Warning: this post is loooong and involves the words “hostile cervical fluid”!

    So my hubby just got back from a work conference in Florida, Disney world to be exact. I was so jealous because he took me along last year, (hence my most valued and best souvenir EVER, Eli. It truly IS a magical place, ha ha) but since Eli is still so young, we decided I would stay home with the baby. Most of you who know me, know my conception story because I’ve been very open about my fertility issues but I thought I’d share the complete story with those of you who take the time to read my blog and haven’t heard the story yet. So here goes. (Warning: lots of medical and “girl” talk so stop here if ignorance is bliss for you)

    Again, those of you who really “know” me, know that I’m obsessed in LOVE with all things “baby”. Babies are truly my weakness in life, so naturally I’ve wanted to have babies ever since I was a baby. (The quickest, surest way to piss me off as a child was to mishandle my cabbage patch doll and not treat her like a real live baby). Much to my husband’s dismay, I turn EVERY inanimate object into a “he/she” and they all have personalities. (Hey, he CHOSE to marry me!)…The best part was when he would start referring to my pillow as “she” too, ha ha. I digress…

   Anyways, shortly after Aaron and I got married, my sister informed me she was getting off birth control to start trying to get pregnant (she got married a year before me) and I immediately panicked because my dream was to get pregnant at the same time and I still had 3 months worth of birth control! So I told my hubby my plan to start trying immediately (he didn’t need a say in this, ha!) and we began our journey…a.very.long.one.

     A little back ground on me: Ever since I got my very first period (which was the same day as my sister incidentally, crazy huh?!) they were never “regular”. Now when I say “regular” I mean nothing even resembling a cycle. We’re talking maaaaybe 1 period every 6-9 months people. It was AWESOME as a teenager and early twenties being in sports and what not, but when trying to get pregnant it was obviously a nightmare! I even went on birth control to regulate my cycle at 19 years old and my doctor casually mentioned how we would “cross that bridge when we get there” in reference to pregnancy.

     Fast forward to 3 years ago, and I set out to figure out what my body’s deal was. Steph has the same issues with her period so she had her own set of doctors and I had mine and we had hoped that someone would figure this all out. Nope. We stumped them all. Grrr**shaking fists in air**. Long story short, they labeled us “a rare, atypical PCOS” (poly cystic ovarian syndrome). For those of you who know about this disease, Steph and I don’t really fit the profile but the lack of periods and abnormal follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone ratio sealed the diagnosis for us. They said without periods and therefore without ovulating, we would have a very hard time getting pregnant on our own.

    My sister decided to continue trying on her own and read the book "Take charge of your fertility" (HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone struggling to conceive. I owe my success entirely to this book) along with both of us trying acupuncture. After I read this book I had a renewed excitement about conceiving! I suddenly felt optimistic and like it WAS going to happen, and soon! I just had to be patient.

     I didn’t do any fertility drugs. I told my doctor I was going to start “charting” (see above link.) and she said it was a moot point and wouldn’t work for someone not ovulating. I argued that I DID ovulate, even if it was only once a year and I WAS going to take advantage of it  when I did! So I set out to prove her wrong. EVERY SINGLE morning, I woke up to take my temperature at 5:15am (if you read the book, you’d understand that you have to take your temperature the same time every day for it to be accurate and the earliest I’d wake up on work days was 5:15, hence the magic number..boo, hiss!) For a FULL YEAR I did this. I remember ovulating last July and my hubby and I did everything right (I’ll spare you details, ha ha) and my charting proved I did ovulate but it didn’t happen. Talk about a major downer! But I was undeterred! In the book it talked about people (ok, about to get graphic here so don’t say I didn’t warn you) having “hostile cervical fluid” meaning not ideal for little spermies to swim through to fertilize an egg--that it actually hinders them. Soooo I determined this to be my problem (again I’ll spare you my personal details but if you have more questions just ask) and decided that the next time I showed my signs of ovulation I would use Mucinex….wait, what?! Yes you just read that right. The cough expectorant, yep. Let me explain. Mucinex loosens the secretions by thinning them so you can cough that junk up. It not only thins the secretions in your lungs, but everywhere else, including, ahem, down “there.” Again, by reading the book, one can tell if it applies to them or not. I am by no means saying Mucinex is the end all be all way to conceive and that everyone should try it! I’ve heard people repeating my story to others struggling and then hearing that person going out and buying Mucinex thinking it’s a miracle drug! It can be, only if you have the problem mentioned above. I’m just sayin’.

    Three months later in October of last year, my hubby and I are packing for our Disney world trip and I notice my signs of impending ovulation. I immediately start taking Mucinex (well I’m cheap so I grabbed the generic cheapo stuff, guaifenisin. It’s important that there are no other ingredients besides this one if you use the Mucinex brand, just an FYI) and I didn’t tell him I was about to ovulate because I didn’t want him to feel used ;) or to feel any pressure that this could be it. Again the uh-MAZ-ing book above explains why  I did what I did. And Voila! My little blessing arrived 39 weeks and 1 day later :D

     So the key to success for me was playing the waiting game…and Mucinex. I had to wait 6-9 months every time I had a shot of conceiving. You lucky ladies who are “regular” but struggling, wouldn’t have to play the waiting game, you’d just have to figure out what your body’s issue is in the conception dance. And that’s what the book is for. Do you ovulate? (some women get periods but they are annovulatory cycles), Do you have a short luteal phase preventing implatation? (The book explains what this is.) Do you have hostile cervical fluid? If I haven’t convinced you yet to go out and buy/rent this book right this second then I don’t know what to tell you. It’s very easy reading, like your having a conversation with a friend. Just do it :)

     I hope my story helps some of you out there struggling to conceive and gives you renewed hope :)
Bravo to those of you who stuck it out to the end of this looooong, personal post. I wish I could give you a tootsie pop or something :)

    Aaaand I can’t blog without a pic of my widdle guy. Daddy brought him home a Mickey Mouse stuffed animal:

Hope you all enjoy this beautiful day!
-Linds
p.s I’m obviously very passionate about this book (hey maybe they could PAY me to promote it, wink wink…j/k) so if you have any questions at all, feel free to email me: lindsaynesler@gmail.com