Just wanted to share a story I heard the other day about a 43-year-old who got pregnant with twins (naturally) while nursing an 11-month-old. Twins are 3 now and doing great! (and mom looks awesome too, I have to say)
Hi Robin (Siddal), welcome to the thread! There are a lot of wonderful women on here, with lots of good info and hopeful stories. I got pregnant with my first baby when I turned 40, and had a planned homebirth with midwives, so, no meds or interventions... Feel free to ask me anything you want! I'm now pregnant with #2, and I conceived while nursing my DS... still am... 
I'm thinking that I may even end up tandem nursing, which a couple years ago I wouldn't have even thought possible!
A belated congratulations to you and your family bookwormmommy!
And happy birthday gumblossom!
Greenmama, how long were you eating paleo before you noticed a change to your fertility? I'm really hoping it helps me. I also think I might need to stay away from dairy, but I still eat yoghurt for the healthy bacteria, and have a dash of milk in my black tea in the morning. So your friend Ghost wrote that book? She did a great job. I find the book so easy and accessible, even with all the scientific stuff in it. It makes a great deal of sense. Thank her from me.
Diet timeline for me- grew up eating organics food- vegetarian, went macrobiotic vegan at age 12- did that until I was 22 and had trouble conceiving. Added in grass fed meat, fish and eggs. Kept the dairy out. Had my twins. Next pregnancy I was eating a WAP diet because friend introduced me to NT he was a firiend of Sally Fallon's. gained a lot of weight with that . Got tested for celiac- that was my turning point. Went raw primal Aajounus Vonderplanitz style- lost a ton of that pregnancy weight and more. Did that for 4 years until I found myself pregnant again. During that pregnancy switched to high raw paleo (no dairy) gained total of 12 pounds that pregnancy and I only started out at 105. Went fine though. Then I stopped eating animal food and became raw vegan. Pregnant again- by end of first trimester craved fish and eggs- ate that in addition to my raw diet. Another healthy baby. Went back to raw veganism when he was 2 or so- did that for next 3 years then added in eggs and raw dairy, then fish. Then settled on high raw diet with some quality animal foods- no dairy. Which brings me to age 44- pregnant again. Craved carbs and dairy this pregnancy- ate some gluten free carbs and raw dairy. Quit the dairy 6 weeks before he was due and I pretty much eat a high raw food diet with some key animal foods and cooked tubers/pumpkin etc; as well as cooked broccoli, lots of fermented vegetables which I've always eaten, I make raw coconut yogurt and stuff like that. So I've been off grains pretty much since age 29 with some cheats of rice/rice flour and buckwheat etc; here and there.
So yes, after I ditched the grains and added on some quality animal food my fertility skyrocketed. I also don't eat refined sugar (or anything refined) don't drink coffee (never did) smoke etc;
Yes she also ghost wrote Dr. Datis Kharrazian's thyroid book which is also groundbreaking. I like Nora's approach because she doesn't advocate tons of animal food like other paleo/primal enthusiasts.
Skeemama, almost 41
hopeful for a healthy, happy baby.
Recovering from last mc 7 weeks ago.
Loading up on vit B, Folate, omega, pregnenolone, & topical progesterone.
Using acupuncture & chiropractic & massage.
Did use a OPK & had a LH surge 2 weeks ago, DTD and waiting.
If its a no-go how do I get on the list for the goddess?
AF came, a couple days late. I am so grumpy.
I am feeling so negative about TTC...and it's really only been about 6 months that I've been actively trying and 3 since I started on the B-vits, Vitex and progesterone cream. I'm trying to not obsess about it and take it one cycle at a time, but it's really hard.
Anyone have any good books or mantras or such to help stay calm while TTC? I could use some pointers.
welcome siddal! i am pretty new here as well. i also had a home birth with midwives with my DD when i was 38 (almost 39) and i had absolutely no complications the entire pregnancy or birth, just to add a little more hope to your arsenal of positivity. and as well, if you have any questions about it, i would be happy to answer, too.
miss sonja sorry to hear that. it's hard getting hopes up each cycle to be let down. loads of baby dust to you!!! wish i had a mantra off the top of my head for you. i'm sure someone will come along and share something helpful with you. 
I love the 43 year-old getting pregnant with twins, while nursing story. I have just the friend to pass that on to. Thank you, fuller2!
(((hug))), miss-sonja. Those couple days late can be really hard. I can have a lot of lovely ideas for the future in 2 days. I'm surprised I don't have any good books or mantras either. This place and talking to close friends helps. A good cry and being loving with myself can be helpful too for me.
Welcome, again, siddal! That's exciting about your visit with the midwife. I also had my first child at home. I was 37 (almost 38). It was an amazing, beautiful, intense, supportive, empowering, awesome experience.
I can't seem to stay away!!!!
ds is 3 weeks and i am suffering from baby fever!!!
dh def is done! iwas too whyile i was pg, but now not so sure.... i keep thinking that you really have to feel done, why can't i just be satisfied and move on to the next stage of life?????
I can't seem to stay away!!!!
ds is 3 weeks and i am suffering from baby fever!!!
dh def is done! iwas too whyile i was pg, but now not so sure.... i keep thinking that you really have to feel done, why can't i just be satisfied and move on to the next stage of life?????
I felt the same way after my dd was born 5 and a half years ago. Still do.
I love the idea of having 2 close together so they can play together & be friends (like me & my sister).... my dh says I am a romantic about the concept.
It has not worked for us to have babies close together. .....yet.... LOL
Or maybe we will hit the TWIN button...(Ok, now I am just wishing out loud)
On another note, can anyone help me/teach me when to take the Vitex supplement? Is it daily or just in a specific phase of cycle? BTW, this was the longest LP I have ever had!!!!!
I wonder if it counts since it has been less than 8 weeks since the miscarriage & D&C...?
I did start B complex, pregnenolone and topical progesterone. (and my mid phase protest level was 16.1 = AWESOME!!!)
I think we just DtD a day to early & then no repeats because I was traveling. (sorry tmi!!)
I am ready. My family is ready to grow. Baby dust. Baby dust. Baby dust....
Hello lovelies,
Kristin, thank you for starting this nice new thread for us!
Hello and warm welcomes to all the new mamas here and congratulations to all the pregnant mamas with good news lately! It makes my hear smile to hear your good news.
I'm 12dpo and felt mighty pg for a few days, not so much now. Perhaps it was just a nice big dose of progesterone, which is a good thing, too. I'm so glad I get to see my lovely, kind, nurturing TCM person today.... I need it. It's been a tough couple of weeks -- my dad was in the hospital (out and doing better now), a cousin (father to 3) passed away yesterday, and I had a heartbreaking falling out with one of my closest friends who's been by my side for more than 20 years. Some of you might recall some of the personal history here -- this is the friend who started out supportive of my TTC journey and later had a change of heart and became very negative and unsupportive. I had been reaching out to her, hoping to work through this and get to a new place of deeper connection in our friendship, but it was not to be. When we got together last week our conversation went so badly that I left feeling heartbroken, knowing I need to stay far away from her. She doesn't understand my desire for a baby, doesn't believe I will ever conceive with my own eggs, and is for some reason not okay with our different feelings about that. She feels I'm deluding myself and is angry that she can't persuade me. I'm still reeling, beginning to work through the anger and move toward feeling the loss... I feel I don't know her anymore, and just cannot believe this simple desire/quest of mine has actually come between us. Another issue is that her hostile, hurtful words cut more deeply than I realized and my belief in this journey has been shaken. I need some kind of ritual to let go of her and renew my sense of self (or, as my TCM person says, "call my soul back to me").
On a happier note, I had two beautiful interactions with friends that were very TTC-positive! I had lunch with a friend of a friend who is naturally pregnant at 45 after many years of TTC (including a couple of heartbreaking miscarriages). She saw a great, nurturing acupuncturist (although had given that up before she got pregnant) and also went to the Beer Center and had testing (positive for NK cells) and injections that calmed down her immune response (although she only had these after she became pregnant). I am holding on to the image of her lovely wise 45-year-old face and beautiful growing belly! Her parting words to me were, "If I can do it, you can certainly do it" -- she said this with a bit of friendly eye-rolling... referring to my gluten-free, alcohol-free, caffeine-free, nutrient-dense diet... she never gave up red wine or coffee! Love it!
I also got together with one of my closest friends who has shared the journey of pregnancy, birth and mothering with me (our babies were born days apart). We talked about what we've loved about pregnancy, birth and parenting -- the absolute indescribable transcendent MAGIC of it! -- and it helped heal some of the hurt and helped me remember why I'm doing this.
Miss Sonja, you were asking about helpful books and practices. For me, seeing my TCM person and my fertility-specializing hypnotherapist is the absolute best. My hyno person has given me lots of beautiful guided visualizations that are incredibly healing and helpful during the hard times -- I have a couple of inner guides now who will swoop in and rescue me at a moment's notice! I also find the books by Randine Lewis and Julia Indichova helpful. My hypno person also recommended to me a book about the mind-body connection by James Schwartz, I'm currently reading it and finding it fascinating and hopeful: The Mind Body Fertility Connection: http://www.amazon.com/Mind-Body-Fertility-Connection-Pathway-Conception/dp/073871376
Someone else asked about supplements... Skeemama? Someone else? My apologies, I'm so behind. So here's what my fertility nutritionist recommended and what I'm currently taking:
Rainbow Light prenatal
Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega fish oil
Carlson's Vitamin D drops (2,000 IU per day, I was deficient)
New Chapter B complex (helps to regulate cycle and lengthen LP, although mine is long enough already)
Carlson' Vitamin E (800 mg per day, helps with implantation)
Carlson's CoQ10 (600 mg per day, helps with egg quality)
Myoinositol (4,000 mg per day, helps with egg quality -- hard to find, I get mine at the one natural foods store in my big city that carries it, you can also order it here: http://shop.pullingdownthemoon.com/. Note that the studies which showed myoinositol helped with egg quality involved a protocol which included taking 3mg melatonin. However, melatonin can suppress ovulation, so it's best to take only if you're doing ART and thus using drugs to trigger ovulation).
Baby aspirin
Renew Life Critical Care formula probiotic (one per day, I take at night which seems to help my AM digestive process)
Before hiring a fertility nutritionist, I was taking many more supplements, and she helped me winnow it down to a handful each day. She felt many of the supplements I was taking (such as Maca and Royal Jelly) fell into the category of "can't hurt / might help", and she wanted me to focus on supplements that had a lot of research behind them (buying fewer, but higher quality supplements). I was also taking things that were known to help with fertility and had research behind them, but weren't targeting my issues. For example, I was taking L-Arginine to help with blood flow to the uterus. But, my uterus and lining have always been great, and what I really need to focus on is egg quality. I realize there are lots of herbs and supplements out there (such as red raspberry and nettle) that may not have been empirically researched (to my knowledge) but do have hundreds or even thousands of years of safe, effective use by women and midwives. So I don't mean to discount the validity of these helpers -- I believe in them and have taken them. I was just driving myself nuts taking so many different things every day, so it was kind of sanity saver to have a nutritionist help me sort through and filter.
Hugs to you all!
I have found that having a nurturing practitioner has really helped get through this tough journey. My TCM person is very gentle and gives so much to me - much more than the acupuncture. She's almost a therapist. I saw her yesterday and she seems to be trying to direct me toward "acceptance". Not necessarily to accept that I won't have another baby, but more to accept where I am right now and to just see what happens. She keeps telling me I am in good condition, and that my nearly non-existent AF is probably due to the D&C's I had, and now I need to be patient. It is good advice, and when I see her I always feel calmer about it all.
I am taking a whole lot of supplements(but I'm thinking I may start taking less, as it seems a ridiculous amount, and after doing the visualization work that Julia Indichova advises, I am coming to think that I should take fewer sups):
Vit D
Vit E
Fish Oil
Evening Primrose Oil (until ovulation, then stop)
Multi-vitamin
Folic acid (500mg, 3 x a day)
Co Q 10 (200mg, 3 x a day)
Royal Jelly
Red Clover Isoflavones (day 8 - ovulation)
Baby Aspirin (75 mg)
Vit B complex
I'm also taking nettle and red clover tea infusions. About 4 small glasses a day.
I was taking DHEA, but heard it can thin the lining, so stopped that. I used to also make a fresh juice with vitalgreens powder, maca and inisotol. But I no longer drink juice, and I put the maca powder into a high fat/nut/seed slice I now make and eat as a snack. It is from Nora Gedgaudas' book - she makes it into balls, but I make it into a slice and eat little squares of it. I love it so much that I wonder if it is healthy!
Since doing the paleo thing a bit more seriously (cutting out all grain, I used to eat gluten free grains) I have been feeling much more energetic. And I am losing some belly fat, which is a bonus.I am not eating a highly raw diet, mainly because I've had digestion issues over the years, and so find a lot of raw vegetables gives me a stomach ache. We have salads with leafy greens, but I do like to stem many of our vegetables. My husband and I are keen meat eaters, but I'm trying to make our serving sizes smaller too. It is the first time in my life that I have really settled into a way of eating that feels right.
I hope I get the bonus of high fertility too.
I can hardly believe I am saying that, as I have always been fertile until now. I have always gotten pregnant easily, right up to my last child, Charlie, who is three. It took 7 months of ttc, but that was after a vasectomy reversal. And then I did get pregnant twice, but lost them. Now I find that having tests done, I'm really doubting my fertility. I wish I'd never had them done, then I wouldn't be worrying that my time is up and I am barren. I know it is silly, and I really need to work on some positive affirmations.
Someone I know is now in the middle of a healthy pregnancy after about 6 miscarriages. This time, she said the mantra every day : "My body, my mind and my heart are ready for you, baby". I guess it may have helped.
My acupuncturist says : "you are where you are meant to be. We don't know why, but the universe has it all worked out for us. We are where we should be..."
I have found that having a nurturing practitioner has really helped get through this tough journey. My TCM person is very gentle and gives so much to me - much more than the acupuncture. She's almost a therapist. I saw her yesterday and she seems to be trying to direct me toward "acceptance". Not necessarily to accept that I won't have another baby, but more to accept where I am right now and to just see what happens. She keeps telling me I am in good condition, and that my nearly non-existent AF is probably due to the D&C's I had, and now I need to be patient. It is good advice, and when I see her I always feel calmer about it all.
I am taking a whole lot of supplements(but I'm thinking I may start taking less, as it seems a ridiculous amount, and after doing the visualization work that Julia Indichova advises, I am coming to think that I should take fewer sups):
Vit D
Vit E
Fish Oil
Evening Primrose Oil (until ovulation, then stop)
Multi-vitamin
Folic acid (500mg, 3 x a day)
Co Q 10 (200mg, 3 x a day)
Royal Jelly
Red Clover Isoflavones (day 8 - ovulation)
Baby Aspirin (75 mg)
Vit B complex
I'm also taking nettle and red clover tea infusions. About 4 small glasses a day.
I was taking DHEA, but heard it can thin the lining, so stopped that. I used to also make a fresh juice with vitalgreens powder, maca and inisotol. But I no longer drink juice, and I put the maca powder into a high fat/nut/seed slice I now make and eat as a snack. It is from Nora Gedgaudas' book - she makes it into balls, but I make it into a slice and eat little squares of it. I love it so much that I wonder if it is healthy!
Since doing the paleo thing a bit more seriously (cutting out all grain, I used to eat gluten free grains) I have been feeling much more energetic. And I am losing some belly fat, which is a bonus.I am not eating a highly raw diet, mainly because I've had digestion issues over the years, and so find a lot of raw vegetables gives me a stomach ache. We have salads with leafy greens, but I do like to stem many of our vegetables. My husband and I are keen meat eaters, but I'm trying to make our serving sizes smaller too. It is the first time in my life that I have really settled into a way of eating that feels right.
I hope I get the bonus of high fertility too.
I can hardly believe I am saying that, as I have always been fertile until now. I have always gotten pregnant easily, right up to my last child, Charlie, who is three. It took 7 months of ttc, but that was after a vasectomy reversal. And then I did get pregnant twice, but lost them. Now I find that having tests done, I'm really doubting my fertility. I wish I'd never had them done, then I wouldn't be worrying that my time is up and I am barren. I know it is silly, and I really need to work on some positive affirmations.
Someone I know is now in the middle of a healthy pregnancy after about 6 miscarriages. This time, she said the mantra every day : "My body, my mind and my heart are ready for you, baby". I guess it may have helped.
My acupuncturist says : "you are where you are meant to be. We don't know why, but the universe has it all worked out for us. We are where we should be..."
Thank you Gumblossom.
Your response helped and my heart skipped a beat when I read the last few lines.
I am going to add a few supplements. I feel a ton more energy since adding the B complex.
I am writing the mantra in my journal to repeat daily.
My body, my mind and my heart are ready for you baby! (babies)
Blessings!
wow, thanks to gumblossom and Litmama for sharing all the things you do and take for good health and fertility!
wondered if anyone who likes to look at charts would mind having a look at mine http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/389e31 ? this is my first cycle charting, and i'm wondering if i should be a little concerned that since ovulation my temps have only gone up up up. i thought they go up and down above the cover line, not only up. thanks for having a look!
Mittens- That is a great looking chart and very normal post O temps. One expects temps to stay above coverline until around AF time (or stay up if one is pregnant). Your temps will likely start to level out now that you are 7dpo. Best of luck this cycle!
Thanks so much for the warm welcome and for sharing your stories. They are very inspiring and give me a lot of hope :-)
Visit the to midwife went well. We basically just discussed conception for now. Sadly she did tell me to go ahead and get the chicken pox vaccine. And from what I read it is a two part vaccine, 4 weeks apart. And the midwife said you are not supposed to TTC for once month after you have it. I have an appt. with my general pract. on Dec. 1, so hopefully I can go ahead and get dose 1 then. I'm so annoyed with myself for not getting it a couple of years ago, when we were thinking of trying. But...I guess this will also give me time to see if my periods are going to be normal after the pill, and to start charting, start with prenatals, etc. i'm just not a very patient person once I make up my mind to do something 
ha.
Litmama, do you like the Rainbow Light prenatals? They sound like a good product.
Mittens, I agree that looks like a great chart! The soaring temps mean your progesterone production is good. Mine spike up like that right after O as well and then settle back down.
Soirse, I love that you have baby fever! I remember feeling that way almost immediately after my DD was born, it was very intense! Of course, it took me 2 years to get PPAF...
Siddal, glad your midwife appointment went well, but sorry that you have to deal with the vaccine and waiting period. It is hard to wait once you know what you want! I do like Rainbow Light prenatals (I take their Prenatal One formula). What I like about them is they're food-based, very gentle on the stomach and include a "gentle prenatal blend" with Red Raspberry. I believe other mamas here take them as well. My nutritionist also recommended New Chapter prenatals, which are organic -- I don't think Rainbow Light are. Before consulting a nutritionist, I was taking generic prenatals (Whole Foods or Trader Joe's), but she explained to me that quality does make a huge different in absorption and it's worth it to shell out the extra bucks for the quality brands.
Thanks Halifax and LitMama! I was told when TTC DD a couple of years ago that my progesterone was low. I thought it was age related and that it would stay that way or get worse. Is it possible that it has gotten better? I have been drinking 2 cups of red raspberry leaf tea every day this cycle. Is it possible it's helping to balance out my hormones? Thanks again!
Siddal, i hope the waiting period flies by for you. I can imagine how hard that would be!
Siddal, I also had to have the chicken pox vaccine. I was told during my son's pregnancy that I didn't have immunity to chicken pox. I was very surprised because I had already had 4 children, they had all had chicken pox, and yet I'd never caught it from them (and my mother said I'd had it as a child). anyway, after he was born my Doctor suggested I have the vaccine. I had one shot, and was supposed to go back for the second. However, I never did. I was breastfeeding and didn't feel good about having another vaccine. I was checked again during my last pregnancy and it seems I now have immunity. It's weird?
But you know what, my Doctor never told me I shouldn't ttc after having the vaccine, which makes me a little mad.
I had a similar dilemma to you before ttc my son. I was supposed to have a vaccine for traveling, and was told not to ttc for 3 months. I just couldn't wait that long (so impatient) and decided not to vaccinate.
However I do understand why you would vaccinate against Chicken Pox, as it is so common, and as a pregnant woman you might be exposed to it, which is not great for a newborn baby.
Mittens - that is a lovely looking chart - a beautiful temperature rise.
The one thing I'm upset about is that two years ago, we had considered trying, and my doctor at the time told me I needed to get the chicken pox vaccination (I have never had the pox and blood work showed no immunity). A few months after that we decided not to try, and I blew it off, being pretty sure that we were not going to have children. Now, from what I am reading, I'll have to wait anywhere from 1-3 months to TTC? argh. Oh well, I guess I'll have plenty of time to start charting my cycles and preparing. It's just very disappointing to put it off even further (after having already waited until 40 to try).
Still it is an exciting time!"
So tomorrow the midwife appt. is finally here. Very excited about that, and also relieved, as so many thoughts and questions have been brewing in my mind, and I know it will probably be good to talk to her about those things. I know almost no one who has given birth with a midwife and naturally, but I'm committed to the idea, as long as I'm medically able to do it. I had a horrible reaction to a spinal tap in my early 20s and the thought of doing anything even remotely like that again is not appealing.
Thank you kristin0105 for putting me in the list of hopefuls. 
I look forward to getting to know all of you, Robin
Hi there Robin!
My first was born with a midwife at home, the second home birth baby we did on our own (free birth/unassisted) after having midwife prenatal care. My midwife has also guided me through our losses.
We loved our care with her!
I am curious about the 'required' chx pox vax...I understand that getting the chx pox while preggo is BAD, I just have not heard of giving the vax prior to conception.
(not in my limited circle of peeps)
Full disclosure is that I myself have no vax for anything, had the chicken pox in 1978, and I have no titer.
My sister had the measles in 1965. She was checked while she was preggo in 1990 had no titer to measles either.
Did your provider give you statistical risk/benefit?
Again, I am just curious. Not trying to sway, argue or otherwise.
Thanks!
Baby dust to all here!
Blessings,
Skeemama
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