Saturday, June 30, 2012

Soap + Toner

CD20

IF update:  Kind of bummed lately.  This cycle also doesn't seem to be working.  Like usual.  Some nice goat brie and wine cheered me up last night.  ;)

So I've been thinking for a while it would be fun to post about random beauty products during the TWW.  It is after all my blog.  And I'm a bit of a crazy makeup girl.  But we'll save that for a future post.  So sorry, this isn't much about IF - you can tune out if you like!  :)

So it is no secret, I have bad skin.  It's been getting better slowly but surely (GF/dairy free seems to help a ton), but I am still prone to breakouts/bit of rosacea (interesting I just looked it up - linked to intestinal bacteria...hrmm....).  When I washed my face with Pro.A.ctive before my wedding, my skin did look great.  BUT, this has far too many chemicals for TTC, so I stopped right after the wedding (when we started TTC).

I am sort of demanding my skin get better from the inside out, using it as a reflection of my general health and well-being.

So I use soap.  Regular old soap.  Same soap for body and face.  Right now I'm using Dr Bronner's Tea Tree Oil, but I like his unscented best.  I love rich lather-y bar soaps.  I have a tie between The Soap Work's Pine Tar soap, and Dr B's Unscented as my all-time favourite soaps.  I think the Pine Tar edges out slightly - it is way cheaper, and it is made locally which is pretty cool.  If you've never tried a Dr B's bar soap - spoil yourself one day and try them out.  They are super luxurious.  :)



I also use the brush pictured.  It really does help.  I use it once a day, for about a minute.  This is my concession to trying a little bit to improve things from the outside instead of just the inside.  I've been using this type of brush (very soft bristles) for over a year now.  In fact, I've already broken one of these and bought a second one.  (You can get them at the drug store, nothing fancy).

I splash a bit of Witch Hazel for toner, then I'm done.  I find if I don't tone my skin gets very dry.  I don't use moisturizer at all.  My skin is so oily naturally, it doesn't feel nice.  And usually they are chock full of chemicals.  I know I'm playing a dangerous game with wrinkles...but such is life.  :)


I was a little worried Witch Hazel was no good for fertility, but I did a little Dr Google-ing just now, and it seems fine.  Also pictured is my red clay, which I use to make very occasional masks.  I do really find masks improve my skin, but I find it a bit of a bother.

Do you have a favourite soap?  What is your toner solution?

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Mrs Lamey McNoRunsy

CD16

My OvuView is suddenly saying (or I'm suddenly noticing) 5DPO - but no way.  Ovulation is today or tomorrow.  I am OUCHY today.  (Interestingly, CM peak was 5 days ago...but that doesn't mean ovulation. ?)

The lamest thing ever - I got all dressed up to go on a run this morning, and I barely made it out of the yard.  Even the first few steps were too ouchy - so I turned around and went home (and watered my zucchini).  Lame!

Despite my big exercise push, I still am mostly sedentary.  I like watching tv after a long day of work.  That's the problem!  Sure, today it is ovulation pain - to be fair, I also was ready to start 'you are your own gym', but am just too ouchy.  Maybe in a few minutes it will be better? [Update:  No, it is worse.  Add some colon spasms in.  What the heck?]

This weekend was totally fun, with a great visit with Feather (who lives about 5 hours away normally, but stayed with us for the weekend).  It was cut short by a wedding shower I had to go to - but that turned out to be fun too.

Feather and I made the most awesome raspberry sorbet ever - and I'm quite happy to say that it was without an ice cream maker!  (I already have far too many kitchen gadgets, no room for such a single-purpose thing!)  (Sorry, I was trying to put up a picture, but it is too hard to do that today)

Lata!
(I am still thinking this cycle will fail like all other cycles do.  But am more excited about adoption!)

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Weekly meal plan, late

CD11

Helllllooooooo!
I have been negligent - this has been an excellent week in endometriosis friendly cookery, but I haven't shared the meal plan with you ladies yet!

And I will disclaim - things haven't gone quite to plan, but here is the plan anyway:

Mon:  French Style Salad.  We pickup the free magazine, and I love the look of it!  Recipe here.  (and ok, we haven't had this yet, but tonight I think)


Tues:  Lentil Wat, cabbage, quinoa.  Ok, the Lentil Wat (which is Ehtiopian curry/stew) turned out quite dodgy - next time I should follow a recipe and not just wing it.

Wed:  Chicken cabbage salad

Thurs:  Beets (served cold - it is a heat wave after all!), Black-eyed peas and fennel.

We made it to hot yoga again last night.  You know, I was really getting into the groove of sweating.  The rest of the night wasn't so hot after that.  Tonight is a more relaxing class, I'm looking forward to it.

Oh, and I totally forgot to mention the fun meetup on the weekend!  It was small, but good.  (Always nice to meet new people - but then again, wouldn't it be nicer if there didn't have to be any new additions to the group?)  I'm starting to edge into veteran class IF lady - not somewhere I ever wanted to be...
Really nice to see Jelly Belly in person.  :)  I gave her some Kombucha mothers - go JB go! 

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

It's getting hot in here! (so hot!)

CD9

DH and I did our first hot yoga class last night!!  And I lived!!!  I only started to black out once for a teeny bit - totally better than my previous hot yoga experiences.  Oh man - DH totally soaked his clothing and his towels.  Boys SWEAT.  I have them all hanging out on the line before I bring them in to wash, just due to the extreme wetness. 

We didn't start Monday as planned because the GF brownies I made as dessert to our father's day extravaganza (both DH's family and my Dad came over!) kept me up half the night!  I couldn't face waking up at 5:45am Monday morning, so we pushed it off to today.

But I am kinda tired now - hope I make it through work ok.  I couldn't really find much about hot yoga and fertility on the Internet, so I have decided that it will be ok to do it for 2 weeks.  I prob won't do it next cycle - or if I do, maybe just once or twice.  After these intro sessions, the cost becomes slightly insane to me (call me el cheapo).

Yesterday I was sooo tired and lazy feeling all day.  Not a great Monday, as far as Mondays go (probably influenced by the wine I had at dinner - not a ton, but still it makes the next day run less smoothly).  I did force myself to go to the work gym, that was probably good.  And my arms are hurting from the 'you are your o.wn gym' on Sunday - surprisingly, since I did it sort of half-a$$ed.  Also, all this running and whatnot have made me starving, so I have been into the work vending machine chips!  Nicht gut!  Thsi is when running can actually make you fatter.  :(

I will say my TEBB was improved this cycle - just a bit of it.  I would prefer if it continued in this direction!  :)

Friday, June 15, 2012

Running every day this week

CD5

Well, as far as AF visits go, this one hasn't been too bad at all.  Which is great - night and day compared to last time!  I think it is a combo of the last one being a 36 day cycle making it AWFUL, and a little bit of help from all this exercise this time.  A few light cramps on CD1, that's it!

And (TMI) I haven't been having those painful bowels AT ALL lately - woohoo!  I think gluten free is helping after all.

I have been quite good about exercising so far - I've run every morning this week.  Now, they're not fancy runs - today was actually quite pathetic, but at least I went out.  And I've download all sorts of exercise apps to my phone - my favs are "you are you.r own g.ym" and a series of 5 minute workouts (butt, legs, arms).

DH and I are planning on embarking on a 2 week trial period of Mo.kshe yoga (hot yoga) on Monday.  It is one of those unlimited for the first 2 weeks deals, so we're hoping to go every day (excepting the weekends, which are busy).  I am hoping this 2 weeks of massive sweating will help with the sore lymph nodes I get whenever AF is around the corner.  Because really - I probably haven't sweat enough in general in the last year.  I am totally one of those people that starts to black out during hot yoga, so I hope this isn't folly to plan to do it every day for 2 weeks!

At our end of season choir party last night (super fun, btw - I am really going to miss choir!) I talked a bit about IF with one of the marvellous midwives.  It was refreshing.  She said she thinks about me (my IF situation) all the time, but she doesn't want to ask.  But I said, no problem, she can ask (she is a pro baby catcher, after all).   I told her this cycle didn't work, I had 3 eggs, she was impressed by my progesterone number.  I told her we were doing the adoption seminar in September - I think it is important for me to start putting adoption "out there" a bit more.

Now if I could only get rid of the TEBB....

Monday, June 11, 2012

Focus on Fitness

CD1

Well, this next cycle will for focusing on fitness, and on having a run-in with a really good glass of wine now and then.

Health is about diet and exercise, right?  Well, I've been taking SUPER easy for the last year or so - I think it's time to get back in the game.  Feather can attest there was a time in life I was actually pretty active - I didn't think it was a big deal to run 20km.  Now - I can't even make it around the block without huffing and puffing.  And here I firmly believe in exercise, but I don't do it.  Diet I am doing pretty well, but this is only half of the puzzle.

So, for this cycle:
  • Meaningful exercise every day
    • Which will also help me get in shape for our upcoming backpacking trip
    • And really, with such a low fitness level, maybe being pg would be too much, maybe in retrospect it will be better I raise my fitness level before getting pg?
  • I am one step closer to going on the family trip to Vietnam (where I wouldn't go if I was very pg)
  • I will turn back into one of those people who brings their running ensemble with them on vacation - even car camping.
  • Rest cycle, no drugs or wanding  (still will go for it the old fashioned way, of course)

I sort of felt this was coming.  Maybe not quite so soon  (I think it's a 25 day cycle), but... I didn't feel differently enough.  Even with the HCG shot I was noticeably different from my usual self.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Symptom Check, '03

CD23
8 DPO

The Good:
  • Smell Sensitivity?  Well...maybe?  As soon as my carpooler got in the car after work I was like "are you wearing cologne?" - but it turns out it was probably just his deodorant.  And then later in the car I was like "why does it smell like fumes?" and it was the di.esel in front of us. So... could be nothing.
  • BBT still up.  But it often doesn't fall until AF is hear.  So while down is bad, up isn't necessarily good. 
  • Vivid dreams?  Yeah.  I normally have pretty vivid dreams, but I've been having some pretty major dreams last couple of days, including a sleep paralysis moment.   But also could be due to massive progesterone level.

The Bad:
  • Darkening areolas?  Nope.
  • Spotting?  Nope.
  • Urinary frequency or constipation?  Nope. 
  • Fatigue?  Not really.
  • Nausea? Nope.
  • Unusual hunger or cravings?  Nah.
  • Headache?  No.
  • Mood swing?  No more than usual.  ;)
  • Faint/dizzy?  No.
  • Metallic taste?  No.

The Indifferent:
  • Boobs are incredibly sore.  Particularly in the evenings!  But, this is sort of par for the course, seemingly made worse by all the progesterone floating around in my system.
  • Cramping is getting worse.  I think this is sorta bad, but Internet says it could be ok in early pg.  It certainly feels like AF is about to be here.  Is that you knocking around in there triplets?
As you can see my "good" signs are pretty weak.

So we continue to wait.  I thought about testing tonight, but we're having company, and it is pretty obvious in the garbage!  In any case, I am quite happy to have these two stay over tonight, it will be good to see them!  And we're going out for an evening of jazz at a local sailing club, sounds like we're going to have a great time!  My first warm summer night out this year.  :)

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

I don't mean to brag, but...

CD21
6DPO

I did the happy dance of joy yesterday - my progesterone number was 105.  !!!  Holy Moley!

I was sure the number would be like 18 or something, which is low for Napro folks, but my doc would have maybe thought ok, and then I was going to have a big prog cream debate.  But, ah, ahem, 105.  Yup, no extra needed!  Wohoo!  Even Dr Nora only wanted to see 60.

So immediately I am thinking "Triplets!", and I spent my spare day dreaming at work thinking of how cool that would be.  (Really, I think there could be months of debate of what clever names to give them alone!)

Doc was VERY surprised I wasn't more bloated yesterday when I went for blood/wanding.  He kept asking how I was doing, and I was like "ok".  "Any bleeding after?"  "Nope, just some mild cramping."  He mentioned twins again - he is worried-ish we'll have twins.

I did finally mention I had been eating my face off and quite tired (there was a point on Sunday I took DH's bowl away from him so I could eat more!), and he said my body thinks it is preggo, so that is normal.  Duh, of course, I think in retrospect.  That's the closest I've ever been to pg.  Hahah - well, it wasn't too bad, bring it on!  Those signs are fading now.  I ate a normal amount last night, and the crazy tiredness seems to be gone today.  Poot.  I was sort of hoping to continue those symptoms for the next 39 weeks or so....


"Higher levels of progesterone than normal can be caused by adrenal cancer, ovarian cancer or a condition known as congenital adrenal hyperplasia." - Nah, doesn't sound like me.

"Obesity, insulin resistance, high levels of stress, poor diet and lack of exercise can all contribute to low progesterone levels" - Well, despite a noted lack of exercise [I have been a lazy bum lately], I guess I'm doing ok to have generated such a high level!  Hooray!

Does 105 mean all 3 eggs are good to go?  ~30 for each?  Yes, I think so.  Alas, Dr. Internet indicates this does not mean this cycle is going to WORK or not.  Double Poot.  High progesterone doesn't mean the beans will stick, just that there are beans.

Well, I'm still super jazzed [seriously, google normal progesterone levels, then be me, then get super excited, then remember this doesn't mean any one of them will stick and get a bit sad, then repeat].  This is more progesterone than is needed at 28 weeks pg!  If the triplets make it, I am ready for them!

I will be watching myself like a hawk for the next week for early pg signs!  Of course my boobs are sore, but that is normal for this time.  They even started a bit late again, indicating a long cycle, which is going to mess with my head - again.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

An exciting week in Endo-friendly cookery!

CD18, 3DPO

Ladies, this is an exciting week in endometriosis friendly cookery!  I saw this online, and decided that it sounds like super fun to ferment some Injera!  I loooove fermenting, I like gluten-free... I love grains with good nutritional profiles...voila!  Isn't everything more healthful when you ferment it?


Let's see how well it works - I've seen some people online say it didn't turn out - but we'll see!  :)

I've been doing fine the last few days (emotionally - just trying to stay calm and be 'regular' about things) - I go in for progesterone check Tuesday, then depending on how that number looks there will be much gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands.  ;)

Monday:  Warm lentil salad.  Nothing fancy, move it along.
Tues:  Franks and Beans!  Ok, ok, I don't know if 'Franks' (aka, hot dogs) qualify as good for endo...ok, they don't.  But I will at least buy nitrate free ones.  And I make my own baked beans (a la slow cooker), thank you very much!
Wed:  Heuvos Rancheros.
Thurs:  Fake cassoulet, based loosely off this.  Again, you're thinking "Sausage?  Really, CS?".  But I have a craving, so I'm going with it.  And I'll buy organic chicken thighs.
Friday Night Fun!  Injera with Lentil Wat, Cabbage, and maybe Goat Stew.  Yum!  Friday some good friends from NYC are in town and staying with us, it would be fun if we had Ethopian leftovers when they got here!  :)

Appleseed grows

Lilypie Maternity tickers