I've decided to treat myself to a few luxuries in the waiting period before trying to conceive again:
Acupuncture
I've started acupuncture to hopefully get my cycles on track. My new acupuncturist says that I have blood stasis and dampness which are causing grief to my system while trying to conceive. At the first visit she gave me chinese herbs to drink in tea to help balance me out. They taste horrible! (like drinking celery tea mixed with vomit. yummy!) My western medicine doctor thinks that it may not be a good idea to take the herbs since she didn't have information on what exactly is in the mixture. I'm now torn, stuck in the middle of an eastern/western medicine fight. I don't know who to take advice from and feel like I'll just do whatever I feel is right for me. I may not drink the herb tea, or I may drink it sometimes and not others. I really don't want to insult the acupuncturist but I really don't want to be drinking weird unknown tea either.
She also mentioned that given my BBTs from last cycle, my temperatures are too low to sustain a pregnancy. My temperatures averaged at just under 36 degrees celsius before ovulation and only 36.4 after ovulation and while briefly pregnant. So she has recommended some things I can do at home to get blood flowing and I plan to give her ideas a shot. The good news is, based on my own observations of my BBT this cycle, my temperatures have already come up by a few points on average. (See Ovulation Chart link along the right side bar for data).
The other thing she did today was cover a big section of my leg with iodine. She says that if it fades away fast, by today, then I likely have a thyroid problem and am iodine deficient. If it`s still dark tomorrow , then I am good. I think I am good as I just had a blood test and my doctor informed me recently that my thyroid is working fine. So now I've got this big patch of yellow iodine by my right knee which looks all patchy and strange. I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt and go with her on this strange trip, at least for a few months. At best, we will be pregnant very quickly after the new year, at worst I learn a bit about eastern medicine.
Massage Therapy
I went for massage treatments last year after the car accident and it did wonders, so I've decided to go every few weeks until the end of the year and treat myself in order to help relax and be more calm. The massage therapist I see is excellent at her job and the experience is very soothing for the body and soul. I look forward to my next appointment and would go everyday if I had the means. I would highly recommend this treatment to anyone!
Chiropractic Care
I've been seeing my chiropractor now for a few years and I go about once a month to get adjusted. It keeps my immune system healthy and helps to relax my muscles in conjunction with the on site massage therapy. I plan to keep this up once a month for the duration of my future pregnancy and possibly even beyond.
Facials
Okay, so this isn't really related to TTC in any way, but it's really nice to be pampered and I think every once in awhile is nice to go for a facial. Plus it helps a lot with trouble spots from all the hormone fluctuations! This is a random treatment, not on a regular basis. I also recommend this one to anyone who likes to feel pampered.
And below are the things on my To Do List before TTC again:
Dentist
We go every six months for a full cleaning and are due for our next end of November, so I am including this here as something I will take care of in relation to TTC. I've read that having healthy teeth and gums is a big step towards a healthy pregnancy. Looking forward to having that squeeky clean feeling. I know some of you will think that I am crazy, but I love getting fluoride trays!
Yearly Exam
I scheduled my yearly exam for next week. It needs to be done and since I am not TTC for now, I figured it's as good a time as any to get this out of the way. Then when we are TTC again we can know that everything is good and healthy for baby's oven. I will get my results in a few weeks.
Exercise
I haven't been working out really since July (unless you count walking all over Europe during our vacation.) Lately, I've found a huge lack of energy and have been just happy to get through each day without being over tired. I struggle most days to stay awake past 9pm and some days find myself falling asleep mid afternoon. I am hoping that my body will heal and I'll get my energy levels back up again. I'm very drained right now and I can feel it. I am getting 6-9 hours of sleep each night and don't think I can or should get much more. Maybe getting back into a routine of working out will boost my energy. I'll start slowly with walking and work my way back to running and lifting again. It's hard to get motivated!
So that's the break down of everything I am doing for my health prior to trying to conceive again. Here's hoping it will all mesh together and aid us in producing a happy healthy bundle next fall or winter! I'll post updates on my thoughts on the treatments as they unfold.
