Luteal Phase Defect, Progesterone and Vitamin B6

It seems all young medical students are taught that the average woman's menstrual cycle is a textbook 28 days.

Day 1 means your period is starting. Day 14 means you're ovulating and Day 29 becomes Cycle Day 1. Therefore, all nice and tidily written, the average woman has a 28 day cycle.

Which means she has a 14 day Luteal Phase.

Contrary to the textbooks is the real nature of the menstrual cycle.

Every woman is different. Every cycle of the same woman is vastly different, even if she has a 'normal' pattern of fertility.

Cycle Day 1 starts her period, her bleeding should cease sometime between Cycle Day 5 and Cycle Day 8 and this begins her follicular phase.

This is the most important phase of the entire menstrual cycle. Secondary to that is not ovulation itself, but the luteal phase.

What is the Luteal Phase?

Before ovulation the brain sends chemical signals to the ovaries to begin ripening follicles. One ovary may be dominant for that cycle or both ovaries may begin ripening follicles.

As the body begins pushing more Lutenizing Hormone the follicles slow down with only one follicle continuing to ripen.

The LH hormone peaks and the follicle ruptures, hopefully at the most optimal time, sending the ovum from the follicle and away from the ovary towards the fallopian tube.

But this isn't the end of the follicle. The follicle reseals and begins swelling in size. It becomes a cyst full of fluid and changes to the course of the hormones for the rest of the cycle.

This Corpus Luteum, or yellow body, Cyst produces the progesterone needed to sustain pregnancy and delay the onset of Menses so that the fertilized egg can implant into the uterine lining.

If implantation is not successful the CL Cyst begins to break down, shrinking in size and the uterine lining begins to fall away from the uterus, initiating Menses.

The Luteal Phase

It is imperative the Luteal Phase is of an adequate length to allow time for the ovum to travel down the fallopian tubes, to mix with sperm and create an embryo. The embryo must have time to travel down the tubes into the uterus and penetrate the uterine lining and implant into the uterus wall.

If the Luteal Phase is too short, perfectly normal and healthy embryos may not have sufficient time to implant into the uterus and Menses starts prematurely causing an infertile cycle.

Luteal Phase Defect

Another of fertility's hotly contested spectrum is the Luteal Phase Defect.

Some specialists say that if a perfectly normal embryo was conceived it should have no trouble implanting into the uterine wall anywhere from 2 days past ovulation (on the early side of average) to 8 days past ovulation and that late implantation (anything more than 10 days past ovulation) suggests an abnormal, unhealthy embryo.

Some specialists say that because every woman's body is unique and we all have uniquely shaped uterus that it is perfectly acceptable for an embryo to implant anywhere from 4 to 10 days after ovulation.

Most agree delayed implantation of CD10 onwards is indicative of an unhealthy pregnancy.

So what is Defective?

If we rely on the textbook definition of the Luteal Phase, being 14 days, anything below 14 and anything greater than 14 is defective.

Most specialists now say that up to 16 days post ovulation is 'normal' but only if a woman is showing consistent and acceptable ovulation.

What they don't take into consideration is the length of the follicular phase.

If your follicular phase is 15 days and you ovulate on CD20, you should, naturally, have a longer luteal phase.

Example 1

CD 1 -- period begins
CD 7 -- bleeding stops
CD 20 -- ovulation
CD 35/ CD 1 -- period begins

Total cycle length: 34 days
LP Length: 14 days

Example 2
CD 1 -- period begins
CD 4 -- bleeding stops
CD 13 -- ovulation
CD 25/ CD 1 -- period begins

Total Cycle Length: 24 days
LP Length: 12 days

The Defect

I think it's such a hideous term, defect, and when applied to the menstrual cycle it really isn't appropriate.

I know of several women who jumped to conclusions about the LP Defect and over supplemented Vitamin B6 causing hot flashes and total loss of their menstrual cycle.

If you are noticing strong ovulation and a luteal phase of less than 10 days then I would, without hesitation, begin looking for ways of extending the cycle.

If you are noticing that you don't have strong ovulation and often wonder if you are ovulating at all, I would begin working from the start of the cycle to help the follicular stage and see if this helps extend the LP.

Causes of Luteal Phase Defect

According to Baby Hopes.Com the three main causes of luteal phase defect include poor follicle production, premature demise of the corpus luteum, and failure of the uterine lining to respond to normal levels of progesterone. These problems occur at different times during the cycle but can also be found in conjunction with each other.

1. Poor follicle production occurs in the first half of the cycle. In this case, the woman may not produce a normal level of FSH, or her ovaries do not respond strongly to the FSH, leading to inadequate follicle development. Because the follicle ultimately becomes the corpus luteum, poor follicle formation leads to poor corpus luteum quality. In turn, a poor corpus luteum will produce inadequate progesterone, causing the uterine lining to be adequately prepared for the implantation of a fertilized embryo. Ultimately progesterone levels may drop early and menses will arrive sooner than expected resulting in luteal phase defect.

2. Premature failure of the corpus luteum can occur even when the initial quality of the follicle/corpus luteum is adequate. In some women the corpus luteum sometimes does not persist as long as it should. Here, initial progesterone levels at five to seven days past ovulation may be low; even if they are adequate, the levels drop precipitously soon thereafter, again leading to early onset of menses and hence a luteal phase defect.

3. Failure of the uterine lining to respond can occur even in the presence of adequate follicle development and a corpus luteum that persists for the appropriate length of time. In this condition, the uterine lining does not respond to normal levels of progesterone. Therefore, if an embryo arrives and tries to implant in the uterus, the uterine lining will not be adequately prepared, and the implantation will most likely fail.

Detective Work

It will take some detective work to expose a true Luteal Phase Defect.

1) You must chart your cycle for both temperature and cervical fluid.
2) You must confirm ovulation either through temperature, cervical fluid and opk or with a progesterone blood test from your doctor.
3) You must chart your temperature through your luteal phase.
4) You must have at least 2 cycles with less than 10 days of the luteal phase.

If you are noticing 10 days or more then you do not have the luteal phase 'defect' and just have your own unique LP.

This article from INCIID is a very good page to help explain LPD.

What Can You Do?

I think your first step is to visualize a longer luteal phase. Visualize that the egg travels through the tube, meets the sperm, conceives your precious embryo and rushes, not just travels, but rushes to meet the lining.

It burrows with tremendous force and implants successfully. And I would do this visualization from ovulation until your period begins (unless it doesn't!).

Secondary to the visualizations is supplementation.

Most specialists do not tend to jump on a progesterone supplementation but some do and I believe a woman looking into a LP issue should consider Vitamin B6 (in addition to her normal B complex). Let's look into Vitamin B6 first.

Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is also known as pyridoxine, and is water soluble. It can be found in yeast, whole grains, legumes, liver, eggs, cereal, meat and fish. Along with providing the body with reactions of amino acid metabolism, it also has some benefits we can see and feel; it helps to regulate blood sugars, alleviates PMS and morning sickness. It is excreted totally from the body after about 8 hours.

Lori Ramsey, at Suite 101 gives her perspective on using Vitamin B6 to help extend her LP. She write:

"I've read it is recommended to take 100-200 mg of vitamin B6 a day to help with luteal phase defects. However, just 63 mg did the trick for me. Perhaps it would be smart to start out with smaller doses to see if it would work and increase it if it doesn't. Always check with your practitioner or doctor before taking megadoses of any vitamin. Vitamin B6 helps to normalize hormone levels thus normalizing the luteal phase."

What You Should Be Looking For

Vitamin B Complex
Dosage: 1 pill each morning with food.
Comments: Look for a B-50 complex with 50 mcg vitamin B12 and biotin; 400 mcg folic acid; and 50 mg all other B vitamins.
Warnings: High doses of some B vitamins can be toxic and/or cause nerve damage. Vitamin B6 may prevent the drug levodopa from working properly and folic acid and Vitamin B6 have been show to interfere with some anticonvulsants.

Vitamin B6
Dosage: 50 mg a day.
Comments: 200 mg daily over long term may cause nerve damage.
Warnings: When consumed in higher than recommended doses, vitamin B6 has been show to interfere with some anticonvulsants such as carbamazepine, gabapentin, and phenytoin, and the drug Levodopa, used to treat Parkinson's disease. High doses of B6 can cause nerve damage.

Source

Progesterone Supplementation

What is Progesterone?

Kevin Stitch explains progesterone much better than I could:

"Progesterone is a hormone produced by the ovaries that helps maintain a normal menstrual cycle. By preparing the lining of the uterus for implantation by the embryo, Progesterone also plays a critical role in maintaining the early weeks of a pregnancy. At approximately the eighth week of a normal pregnancy, the placenta takes over the role of producing Progesterone for the remainder of the pregnancy. Progesterone helps relax the muscles in the lining of the uterus, and also helps the breasts to develop in preparation for milk production after the birth of a baby."

The only way to test for progesterone is through a simple blood test. Most doctors order this test on CD21, but as we know, not all women would be 7dpo then, when the test is most commonly ordered. Some doctors even call it a CD21 test which shows a blatant lack of respect for you as a patient.

I always advise women to count out 7 dpo and go get the blood test then NOT on CD21 as is most commonly written on your lab sheet. If your numbers come back very low it suggests there was not active ovulation, even if you felt ovulation sensations or had fertile cervical mucous. Most doctors would want to force ovulation and would suggest a medicated cycle, most often starting with Clomid or Femara.

If, however, your test indicates ovulation occurred but your progesterone is very low, supplementation might be offered. A level less than 14 ng/ml indicates that progesterone production in the luteal phase is inadequate.

Supplementation can be in the form of pills, injections or the more popular suppositories. These are taken after ovulation has occurred and either taken about 2 weeks or sometimes until the 10th to 12th week of pregnancy.

There is an over the count (OTC) version called Natural Progesterone Cream or to those in the know, NPC. Some may find an alternative made from Wild Mexican Yam.

What is NPC (Natural Progesterone Cream)?

Dr John R. Lee, M.D, a world class expert on progesterone and women's hormones, noted that a natural hormone program worked better than conventional, mainstream medicine to help women cope with menopause.

Doctors working in reproduction found that this progesterone cream also works well to support the body in the luteal phase.

Micronized progesterone is progesterone run through an ointment mill to reduce the size of the progesterone pieces. In general, smaller progesterone pieces are more effective since they are more easily absorbed.

Natural progesterone has the consistency of powdered sugar. In progesterone that is not micronized, some of the "pieces" can be too large to be absorbed. Also, if pieces of the progesterone are not milled to a smaller, consistent size, this can lead to a grittiness in the progesterone cream.

What are the directions for using NPC natural progesterone body cream?

Suggested Use:

* For best results, use approximately ¼ tsp. of NPC natural progesterone body cream per application (scoop enclosed). Apply once or twice daily for the last 10 to 14 days prior to your period.
* Apply to hairless areas of skin, such as inner wrists, upper arms, behind knees or upper chest. Rotate application areas to avoid saturation.
* Rub in thoroughly.
* For topical use only. Do not exceed the recommended daily usage. Follow all directions.

Who Needs to Supplement Progesterone?

When a woman undergoes an IVF cycle she has the ovum aspirated from the follicles. Therefore her body never accepts that ovulation has occurred and the Corpus Luteum Cyst never forms, so in fact, she has NO real source of progesterone until her body is pregnant and supporting a growing baby.

Therefore she must, absolutely must, supplement progesterone. This progesterone supplementation is absolutely vital to ensure an embryo has the opportunity to implant into the uterus, otherwise her body assumes there has been no fertilization and Menses would begin.

If a woman has shown to have low progesterone during medicated cycles sometimes progesterone will be prescribed, however, it is greatly contested whether low progesterone is a sign of the body lack of ability to produce progesterone or whether the body would miscarry the pregnancy since it does not want to produce progesterone to support the pregnancy.

Some doctors feel the answer lies in getting a stronger ovulation and most patients do note that they have higher progesterone levels during medicated cycles (non IVF).

If you wish to supplement with NPC you MUST discuss this with your doctor.

Does Progesterone Supplementation Prevent Miscarriage?

The short answer is no. Nothing can truly prevent miscarriage.

In some women, however, progesterone supplementation is absolutely vital to ensure an embryo has the opportunity to implant into the uterus.

Dr. Amy writes:

"There is a small group of miscarriages that can be prevented. These miscarriages are causes by a progesterone deficiency (luteal phase defect). Progesterone is needed to support the growth of a pregnancy. In the early weeks of pregnancy, the mother’s body produces the progesterone. By about 8-9 weeks of pregnancy, the placenta usually takes over the production of progesterone. Women who don’t produce enough progesterone in the early weeks of pregnancy may have repeated miscarriages. These miscarriages can be prevented by progesterone supplements...

Measuring progesterone levels at the beginning of pregnancy may show dropping levels of progesterone before a miscarriage. However, it seems more likely that levels drop because the pregnancy is no longer growing, not because the dropping levels cause the miscarriage. Therefore, taking progesterone supplements will not prevent the miscarriage."

Visualization Exercise

Supplementing Health (Part 1)

A few years ago a naturopath told me to ditch my supplements.

We were seeing her because our daughter had severe reflux and nothing 'mainstream' was working. I had always wanted to see a naturopath while ttc but never made the big jump.

Instead I did my own research and put together a herbal tea that worked wonders for my cycle.

Anyways, the supplements.

I was shocked because I had always imagined a naturopath to enjoy the idea of supplementing and selling good quality products.

I asked her why and she told me that if I was eating correctly I would be taking in everything I needed, and, after all, fresh food is best food.

I imagine anyone across town could have seen the look of total arrogance come across my face.

Excuse me? My kid isn't sleeping, not eating, we're not sleeping, not eating and you want me to go cook fresh/uncooked foods for everyone?

Please.

I love supplements and supplementing health.

While I don't think it's any excuse not to eat better and strive to always eat optimally things in the landscape often negate doing so.

I would rather take a multi-vitamin twice daily along with some herbs than eat over-sprayed, overpriced food that's been contaminated since it was a seedling.

Aerial spraying, pesticides, treated wood used to grow the produce all leeches into the soil, into the water table, into the food you are eating.

Even food marked 'organic' is usually grown just down the road from commercial produce that is sprayed.

Sprays travel. Contaminated water travels.

So why not aim to eat the best you can but understand and accept that what you're eating isn't the pristine food from 200 years ago.

Irrigation allows farmers to reuse the same plots and not move produce so the soil never fully 'recovers' from a growing season. Commercial fertilizers are added, sprays are added and all of this negates on the quality of the food you are eating.

So, to me, supplementing is the most important thing you can do for yourself and your body.

I'm not advocating taking 10 different pills daily but a multi makes good sense as does your Essential Fatty Acids. Fish oil, Flaxseed Oil, even Evening Primrose Oil are all excellent supplements to start with.

Men should always include a supplement higher in zinc and B vitamins.

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Supplementing Fertility

The first rule of supplementing for fertility is to accept and truly understand that what you are putting into your body is the same concept as medicating your body.

It always amazes me the number of women I see at Ovusoft complaining that some herb has made them anovulatory. Upon further inspection you find that the woman has been using 2 to 3 times the normal amount in addition to other herbs she absolutely doesn't understand.

It would be like waking up one day and deciding to give yourself a high blast of radiation. It's not a good idea!

Herbs to some people are just plants. Like tomatoes. Like potatoes. Like oranges.

But they aren't. Herbs are the most common and accepted method of medication. Aspirin originates from tree bark. Major pharmaceutical companies make dozens of medicines from herbs that grow plain as day.

You cannot just decide to take *something* without any thought and research.

Starting a new regime with vitamin supplements is safer for those new to the concept of suppelenting due to regulations that require a product must be safe for general consumption. Herbs bought locally, fresh, dried or some that have been imported do not have the same standards and government regulations. This is why you must accept that ANY herbal regime must be started slowly and purposefully.

Starting a Vitamin Regime

So, how does one exactly start a vitamin regime? Do you just jump in the car and hit the grocery store? Do you go to the pharmacy or a health food shop? And just what, when and HOW MANY are you supposed to take?

These are all vital questions you need to work out for yourself. I was told it's best to put your money in a quality supplement but recent research shows that the body will only absorb what it wants or needs and flushes the rest away. So if you were only going to absorb 100mg of X why pee away hundreds of dollars from Health Store products?

Stick with a brand you trust, buy it on sale from the pharmacy and skip the grocery store. Pharmacies stock fewer of each which means there is less chance they have been sitting in storage for 6 months in heat, light and exposed to strong smells. Pharmacies often discount products just before the 'expiry' date and you can get a good deal.

Your best bet is to start small and often.

Week 1 introduces your multi. Take it away from caffeine and tea/coffee/soda.

Week 2 continues your multi and adds an individual vitamin. You'll need to do some research and see if it's best to take them together or take them apart. Some supplements clash heavily with one another, often negating the entire purpose of taking a supplement!

Week 3 continues with your multi and your individual vitamin. Add in your first herb. This is the most crucial time to accept that you are starting small, slow and purposefully.

Week 4 continues with your multi, your individual vitamin, perhaps a new individual vitamin and your herb. This week you will increase your herb or, if you feel it is working, remain the same. For example, if you are taking 1ml of a Vitex Tincture it might be safe now to increase your dose to 1.2ml. If you feel any unusual side effects drop your dose back to 1ml.

Throughout this process you should take your Essential Fatty Acids with meals. I find lunch is a good time to pop them in and you can start pretty much from the word go. I advise people to stick with Fish Oil and Flaxseed Oil as Evening Primrose Oil contains estrogen properties which aren't safe for all times in your cycle.

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Here is a run-down I've put together:

Women's Health

Folic Acid

Folic acid is a naturally occurring B vitamin that helps a baby's neural tube—the part of a developing baby that becomes the brain and spinal cord—develop properly. It must be taken before and during early pregnancy when the neural tube is developing.

Folic acid, a B vitamin, helps prevent birth defects of the brain and spinal cord when taken before the end of early pregnancy. It is available in most multivitamins, as a folic acid-only supplement and in some foods. Take a multivitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid every day before pregnancy and during early pregnancy, as part of a healthy diet.

If all women took adequate folic acid before conception and during pregnancy, 50 to 70 percent of NTDs could be prevented.

Folic acid has no known toxic level. If you ate a bowl of fully fortified cereal (400 micrograms), took a folic acid supplement (400 micrograms), and ate fortified foods and foods rich in folate, you would not get too much folic acid.

Vitamin C
Women should avoid megadoses of vitamin C because it can dry up cervical fluid, preventing sperm from reaching the egg. Limit the amount you take to the dose included in your prenatal vitamin.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E may increase egg quality. In a preliminary human trial, infertile couples given vitamin E (200 IU per day for the female and 100 IU per day for the male) showed a significant increase in fertility. The suggested dose for Vitamin E is 400 IU per day.

Iron

Anemia can lead to infertility. Women who bleed profusely may be anemic, those who rarely bleed may in fact be either anemic or too high in iron. Women who took iron supplements had nearly half the risk of developing ovulatory infertility compared with women who did not use iron supplements, according to a new study in the November 2007 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Women taking supplements with high iron content (41 mg or more) had an even lower risk (62%) of ovulatory infertility compared with women who took no supplements, according to this study. Similarly, women consuming high amounts of iron from other non-animal sources had a significantly lower risk of ovulatory infertility compared with women who consumed little iron in their diet. The suggested dose for Iron is 10-20 mg/day.

Men's Health

Vitamin C
Vitamin C and Fertility:

According to a study conducted at the University of Texas Medical School at Galveston, insufficient amounts of vitamin C in a man’s diet can lead to Agglutination of sperm.

When sperm cells clump together, a condition called Agglutination, maximal progression or movement of the sperm is inhibited and fertility is reduced. Vitamin C reduces sperm Agglutination, increasing the fertility of men with this condition. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin C is 60 milligams per day for an adult male. According to Dr. Dawson intake of 200 to 1000 milligrams per day had a beneficial effect on sperm.

According to Dr. Earl Dawson M.D., Ph.D., associate professor at the U of Texas at Galveston, vitamin C is also helpful in smokers who have increased amounts of abnormally formed sperm.

Cigarette smoke is absorbed through the lungs and enters the circulatory system (bloodstream). Once the toxins reach the bloodstream they find their way to the semen and this can lead to less than optimal sperm count and function. It is believed that vitamin C helps to neutralize the toxic effects of cigarette smoke on the sperm.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is essential for fertility and reproduction. Deficiency in rats has shown that it leads a loss of fertility in the male. This potent antioxidant plays important roles in male sperm production. It is known that a lack of vitamin E inhibits the formation of sperm. Low vitamin E levels can cause a decline in the formation of key sex hormones and enzymes responsible for sperm production. Although potency is not affected, fertility is improved due to its protective effect on sperm cell membranes. Supplementation with Vitamin E may also aid in improving sperm motility.

Dose: 400 IU daily. Talk to your doctor prior to starting Vitamin E, particularly if you are currently taking aspirin or other blood thinners.

Selenium

A study conducted at the University of Padua in Italy and published in the Journal Science states that a diet low in selenium could be a cause of male infertility. Selenium acts to help prevent oxidation of the sperm cell, thus aiding in maintaining sperm cell integrity. Good sources of selenium can be found in red meat, liver and seafood. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for selenium is 70 micrograms/day for an adult male.

Zinc

This mineral is involved in over 200 proteins and enzymes and is essential for male fertility. Zinc is involved in the activation of key sperm enzymes, and moves into the prostate with the assistance of testosterone. A lack of zinc causes a lowering of testosterone, shrinks testicle size and produces misshapen and less healthy sperm, among other negatives. Upon restoring a daily dose of 15 milligrams, testosterone and sperm count levels rebounded to acceptable levels within 12 months. Take zinc with a full glass of water.

Arginine (L-Arginine)

Arginine (L-Arginine) is needed to produce sperm. Research shows that several months of Arginine supplementation increases sperm count, quality and fertility.

There is no 'accepted' recommended dose of Arginine so you must accept that less is more. If you can find a multi with this added, or a men's supplement with this added, that should be totally sufficient. Too much of this Arginine can lead to lowered blood pressure and increased stomach acid, among other side effects with a potential for total toxicity. The 'suggested' dose is 2-4g.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is needed to maintain fertility. Lack of B-vitamins is very common in people who eat mostly refined and processed foods as well as those who smoke. Twenty-seven percent of men in one study with sperm counts under 20 million/ml took 1,000 mcg of vitamin B12 per day. As a result, their total sperm count increased in excess of 100 million/ml. A study showed that taking 1,500mcg per day for 2 to 13 months increased sperm counts in 60% of the men.

Part 2 will tackle the often confusing, misleading and varied world of Supplementing Herbs for Fertility.

Menstrual Phase 1

This is the second instalment in the imagery and affirmations series.

This is for the first half of the menstrual phase -- so Cycle Days 2 through 5 for those who bleed for 7+ days and Cycle Day 2 to 4 for those who bleed 5 or 6 days.

You can however, click here to view a larger show of the slides. It is still too fast but I will be working on that later.

Cycle Day 1

I do apologize for the fast nature of the slide. I will be looking into different slide methods in the coming days and hope to find one that will best suit the needs of this blog. So for now you might just have to watch it several times.

The Obligatory First Post

A new blog always warrants the history of the blogger. A new blog that extends an invitation to take part in any journey always warrants the obligatory rules, restrictions, warnings and advice.

What is Visible Conception?

Visible Conception is a blog that hopefully will help bring women who are facing infertility, miscarriage or trying to conceive a new child a new way of exploring their family building journey.

Through the use of visual images and daily affirmations I hope to take you on a journey through your cycle to help bring about new understanding and coping strategies for the cycle.

Who are you?

I'm Jen, a miscarriage veteran and former infertile. We tried for 39 cycles with 4 miscarriages before conceiving our daughter. We went down the path of adoption but conceived our daughter before placing a profile in the adoption 'pool'.

On a whim I created a series of visual cues to help me express my interest in my cycle as well as the conflicting emotions I felt. With as much rage, sadness and jealousy I felt I knew I would not be creating a 'good' environment for pregnancy.

I began researching the Chakras, meditation and visual imagery and affirmations.

Do I really think these things help?

Yes. As someone who did struggle with infertility I know the majority of my life was spent focusing on what I didn't have and what I wanted with all of my heart: a child.

I had to learn that jealousy was simply a way of being happy for someone but being so, so sad for myself at the same time. Then I could dispel it.

Anger was a harder emotion to unwind.

So was the depression I felt.

I think most infertiles will tell you they'd skate naked on a half-frozen ice patch in NYC if it meant they could get pregnant and stay pregnant. So why not go to a lesser extreme and focus on what our body is naturally trying to do and celebrate the successes of each cycle -- even if pregnancy isn't the outcome.

Am I a doctor?

Heavens no. Nor do I pretend to be. I am just a fertility geek who wants to learn more about the human body and share her findings. I'm also very interested in the power of body based healing and using the mind to access this wonderful vitality.

Should you give up seeing a specialist and focus solely on this?

Again, Heavens no! Mainstream treatment, specialist treatment, herbs, homeopathics, imagery, meditation, charting, message boards, etc all play a vital role in maintaining YOUR mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health during your family-building journey.

Do I make guarantees?

Again, sadly no. I wish every woman who wanted a child to love and nurture could be blessed with a perfect pregnancy and the perfect child. Sometimes it's not the case. More often than not, however, women are turning to new avenues to pursue family-building and it's essential a woman be mentally fit when pursuing donor eggs, donor sperm, donor embryos, surrogacy and adoption.

Many women continue trying, without medical intervention, while pursuing the 'paper' side of donor gametes, surrogacy or adoption. Just because you're no longer dropping your pants for doctors, nurses and ultrasound technicians doesn't mean your cycles stop.

Often these women feel betrayed by their bodies while focusing on the legal and 'paper' sides of these journeys. Visual imagery and affirmations can help restore some peace to the process.

Am I professional trained in this art of imagery and affirmations?

Nope. Again, just a woman, a mother, a person who experienced the pain of infertility and knows how important it is to retain, regain and renew the peace of the soul.

I have had 7 miscarriages, 6 natural ones, 3 D&Cs (for the same loss) and have been diagnosed with an auto-immune disease. I have had to fight tooth and nail to resume my daily life after a total immune melt-down and I want to share my story, my journey with others.

Does this cost any money?

Nope. What you see is what you get. I do always welcome comments, stories, poems, images, and warm wishes. And maybe a collaboration will come together.

Is this a bunch of nonsense and fool-hardy internet crap?

Well, if you want to believe that. I'm not peddling goods, asking for money or selling your pipe dreams.

Thanks for reading. Warm wishes. Jen