all the fun of making a baby

I know that title sounded like something else, but hey it caught your attention right ? Anyhow so my blog is going to take a turn here, Lately D2 and I have decided it is time to add a new addition to our family. Yes ladies and Gentleman, we want another baby, but it is not that easy. A lot of families today, mine included have a hard time just having a baby. 

According to the CDC around 12% of women ( regardless of marital status) struggle with infertility. But women are not the only ones. about 8% of infertility is among men. 

So in our case, we know why we are struggling to get pregnant. If I have not said it before, I have PCOS. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. There is so much to PCOS that it would make your head spin. If you do not have it and you are not a medical professional you would not believe everything that accompany it. anyhow but this post is not about me or my PCOS, this post is meant to kick off our baby journey and hopefully help some other women who are just beginning their baby journey! 

The most intimidating thing that I have encountered so far is the acronyms. There are sooooo many of them and half of them I have no idea what they are. So I want to kick this baby journey off with a guide to terms and Acronyms. 

TTC -  Trying to conceive. This is a basic one you will see a lot. especially in mommy and TTC groups, threads and subreddits

AF- some of you are already familiar with this term, Aunt Flow. This should not need explanation.

BBT - Basal Body Temp. you will use to track your body temp to predict when you will ovulate. There is a difference between a standard thermometer and a BBT Thermometer. You also have to be very strict when tracking your BBT and do everything to a T otherwise it could throw you off. 

BC or BCP- Birth Control or Birth Control Pill. 

BD- Baby Dance, or in simple terms sex with the intent of conception. 

BFN- Big Fat Negative. This is regarding a pregnancy test 

BFP- Big Fat Positive. This means you have a positive pregnancy test! 

CD-  Cycle Day 

CM - Cervical Mucus 

CP- Chemical Pregnancy ( A very early Miscarriage before the fifth week ) 

DPO- Days Past Ovulation 

EWCM- Egg White Cervical Mucus- If you are TTC you know that you actually have to examine your CM. This is the most fertile CM. You want this! 

FSH- Follicle Stimulating Hormone. 

FMU- first morning urine. This is the best time to test is with your FMU 

FP- Follicular Phase.

HPT- Home Pregnancy Test 

HcG- Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. Hormone detected by pregnancy tests.

IUI- Intra- Uterine Isemination, 

IVF- In Vitro Fertilization. this is the process of extracting eggs, and introducing the two together manually and then placing them inside of a uterus.

LH- Luteinizing hormone. An acute rise of this hormone triggers ovulation. 

LMP- Last Menstrual Period. This is the first day of your last period. 

LP- Luteal Phase. This is the second half of your cycle. This starts after ovulation and ends when you get your next period. 

LPD- this is where your body releases progesterone and the lining of your uterus grows. 

MC- Miscarriage 

MFI- Male Factor Infertility 

NTNP- not trying but not preventing 

O- the big O, no not  orgasm, but Ovulation! 

OPK- Ovulation Prediction Kit. This measures your Luteinizing Hormone which typically surges about one day before ovulation. 

RE- Reproductive Endocrinologist 

SA- Semen Analysis 

TWW- Two Week Wait. This is the grueling two weeks between when you ovulate and when you can take a pregnancy test! 


Alright if I missed anything let me know! I will be happy to edit it.

Tell me about your baby journey and keep posted here as we embark on our baby journey!

Wishing you best of luck and lots of sticky baby dust!

A little late in the game but Happy 2019

Here we are almost through the first month of 2019 and man oh man has it been a busy one. I do not know about you, but it has been for me. Moving, getting settled into work, planning our next trip to see our girls and so much more.

I have found myself busier than ever with work. I am still with the same wonderful company that I have been with, but now I am commuting 1.5 hours a day, and I have been training in new areas to myself of my job. It has been challenging, but I enjoy it. I Have been learning how to work with the machines at the cleaners! But finding a balance to spend time with my family, and work and then fitting in my blog has been rough. I am finally finding the right groove and getting back on track!

Moving, So recently we found our selves with some serious damages in our prior apartment, all out of our control and the owner wanted possession of the property to repair the damages. thus giving us thirty day notice to relocate. So we found a place in three weeks and moved in by the first of January. So here we are finally getting all settled in! I have finally found the time to get to sit down and work on my blog.

So my loyal readers, I would like to start the New Year off right and on a much better foot!
As we work through lifes glitches what would you like to see featured on my blog? It can be almost anything, I will not talk politics and current social issues. Please keep in mind this is a family based blog, So we can talk kids and anything else. Have a specific product or company you would like real world experiences to be talked about?? drop your suggestions below and lets get the ball rolling!



I hope 2019 brings about all you could hope and dream for!

TJ

Hickies Lacing System

 Recently I have had the enjoyable opportunity to use Hickies Lacing System. I have got to say I love them and I do not think I will ever be tying shoes again! There are so many colors and options for kids and adults, you can adjust the tightness of the laces and you can make quite a few different designs with them! I kept it pretty simple because  I have wide feet and I like my shoes a bit loose. Working with hickies has allowed me to try two different colors, so I chose teal and hot pink! I wore the teal ones for a few months and then I swapped out the pink set for photos for this post!

 I think I genuinely hate tying shoes! It is tedious and most of the time even with a double knot they still come undone throughout the day. I have no issues with the hickies, I lace them up and they do not come undone until I take them out. To me there are only pros to these. I find no cons of them!

So what is not to love? Fun color options in laces, So easy peasy that even your little ones can do it and well for those of you that are like me you do not have to tie shoes anymore! So worth it! So go check out Hickies Lacing System and get yours!