So for those of you who have never tried to get pregnant, or for the lucky women who have gotten pregnant "without even trying" or "on the first try"... let me just break down for you what one cycle of actively trying to conceive looks like. And not just actively trying to conceive, but trying to conceive after a loss. Which adds a certain level of desperation to it. And I will also add that this is not even considered hardcore by those women who have been down the IUI/IVF route. There are women out there at this very moment stabbing themselves with hormones all in the name of becoming a mother. And I have all the respect in the world for those women. This was just my desperate attempt at not having to endure any more big fat negative pregnancy tests. They are truly soul crushing when you would literally sell your soul just to see 2 pink lines.
I charted my basal body temperature and all kinds of cervical symptoms. I started drinking raspberry leaf tea with lemon in it 3 times a day. Raspberry leaf tea is supposed to help enhance the lining of your uterus (which should help an embryo implant). Drinking hot lemon water 3 times a day is part of a Chinese Medicine theory about creating a "warm environment" for an embryo to implant. The extra vitamin C doesn't hurt, either. I take a prenatal vitamin, fish oil, and Vitamin D everyday. Vitamin D deficiency can contribute to infertility, and I have had Vitamin D deficiency since I started working night shift. Then there's the "Sperm Meets Egg" plan which, for the sake of the chance that my mother might read this one day, I will spare you the details of. If you're really curious, just google it. It's a plan to help women who have had a miscarriage conceive as quickly as possible. In addition to just a general overall trying to eat healthy, I tried to eat only organic. They say preservatives and pesticides in non-organic food can contribute to infertility. After I ovulated I wore warm fuzzy socks at all times and only ate and drank warm things (again with the Chinese Medicine theory). I put affirmations on my bathroom mirror that said stuff about "taking charge of my fertility." I also quit drinking. Altogether. Not a sip. Because that's one of the first things they tell you to stop doing if you're trying to increase your fertility. Basically if it said somewhere on the internet that it increased fertility... I did it. My husband must of thought I lost my damn mind. But it worked. I got pregnant.
But it was a short-lived victory...