Monday, November 30, 2009

Last day for the November Comp!!!

Don't forget to get your entries in for the Making Babies November Competition!

We are also running a special (Yes another special, because we are nice like that) on Pre~Seed and OPK (5 Pack).



Normal pricing would be R 355.00 including shipping. We are now offering Combo packs at R320.00 (including registered mail shipping) Saving you R 35.00

Using the OPKs in conjunction with the Pre~Seed will allow you to time your BD sessions and use the Pre~Seed at the correct times, increasing your chances at conception. :)

If you would like to take advantage of the Combo special, please forward an email with your details to marcellem@makingbabies.co.za

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

What's the hardest part of TTC?

Between all the taking of temperatures, stretching CM and keeping BD schedules - getting pregnant can be taxing on the soul. Please go vote in our poll: What's the hardest part of TTC?

I used to hate those 24 hours leading up to Ovulation. You know it's coming, you pray and beg and plead and pray that what ever you do in the next 24 hours leads to a healthy pregnancy.

Then around 10dpo you get this itch to POAS. Only to sit for hours staring at a possible line that deep down you know really isn't there, but your heart does see something. You get annoyed with yourself for testing early in the first place. You should have waited at least another day (stretching it to maybe another two days.)

Argh, and then AF hits....... TTC is not for sissy's.

In Making Babies news:

We still have a number of specials running for the rest of November, so do check it out.

Our November competition closes this weekend, make sure you get your entry in if you would like to win a Pack of One Step Home Pregnancy Tests.

Monday, November 23, 2009

How to use the Conception CAP

I found a cool video clip of the Conception Cap. Sometimes it's better to see than read ;-)



The Conception Kit can be ordered through Making Babies

Friday, November 20, 2009

Cranberry for a girl....

We often get into conversations about gender selection while TTC. I found an interesting article on Getting Pregnant Blog

It seems that research has stated that taking cranberry via either pills or juice can influence the gender of your baby, in favour of team PINK.

Cranberry will make your cervical mucus (CM) more acidic, which sperm does not like at all. But since female sperm are stronger than male sperm they have more chance to survive the hostile conditions.

Be warned though that cranberry can affect the amount of CM that your body produces, so you are bound to have less CM which isn't really ideal for TTC. Since you ideally want as much EWCM as possible to increase your chances of any conception. ;-)

If you are already having issues with CM production then I don't think you should be going the cranberry route in order for team PINK. It might just be doing more harm than good.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

How long is your cycle?

Making Babies Wednesday Poll is up.

How long is your cycle?

“Whenever women are together for more than two days, they talk about their periods,” says Whoopi Goldberg.

Now put us all together in one chat room, and we are bound to have fun! Click here to join the Making Babies Network.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Pregnancy vs Baby

As I was holding my friend's baby on Saturday morning, I looked down at him ran my finger across his face and smiled. Inside my heart skipped a beat and stung a bit. I realized looking down at his precious little face, while stroking his teeny toes that this might be the closet I get to holding a baby again for a very long time. I was a bit sad that I wouldn't be holding my own very soon. As in - not for a few years at least. But I enjoyed meeting this little guy who we have been planning for so long. It was awesome to have him in real life there, cooing back at you.

(Then my McK ran past and I realized I love her 5 year old toes too, and I am incredibly lucky and blessed to have her.)

Motherhood is a challenge. It's the hardest job you will ever have, and yes it will be the most awesome one too. But it got me thinking, do you want to be pregnant or have a baby? Odd question? I don't think so.

There were many times when I would think I just wanted to be pregnant. To recapture that what I lost with my pregnancy with McK. There are so many things I wanted to do differently. Then I would feel overwhelmed thinking that at the end of 9 months there would actually be a baby. A real person. It wouldn't just be two lines on a HPT. It wouldn't be that first u/s with a beating heart. It wouldn't just be that first kick. There would actually be a baby at the end....

Babies grow up into 5 year old's... and 5 year old's grow into teenagers.... and teenagers... well you know the rest of this story. :) Isn't it wonderful that something so important as two lines on a pee stick can develop into a life changing situation. Even if you aren't prepared for the full package yet.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

This week on Making Babies

Oddly I take the weeks on Making Babies from Wednesday to Wednesday, I guess because of the Poll we run every Wednesday ;-)

1) How many HPT do you use per cycle? Come on go vote, (Ps the last option is for us POAS-aholics)

Our last poll asked "Are you taking any natural supplements?" I see most of the voters are on either a multivitamin or FertilAid/Fertipil Plus. I hope those supplements start working their magic! ;-)

2) We are giving away Arouse 24 Gel with the first SIX orders of 1x One Step HPT (10) and 1x One Step OPK (10) combo packs. Please note this special only applies to the 10 Pack combo's.

You would need to send me an email order with the subject line HPT/OPK Combo deal :) Only the first six orders will qualify.

3) Competition time.... All TTCers sit hours upon hours dreaming about how to announce their pregnancies. Since starting Making Babies, I've had the pleasure of sharing in these beautiful BFPs and the excitement of announcing them. If you would like to win a HPT (10 pack), submit your story of how you would like to announce your pregnancy. I have lined up a judging panel who will vote for the best (creative) announcement. The winner will be announced in our December Newsletter. (1 Dec)

Please submit your "announcement stories" to marcellem@makingbabies.co.za We will only publish the stories towards the end of the month. So get creative, it's all about how you would like to announce your pregnancy. Use your imagination. :)

And that my dear friends is all I have time for today. I hope you are having a great week so far.

Please note the special mentioned above, as well as the competition is only valid for Making Babies Members, so if you are reading this and still not signed up... CLICK HERE!!!!

Plenty of fertile thoughts going out to everyone.

xox

Monday, November 9, 2009

Would you do it again?

I often wonder especially now, if I would ever go through the infertility heartache again. Would I put myself through all that? If I knew how my future was going to turn out, would I have stopped it ages ago and not let infertility or trying to conceive run my life like it did?

Would I do it again? Yes, I think so. I still want another child. One day. So yes, I'm fully prepared to go through all the emotions again. All the frustration, all the stress, all the excitement. All the trying...... I think the next time round will be different because I know exactly what to expect. I hope there will be a next time. I don't doubt for a minute that it won't be heart breaking.

Do I regret going through it? No. I needed it. It changed me. Put everything into perspective for me. I can apply what I learnt from infertility to so many aspects of my life. To appreciate what I have. To have compassion and understanding. I will never say I wasted 3 years of my life TTC. It wasn't a waste. It was a major growth curve for me.

I would never want to do it over or erase it from my life. If I think of my amazing SOP girls. 12 woman who have touched my heart and life in a way I have never thought possible. My dear friend Nicki, who I adore with everything in me!!!! I would never want to imagine my life without her. My mommy girls, my Making Babies members... Each person means so much to me, and play such a huge role. So no, I would never want to erase my 3 year journey. Not for anything in the world.....

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Weight and Fertility

Argh, the "W" word. I remember being so petrified every time I used to walk into my EX-Gynae's rooms. My blood pressure would go through the roof. He always complained about my weight. It was the easiest excuse for him as to why we weren't falling pregnant. Blame it on the weight. I remember the one time I was so proud that I had lost 4kg, when I told him he said to me: "By the rate you are losing weight, you will probably be pregnant in 2 years". Idiot.......

So needless to say I was always so demotivated and p!ssed off about my weight and TTC. I wouldn't even open articles that spoke about weight affecting TTC. Until I met my new Gynae. When I told him about my weight issues. He looked at me as if I was nuts, and said "what weight issues? You look fine to me." I nearly kissed the man.

Now I know I wasn't seriously over weight, I could do with loosing a few kgs. (Like any woman always wants too.) But what was amazing was the difference in attitude between the two docs. For 3 years, the EXdoc would literally shout out at me and I would not do anything about the extra weight. New doc, lovely man = me getting more healthier and actually wanting to exercise.

I don't want to preach about weight affecting your fertility. But if you glance through the passages below:

Extract from www.fertilityjourney.com

For women, very low weight can decrease GnRH production, which can result in irregular ovulation or a complete stop to ovulation. Too little GnRH can affect the development of the uterine lining and its receptivity to the implanting embryo. For men, low weight could lead to decreased sperm count or function.

Being overweight can also lead to an abnormal hormonal signal, impacting ovulation and possibly sperm production. It can cause an overproduction of insulin, which may result in irregular ovulation. There is also a link between obesity, excess insulin production and the infertility condition known as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

A healthy return to normal body weight will often reverse hormonal irregularities, thereby restoring fertility. Not only that, but normal body weight is also the healthy way to prepare for pregnancy. Whether you have to shed or gain some pounds, changes in weight should be made before getting pregnant, since drastic changes can be detrimental to your developing baby. If the cause of obesity is related to PCOS, the use of insulin sensitizing drugs may be needed in addition to dietary changes. Please consult with your healthcare provider prior to taking any medications, prescribed or over the counter.


It really couldn't do you any harm to get active and create the best environment (body) to fall pregnant. Exercising makes you feel better, is a great stress reliever and clears the mind. (Well at least for me it does.) And I'm sure you could do with less stress while TTC right?

Don't kill yourself with hectic routines if you aren't used to it. Start off slow, do something you enjoy. Maybe something both you and your partner can do together.

Ps. I'm sure some creative BD sessions could be considered as exercise too *wink wink*

Monday, November 2, 2009

November already?

Good morning

It's that time again, beginning of the month. Newsletter time. Click here if you would like to read our November Edition

We will also be launching our new competition for the month soon. So please keep checking back for details. Going to be a fun one :)

Our featured member for November was also announced last week on the Making Babies Network.

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So your partner may not be willing to start popping some supplements to increase his sperm count, there are some foods that you could introduce to his diet to help with that ;-)(to help with sperm count not force him to take supplements LOL)

1. Red peppers, carrots, oatmeal, dried apricots. The vitamin A in these foods help grow healthy sperm.

2. Asparagus, snow peas, cooked tomatoes, strawberries. The vitamin C in these foods affect sperm motility and viability.

3. Turkey, eggs, seafood, oysters, pumpkin seeds. The zinc found in these foods help produce healthy sperm.

4. Leafy green veggies, avocados, beans, whole grains. To increase your sperm count, production, and motility.

5. Salmon, sardines, anchovies, walnuts
. “DHA and other essential omega-3 fatty acids help improve blood flow to the genitals and increase sexual function,” writes Heidi Murkoff in What to Expect Before You’re Expecting.

Now I'm hungry after reading that. :)

Hope November brings lots of BFPs!!!