VIDEO | Labor Prep For Baby #2 | My 3 Main Goals

I'm one of those weirdos that love labor and birth. I just think it's the most incredible thing to witness. And while I wouldn't change a thing about my birth experience with Theo it has influenced how I want to approach this next experience with baby #2. What are my goals for my second labor and delivery and how am I preparing for those?

Enjoy,

Victoria

VIDEO | Postpartum Prep for Baby #2 | What it's Really Like

So much emphasis when you're pregnant is on labor and birth, but so many don't really give much thought to how they're going to manage once the baby is here. Having one postpartum phase under my belt I wanted to share how I'll be preparing myself for the 4th trimester, both physically and mentally.

Enjoy,

Victoria

VIDEO | 2020 Winter Wardrobe Staples | Pregnancy, Mom, Covid Edition

I might have one of the most boring closets but I’m here to be real with you. This is what I wear on a daily basis. I’m all about comfort, flexibility, and easy to clean. I’m in my third trimester, chasing around a toddler, working from home, and rarely leaving the home because of covid.

I wanted to share my go-to staple pieces that I wear the sh*t out of.

Enjoy,

Victoria

VIDEO | Making It Through the 1st Trimester with a Toddler

Wow, getting through those first few months of your second pregnancy while caring for your first born is hard stuff. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Today I want to share a few of my tips for getting through.

Enjoy,

Victoria

VIDEO | I've Been Keeping a Big Secret for Almost 9 Months 👶🏻

Surprise!

I was honestly starting to feel like Kylie Jenner keeping this a secret for so long but I was waiting to make this video until we had told all our family and friends. We couldn't be more excited but it's still so surreal that we'll be having a little one joining us so soon.

Enjoy,

Victoria

What I'm Packing in My Hospital Bag

[No that’s not a photo of my hospital bag. It’s just aesthetically pleasing for our eyes.]

I’m a planner, and I make pack lists before I got on trips, so it was natural for me to want to create a pack list for my hospital bag. 

I could throw in a few other things from the time I write this to when I actually put it into use, but this is the plan:

Victoria (that’s me!)

Clothes:

+ loose pants (I’m not going to want anything tight I’m sure)

+ nurse friendly tops (loose with quick boob access)

+ cardigan (easier than trying to put sweater on)

+ warm socks (if my feet get cold)

+ slippers (wear these or sandals to walk around and be mobile)

+ brief undies (well just loose underwear that can hold those big ol’ postpartum pads)

+ sports bras (favorite bras at the moment and they’ll be perfect for breastfeeding)

+ pumping bra (my sister recommended this one, just going to cut some holes in an old bra, Mean Girls style)

+ easy sandals (what I’ll wear there and to go home in)

+ robe (so I can go topless if I want but keep them covered when not in use)

Toiletries:

+ hair ties/scrunchies

+ lotion

+ chapstick

+ toothbrush/toothpaste

+ face wash

+ dry shampoo

+ pads (I’m going to be collabing with a cool company for these)

+ makeup (you never know)

Electronics:

+ phone + charger

+ portable charger

+ camera + charger

+ SD cards

+ laptop + charger (might want to watch netflix as a distraction who knows)

+ headphones (so I can listen to my hypnobirthing tracks, music, etc.)

Comfort:

+ pillow (I don’t like crunchy, hospital pillows)

+ blanket

+ green massage ball (It’s the size of a tennis ball and really firm, great to dig into knots and sore muscles)

+ misting fan (I overheat easily, and I don’t want Michael to have to fan me with a clipboard for hours when I have this nifty handheld fan already.)

+ few essential oils (lemon for sure - it’s my favorite. I’ve also heard lavender and peppermint are good for labor. Just something to sniff if I want.)

Misc:

+ water bottle (and will someone remind me to drink during labor)

+ snacks (my midwives will let me eat small things during labor, yay!)

+ hard candy (heard it’s sometimes nice to have something to suck on during labor)

+ sleep mask (probably frivolous, but I’ve been sleeping with one since the first trimester)

+ nipple cream (Who knows how my nips are going to react and I want a brand I’ll want to use if I need it)

+ breast pump (use it to stimulate labor if needed, and if I needed after labor for some reason, but I’ll probably keep it in the car)

Michael

(I’m going to let him back his own bag, just going to recommend a few things for him)

Clothes:

+ clothes

+ pajamas

+ slippers/slip on sandals

Toiletries:

+ toothbrush

+ glasses

+ extra contacts

+ medication

Electronics:

+ phone + charger

+ laptop + charger

+ headphones

+ portable speaker (I might want some music during labor)

Comfort:

+ pillow

+ blanket

+ camping roll (hospital couches aren’t the best but I think if we throw on that camping roll it will be super comfy + I want a well rested birth partner.)

+ ear plugs (he’s a light sleeper, and might want them)

Misc:

+ water bottle

+ snacks

Baby

Clothes:

+ 2 short sleeve onesies

+ 2 sleepers

+ 1 swaddle

+ 1 hat

+ pair of baby mittens 

Misc:

+ have carseat installed beforehand 😉

Bada-bing bada-boom that’s the plan. And we’re only 7-10 minutes away from the hospital if I need someone to go run and get me something. Plus if all goes well I’m going to scoot boot and boogie out of the hospital as soon as they’ll let me. 

What did you bring that you used, and what could you have left at home?

Deep Cleaning Before Baby Comes

Today I wanted to share my plan for how I’m cleaning the ol’ house in preparation for little one’s arrival. 

First off, I love a good deep clean in any situation, but it feels extra appropriate with the impending due date. 

I think any good clean starts with a declutter. And this is something you can do as you move throughout your space to clean it. If you haven’t done any sort of declutter before I (and everyone else) definitely recommend picking up a copy of Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. She takes you through her process and sometimes it’s just easiest to have someone else tell you what to do. 

Depending on how far along you are in your pregnancy and how you’re feeling you may or may not be able to do a full declutter. But I recommend it if you can. 

I’m not going to go over general tidying but it helps to have everything put away where it goes before pulling the big guns out. 

1. Start with dusting — because gravity, duh! Get up in those ceiling corners to grab any cobwebs that have been built, dust along the top of windows, doors, tall furniture, light fixtures, vents, shelves, tops of frames and art. Top to bottom is the mindset you should have when you should go to each room. It also can’t hurt to give the walls a quick wipe while you’re at it. 

2. Windows — often forgotten in our regular cleaning it’s nice to vacuum up all the dust, bugs and crunches that collect on and in our windows before wiping down the glass. 

3. Light switches and door knobs — do you ever wipe these down? I don’t, but nesting Victoria does. Think of all the people who touch these things and how we never clean them. Yeah, just give them a quick wipe down while you’re in there. 

4. Baseboards — Sometimes I remember to sweep these off, but while you’re in deep clean mode, go ahead and wipe them off. All that dust you’ve wiped off from up above has floated down and settled on them anyways. Plus you always find some sort of dried fluid splatter on them when you get down there close and personal like. 

5. Vacuum — Floors, rugs, furniture, anything you missed when you were dusting. I’d say we all vacuum or sweep most weeks, but don’t be afraid to pick up couch cushions, get under bookshelves and find all those dust bunnies and forgotten pieces of popcorn. 

6. Laundry — wash the bedding, pull down the curtains and throw them in while you’re at it too. And don’t forget about all of babies things. You’re supposed to wash it all before they wear it anyways regardless of whether it’s new or hand-me-downs. 

Now, let’s move into room specific cleaning!

Bathroom:

1. Wipe that mirror, the better to see you with. 

2. Scrub/wipe that sink and counter. Toothpaste and dried spit splatter, need I say more. 

3. Vacuum and wipe any drawers or cabinets. I don’t know about you but I find my hair everywhere. 

4. Ah, the toilet. I like to start by throwing in some toilet bowl cleaner to let it sit and do it’s work while I clean the rest of it. Wipe it down top to bottom, being careful not to miss the bottom of the toilet, below the bowel, where the urine splatter and dust likes to collect. Don’t forget to lift up the lid, and then the seat. And finally grab that trusty toilet brush and give it a good scrub, making sure to get up under the rim. 

5. On to the shower/tub. Not nearly as gross as the toilet, but possibly as dirty. First, take out all the soaps, shampoos and conditioners so it’s empty. I like to spray it down with some water first, and then go in with my cleaner and scrub it out top to bottom before rinsing it again. I’m always surprised with how much dust and soap splatter collects on the flat surfaces. 

Kitchen: 

1. Deep clean your dishwasher with some vinegar and baking soda. Take 1 cup of white vinegar and put in a dishwasher safe cup in the middle of the top rack in an empty dishwasher before starting it on its hottest, longest cycle. When that cycle is done, take the cup out, and sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda all over the inside of the machine before putting it on another hot, but short cycle. 

2. How’s your stove and oven looking?

3. What about that refrigerator? Get rid of any expired food, forgotten about condiments and give it a good scrub down. I try to clean the food out when I come home with new groceries and every few months try to wipe it down. You might even want to pull out the vacuum to suck up any crunchies in your fridge drawers. 

4. Don’t forget about that freezer! Are you going to be breastfeeding, pumping, aka in need of milk storage? It’d be smart to come up with a system before the baby arrives to store that precious breastmilk. 

5. Get in that microwave. But first put in a bowl with 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and a squeeze of lemon juice. Set your microwave for 3 minutes at high power. If it’s super gross let that bowl sit for an extra 5 minutes before opening the door to let the steam work it’s magic. And then wipe it down, oohing and ahhing in amazement by how easily it wipes away. 

6. While you’re at it scrub out your sink and faucet with some white vinegar and baking soda. If you have a stinky garbage disposal a great hack is to freeze a few lemon slices in ice cubes to throw on there and hit the disposal switch!

7. I like to go around and vacuum out my cabinets and wipe out the drawers and shelves while I’m deep cleaning. (This is a great time to declutter what you have in your kitchen. Are there any appliances you just don’t use, old food?)

Laundry Room:

1. Deep clean your washer with white vinegar and baking soda (notice a theme yet?) Start with 2 cups of baking soda and run it on a hot, long cycle. After that throw in 2 cups of white vinegar (and 10 drops of essential oil if you so fancy, and have some on hand) for another hot, long cycle. 

2. As for your dryer, pull out that dryer lint vent and vacuum out any extra that’s been left behind. If your dryer vent tube if full it’s a good idea to unscrew it and vacuum that out. 

3. Give the machines a good exterior wipe down. 

Anywhoooo, that’s the cleaning plan I’ve been working on. What did you do cleaning wise to prep for baby? Let me know down below. 

You Don't Need to Buy EVERYTHING Before Baby Gets Here

[This is my own naive philosophy before my baby has come so take what I say with a grain of salt. If you’re a seasoned mama you’re going to know what worked/didn’t work for you.]

And what I’m getting might not be what you think you need, and I might be skipping something that you think is a necessity.

I don’t know about you but the one time I went to Buy Buy Baby I was overwhelmed by everything in there. And if you look at most registry lists they give you online it’s soooo much stuff. 

And the point I want to make today is yes, there are so many baby items that you’re going to end up swearing by, but how do you know what that’s going to be before you even have your baby? 

My approach is to get what I know baby is going to need. And I feel like the three important things are:

What is baby going to eat? Are you going to breastfeed, pump and bottle feed, use formula? 

What is baby going to wear? I was #blessed to have an older sister who let me borrow as many of my nephew’s clothes as I wanted. I’m set for newborn - 9 months at the moment. I’ve also heard that newborns are just going to chill in onesies or sleepers most of the time so there’s no need to get them cute, complicated outfits. 

Where is baby going to sleep? In their crib, a bassinet/pack n play, side car sleeper, with you in a cosleeper? You want a safe, firm place for baby to sleep, free of pillows, blankets, toys, crib bumpers, you name it. And don’t forget the ever so popular rock n play has been recalled. 

At the end of the day baby really only needs you when they start their life on this side of the womb. 

I’m waiting on a lot of games, toys, swings, other contraptions. It’s not that I don’t want them or think they’ll be useful. I just don’t know if I’ll need them right away.

I’ve also tried to get things that can be reused, grow with baby or are multifunctional. Getting reusable diapers that can grow with them, a convertible carseat that I can use from birth to when they’re a toddler and a dresser to store stuff and throw a changing pad on top (even though I don’t know how often I’ll use it). 

I’m going to be writing another blog post closer to the end of the month sharing what I got vs. what they say you need. And I’m also going to be making a few videos about the different things I got for baby but I haven’t gotten that much of it honestly. 

What were the things you couldn’t live without from the beginning and what things do you think you could have waited to buy? 

Staying Cool + Comfortable During Summer Pregnancy

I have always been the type of person who would rather be hot than cold. I was the person who was constantly cold. 

But things have changed since getting pregnant. 

I am a literal incubator. And have a base level of heat that I have never had before. 

I used to sleep in pants and a sweater almost year round, now I sleep in my underwear and bra or tank top. 

I used to always bring a warm layer with me, even in the summer, and now I’m sharing that with someone else who’s cold and doesn’t have a sweater because I’m too warm to need it. 

Today I wanted to talk about ways to stay cool and comfortable while pregnant in the summer. 

Officially we’ve just entered into summer on the 21st but it’s been pretty steamy here in Iowa for springtime so I feel like I’ve had good practice heading into summer. 

Early on I ordered myself a mini misting fan, and it’s like a glorious handheld AC machine. It has been great to have if I ever have to be outside for extended periods of time or if I get a hot flash inside. 

I recently picked up a pair of maternity jean shorts. The two pre-pregnancy pairs don’t fit, I’m not comfortable in my spandex shorts so that left me with my overall shorts. I wear those, but it’s great to have a normal pair of shorts to throw on. 

Going along with clothing, it’s important to avoid those pieces that are too thick, heavy or tight. Let your body breath! Often when I’m home and warm I’ll just take my shirt off and hang out in my bra or pull my shirt up so my belly is exposed to cool off. 

Get a nifty cooling neck towel to go along with your fan when you’re outside. You just soak it in cool water, wring it out so it’s not dripping wet and drape it over your neck for instant cool shivers of relief. 

This one goes without saying, but drink lots and lots of water. Make sure you always have some type of water bottle with you, that you’re regularly taking big gulps and filling it back up. 

Throw on your best pair of comfortable, breathable sandals. My go-to favorites have been my classic Tevas. You can get them wet so if you can walk through a fountain or stream you don’t have to worry about ruining your shoes. 

Make sure you take a break if you get too hot. Either sit in some shade or go inside. Your “limit” has changed now that you’re pregnant. I overheat much easier these days, but I’m able to recognize when I need to stop for a bit, drink some water and cool down. 

You’ve got extra blood and weight so go ahead and throw your legs up when you’re taking a break. 

And finally, go swimming. It’s glorious to take the weight off your back and often is instantly cooling. You just have to be wary of any sort of contracting any sort of infection so if the water looks sketchy, maybe just put your legs or feet in. 

I was working an event a few weeks ago and they had one of those flat fountains that little kids love to play in. And it felt amazing to just walk through it in my sandals to instantly cool off. 

As I get further along I’m getting more persistent aches and pains in my back and ribs so I’ve been trying to rub them out with a little ball on the wall, take the weight off my belly and to rub some icy hot on my back. 

What are your tips and tricks to staying cool and comfortable during pregnancy in the warmer months? 

Pregnancy Judgement | Have I Gotten Any?

I must have been geared up for an unreasonable amount of pregnancy criticism or something because I’ve been surprised with the lack of judgement and shaming I’ve received.

(No complaints about that of course!)

I just always heard that you’d get all this unsolicited advice and hear horror stories. 

And so far I’ve had two instances of “judgement”. 

The first was when I posted a video about realities of diet during my first trimester as a vegan. Of course that’s going to invite in those who don’t like or understand plant-based diets. So I got a few, “I hope you change your diet” comments but nothing too bad. 

The second instance was recently when we were coming back from San Francisco. I was getting a cup of coffee at the airport and the lady ringing me up said “Not decaf? But you’re pregnant.” And I calmly replied that I knew the safe recommended limit and I was staying well below that with my one cup of coffee a day.She then went on to laugh and say “You know, if you drink coffee now the baby is going to come out drinking coffee!”

I gave her my sweetest crocodile smile and grabbed my cup of coffee. She probably gave me decaf anyways. 

Oh and I guess there was that one weird DM conversation I had on Instagram where a lady gave me shit for not having a home birth and said my husband was trying to force me against my will into a medicated birth (her definition of us going for an unmedicated, vaginal birth in the hospital). Which of course isn’t true. I’m very excited to give birth with my midwives in the hospital this time. 

So there you have it. My three experiences with pregnancy judgement. Hopefully I’m not inviting in more criticism by putting this out there into the universe, but I think I’ll be ok for the last 6 or so weeks. 

What’s the craziest thing someone judged you for, or said to you while you were pregnant? Share those below.

Prenatal Classes + Which Ones I'm Taking

There are endless ways to prep for the upcoming arrival of your new little babe. And one common way is by taking prenatal classes. 

But of course there are endless possibilities for classes to take. 

You can take the classes offered through your provider, online classes, specialty classes, you name it. 

Heading into labor, birth and motherhood I want to be as prepared, yet calm as possible. One way I know to do this is by educating myself about the physiological process of birth, learning labor techniques, and just getting myself excited for the experience. 

Today I wanted to break down the options available to me, and what I chose to do. 

[There is no right or wrong way to prep for a baby. You do you.]

Classes available through my provider/hospital: (I pulled these descriptions straight from the website) 

Baby finance — walks you through a sample budget, explores costs of parenting from infancy through college, and discusses insurance and legal issues to consider for your new family. 

Baby Safety — nursery safety, safe sleeping, home safety, baby-proofing your home and briefly discusses car seat safety. 

Breastfeeding — essential information on how your body produces milk, what an effective latch looks like, how to know if your baby is feeding well, the basics of expressing your milk, what to expect during the beginning of your breastfeeding journey, and what support resources are available after you've been discharged from the hospital.

Car Seat Safety — facilitated by a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician. It focuses on three main objectives: Iowa's Child Passenger Safety law vs. Best Practice Guidelines; positioning the baby in the car seat and securing the harness; and how to secure the car seat in the vehicle via an install demonstration.

Childhood Vaccinations — the importance of infant vaccinations, addresses myths and answers participants' questions regarding immunizations.

Comfort Techniques — a more in depth study and practice in how to manage labor pain with fewer medical interventions. Topics include breathing, relaxation, visualization, focal points, positions and movement during labor.

Feeding Your Baby — shows parents how to feed babies in a nutritious, safe and encouraging way from birth through one year. Topics discussed include breastmilk and formula, when to start solids, how to introduce baby food, the progression of textures, self-feeding, and much more. 

New Dads — provides new dads with valuable insights and expectations regarding the important role of caring for their child. They'll learn about postpartum changes in mom, the vital role they play in their growing family, and the incredible joys and day-to-day challenges of parenthood.

Newborn Care — helps expectant parents learn basic caring techniques for a new baby during the first six weeks. You’ll watch videos and discuss common care techniques for comforting, feeding, bathing and diapering, as well as understanding newborn health and safety concerns.  

Understanding Childbirth — essential information on pre-labor, stages of labor and delivery. you will watch a birth story showing the progression of labor and delivery. You will discuss medical procedures, medical pain relief options available to you and cesarean birth

Other, well known classes available: (once again pulled directly from a website since I don’t have personal experience)

Lamaze — supports birth as normal, natural and healthy. Empowers women and partners to make informed decisions 

• Normal labor birth and early postpartum

• Positioning for labor and birth

• Relaxation and massage techniques to alleviate pain

• Labor support and communication skills

• Info on medical procedures

• Breastfeeding

• Healthy Lifestyle

The Bradley Method — helps women prep for natural labor and birth without use of medication

• 12-week course

• Importance of nutrition and exercise

• Relaxation techniques to manage pain

• Labor rehersals

• How to avoid c-section

• Postpartum care

• breastfeeding

Hypnobirthing — teaches mothers if you remove fear and tension, severe pain doesn’t have to be part of labor. 

• Intense relaxation will enhance natural birthing instincts that lead to a calm birth experience 
  

• Teaches women how to feel similar to daydreaming while remaining controlled and happy during labor and birth 

• Listen to hypnobirthing tracks

The Alexander Technique — movement technique used by those with back pain or posture issues, or those who want to feel more relaxed.

• Can help with labor breathing and opening body for birth

• Number of classes depends on your preference but proponents recommend a class a week

Birthing From Within — preps moms to give “birth-in-awareness” not to achieve specific birth outcome. 

• Developed by midwife, Pam England

• Curriculum adjusted to meet specific needs and differences of parents

• Recognizes pregnancy, birth and postpartum involved learning, holistic support and education

Alrighty then, now that we’ve got that list out of the way, let’s talk about what I’m planning on doing. (And this is always subject to change). 

Up until this point have I taken any classes? 

Nope. 

I did meet a wonderful woman (who also lives here in Iowa) who is a Hypnobirthing teacher and doula. Before our chat I didn’t know much about Hypnobirthing and kind of thought it was a little woo woo and not for me. 

But she graciously sent over a few Hypnobirthing tracks that I started listening to and that definitely spurred an active change in mindset when it came to thinking about labor and birth. 

I’ve always been very excited about labor, but I feel like our chat really spurred me into actively working on my mindset and other labor prep. 

In my quest to work on my mindset I discovered the book, Birthing From Within, which I didn’t even know was a legit “method” before researching for this blog post. (It makes sense that it is now that I know, and the book definitely talks about things that happened in classes so who knows where my disconnect was). 

What’s on the horizon for me when it comes to prenatal classes? 

Well, I’ll tell you!

I scheduled all my classes to be taken in June, and my first one starts this coming Tuesday. (Geeky squeal) 

I’m taking three official classes. 

The main one is a three-week birthing class offered through my midwife clinic. I was on the wait list for quite some time for this one so I was signed up for the “Understanding Birthing: Series” offered at the hospital as a back up.

I really jive well with my clinic and was hopeful to be able to take the class they provided. And it’s only $10 for the three classes!

The third week of June I have one Breastfeeding Class I’m taking. I’m really hopeful that I can be successful with breastfeeding so I figured it couldn’t hurt to educate myself with an actual class to go along with all the books I’ve been reading about breastfeeding. 

As you can see from the description above they’ll go over "information on how your body produces milk, what an effective latch looks like, how to know if your baby is feeding well, the basics of expressing your milk, what to expect during the beginning of your breastfeeding journey, and what support resources are available after you've been discharged from the hospital.”

I know breastfeeding isn’t easy, and takes work, but I’m so excited to have that experience. And it’s free.

And the final class I’m taking is the Newborn Care class. It came recommended by my older sister, and let’s be honest, I have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to a brand new baby. And I think preparing myself can help give me confidence instead of being a nervous Nelly.  This one is also free.

Oh, and one final thing to mention is that Michael is coming to the Birthing Classes and the Newborn Care Class as well. I’m not sure he’ll come along to the Breastfeeding Class, but we’ll see. 

And that’s that. Those are the three classes I’ll be taking this coming month, and I’m geeking out excited. I love learning. I love classes. And I think going to classes will make it feel even more real. Does anyone else feel like a faker when it comes to baby stuff? Even when I go to my midwife appointments it doesn’t feel like I’m actually pregnant, just pretending to be or something (I don’t know honestly. I’m weird.) 

What classes did you take to prep for baby’s arrival? Do I have any Lamaze, Bradley, Hypnobirthing peeps out there? 

I Miss My Menstrual Cycle

I read a newsletter email the other day from Claire Baker about being productive and on her period. And it made me miss the ebb and flow of my menstrual cycle. 

I miss the monthly reset of my period. 

I miss the energy boost that comes with the end of my period. 

I miss the outgoing, energetic, take on the world mentality of ovulation. 

I’ve said it before but pregnancy feels like you’re stuck in your luteal phase. 

And I guess that’s because you are. 

Your luteal phase is the two(ish) weeks between ovulation and when you start your next period. So, if you get pregnant and don’t start that period you are kind of stuck in luteal limbo. 

Normally, the luteal phase is a great reminder to slow down and take it easy on your upcoming period. But being stuck here for 7 months has left me wanting that fresh restart and energy that comes from a new cycle, and I know it’s not coming anytime soon. 

I am really curious to see how my body rebalances after giving birth, what my hormones do, and how my cycle returns. But I have to say I’m looking forward to having a cycle again when it comes back. 

I’ve had a few people say, “Oh I bet it’s been nice not having a period.” And honestly I like my period. I like my cycle. And I miss it.

I look forward to documenting my returning cycle and fertility after birth and how I’m handling it. 

I’m not complaining about being pregnant. It’s been lovely and I’m so grateful that I am. I wouldn’t trade having a monthly cycle for this pregnancy. I’m just excited to get it back, that’s all.

It's My 28th Birthday! | First Baby Coincidence In My Family

So, it’s my 28th birthday today!

And a month or so ago I realized something pretty cool (or at least I think so). 

My mom was 28 years old when she gave birth to my older sister, Veronica (their first kid). 

Veronica gave birth to my nephew (their first child) 10 days before her 28th birthday. 

And I will be giving birth to this kiddo (also my first child) at the age of 28. 

Is that a crazy coincidence or is that just me? 

What’s up with 28 and having your first baby in my family? 

Also, I’ll be giving birth at the same hospital my sister delivered my nephew at, and the same hospital that all of my siblings and me were delivered way back in the day.

Talk about family tradition!

I still don’t feel like I’m old enough to be married let alone be pregnant. But then I remind myself, “Girl, you old!” 

Who knows why I still feel like a teenager. 

But so far my birthday has been great!

I woke up to biscuits and gravy delivered to me in bed by Michael, complete with Happy Birthday sung to me by Stevie Wonder. 

I’m currently working from my favorite little coffeeshop here in town, and then I’m going to see if a hair salon near here has any openings for a hair cut. 

Twenty-eight is going to be a good age. I can already feel it. There’s a lot of exciting changes happening. All of which I can’t wait to share with you guys. 

Does anyone else have weird family coincidences like this whole first baby at 28 thing in my family? 

21 TTC Affirmations | Phrases to Repeat When Trying For a Baby

Affirmations aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but they’re something I’ve grown to love over the past few years. And so when it came time to get pregnant, and it wasn’t happening these are some of the phrases I would say out loud to myself. Choose the ones that feel right to you, write them down, and repeat them to yourself.

"My body is amazing and wise. It knows exactly what to do.”

“My womb is warm. My heart is open. My body is ready to carry our baby now.”

“My body is capable and strong.”

"I am healthy. I am beautiful. My body is incredible.”

"I am ready to create life. My body is ready to create life.”

"I’m taking care of myself, preparing my body for a healthy pregnancy.”

“I am enough. My body is enough.”

“My womb is a lush jungle of warmth, love and nourishment.”

"I allow myself to be loved, and to create a new life out of that love.”

"My cycle is balanced. My eggs and fluid are healthy.”

"The most perfect egg is preparing to be released by my ovary, and the most perfect sperm is preparing to fertilize it.”

"I have everything it takes to become pregnant.”

"I’m letting go of any emotional blocks keeping me from conceiving.” 

"My body knows how to conceive a healthy baby.” 

“I am not upset when others announce their pregnancy. I don’t know their journey to get there.” 

“I am fertile!”

“Every time my period comes I celebrate my body for functioning correctly.”

“I join a community of women working towards creating life within their own bodies.” 

“My baby will come to me at exactly the right time, in exactly the right way.”

“I speak to myself the same way I would talk to a friend.”

“I am happy. I am healthy. I am ready."

Things That Kept Me Sane While Trying to Conceive

I think there are many of us who head into the journey of trying to conceive pretty naive. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but so many of us end up with a rude awakening to our fertility (but there are plenty who are lucky and conceive right away).

I’m not here to claim I know everything or that I had the same experience that someone who’s been trying to conceive for several years has had. So if you’ve been at this for two years and I offend you by any of my suggestions or anything I say, I apologize. I can only speak from my experience. 

Let me start by sharing two previous blog posts if you missed them:

+ My Journey to Pregnancy

+ My D+C Experience After a Blighted Ovum

So, long story short, it took us 11 months of trying, one blighted ovum miscarriage and D+C to get to our little nugget we have now cooking in my belly. 

But today I want to talk about those months of trying, the doubts and fears and things I tried to stay sane and carry on with normal life. 

Trying to get pregnant is just a lot of waiting. Like, a lot. 

Waiting at the beginning of your cycle for your period to end, for your fertile phase, and then waiting to see if you were successful that cycle. 

And I quickly came to realize I needed something to distract myself from obsessing over it all. 

So, this is just a brain vomit list of all the things that came to mind as I thought back over our journey of trying to get pregnant. But to reiterate, we didn’t have any fertility issues (that we know of) it just took us time. But if you’re struggling with infertility, treatments and all that, feel free to disregard this list. 

But, in no particular order:

+ Reading books — I just love reading books in general, but reading was super helpful. When I was in the mood to think about babies and pregnancy I would pick up a book on that topic. When I needed to distract myself and think about something else I was able to find so many great books to just escape into. 

+ Hanging out with friends and family — This has been something important for me over the past several years, but you can’t coop yourself up during this process. You need to get out and be social. To talk and think about stuff besides getting pregnant. But it’s also OK to have conversations about it too. 

+ Don’t forget about relationship with partner — TTC is always exciting at first. You kind of feel like a rebel, like ooh mom I’m 26 and gonna get knocked up. But it can wear you down real fast. Make sure you’re making time for each other outside of the whole baby making universe. Keep the romance alive, and pay attention to their feelings on the situation. 

+ Self-care — Pamper yourself. This means something different to everyone, but paint your nails, give yourself a facial, soak in the bath tub. Set aside some you time. When you’re trying and not getting pregnant you can start to get upset with your body and feel like it’s letting you down. Be kind to your body and mind. 

+ Journal — I can’t recommend this enough. Grab a random school notebook with no pressure to be poetic or have good writing. Just sit down and get whatever is inside your head out and onto paper. I promise it helps, so much. Even if you’re not you can feel like pregnancy is all you think about and talk about and people are sick of it. Get all of that out of your head and into your notebook. 

+ Meditation — Not everyone’s cup of tea. And even I’m not consistent at it. But when I get really anxious about something (and I was getting anxiety about oh my god what if I can’t ever get pregnant or have a baby of my own?) meditation is so beneficial to just bring you back down to earth and calm your mind and thought process. 

+ Create a “registry” — I’ve been working on my baby wish list long before I was pregnant or we were trying to conceive. But there was something soothing about working on my wish list that made me feel good. Like researching the perfect stroller or cloth diaper system made me feel like I was doing something to aid the process. And I would tell myself like when you are pregnant you’re not going to have to worry about all this because it’ll be ready to go.

+ Choose a few things to try out to boost cycle — There is an overwhelming number of recommendations when it comes to what you should be doing TTC. But taking a supplement, cutting something out, etc. can give you that feeling that you’re “doing” something. And it really can’t hurt. I focused on boosting my cervical fluid or healing my luteal phase. 

+ Drink your coffee, have your wine, etc. — When we first starting trying I stopped drinking alcohol, coffee, and was kind of anal honestly about being “perfect”. Well that only lasted a few months before I was like Girl calm the fuck down and drink some wine. So, I kept my coffee to the recommended 2 cups of coffee or less a day. And I would let myself drink up until ovulation and then I would take a “just in case” break until my period came again 

+ Stop charting — controversial coming from me, I know. But sometimes you have to realize what’s helping the process, and what’s making you crazy. We (I mean, I) was so focused on my chart, when I was fertile and when we were supposed to be having sex that it took all the fun out of it. Michael felt like a stud horse and that I only wanted to be physical with him to get a baby out of the deal. Taking a break from charting was one of the best things we did while TTC, but I still knew when I was most fertile because of my cervical fluid. 

+ Creating content ideas list of videos I wanted to make — Ok, this one is specific to content creators. But the whole time we were trying I had all these ideas for blogs, videos, vlogs that I wanted to create and share with you guys. But I couldn’t because I didn’t want to open up about TTC yet. So I just made a killer list of content ideas that has come in super handy now. 

+ Avoid forums — Or at least limit yourself to how much time you’re spending on them. There is literally always going to be someone out there with the same exact symptoms as you who is pregnant or not pregnant. 

+ Try not to test — This isn’t for everyone, but don’t start testing 8 DPO. You’re going to drive yourself mad cycle after cycle squinting and stressing about tests. For some reason I was always more upset to see a negative test than I was to get my period. So I just made it a rule that I had to wait until I was supposed to get my period before I could take a test. Unless there was some sort of event that I would want to know I was pregnant before (aka thanksgiving day race). But testing gave me so much anxiety and was always such a let down that I just had to not do it. 

+ Watch birthing videos — Why not start prepping for labor and birth now? I would have to limit these to when I was in the hopeful mood, and not the crap, my period just came mood. But watching birth vlogs has been something I’ve enjoyed for years. I think it’s great to see a variety of birth stories, styles, options, you name it. Even if you can’t see a live birth before you give birth it’s good to get an idea of what can happen before you’re in that position. 

+ Declutter and deep clean house — Maybe I’m just a weirdo but I find deep cleaning and decluttering really soothing. And I always feel really accomplished after it. It’s just another area that you can feel you have control over, when you kind of just feel like you don’t have any control over your TTC journey. 

+ Exercise — As much for your mental health as for your physical health. There’s all sorts of benefits both ways, but when you’re feeling upset or frustrated there’s nothing better than going on a hike, run or pumping some weights. 

Control what you can, and try your best to let go what you have no control over. There are so many emotions and thoughts wrapped up in the TTC journey. You have to do what’s best for you and your mental well-being because it can be a very stressful and draining experience. 

Now that I’m pregnant I try to routinely step back and remind myself of how I felt trying to get pregnant, my worries and fears, and to just tell myself see, you did it, remember this next time something is difficult. 

Getting Back Into Exercise After First Trimester

At 17 weeks I had a good cry about my changing body and what had been ingrained in me for my entire life (staying a certain weight). Turns out that watching the scale going up at each appointment gave me mixed feelings, and some major emotions bubbled to surface. 

This was something I did not expect at all. 

I’m so excited to be pregnant, to grow a baby, to get a belly. But turns out the weight side of things and my changing body triggered some deep underlying emotions I didn’t expect. 

And while I’m not doing it for the vanity of it, getting back into exercise now that I’m in my second trimester has been a positive change for many reasons. 

I have so much more energy when I’m exercising regularly. 

Turns out it’s really good for not only you but that baby you’re growing too. 

It makes me feel better about my changing body knowing that I’m keeping it strong and fit, ready for birth and life after that. 

Right before I found out I was pregnant I was doing my 30 Day Morning Challenge, which consisted of me exercising first thing every single morning. And it was a great little routine I had going. 

But then the anxiety of a recent miscarriage led me to stop exercising all together. I was so worried that pushing myself too hard, lifting too much weight, or squatting was somehow going to hurt my chances of keeping this pregnancy. 

And at the time for my emotional well-being the best thing to do was take a break from it. 

Well, then I started feeling really crummy in the morning, as most pregnant women do. And this led to the morning not being the time to do my exercise anymore. 

And then beyond nausea was my worst pregnancy symptom, exhaustion. I was so unbelievably unenergetic throughout the rest of the day. That made doing anything was hard. Looking back I know exercise would have helped my energy level, but I was just trying to stay afloat back then. 

But now that I’m here, and my energy and motivation has returned, I’m so happy to be getting back to exercise. 

I checked with my midwife to make sure I didn’t have any restrictions on what I could do. The only thing she said she didn’t want me doing was a really intense ab workout. Michael laughed at that and said don’t worry. 

The main thing I wanted to make sure I could do was run when it got warmer out. I really want to do a 12k in May when I will be around 30 weeks pregnant. I always said that one of the first things I wanted to do when I found out I was pregnant was sign up for a race. I need something to work towards and a race provides that for me. 

But for now, since it’s still pretty cold out, and I know I won’t go out and run until it’s above freezing I’m limited to what I can do inside. 

I started off by just going down to the gym in our building and walking on the treadmill for 10-15 minutes. 

Now, I’ve worked up to 15-20 minutes at an incline as well as some weighted or body weight exercises after that. No abs, don’t worry. Just a lot of squats and leg exercises as well as some arm stuff too. 

I can’t wait to get outside when it gets warmer and I’m so thrilled that it will be August when baby comes so I can go out on walks with them. 

What did exercise look like for you while you were pregnant, and how did that change with each trimester? 

When Your Pants Don't Fit + You're Too Small For Maternity Clothes Still

I know it takes several months to look “pregnant” but man I’m ready to have a bump. 

I don’t know about others but I was immediately bloated, not uncomfortable bloated, just looked that way. My stomach would fluctuate in size throughout the day, even now halfway in. 

And my pants quickly became uncomfortable. Some are fine in the morning, but by the end of the day I want to take a pair of scissors to them. 

So, today I wanted to talk about that weird limbo between your current pants not being comfortable anymore but not being “big” enough to fit into maternity pants. 

The first trick is going for your stretchy pants. These are going to become your best friend. At the beginning leggings were great because they were flexible enough. Now I’m down to one pair that still fits comfortably for most of the day. 

The next trick is the hairband on the jeans one. You take a hairband/rubberband and loop it through the button hole of your pants attaching it to the button to give you several inches of belly room. 

I didn’t love that trick for long for some reason. 

But an alternative to that that I did enjoy was a belly band. You wear it over the top of your jeans, covering the button and zipper area and it’s tight enough to hold your pants up and together without being too tight to where its digging into your stomach. 

This allowed me to wear my jeans again, but I did find that it looked lumpy so you just can’t wear tight fitting tops with the belly band and rubber band tricks. 

And finally I made my first transition into maternity wear, starting with maternity leggings. The kind that have the stretchy waistband (like you see with a lot of maternity jeans) didn’t fit my bump yet, and looked really baggy. 

What I found were these normal looking high waisted leggings that had a fitted, but super flexible waistband that were tight enough to stay up but stretch enough for my bump. These are still loose some days, but it’s totally manageable. 

And finally try out a few different brands of maternity wear, because while you might not fit into the Target brands maternity leggings and jeans you may fit into another. 

I went shopping with my sister at the end of February, and found a second pair of maternity leggings for literally 1/6 of the price of my first that I bought at a big store. And I found a pair of maternity jeans that not only fit my bump with room to grow but were $8, both a steal of a deal compared to full price. And this made me feel better about getting a few maternity pieces without worrying that I was breaking the bank getting things that I wouldn’t wear all the time. 

Now, if you’re pregnant in the summer months this opens up a whole different world of possibilities. 

I cannot wait until it’s warm enough to wear my overall shorts and my flowy summer dresses. Not to mention stretchy skirts, dresses, you name it. 

I’m very grateful that the second half of my pregnancy is in the warmer months, when my normal wardrobe will work perfectly!

What did you do for this in between stage to stay comfortable? 

Anxiety In First Trimester After Miscarriage

I have gotten several messages, emails, comments, you name it from beautiful people out there who have either: 

a. Gone through something similar and want to share their support or advice 

OR 

b. Those who are currently in the grasps of anxiety and fear of something happening and are looking for some words of comfort. 

So, today I wanted to sit down and let my thoughts about the whole thing hopefully flow from my memory, into this document and onto my blog. 

I found so much comfort in just reading or listening to others’ experiences when I was in the midst of it myself so I want to do my part in passing that good deed on. 

I knew that going into a second pregnancy after my miscarriage wouldn’t be a “everything is sunshine rainbows” experience. I knew that mixed in with the excitement would be fear. 

Fear that it would all go wrong again. Because there are countless couples that experience back to back loss, or multiple losses between successful pregnancies. 

I think the first thing that helped was realizing that I wasn’t alone. I knew people in my life that had experienced the same thing or something similar. And knew that there were so many incredibly loving and deserving people in the world that had difficulties getting pregnant. 

One in eight couples will struggle with infertility. That is a heartbreakingly high number. But chances are even if they haven’t talked about it someone close to you in your life falls into that 1 in 8. 

If it’s something that you know or think will help you then you can check out some online forums of other gals in the same situation as you, now or in the past. But you also need to be careful of these too because if you’re reading endless stories of loss after loss that’s not going to help you mental well-being. So find a healthy balance. 

The next thing that helps is to have your support person to talk to. This could be several people or just one. Is it your partner, your mom, your sister or best friend? It helps to have someone you to know to calm your nerves when you’re worked up and can’t get out of your head. Someone to say “Everything is going to be alright.” even when you can’t know that for sure. 

Next, find an outlet. I don’t know about you but when I felt like I was leaning too heavily on a loved one I felt guilty (even though I shouldn’t have, and I knew they didn’t mind). But I needed more than just conversation with others. I needed a safe place to just let it all out, no filter necessary. 

And I found that in journaling. For me this was a written journal, but for you it could be a video diary, art, a document on your laptop or phone, whatever works best for you. 

This was a space where I could just brain barf everything that was on my mind, no matter how ridiculous or minuscule it felt. It was so unbelievably cathartic to have a place to just get it all out. Out of my mind and somewhere else. It gave me permission to talk about it as many times as I wanted, in as much depth as I wanted. Without feeling like I had to find the right words to explain what I was feeling, but to just get it out of my head. 

An important thing to have through all of this is a health care provider you trust and feel comfortable with. My clinic constantly told me to call if I ever had any questions or concerns. I called in right after I found out I was pregnant to get blood tests, they booked me in for an early scan and each time I went in answered my questions and fears. 

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If this is a therapist, get one. If it’s asking a friend to meet you for diner, do it. 

I can’t recall if I did this, but when things feel like they’re getting out of hand I always return to meditation. Not only do I feel at ease after doing it, but the methods and lessons I learn from it help me throughout my days. 

And know that the anxiety will pass. It’s going to get better. You’re going to settle into your pregnancy little by little. That underlying question of fear might remain. It may creep to the surface every now and then. But finding ways to handle that when it does bubble up will be invaluable to you in the long run. 

And before you know it you will join the rest of the ranks of pregnant women, experiencing the joys of the life growing inside of you, but also all the fun little aches and pains. 

The most important message from todays post, what I hope you take away from it is the importance in finding ways in which to deal with the anxiety. What are your methods in overcoming that voice in the back of your head? 

And of course you’re not alone. You’ll never be alone in this. 

What have you found to help ease your anxiety? Even if it’s not related to pregnancy or loss? Share that below. 

My D+C Experience After a Blighted Ovum

As I went through this experience myself I was so grateful for all the women out there that shared their experiences, and I knew one day I would sit down and share my own to continue the chain of support. 

When I was told that I had a blighted ovum, and therefore was “miscarrying” I was given three options. 

1. Wait for my body to miscarry naturally.

2. Take the pill Misoprostol to induce a miscarriage. 

3. Get a D+C to clear out the contents of my uterus. 

I knew right away that I didn’t want to wait for it to happen on its own. 

I wanted to get back to square one as soon as possible. 

So, initially I was leaning towards taking the pill. Quick, easy and hopefully inexpensive. 

I told my midwife I wanted to think about it and I’d get back to her. 

But then we talked to a friend of a friend who had actually had two blighted ovums back to back, taken the pill the first time and had a D+C the second time. 

Everyone’s experience is different, but she strongly recommended the D+C because she had such an awful experience with the pill. 

I then did my own research, creating a pro and con list for both, but ultimately settling on the D+C. 

While I was devastated about the blighted ovum I wanted to get my cycle back and healthy as fast as possible so we could start trying again. 

I had to confirm I was “miscarrying” with two blood tests done 48 hours apart to make sure my HCG levels were going down. Those were fine. I’m getting pretty good with needles at this point. And because it was a blighted ovum I didn’t have that hope of oh maybe my levels are going up and baby is ok. 

From there I had to get another ultrasound so the doctor who would be performing my D+C could get better pictures of my uterus and ovaries. I wasn’t super stoked about this, but I scheduled in for one none-the-less. 

Then I had the nice surprise of finding out it was a transvaginal ultrasound when we got to the room. Yay. 

This was honestly probably the worst part of the whole experience (besides the obvious fact that I wasn’t going to be having a baby in 7 months). 

No small talk or anything, just my legs shaking from holding them awkwardly open for 20 minutes as she swirled and probed around in my vagina taking pictures of all my internal organs, or at least that’s what it felt like. 

After that I was finally able to schedule in for my D+C. From the time of my midwife appointment to when I got to get my D+C was around two weeks. I would have loved to just go in the next day, but oh well. 

So, it’s no eating after a certain point before your procedure. For me it was midnight because my appointment was around 8 a.m. 

Paperwork and waiting. 

Then I moved to another, more medical waiting room, where I got to undress, put all my belongings into a bag and change into my new outfit— one hospital robe around the front and the other around the back like a cardigan. 

A nurse came in to put in my IV, which wasn’t super pleasant because it just sat there and pulled at my skin for the rest of the time, but there are worse things that could happen. 

More waiting, then the doctor came in to talk me through things. 

Then my anesthesiologist came in to chat. 

And then they came to wheel me back. Michael kissed me on the forehead and went to wait for me in a different room. 

I was surprised to find it was a full on surgery room I was wheeled into. They put on my compression socks, got me situated on the bed and the anesthesiologist said he was going to start the medicine that was going to knock me out. 

As he waited for it to kick in he asked me what I did. And the last thing I remember is laughing and saying “Actually, I teach women about their menstrual cycles.”

And then the next thing I remember is coming to in a different recovery room. Groggy as hell and apparently telling the nurse checking my vitals all about the Thai soccer team that was stuck in the cave in Thailand. This part makes me laugh still, who knows what I was saying about it, or whether it made any sense at all. 

Then they wheeled me to my final recovery room where Michael came in to sit with me for a bit before switching out with my mom since I had to sit there until I was fully with it, and then some. 

I got some snacks and juice. And a Rhogham shot in my butt because I’m Rh negative. 

It was really nice having my mom there. She just sat there and knit and we chatted back and forth. 

And then she drove me home. 

All in all the actual D+C was a pleasant experience. I’m so happy I was knocked out as they poked around inside my uterus clearing out my empty gestational sac. And the doctor said that the scans of my uterus and ovaries looked beautiful so there was one positive that came out of the transvaginal experience. 

Plus once I went back into the surgery room it went pretty quick. Michael even said he didn’t even wait that long before his buzzer went off. That’s right, I forgot, they gave him one of those little buzzers like you get a restaurant to know when your table or food is ready. 

Would I chose it again in the same situation again, yes. Do I wish that it wasn’t such a wait to get it and that it wasn’t so expensive, also yes. 

Everyone’s experience is different, and it’s an emotional one for sure. I hope that by sharing mine I can help ease the fear of someone headed into get their own. 

Boosting Cervical Fluid Quality + Improving My Luteal Phase

Today I want to talk about what I did to boost the quality of my cervical fluid and improve my luteal phase. They were two separate “projects”, but both very important in having a healthy cycle. 

[Disclaimer: Everything I’m sharing with you today is from my own personal experience. I’m not recommending any of this as actual medical advice so please make sure you do your own research.]

Ovulation is obviously a very important part to your cycle, and if you’re trying to get pregnant then very important. But a lot of people forget about the role of good cervical fluid and an adequate luteal phase. 

So, let’s start by talking about cervical fluid. What is its role in your fertility? 

Your cervical fluid is made up of water, sugars, electrolytes and proteins that nourish and protect sperm. These are all important ingredients when it comes to getting his sperm to your egg. 

Your fluid provides an alkaline environment for his sperm. Our vaginas are naturally slightly acidic and “hostile" to sperm. Like his semen, your fertile fluid is alkaline which helps sperm make their way through the vagina. 

There are different types of cervical fluid ranging from dry and sticky to creamy and egg-white. And certain types are more fertile than others. 

Least fertile to most fertile descriptors:

— dry or no fluid present

— tacky, sticky, or gummy

— creamy or lotiony 

— egg-white

— watery/egg-white

It takes at least a cycle to notice the difference between which types your body produces. But if you do chart it and notice that it never really gets past feeling like rubber cement then you might have some difficulties when it comes to conceiving. 

Think of it this way. Your cervical fluid can either act like a spider web, catching or trapping your partner’s sperm, or like a fun ol’ slip and slide up to your egg. 

So, what are some things you can do to make sure you’re getting that good, baby making egg-white quality cervical fluid? 

The first thing you need to do is drink more water. Boring, yeah, but your cervical fluid is 90% water so if you’re not hydrated enough it’s obvious your fluid is going to suffer. 

Another thing I did was take a primrose oil supplement from Cycle Day 1 until I ovulated, where I would then switch to a flax oil supplement until my next cycle started. And this is because primrose can potentially cause your uterus to contract. 

One weird thing that I tried out, but didn’t think would have an impact was drinking grapefruit juice, as well as other citrus juices leading up to ovulation. I got a big bag of grapefruit and started juicing them around Cycle Day 10 (I normally ovulated between CD 13-15). 

And eating more veggies is said to be helpful in creating that alkaline environment necessary for not zapping his guys. 

Eating raw garlic was another one I saw, but I never gave that a try. But the cycle I started drinking more water, grapefruit juice and taking 1500 mg of evening primrose oil leading up to ovulation there was a big difference in the amount and quality of my egg-white fluid. 

Ok, what about some things that could be negatively impacting the quality of your cervical fluid? 

+ Accutane (an acne medication) 

+ Pain drugs (advil, idol, ibuprofen, aleve, etc.)

+ Antidepressants (zoloft, prozac)

+ Clomid (fertility drug)

+ Antihistamines (Sudafed, Claritin)

+ Motion Sickness (Benadryl, Dramamine)

+ Laxatives 

+ Progesterones

+ Antibiotics 

+ Hormonal Birth Control

And I think this list is just worth mentioning because often we don’t think of how medications affects us. 

Next, let’s move into the luteal phase, and what I did to improve mine.

My cycle is pretty regular and on schedule, but one thing I have found that throws it out of whack is flinging my body through many different time zones. 

It’s usually after a big international trip that I start spotting more and more before my period, sometimes 9 days or more. 

A “normal” luteal phase is anywhere between 11 and 17 days, with the average somewhere between 12 and 14 days long. 

So, if you’ve noticed that your luteal phase is shorter than 10 days that’s not the best when it comes to giving a fertilized egg long enough to implant in your uterus and send signals back to your ovaries to have the corpus luteum keep producing progesterone to keep the lining of your uterus in place. Because obviously if your uterus starts shedding that’s not great for your fertilized egg. 

I tried a few different supplements that didn’t have any impact on my spotting before discovering Vitex. 

I’ve made a few videos about this before so you can watch those here, here, here, here and here. 

I ordered this Vitex (two bottles), which is two pills per dose. After my period ended I would start taking those two pills each day throughout the rest of my cycle, taking a break again when my period came. And I would do that for 2-3 cycles, but often my spotting would clear up in that first cycle of taking it. 

Actually, the cycle before I got pregnant I had 6 days of spotting leading up to my period, and of course I thought, crap that’s not good. So I started taking Vitex the following cycle. 

Well, then I found out I was pregnant. I’m not sure what exactly you’re supposed to do in this situation but I just cut down to one pill a day and then just stopped taking it within a week or two. 

And that’s what I did to get my cycle in tip top shape when it came to killer cervical fluid and a strong luteal phase. 

For anyone trying to get pregnant I always recommend looking into a few things that boost your cervical fluid because they are nonintrusive and good quality fluid is so important.