As we wrap up 2018, I can't help but reflect on life's trials we've faced this past year and the strength, hope & resiliency that has come from surviving the heartbreak.
I never thought I would have trouble getting pregnant…
Despite the typical life battles & bumps in the road, everything in my life has always worked out. From graduating college to landing my first professional job as a news reporter, to meeting my now husband Ryan, transitioning careers from TV to becoming a health & wellness entrepreneur, to getting married, buying a house…Naturally a baby would be next right? At least that’s what I envisioned.
Our trying to conceive journey has been far from simple. We’ve been faced with one battle after another. The first eye awakening reality was after Ryan and I had gotten married, we were ready to start trying for a family. There was just one issue, a major one. I had no period. I hadn’t had a period in over a year. I had no idea if I was ovulating and I was underweight. This was post bodybuilding for 1.5 years where my body fat was under 10% for an extended period of time.
Trying to Conceive after a Miscarriage Tip #1: Take time to appreciate what you DO have and not what you DON'T have!
I went to the doctor, got my annual pap smear and discussed my concerns with my OBGYN. The solution was pretty straight forward and one I didn’t want to hear. I needed to gain weight. There was no set number of how much weight, I just needed to increase body fat until my systems started working properly, until I got my period back.
Not having a period once felt like a relieving luxury, but quickly turned into overwhelming regret. How could I have been so naive? How could I have let me bodyweight dip so low for so long and not realize there could be detrimental effects? I felt stupid, I felt responsible, I felt selfish.
So, I followed docs orders. I slowly gained weight, month after month. Increasing my calories in a controlled pace, so I could minimize fat gain. 9 months later, my body rewarded me, I got my cycle back and I was proud. I was proud I listened, that I took action, that I put our future baby’s health in mind rather than my selfish ones. This was progress.
It took us 11 moths after getting my cycle back to get pregnant. During that time, we started realizing how intricate the process was. We became aware of our ovulation calendar to nail down prime conception time. We were becoming more educated, learning something new with every negative test.
Trying to Conceive after a Miscarriage #2: Be patient & kind with your body. Focus on what you can control. Eat nutritious foods with beneficial nutrients, exercise for a healthy heart & rest.
We met with our doctor December 2017 and she encouraged us to give it a couple more tries before taking the next steps. We listened and boom, two months later we were pregnant with our first baby, only to miscarry a couple weeks later. You can read our full blog on our 1st pregnancy CLICK HERE.
As recommended by our doctor, we waited three months post miscarriage to try again. In June, we conceived a 2nd time. Further along this time, our rainbow baby we had prayed for. Shortly after that, we miscarried again. Read that pregnancy loss blog CLICK HERE.
We decided to take another few months off from trying to recover from our second loss in such a short period of time. We traveled Europe and just took our mind off things. We started trying again in October and In December of 2018, we had a chemical pregnancy, which is another very early miscarriage.
Fast forward to the current day, we’re still actively trying and are about to take the next steps with more assistance from doctors, hormone boosts, higher probability procedures, higher risks, but our future little Legg is worth fighting for.
Trying to Conceive Tip #3: Be aware of your next steps. Setting goals is motivating. Figure out when you feel good enough to try again. Talk with your doctor. Be open-minded!
Throughout this process, I have learned so much and experienced so much. Enough to make me want to help others through their trying to conceive journey, mentally and physically. This stage in your life can be extremely confusing, lonely and heartbreaking.
My focus is to help the incredibly courageous woman who’s trying to get pregnant, create a self care plan so that you can do everything possible in your control, mentally & physically, to conceive without feeling lost, scared or like you're alone.
That’s why I’ve created a the Trying to Conceive: Your 5 Day Challenge To Lose Weight & Prime Your Body For Pregnancy!
In these 5 days, I'll share with you how I went from no period/unbalanced hormones, to a healthy regular cycle, how we went from one year of infertility, to three pregnancies in a 9 month period and how we continued to heal post three miscarriages, to continue to have hope & strength as we fight for our rainbow babies by being proactive with our physical/mental health.
Plus, we cover my top 5 TTC strategies that you can start implementing now!
What foods to eat/not eat for pregnancy
How to exercise when trying to conceive
Self care to decrease stress when pregnancy planning
What to ask your doc when trying to conceive
Intimacy mistakes most couples make when trying to get pregnant
Are you ready to take control of your health mentally & physically, to conceive without feeling lost, scared or like you're alone?! If this is YOU...
Stay #strongandcourageous & baby dust to you!
<3 Ash
P.S. Click here to join my FREE community of strong and courageous women trying to conceive.