What's happening during the TWW

Hello all,

So far the TWW hasn't been so bad. Haha, I'm only 3 days in, but I'm not too worried about it all...yet. From what I read the egg stays in the fallopian tubes for about 3 days before it enters the uterus. But during that time, it's growing and the cells are splitting and all kinds of cool stuff. That is, IF we caught the egg. I don't know. I can't help but worry we missed it...but only time will tell. Anywho... so after those 3 days it enters the uterus and impants, usually around 6-10 DPO...seems like a long time in between, but I guess that's how it is. Once it implants, that's the earliest you can be getting symptoms (around 10DPO).

Also, something I learned yesterday, for all you charters out there, you will probably have a temperature dip on the day it implants, or a temperature rise to a new degree. Interesting!

Below is a pic of fertilization. It is computer generated of course.This is a pic of implantation of the embryo on the uterine wall. I've read that if you were to take a fine tipped pen, and make a dot on a piece of paper, that's how big the egg is when it implants. Crazy huh?

If you just loved these pics and wanna see more, I got them from this blog post.

Almost Giddy

I am on CD13... so I'm in my "fertile" period, and I am strangely...Giddy about it all. I am so excited to actually try this cycle it's probably silly. I want to catch that egg more than anything, and I feel like my body is 100% in harmony with things and that it will happen soon... I sure hope so!! I would love a Christmas Baby. He/She might night like it in the future...but hey, I've waited long enough! :)

And just a side note, I went to www.bing.com and did an image search for the word "Giddy" to add to this blog, and you'd be surprised to see what came up lol. Just thought I'd share that!

A Must See...

This is kind of long and sorry that it's broken into 6 parts, but I stumbled across this today and watched it today. It is utterly FASCINATING! I mean, I know how conception works and stuff, but this really puts it into perspective and makes the whole process seem absolutely amazing.

My 2 year old sat in my lap during some of the movie, and I could not help but swell with pride that HE was the one sperm who made it through all those obstacles compared to millions of others. He endured it all, he was the fastest, the smartest, and the strongest. It could have been a completely different one, but it was him. I guess the same goes for me... I was the one who made it out of millions. The ending of the movie very much sums up what I felt about luck. So, enjoy the movie, it's about an hour-ish long, but it is so worth the time. There are specialty doctors in this who give some insight on ways to increase your chances of conception...I learned several things in this video. I think I am going to make my husband watch it... it's just so cool!! Enjoy everyone!

How Can I NOT try?

Today's frustration is getting every party involved with baby making...well... involved! My husband is great, let me tell you all that first. He really puts up with a lot and probably knows more than most women even do about how a woman's body works, and the best ways to really get pregnant. If we were having a conversation about the things we are most passionate about, he would talk about video games or track, and I would talk about baby making. And believe it or not after all these years of TTC he actually understands what I am talking about, in the scientifical sense.

It seems that he has the hardest time connecting to the strong desire I have to have another baby. He says he gets it, and I know he tries. But today he mentioned that we "agreed" not to actively try anymore, but just to let what happens happen. Now we did have this conversation last month, because I still wanted to have another cycle come around before actually pursuing this, so I said if it happened last month, then great. Now here we are, I'm gung-ho about doing this, and he is taken all aback because he thought we weren't going to "try."

Honestly, if I could just put all methods on the shelf and just let chance takes it's toll, I would. I envy those so much out there who get pregnant without trying, I've heard so many people say "As soon as you stop trying it happens." But after all I've learned, all the difficulties I've had, and all the time that has gone by since deciding to TTC... How can I NOT try? How can I not take my BBT every morning, and count my days and study my chart, and take vitamins, and excersize and eat right and all those things that will help me get pregnant? DH and I decided to have another baby in February of 2009. That's over a year ago. How can I waste any time at all by being...oh what's the word, all nonchalant about it all?

When we first started trying to conceive our first, I had NO idea how it really worked, And still without using any birth control I had no luck for a YEAR. I'm not playing here!! I know I'm young and have lots of time, but when a woman knows she should have another, there's no stopping her!! It's all I think about, and I even dream about it at night. I wish it wasn't that way, but I want to give my son a little brother or sister, and I long to hold another infant of my own in my arms. There is honestly nothing else I want more than growing my family right now.

All the eggs are in the basket. All preparations have been made financially, insurance is set up, and my heart is ready. Now we just have to wait for that blessing!

A little bummed

Well, I am now on CD 47. That is crazy long and I am going crazy just waiting. I'm a little bummed at a few recent events, this being one of them. I have yet to have a normal cycle since the miscarriages, so Spencer and I have decided it is not a good idea to try until I have atleast 2 normal ones out of the way. Another turn of events is we lost our health insurance due to a stupid office error and we have to reapply of sorts for it. That could be a few weeks anyways, not to mention if they have me wait for the waiting period again. So, needless to say we are out of the TTC game for a couple months... I would say till atleast the end of March. Looks like there will be no Morris baby born in 2010. Oh well, there's a time and a place for everything.

But I will continue to blog and help all you TTCers out. I feel like even though I can't be actively doing these things, I can use my powers for good ;)
I'll start the blogging up again tomorrow, for now its out to dinner with the hubby!!

hCG After a D&C

Just a little suggestion for all you TTCers who are TTC after a pregnancy loss. Before you start TTC again, be sure to get your hCG levels checked before peeing on a stick.

This is the latest development in my long drawn out roller coaster miscarriage. Ever since I miscarried on December 3rd, I've had my blood tested to monitor my hCG levels and see that they go back down to zero. As of yet they still haven't. What does that mean? It means that there might be some remnants of the pregnancy remaining, and until it's 100% removed my body is thinking it's pregnant. Even more so... this has got me thinking, since I was 4 months pregnant when I miscarried in September... my hCG levels would have been sky high up until the loss. What if they missed something on my D&C and ever since September when I thought I was ovulating regularly and TTC that I actually wasn't... and that the BFP I got in November was just because my hCG levels hadn't gone down enough to zero yet??

This would be good news and bad news. It would mean that I didn't actually loose #4... that I just got a false positive. The bad news, well not bad, but the annoying news is that it put me through all this stress and worry over what is wrong with me, and that if that is the case and since my levels aren't down to zero yet, I would most likely need ANOTHER D&C.

So, to research my theory I discovered that if tissue was left after my D&C, it would still cause my body to produce hCG, make my body think it's pregnant, go through all the motions it would if I were (i.e., building up the uterine lining, giving me symptoms) But after about 20 days my body would realize it's not pregnant, and flush everything out and start again. Since my D&C I have only gone a max of 21 days b/t "cycles" so that just makes me believe my theory even more. I am so tired of all this run around, it's ridiculous.

I go in to the doctor again on Monday to have my levels checked, so I will know by Tuesday at the latest if they've gone down or not. I am hoping and praying they have gone back down.

UPDATE: I am now on CD26...the longest one yet, so let's hope it's out of my system???

Baby Psychics- Are they for real??

Some women out there are claiming themselves to be "Baby Psychics" specifically dealing with women TTC or are newly pregnant. Are they for real or is this just a way to expolit desperate desires to have a baby?


A while back there was an explosion of "baby psychic" talk on one of the message boards I was on. Several women jumped at the chance to pay $10-$50 to find out when they would conceive, the gender of their baby, their due date, or their baby's past life. I was actually quite surprised how many women paid to get these done. But are they for real?

First of all, my personal beliefs about "psychics" are about much as I believe the sky to be green. I do however believe that some people are given special gifts in this life, like some take to speaking other languages well and other things like that. I think some people have the ability to heal faster. I believe in God of course, and that he speaks to us through the Holy Ghost. I believe some people are more sensitive to those whisperings than others are. Here are some incidences that make me think that people have the "gift" of foreseeing. I have a dear friend who worked with me. She was showing something to a customer and she looked up at my friend and asked her when her little girl was due. My friend, had no clue she was pregnant and thought this lady was just some wacko, or thought she looked pregnant. She shook it off, and only a few weeks later she found out she was pregnant (total surprise to her) and then eventually found out it was a girl. Another scenario... my husband works installing security systems in people's homes. While in a customers house this past summer, the customer told him to enjoy playing with his 2 sons. My husband was a little taken back by that comment, this customer had no knowledge that we had any kids at all. I was pregnant at the time however, and when I lost my baby, we could see it was a boy. Our second son that they were referring to maybe? So I think people may be sensitive to those kind of things, but to be able to predict their conception month, due date, and past life? I'm a little iffy on that one.

While in a discussion about this, one lady claiming to be a baby psychic challenged me on my denial that they were really psychic. She said she would give me a reading for free to prove that she was psychic. She said I would get pregnant that current month (November) and that I'd be due August 7th, but have a planned C-section on the 27th of July, and that it would be a girl. I took her challenge and was very skeptical. November 3oth rolled around and I got a BFP. I was getting a little spooked by what she said. However I miscarried later and there goes the rest of the prediction. But who is to say if I hadn't miscarried that it would have come true? I don't know, but if someone could tell me EXACTLY what was going to happen, they would have seen that wouldn't they? I think that is more proof that we have a hand in our own destiny more than anything. If a "Psychic" predicts us to get pregnant in the month of January and we don't touch our husband's that whole month, what are the chances of that happening? Don't waste your money on a baby psychic predicton that may or may not come true. Your money is best spent elsewhere on something that will benefit you in the long run. I think more than anything God has his own timing for things and if you have concerns about timing, you should take it up with Him. Not to get all religious on you, but when the topic of psychics come up, religion always ends up in there somewhere. But if you are just too curious about a baby psychic, here are a few I've heard of:
Cheri22 - I've heard her readings are very indepth sometimes even going into the baby's personality, past life, and the baby's futere family. She does offer free readings in her slower times, and they just tell you the gender and EDD.

JennyRenny - Hers seem very specific, conception month, due date, gender and info about the delivery.

Ruby - Hers are very indepth it looks like as well. I have heard some negative things about how long it takes her to get the reading back to you, but I don't know by experience.

I'd advise you as my frugal thrifty self to not pay for a reading. If it does not come true, you are out money, and if it does come true, it would have happened anyway right? If your prediction doesn't come true, it is only going to make the arrival of your period that much worse when you get it on the month she told you would would get a BFP.

If you are looking for some fun, and instant answers, you could always try this. I think it's just as accurate :)

Fun TTC things

So, here are some fun things for you TTCers.
If you are part of a message board community or are openly TTC, these are some fun little things you can display on your websites, profile, signature, etc..

1. Blinkies







These blinkies and MANY more are found here. Just find the one you want, right click it, save target as (remember where you save it), and then add it like you would a picture. These are kinda fun and let other people in your forum know a little bit more about you.

2. Tickers

Make an ovulation ticker

Above: Ovulation Ticker. Helpful not only for others to see and give you support at whatever stage you are at, but I find it helpful to keep track of where you are in your cycle. You need to know the date of your LMP, how long your luteal phase is, and how long your periods usually last. This one is from www.pregnology.com

Make a pregnancy ticker

Out of all the pregnancy tickers out there, I find this one to be the coolest. It shows week-by-week pictures of what your baby should look like each week. Very cool, and also from www.pregnology.com. You can change the colors if you want. All you need for this one is your due date.

TTC ticker. This one is small and cute and counts down to ovulation. Again, you'll need to know details of your cycle, but this one you can choose a small or large ticker (this is the small one) and pick your background and your marker (I chose the couple...seemed appropriate).

3. Banners
Want to make your own blinkie or poster for your signature/website? You see the cute little things like this on people's posts?

Make your own here! Just pick your size, colors, cute saying, and special effect and save it. It's completely free!

4. Photos
To add photos to a site that required html, upload them to photobucket.com first, then get the "embedded" code below the picture.

5. Delivery Day Predictions- For entertainment purposes of course...
I just took the test, and here's my "prediction" from Madame Zaritska.

"The day you deliver, outside will be windy. Your baby will arrive in the late night. After a labor lasting approximately 44 hours, your child, a girl, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 7 pounds, 7 ounces, and will be 22-1/2 inches long. This child will have dark green eyes and a lot of black hair."

Just a little fun prediction, but this one is kinda funny since there's no green eyes in my family and not a trace of black hair on mine of my husband's hair. Click on the link highlighted above to take your test, it's free and really just for kicks.

6. Glitter Text
Type your name, baby's name, or a cute saying in glitter from "giggaglitter"


7. TTC Graphics from Mommy Grapics

8. Or cute graphics from My Sun Will Shine

There are lot of cute things out there, and these are just a few. Just something to occupy yourselves and have some fun with TTC, other than the baby dancing part!! :)

Herbal Supplements to Boost Fertility

A lot of info from today's post comes from all over the place, so I will do my best to give credit where due.

The first two pregnancies I've had were lost before I hit 8 weeks. They were pretty close together (January and Late February). I had some issues with Ovarian cysts in the past and the only thing a doctor said to do to get rid of them was take birth control pills. Well, that wasn't an option for me at the time since we were TTC! So, desperate, I went and saw an Iridologist (not sure how that's spelled). An Iridologist is a person who "reads" people's eyes. they basically look for patterns and colors in they eye and look for weak spots in the body, and that gives them a good idea of what is unbalanced and such. To learn more about it, CLICK HERE. Well, I went to this lady and she read my eyes and it was almost like going to a fortune teller. She knew a lot about me and my body just by reading my eyes. It was cool. She had no idea why I'd come in and she told me I had an Ovarian Cyst, among other things that were throwing my hormones out of wack. So, she also sold natural medicine, as in herbal supplements and stuff. She told me what I needed to balance out my system to make it more "baby friendly." So after that I found myself taking 9 pills in the morning 5 in the afternoon, and 7 at night. (I'll go into more detail on what I took later). This was in early March when this happened, and by the middle of April, I found out I was pregnant with my now 2 year old son. Not only was it a successful pregnancy, but it was complication free and my body responded well to the effects of pregnancy, having a virtually symptom free pregnancy. I cannot say for sure if it was due to the herbs that I was taking, but I can't say it harmed the processes at all.

Now here it is 2 years after the birth of my son and I've had another 2 miscarriages, again 6 weeks apart. Feeling like a total failure I looked back on what I did differently before my one and only successful pregnancy, and I had totally forgotten about the herbal help I had. So, I called up my Iridologist only to find that she's retired and not doing that kind of thing anymore. Rats! So, lucky for me I remember what it was she "prescribed" me all those years ago so I looked into it. I found the website that she was a member of and priced the supplements I took. I didn't have $75 to waste on 5 different supplements, so I researched which of the herbs would benefit me, and this is what I've found. In my research I've also found some things that can help your partner, so read on!

Now if I may insert a disclaimer here, IT IS BEST TO CONSULT A DOCTOR OR MIDWIFE ABOUT TAKING ANY HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS WHILE TTC. SOME HERBS ARE EXTREMEMLY BENEFICIAL TO TTC, BUT ARE HARMFUL TO A PREGNANCY SO BE SURE TO CONSULT A DOCTOR AND TAKE AS DIRECTED. JUST BECAUSE IT IS HERBAL DOES NOT MEAN IT IS SAFE!

Ok, enough of that. Here's what I was taking as suggested my my Iridologist:

Nature's Sunshine: Female Comfort. The main herbs in this supplement are:
Red raspberry leaves- Raspberry works by helping the fertilized egg attach to the uterine lining and stay attached. Raspberry also seems to have a toning effect that helps women’s reproductive systems function normally. Nowadays, herbalists capitalize on this benefit by recommending raspberry for a variety of women’s problems, such as morning sickness, menstrual cramps, and heavy menstrual bleeding.
Dong quai root-it is considered the "female ginseng" because of its balancing effect on the female hormonal system
Licorice root- Believed to balance feminine hormones
Black cohosh root- It helps to increase the chances of conceiving.
For couples using black cohosh, fertility is one of the best reasons to take it. If you suffer from PCOS (Poly-Cystic Ovary Syndrom) You can take black cohosh for PCOS to help with the problems that come about from this disorder.

I give this supplement the most credit out of everything else I took. The other supplements I took are Adrenal Support, Master Gland Formula, Nutri-Calm, and a prenatal vitamin. Those have more to do with balancing out the human body, not fertility, so if you are interested check them out at the Nature's Sunshine Website.

This time around I am trying something a little different, to be easy on the pocketbooks, I discovered is "Fertility Blend" found at GNC stores and online. It's $39.99 for 90 capsules.This supplement is designed for TTCers.

It contains:
CHASTEBERRY (VITEX) - Can regulate menstrual cycles, proper ovulation, and lengthen the luteal phase of our cycles (10-12 day LP is necessary for proper implantation, the longer the better)
FOLIC ACID- Helps prevent birth defects in your unborn babies
GREEN TEA-In a study conducted at Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program of Northern California in Oakland, researchers found that women who drank more than one half cup of caffeinated green tea every day
doubled their odds of conceiveing (www.babyhopes.com).
B VITAMINS-Balances hormones, correct irregular
cycles, assist in correcting progesterone deficiencies,
improve sperm and egg quality and development
and lengthen the luteal phase.


I am also taking EVENING PRIMROSE OIL. This helps your body create fertile high quality cervical mucus to make your body a sperm-friendly environment, and give you the best chance of getting pregnant.








I am also drinking a cup of Raspberry tea every night to help strengthen the walls of my uterus, hoping for better implantation conditions!

As far as side effects go in taking these supplements, I have to admit I get a little heartburn and an "herby" taste in my mouth, and my pee is bright yellow, but I'm told that's all normal when taking herbals. Again be sure to check with your doctor as some herbal medicine can interfere with other medicines. For example, you cannot take The Fertility Blend when using Clomid.

If you readers have any other suggestions, feel free to share! These are just a few I have heard the most about!

Fertility Awareness

In the book "Taking Charge of your Fertility," I was taught a concept that made me say "Duh, why didn't I try that sooner?" This method is called the Fertility Awareness Method or FAM. The FAM method is one of the most accurate ways to determine ovulation, when your period will arrive, what days to baby dance in order to conceive, and can even be used as birth control!! Since this site is dedicated to TTCers, I am not going to talk about using it as a Birth Control Method.


This post will help you break down charting so that is super easy to do and understand. Don't be afraid of the chart pictured below, it's honestly not as complex as it seems!!


If you are TTC or ever are planning to TTC, this is something I think every woman should know about.

All you need to chart is well a chart, and they can be found all over the place. You can chart online at www.fertilityfriend.com or just google "Blank BBT Chart". Here's one you can use: CLICK HERE

And you'll need a basal body thermometer (BBT). They make these in digital or in glass thermometers. This is the one I use (mine's blue and white though). The significance of a BBT is it's acurate to a tenth of a degree, so instead of getting 98 or 99 degrees, you get 98.6 degrees. These are found everywhere, walmart, walgreens, anywhere you'd buy a normal thermometer. Some say the glass one's are more accurate, but I prefer digital.
So here's how you do it: Every morning as close to the same time as possible BEFORE getting out of bed, pop the thermometer in your mouth and take your temp. Stay as still as possible, and make sure you leave the thermometer right by your bed so you don't have to get up and get it. Make sure you have atleast 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep to get the best results. So, record the temperature on a chart in accordance with the cycle day you are on (i.e., your are on cycle day 10 so plot the temp on a chart. Do this every morning! Once you get in the habit of it and chart everyday you're chart will look something like this:


Ok, so now woopdie doo you have a chart going for you. Now what the heck does it mean?? This is when you look for a few things. First of all, make sure the day you start your period is on the chart as Cycle day 1 (CD1). Some charts have places to put details about your period or any spotting you might have. This one doesn't have anything for mentruation details. Anyways, your temperature should remain low until ovulation. This person's chart has her temperature lower than 97.9 when all the sudden it jumps to 98.1. That is an increase of .4 degrees. Why? That means this lady ovulated on CD13. After Ovulation, your temps should stay higher than before. This is the Luteal phase of your cycle. A successful pregnancy and implantation requires ATLEAST a 10 day luteal phase, but most doctors advise having 12 or more days...which means 12 days after ovulation is when you would start your period. So keep taking your temps even after ovulation. If they are staying above coverline (The highest temp recorded BEFORE ovulation) that is prefect! In a normal, non-pregnant cycle, the temperatures will begin to drop a day or two and fall below coverline to begin a new cycle. If you are pregnant however, your temps will stay up atleast 16 days, and sometimes even skyrocket on your chart to a whole new degree. This is one way to know you are pregnant before you take a test. It is also a way to identify missed miscarriages (very early ones).

Now, using the FAM and charting you can't really "predict" ovulation... you can only confirm when it has already happened. So what's the point in charting? MOST women (and I use this term lightly knowing how "Most" tends to mean a very few when it comes to topics like these) ovualte around the same time every month, so after a few months of charting, you may be able to time your baby dancing around those times you've recorded in the past.

I am a firm believer in charting now. I couldn't believe that I had do much control and "insider knowledge" to this technique. If you want to know more check out www.fertilityfriend.com. You can create an account and take a 20 lesson tutorial on how to chart. It's excellent! Good luck and I'd be happy to answer any questions!!

I'm back.

Ok, So I haven't written since June. Ironically enough, just days after my last post I found out I was pregnant, so I decided to nix the whole project and put that book "Taking charge of your fertility" on the bookshelf and enjoy being pregnant. Well, unfortunately I lost that baby at almost 4 months along, and then got pregnant AGAIN in November and just lost that little one at 7 weeks. Needless to say I have devoured every little bit of information since the miscarriage in September and I can say that babies, pregnancy and TTC are my obsession. So I am back with a vengence and this board is dedicated to all those three obsessions. I welcome comments and ideas and anything you guy have to share!!

And so it begins...

Yay first blog post! My main purpose for creating this blog is to journal all my experiences, pieces of knowledge that I learn, vent about the frustration involved, and basically unload all my feelings to someone who doesn't really know me. I try to keep the fact that my Dear Hubby (DH) and I are TTC a secret because once people know we are, they expect something right away! So, here's the background on me.

I am 22 years old. DH and I have been married almost 4 years now and we have 1 little boy who is 18months. We decided in January that we wanted to start trying for another, and here we are at the end of June with no such luck. With my first baby, it took a year of TTC, so I am bracing myself and accepting the fact it wont happen overnight for this time either. That being said it doesnt help the feeling of utter failure when you look at the pee stick and see I big fat NO! in the little window.

My hopes for this blog is that those who read it will relate to me, share their thoughts, and be a little place they can go to know that not everyone on the planet gets pregnant when they "weren't even trying!"

I want to post any of the info I learn along the way, myths and truths, and all kinds of fun. So, subscribe and have fun with it. After all, isn't trying to make a baby the funnest part?