New findings

Now harvesting: Radishes!

Well I finally got the results of my nutrition study. This was the Spectracell Test (link is on right). I went to a holistic MD for this, but my regular doctor (not OB) also does these tests. You have to find a doctor in your area who will do it (you can find the docs on the Spectracell website)...and most insurances don't cover it since it's considered "preventative." As usual, with PPO's you can submit a "superbill" afterwords and try to get some reimbursment. The time with the doc is also not covered. Anyway - the test itself is $300. It's really an amazing test and finding out any deficiencies you may have will not only vastly improve your health, but could prevent some more long term issues you don't even know you have brewing at this point in time.

Anway - it tests many nutrients but I will only cover the ones I was found to be deficient in:
1. Serine - Used to manufacture proteins, energy, cell membrane structure and synthesis of ofhter cell components (DNA and RNA. There may be a conditional need for serine during periods of cell growth or physiological stress.
2. Vitamin A - Eyes, immune function, skin, essential cell growth and development
3. Choline - essential for human cell growth, connected to weightloss (it helps to move fats around) and memory
4. Zinc - Supports enzymes, immune system, wound healing, taste/smell, DNA sysnthesis, normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood and adolescence

I was also borderline on B12 - Healthy nerve cells, DNA/RNA, red blood cell production, iron function

Do you notice a trend? Every one of these has to do with cell growth, fertility, DNA/RNA, etc. Without going into too much detail, I've found that some of these have been found to be low in many women who have miscarried. I'm still getting to the bottom of this research, and I didn't even get to talk to my holistic MD on this connection yet, but not only is there a connection to miscarriage but also the thrombophilia and antiphospholipid risk factors (my gene mutations for MTHFR and Prothrombin Fac2). Obviously, I have a lot more research to do, but for the first time, I feel like some of the pieces of the puzzle are actually in front of me. Now if only someone out there was actually connecting the dots.

I've often thought doing this nutrition test was going overboard - even though it makes sense to do one of these tests every few years to make sure our "internal" bodies are in good shape. And since sharing this blog with so many others I've had some interesting conversations with others who have miscarried or suffered from infertility/reproductive issues. Most people, the vast vast majority, simply go with what the doctor recommends. I don't know why I have fought so hard against this, especially when I've talked with 4 professionals who all say to just take another chance, there are no answers. But this is how I can explain my maddness. There is ALWAYS a reason. There is a reason for each of my losses, and there is a reason someone may struggle to get pregnant. It's just a lot of work to figure it out. Sure, you can take a pill and things may be fine from here on. Sure, you could just try again and everything could go swell. But you also have an opportunity to ask the question WHY. Why did this/is this happening to me? When a doctor says, "oh, you have low progesterone, or you have high estrogen", ask them WHY. What is causing my levels to be high or low? Is there something I need to fix. Because all of the problems we have in getting pregnant/maintaining a pregnancy stand a pretty good chance of being passed along to our kiddos. And guess what? I'd give ANYTHING to prevent Kaelyn from experiencing what I have experienced. If I don't take the opportunity to learn about myself now, I won't be able to live with myself if she has issues when she is older. It will kill me.

Easy-to-make, healthy snack

I've been trying lots of new recipes. Well, not lots, but some. It's so hard to cook with a toddler. But after 3 attempts at a good yet healthy baked good, I finally found one and it is ALSO easy to make!! I made it while Kaelyn ate an afternoon snack in her high chair - so you know that's easy!!

You won't believe this either, I found the recipe in none other than Family Fun magazine. Impressive!

Energy Boost Bars (they provide 20 grams of carbs for slow-release, sustained energy)
Ingredients;
1 8oz bag of raw almonds (I used one cup of almonds since I buy mine in bulk)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 1/2 cup oats, quick-cooking (I replaced 1/2 cup with rolled oats since they're yummy)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (I subbed with raisins since I couldn't find non-sweetened cranberries - the sugar in most dried cranberries is BAD)
1 cup dried blueberries (unsweeted found at Trader Joes)
2/3 cup maple syrup (always use Grade B RAW - found at Trader Joes. DO NO USE REGULAR MAPLE SYRUP - you know, Log Cabin? The first ingredient is high fructose corn syrup - very BAD)
1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Heat the oven to 275 and lightly grase a 9 inch baking pan with olive oil. Grind the almonds in a food processor until they resemble a coarse meal. Combine the ground almonds and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Using wet fingers, press the mixture into the prepared pan and bake it for 1 hour. Allow the bars to cool thoroughly while they are still inthe pan, then slice them. Makes 20.
(151 cals, 4g protein, 20g carbs, 7g fat, 0 cholesterol, 2mg sodium)

Mike, Kaelyn and myself all like them. And Mike doesn't even like Raisins. Try the recipe as is first, and then feel free to modify with any dried fruit. This is a pretty versatile recipe that I think you could make many substitutions and only improve them for your preferences.

Have fun!

Official "Healthful Living Day"

Well, as some of you may recall, today is a very big date for us. It should have been Maya's birthday. I've been thinking about, dreading, and waiting for this day for a very long time. I couldn't imagine what I would do - the only thought that came to mind was to go to the hospital and sit in the parking lot all day. Somehow today has come and miraculously that is the last thing I want to do. I went to accupuncture this morning and followed that with yoga. I didn't even cry which was very surprising.
In preparation for today, I went to a support group last week and mentioned this to them - that I didn't know what I wanted to do for this significant day. Many who have lost later-term pregnancies celebrate the birthdays of their lost little ones with cakes and singing, others release butterflies. They told me that it would come to me and I would know what to do.
Up until last night, nothing had "come to me." But suddenly, it was clear as day. There is nothing good that can come from losing a child - a child of any age. But there has been one very positive thing for us. Without our losses, we never would have embarked on this journey of more healthful living. All of this research, all of the books on raw food, beating disease through food, etc - I would never have spent a moment on any of it if we hadn't lost both babies. So what we've decided is that forever more, May 13th and October 4th (Liliana's due date) will be our family "Healthful Living Day." Much like the world celebrates "Earth Day" on April 21st, we will make sure that each year we do something on these special days to either educate ourselves or educate others on how we can continue to live more healthfully.
When I started this blog, I did now know if I would ever share it with anyone. I still have only shared it with a couple of people who I wanted to share the research with for their own personal health journey. But now I know that today is the day to share this with everyone. I don't know if it will ever impact anyone who reads it, but I know that the efforts that we record here and make in our lives will impact one special girl for the rest of her life. Miss Kaelyn. I am so grateful for our little angels for giving me the opportunity to take a step back and evaluate all of the choices we make so that their sister Kaelyn will have a better chance at motherhood as well as all the other potential health struggles she may face in her life.
So welcome to this site. I hope you had a happy "Healthful Living Day." I welcome all questions, comments, suggestions, and most of all, your curiosity. If there is ever anything I can do to help you on your own Healthful Journey, let me know. And feel free to share this blog with others. It's not easy to be open about all of this, but the reason I am is because hearing other's stories was the ONLY thing I've found helpful during these difficult months.
If you want to keep track of this blog - sign up to follow it on the right side of the site at the bottom of the page. And stay tuned for more.

Vitamins and Supplements

I've been looking into vitamins and supplements. The more research I do, the more "things" it seems I need to get into my body. It also has become clear that the vast majority of vitamin supplements out there are not even absorbed by your body. So although you can buy vitamins for $10 a month, you're not really getting anything for your money. So I found Pure Synergy(www.thesynergycompany.com)supplements at a local Raw Food restaurant in town. I trust a Raw Food restaurant more than anyone. If someone is so into alternative eating as to risk everything and open a Raw Food restaurant, they obviously care what goes into their bodies!!! Upon researching the Pure Synergy products, I'm extremely impressed. I ordered a month's supply of Vita Synergy as well as Pure Synergy. They are whole-foods based supplements, specially processed to retain the plant value, encapsulated in a way that allows your body to absorb the nutrients properly, and organic/non-GMO (not genetically modified) and the list goes on. If you go check out the website, you will be impressed solely by the list of ingredients. Holy cow.

In the meantime, my holistic doctor recommended Juice Plus Vitamins. Conveniently, my accupuncturist also knew of them and recommended. We took those for almost a month and found them to be fine, but didn't notice any differences in energy or anything else. I find the company to be a little more commercial and they use a tiered marketing strategy, which I'm always a little leery of. Anyway - I'm still investigating, but they seem to be a good alternative and a little less pricey than the Pure Synergy lineup. The doctor said they work as a complete pre-natal vitamin too, so it replaces the need for something else if you need a prenatal.

I'll post more on my vitamin/supplement journey later - just wanted to share my findings so far!

Visit with the Perinatologist

What a day. We had a 4pm appointment on a Friday. Big mistake. I was counting down the last three minutes I was willing to wait for this guy before walking out and demanding a refund on my copay when he finally walked in. He could tell we were disgruntled after being stuck for an HOUR in a 10x10 space with an 18 month old. So he took us to a different room - all of 4x6. Oh was it fun to try to have a detailed conversation while dealing with Kaelyn DURING dinner time.
To make it all worse, he provided ABSOLUTELY NO NEW INFORMATION OR ASSISTANCE. Basically, a perinatologist is simply more in tune with "problem" pregnancies. So he will be helpful if we have any issues that come up with a subseqent pregnancy (not necessarily a miscarriage, but say there was a chromosomal defect or difficult pregnancy). So I supposed he'd be good to have on hand next time since a regular OB pretty much can't help you out if you have any kind of trouble (would have been good to know this a long time ago - what is the point of an OB???). But in general, he was pointless. He said to go talk to a Reprpoductive Endocrinologist to get more information about the issues with Mike's side of the family.

So I'll be making that appointment for after we get the chromosome study back on Mike, and I'm also going to make an appointment with an immunologist - just to see if we make any better headway.

I know this all seems in vain and pointless. But the fact is, there IS a reason for every miscarriage. They just don't put the effort into finding out what that reason is. And there is no way I'm going through this again only to find out that there was something wrong that no one found out. So on we go...