Flax Seed Oil

Dosage 1000mg a day always a physician’s advice before you start taking flax seed or any other medications

What is Flax seed oil?
Flax seed oil is made from the seeds of the flax plant also known as Linum Usitatissimum (linseed Oil). Flax seed is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids it is an excellent substitute for fish oils. According to research flax seed can be beneficially for the reproductive system as well as the cardiovascular system, immune system, circulatory system, nervous system as well as joints.

Flax Seed Oil and Conception
Flax seed is present in a lot of every day food products. Because it is so rich in fatty acids it is considered a must to take flax seed when trying to conceive as it can benefit you and your unborn child. It also helps increase the quality and improve the quality of your cervical mucus.

Flax Seed Oil and Pregnancy
There are a lot of reports which state the benefits of flax seed and reproduction system. For example if you take a high dose of it, it can help regulate your cycle, it can also help reduce hot flushes during menopause, if used correctly it can help correct any hormonal in balances. Many doctors are apposed to pregnant mothers taking flax seed because it has an affect on estrogen and hormones, which could interfere with your body during pregnancy.

Concerns with taking flax seed
Fears have been expressed that taking flax seed while pregnant can being on premature labour, please read this article for more information
Please bear in mind that this is just one study and more research needs to be put into the affects of flax seed and premature labour.

My Personal experience with flax seed oil
I started taking flax seed oil (1000mg) in February 2009. I noticed a change especially when I was due to start my menstrual cycle (period). My breast would start to go sore at one week before my period was due. You must be thinking everyone’s has sore breasts before their period, I don’t mean just a little sore, I mean very very sore, I couldn’t even touch my breasts. The nipple and the breast its self would go sore. This soreness can also indicate pregnancy in some woman, which was why I also thought, maybe I am pregnant, but NO I wasn’t. I also noticed that two days before I was due to start my period the pain in my breasts would disappear.

I have decided that I will not take flax seed this month (June 2009), I will keep you posted with any developments.

Please feel free to add your own comments and experiences with Flax Seed to this post.

Baby Aspirin

How does baby aspirin help you conceive?

During my extensive search into conception, I stumbled across a concept that taking a low dosage of baby aspirin can actually increase your chances on conceiving.

Daily recommended dosage is 75mg – maximum 85mg

Benefits of taking baby aspirin

If you have been unfortunate enough to suffer a miscarriage then taking a daily dose of aspirin can significantly decrease the chances of this happening again. Aspirin increase the blood flow to the uterus, hence making the lining of the uterus stronger. If you miscarried due to insufficient blood flow to the fetal then aspirin can help with this to, by thinning the blood so that it does not clot.

Baby aspirin not only increases blood flow to the uterus it also increase blood flow to the ovaries, hence increasing and improving the ovarian activity.

It is important that you speak with you health care advisor or doctor before you start taking baby aspirin

My personal experience with baby aspirin

I suffered an un-confirmed miscarriage in January 2009. It was a very painful experience for both myself and my husband. After a lot of research I decided to try taking baby aspirin to see if it would help us to conceive. I started taking 75mg of baby aspirin, 1 tablet a day, I started taking it after my period had fully finished, probably about 8 days into my menstrual cycle. I had a very strong ovulation last month, which was probably helped by the Vitex and baby aspirin (I will go over Vitex in more detail in future posts). Unfortuntely I failed to conceive, on the 28th day of my menstrual cycle I started my period. This period reminded me of how my periods use to be when I was in my twenties (I am 33 years old). I would class this period as healthy, it was strong and felt like a real period. Usually my period are OK but not as strong, I could see how the aspirin had been helping me, it had indeed helped make my uterine lining stronger, hence the heavy period. This month I will again take baby aspirin, but I will only start taking once the bleeding has completely stopped. I will keep you posted with the out-come

Ovulation

Ovulation occurs when a fertile woman releases one or more eggs every month. The egg is released from the follicle on the ovary, after which it travels down the fallopian tube where it can be fertilised (see real life pictures below).

Ovulation takes place in the tissues of the ovary

These images are the first time the event has been captured in clear detail

The egg is shown emerging from the follicle on the ovary

After release, the egg travels down the Fallopian tube where it can be fertilised

These pictures were captured during a rotinue hysterectomy operation which was carried out by Gynaecologist Dr Jacques Donnez.

Ovulation happens approximately 14 days before the next menstrual cycle (your Period). However, because every woman is unique ovulation can occur on any day during your monthly cycle, that’s why it is very important to chart your cycles, I have gone over how to do this and tools you can use to help you to conceive in more detail below.

Determining you ovulation window is key when trying to fall pregnant, If you have a 28 day cycle you will usually ovulate during cycle days 14 to 16. If you have a 32 day cycle you could ovulate between days 16 and 18. One way to approximately calculate your ovulation is by using the formula below:

Total number of cycle days – 14 = Ovulation day(s)

for example
28 -14=14th (so, on the 14th day during my menstrual cycle is when I am due to ovulate)

Tools which can help you monitor your ovulation


Keepings a diary
Keeping a diary is a great way for you to learn more about you cycle and it will also help you keep track of changes that occur before, during and after ovulation

Charting
Charting consists of logging your daily BBT (Basal Body Temperature), position of your cervix and cervical mucus.

BBT (Basal Body Temperature)
A woman’s BBT increases quite significantly just before and during ovulation. If you strike lucky and conceive you BBT will remain high throughout your pregnancy. It has been said that the BBT method is not the most reliable method to use as there are many other reason why your temperature could be high, for example you could have the flu.

Position of your cervix
Checking the position of your cervix is not a difficult thing to do, if anything it will help you to learn more about your body and your ovulation window. If you choose this method in determining you ovulation then you need to check the position of your cervix at the same time everyday to obtain a good all round picture of your ovulation window. I have detailed below the steps you must take when checking your cervix.


Wash your hand thoroughly with soap. This vital as you do not want to introduce any infection into your reproductive system. If you are suffering from a yeast infection or any other kind of virginal infection, it would be advised NOT to start checking your cervix until this has fully cleared up.

1. 
   Find a comfortable position where you can easy reach your cervix. Standing with knees spread a part is a good position for me as it sitting on the floor and pulling your knees into your chest.
   
2. 
   Using you middle finger and fore-finger enter your vagina, you will need to go deep inside to find you cervix, you will know you have found it because it feels like a lump which points out, some say its feels like the tip of your nose when your not fertile (and that’s so true, that’s how I knew I had found mine)


3. 
   If you are NOT ovulating you will find your cervix easily because it will be low and hard. If you are ovulating or due to ovulate your cervix will be up high and soft.

Cervical mucus
The cervix produces the mucus, this mucus changes colour, odour and texture throughout your monthly cycle. Once your menstrual cycle has finished, you will notice that your mucus will become dry. When the mucus is dry it makes it harder for sperm to enter the cervix, hence more un-likely that you will fall pregnant because you are not ovulating. As your body gets closure to ovulation you will notice that the mucus’s quantity and texture change. The mucus will become sticky / stretchy and there will be a lot more of it. I am not talking bucket loads but enough that you will be able to see some of it on your underwear, or when you wipe yourself.

The following are the different stages that the mucus will take during your monthly cycle (for this example we have used a typical 28 day cycle)

Days 1-5 Menstruation
Days 6-9 Dry, little or no mucus
Days 10-12 Sticky, thick mucus
Days 13-15 Egg white mucus, thin, elastic, slippery, stretchy, clear (most fertile time)
Days 16-21 Sticky, thick mucus
Days 22-28 Dry, little or no mucus

Fertility Monitors
There are a lot of fertility monitors on the market which will help you pin point ovulation. I will go over this subject in future posts.

My personal experience with ovulation

The most important thing for me was to find out which days I ovulated. To do this I brought a tool called the Clear Blue Fertility Monitor. This monitor told me my most fertile days, in-fact it was able to tell my 2 high fertility days and my 2 peak days. The monitor was very easy and straight forward to use. This monitor put my mind at rest, it answered my question of “which days do I ovulate during my monthly cycle” and I can say that I did not ovulate on the same day each month. I also used to check my cervix and cervical mucus, and the changes in both coincided with what the monitor was telling me. The monitor cost me £99 and the sticks cost me £20. you have enough sticks to last for 3 months.