It's time.....

The winner should be posted below, in this post, and on the original post as well.  (if you scroll to it)

Thank you all, for entering, and congrats to the winner!
(* I will contact through email, via the RaffleCopter website * )

Best of Luck to you all, as you continue on your TTC journey.   

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Reminder

Just a reminder: The drawing ends at midnight tonight.  RaffleCopter should close the entry period by that time.  I'm am old fart already,  so I'll in bed well before then. 

Winner will be posted by 9 am Monday morning.  (Eastern time)  

Good Luck! 

Did you enter?

 Giveaway ends tomorrow at midnight, ladies.   Good luck to you all!  I know you're all anxious to see who will win. I am too!

 I see there are a few more entries since yesterday,  but your odds are still good.   

Please remember,  it is only one entry per person.  Please do not try to better your odds,  by using more than one email address, it would be unfair to anyone who did it the correct way.

Have A Great Saturday! 

Weekend mode

Well, the weekend is here and the giveaway is only 2 days away!    The RaffleCopter is set up to pick a winner, on Sunday evening.   I doesn't let me set particular hours, unless it's a paid account, so I went with the latest time, so that everyone can have a chance.  

    

Just a reminder, it was set up for only ONE entry per person.  I know there are some bloggers who do a "once daily" option, but this one is set up for a "one time entry" per person.  It should only let you enter once.   I don't know if anyone has more than one email address, but if you do, I hope everyone is fair enough to only enter once, using just one email address. Please do not cheat & use more than one email address.  

Good luck and have a great weekend!

Come back Sunday or Monday morning to see who won! 

Tired...

When you are trying to get pregnant, and it practically starts to consume you, it really gets mentally exhausting.    I can't tell you how consumed by it,I feel, some days.    It really is like a part time job - the record keeping, the signs and symptoms you're trying to note and track, the testing with the OPKs and the HPTs.   Temping, counting....   I know, as I'm sure you'll agree, that some day it will all be worth it.   But some days I think I'm trying so hard, that it won't.

A lot of  the ladies, that I have met have mentioned how people say "don't think about it and it's then that it'll happen".    I know that sounds silly and I always thought so.   Until, last year, when I did get a BFP. A few weeks before that I had all but given up and stopped testing, almost every day.    I took that test, for no particular reason.    And only a few weeks before that, I had stopped making it a chore to test, and BD, and write everything down.

So, maybe it's true...  When we stop focusing so hard on it, that may just be when it surprises us.

Enter the Giveaway!

* If you haven't already, please read the post below this one and watch the quick intro video, for some important information, BEFORE you enter the giveaway*    

Please only enter if you have PCOS and are struggling to get pregnant.

 I really want to see these supplements go to someone who can and will use them.    There are guidelines to follow, when it comes to medications/supplements you are already taking, and I have outlined it very briefly in the video below.    Please DO NOT enter until you have taken a peek at it.   

**If you are already taking medication(s) for any pre-existing condition and/or are taking an anti-depressant, anti-anxiety medication, you MUST consult with your physician BEFORE taking any of these supplements**  

 These are the 3 supplements that I am giving away, and a shorty description on each of them, if you are not familiar with the FairHaven Health products.   Each of the product names in bold red, are live links, so you can click it to visit the product info directly on the Fairhaven Health website.

FertilAid - doctor-approved, ObGyn-recommended fertility supplements designed to enhance fertility and improve reproductive health. Designed by leading fertility expert, Dr. Amos Grunebaum, FertilAid is the top-selling natural fertility supplement in the United States.    With all-natural, non-prescription formulas that unite scientifically-validated herbal ingredients and essential vitamins, FertilAid is designed to promote reproductive wellness, support fertility and optimize your chances to conceive.  

Ovaboost - OvaBoost is an all-natural dietary supplement that contains acombination of vitamins and antioxidants including myo-inositol, folate, melatonin, coenzyme Q10, vitamin E, grapeseed extract and alpha-lipoic acid, which have been scientifically demonstrated to help improve egg health and optimize ovarian function. Ladies, the good news is that you can increase your egg quality!

Myo-inositol may be especially helpful for women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).  While the cause of PCOS is not fully understood, hormonal imbalances seem to play a big role in the onset of symptoms.  By helping your body use insulin effectively, myo-inositol helps to promote hormone balance and ovarian function.

If you have any questions, please ask me.  If they are product related, I will get the answers for you or you can visit the Fairhaven Health website.  I have confirmed that all 3 of these supplements can be used together.    Enter the giveaway in the box below!   I will pick a winner on Sunday evening.    Feel free to share! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Give Away Time

First, I want to disclose that I was given these supplements, completely free of charge, from Fairhaven Health,  in exchange for my testing and honest reviews.  They did not contact me; I contacted them, as a TTC blogger interested in their products.   

  I was so grateful to get a 2 months' supply of each of these!   I know it may take a few months' worth, before I see any results --- but at least this will give me (and you!) a trial run to see how we adapt to it.  And I figured, since I was being given an opportunity to try them, at no expense of my own, I would pay it forward and use the "2nd month" as a giveaway prize.   I know so many of you are on the same path that I am.  This "TTC" journey is not for the quitters, is it?    It's tough and we spend countless hours researching products, stories, tips, suggestions... the list goes on and on.     I have been trying for over 10 years to get pregnant.   I was not willing to take any medications.   When I finally did cave and tried Clomid, I did fall pregnant!  Wahoo!   But, it was an ectopic pregnancy, so after that, I swore off any more medications.   Again.   

 * I am not suggesting that Clomid caused my ectopic pregnancy*   

Please do not misconstrue that remark, because it really does work and it did for me, and so many others that I know.
   I'm just simply choosing to find a natural path.     I've been back and forth on the FairHaven Health website for WEEKS, and really doing my research on the products and supplements they offer.     I honestly felt like I found a PCOS gal's treasure trove when I found this website!     All 3 of the supplements you'll win, have a lot of medical expertise behind them.  In fact, I was so intrigued when I read about the FertilAid supplement.  I kept wondering, "well, who is the Dr. Grunebaum?  Is he even a real doctor?"   And sure enough, he totally is!  Dr. Grunebaum is currently a practicing obstetrician/gynecologist, as well as the director of clinical maternal-fetal medicine and the labor/delivery chief at the number one University Medical Center in New York City. He is also an assistant clinical University professor and served as the founding Medical Director of the WebMD Fertility Center.  How awesome is that?   

So, check out my VLog below, for a little more information and some IMPORTANT things to note, before you enter the giveaway, or decide to try out the supplements. 
  *these are  necessary things you should know beforehand* 

My first ever giveaway~

I am a big fan of blogs ----- reading them and posting on my own,
(I have this one and a regular one) not really TTC related.  

And when a blogger hosts a giveaway, I'm all over it!   Only if it pertains to my interests or likes.   I don't try to win just ANYTHING; I'm not greedy.   

So, I'll be hosting a giveaway here, on my TTC blog, to a lucky blog follower.   The prize will be a 3 pack of FairHaven Health fertility supplements!   OvaBoost, Myo-Inositol and FertileAid.
The 3 of them ARE safe to use in conjunction with each other.  

  I have verified this with FairHaven Health.  I would not take them myself, unless I did my homework; trust me.   

The link and a more informative post will be up later today!     I'm hoping to do it as a Vlog... which I never have.  So bare with me.    

Keep an eye out!   

when it hits

I would have been due last month.  Somewhere in the 3rd week of August. When I first learned that, it seemed SO far away.   Nine months was going to seem like forever.   And then, without realizing it, August was here! 

This past weekend was kind of an emotional one.   I don't really know what brought it on, but I had a lot of tears and thoughts.     I was sitting in the living room, on Saturday morning, having my coffee, and I just looked around the room.     I looked to far wall, by the closet, and kept thinking "Wow, it's already September.  We would have had a pack 'n play or a bassinet sitting right there, right now, with an infant in it.    I never mentioned it to my husband.   Then, while we were at breakfast, he brought up that he'd mentioned to his mother,  "Just think.  I'd be a father right now".    

I don't know if it's good that we do this; still talk about it now and again.  Or, if it's considered "dwelling".     It's not constant, but when the thoughts pop up, we talk about it.   I can't just forget that I was pregnant and lost our child.   I can't just forget that moment that I took the test and saw the 2 lines.   I can't just forget when we told everyone on Christmas morning, and I know I'll never, ever forget their reactions. 

I'm even staying positive that we'll get pregnant again - but I don't think I'll forget the first.  Actually, I know I won't. 

So many emotions with pregnancy loss.   It really does suck.   

maybe I'm on the right track

Well, I finished the Pregnitude.   Luckily, I had no weird side effects etc.. *knock on wood*..  and I want to believe that it helped to regulate my cycles, thus far.   I hope so!     I'll be starting some new products very soon and I can't wait to share my experience with you!    

All the while I've been researching natural supplements to help me with ovulation and fertility, I wasn't careful to note when a product said that it "supports" hormonal balance.   I need more of something that "promotes".

That's a big difference, in the grand scheme of things.  So I'm pretty eager to start the new line of supplements that I'll be receiving soon.  And you can count on me giving you my feedback and recommendations.   Here's hoping that something finally works.    Stay tuned! 

small bump

I was searching the hashtag 'ectopic pregnancy' today, on Instagram and I found a reference to this Ed Sheeran video.    Not that I'm glad that pregnancy loss is even something that happens, it's still a little comforting when you see that it is recognized, far and wide.    And sometimes by those you'd least expect.
Your favorite artists and musicians can usually capture it so well with lyrics and/or pictures.
Ed Sheeran did it with this video.   Made me wonder if he's 'been there', or knows someone else who has.
It describes all too well, the feeling we Moms-to-be had when we knew that there was a life inside of us.   We couldn't wait to hold our babies.   And then, just as quickly, that joy turned to sorrow.

Take a listen.....

Definitely watch the video to get the full experience, and if you need the lyrics, get them here...

babies, babies, everywhere!

Memorial Day weekend, we went to a friend's BBQ and there was a newborn there.   My husband was in awe of this baby!   I couldn't believe how enamored he was.   It was still only about 4 months out for us, since my ectopic ordeal.   He expressed that he couldn't wait to have a little baby like that.  

Then, yesterday, we went to the same friend's house, for a Labor Day BBQ, and there was another infant!  

And again, Jeff was smitten.   I heard the mom saying she was born in July.  So TINY.   I wanted to hold her, but I didn't know the family, so I just decided to oooh and ahhh from a distance.  

It's times like those that we realize how much we really want a child.  When we see the joy on the parents' faces and the fuss over this tiny little being.    Jeff turned to me at one point and said "I really hope God blesses us with a child, and if not, that's ok too". 

No dice

Yep, my period came this month.   I knew it was on the way, even before it was here. You know how you just get the feeling?  You just start to feel some way.   And here it is.    It's funny because I'm bummed,  but at the same time, I'm glad that it seems to be on track, somewhat.    I really hope that the Pregnitude has helped to get things under some control.   Finally.    Doesn't mean that I'm ovulating, just because I'm menstruating, but it's a start. 

I did a lot of research the past few days, and I know that I need to see a fertility specialist, and get my remaining tube checked.   I actually got a call back today and made an appointment.  

I still need to get my regular exams (mammo and pap), so I'll need a general gynecologist too.  I wish I could find an "all-in-one"... but I can't imagine I will.

I'm staying hopeful that this is going to happen for us, before the year is out.

I just need to see the right doctor and follow their plans for me.  As well as His plans for me.

This month

Having irregular periods,  it's hard to get excited when it's late.  Usually it's right around the bend.  Last year,  when I got my BFP, my period wasn't even late yet.  It wasn't due for a few more days, in fact.  Which is why I was shocked when I got that positive test.  So,  again,  this month and last,  I'm trying to step back and not drive myself crazy with over thinking AND over testing.   Not easy, I tell ya, not .......easy.