[Michelina]

Funnybird, I am glad to hear the surgery was a breeze and was successful. I would have done the same with the day off!

Fookie, glad to hear your vacation was good. I hear you on the multiples thing. Yes, there are risks to having more than one, but part of me thinks, if I get twins as a result of fertility drugs, I'll just hope for the best and never go through this again! I don't know what Progesterone I'll be taking yet, but I'll get the prescription next week. I will go with the vaginal suppositories as it sounds more effective and with fewer side effects than the oral. Do you know if there are long term health risks? I am going to ask the doctor, but wondered if you might know off hand.

Julie, I hope those aches go away soon. I can't believe how close you are know. What - 10 more weeks?

Cristine, the EWCM does make it all that more exciting and hopeful - I agree. Have fun!

Eyelet, there are probably many women out there who would spend the money on the postpartum clothes. What a great idea! It definitely sounds frustrating. My sister really struggled with her post-baby weight, and I could never really understand it because I thought she looked wonderful. But I guess one does not really understand that transition unless they live it.

Zelda, how is boot camp? I have thought of doing one myself.

I ended up changing my next gyne appointment to next Wednesday because my actual period didn't begin until Saturday. The spotting made it really hard to know what was going on. I'll be getting an ultrasound on CD12 and a cervical exam too (because of the spotting). I am very hopeful that the progesterone takes the spotting away. Bleeding 3 weeks out of the month is simply not fun. And it affects our sex life too. Fingers are crossed.

Thanks for all of the postive thoughts and support!

[Cristine]

Eyelet, good luck on finding clothes that fit and that you like… every one of my friends has complained about that in between time where there is literally nothing to fit their changing bodies! I too have large breasts that already hurt my back, so that is 1 thing I’m not looking forward to in pregnancy!

Fookie, welcome back! Sounds you like you a had terrific and much needed vacation. Good luck on your treatments next month, and wouldn’t it be terrific to have 2 babies at once just to not have to worry about TTC again! I know there are many challenging aspects of raising 2 (or God 3, 4…) at once, but just the relief of knowing you won’t have to go through this hell all over again makes it all seem worth it!! And I certainly hope your brother-in-law did not know of your situation before making a comment like that!

Julie, congrats on the comfy shoes! And I hope the “eyes on the prize” mentality helps you get through these painful episodes!

Funny, I’m so glad to hear that damn polyp is gone!!! Don’t feel guilty about doctor’s orders, you stay in your pajamas and have a relaxing day! And I swear even if I don’t end up pregnant this month, I will not go back to coffee because it is just too excrutiating to quit!! The only thing I’ll crave from time to time is a DECAF coffee frappucino!

I’m on CD 11 and didn’t plan on starting the “marathon sex” til tomorrow since I’m not supposed to ovulate until CD 15 or 16, but my CM is amazing today! I know you guys were all dying to hear that! But it just got me so excited cuz even though we got our timing right last month, I never had anything close to EWCM so I’m feeling more hopeful today!!

[funnybird]

So lovely to hear from everyone!

Julie, I'm sorry to hear about the aches and pains. Glad you found some good shoes though, and that you're getting some napping practice in (I also have the "napping=hit by a truck" problem too. Never seems to stop me doing it though...)

Fookie, your holiday sounds amazing - I'm jealous! That's good news about the new drugs too. If you didn't punch your B-I-L for making that comment then I admire your restraint. Geez, the things people say without engaging their brains first!

Cristine, I feel your pain on the quitting/ cutting back the caffeine. I've quit the coffee so many times and endured all the headaches only to comfort myself with big, sloppy double-shot lattes when my period arrives, then I'm back where I started! I hope you have more willpower than me. Have you tried rooibos tea? It's tasty and caffeine free.

Well, the polyp is GONE! Surgery was yesterday morning and all went well. I had spotting and very mild cramps for a couple of hours after I woke-up, but that was all. Being under anaesthetic was fine too - all I remember was an oxygen mask being placed over my face, then awaking to a nurse saying my name and it was an hour and a half later. They wheeled me back up to the ward where Architect Boy was waiting, gave me a cup of tea and biscuit then discharged me, and my only souvenir of the whole experience is an enormous bruise on the back of my hand with a puncture wound in the middle where the IV line went in. I'm at home recuperating today (I'll go back to work tomorrow) which I feel a little guilty about seeing as I'm fine, but it was doctor's orders so I'm taking it seriously and am still in my pyjamas at 2pm :-)

[julie124]

Wowsers, y'all have been busy!

zelda, glad to hear the good news about mr. z's testosterone levels. As for the exercising, I've heard pretty much what Fookie mentioned - that it's okay to continue at the level of activity you were at prior to pregnancy, but they generally don't recommend starting any intensive workouts AFTER you're pregnant. I did hear one theory that super-intensive workouts might affect fertility because (especially if this is a new level of intensity for you and you're not used to it) the body thinks it's in fight-or-flight mode and tends to not get pregnant. Also, if you're not letting yourself retain enough body fat, apparently that has some negative impact. But I think all in all these are extreme cases...most of us are not working out enough for that to be an issue. And actually ab exercises are good...my preggo friend (who is far more fit than I) is taking prenatal pilates and says it has been a huge help. Trust me, you'll need strong abs (and strong back muscles, and strong legs) when you have a little guy or gal hopping around in your uterus. And keep in mind that the uterus has LOTS of padding...it's nice and cushy in there for the lil' zygote and though it seems (and sometimes is) fragile, you're not likely to do anything bad to it by exercising. I think the fragility of it all in the early stages is more the division of cells - your activity isn't going to hurt that, it's just the luck of the sperm/egg draw.

Michelina, so sorry that the spotting continued through to period time...I'm just glad that your doc is on the case and hopefully will help you figure out what's what. Thinking of you....

Fookie, I'm thinking good thoughts for your upcoming treatment. I know it's been a hard road for you guys already but I believe there are good things ahead.

eyelet, I am dreading the postpartum fashion condundrum. I'm not ready to don a pair of mom jeans and a t-shirt and call it a day (I was just watching Trinny and Susannah make over a cheerleading coach from Virginia the other night, so funny you should mention them) but I am trying to prepare myself for the fact that I am going to be incredibly tired of my maternity wear by the time baby comes, and that while nursing my usual cute dresses and such aren't going to be terribly practical. Actually, I'm somewhat thankful for the advent of fall because I was starting to get a little weary of the summer clothes (except for what I refer to as my "booby shirt" which apparently brings all the boys to the yard, since I've actually been HIT ON in it more than once). Do you have a belly band? Supposedly those can help keep up the maternity pants/skirts when you're too small for them but still too big for the regular clothes.

I do agree with my friend E that maternity pants are the devil. More specifically, maternity jeans. I wore one pair of jeans with the ridiculous-feeling full belly panel this weekend, and damn if I wasn't pulling them back up every five minutes. I did manage to complete my shoe-shopping mission and found the cutest, cushiest shoes that manage to combine a little style with the low heel and wide width I require. I wore them to my first day at the new job and was SO glad to have splurged on them...even after eight hours, they were still pretty comfy.

Fookie, I have the same hit-by-a-truck problem with napping that you mentioned...it's why I normally don't nap. I did well this weekend (fell asleep briefly when I laid down for a couple hours and felt fine) and managed to make myself lay down as soon as I got home from work today, but didn't sleep. The homework continues! I definitely need to do it because I am having more trouble getting back to sleep when I wake up in the middle of the night. Too many thoughts running through my brain.

And now I get to the bitch and moan section of our program. I have had a really owie couple of days. Yesterday I had a pain in my right side that I'm pretty sure was round ligament pain, because it felt like the one I used to get in my left side when I would sneeze or cough, and it went away depending on my position (but there weren't that many positions that worked). Today it was better (ironically, being at work it was generally fine) but tonight it got replaced by my old friend sciatic pain when I stood up from the couch after dinner. mr. julie and I went grocery shopping, and I was kind of cursing my body under my breath, and he said, "So how soon before you start blaming me for this?" Y'know, joking actually helps sometimes. I laughed and told him that I just have to keep my eyes on the prize. I just want to stay healthy and active and have a healthy little guy. It's just tough sometimes when even trying to relax hurts.

Here's something to be thankful for: that they don't do "twilight sleep" births anymore like the one I saw on Mad Men the other night. I loved the episode, but YIKES, they could probably show that birth scene for one of those abstinence promotion programs.

[Fookie]

OK ... as promised ... a better update

Had a fantastic almost two week camping trip out on Canada's East coast. Mr. F. and I are IN LOVE with everything out there, including sea kayaking which gave me the kind of thrill I haven't had since I started snowboarding many years ago. I do believe kayaks may be in our future (if not a move to the East coast).

We didn't get really lucky and get a positive despite the screw up at the fertility offices (too much to hope for, I guess) but I didn't have my hopes up. The ironic thing was that the day I got my period, I decided to check messages at home for the first time during our trip and got the news that my sister had given birth to my identical twin nieces. Such wonderful, but bittersweet news, especially on that day.

We are skipping a month of treatments, as per protocal and looking forward to October when we'll get into the new drug that will prevent me from ovulating on my own, allowing my follicles to grow to a nice a juicy size. We're also upping the dose of the original meds so that instead of 2 follicles, we'll be getting 4-5. Much higher chance of twins, but I have to tell you that although I'm down to earth about it all, and not "hoping" for twins ... I never want to have to go through this again. So if it's not twins, my future baby will very likely be an only child.

On to you guys! What a busy board this has been. I hope I don't leave anyone out, or forget to mention something important. I've read everything, and have been thinking nothing but good things about you all ... but I am likely to forget some details. Here it goes:

Eyelet and Ananke ... so glad to hear about your mamma lives and the babies. Please do stick around this board. I love reading it all.

Eyelet: GG!!! Good golly. I'm a double D now and am in miserable hell trying to find bras. I don't know why or how, but I swear my breasts have changed shape over the past year and a half. Nothing fits anymore and I can't find anything that does. I truly feel for you, though admittedly I have it easy compared to you.

Cristine: Marathon sex on the weekend. Weeeee! I've been drinking lots of green too, but I'm not a coffee drinker to begin with. So it's just what I drink. I'm not sure if it's in TCOYF or if it's in another book that I have, but they don't even know what the upper limit of coffee consumption is. The max is a total guess. They figure caffeine's not great for a developing baby, but they have no idea how much is too much. I wouldn't obsess too much about it, though cutting back is definitely not a bad thing. As for the whole milk products, I've also read about the study that Julie is referring to. There are definitely benefits to estrogen levels. My levels are totally fine, but that study has been the justification for the weekly pint of ice cream in my freezer the last couple of years!

((((Michelina))))) Fucking spotting. I'm so sorry. Jeez. It's bad enough getting the damn period every month, but to spot from ovulation. It's an extra dose of "it's not fair." I'm glad you've been put on the progesterone supplements. The luteal phase deffects are very easy to fix. I'm positive you'll have a lovely cycle in no time. When do you start the supplements? And what form are they taking?

FunnyBird, I was so thrilled to read all the positive news about AB. I'm so happy for you both. This has been a long, tough, summer. I always feel renewed and hopeful with the change of seasons ... here's to Fall being a good one!

Julie, I can't believe you get "napping" as your homework. Am I allowed to be this jealous? Ha ha. How is the homework coming along? I LOVE the idea of napping, but am a horrible napper. I hope there's some way to figure out how to not wake up like my body has been run over by a full garbage truck.

Zelda, more good news! Motility at 40% is also considered normal at my fertility clinic. And it's great news that the testosterone is good too. You must be counting down the seconds to your doctor's appointment. How was the wedding? Any uncomfortable questions?

Speaking of "uncomfortable" situations .... we hosted my husband's b-day with his family on Saturday night ... and sure enough my blabber mouth sister-in-law who I for some unknown reason confided in about our treatments is YAPPING away about saving us clothes and being so sure we're going to have twins... luckily I was able to cover by pretending she was referring to the fact that if my sister had them I could too. People can be soooo clueless though. I tripped on a toy and nearly broke it, and my brother in law (who may or may not know our situation and likely felt like a total ass after saying this) says "gee Fookie, I know you're mad because you don't have one, but you don't have to take it out on their toys." WTF!!! Ha ha.

Anyway, thrilled there have been so many positive developments on the board. Surely one of us will get pregnant soon! The odds say we will damn it!

[eyelet]

I'm having one of those days when the baby weight is really bugging me. It's so hard to figure out what to put on if I want to go anywhere. The maternity is too big and other too small. I've bought a few things and don't mind a temporary increase in size, but I'm really particular about what cuts I wear (ala Trinny and Susannah) and I haven't found anything that flatters so I have a hard time spending precious money on it.

They should have a niche industry for post-partum wear--pants with hidden tummy support panels and stylish (non matronly) nursing tops that don't cost a fortune. Women would spend some cash on that. Also I find there is no such thing as a nursing bra that really supports double G boobs (yes--short of milk let down but not of increased size). Maybe this is just relevant for women like myself who weren't skinny to begin with,

Off to the grocery store where I'll surely run into someone I know.

[Fookie]

Hi Everyone!

I’m back from my vacation and slowly catching up on the boards. I just took a quick little peak today (in case boss-lady was walking by) and will post more tonight.

Just wanted to quickly jump in about exercising. I have asked this question of pretty much every doctor I’ve seen (and that’s a lot now) … the common answer is that it’s ok to keep doing anything you have been doing for a while before getting pregnant. Obviously later on in the pregnancy, there are reasons you shouldn’t be doing crunches (you’re not supposed to be on your back for long periods of time due to blood flow issues), and reasons you need to take it easy doing things that require balance (like you likely won’t have much of it and a fall could be bad). The main concern seems to be with overheating … so don’t start an intensive boot camp after finding out you’re pregnant if you’ve been living the life of a couch potato. If you’ve been exercising regularly your body’s already really good at regulating its core temperature etc.

The only time they seem to recommend taking it easy (other than if you weren’t active at all before getting pregnant) is if you have a history of miscarriages or undergo IVF, they don’t want you doing heavy lifting etc. for a while after they put the embryos in.

Hope this puts your mind at ease. My doctors weren’t thrilled about hot yoga, but had no problem with my intensive 40-minute bike ride to work.

I’ll be back in tonight to do a proper update.

[Cristine]

(((((Michelina))))) I am so sorry!! Damn it, I was really hoping this was your month and was dying to hear a positive report from you!!! God this is such an emotional process that I just never anticipated! I really hope the progesterone supplements do the job for you! I'm on CD 10, supposed to ovulate Saturday or Sunday, I have 2 OPK tests left & I'm hoping I don't have to buy more, we're gonna start marathon sex on Wednesday (CD 12) and I'm now drinking green tea & dealing with mild caffeine headaches.

Zelda, I don't think the intensive exercise is that much of a concern. Back to the "carrying a carton of eggs" analogy, I think we're all prone to that same paranoia! Of course when you find out you're pregnant (fingers crossed!) it would probably be a good idea to tone it down. I have a friend who would go on walks and bike rides in her final month of pregnancy and I did not feel comfortable with her doing that, but it was her 2nd child (she's never had problems TTC) and she didn't treat pregnancy as a sensitive "condition" like I'm sure that I will!

[Michelina]

Funnybird, I am very happy that you and AB got some good news. What a huge relief! And interesting about the primrose oil.

Eyelet and Ananke, great hearing from both of you. I hope you both will stick around. I love seeing posts from everyone - regardless of whether it's about TTC, pregnancy, or mommyhood. It's all one common theme in the end!

Zelda, how did the wedding go with respect to questions about babies? I hear your concer about exercise and have wondered the same. I think you said you have a doctor's appointment soon. I would ask then. I have limited my cardio a little in the LP, but have not stopped doing ab work at all.

Cristine, where are you at in your cycle?

Julie, thanks for your words about the progesterone. I am really hoping this is the problem and that the supplments will solve it. And I am trying to be hopeful that sperm has fertilized egg in the past, which means it will happen again.

I spotted for TWO WEEKS this month before getting my period on Saturday. It was just awful. I have no idea when ovulation spotting stopped and premenstrual spotting began. In fact I went out of town and forgot my thermometre so I didn't know if my spotting was a light period (which would have distressed me to the max) or premenstrual. I bought a new thermometre (with a light this time!) and saw a huge drop in my temp on Saturday, which correlated with my period. So now it has been 8 months of TTC. But who's counting? :-) I didn't actually ask the doctor about the aspirin, but see her next week so I will hopefully remember to then.

[zelda]

Ladies, I have a question for you. I have started this new exercise/boot camp program twice to three times a week that is a very intense work out with lots of cardio and LOTS of ab work. Do you think it is dangerous to do this kind of work out in the very early stages of pregnancy - meaning, in the two weeks before I knew I was pregnant? Could two or three intense workouts including lots of ab work cause a very early miscarriage? Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but the thought ran through my mind this morning as I was working out - that there's a tiny chance I could be pregnant and I'm doing all sorts of intense floor exercises.

Of course if I found out I was PG I would switch to just walking or swimming. I feel like it would be just my luck to have to wait so long to get pregnant only to have something like that happen. Or am I just being paranoid?

[Cristine]

Zelda, that is great news!! I hope this is your month!!!

[zelda]

More later...but I wanted to let you know I just got back from my wedding weekend and found out Mr. Z's testosterone results are perfectly normal, too! In addition to his sperm analysis. Phew...what a relief, especially since I had read that pot can screw with that.

My mom shared with me a few books about achieving pregnancy naturally that she'd gotten in the library. All of them said that 40% sperm motility was still okay, so I am feeling a lot better about that.

I have my first doctor's appointment this Wednesday...will write more before then and provide a more detailed response to all! So exciting to hear from eyelet and ananke!

[eyelet]

Hey Cristine-
You can always try half/caf, and I don't think you have to go completely off it. I was just a big coffee drinker so I had to cut way back when I started getting ready to try. I think if it's moderate it's okay.

[Cristine]

I couldn't risk a caffeine headache today because we're visiting with the in-laws today, tomorrow is chore day so I'll test out the green tea then. I'm hoping it weens me off enough until I can stop both!

Eyelet, yes please post here!! Sorry about the breastfeeding issues! I'm so afraid to introduce the bottle too soon, I hope things improve for you!!

Michelina, how are you???

[eyelet]

I think I'll just start posting over here again, as I think you guys are probably interested in mom stuff and at least half the group is TTC, so who cares if we're bracketing the actual topic with the befores and the afters?

Am having a hard couple of days on the breastfeeding front. For reasons unknown to me she goes through a day or two at a time sometimes where she rejects the breast (I assume because the flow is not fast enough). On those days all I can give her is pumped milk, and I can pump all day and still get a paltry amount. It's really a bummer to have that rejection from my little sweetie. It makes me wish she really could understand me when I ask her to just be patient with me and I promise not to let her go hungry. When I got my breasts reduced ten years ago, I knew this day would probably come. I still don't think I would do it differently if I had to do it over again, because my breasts were unmanageably large. What I would do differently is get a lactation consultant before the birth and pump madly immediately after, because I can make milk, just not at a rapid pace. And once the baby knows the ease of bottle feeding, they have a hard time settling for something slower. Sometimes I wish I were going to be able to have a second child, just so I could do a few key things differently the next time around. I hate that I've turned into this person who dwells on what-ifs...always a trait I found so frustrating in others. Maybe I'll grow out of it again.

One of my friends who was also trying for a natural birth had her baby yesterday and had an experience just like mine--long labor ending in c-section. She's even at the same hospital. I wish for her sake she hadn't had to have surgery, but there is a part of me that feels like we'll have this common experience to bond over. She, unlike me, doesn't seem to be fretting about it one bit and I'm glad because it's hard enough in those first few weeks without those thoughts.

It's rainy here and it feels great. Mister E. is at a car show and baby and I are enjoying a guilt-free day of no work, no exercise, lots of cuddling. She's in the mood for a squeeze, so I'd better go.

[julie124]

Aw, I love hearing about the bebes! Glad to hear that things are going well. I have a good feeling that before long we'll have quite a few new little ones and can get the mamas thread hopping again.

Thanks for the reinforcement on the napping...I think eyelet's idea of looking at learning how to nap as a duty instead of a treat will be helpful. It's my new assignment. I was remarking to mr. julie the other night about how it seemed weird that I needed to practice relaxing, but that I know I DO need to practice...because I'm not good at it yet in a non-stress situation, much less a labor situation. He has dealt with severe tension headaches for years and is much more experienced at relaxation techniques, and he agreed that one really HAS to practice relaxation, it's not intuitive.

Cristine, adding whole milk to your diet (even if you're not generally a milk drinker) will probably be helpful. The study I mentioned cited something about milkfat that I guess was particularly helpful (I think it was some sort of estrogen/fat relationship, I can't remember the details). Other than my beloved lattes, I liked to mix it up - I often did full-fat cottage cheese or full-fat Greek yogurt (the Fage brand with honey is delicious) and of course ice cream. I drink milk but I'm not a big glass-of-milk drinker, and after years of skim I'm not sure I could drink whole milk (that wasn't steamed and added to espresso). If you're a big coffee drinker, I would maybe not go off it cold turkey (although green tea does have a small amount of caffeine in it and is supposed to be good not only for antioxidants but also for cervical fluid). Try mixing caffeinated and decaf coffee and just upping the decaf gradually. If you really love your coffee because of the taste, I highly recommend decaf americanos (espresso with hot water). That's what I drink when I want just coffee but don't trust that the decaf will be strong enough.

Of course, when you do get pregnant, you may or may not be able to stand the smell or taste of coffee. My friend's husband had to start buying his coffee at a coffee shop every morning during her first trimester because the smell of coffee completely nauseated her. Oh yeah, and apparently you're supposed to give up the green tea when you get pregnant, because it can inhibit the absorption of the folic acid. (God, when did pregnancy get so damn complicated?)

[ananke]

With my friends they needed help for the first two babies, but this third one was totally by surprise. Then with other friends it took 7 years for their second. I think it's hard to predict what will happen. I know a lot of women who didn't even have their period back at six months post-partum.

I second eyelet on the rest thing - I'm terrible at napping and I ended up in hospital for bedrest about a week before the baby came because my blood pressure just would not drop and I just couldn't rest properly at home. So cultivate a time and a space for resting, even if you don't nap. I'm also with eyelet on the quietness of the mama thread compared to here (I think having it in with sex doesn't help).

I drank coffee the whole time (except for a brief period with the morning sickness). Now I can't drink it because The Child reacts rather badly. So it's decaf now. She's coming along well though - huge and chubby and gorgeous. And currently NAPPING IN HER BASSINETTE!!!

[Cristine]

Julie, thanks so much for all of the valuable tips! I’ve been taking over the counter pre-natal pills for about 3 months and no other supplements… other than I’ve just started taking fish oil pills for the Omega-3. I’m not much of a milk drinker at all! I love cereal but rarely ever eat it because carbs just stick on me! So when I read that about whole milk, I was wondering if I should start drinking milk to help with any fertility issues I might be having. Good luck with your homework! I’m not a very relaxed person (I’m sure you’ve probably noticed) & I too do not nap, that’s a tough one!

Eyelet, the coffee thing is going to be the toughest thing for me to kick… not that I love my morning coffee, but I need it!! My husband has tried and tried to get me to switch to green tea, I don’t know why he likes it so much cuz I just can’t stand it! But, I read today that it’s actually good for TTC’ers cuz of the antioxidants… I’m going to try to drop coffee cold turkey tomorrow and sip on a large cup of green tea AND hope my withdrawal headache isn’t too bad.
And I can't believe it's been 3 months since your baby has been out!! Precious time just flies too fast!

[eyelet]

I second that about low caffeine intake while TTC. I didn't quit it altogether while planning to conceive, but I limited to one cup of coffee per day. I was on Weight Watchers when I got pregnant, and think maybe that helped too. I took pre-natal vitamins for a couple of months before going birth control free.

I've heard more than once of couples that finally adopted a child and then were able to conceive naturally as well. Maybe that is to do with maternal hormones kicking in, or lowered stress/greater joy, but it definitely happens. Having a baby seems to have improved my thyroid function greatly, so it would be no surprise if the first one paved the way for easier pregnancies thereafter too.

Julie--definitely practice resting. Fatigue is the main thing that I cite for not making it to the end of my natural childbirth attempt (had to end in c-section if you recall). I had crappy sleep for 2 mos. prior to the birth, I am not good at napping, and did not have very good energy reserves when the time finally came. Try to quiet your mind enough to learn how to nap. If you consider it a duty rather than an indulgence, maybe it would help.

Hearing crickets over there in the mamas thread. I think there was a big wave of women with new babies about a year ago, but they've all moved on to the stage where they're chasing toddlers too much to bother with the computer.

Will look forward to seeing some more people there in the next year.

My babe was 3 mos. yesterday. Still really enjoying it!

[julie124]

Wow, so much to catch up on!

First, Michelina, glad to hear that you had a positive experience with the doc.... I've actually suspected for awhile that in your case sperm might be meeting egg just fine but that it might not be implanting, but didn't want to say anything because, well, I'm no doctor and not an expert by a long shot. I've heard good things about the progesterone supplements for women with this issue and hopefully that will be helpful for you.

zelda, thinking of you as you go on your wedding weekend...have fun!

ananke, congratulations to your friends! I too have heard that some women find it much easier to get pregnant after having had a baby. For some women who have issues with ovulation, apparently pregnancy sort of "resets" the menstrual cycle.

Cristine, I've heard varying reports on meat while TTC, but most reports I've heard say that red meat in moderation is absolutely fine and sometimes helpful as it's a good source of iron. It is recommended to try to get more of your protein from beans and nuts, however. For milk, there was a study awhile back that excessive consumption of low-fat dairy actually reduced women's fertility (apparently, you actually need a certain amount of that "good fat"). That study recommended 1-2 servings of full-fat dairy per day and cutting back on low-fat dairy products. (This was my favorite piece of fertility advice ever, due to my love of whole milk decaf lattes and ice cream.)

I read a kajillion websites about nutrition/diet when I was TTC, and other advice I got included: avoid alcohol and caffeine (reduces fertility), get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids (fish are generally good sources, small amount of flax seed oil are good too, but avoid too much flax seed as it can cause uterine contractions), avoid even small amounts of trans fats, and try to switch to more "slow carbs" like brown rice, whole-grain pasta, dark bread, veggies, and whole fruits. 30 minutes of exercise daily is supposed to help fertility as well. Wheat germ is a good source of vitamin E and zinc, which are good for fertility, and folic acid is a good thing to get going on as well. (My doc had me taking prenatal vitamins as soon as I was getting ready to try to conceive...the over the counter ones are fine and in fact are the ones I'm still taking.) Avoid getting more than 2,565 IU of vitamin A because it can cause birth defects in excessive doses. (As long as you don't take extra vitamin A supplements you should be fine.)

All of that said, I wish there were a magic formula...I don't think there is. No reliable one, anyway! zelda's description earlier of all the things that have to work just right for conception was right on.

So, my homework this week from my childbirth classes: 1) more practice napping/resting; and 2) more practice on relaxation techniques. I am a natural learner at a lot of things, but relaxation is not something I'm used to doing! And I am an atrocious napper - I generally don't nap at all. Lots of practice to do this week!