A Happy Interlude {Vitamin B-12 Natural Infertility Treatment}

I am going to take a short, but happy interlude between yesterday’s post and the one that will continue it tomorrow.  But before I tell you the reason, I would strongly encourage you to check out the series of posts I did on B-12 Deficiency and Treatment:

1. Part 1: Update: B-12 Deficiency and Cookbook
2. Part 2: B-12 Deficiency–A Road To Recovery
3. Part 3: What is Vitamin B-12 and How it Works?
4. Part 4: Can Vitamin B-12 be a Cure for Infertility and stop Miscarriages?
5. Part 5: Vitamin B-12 Deficiency Can Cause Hair Loss/B-12 Deficiency-the Great Mimicker
6. Part 6: Vitamin B-12 Deficiency–Who is at Risk?
7. Part 7: B-12 Deficiency–Diagnosis
8. Part 8: Purely Happy {B-12 Deficiency Diagnosis}–my tests
9. Part 9: B-12 Deficiency–Treatment Options
10. Part 10: B-12 Deficiency–Dangers of Deficiency and Resources
11. Part 11: Cobalt Red–Miracle in a Bottle
12. Part 12: Vitamin B-12 Treatment Update {B12 Deficiency Can Cause Jaw Clinching}
13. Part 13: B-12 Deficiency Update {Benefits of Treatment}

If you read my yesterday’s post you already know the struggle my hubby and I faced in trying to achieve our first pregnancy.  For several years we were left wondering and asking questions: “Why us?”  We were doing everything to ensure a healthy lifestyle and pregnancy, yet it seemed that our hopes went unanswered.  I had a hard time living with the fact that women, who abuse their bodies, conceived without as much as trying, while I, doing all things that were right and good, was left wanting. Humanly speaking it was not fair, emotionally, although I was holding up 95% of the time, the remaining 5% I was a wreck.

Stupid Is and Stupid Says

It only was worse when people said stupid things and asked stupid questions:

“So, when are you going to have a child?”

“Isn’t it time you had a kid?”

“What are you waiting for?  You can never get ready, so just do it!”

“You want to hold my child?”

To which, as you can imagine, I had a few choice responses that I kept to myself: “None of your business!” “Mind your own business!” And “No, I do not want to hold your child! Not having one of my own does not mean that I am desperate to hold every kid in the world.”

In the long run I learned how to ignore the ignorant and keep on trucking along.

Giving It All Up

In the beginning of this year I made myself and God a promise–I won’t cry or pout about my predicament at all.  I decided that I trust His judgement more than I trust my emotions, and when He is good and ready, He will lead me to the answer.  It was one of the best thing I did.  Yes, we did trust God before that, but this was different–I simply let go of everything.  I still wanted a child, but I no longer felt pressured for time.  Living the way we do we might just live to a healthy 120, so even if I have a kid at 50, s/he will still have good 70 years with me .

See, I never doubted that we would have children, but I wondered when.  A couple of years ago, to keep reminding ourselves that we have that assurance [promise] we bought a little baby outfit which has been hanging in our closet [see image below].  We were just waiting for the time to use it.

The Mistake and a Redemption

Then I did make the big mistake, the one I told you about yesterday.  Having contemplated in my head about all the pros and cons, I thought that maybe I was overreacting and taking a temporary medication won’t be so bad after all.  Was I wrong?! But you have to read yesterday’s post to know.

However, side effects and all, I simply did not feel right–I was going against my better judgement and against the gut feeling I had.  So, 5 months later I decided to correct my mistake.  I called my OBGYN, the one that did not want to speak with me on the phone, and scheduled an appointment to inform him of my decision.

Just a little while before that I posted a little note on my mirror–something that would be in my face every single day:

Like I said, I already believed 100% that me having children was not a question, but the timeline was what was bugging me.  This way, I was reminding myself that it is still true, and this time I strengthened my faith in God’s ability to give me that gift this  year.

Shortly after placing the note up, and making my appointment, I had a sleepless night, which became a norm on the medication I was on.  Instead of counting sheep, I went into the study and busied myself with research.  I wrote down all of the symptoms I was still having, including infertility and elevated prolactin levels, and then looked for a common denominator in all of them.  Surprisingly, all but one–elevated prolactin, did check out against one possible issue–B-12 deficiency. Needless to say, I did not sleep a wink that night.

The next day I ordered the book, Could it Be B-12? along with finding more studies done on infertility and B-12 deficiency connection. I published a post with my findings:

Part 4: Can Vitamin B-12 be a Cure for Infertility and stop Miscarriages?

Immediately after I found a doctor that would listen to me, and on August 29th we started B-12 injections.  With some immediate improvements I expected nothing short of miracle.  ”Sometime this year,” I thought, “we will have our miracle.”

The Happy Stick

Even before going on injections I got off the cursed medication.  I wanted nothing to do with it.  Within a week I knew that my prolactin levels were going up, and it made me upset, but I did not lose hope.  I thought that B-12 somehow would address the issue–I looked for a connection, as slim as it might be.  However, I also knew that without progesterone supplementation and the meds I could not easily reach a menses–no menses, no regularity, no ovulation–no baby.  Even with meds/supplements my cycles were long, so I was not surprised when I did not get my cycle 30 days into the treatment. On day 31, however, my basal body temperature went up.  There were only two possibilities:

1. I ovulated and will have a menses
2. I ovulated and conceived

All I had to do is wait 12-14 days and I would know.  Even though my cycles were irregular in length, my luteal phase remained a faithful 12-13 days.

My 12 days were up the same weekend I was taking my fitness certification.  Going into the weekend I was cramping, and, although bummed that I did not get pregnant, I was happy that I was going to have a normal menses.  Strangely I had a very small, no–tiny, amount of discharge for 3 days, but I wrote it off to my body healing itself and perhaps the crazy weekend.  With my temperatures going down at the same time, I was certain I was not going to have a baby yet…

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday came and went.  Oddly, right after the certification workshop weekend [on Monday] my basal body temps went right back up.  I decided to give myself 2-3 days to see what would happen next.

Last Wednesday, having taught my 2 morning fitness classes, I decided to stop by a drug store to pick up a new thermometer–mine was getting old and beat up.  Not finding what I liked I was heading out as I noticed pregnancy tests.  One caught my eye–high tech and on sale!  I had nothing to lose, since I was used to seeing NOT PREGNANT result before, so I grabbed a package.

[Am I taking too long?! ]

When I got home I said nothing to hubby, went into the restroom, locked myself and decided to give it a go, while getting ready for the shower.  Boy, I should have prepared myself better.  While I was disrobing myself, a little happy sign lit up the screen:

It took me about 30 seconds to figure out what to do or feel next.  I always planned to surprise hubby with the happy news, but being in the moment that was the last thing I wanted to worry about.  I pulled my sweaty gym clothes back on, grabbed the stick and happily, shaking, walked into the study.  For a second I stood behind his chair, unsure of what to say.  Having felt my presence, he turned around: “Are you OK, baby?” he said.  All I could do is give him the stick: “You are going to be a Daddy, babe!’ I said. And then the time froze…

I honestly did not know what to expect from him.  We talked about this moment so many times and he imagined how he would react, yet now he sat there, quiet, repeating: “Is this true?  Is this for real?” “Yes, darling, yes it is,” I kept repeating.

A minute or two later I was in his embrace–happy, delirious and totally raptured.

WE ARE PREGNANT!

I was not sure how long it would take for the reality to sink in, but in the days that followed it all became clearer and better.

Baby’s First Pictures

You know that I am a photographer, so there was no way I was going to waste any time.  I grabbed my camera, not caring that I looked a hot mess, and snapped baby’s first few images [click on the image to enlarge]:

Happy, tearful Daddy

All of our dreams came true at that very moment

You already know that I do not believe in coincidences, but I do believe in miracles and a wonderful, loving, miracle giving God–our prayers have been answered.  All of our dreams came true.  All it took is: faith, research, a sleepless night and a month of B-12 injections [I am going to continue with injections, of course!].

As of today, I am 3 weeks and 3 days pregnant! Our baby is due in May ! 

I will tell you more later, but for now, I know you are happy for us.  If you have any questions, ask–I will be more than happy to answer.

Complete B12 Research

To get the entire report of my B12 research either:

1. subscribe and download the 180-page report, which had an entire Appendix dedicate to the topic (the entire research, and how the findings helped me), or
2. go through B-12 category on this site, starting from the earliest post.

Related posts:

1. Vitamin B-12 Treatment Update {B12 Deficiency Can Cause Jaw Clinching}
2. Can Vitamin B-12 be a Cure for Infertility and stop Miscarriages?
3. Vitamin B-12 Deficiency–Who is at Risk?
4. Vitamin B-12 Deficiency Can Cause Hair Loss
5. B-12 Deficiency Update {Benefits of Treatment}