Getting-Pregnant.com

Preparing for Galen

by Kristen
(Traverse City, MI)

I've always been interested in birth and babies, but it wasn't until my own cycles were irregular and my own health was bad that I started to learn more about natural fertility.

I started to chart my cycles after doing some research and getting guidance from a couple of good books. A whole world of information opened to me once I saw what was really going on in my body.

The first thing that I saw was that my luteal phases were extremely short - I had a luteal phase defect. I knew that correcting it would go a long way towards helping me feel better, and helping me have regular fertility signs.

After spending more time researching I decided to start with my own nutrition. I'd learned a lot about how other cultures made sure their women were healthy and fertile and applied this knowledge to my own life. I began to get good, traditional fats in my diet. I switched to full-fat dairy products and stopped "low fat" cooking. I also started to take a daily cod liver oil supplement.

Within just a few months my cycles were regular and I had great fertility signs. Since I wasn't ready for a baby yet, I decided to continue learning and becoming more healthy for when it would finally be time to try to conceive.

More research led me to herbs and supplements that would help boost my fertility and give me a healthy body for my baby. I drank nettle and red clover teas. I took dandelion to help cleanse my body gently. I found a food-based prenatal supplement, because I'd learned that they were much better for my body.

Between good diet, herbal supplements, and the prenatal I felt ready for a baby. I kept charting my cycles each month and was pleased to see my body ovulate and be ready.

I spent this time waiting to try to conceive Galen thinking about my baby. I daydreamed about finally being able to conceive him and being pregnant. I imagined holding him in my arms. I told him that I was open and waiting for the time to be right to welcome him into my family.

I read as much as I could on conception and on pregnancy.

Finally the time came to try to conceive. I was so very ready. We were hoping Galen would be a boy, so we planned to try conceiving as close to ovulation as possible.

Day 12 of my cycle came and I could tell it was ovulation day. I'd had several days of fertile signs and my fertile fluids were very much like "egg white" on day 12!

It also happened to be the day our moving truck arrived at our new house! We'd just made a huge move - and moves can be pretty stressful. But I was so ready to be pregnant with our baby, and I knew that today was our chance. We unloaded the moving van with the help of some friends and finally, late that night, were able to steal away a few minutes to baby dance. I'd spent the day talking to my little "baby-to-be," telling my baby that I was ready and open. I asked our baby to come and join our family.

After our "baby dance" I laid back and just imagined my womb as a safe place, and I imagined my egg ripe and waiting, and conception occurring smoothly and easily. I imagined my tiny, just conceived baby moving safely to my womb. I pictured the rich lining nourishing that little spark of my future child helping him grow strong.

My emotions were all over the place during the course of the next week and a half - part of me was confident we'd conceived and part of me felt so worried that we hadn't. I started feeling exhausted and nauseous right away - but I told myself I was just making it up. I had a couple of very vivid dreams about a little boy... but I told myself it was just chance.

I had planned to wait until February 14th to use a pregnancy test (so I could give Scott a Valentine's surprise!) but I just couldn't wait. I tested on February 12th, which was 10 days post ovulation (10DPO). I was thrilled to get a very, very faint positive! The next day I got another positive test - a darker and more convincing one!

In total I took 5 tests before I completely believed that I was actually pregnant. I was still amazed as the weeks went by and no period came... and I was so happy when we heard Galen's heartbeat for the first time.

Preparing for his conception took a lot of work, but I felt happy and very healthy and ready when it was finally time. We conceived him on the first try (after a lot of preparation!) and today he is a joy and blessing to our entire family.