Mother’s Day After Miscarriage

May 12, 2018 By: Jessi4 Comments

I should have a 9-week-old curled up next to my 8-year-old this Mother’s Day. That’s really hard to acknowledge. Last year at Mother’s Day, I had no idea that the cycle I was starting would lead to pregnancy and then miscarriage. After 5 years of waiting for that pregnancy to come, I had given up and accepted that it just wasn’t meant to be. We’d be a family of 3, I was grateful for that, and I moved on.

This year, Mother’s Day is different.

Photo by Josh Adamski on Unsplash

I’m so incredibly grateful for the beautiful daughter I have, but I do mourn the baby we’ve lost. It doesn’t make me ungrateful… it makes me a mother. Child at home or not – miscarriage still means motherhood on this side of heaven – it means a baby is part of the family… we just don’t get to raise that baby.

Or in some of your cases: babies.

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I’m Still Standing: After Miscarriage: “How Many Children Do You Have?”

May 5, 2018 By: Jessicomment

I don’t know why this bothers me so much, but I never thought I’d be in the position to have to think this through. I’ve always been very public with my story, so talking to people has become very easy. But I had no idea how to properly respond to that question when someone who didn’t know my story asked it.

How many children do you have?

One…

…on this side of heaven.

And one we’re missing deeply.

Yes, You Can Test Your Progesterone At Home!

May 4, 2018 By: Jessicomment

Disclaimer: This is a product review post in partnership with MFB Fertility. I received a free at-home progesterone kit in exchange for this review; however, all opinions are my own and not influenced or scripted in any way by MFB Fertility. This post includes the facts and my honest, personal experience. At the end of the post is an affiliate link where you can purchase your own tests. You do not pay anything extra, but I do receive a small commission if you purchase.

If you struggle with infertility and need to confirm ovulation, the Ovulation Double Check Home Progesterone Test for Fertility and Ovulation Tracking can help. According to their website:

The Ovulation Double Check® test is an FDA compliant and patent-pending in vitro diagnostic device that measures the presence of the Progesterone metabolites in urine. Progesterone is very low in the female body the first half of the menstrual cycle. When the ovary releases an egg, ovulation occurs and the ovary starts to produce Progesterone at a significantly high concentration. Therefore, Ovulation Double Check® tests should be taken after you believe ovulation has occurred to “Double Check” if ovulation has occurred.

Here is a link to their clinical research: Accuracy and Clinical Research

The Confusing Part

When using these tests, you have to turn off the part of your mind that is looking for 2 lines to equal a positive result. These tests do not work the same as OPKs and HPTs. If you see two lines—even if one is the faintest second line you’ve ever seen—this means your progesterone level is registering as less approximately 10-12 (based on the images in their clinical research), and the result is negative. So just keep that in mind when you go to use these. Two lines are not good… you just need one to have a positive result.

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April 2018: Restoration for my Body

May 2, 2018 By: Jessicomment

Restoration

The act of restoring; renewal, revival, or reestablishment

Restitution of something taken away or lost

Something that is restored, as by renovating

Read the whole restoration series here –> My Word for 2018: Restoration

Since my miscarriage last August, I’ve been in a downward spiral with my body and my weight. I talked about it more in my first post about why I was starting Keto (read here) so I won’t go into all of it in detail again. But obviously, starting Keto is an act of restoration in my life, specifically when it comes to how I treat my body.

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1 in 8 Go Through Infertility. These Are Our Stories. {Collab. w/ Caroline @ In Due Time}

April 27, 2018 By: Jessicomment

As we’re wrapping up National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW), I wanted to share a collaborative post that Caroline put together on her blog In Due Time. I have a little appearance on there, along with so many incredible women who are bravely sharing their stories with you. In Caroline’s exact words:

“The heart behind this post is to show the many aspects of infertility: how long women wait, the different diagnosis they might receive, the many paths they might take, etc. I hope this post sheds some light on how every story looks so different from the next, but they all matter!”

Read our stories here: 1 in 8 go through infertility. These are our stories.

Keto Meal Plan for Week #2 {Plus: How to Avoid the Keto Flu}

April 24, 2018 By: Jessi2 Comments

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means it doesn’t cost you anything extra, but I receive a small commission if you purchase from one of my links.

Last week was my first week of Keto and I lost 4 lbs! I’m so proud of my first week. The adjustment was surprisingly easy for me and I am so grateful. Day 2 welcomed me with a headache, which I know was a combination of being sugar-free and low carb for a full 24 hours, plus the fact that some nasty weather rolled in (when it’s going to rain, I always have a headache). However, it was incredibly easy to deal with! The dreaded “Keto Flu” wasn’t a real thing for me, and I didn’t have the digestive issues everyone warned me about.

Avoid the Keto Flu

After doing a lot of research, I knew that if I wanted to avoid the Keto Flu, I had to be very intentional on how I cared for myself. The Keto Flu is what people experience when they first cut out sugar and cut back on carbs. Basically, they are detoxing, and it’s incredibly uncomfortable. I’m talking extreme fatigue, headaches, body aches, just overall feeling like utter crap. Here’s what I did during my first week of Keto to avoid the Keto Flu!

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Aldi Shopping List for Keto

April 20, 2018 By: Jessicomment

Today, I’m sharing my Aldi shopping list for Keto, as well as the cost of each item! Please note that prices are subject to change at Aldi each week when it comes to produce and what is in season. Most other items remain pretty much the same, or fairly close. Either way, when I take the time to shop at Aldi, I save a ton of money. It isn’t nearly as convenient as my beloved Walmart Pick-up, but the cost comparison is totally different. As I mentioned in my last post, making the decision to start Keto was difficult for me mentally, simply because I am having to relearn how to eat. I think this will be good for me and I’m excited to see what happens, but just like any new eating plan, there will be a learning curve.

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My New PCOS Diet Plan and Keto Menu {Week #1}

April 18, 2018 By: Jessicomment

This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means it doesn’t cost you anything extra, but I receive a small commission if you purchase from one of my links.

What is Keto?

Keto is an eating plan that trains your body to use fat (instead of glucose) for fuel. You use food to put your body into a state of “ketosis”, which in turn makes you burn fat, gain muscle, gain extra energy, lift you out of the “brain fog”, and your body as a whole is supposed to function so much better. It makes your brain, liver, and endocrine system function differently, so it’s highly recommended for people who suffer from epilepsy, autism, autoimmune disorders, type 2 diabetes, and even cancer. It is the top nutrition plan recommended for PCOS as well. Keto requires a certain ratio of fat/protein/carbs (customized per person), lots of water, electrolytes, and magnesium to be successful. It’s a meal plan that requires sodium (something I’m not used to) and lots of healthy fats. You can strictly use food to enter ketosis, or you can consume exogenous ketones to help get your body started much faster. Either way, you use urine test strips (or blood tests) to see if you’re in ketosis… so yes, peeing on yet another stick is going down in my house!

Why I’m Testing Keto

After my miscarriage, I did a round of 21-Day Fix and I did not have the same results I had in the past. In fact, my response to 21-Day Fix eating has changed completely and I’m so sad about that. I tried a second round after the first and still, not the same level of results. I LOVE the program and I still highly recommend it for people who need help with portion control and need to learn how to eat healthily, but something in my body has changed tremendously since the miscarriage and I haven’t figured it out yet. I even tried cutting back on a yellow container (carbs), cutting back on dairy, and I didn’t have the response I expected. Instead, I’ve gained 20 lbs since last summer and most of it is in my belly (thanks PCOS). The numbers shouldn’t matter, but my clothes also don’t fit properly, and this is not okay. I can’t even begin to explain how frustrating and discouraging it is to gain weight when you’re eating properly. I’m not pregnant, but I’ve sure looked like it, and I’ve caught the looks people have given me, wondering if I’m hiding a pregnancy secret in my abdomen. Nope, it’s just fat. I tossed in the towel last fall and just gave up for a while, but I’m ready to try again.

There is so much research that supports a low carb diet for PCOS and autoimmune disorders. I’ve heard there is some research on whether PCOS should be re-classified as an autoimmune disorder. I follow some PCOS Keto accounts on Instagram, I’ve been watching YouTube videos and reading blogs, and I feel like I have a pretty good idea of how this is supposed to work, but Lord have mercy, this whole eating plan goes against everything I know.

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I’m Still Standing: Infertility: A Decade of Waiting, Miracles, Loss, and Hope

April 16, 2018 By: Jessicomment

When I was told at the age of 23 that I was in pre-menopause, I felt like my world crashed down around me. My husband and I had only been married a year plus a few months when I first started to experience symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and infertility. We were told that the longer we’d wait to try to conceive, the less likely it would happen because my labs were very abnormal for a 23-year-old. Pre-menopausal. At 23 years old.

For the Love of… {January-March 2018}

April 2, 2018 By: Jessi2 Comments

About five years ago (or maybe seven), I had a mini-series on this blog that was all about my monthly favorites. And by mini-series, I mean I lasted all of three months. It’s just not a subject I was committed to at the time, and yet I read everyone else’s all the time (and still do). In an effort to better mother this little corner of the internet that means so much to me, I’m going to attempt to restore this series in 2018 (see what I did there?).

Yes, this For the Love series is an act of restoration on my blog. Also, I would love for you to share your loves/favorites with me as well. I want this to be open communication between us. I love learning about new products, recipes, etc. that other people deem as “favorites”.

Also, I’ve decided that I’m going to share these every quarter instead of monthly. I figure that’s a more tangible goal. 😉

So here we go! These are my favorites for the first quarter of 2018.

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Mother’s Day After Miscarriage

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