Fertility charting pattern prediction Pt 2

So, if you read my post about an Interesting Chart Pattern I discovered, here's a followup to it! Yesterday, I posted about noticing a "false O" after AF that usually proceeded O by about 5-7 days. So, with my "false O" being on Sunday (2/26) CD7, I looked ahead about 6-7 days and see that I should O around this weekend, Sat Mar 3 or Sun Mar 4. It would be a kind of early one for me, although I have O'd on CD13 before.

So, I predicted that today would be my first High on my Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor (CBEFM). And so it was!

Here is a pic of my chart today, with the green marks I added predicting possible O dates and readings on my CBEFM.



Also, I noticed yesterday my nips started hurting, which has progressed to a faint bruised feeling on the sides of my BBs--all classic signs of approaching O.

I have to say that with the Bee Fertile supplements, I feel a stabilization of my cycle symptoms. They follow the same familiar pattern, but are more stable and consistent. Previously with Vitex, my moods have become despondent and alternatively happy.  With Royal Jelly I get some stabilization, but eventually the severity of the PMS symptoms during my period took its toll.

Since my period ended and I've started the Bee Fertile regimen, I've noticed a very stable mood, if a little weepy and nostalgic at times, but never so overpowering that I felt swept away. I also feel I have improved energy. But this is the "calm before the storm" so to speak. This is the one time in my cycle I feel "normal" As O approaches, the symptoms and my analysis of them increase and my mood becomes more erratic. I'm praying that this will bring a welcome change that also leads to increased fertility!

So, I'm not really doing Sperm Meets Egg plan faithfully. But with this new prediction, I'm hoping to use it to plan and hit the 3days before O and O. Since today was High, I gotta get busy!

Disclaimer: Although the Bee Fertile supplements were provided to me at no charge, all opinions are my own. Trust me, I 'll give you the good, bad and in-between with an un-varnished eye!

Oops! Some things I missed.

So, I was looking at the spoon provided by Bee Fertile again, and I realized that the small line around the bowl of the spoon, about a 1/4 in from the top was to mark the 1/2 tsp mark, and the full spoon marked the full 1 tsp or 5 ml. I think I mistook 5 ml as equal to 1/2 tsp. So it is an excellent tool if you want to measure 1/2 tsp OR a full tsp. I'll post a similar correction in my Began Bee Fertile post later, but my computer is being borrowed and Blogger doesn't seem to work well on iPhone for editing.

 In other related news, I've noticed some changes to this part of the cycle. I had forgotten that for me, taking Royal jelly can really stabilize my mood, at least in the 1 week between AF ending and the beginning of my LP. Having a mood disorder, I'm so used to having my moods fluctuate greatly, and often with no rhyme or reason. With the Royal Jelly, I find that my mood changes are slower to change and less extreme. Although I have noticed an overpowering sense of nostalgia; any show I watch or song I hear makes me wistful and remember with great strength of emotion and a time when I felt like that in the past. Today it has progressed to a sort of weepiness, although when I am not overcome this way I feel at peace. I don't know if it is all the Royal Jelly contributing; I know Vitex has affected my moods in the past and there are other herbs in the Bee Fertile I haven't tried before.

 Also, very strange and vivid dream last night. I had bought a strange, but bulky, electronic HPT with a screen that showed the result in a pink plus sign. I decided to try it out, and I walked away before it was finished, convinced it would be negative. When I got back, ai found a pretty pink plus sign between 2 bars like this: |+| Then of course I had to verify the BFP since it was outside of the time limit, and I got a positive on the cheapie and a FRER. I knew it was a dream when I saw the dye strobing up the HPT in waves. There was more, but not relevant to most of the dream. Today I am very tired. Also, I have had heartburn since the beginning of this AF. I thought it was a period symptom, but as it is continuing each night, I wonder if it is the Cayenne or another ingredient in Bee Fertile. Time will tell.

 Disclaimer: These supplements were provided to me at no cost, but all opinions are my own.  Believe me, I will give you the good, bad and in-between with an unvarnished eye.

Royal Jelly Smoothie!

So, Friday I skipped my Royal Jelly dose, partly because I was in a hurry, and because I'm having an issue with the taste. I finally tried it in a smoothie, and yum! I have one of those "mini-blenders" that I can put just enough for one. So I throw in a few of may favorite fruits, a few cubes of ice, a spoon of peanut butter and almond milk. Yum! Of course, if you're smart and have frozen fruit, you can skip the ice! I think I'll love taking my RJ this way!

Otherwise, I've been having a huge rise in hormonal symptoms during my period. Breast tenderness, cramping, bloating, fatigue, etc....but as soon as my period stopped, I started feeling so much better! Perhaps this is just my body regulating on the Bee Fertile supplements and RJ, but I hope it stays stable. I've been riding the TTC rollercoaster so long, and I'd just like it to have a few less rises and dips.

Right now, CD5/6, period is gone and gearing up to ovulate. Will also use my CBEFM and maybe give the Sperm Meets Egg plan another shot!


Disclaimer: These supplements were provided to me at no cost, but all opinions are my own. Believe me, I will give you the good, bad, and in-between with an unvarnished eye.

Began my Bee Fertile

So, sad of course that it was CD 1 yesterday. But the grieving has been sped along by starting my Bee Fertile regimen! The way it works is you take the supplement pills that are a special blend of herbs and vitamins that research indicates increases fertility in women. Along with those you also take royal jelly/bee pollen/raw honey gel. It suggest all 4 pills in the morning or 2 in AM and 2 in PM. Since I'm already on an AM/PM regimen with my other meds, I decided to split the 4 into 2 and 2.

This Royal Jelly mix is different than others I have had. When I first started taking RJ, I read a lot of sites that said NOT to refrigerate, and others that say DO refrigerate. I decided to go with what the jar says. It said refrigerate, so I have. The suggestion is 1 tsp in the morning or a 1/2 tsp in the afternoon. The label is also extremely cautionary against getting water (or saliva I assume) into the RJ as this could breed bacteria that negate it's fertility powers. They provide a nice solid plastic spoon that is labeled for 1/2 tsp.* This is fine if you are going to take AM/PM, but this stuff I would rather just take all at once. So if I can't "double-dip" this means their spoon is worthless to me, unless I want to take the time to wash it, or spoon twice onto some other container. So, I just use a regular spoon that I know fits 1 tsp.

BeeFertile Vitamin Supplement

So, anyone who has followed/read my blog is aware that I tried Royal Jelly supplements for awhile. (See an early post here, or use the search box to the right). I ran out of my gel form recently and did not have enough of my capsules for an entire cycle, so I have been off of royal jelly for an entire cycle.

I have been wanting to integrate it back in, when I could afford to spend some extra money on vitamins. But also, I was a bit tired of the extreme PMS symptoms during the TWW or my period. I see these as overall positive signs of increased fertility, but it is still very frustrating when each time my PMS symptoms increase after my period starts. The intensity of symptoms has been less since I stopped the RJ, but also my EWCM and other things have varied quite a bit.

The exciting news is that I am getting a chance to try the Bee Fertile Women's Kit! I will be reviewing the effects and/or results of the regimen here at my blog, so stay tuned!

If you haven't heard of Bee Fertile, it is a supplement regimen that has a bottle of Royal Jelly mixture (with Raw honey, I assume, to stabilize it) as well as a 3 month supply of a special supplement mix of vitamins and supplements that have supporting research or anecdotes to promote either female or male fertility. If you go to the Ingredients page, you can see each supplement included; if you click the name of a supplement, it gives information on how the supplement improves fertility in men and women (or both), as well the research that supports the benefits of that supplement.

So, give the Bee Fertile website a tour to see what I'm talking about. I can't wait to try it out!

Disclaimer: These supplements were provided to me at no cost, but all opinions are my own.  Believe me, I will give you the good, bad and in-between with an unvarnished eye.

Current cycle status and vitamin regimen

So, since I am not charting, OPKing, or doing really anything to track my cycle most of this is a guesstimate. I would say the only thing I am really doing is marking when my period arrives on my phone's calendar and when it is projected. Since I tend toward 30 day cycles, I am estimating to get my period this cycle on 11/25/11--Thanksgiving, AGAIN. I only hope that it is much less painful than last Thanksgivings. Still, I am about 4 days away from my expected period--still no spotting, but I could still get it as close as 2 days before.

I really am trying not to obsess about my cycles, but when my BBs hurt so much, and I know that I've ovulated....I can't help but wait and wonder. I only keep track of when to expect my period so I can know if it is late. I try not to obsess about whether or not I am...I tend to despair that I will never get pregnant naturally.  I did have some spotting about a week ago for 2-3 days..not much...could have been O-spotting. Time will tell. 

I'm also out of supplements. I need to get my Royal Jelly, B-Complex and Folic Acid replaced. I've been out for awhile. Other than that I'm going back on my Melaleuca Vitality 4 vitamins since when I added that to my regimen last time I had such a long luteal phase. So I really believe in those. 

Hopefully I'll be able to get some soon. 

My "magic" supplement list

Well, it's taken near 2 years, but I am hoping I have *finally* found the magic mix of supplements that has balanced my cycle and (God-willing) will assist in bringing me a sticky BFP! I thought I'd share this with you!

Now, I would just like to caution that because some of these supplements have worked for me does not mean that they will necessarily be the best choice for you. I try to talk to my doctor or at least my pharmacist before trying a new vitamin to see if there are any negative interactions with my Rx meds.

So, to summarize, my main issues that are inhibiting my fertility are:

1. Lack of good fertile quality CM, or enough of it;
2. Spotting before AF and/or short LP--my max on avg is 11 days and less than 12 gets to be a problem
3. ???? Overall hormonal balance

The problem is that a lot of my stuff is unknown since I supposedly had taken care of the prolactinemia. So, I'm going to list the vitamins/supplements I take, the dosage and the reason(s) I take them. Also, any warnings or known interactions.

• Royal Jelly
• 1 tablespoon full (usually just a regular spoon, dip in gel and eat what sticks to it!) If you decide to take a capsule, try to hit 1000mg daily
• Increase EWCM, overall hormonal balance--improve egg health and quality
• Some WARNINGS==If you are at all allergic to bee stings or honey, think very carefully before trying this amazing supplement. Please check with your doctor. If you are unsure, or want to try it anyway, start with a small dose and wait 48 hours to see how you react.
• Also, IF you take Clomid or another Rx med to induce O, double check with your doctor or pharmacist about whether Royal Jelly will counteract it. Although most doctors have no idea what it is, so just do your research. I would HATE for well-earned money to go towards fertility treatments that may be negated by this supplement.
• B6 and B Complex
• 200 mg B6; 50 mg Super B Complex
• To lengthen my LP and hopefully increase progesterone in the luteal phase and diminish spotting before my period.
• I take these together because most B vitamins go right through you if not all taken together. So to increase my absorption of B6 and Folic Acid, I am taking the B Complex with both.
• Folic Acid (B9)
• 4 mg Most recommend no more than 400-800 mcg during TTC. Because one of my Rx meds may deplete folate levels, I'm encouraged to take 4 mg, about 1000X the recommended daily amount. But B vitamins are water soluble, so whatever my body doesn't take in get expelled in my urine *this makes for some really BRIGHT Pee.
• This is mostly to decrease spinal defects in the embryo once it implants. Although there is research that is starting to find an increase in fertility with an increase in Folic Acid
• Prenatal--Multivitamin
• Follow package instructions
• I have been taking a vitamin pack lately that has daily doses of 4 different pills in foil wrapped packets for morning in night. It has:
• 1 Multi Vitamin in AM/PM
• 2 Calcium in AM/PM
• 1 Antioxidant blend in AM/PM
• 1 Probiotic in PM
• I was slightly worried about the Antioxidant one due to negative ramifications of Retin-A use, but I checked a few of the components out and lately have seen a lot of reading that says anti-oxidants help support fertility in important ways!
• I'm about to use the last of that pack, so I will be going to the Prenatal I had before 
• Trimedisyn  According to www.prenatalvitaminreviews.org this is one of the best Prenatals you can buy! So, yes, a bit pricey, but it would really be the best for your baby.

Whew, that's a lot! But I finally divided my two pillboxes into morning Rx meds and vitamins and evening Rx Meds and Vitamins. I was using one for Rx and one for Vitamins before, and this is SO much simpler!!!!!

Royal Jelly Effects and Cycle Changes. *Update at bottom*

So, after about 15 days of Royal Jelly, here is my experience....

As for not necessarily fertility benefits:

• Stable, long-lasting energy. I was getting over sinusitis and left me very tired. The day I started this I started having a stable alertness--not the jittery kind from an energy drink or coffee that goes away in an hour or so, but lasting at least through work.
• Also, a more stable mood. I do have a mood disorder, and have been (and still am) on psych meds since diagnosed. Not once since then have I felt this sort of mood stability....yeah, I might get weepy, stressed, or angry, but what is different is I am able to go right back to center. I now have the ability to calm down without getting derailed for a day or more or coming home and taking it out on DH! Not that it makes me happy per se, but it is like the harness you wear when you are on a climbing wall---if you slip, it's there to keep you from falling too far and hard and maybe help you get back on the wall.
• Appetite suppressant. Normally when I take something with an appetite suppressant (you know we've all tried ONE), it works awesome for the first day or two, but then the effects weaken and I crave food again. This stuff is pretty long lasting. Sometimes it's as if I get full REALLY fast. The other day I was in the middle of eating and just. did. not. want. food. I felt stuffed to the gills, but it was just breakfast. This is unlike me in many ways. It was bad at first, because I ended up only having a packet of oatmeal for lunch the first day, it gave me a headache I think from not eating enough.

Fertility effects:

•  Started taking on March 1st exactly! So, as of today have been taking it 19 days. This is actually enlightening because I'd assumed that my reaction last period was due to starting the Royal Jelly, but according to this it was started AFTER my last AF started...hmmm.
• Anyway, from observation it appears that I have had more emotional TWW, but back to a 9 day LP >p Only really spotted one day before, it seems I will have to trade one for another. It seems that my regular PMS symptoms have been magnified/altered slightly.

Really though, I'm not sure what I can attribute to the Royal Jelly. It certainly hasn't extended my LP at all. What I'm noticing now seems to be what happened my last cycle. And it sucks. Because what is happening as that I have slight TWW symptoms and then the 1st day or two of my AF I get super-duper preggo symptoms. Today, we went to Pike Place Market and we were having a good time, but I started to get queasy, dizzy, and tired. And my BBs are KILLING me. Like, they didn't hurt this much since I was pregnant. But if this is to follow last cycle, I was most definitely not pregnant. This is beyond frustrating. I'm definitely bleeding and even if I am somehow pregnant it is most likely a chemical. I'm not sure I want to know, because I most likely won't know the answer. I know that most cycle changes last for about 3 months or cycles. I'm hopeful that this will lead to increased fertility later, but if not I'd rather it stop because it is driving me batty!!!

ETA: I forgot to add that it seems to make my pee BRIGHT YELLOW. I mean neon. At least it's not orange. Also, at some point I liked the effects of the non-fertility benefits so much I increased to 2 capsules a day. Definitely tooo much. I started feeling itchy in my ears and pelvic area....as I said, I have no knowledge of allergies to bees, but I will definitely not be taking more than one capsule (500 mg) per day. I know I should probably leave well enough alone, but the non-fertility benefits are so great I don't want to give it up. So no more than 1 capsule a day.

Royal Jelly and Infertility

So, I was at the supermarket today and happened down the vitamin aisle.  I was hoping to pick up a DHA supplement and look at prices and types of prenatals. Then I saw a Royal Jelly Supplement! This was in pill form but I have occasionally read about the benefits of Royal Jelly.

Just in case you're wondering, it is a bee product. It is produced by worker bees and fed to a single drone bee to transform it into a Queen bee. Most bees have a lifespan of about 20 months, whereas a Queen bee lives for 5 YEARS!!! There have been documented studies in it's benefits for fertility in animals and anecdotes from women AND men who have benefited from it.

I had to buy it and see if it has any effect. Hopefully it'll be a good one. In some sites it claims to be a good aid in IVF or IUI cycles as it increases egg health---good for increasing follicles and maturing eggs. Also for those with Male Factor Infertility (MFI) Royal Jelly is said to increase quality of sperm. The "science" of applying use of bee products to aid in health is called Apitherapy. See this blog on developments in the use of Royal Jelly and other bee products.