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!!!!!

4DPO today!

Ok, so I know I have not been sharing much with you guys lately. I really need to jump back on my blogging bandwagon, because it is fun! So, this cycle in summary, I had 2 days of potential BD in the fertile cycle, one of which was the day after O, so it might as well not count, the chances are that low.  The other was about 4 days before O, so not great chances there either.

However, still a chance. And what is encouraging to me is that I do think I have finally had a picture perfect cycle. Now if only it will get me my picture perfect BFP! I've had such classic CM progression. It went from dry to sticky to watery/creamy to EWCM....and I had at least FOUR days of EWCM!!! The one BD before O was also on the 1st day of EWCM. Also, I checked my cervix this cycle and I got a very high soft, medium open cervix the day or two before O.

Then, the day after I O'd I went from swimming in EWCM to dry by the end of the day! It was magical. And my temps! They have NOT been their usual pattern, but in this case I think it is good. My pre-O temps have gotten back in the low 97s like they did right around my pregnancy last July (2010). And my post-O instead of slowly climbing up, I had one spike of .7 on 1DPO, then another .5 on 2 DPO....I didn't get my fall-back temp until today!!!

So, here's my 4 DPO update for today!

So, 4DPO--
As traditional with me, symptoms are more severe in the evening. Most notable are dull aching/cramping in pelvis--not quite like AF, although today's were a bit stronger. Sometimes I just can't tell if it's constipation or actual cramping though.  Metallic taste in the mouth is continuing.And spotting that's not-quite-spotting....it was very scant and more like a brownish watery residue....not my usual at all. Temp went down slightly...I guess I'll call that my fall-back. I've had one as late as 5 DPO, but this one was slight--only .2 degrees. 
Mood---don't get me started, let's go with Moody. Although to be honest, I"m just pulling out of a depressed mood, and so a lot of it is that more than anything. I'm fine most of the day then get into a sullen mood with DH because he kept criticizing my choice of steak for the party.  He's just SO particular, but I was trying to save MONEY! Which he's always harping on! Anyway, he finally confronted me with an apology for his surly mood earlier (we were both gems today). Then I had to explain to him what about his behavior I found so upsetting. Not so much the surliness, but constant criticism when I do things FOR him. 
Ok, still not quite over that one I see. He did apologize and we made up, but not before I became a crying mess! 

Another restless morning

Ever since I started cutting my anti-psychotic in half I usually find myself awake anywhere from 3-5am. Not every morning, but enough to notice a difference and I never had trouble sleeping through the night before. I wonder if it will affect my temperatures. I usually try to stay in bed until my alarm goes off but this morning I was so hot and sweaty that I decided to take my temp an hour early and go ahead and get up. I wish I were in bed asleep right now because I'm still quite tired, but it just wasn't happening.

The weird thing is that for so early my temp was a bit higher than normal (97.90). Yesterdays OPK was completely negative, however, I did notice my sample was more diluted than it has been the last few days. Still, I got zero test line and I think that if I had ovulated yesterday there would have been SOMETHING even with a diluted sample. So I feel this higher temp today is just a fluke unless by some miracle I'm ovulating today.

A lot of my other fertility signs are pointing towards it. Lately my cervix has been so high I can't reach it so I can't evaluate the texture and my CM has been odd. It has a very lubricative feeling, but most of what I pull looks sticky more than anything, so I've been putting creamy.

I just don't know what to think about my body because I get a sign like a super-high cervix, but negligible CM. Yet still no positive OPK (barely even close) and temps all over the place. Looks like I'm back on my anovulatory cycles. I had such hope because for at least two cycles in a row I had 28-30 day cycles on their own with no help. That was when I was on the calorie-shifting diet and had lost some weight. I have to wonder if there is something about a higher protein diet that is more regular.

I must try using the diet generator for it again. I can't be depended on to eat according to the diet when I have too much control over what I eat and it was working. Plus, there was this diet program we were set to start, a holistic program, but there is a problem with the way WA state licenses it so the owner is having to decide if she can stay and run it or not.

I'm not sure how many days to give AF before she shows. I did just get the ClearPlan Fertility Monitor from my friend at work and have ordered the test sticks so I may just wait to use the progesterone to start AF until after they show up so I can reset the monitor.  I even ordered about 3 expired sticks to use for resetting so I don't waste a good stick from the new package.

In reviewing the prices online for the sticks I really do think Amazon is the  best price for sticks within the expiration date. There were a lot of them going for about $20 or less on eBay, but the expiration date couldn't be guaranteed and I wouldn't want to chance it.

I really wish I could call in sick today and just try to get some more rest, but it is so hard to try and reschedule clients and my schedule is out so far anyway that I think that I shouldn't call in just because I'm feeling poorly. I suppose I could go back to bed and try to get some rest and come in an hour late. Then do some work from home on Wednesday. I think I'll just shower and go in because even now I'm still hot and sweaty.

I think I need to really watch the caffeine. I had two sodas yesterday. I only intended to have one but my husband served me one for dinner and I wanted it so I drank it anyway. I think at the very least I'm going to say no soda after 5PM and see if that helps with my sleep at all because I'm very sensitive to caffeine. Too much a day or after a certain hour messed with my sleep before and it certainly will now. I guess it will have to be the price I pay for going off the medicine. I wonder if I should start taking Melatonin on a regular basis just to see if it will help me sleep through the night.

We'll see what tomorrow night brings