In Which I Speculate On Why Pregnancy Finally Happened

Before I dive in, I need to preface by saying while I have some idea of why my last cycle was successful, I do not know the mind of God and therefore, that makes this all speculation. Still, it's fun to speculate. :)

I'll start with a list of what we've done in the past year and a half while working with our NaPro doc...

A hormone profile showed low pre-ovulatory estradiol.
A uterine biopsy showed endometritis (infection).
An ultrasound series showed normal ovulation.
A laparoscopy was performed and a very mild case of endometriosis was excised and tiny uterine polyps were discovered.
A hysterosalpingogram showed clear tubes.
A seminal fluid analysis came back relatively normal.

And the medications I took during the cycle we conceived...

Femara (for low estradiol) on CD3, 4, 5
Biaxin (for infection) CD8 thru peak
Progesterone P+3 thru P+12

Plus, we mustn't forget the Anti-Inflammatory Diet.

So, of all these things, where do I think we finally went right?

Let's just say I've been calling our conception a Femara-cle!! (Get it?)

So yeah, I'm pretty sure it was the Femara that did it. But how can I be so sure?? Well, I can't. BUT! It was our first cycle using Femara!! So either it was just a crazy coincidence OR Femara was our miracle drug. I choose to believe the latter. :)

That's not to say all the other stuff we did was for nothin'. I'm pretty sure every step along the way was important. Clearing out the endometriosis, treating the infection, checking to make sure everything else looked normal... all important! We just had one thing left to do and that was increase the pre-peak estradiol. While I'm not sure at all that Femara did that (I didn't have levels checked that cycle), I'd say it's still a pretty good guess. I was actually on Clomid for 7 cycles before switching to Femara, so it's not like we didn't try to improve the low estradiol situation as soon as possible. I guess Clomid just wasn't doing it for me. But Femara did!!

Now, as for the Anti-Inflammatory Diet... I do think that it can help with conception. In fact, I know it can! My NaPro practitioner struggled with infertility for years, got the whole NaPro work up, went through surgery, tried it all. It wasn't until she started the Anti-Inflamm Diet that she got pregnant. So, I know it can help! BUT, I've got to come clean and say I don't think it did the trick for me.

Why do I say this?

Well, let's just say, while I was totally rocking out on the diet for several months, I totally threw it out the window the cycle we conceived. That cycle started with fried chicken and mac and cheese on CD1, then John's birthday came around and we threw a pizza party where I at tons of pizza AND cake, and then we went on vacation to visit the in-laws and I ate whatever I wanted for that week and a half.

So yeah, I'm sorry I can't be the poster child for the Anti-Inflammatory Diet. But that doesn't mean I don't believe in it anymore. While it didn't do the trick for me, I'm still convinced it can do the trick for the right person.

Along with all this NaPro stuff, there are two other things that I think may have helped...

First, a week and a half of relaxation and fresh mountain air during the end of the cycle. This is by NO MEANS me saying that I just needed to relax to get pregnant. Duh. I hate that line along with the rest of ya. I clearly had medical issues that needed fixing in order for conception to happen. But, I do think that relieving myself of stress during the 2 week wait may have been helpful. And that's exactly what that little trip did. It was all fun and games and quality time with family. Doesn't get more stress-free than that!

And second, I was 6 days into a novena to the Holy Family when we found out we were pregnant. This is by NO MEANS me saying that if you had just prayed that novena with me, you'd be pregnant too. Or that you need to pray more novenas in order to conceive. It was just a beautiful novena in which I asked the Holy Family to intercede for us and bring our desire to become parents (through either conception or adoption) to God, and I was so moved when our prayers were answered! I've continued prayers to the Holy Family ever since, for protection of our little one and a safe pregnancy. It gives me goosebumps to think that the Holy Family is interceding and looking out for us. So amazingly beautiful.

But most obviously, the real reason for all of this is...

God.

Without Him, none of this "perfect cycle" stuff would even have mattered. I praise Him every day for this precious gift He's entrusted us with. I have no idea why He chose this cycle as the one or why He chose US, and I likely never will this side of Heaven, but I am eternally grateful!!

And so, for all those reasons above (and probably a bunch of hidden others), that's why I think my last cycle was the one. Maybe I'm 100% wrong, but those are the best guesses I've got. :)