through research that his fastest swimmers can reach the egg in 30 to 45 minutes!! All others could take up to 12 hours. What a difference!!  Out of 100-600 million sperm, which is in one ejaculation, far fewer actually survive to make it to the cervix.  They have to swim through the cervix and all the way up to the fallopian tube containing the egg.  Only ONE sperm from that bunch will penetrate the egg.  Once it does, the egg outer protein layer changes and goes on "lockdown" and prevents any other sperm from entering it.  That one lucky super sperm sheds it's outer skin and releases what will create the complete makeup of your future baby including the sex.  The Mom can only offer the X chromosome, so the dad's sperm that penetrates the egg has to carry and Y chromosome to make it a boy (XY), or another X to make is a girl (XX). The sperm containing the Y chromosome are smaller and faster than the ones containing the X chromosome, so they die off quicker and are less likely to make it in a more acidic environment.  The days JUST before and the day of ovulation are the best days to conceive a boy because the mucus the woman creates is the least acidic.


After the egg has been penetrated and fertilized the cells start rapidly spliting and the egg makes a journey down the fallopian tube, to the uterus, and finally around, 9DPO, implants itself into the endometrium that built up due hormones getting the body ready for pregnancy.  So it takes roughly 9 days, on average, after ovulation to implant.  On that day, some women have felt cramping and spotting.  That is due the the egg burrowing itself in the lining of your uterus.  Some women have also noticed pregnancy symptoms starting that same day.


Pregnancy symptoms are very similar to PMS symptoms and are all too often mistaken as so.  Here is a list of early pregnancy symptoms that you may know about, and others you may not know about.

Wishing you ladies the best of luck!!

• Shortness of Breath: Because your growing fetus needs extra oxygen to grow so it may leave you a little breathless at times.
• Sore Breasts: Tender and heavy-feeling breasts, darkening of the areolas and even more pronounced veins on your chest can be a first sign that you're pregnant
• Fatigue: Due to increased hormones in your body during pregnancy.
• Nausea: Most women experience this around 6 weeks, but some have experienced it earlier. Try eating crackers or ginger ale to help ease your stomache.
• Frequent Urination: Due to your body produces extra fluids during pregnancy.
• Headaches: Due to changes in hormones.  Be sure to take pregnancy safe acetaminophen instead of ibuprofen. Ask your doctor which ones are safe for you.
• Backaches: Due to the ligaments in your back loosening for pregnancy. Sorry, this one may last a while.
• Cramping: Due to implantation and then stretching of your uterus getting ready for the baby.
• Cravings or Food Aversions: Again, due to hormone changes.
• Constipation and Bloating: Due to extra progesterone, slowing down your digestive system.
• Mood Swings: Due to, you guessed it, new hormones.  Warn, and assure your hubby that it'll pass.
• Elevated Basal Body Temperature: If you are pregnant, it'll stay elevated 2 weeks after you were suppose to start.
• Super Smell: Do I have to keep saying it? Hormone changes!! lol
• Dizziness or Fainting: Due to low blood sugar or blood pressure. Stay hydrated and eat enough to prevent this.
• Spotting: Due to implantation of the egg into your uterine lining.  Some women mistake this for their period.
• Late Period: This is the obvious one. Due to, DUH, you're pregnancy! lol. We all pray for this, I know!
• Positive Pregnancy Test: Do NOT take the test too early because it could result in a false negative.  Wait till your period is late, if it still says negative and you're not starting, wait a couple more days, or call your Dr.  If it's a BFP, then YAY!! You did it!

I'll continue to post about health before pregnancy and during.  I'll continue to pray for all of you!  Have a great day!! ;-)

Good Luck and Good Bless,

Ashley

Who's Ovulating? .... This Girl!!!! :-)

I'm sorry I didn't post yesterday.  I was a little down since my status didn't change like I thought it would.  BUT, today that all changes!! My husband had to get up at 4:30AM to get ready for his 5:50AM PT formation, so since I was a little awake, and since it was within my testing window, I tested again this morning. It says I'm PEAKING!!!! AHHHHH!!!!!  That means that I'll ovulate within 24 to 48 hours!! I'm so freaking excited!! Here are the pictures of my test stick and the monitor! :-D Yay!

 The line on the right (I believe) is the test line, because the one on the left is 

the only one that has really changed. It wasn't there before. :-)

Look at that!!! How exciting is that!! WOOHOO!!

I couldn't go back to sleep after seeing this, so I decided to update y'all instead! The ONLY thing that I'm slightly afraid of is that instead of the egg releasing, it might turn into a cyst.  CJ told me I shouldn't worry about that because my OB/GYN cleaned out a lot of the endo when I had the surgery and I should be good to go.  I think it's just because it happened EVERY TIME I ovulated last year except in Nov and Dec.  But that was when the cyst didn't rupture and decided to hang around and grow.  I just didn't ovulate after that.  BUT I'm going to stay optimistic this go around!  


God has been SO good to us and has blessed us in so many ways lately.  It seems like everything in my life is falling into place for our future family.  We found an amazing deal on a used 2011 Chevy Tahoe.  So I have my family vehicle.  I finally have a job, but it's at the dojang, and since they have me working there, I can't practice Taekwondo except for MAYBE once a week now.  I passed my national exam, so now I can get my license in massage and get a job I enjoy and is not stressful.  And finally, my husband and I are closer than we've ever been.


So, since CJ left before I tested, I couldn't shove coffee down his throat like I had planned, so looks like when I get home from work, I'll have to make him a cup. LOL!  I texted him to let him know I wasn't broken and that the monitor said I peaked and he replied, "YAY!!!".  I love that man so much.  lol.  He makes me so happy and keeps me smiling. :-)


I'm so excited I can't even think straight.  I didn't get emotional and cry like I thought I would when I saw the monitor this morning, I just squealed a little. LOL!  I can't tell y'all how much I pray and hope that this is our turn. We've been eating the right things, I've been staying away from caffeine, and all the other precautions that I found in research.  I'm paying close attention to my body so I'll be able to notice any changes if we finally happen to succeed.  OH man, I don't know how I'm going to focus at work today.  All I'm going to be able to think about is babymaking. lol.

This is such a cool picture.  Only ONE little guy will make it in the egg.

I highly recommend this monitor I'm using.  Amazon ALWAYS has the best prices for everything.  It's the ClearBlue Easy Fertility Monitor.  The only down side it that you have to buy the ClearBlue Easy Fertility Monitor Test Sticks to go with it and they come in a pack of 30. They are cheapest on amazon.com.  It usually uses 10 sticks per cycle so it should last you three cycles.  It could use up to 20 stick in one cycle or until you ovulate.  It says it's 99% accurate and after reading TONS of reviews on it, I have to say I believe it.  It measures your Lh and Estrogen levels each day until you peak.  And then WE do the rest.  The other cool thing about it is if you do achieve pregnancy, you know the EXACT time you conceived.  It doesn't tell you that you conceived, but since it tells you when you ovulate, you can calculate when you conceived.


Wow, NOW I'm tired. I guess the adrenaline from all the excitement just wore off. lol.  I know for a fact I'm going to have a HARD time waiting to take a pregnancy test later on. lol.  I just want to be a mom so bad.  I just want that moment of extreme excitement when I get my BFP to be so special.  When that moment comes, and I have COMPLETE faith that it will, I'm going to record it.  I've also planned out how I'm going to tell CJ and our families, and I'll record all that as well.  Wish us luck and pray we have success, ladies, and I'll continue to pray for all of you.  

For all you ladies out there TTC.  Baby Dust all around!!

Good Luck and God Bless,
Ashley

The Gift Of Patience Or Lack There Of. :-P

Usually, I am a VERY patient person.  I started dating my husband almost a decade ago. We finally got married in 2009 and he deployed the day after our first anniversary for a whole year. Yeah, I'd say I'm pretty freaking patient. lol.  Lately, my patience has quickly dissipated over this fertility issue.  I mean, I know it's all a waiting game anyways, but I feel like the days are DRAGGING!! It's only day 12 of my cycle and the status on my monitor is still the same.  I know that ovulation usually occurs around day 14.  So 2 days, right? I seems like FOREVER!! lol.  I guess part of me is afraid that I'm not going to ovulate and I just want to hurry up and see if it'll happen.  Honestly, I'll probably be a blubbering mess when my monitor says I peaked. lol.  But then I'll quickly snap out of it and get to it.

LOL

I read that if the guy drinks a cup of coffee just before the baby-making occurs, that it makes the swimmers super hyper and faster. I'm going to do more research on this before I shove coffee down his throat.  I've also read that a man's sperm count is higher in the morning.  SOOO, in other words, as soon as my monitor tells me I'm peaking, I'm making a cup of coffee and bringing it to my husband in the morning before he leaves for work. lol.  I already told him I was going to do that, and he said okay to it. I love that man. lol.  Here's the link supporting the coffee theory:


http://www.livestrong.com/article/32871-caffeines-effects-sperm/

CUTE picture!

Do NOT give babies coffee!! LOL Just the daddy 

before "baby-making" time.

Hopefully Sunday will bring me good news.  Before, instead of the egg releasing, it would just turn into a cyst and rupture.  That is another fear of mine.  I know God has a plan for us, but I'm just praying is doesn't include pain, again.  I have to cut this short so I can get ready for work.  They're keeping a TIGHT leash on me and I don't even get to practice, but MAYBE once a week. LAME!! Oh well.  I'll post another entry on Sunday.  Hopefully it will be an exciting update. I will continue to pray for all of you! Baby dust all around!! 


Good Luck and God Bless,
Ashley