Long Overdue Update

I apologize for the dearth of updates.  The last cycle did not work.  It ended - or the next cycle started, depending on how you look at it - very oddly.  I had two days of very dark spotting, one day more of increased dark spotting - almost a light flow - then into a very heavy period.  I'm not sure if something started to happen and didn't take?  Or maybe it was related to the Chinese herbs I had begun that month?  In any case, it was very strange and like nothing I had experienced before.

That was 13 days ago.  My OPKs this cycle tried to confuse me with several light lines, sometimes a bit darker, but always significantly less than the test line.  Finally, I saw a dark line on Thursday morning and went in for the IUI yesterday.  This is cause for celebration!  I finally got an IUI in on a "bump cycle," following a medicated cycle.  There was a lot of psychological weight around that for me, for whatever reason, and it helps me feel like we made our best effort to conceive with my own eggs.  Other things I'm doing right now to give a best effort:

• Added Fish Oil and Wheatgrass to my load o' daily supplements (currently: DHEA, COQ10, vitamin D3, L-Arginine, prenatal, baby aspirin).

• Seeing a "real" acupuncturist every week or so, which includes electro-stimulation, heat lamps, and lots of needles.

• As mentioned above, I have also added Chinese herbs under the care of my acupuncturist.

• Listening to hypnotherapy fertility meditation at night, as I go to sleep.  Just started this one.  Thanks Honesty for the tip!

I will try and do better with posting updates over the next couple of weeks.  S and I head off to the big Transition/Permaculture conference next weekend, so I'm gearing up for that and preparing to lead the Saturday opening circle.  S will be moderating a political panel.  We had a rough time this week but, after some open talking and a counseling session (for him) today, we are in a good place.  Having some adult time today was wonderful - and helped with the ttc efforts, as well!

Happy Beginning of Fall to Everyone!

Good News and Bad News

First of all, thank you to everyone who wished me well on the trip and with this cycle.  Sunday is our test day and so far, no symptoms to speak of, except some moodiness/sadness.  And wanting to eat a lot. but that is likely stress and progesterone.

Regarding the trip, there is good news and bad news.  We made it through the family trip to Oregon in a LOT better shape than the Tahoe trip and I was able to take a quiet, candle-lit "time-out" when I really needed one.  And S was generally more centered and supportive, though he had to do a few hours of work while we were there - thinking about it now, I wonder if that helped him stay centered?  In any case, overall, much better trip in terms of fighting less and staying relatively balanced.

The bad news is that I still had a LOT of critical thoughts come up about S, in terms of physical flaws.  I think I'm seeing the connection pretty clearly between family time and increased anxiety about S being "good enough."  I do recognize how arrogant and mean this sounds... I so wish I could control this evil part of my brain.

As the weekend wore on, S could feel distance and I ended up sharing that I wasn't feeling connected to him physically, which was hard for him to hear.  Then, at the end of the trip he pressed me to say more about what was up for me that was leading to him feeling distance.  So I shared more details about where my mind was going (fitness, age-difference, etc.), but that was very painful for him to hear.  :(

I think there are factors throwing fuel on the evil fire in my brain including:  as mentioned, the anxiety and lack of self-acceptance that comes up with family; the progesterone supplements - and likely the dhea and other long-term supplements I'm on; and the added pressure of us talking about living together and marriage.

In our talk on the way home, I had some grief come up again about missing out on that "young love" and commitment experience of falling in love with abandon, knowing this is the right person for you - the love of your life - and easily moving forward and deciding to settle down together.  I had the falling in love with abandon thing in my early 20's with someone who was not available (and not even a good match in retrospect) - the ex I've written about here.  But it never got out of the gate and other relationships didn't come close to that.  Well, maybe one college boyfriend, but it was definitely immature love, and when I graduated a year ahead of him, I met someone else.

S and I do have a more mature love, but he's pretty restrained in the ga-ga romance department and has understandably been affected by being married twice before.  And, though I feel a lot of love and attraction for him, I would ideally like to feel more consistent chemistry.

I'm obviously feeling some confusion.  This week, I will make another counseling appointment to get some help in sorting it out.  I wish it were more simple - or that I could remove part of my brain!  I am open to feedback or advice.

B-A-N-A-N-A-S

This cycle is driving me bananas.  I will try and post an image of my chart (please forgive my inconsistent temp taking early in this cycle).  The OPK positive is a guess, based on temps and fading out results on Sunday and Monday.




Basically, my temps have been really up and down.  I was pretty sure I ovulated last Friday or Saturday, even though my post-ovulation temps were a couple tenths lower than usual.  But then, today and yesterday they dropped down to around 97.2/97.3!  Crazy, I tell you.

Oh well, I blame the Vitex.  From what you guys are telling me and from what I read, Vitex can do a number on your cycle at first.  At this point, I plan to stay with it until we do an injectable medication cycle, then I plan to follow advice and stop taking it.  Of course, all this may change based on guidance from Pacific Fertility Center.  I have my phone consult at 2pm today, during which we will review the extensive ttc and medical history I had to submit, then we will schedule an in-person appointment.

On the other hand, my dip in temperature does happen to fall on day 6 or 7dpo, so it's pretty much perfect timing for implantation... Have I had dips around this time before, though?  Yep, I have.  And I was not pregnant.  And who knows what my hormones are doing, as mentioned above.  So, I'm trying not to read anything in to it, though I would really like to!  I do hope they go back up though.  If they don't go back up, does that mean I didn't ovulate?  When would AF likely show up then?  Aargh.

More concrete life happenings include a weekend workshop with the famous Joanna Macy, which will start tonight and go through Sunday at 3pm.  S and I are both attending.  JM's work is used a lot in our Transition Town groups, and on a romantic note, he and I first connected while doing a JM exercise.  It was this one where we held hands and, one at a time, looked at the other's hand and saw their ancient ancestry and current life.  We expressed appreciation for all the love and work that had already come and would eventually come through their hands.  It was moving to both of us, and I just remember looking at his smile and feeling a lot of radiance.  We hope this workshop will give us gifts for our personal relationship, as well as our activist work together.

This work is heating up, btw!  We're participating in an action on Earth Day, April 22, and will be joining many other activities during the summer, likely culminating in one huge day of mass action in San Francisco.  Climate change is S's biggest passion from an environmental devastation point of view (don't get him started talking about it unless you want to be there a while!).  Mine is more focused on living sustainably - both from a resource/climate change point of view, but also from the point of view of supporting one another relationally and in an interconnected community.

Strange Cycle

I have been doing too much googling and decided I should just write a blog post and see what those of you who have experience with supplements and fertility efforts think.

So as I mentioned, I went on Vitex about a week and a half ago.  I hadn't been taking my temperature but started shortly after that point.  I got a 97.75 mid last week on Cycle Day 9, then a couple around 97.5, then back up to 97.7 for two or three days, then today down to 97.35!  Today is Cycle Day 15, and I never ovulate this late.

Yesterday, I was talking to S trying to figure out what is going on and decided to do an OPK (was going to start doing these next month when we take Femara but hadn't thought we would do them this time).  It came up with a light line, then a second one this morning came up lighter and barely readable.

So my questions are:  How long does it generally take for the second line to fade out on a two-line OPK?  I guess it can vary but wondering about the average range of time.  If you were me would you keep trying to BD for another day or two, until I see a definite raise in my temps?

The 97.7 readings are really throwing me for a loop.  This is at least two tenths higher than my usual highest temps prior to ovulation, but two tenths lower than my usual lowest temps post ovulation!  I've read Vitex can raise temps a bit, and also delay ovulation by a couple of days, so I'm thinking that may be what is happening.  If so, the effects sure kicked in quickly!

I'll take another OPK later today, take my temperature tomorrow, and let you know what happens, as well.  I hope this cycle wackiness evens out by next month.

Trying to Make Lemonade

Easter was lovely.  S bought me tons of tulips and some gourmet chocolates at our Farmer's Market and made a yummy fish dinner, which we accompanied with the Chardonnay from our wine tasting weekend.  We had lots of good - some deep and some fun - conversations and watched the movie, "Snow White and the Huntsman."

On the other hand, I have some bad news to report.  We just lost COBRA coverage with Kai.ser.  S was able to get on another individual Kai.ser plan, but I was rejected basically for being a woman, old, and trying to get pregnant, even though the plan didn't cover fertility.  Yes, I'm feeling some bitterness.

Ironically, an injectable IUI cycle at a local fertility center costs about the same as the monthly cost of COBRA plus the copays we had to make.  So, we will likely go ahead and do a cycle with them as soon as we are able to get things going.  I have a phone consult a week from this Friday, the earliest they had open.  So. Tired. Of. Waiting.

On the bright side, I've added Vitex to my list of supplements, and I have a sense it may be a big positive for me.  I don't know why.  It was suggested to me several years ago, but I never took it for some reason.  It tastes mildly bitter, and you have to count out 30 drops of the stuff three times every day (if you take the liquid).  So with that and the DHEA, COQ10, L-Arginine, Melatonin, etc., I'm getting as much help as a gal can get from supplements!

And this cycle (and probably next one, as well), we can try naturally.  I would like to use Femara next cycle if we can't do injectable medications yet, so am looking into getting a hold of some of that.

This week's a busy week with a Key.stone XL protest Wednesday and a Transition US open house fun-type event on Thursday.  Life keeps rolling on, and I guess I'm being distracted from the difficulties by a lot of good things.  I'm grateful for that.

Nose to the Grindstone...

 

What a week!  My work days at the college, were a bit busier than usual, but the main attraction on the busy-ness front was my International Coordinator work.  I had researched and prepared to write my normal, paragraph-or-two monthly reports on my seven students, when lo and behold, I open them and.... gah!  They were the looong reports that we are required to do every few months!

Usually, I will get some sort of heads up from my Manager or co-worker, but this month, nada.  This basically translated into me becoming the Tasmanian Devil for a few days: calling and emailing schools, families, students; sending reminders; entering numbered responses and comments and rechecking; until finally, the last report entered at midnight last night.  Whew!  The good side is that I am paid double for these reports, so my check this month will likewise be double. :)  Which will come in handy considering upcoming medical procedures...

Yes, I am going forward with the Hysteroscopy this Tuesday morning at 9:30.  I have started taking birth control pills, and have the good drugs, Val.ium and Vic.odin, on hand to take just prior to the procedure.  I initially asked her about taking care of anything we might find during the same procedure, and she said, yes, they normally do but sometimes the pain is too much for the patient and they can't go forward.

Hmm, well, let's see, how about we take some pain medication beforehand, just in case?  She agreed.  S will be taking me there and home, as I clearly won't be able to drive.  So, fingers crossed.  Part of me hopes they DO find something, so that there could be some explanation and cure for my series of unsuccessful attempts.  But nothing too serious please?  Just a few little polyps getting in the way of implantation maybe?

On the relationship front, S and I took a detour a couple weeks ago and regressed into some old pain.  Prompted by a conversation we were having about the possible end of counseling and not yet having agreements around communication with exes, he shared he had been continuing to talk regularly on the phone with his ex-wife.  I actually don't want to talk a lot about the drama around that right now.  Just to say, that it triggered my feelings from our previous time together and breakups and really sucked.

Since then, he has been sharing more about his motivations around maintaining these friendships (including that he blew friends/family off in the past in big ways due to relationship demands at the time, as well as a pattern of less than complete honesty to avoid conflict).  I'm appreciating his honesty now and ability to take a look at himself.  I also wonder if there are additional, less conscious reasons for this pattern, as well, such as fear of intimacy or of us not working out - so keeping a foot out the door, so to speak.

As part of recent conversations, he's agreed not to talk to his exes at all until we can get a longer-term agreement with the therapist's help in the next two or three weeks.  He says he loves me and wants me and only me, and I believe him.  He says he's in a different place now than when we were together before - that he's not looking for problems and that he has faith in us - and I believe him... mostly.  

On my side, I eventually was able to see his point that I never asked about her or whether they were communicating - at some less than conscious level, I assumed they weren't, which was my pattern before, as well.  Making assumptions and not getting agreements.  We had been talking a lot about his other ex, the content of which I would have thought would apply to his ex-wife, but it seems it did not.

As mentioned, I do see his talking to his ex as possibly keeping some distance or keeping a foot out the door.  But I also see my pattern of judgment and criticism as doing the same... In a way, I feel like we are in a game of chicken, seeing who will give up their most effective line of defense against intimacy first.

Though it might seem crazy to some, I see continuing our efforts to conceive as an act of faith in us.  I'll admit that the thought of stopping all that really sucked, when we were going through our recent difficulties.

Our therapist, btw, thinks that we are going through completely normal, inevitable ambivalence that come up at the precipice of commitment with a capital "C."  S saw her right after this conflict erupted. I have an appointment with her early next week, then we will both meet with her a couple times to work on these agreements.  It's tough, but I do see progress.

Any encouragement or shared experiences are welcome.  Have been reading along with you all and hoping good things for you, but not finding energy to post much at the moment.  I'll let you know how the procedure goes on Tuesday.

p.s. I have been taking Metformin and am now up to three pills a day.  Feeling some queasiness here and there but overall, I seem to be be tolerating it well.  I did find out that it only combats the physical/male hormone effects of DHEA (gaining weight in abdomen and, I'm assuming, increased hair growth), but not the mood impacts.  This sucks, as I seem quite prone to these volatile mood eruptions.  It's strange that I spent much of my relationship with S before on these drugs and am back on them now... interesting to compare how we cope.

p.p.s. Zoey continues to lighten my energy and keep me sane!  Her procedure healed well and she's doing great!

Back on the TTC Bandwagon

Sorry for the long absence.  To begin with, I wanted to report that the idea of a third party in our relationship somewhere down the line, a strategy the scared part of me came up with to deal with fear of commitment with a capital C, did NOT go over well with S.  We had some very tough conversations heading into New Years.  But I kind of think those conversations needed to happen.

We're continuing to go to counseling for help with these "stuck" places in both us that have roots way back in our teens or childhood.  It sometimes seems our issues are interrelated... like I wonder if my fear of capital C commitment is related to his reluctance to give up friendships with exes (also a door closing of sorts).  It's amazing and a bit scary to me how deep my feelings are around the latter issue.

Some hope is rising around it though, and we will continue to talk about it tomorrow in our session, focusing on strategies to move forward and build necessary trust.  *Sidenote: last week, we had a sweet New Year's ritual in our session where we lit a candle and named an intention to have a perspective of "Oy vey" versus "Oh Shit!" when conflict or challenge comes up. :)

The other topic I want to talk about in this post is our renewed efforts towards conceiving.  I had my first "new doctor"'s appointment yesterday.

S's sp*rm analysis came back pretty stellar, which he was excited about in a typically male way. :)  On a more downer note, when she saw my AMH results, and considering my age, she emphasized again how low our odds were.  She said she had never seen someone conceive at my age during her time at that medical clinic.... except when they were taking DHEA.  So, it looks like, despite my hatred of the side effects I experienced last time, I am going back onto DHEA but also taking Metformin, which is supposed to somewhat mediate said side effects.

My mood was lifted just a bit, when she did the ultrasound and exclaimed, "Your right ovary looks GREAT!"  Especially considering she was a very low-key, non-exclamatory type person. 

Other actions we're taking or have taken:  I got another HSG (Historosalpingogram) test yesterday, which came out well, and I am also going to get a saline sonogram or something similar (I forget what she said but it's above and beyond a saline sonogram) to check for any abnormalities on the uterine wall that might interfere with implantation.

Then, we might do our first IUI in a few days.  It was too late to start injectable meds this cycle, but everything might be in place to at least do an IUI.  Though the odds are so very, very low, I kinda want to do one because I just had the HSG (which has been shown to help odds a bit) and, afterall, she said my right ovary looked so GREAT. :)  Do you guys think I should?  Or should we just chill and wait until next cycle with the meds.  I'm hoping to connect with the doctor about this later, as well.

Guess that's it for now.  Not any huge expectations over here, just gratitude to be trying and just a tad of hope mixed in.

* Oh, and in the spirit of International Blog Delurking Week, would you please take a moment to say, "hi," in the comments, as well as anything else you would like to share about yourself?  I would love to know who else is out there, in addition to my regular commenters.

I survived this long a** bus trip, and all I got was a drunken harmonica serenade.

Well, I survived two days of bus commuting to work.  The first day was chaotic trying to figure everything out (I took two buses and one rapid transit train to get there), but the timing went as well as it could have at about an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half each way (It normally takes me 30-40 minutes in the car).   My "rookie bus rider" credentials, however, were definitely on fine display!  Running here, running there, trying to put my transfer in the dollar bill slot, hitting the side of the bus when it's just driving up five feet to the correct boarding area, etc.  Super cool.

The second day was okay getting there (though I did get on one wrong bus and had to get off, cross the street, and switch) but coming back, what a nightmare!  I think one of the buses didn't come for some reason so there were tons of people waiting at every stop and pretty soon the bus was crammed with people: professional commuters, teens, moms and little kids, elderly folks, drunk possibly homeless men playing the harmonica and singing, "Leave me alooone, why dontcha leave me alooone!" over and over.   Yes, the latter was in fact experienced by me and all the other lucky folks on Bus 57 in Oakland at 5 p.m.  Good stuff! ha!  That "special" commute took me almost two hours! 

I definitely learned a lot.  Bus drivers put up with tons of crap, and they really keep this city running.  A lot of people depend on them to get around, and they mean business in getting where they need to go.  I'm glad to know that I CAN commute to work on public transportation, even if I'd be fine if I never had to do it again.  And boy did it make me appreciate my car and realize how very much I, and most people, rely on cars to get around. 

After that marathon commute, I walked on over to the local auto mechanic to check on my car, which was ready.  The body work isn't done but, in addition to replacing the crushed-in radiator, he stretched out the hood, got new hinges (the whole hood had been shoved back, ruining the old hinges), and got the hood to passably close.  It still has little cracks on the sides but at least it's on there well and latched.  AND, he accepted partial payment, the rest to be paid in two weeks!  Can you believe it?  He's a total neighborhood mechanic, with good local relationships and a very neighborly attitude.  I will not forget this and will totally refer people to him.  What a great guy.

No ttc for me this coming cycle, though.  I'll be waiting until after my appointment on the 15th, then going on from there.  I have no idea when my period is going to start this month.  Ovulation is hard to predict just looking at my bbt chart.  I don't think Fertility Friend is right in saying I ovulated on Cycle Day 22, though.  My bet is on Day 18, which makes this 10 dpo versus 6 dpo.  I had that weird slow temp rise, like the egg was taking it's time releasing or got stuck.  My body had such a huge surge of HCG last month, I can see why it would be confused.  My temps are nice and high now though.

I started taking Myo-inositol and Melatonin, along with the DHEA, COQ10, Vitamin D and Prenatal.  I looked it up and it's part of the famed Denver CCRM recommended protocol, so it has to have some merit, right?  I don't think it will hurt, and maybe it will help.  You know, a lot of these supplements actually have anti-cancer and heart healthy benefits, which it kind of interesting to me.  The more conscious "fertility" (i.e. healthy) diet plus health supplements add up to me living more healthy than I would otherwise.  Maybe I'm just trying to find the silver lining in trying all these years and not succeeding. 

I'm very sad about two blogger friends' pregnancies ending.  I was optimistic about both of them, and it's a shock and just so unfair.  I'm thinking of them a lot.

More Thoughts on DHEA

I wanted to share more side effect information about DHEA, which I don't think I've shared fully.

In retrospect, I feel I was a bit cavalier in my attitude when I first started taking it.  I only took in the positive benefits I was reading and didn't look deeply enough at the potential side effects.  

For me, I believe 75 mg is too high a dosage.  I started at 50 and went up to 75 about a month ago because this was the dose used in the successful oft-quoted fertility study (the only major study done so far, I believe, so it's not been shown that high of dose is needed).  And part of me was also probably just wanting to increase my chances any way I could, after several months of BFNs.

But my body did not like the higher level.  This was the worst month of PMS I've ever had, and I've definitely been more tired and irritable even outside of that.  Acne, yep, increase in that too.  

So, I'm lowering back down to 50 and plan to talk to the doctor about it as soon as possible.  I don't want to stop and lose the gains I've built up the past three months, but I want to respect the impact it has on my body.  The higher pregnancy/lower miscarriage rates are nothing to sneeze at but neither are the side effects:

One of the more common side effects of DHEA supplements is acne. Other side effects includeinsomnia, fatigue, oily skin, abdominal pain, hair loss, nasal congestion, rapid or irregular heartbeats and heart palpitations.

DHEA supplements may alter liver function, so people with liver disease shouldn't use the hormone. People with mood disorders (such as depression) should only use DHEA under the supervision of their healthcare provider, as DHEA supplementation may worsen mood. High levels of the body's natural DHEA has been associated with psychotic disorders, so people with or at risk for psychotic disorders shouldn't use DHEA unless under the supervision of their healthcare provider.

Since DHEA supplements may influence the production of male and female hormones, acne, greasy skin, facial hair growth, hair loss, weight gain around the waist, a deepening of the voice and other signs of masculinization may occur in women. 

I cheated. . . and other news

I cheated.

Without much forethought, I noticed the day of my cycle yesterday, and this morning took an OPK.  Remember when I said I wasn't going to do that this cycle?  ha!

Oh well.  I guess I'm still mildly interested in tracking ovulation and timing our efforts this month.

It was negative, btw.  But tomorrow, I imagine you just may find me testing again.

And now, for some random ttc reports:

On the supplement front, I am noticing some increased acne, mainly on my chin, and more hair falling out - both of which were listed in the potential side effects of taking DHEA.  Overall, it's tolerable.

Wondering if I would be wise to start taking progesterone.  I saw the Mariah Carey interview with Barbara Walters the other night, and she mentioned that progesterone can reduce miscarriage by 50 percent.  I have been thinking that since my temperature has a nice, high, sustained rise after ovulation, that indicates my levels are good.  But maybe I'm wrong?

And sh/cm's sp.erm analysis came back yesterday.  All looks well:  the count was 40 million with about 50 percent motility, which I guess is pretty good.  They didn't test morphology, though, and I'm wondering how big a role that can play.  I did read that morphology is connected to count and motility, so that would indicate it might be decent, as well.

One final note:  I started a new 8-week school session yesterday, and I love the teacher with whom I'll be working!  He seems to have a great relationship with the kids and an active classroom management style.  And the kids are more advanced and engaged with learning than the last school too!

Ovulation: Check!

Temperature rise this morning to 97.9.  Negative OPK later last night, so the surge was definitely night before last into yesterday morning.

Sh/cm and I covered the fertile days, and I feel optimistic about this cycle for a few reasons: the longer follicular phase is a positive, clocking in at 13 days; it was my first month taking Femara again; and it's been almost three months since I started taking DHEA and COQ10, which they say take three months to work their magic on egg quality.

I will be distracted for the first part of this two-week-wait with our trip to Oregon, beginning Friday morning.  Our ritual visit to the pizza parlor fell by the wayside last cycle, so I'm excited to pick that up again next week when we return.  lol

Curious who else out there might be navigating the luteal phase, between ovulation and the end of your cycle, or, God-willing, a positive pregnancy test?  How are you feeling?  What are your survival plans?

All You Ever Wanted to Know About My Fertility Supplements

I am sitting here in the "2 week wait" and, needless to say, my mind keeps wandering back to conception topics!  So I am just going to go with it and write a post about the fertility supplements I'm taking.

If any of you are currently taking supplements and would be willing to share information or feedback in the comments section, I would love to hear it!

In addition to my synthroid for my hypothyroid condition, I take three other supplements when I get up in the morning:
2 Rainbow Light Organic Prenatal Vitamins
1 Natural Factors 400 mg Coenzyme Q10 soft gel (I have seen 600 mg recommended also)
1 Golden Emperor Royal Jelly capsule (2 might be a bit better but I'm taking 1)

With lunch, I take:
50 mg Pure Encapsulations DHEA capsules
1 (1000 mg) Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Purified Fish Oil soft gel

Later in the day, around evening time, I take a baby aspirin.  I have no scientific reason for taking the baby aspirin separately; it just seemed like it might get lost with all the rest!

I wanted to share a bit about how I chose my supplements:

Prenatals are generally a given to assure an optimum level of vitamins and minerals, but I like that mine are made with organic fruits and vegetables.

Regarding the lesser-used supplements, on several websites, I read about many women following their doctors recommendations with regard to a certain protocol of supplements for fertility purposes.  Although I recognize that not everyone would be comfortable with this, I felt comfortable enough to follow what was most frequently recommended.

Because I am 42, egg quality is obviously a concern and DHEA and COQ10 have shown some promising results in this department.  The DHEA study often referenced shows clearly improved pregnancy results after taking 75 mg for 90 days.  Because of the potential for side effects, and because I saw others taking it at this level, I chose to stay with 50 mg for now.

COQ10 has only been studied in mice (!) regarding egg quality (a prior study showed that it increased male fertility) and yet the results were so promising - and I think doctors are seeing results in their patients - that it seems to be commonly recommended now.

In reading more closely, I think I should be taking the Royal Jelly with bee pollen.  Any thoughts on this?  There seem to be many positive effects of bee products, including fertility, and no real downside - unless you are allergic to bees!

Omega-3 Fish Oil is so commonly used now to support fertility.  Reasons cited include hormone regulation and increased fertile cervical fluid.  A few years ago when I was actively trying to conceive using IUIs, I was seeing an acupuncturist who recommended it, so I felt confident adding it to the regimen.

And finally, an added benefit of taking supplements:  I can take action and have some effect on something which, for the most part, feels entirely out of my control!