NaPro Conference

Two weekends ago I had the opportunity to attend part of a NaPro conference for FCPs, medical consultants, and more.  Since I'm none of the above, I just attended one day as a participant and my DH came along to watch Baby R.  I was most excited about seeing and hearing from some of the big names in NaProTechnology: Hilgers, Yeung, Nolte, Stanford, and Boyle. 

The thing that I personally took away from all the discussions was the importance of decreasing inflammation in the body.  It's still unknown whether or not I have endo (in women with recurrent pregnancy loss, Dr. Yeung said a high percentage of them do have endo), but that is just one of the causes of inflammation in the body.  Others could be stress, allergies, food insensitivities, etc. An anti-inflammatory diet includes eliminating dairy, wheat, and sugar.  And an anti-inflammatory diet is good for women with persistent pain.   

I find it so interesting that I conceived and stayed pregnant while following my food intolerance avoidance diet (no eggs, sugar, dairy, or gluten) along with taking LDN, which I found out helps reduce inflammation as well!  I was reminded that I most likely have too much inflammation in my body again, and I'll probably feel better and stay healthier if I work to eliminate some of that (I am following a dairy-free diet at the moment, but that's all).  It also convinces me that when it is time to start trying to conceive again, it will be important for me to get back on that avoidance diet along with LDN.

Dr. Yeung, who has done extensive research and work with endo patients, recommends all his patients follow an anti-inflammatory diet (whether or not he's diagnosed them as having endo) and take Omega 3 supplements.  Those 2 things alone have been enough for some of his IF patients to conceive!  He recommended at least 2,000 g. of Omega 3s a day, and not all supplements are created equal.  You need to look at the EPA content of each capsule (it should be 700 mg).  You can also have a blood test done to check your levels and determine your daily Omega 3 dosage.  More info can be found here, under the "new treatment strategies" button.  Even if you're not interested in the Omega 3 info, check out the website.  It's FertilityCare of Europe, and it has great info on LDN and food intolerance testing as well!

In addition to seeing Napro greats, I got to meet not 1, not 2, but THREE bloggers!  I had this lovely lady save me a seat for one of the sessions and then we had lunch together.  She is adorable.  I wish she would post a picture on her blog for you to see her as she's simply gorgeous inside and out.  It was so fun chatting with her.  There's just something about talking with other women who "get it."  You truly can't compare it to other discussions.

I also got to briefly see this blogger, who is just as outgoing and bubbly in person as she is on her blog.  I got a hug from this lovely lady, who I had previously prayed for during this last Lenten Prayer Buddies.  How cool is that?  When you get assigned someone during Prayer Buddies, you don't often think you'll get the chance to meet them, especially if they live in another country! Both of these women are working tirelessly to bring NaPro to their country.

I'm so thankful for NaPro and what it's done for so many women.  It was fun to be able to bring our NaPro baby down to the conference and meet other FCPs and medical consultants working so hard to care for women's fertility issues.  I know not all of you who read this blog have had the same positive experience with NaPro, and I wish that wasn't the case.  I wish NaPro was able to help you get pregnant and grow your family as your heart desires.  I don't know why that hasn't been the case, but know that I pray particularly for you!

Quick Takes (28)

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This week was the trifecta of celebrations around here!  First, it was our anniversary.  Then it was Pioneer Day- a state holiday that celebrates the coming of the Mormon pioneers.  We don't celebrate this holiday or take part in the festivities, but we were able to see the massive fireworks display from our home.  After that, it was my birthday.  I'm no longer in my early 30s, but have migrated towards mid-30s.  Ack!  Even though it sounds old, I don't feel old.

--- 2 ---

I think I'm at an all time high of blog posts waiting to be finished and published from draft mode.  Here's some of the titles of ones I'd like to finish: A blog award, The birth story continued, Baptism, Napro conference, 9-10 weeks, Clarifying beliefs, How is it?, and Sufferings compared.  Any of those titles interest you?  Keep reading in the coming weeks, while I hope to finish them and post them all!

--- 3 ---

Sick again.  I started feeling crummy on my birthday, and by the time the night came, had a full blown fever, muscle aches, sore throat, etc.  Not cool.  Not cool at all.  Especially with a little one in the house that I'm around all day.  I loaded up on fruits and fruit juices, took some Tylenol, and when the little one woke me for the 3am feeding, felt a teeny bit better.  The fever even seemed to have broken.  So weird!  I never have a fever unless I'm really sick.  So what was it...cold?  Flu? Something else?  I'm praying whatever it was, it's on it's way out!

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Preparing for company again.  Next weekend, we're having one of the couples from Russia visit us and our congregation.  I'm so excited to see them.  These are 2 of the people we met last summer while we were on our mission trip.  They live in Siberia and minister there.  Their son is an exchange student in the US, so they are visiting him and taking some time to travel around the US.  I can't wait to see them and have them give DH and I updates on the many people we met there last summer.  After they leave, the MIL and SIL are coming for a week.  Sadly, I'm not as excited about this visit as the one above.  I love my MIL and SIL, but when they come to visit, it's not relaxing at all.  In fact, it can be a little stressful for DH and I.

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Work decisions.  I'm currently being forced to consider my work for the fall, and it's about a month sooner than I thought I would have to make a decision, which is stressing me out somewhat.  I had already agreed to help out with an 8 day workshop next month, but that may or may not take place now because my co-worker who coordinates and oversees the workshop, was just diagnosed with Stage IV cancer and given 6-12 months to live.  I can't stop thinking about him and how his life has drastically changed in the matter of a day.  So sad.

Since he won't be teaching anymore, my boss is working to get his classes covered and wants me to take one.  This has been his main class he's taught ever since he's been at the dept. (20 or 30 years), and it just sort of seems wrong for me to teach it.  I mean, I just feel a little uncomfortable taking it over knowing that he's not teaching it because he's dying.  But I understand they need to fill it and it's at the exact time I wanted to teach (MWF, 50 minute classes), so I'm considering it.  But I also feel like I have a new job: full-time mom.  Should I even be considering part-time work?  I'm so torn.  It would probably only be 9-12 hours of work a week (3 hours in the classroom and then prep work for each class), the pay is pretty good, I'd be using my degree, DH could adjust his schedule to watch Baby R. during the times I was teaching, I could do my prep work at home, etc.  Ugh...I'm so torn.  A little extra income would be nice, and I'm actually thinking we would use it to start a college fund for the Baby.....I told my boss I'd get back to her on Monday.  Prayers for a clear decision are appreciated!

--- 6 ---

I heard this song on the radio the other day and it spoke to my heart.  I'm not familiar with Kari Jobe, so I don't know much about her, but the words are powerful...even when it hurts, even when it's hard, even when it all just falls apart...I know I can trust You.  Listen and let it speak words of comfort to your heart!

--- 7 ---

Is anyone else excited for the Olympics to start!  I can't wait to watch some of the opening ceremonies tonight.  I love the summer Olympics more than the winter ones.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

7 Years!!

Today marks 7 years of marriage!  Wow.  It's hard to believe we've been married that long already, and yet, it could be longer since DH and I met in 1999 and started dating for the 1st time then (we broke up, parted ways/didn't talk, and dated for a 2nd times a few years later).  Hard to believe I've known him for 13 years.

Here we are at our reception after the ceremony.  Ah...the look of naive wedding day bliss.  We had no clue what was coming up ahead in our marriage.  The first year or two was the adjustment of having another person in your life (we had both become very independent living on our own), and then we had 2 years of IF followed by 2 more years of IF with miscarriage loss.  It wasn't until year 6 1/2 that some of that joy started returning to me again like it was at the beginning of our marriage. 

One of the things we have done a lot of as a couple is travel!  I passed the travel bug onto DH, and we've been to Costa Rica, Mexico a few times, Russia, CO, AZ, ID, UT, TX, MN and more as a married couple. Those vacation times were a breath of fresh air in the midst of the darkness of IF.

And here we are at year 7 as a family of three.  Never would I have imagined on our wedding day that this is what the first 7 years of marriage would look like.  And yet, we survived and became stronger as a couple as a result of IF and loss.  For that I am thankful!

Quick Takes (27)

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Thank you notes:  I'm finally caught up on baby and baptism thank you notes!  It only took me 11 weeks to do that.  Not too bad, but definitely not the normal for this usually prompt girl.

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Birth announcements:  And since I'm finally caught up with writing thank you notes, I finally ordered Baby R.'s birth announcements to send out.  Amazing, huh?  She's only 11 weeks old and I'm finally getting around to doing that.  Now to stamp and address them, which shouldn't take too long.  I should have called them 3 month birthday announcements, and then I'd be early on getting them out..ha, ha!

--- 3 ---

1st Friday:  Today is the 1st Friday in a long time that all three of us are home.  Daddy often has Fridays off, but he's been so busy the past month, that he hasn't been able to be home all of a Friday. And since he works almost every other day, it was nice to have him around this morning.  I took a nap and made it to the gym before noon!  That felt amazingly good.

--- 4 ---

1st LLL meeting:  This week R. and I attended our first La Leche League meeting.  I've been meaning to go for several months now, but it hasn't worked out.  It was nice to connect with other bfeeding moms, and while R. was the youngest baby, LLL is a good resource to be connected with, especially since bfeeding can still be a struggle for me at times because one side can be painful.  I doubt, however, that I'll still be nursing R. at 19 months as several of the other moms were doing with their kids.  My goal is to make it to a year and then re-evaluate.

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1st women's Bible study: This week has been a week of firsts:-)  This week R. and I also attended our first women's Bible study.  This is the Monday night study that I used to regularly attend and co-lead.  I haven't been since before she was born, so it was nice to go and re-connect with some of the women.  I doubt I'll be a regular just yet, but we'll see how things shape up for participation in the fall.

--- 6 ---

Back to work?  I agreed to help out with a graduate student workshop next month for 8 days. I debated about whether I should or not, but the pay is really, really good and we decided a little extra income will be nice.  It's only 2-3 hours a day, so definitely do-able with DH being able to adjust his work schedule to be able to watch her.  And since I'm still not sure if there will be a class for me to teach in the fall, and even if there is one that fits the schedule I'm willing to teach, I'm not sure I want to go back to work at all. 

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Bottle strike:  Since I agreed to help with the workshop, we decided it's time to keep working with the bottle.  We had gotten a little lax with giving R. a bottle since there wasn't a need as I was home, and since she was taking it so well, we figured there wasn't a problem.  Well, surprise surprise....guess who refuses to drink from a bottle right now?  We were shocked to discover that, and I'm sort of freaking out about working next month now as a result.  We've tried 4 different bottles.  Yes, we are getting quite the collection,

We're currently reading Balancing Breast and Bottle: Reaching Your Breastfeeding Goals (checked it out from LLL).  This is a book I wish we would have read before she was born!  Seriously...we are doing so many things wrong as far as helping the transition back and forth, according to the book...using the wrong kind of pacifier, wrong kind of bottle, not practicing with a bottle, etc.  I am so frustrated because some of my nursing difficulties could be a result of what we've been doing "wrong" and had we read the book, we would have known to not stop with a bottle just because it's working out well.  As babies get older and smarter, they forget how to use a bottle and can refuse it, according to the book.  Wish we would have known that weeks ago....grr!  There are lots of tips in the book that we are currently trying, but none are working yet.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Metformin and Naltrexone While Nursing?

Have any of you been on either of these drugs while nursing? 

I was on both Metformin (1,000 mg) and low dose naltrexone (4.5 mg) before conceiving this last time.  I stayed on both meds through 22 weeks of the pregnancy and then have been off of them since that time.  My Napro Dr. gave me prescriptions to renew them both and said I could start the Metformin this month and wait on the LDN for a few more months.  R's pediatrician said the Metformin was fine for breastfeeding but the LDN he wasn't sure about.

Personally, I would like to start both of them again, but I'm so nervous since I hope to breastfeed until R is one year old (that's another 9 1/2 months away).  That's a lot of time for me to be nursing and on medications.  And I'm so super cautious about R's health since I know what it's like to deal with health issues.  I pray she does not inherit any of my health problems. 

I'm so indecisive/hesitatnt because it's not totally clear to me how each of the meds helps my body, though they do seem to help.  And it was only this pregnancy that I was on both meds (previous pregnancies I was only on Metformin).  I'm not insulin-resistant, but I do have PCOS.  The Metformin seemed to help with my metabolism, weight control, and who knows what else with the metabolic system.  The LDN helped with my sleep, immune system, and fatigue.

So what are your experiences with either of these drugs and breastfeeding?  Am I just being the super, overly sensitive mother?

2 Months, 6 weeks, 1 Month

It's time for a super baby update.  I realize I still haven't finished the birth story or the baptism, but those require their own posts.  This post I've lumped a few things together that I want to remember from the past...oh..5 or 6 weeks.  Read on if you dare.

2 Months: We took Baby R. for her 2 month appointment last week.  She weighed in at a whopping 10 pounds!  Dh and I were so surprised.  I thought she'd be 9 1/2 lbs, but did not think she was at 10 already.  That only puts her in the 27th percentile for weight, but that is up from the 12th percentile at her 2 week appointment!  She's 22.5 inches long (52%) and her head circumference is 15.25 inches (45%).  She's getting bigger and that makes me feel so good.  Even despite her spit-up issues, reflux, and the stress of DH being out of town, she still continues to grow and my body continues to provide enough milk for her to do that growing (my fear has been that my PCOS would create problems with not making enough milk.  So far, my IF body has once again surprised me.)  It still amazes me that I am providing everything she needs to grow healthy and strong through my breastmilk.  Simply amazing.

She also got to start her immunizations.  Since we declined the Hepatitis B shot in the hospital after she was born, these were her first shots.  She was supposed to get immunized against six (DTaP, Rotovirus, Hepatitis B, Polio, Hib, and PCV), but we decided to follow Dr. Sears alternate vaccine schedule and just do two of them.  She got DTaP and Rotovirus this month.  Next month we will take her for a shot-only visit and do Hib and PCV.  We'll wait on Polio and Hep. B until she's older.

She did such a good job with the shot.  DH held her, she screamed for a few seconds, and then I took her and she calmed down.  She was a little extra fussy and the Rotovirus is giving her lots of poopy diapers, but 3 days later, she seems to have taken them like a trooper!

She's wearing size 1 diapers now.  She made the switch (from Newborn size) while DH was gone.  All of a sudden one day I realized how short her diapers were on her. They weren't even coming up close to her belly button; they were far below it.  I pulled out the 1s and they were much longer on her.  We still used up the smaller size, but I guess I thought she would be in Newborn size longer since it said up to 10 lbs, and when she was born that seemed so far off!  She's also said goodbye to newborn sized clothes and is in 0-3 months now.  Depending on the brand, some fit her really well and others are great lengthwise, but too big in the belly.  Despite being 10 lbs now, she's still much longer than she is wide!  And a few 0-3s almost seem like they are close to being too short already!

5-6 Weeks: This is when I noticed a huge change in her development.  This really was the turning point for me in caring for her because she seemed to be so much more interactive and show more of what she needed compared to those first few early weeks.  I wrote down all the differences I saw at that point, so here's the list I wrote a few weeks back.  In no particular order:

• sleeping longer stretches at night (a 4-6 hour block at least)
• showing clear hunger signs (smacking her lips, rooting around, hands in her mouth)
• starting to grab onto things- her bib, my shirt while nursing, the back of the chair while burping, her pacifier in her mouth
• she was able to work her hands out of the swaddle some at night and bring them to her face/mouth
• smiling and cooing
• being mesmerized by the bird mobile on her swing
• bringing her hands together
• kicking her legs like crazy ("exercise time" we call it)
• she seems to be getting into a routine at that point where she eats more frequently during the day (every 2 to 2 1/2 hours), takes 1 or 2 longer naps of 1-2+ hours each, takes lots of cat naps in between the other feedings, and 1 or 2 longer sleep stretches at night.
• her bowels seem to be regulating more
• she has lots more facial expressions- smiles, pouty lip, winks

This age was when things really started to get fun because she would smile back or make sounds to express delight, etc.  Nicknames we had for her at this point were: pretty girl, jumping bean, stinky bum, sweet girl, and wiggle worm.

1 Month: And finally, here are some pictures we had taken a month ago. We decided to try and get a few more shots that we missed for her newborn pictures, and what a difference 3 weeks made from this photo shoot to her newborn one.  She was so much more alert here.

Cute, huh?  I do believe our photographer took two shots and edited them together to form this one because I don't remember her balancing her head on her hands.  Just saying.

She did sleep for some of the shoot, but was pretty content the rest of the time.

This is her baptismal gown before she was baptized in it  DH was the first in his family to wear it, and it was made from the remnants of his mother's wedding dress.  Look closely at the gown.  I have a funny story to tell you about it when I show pictures from the baptism.

I love those eyes of hers.  They are so blue right now, I don't think there's any way they are going to change color.  They are just beautiful.  She can stare at me and I just melt looking at her eyes and face.

OK.  Aside from the birth story and baptism, I think I'm caught up on baby updates...woo hoo!

Say It Ain't So

8 things I can't believe are happening:

1. Baby R. is already 2 months old!  I can't believe how quickly the time goes.  She is getting so big.

2. July already?!?  Like seriously, I can't believe it's July.  Days fly by with a little one in the house.  July is one of my favorite months because it's our anniversary and my birthday towards the end of the month.  Though I'm not looking forward to turning another year older.  Ugh. 

3. Spotting.  Like, um...really??  Is this normal?  It started 59 days after delivery- the exact day my Napro Dr. started his sabbatical.  It hasn't been every day since then, but just some days.  I was expecting many months free of AF, so what's up with this spotting?  I knew it was time to start charting again last month, but I put it off because I really wanted a break.  I charted through pregnancy, so I've only been chart free for 8 weeks.  Part of me wants to say the heck with charting and observations and just see what happens, but then the other part of me says it will be good to chart to see what's going on (I'm assuming all my hormone wackiness will be coming back).


4. Cradle cap AND baby acne...yuck!  I'm going to check with her pediatrician on Friday when we go for her 2 month appointment, but I suspect it's all normal for a babe her size.  Still, I hate to see her cute little complexion plagued by both of those.  She probably got it from my whacked out hormones, huh?  Go figure.

5. Green poop, on the other hand....I'm not sure is normal?!?  I always thought breastfed babies were supposed to have mustard yellow, seedy/curd like stools....so what's up with the green poo?  It's not frothy like a foremilk imbalance could cause, so I'm wondering if she's had a little stomach bug the past week. If so, there will be zero vaccines on Friday.  As it is, I'm thinking of only doing half the vaccines this month and the other half next month per Dr. Sears alternate vaccine schedule.

6. AAFCP and meeting Dr. Hilgers.  I'm thinking of heading to the American Academy of FertilityCare Practitioners annual meeting next week and attending a few sessions.  I would love to see/hear Dr. Hilgers speak since I've never met him and feel so indebted to him for helping us have our little R through Napro.  I'm also thinking this means several FCP bloggers will be there.  I wonder how many I could recognize??

7. Losing weight...or not.  I thought breastfeeding was supposed to help you lose pregnancy weight?  Apparently, it's not working for me.  The scale hasn't budged in weeks and I still have 20-23 lbs to lose.  Nothing fits and I feel so frumpy.  All my pre-pregnancy pants are too tight and maternity pants look saggy.  I'm eating healthy and started back at the gym 3x a week last week. Maybe it's time to re-start Metformin??

8. It took some adjustment for both R and I to having DH back at home.  This was a little surprising to me and not anticipated nor planned for.  We had a few rough nights as a family of 3, but thankfully, I think we're getting back on track as our little family.

Happy 4th!  We're just laying low since our crazy town had their fireworks display for the 4th on the 3rd...crazy!  Our pyro neighbors will probably be shooting off their own aerial displays over our house all week.  Lovely, huh?  It might make me crazy if they wake up Baby R one more time with those big ones that shake the house and especially her room, which is at the front of the house.