Community post

Cut Down Junk Food

My last cycle was extremely stressful for me. I started charting my BBT for the first time, TTC for the first time knowing sort of when I ovulated because I used OPK for the first time, and on top of it all, started working night shift for the first time.

I have never felt so sleep deprived, jet-lagged feels more like it, going to bed at 2am and never being able to sleep past 8am after I hear my husband leave for work. Some nights I am awake at 4am or 6am, and I am just about ready to shoot myself when I see sunlight peeking into the room.

That could explain why the temps on my chart for that cycle was so jagged, or erratic, because of my inconsistent waking time. Some mornings I chart at 8am, and others at 10 or 11am. I find that the later in the day I wake up, the higher the BBT. But while I wasn't sure about my OPK readings because some looked not as positive and one did look very positive, my BBT chart showed me when I ovulated. And in retrospect, that ovulation day did correlate with my one positive OPK. That was kinda cool.

The timing of sex was awful. My husband would come home from work just before I had to leave for work, and we would try as much as we can, but really he's tired and I'm anxious to get it done, and that small window of opportunity really just isn't the ideal time for us to baby dance. According to my chart, we did do it the day before ovulation day, so that's was a good timing.

But I was so consumed with my BBT chart, googling every single thing that popped into my mind about BBT, comparing my chart with other BBT charts. I was especially consumed with my 2ww, noting every single symptom I felt and googling and reading about them. I was hoping every symptom I felt was a sign of pregnancy.

The day my AF came, I was wiped out. I felt depressed, fatigued, mentally drained. I had on a blank face at work. Thankfully, my period only lasted 3 days, and I feel back to normal now.

I realized how much junk food I was eating during my crazy first-timer cycle. I loaded up on starchy foods, fried foods, salty foods, crackers, chips, not to mention all the sweets. I couldn't help myself. In just a matter of weeks, I've caused my midsection to look more bloated than ever. I don't have the energy to workout because I've been eating all the wrong foods. Stress is a dangerous thing.

Now that I'm on a new cycle, and I have more knowledge about BBT and TTC, I feel like I have a bit more control of things. Initially, my goal this cycle was to cut down sugar, but I realize I need to cut down salt too, eat more fresh foods and avoid junk food.

I also have been looking up fertility yoga, which helps circulate blood to the vital reproductive organs. Rather than to exhaust myself at the gym, I think easing back into exercise with yoga is more ideal for me. Plus, it might help lower my stress level, since stress is a big factor for progesterone levels and TTC.

I will try some fertility yoga tomorrow and see. =)

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