Fertility Friendly Banana Bread

So I’m not going through IVF, but when I was, this was my most favorite recipe! I still love it, and made it today as I was craving something sweet. This did the trick!

Here’s my original post from last year:

http://www.somedayclub.com/2016/03/to-die-for-bananna-bread.html


IVF Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower

Now please don’t be frightened by my first video..I have many mistakes in it!

But, the end result is what matters, and that is yummy cauliflower.


Recipe:

Preheat oven to 475.

Ingredients:

– 1 head of cauliflower
–Turmeric: 1-2 teaspoons ( anti-inflammatory, read more here )
-Cayenne Pepper: 1-2 teaspoons ( full of anti-oxidants, and helps increase blood flow which will make your uterus a healthy environment!)


Instructions:

– Wash and remove leaves from cauliflower
-Cut in to large chunks, or break apart into smaller pieces.
-Place on baking pan.
-Toss with Olive Oil.
– Sprinkle on your choice of spices!

Cooking:


Cook for about 25 minutes, rotating once in between. If you cut the cauliflower into wedges, it may take closer to 35-40 minutes.

Variations:


-Dip in BBQ sauce or, after the cauliflower is cooked, brush BBQ sauce on the florets. Let cook another 8-10 minutes.

          Make your own barbecue sauce using a Paleo recipe ( Paleo is very fertility friendly), or try a               brand like Annie’s which will be your best option!
– Add any spices that you want (fertility friendly spices)!

Custom IVF Embryo Watercolor

As NAIW week is dying down, it’s sentimental to me as last year I was successfully pregnant, but it was too early to share the news. The photo of the sweet little embryo that turned into my lively baby boy is something that I will cherish forever. I also cherish the photo of his sister, who was transferred at the same time who just wasn’t ready to come in to this world.

Whether your your transfer was successful, or or left your heart empty- I’d love to make a custom watercolor for you. I’ve opened up a shop to create custom embryo watercolors. Right now I have 5×7 & 8×10 sizes- but if you’d like something custom, or maybe a series of embryos, just message me.

**Orders can be ready for Mother’s Day if you order by May 3rd.**

Use coupon code: Embryo30 for 30% off your order.

My Etsy Shop: Someday Club

My 2nd Embryo Transfer- 1 Year Ago Today

1 year ago today, on a cloudy March 30th, much like today, my sweet, sweet baby started to grow inside of me. My husband and I live a little south of Chicago, and stayed in the city the night before at my parents condo, so that we’d be closer to the dr’s office.

I had another transfer a few months before in December 2015, that ended in a miscarriage. But because the transfer had worked, I wanted to follow the same routine. I had pineapple and smoothies prepped and ready to go for the week. Meals planned- the same meals that I had prepped before. Everything was ready for a lazy few days, letting my embryo(s) burrow.

The ONLY mishap of the day is very funny looking back. When I had my transfer a few months prior, I had Chicken Quiona Chili from the Protein Bar for lunch. So I planned to do the same. However, when my husband went there at 10 AM to get some for me..they didn’t have it ready! He said that the pleaded with them to give him some. I was soo dissapointed, BUT, the transfer worked with our my lucky chili- although I made my own when I got home. 

On Sunday, April 3rd, I got a positive at home pregnancy test- only 4 days post transfer. The blood test was still over a week away. On April 22nd, we had our first ultrasound, and I saw my sweet baby’s heart beating. The weekend, we told our immediate families the news, as we were home for my dad’s 60th birthday.


I woke up today squeezing my baby tight as we snuggled in bed on this rainy day. I stared at him, in complete awe that he is mine, all mine forever. I prayed, dreamed and hoped for him for longer than I can remember.  Sitting on the same couch with him today, watching him laugh and giggle made me cry like a baby- imagining that 1 year ago I sat on the same couch, excited and nervous about the transfer. 
I’ve wanted to be a mother my entire life, and I’m beyond grateful that he made me a mom. Ladies, never ever give up on your dream of motherhood.


All of my pineapples prepped, brazil nuts and a fruit mix with pumpkin seeds and rare fruits. Also my Fertilica UteriCalm drops that I took every day.
This is me on the 1 1/2 hour drive home. My very warm ugg boots, with my feet inside cozy in SmartWool socks. ( True story…I didn’t take the socks off, except to shower until the ultrasound!)
These are the embryos being implanted. We implanted two 5BB normal PGS tested embryos. I always wonder about the sweet girl who wasn’t quite ready to come into this world.
First ultrasound– my sweet baby boy!
 
All of my ultrasounds and shots for this cycle. 

#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */

 

Free IVF Planner Download 

  • The first page gives you a place to record all of the important details of your cycle. You’ll have a place to record the date for:

    •  

  •  Bloodwork appointment
  • Egg retrieval report
  • Fertilization report for both days 3 & 5
  • Freeze/ Blastocyst report ( how many blastocysts made it to freeze) In the notes you can add the grading.
  • PGS/PGD testing ( if applicable- won’t receive this for a couple of weeks later) 
  • Beta testing results. There’s a spot for “doubling time.” The nurse doesn’t tell you this, but you can calculate it yourself on this website. Do your research, doubling time isn’t the end all be all, but typically your HCG doubles every 48 hours ( give or take) in early pregnancy.
  • Ultrasounds
    The following pages have a section for each day that gives you space to record notes at appointments, or most importantly during a call with the nurse. If you are first time IVF’er- it can be so overwhelming! After each monitoring appointment during stimming, you will get a call later in the afternoon ( usually it’s right before they close, or sometimes later) from the nurse. She will let you know if you need to keep your medication dosage the same, or change it. So there’s a place to keep record of that for every day that you are stimming. In addition, there’s a place to record your estrogen level ( make sure to ask the nurse that). There’s also a notes section to maybe note your follicle count, or additional info.  
    Hang in there ladies! Let me know if you have any questions about the IVF Planner. 
    -xo Sarah

    Enter your email to receive our Free IVF Planner Download

    * indicates required
    Email Address *

    //s3.amazonaws.com/downloads.mailchimp.com/js/mc-validate.js(function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]=’EMAIL’;ftypes[0]=’email’;fnames[1]=’FNAME’;ftypes[1]=’text’;fnames[2]=’LNAME’;ftypes[2]=’text’;}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);

    Decision Time: 1 Embryo or 2?

    How many embryos to transfer?




    When I did my FET cycles, it was always such a dilemma deciding to transfer 1 or 2 embryos. The first time, I was involved in a trial with my doctor and was only allowed to transfer 1. It stuck, but ended in a blighted ovum. 

    So for round 2,  in March 2016, I was faced with the decision of how many embryos to transfer. I get asked a lot on Instagram how I decided, so here you go!

    For me, here’s how I factored my decision. 

    I asked myself this question, 

    Which would be harder to live with?

    – A failed cycle.
    – Transferring 2 and both not surviving.
    -Possibly becoming pregnant with twins or more.

    For me, it was that simple.

     I knew that if I didn’t put in 2, and had a failed cycle that I would be devastated. I was comfortable with that decision and knew in my heart that it was the right one. Only 1 stuck, and I always wonder what my other embryo ( a girl) would have been. I would have rather had to do a whole other cycle than to have only transferred 1 embryo and have a failed cycle. I knew in my heart that I would have regretted just transferring one if it had failed.

    I know that there are many women who may only have 2 embryos left.  And once those are gone, and if it fails, they are done trying either due to financial, medical or emotional reasons.  In those cases, probably just transferring one at a time is the best option. 

    I’ve also known girls on Instagram who’ve told me that they are terrified of twins. Even though we see women give birth to twins all of the time now- it’s still very risky. It takes a huge toll on our bodies, the enhanced risk of prematurity, added cost to raise and not to mention- you need a ton of family support in the beginning to adjust to having two.

    This is just my opinion of how I made the decision to transfer two embryos on my second FET. Everyone has their own opinion on the topic- but this is how I chose to decide. 

    xo-Sarah

    Egg Freezing- Does it work?

    Kaitlyn Bristowe, a former ABC Bachelorette from Season 11, opened up this week about her journey through egg freezing. The article here,  shows my RE ( reproductive endocrinologist )Brian Kaplan, who is a physician with Ova Egg Freezing.

    “I’m taking control of my future! As a woman there’s always pressure to have babies, and this puts my mind at ease for when IM ready. “- she was quoted. 

    The article stated that the number of women choosing to freeze their eggs has increased from under 500 in 2009 to nearly 4,000 in 2013, according to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. 

    From what I’ve read through the years, egg freezing shouldn’t be treated as a guarantee that you’ll be able to get pregnant with them when you need/ want to. I do believe that it’s a good choice for women in their mid- late 30’s who aren’t in a serious relationship ready to get pregnant. However, women should know the facts and try not to wait until it’s too late to try other avenues later on if needed. 

    According to his article on TheInsider, The ASRM says there’s only a 2 to 12% chance that a frozen egg, even from a woman younger than 38, will result in a baby. Doctors collect multiple eggs, though, which increases the odds. Dr. Jane Frederick, MD, a board certified fertility expert in California, told INSIDER that women who use frozen eggs have about a 25% to 50% chance of having a baby, depending on age. Another article from Extend Fertility, cites these chances of live birth for women who freeze eggs under 35, based on number of eggs frozen.


    For those of you not familiar with the process, egg freezing would go through an egg retrieval process just as a women going through IVF would. The main difference is that in IVF, the eggs are fertilized before freezing ( if there are some to be saved for a future cycle). With egg freezing, the eggs must be thawed before fertilizing, some typically don’t survive, and certainly not all fertilize. Basically, it adds on additional steps to the process that run the risk of losing eggs and the quality deteriorating,  which might inhibit more from fertilizing. On top of that, the older you are, the more abnormal embryos you will most likely have. I was 31 when I had my egg retrieval for IVF. Only 6 of the 22 eggs retrieved turned into embryos. 3 of the 6 were abnormal. My doctor said that it was a completely normal percentage for my age. 

    I found an article that shows the percentages more clearly. From research referred to in the article, about 25% of embryos created by women aged 25–30 were genetically abnormal; this percentage gradually increased to 35% in women age 31–35, 45% in women ages 35–37, 60% in women 38–40, 80% in women ages 41–43, and over 80–90% abnormal in women age 44 and older.

    So what’s the point of this post? In my opinion, egg freezing can be a really good option. If I were in my mid-thirties and nowhere near a point in a relationship where I was ready to start a family- I would 100% give it a try. “The clock is ticking,” is a completely real feeling full of anxiety for many women in their 30’s. If you have the money or insurance covers it, I think the peace of mind can be worth it. However,  women must know the reality of it, and realize that it’s not guaranteed to work down the road- IF she needs it. As long as expectations are too high for it, then it can be a good thing.






    My Sweet Baby Boy

    On December 22, around 7 am, I experienced a love that I never knew was possible. My sweet baby boy, whom I’ve dreamt of for longer than I can remember finally arrived!  I’ll never forget when I first laid eyes on him as the doctor held him up- love at first site.

    The first couple of weeks were completely and utterly exhausting. I mean seriously. But as I looked out the window during those late sleepless nights, all I could think about were the women who were still dreaming and begging to have this moment. I would hold back tears each night, remembering how much I had prayed, hoped and dreamt for these moments.

    Ladies in this infertility community- please, never ever give up. The road to become mothers may look different than we imagined, but someday, somehow- it will happen.

    I’ve never felt as happy or complete in my life since becoming a mom. I share this with you only to remind you not to give up on your own hopes and dreams of motherhood.

    My 1st Pregnancy: 1 year ago today

    What a year it has been, I’ve had my most joyous moments, and also have experience the most grueling moments of my life.
                                        

    1 year ago today, we transferred 1embryo. I knew that this baby would be in my arms in 9 months. I didn’t even doubt it. We did an egg retrieval on October 23rd, and this was one of those frosties ( as I like to call them). I had eaten a clean diet that was dairy and wheat free for 6 weeks. Had hardly any alcohol for months, I was ready to go. I had prepped my body with weekly acupuncture and even fertility massages.

    Everything went smoothly, and I waited impatiently for days until I could take a test.

    On December 13th,  I took a test, 5dpt ( 5 days post transfer) and got a positive line! This was very early, so I felt confident that I had a strong implantation. Everyday the line was stronger, and I waited until December 18th to get my official result at the doctor’s office. My beta was 112! I was hoping for somewhat higher, but 112 was a strong number. What really matters the most is that it doubles in 24 hours.

    So we went back 3 days later, and the number was 351..more than doubled!

    On Christmas Eve, we announced to our families that we were pregnant. In the back of my mind it felt so early, and we were a little uncomfortable sharing before a heartbeat, but we only told our immediate families, and swore them to secrecy. My sister in law also announced that she was pregnant- only 3 weeks apart! My heart filled with joy, and my first thoughts were that now this all made sense. Everything was delayed in the way that it was, because we were meant to have babies together just weeks apart.

    That joy for me, didn’t last long. In just a day or two, I started feeling major anxiety about my pregnancy. Because we had gone home, we weren’t able to do the 3rd beta ( blood) test to confirm that numbers were still rising. So we would be doing it about a week after the 2nd, and normally they are done about 48 hours later. If they numbers aren’t rising, there’s really nothing that can be done, you just simply know that it might not be a viable pregnancy.

    I guess it’s just intuition, but I knew deep down in my heart, that something just wasn’t right. I had no reason to believe that,  my numbers were beautiful so far. It was just a mother’s gut feeling I suppose.  I became irritable to my family ( probably also because of the high dose of hormones that I was one), but I was just ready to get back to Chicago and find out my beta numbers.

    When we got back to Chicago I had my 3rd beta test, which was 8 days after our 2nd test. The nurse called me and said that my numbers looked great at 1300.  My mind wasn’t working quite right, but I hung up the phone and my heart sunk. I knew that it wasn’t a good number. I called back after doing some math, realizing that my number should be much higher, and she did realize that it had been 8 days since my last test, not the typical 48 hours, so in fact the number wasn’t so good. The doctor told me to be “cautiously optimistic” and come back in 2 days.

    We went back on January 5th ( 5 days before my birthday) and it was confirmed, I had a blighted ovum. It means that the embryo implanted, but didn’t progress or develop. Usually it means that there was an abnormality with the embryo. It’s the cause of most early miscarriages.

    My heart sank looking at the empty sac. I still have visions of that screen, seeing it before they even told me. My husband held my hand, we both kept a strong face, and after the nurse left I got dressed and we walked out. We were both expecting it, but of course you always hope for a little miracle. I was just numb, and ready to move on. The miscarriage started the next day, I got my tears out over the next few days, but it was the worst birthday of my life.

    Throughout all of the sadness and heartache, I still felt lucky. I felt sorry for myself, but still hopeful because 1-  I was able to get pregnant, and 2- I had more frozen embryos to try again. Not everyone is that lucky, and I chose to feel grateful through my heartache.

    I will never forget the feeling of finally being pregnant at Christmas, or the feeling of my first positive pregnancy test. I’ll always remember the sweet flowers that my husband bought for me the date of  my home test, and the dinner we went to afterward our first beta to celebrate.

    A snowflake ornament hangs on my tree this year for my 1st “frostie” that didn’t make it.

    Celebrating our first pregnancy.