preparing for our FET

The month of January went by in a flash. We started the open adoption matching process with embryos through NEDC. I'm happy to share that we've been matched with two wonderful families and we couldn't be more excited to meet our frozen embryos in March. We should be signing the adoption papers with both couples early this upcoming week.

With our transfer a little over a month away, I'm going into hyper-drive to make sure that I'm getting as many nutritious foods and vitamins as possible. I cut out caffeine at New Year's (except for a few very tiresome mornings) but now I'm becoming diligent.

Here's my preparation plan for our FET in March.

• Prenatal Vitamins 

• Daily baby aspirin (per my doctor's orders.)

• Organic Red Raspberry leaf tea -  1 to 2 cups a day leading up to our transfer day. 

• Pomegranate Juice -  Up to 8 ounces a day leading up to transfer day.

• Brazil Nuts - a handful a day after I get my final "period" before transfer. 

• Nutrient Rich Food and Soups - as much as I can get daily. I prepare all of our food from scratch, and I'm lucky that my parent's raise grass fed beef. This week I'm making a flavorful Pho soup using bone broth I made this weekend and lots of fresh organic veggies and herbs. I've really been interested in nutrient rich broths since I read "Nourishing Traditions" a cookbook by Sally Fallon. Eating this way makes sense to me. Here is where I found the recipe for the broth I made this weekend.  

• Bi/weekly acupuncture for fertility. Check out Groupon for really great deals. That's where I found mine. I was paying $78 per session, now I can get three sessions for $40.

•  Gentle yoga daily - to get the blood flowing!

• Daily walk - I have to walk into to work anyway.

• Pineapple core - post transfer

• Prayer, prayer, prayer! Ultimately this is all in God's hands and I am so grateful to our donor families and for all of the wonderful people who have helped us along the way. 

Any other suggestions that anyone might have would be greatly appreciated. Please pray for us!

Sending love:

Jillian

fertility salsa

I've been doing everything that I can lately to increase my odds of success for our upcoming IVF. As far as I can tell the only things I can really do are take special care with my diet and focus on keeping a positive attitude and letting go of all of my stress.

Easier said than done, right?

So, one of the ways that I've always combated stress is cooking. Here's a recipe for a fun, fresh salsa that will also boost your fertility.

Fertility Salsa

1 can organic black beans
1 can organic corn
1 jalapeno pepper - de-seeded and minced very small
1 avocado - diced
1 bunch of green onions - minced very small
2 cloves garlic - minced
a few tomatoes - I only had one that I harvested from my garden

Chop all veggies and mix together in large bowl. Then drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon cumin and salt and pepper over the mixture and combine. I didn't have any limes, but the juice from one lime also adds some zip to this salsa.

Watch this video to get some other ideas on fertility super foods. I found it to be very helpful.

Talk you later:

Jillian

P. S.  I changed the comment settings on this blog, so hopefully that will allow some of you who haven't been able to post comments to share! Thanks!

P. S. S. I talked to our insurance provider today and it looks like they will be covering a majority of our IVF medications - if this turns out to be the case we've just received a major blessing. We will still be paying out of pocket for the procedure, but having to pay a co-pay for the meds would be wonderful. I'll have to call back to our insurance company again in a few days and talk to a different rep and see if they give me the same cost estimates. Nothing's final until you get the bill . . .

raise your smoothies in a toast!

It's so good to hear good news! Today one of my fellow bloggers announced that she was pregnant after her first IVF. (You can find her near the top of my blog roll.) That's so great. I truly wish her a healthy and safe pregnancy and I can't wait to follow along through her blog. You girls (and guys) keep me going.

I've never come across a more positive and problem-solving inventive group of people in my life. Yes, I'm standing by positive as a description of the IF community, because even though we do get knocked down - even though we have some legit things to gripe about - many of us find ways to cope and stagger back to our feet. Every time one of you stumbles and pulls yourself back up and returns to the blogger-sphere to tell your story it gives me courage to keep going.

Of course I wish it was me who got to post a BFP . . . I know my day will come. It's either a BFP or a call from our facilitator saying they have a match with a birth mother for us.

I had to readjust my expectations this afternoon after I got off the phone with our clinic. It looks like the earliest time we can schedule our egg retrieval and fertilization is early September. Darn, in my head I was like: "We are doing IVF this summer." September feels so far away. I'm just gonna roll with it. September is a good month. It's gonna be our month.

Back to the main reason for this post - some infertility recipe goodness.

Cinnamon Avocado Smoothie

1 Banana 

1 Avocado

1 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup organic ground flaxseed

1/2 t. organic cinnamon

Whip it up and serve!

So, we've probably all heard how good avocados are for preparing for IVF, but my research also shows how beneficial ground flaxseed and cinnamon are - just for everyone. Watch how much cinnamon you consume, though - there is a daily limit. 

I'm not a doctor or anything - I'm just trying to find ways to improve my health and increase the odds that our fertility treatments will work. I would love your feedback and suggestions for ways to boost my diet to improve my fertility. 

Happy Monday Y'all!