I wasn’t sure if I was going to share this next chapter in our lives. I was so open and honest when we were trying for Alaska, I loved how a lot of you could relate to our journey, but it certainly opened it up for an open shit-storm for my “obsessed trolls”. I am always pretty proud with how I deal with any type of negativity, but I was tossing up whether it was going to be healthy for me to share trying for baby #2 and also deal with the negativity that might come with it.
I have decided that the positives outweigh the shit-storms and a lot of people take comfort and gain knowledge and power, in reading other peoples trying to conceive stories. We are a FIFO family (Fly in Fly Out) so Trying To conceive (TTC) is hard anyway. Lining up our fertile window when Ben is home is near on impossible some months. But i’ve decided to focus on getting my body ready instead of festering over the actual trying part.
This first chapter isn’t about actually trying for a baby. It’s focus is on getting my body ready and healthy and making sure i’m 100% ready physically and mentally, before we dive back into pregnancy.
DISCLAIMER: I’m obviously not a Dr.- This is MY JOURNEY and MY EXPERIENCE only. Please take what you want from this blog and do your own research before you make any decisions.
Hormone Dr- Getting my body back in check
Since having Alaska, my body hasn’t been the same. I don’t mean my physical appearance, i’m talking about my frame of mind, my emotions and my periods. We just know our bodies, don’t we? I’m no Dr #obviously but i’m so in tune with my body that I just “know” when somethings a miss. For months i’ve been saying to Ben “something just isn’t right”.
My Symptoms
- My periods were regular and lasted 3 days max for 15 years, but since Alaska’s birth they last for 9 days plus, even though still regular
- I cramp at any stage throughout the month
- Periods are clot like
- My boobs ache all month, every day
- I literally have ZERO patience now, I get stressed very easily over the smallest of things
- Bad night sweats, almost every night
- Irritability- About everything
- I get so moody, I know i’m in a mood but just can’t shake it
- All of these symptoms could literally be diagnosed as anything, this is why I chose to speak to a hormone Dr to see what underlying issue there was before I got slapped with another diagnosis
I’ve been wanting to see a Dr about my symptoms for a good 9 months but never really knew how to go about it (the fear of the Dr looking at me and laughing as i’m once again over reacting). I watched my friend George’s video about the Hormone Dr she’s been seeing since she was a teenager and it made me so excited to actually go for it and make contact. I spoke with Dr Graeme on the phone for over an hour, it was like a magical lightbulb listening to him. I was in awe, everything he was saying resonated so clearly that it just all seemed to make so much sense! What i’d been experiencing wasn’t made up in my head. Understanding that child birth can cause imbalances with in our bodies that sometimes we just need a little bit of help ( for instance a hormone cream) to get back to our normal selves.
Dr Graeme Wilson: Phone & Email consultations only so available Australia wide (possibly world wide). www.drgraemewilliams.com It’s a $300 fee which includes your phone consultations as well as your cream he may prescribe to you.
Other Things To Try To Feel Less Stressed
Naturopath- I saw a Naturopath for months when TTC with Alaska. I didn’t feel that this was a great fit for me personally, however I know lots of friends who have successful stories with their experiences.
Acupuncture- I saw a Chinese Herbalists Dr who worked wonders with my stress levels. He used accupuncture on my ears and I also took the suggested Chinese medicine/ herbs to flush out my body. I do feel this helped our TTC journey with Alaska.
DETAILS: Dr Wang 9455 3988 255 Bannister Rd, Canning Vale
Massage- I would love to have the time to get a weekly massage, but realistically this isn’t possible. But massage is an amazing way to relieve the body of unwanted tension and bad energy. I got a massage here the month we conceived Alaska, I truly believe this was a contributing factor to my reduced stress levels that month.
DETAILS: Nest Day Spa
Chiropractor- I briefly saw an amazing Chiro after Alaska was born. I wish I maintained my visits as I did see results after each visit but I got lazy and stopped going. He noticed my posture is ridiculously BAD and this of course created stress and tension throughout my body.
DETAILS: Adam in Cockburn see write up HERE
Essential Oils- I’ve noticed a HUGE difference with using oils in our every day life. I’ve recently been using oils in our defuser, spraying our pillows each night, using rollers on my wrists when feeling stressed. I’ve also been using a fertility roller on my stomach twice a day.
DETAILS: Dani Loxton Oils
Smoothies- Gut health is one of the most important factors to feeling happy, healthy and less stressed. I make a bunch of pre packed smoothie bags every fortnight, freeze them and get one out daily. I jam pack them with greens and fruit so that I know i’m getting my daily intake of goodness. I always feel so balanced and emotionally different after i’ve had my daily smoothie. Whether it’s mind over matter, it works for me.
DETAILS: My smoothie recipe HERE
Sleep- It’s a no brainer that sleeps promotes a healthy mindset and reduces stress levels. If you’re already a parent, i’m just going to go ahead and assume you haven’t slept well since your first childs birth. I find going to bed early, not allowing a TV in your bedroom, reducing screen time in your room really helps me. I try to wake up earlier than Alaska and have a coffee on my own for some down time.
Next Steps
I have been to get my bloods done for Dr Graeme to see what my hormone levels are. If I am in fact lacking in progesterone (what he suspects) then he will supply a cream which I can use daily. I will keep you posted how this goes.
I posted a video on my Instagram stories this week about Dr Graeme, I was flooded with peoples advice on what I should be doing instead. Mental Health issues run in my family. My Mummy has bipolar and an under-active thyroid, so I’ve always been extremely conscious of possibly having these also. Both of these have been ruled out to date. POCS has also been ruled out.
I’m not asking for advice, I’m just explaining my journey in case it helps someone, anyone at all. Please remember every journey is different, no two women are the same.
As explained above, this is my journey and i’m happy to share this with you following along.
This post is in no way sponsored. All words, imagery & thoughts are completely my own. Don’t forget to stop by my Instagram page for more inspo, shits & giggles.
I LOVE this!! I am doing th exact same thing. I’m going to see a naturopath who is helping my son, an acupuncturist, chiropractor, and will be doing some massage and of course essential oils. I hadn’t considered a hormone Dr but now that you mention it it makes total sense. I am hoping you conceive easily and quickly and your body is healthy and prepared for another baby! Xoxo
How nice to hear another cutie may be on the way..its lovely that you are willing to share your stories. I’ve also found my periods changed a lot..so much heavier..since having my kids. But not so many changes as you.
I hope you’ll be able to get it all under control soon x
Dear Kyree
Thank you for sharing, our boy is the same age as Alaska (i love her, she is amazing) and we are thinking about a second baby too. It really helpt me to know how you feel. Thank you and good luck 💙❤️
Hey Kyree – I’m a silent follower! But this post speaks volumes to me! Thanks so much for sharing, I too adopted more holistic measures than my previously westernised frame of mind to get my bod back on track pre and post baby. I was actually flabbergasted at how much it all just ‘made sense(!)’ to me once I started learning! (And how little relevance is placed on the entire concept by GPs!).
My thyroid was a lazy one and I was experiencing adrenal fatigue. Geeze we get smashed from all angles in our child bearing years and the focus on the physical post partum body needs to take a back seat so that more holistic measures can start driving the car! Once this happens the ‘physical’ body will inevidebly catch up as everything else is in check and ready to go!
Thanks again for sharing your journey – honestly!
Take care x
Hi kyree, I think you’re story is so common for woman post partum! I would definitely keep getting your thyroid checked regularly and see at naturopath that specialises in thyroid as GPs really are so behind in this field. Your symptoms sound very hyperthyroid which I had after giving birth but you have to get regular bloods as your results can sometimes change quickly. You also need to test T3 and T4 and thyroid antibodies…not just TSH which most GPs only test 👌🏼
Thank you for sharing. We tried for quite a long time to get pregnant despite the difficulty of having endometriosis. In 2013, we surprisingly got pregnant at the same time we started seeing the fertility doctor, but since we didn’t know we were pregnant and received the chicken pox vaccine, we shortly misscarried. We were DEVASTATED. After 9 failed inter-uterine inseminations and an expensive round of in-vitro fertilization I decided I wanted to rid my body of the stimulus drugs and stress of it all it. In October 2015 I saw a holistic doctor and started to cleanse my body by changing my diet, started doing Qigong and taking supplements to remedy my body’s systems that were under stress. I had an under-active thyroid, I wasn’t digesting a lot of the nutrients from my food and my cortisol levels were through the roof when I first started seeing my holistic doctor and my levels dramatically improved after incorporating the supplements. Days before Christmas just a couple months later, I told my husband we were pregnant! And now we have an amazing, healthy 18 month old named Atticus Oak.
I definitely feel my body is “not right” again as well and I know I have to get it back on track. So when I read your post I could totally relate. ❤️
Lovely of you to share. I have an under active thyroid too. I use oils to manage mine. That’s been a game changer for my mental and physical well being. Now it’s under control I can’t blame my thyroid for my chocolate addiction 😂😂😂
Thanks for the links to all the different people. I didn’t realize you could go to Nest day spa if you weren’t pregnant. Good luck of your journey 😘😘😘
Thanks for sharing Kyree!! I feel moody and irritable a lot easier now than I remember before having kids but I play it down rather than considering seeking professional help, I can see now that addressing it might be a better approach to getting some of the old me back! Cheers
Very brave sharing all this. Have you had an ultrasound to check if any placenta or anything else left over from birth? I was experiencing same periods until I what felt like gave mini birth to what I think was a huge piece of placenta? We took 5 years to fall pregnant with our first which we then lost, then 3 months later our baby boy was conceived, then 10 months after he was born our surprise but very welcome daughter was conceived. It’ll happen, when you’re least expecting. Oh and I had no idea but I’d been trying for so long on day 12,13,14 of cycle but both my kids were conceived late in cycle, my daughter was day 20!!!! All the best.
Thank you for being so brave and sharing your journey. XOX