Mystery Solved

Looks like I won't need a HPT afterall, BUT it also means that I DID in fact O!!!!!! My temp plummeted to the coverline this morning. I guess I should expect AF any time now. This makes me excited to know that I O'd, but now leaves me feeling confused as far as which way to turn next. If the NPC made me O (which is the only thing in the past that has worked) do I dare start the BCP's, once AF starts, or take another cycle of NPC? I was never really WANTING to go on them anyways, just felt I had exhausted my options and didn't know where else to turn. I certainly do not want to change something that I know works for me.

On a side note. We had company over last night for poker, and one of the couples has a newborn baby. She was quite inconsolable, as she has colic. She had been passed around to each adult trying to get her soothed. I busted out my Moby wrap (the one thing that Lance let me keep when he said I had to get rid of all of Emma's belongings) and I showed the Dad how it works. She still wasn't having it and was quite upset. So, I held her while Dad took off the Moby. Instantly, she was quiet, and within seconds, she was fast asleep in my arms. I held her for almost 2 hours, and honestly, I was in heaven!!! I cannot wait until I get to be holding our baby in my arms again.

O or No O? That is the question

So, not sure if I should say anything, for fear that I just might jinx myself, but I'm about 75% sure that I Ovulated. Early on in my cycle (Cycle day 7) I got my tattoo, and was in extreme amounts of pain. So much so that it affected my sleep. During that week, my temps were sky high. Lately, my temps have been super high, and the only time they're EVER that high is during my Luteal Phase. So, knowing that sleep disturbances can affect temps, I disturbed those temps, (CD 7-14) and got my egg on my chart!!! It would totally explain why Aunt Flo is STILL not here after 7 days of stopping the NPC (Natural Progesterone Cream) sore nips still, no more attempts at Ovulation, etc. IF I did O, (and not Pregnant) temp should drop tomorrow and Aunt Flo should show shortly after. Part of me is wishing and hoping that I DID O, as it would show me that my body IS needing the extra progesterone to function normally. So, until then, still waiting.

Still waiting...

Not a whole lot to report, except that I'm still waiting for AF's arrival. I've never had to wait for her to show up after stopping NPC. Actually the 2 times that I did the shutdown, I O'd and AF showed up at the end of my LP, right on time. I really don't know when to expect her arrival, but got to thinking maybe I O'd and am in my TWW and that's why AF hasn't shown? IF I O'd, I didn't get a clear thermal shift. But, if you were to take out CD's 8-14 temps, it really DOES look like I've O'd, Which would make sense as to why 1) AF hasn't shown yet, 2) why my body hasn't attempted to O again, 3) explains the sore nips I only get in my TWW. I just don't know though. If that theory is correct, AF should show up in 2-3 days. Again IF I O'd, we covered it with Bd'ing the day of (suspected) O and the day after. So, I would still be in the running of a BFP this cycle...again IF I actually O'd.

Oh where, oh where can she be??

Well, I stopped the NPC 3 days ago, and am still waiting for AF to arrive. Usually AF shows the day after stopping the NPC, so I'm in the continual waiting game now. Something kind of odd though, I have had tender nips for the last 3 days! Odd b/c I usually do not get tender nips, and if I do, only in the TWW. I don't think I've O'd, let alone be IN a TWW. Not sure if it could be tied in, but this all started a day after starting calcium supplements. Odd?

I have to say I am still soooo torn about taking BCP's again!! I DON'T WANT TO!!! I know about the waiting game for them to get out of your system, I know they can sometimes be more harm then good and mess a body up more. BUT, part of me remembers that it helped me get my Emma. I was using the Nuvaring for 2 cycles b/c of irregular cycles, but DH made me stop d/t MASSIVE mood swings. That very next cycle, I got my BFP! That part of me is holding out hope that this will be the missing link. But, I'm still so torn! I don't have much more time to think about it, as after AF shows, I am supposed to be starting them.

Benefits of Vitamin D - Vitamin D3 Supplements

Posted using ShareThis

Benefits of Vitamin D - Vitamin D3 Supplements

There is a vast body of science showing the many health benefits of vitamin D. You may be surprised to learn the important role that vitamin D plays in your health.

Maintains Your Calcium Balance

Maintenance of blood calcium levels within a narrow range is vital for normal functioning of the nervous system, as well as for bone growth, and maintenance of bone density. Vitamin D is essential for the efficient utilization of calcium by the body.¹

Aids Your Cell Differentiation

Cellular differentiation results in the specialization of cells for specific functions in your body. In general, differentiation of cells leads to a decrease in proliferation. While cellular proliferation is essential for growth and wound healing, uncontrolled proliferation of cells with certain mutations may lead to diseases like cancer. The active form of vitamin D, inhibits proliferation and stimulates the differentiation of cells.¹

Boosts Your Immunity

Active vitamin D is a potent immune system modulator. There is plenty of scientific evidence that vitamin D has several different effects on immune system function that may enhance your immunity and inhibit the development of autoimmunity.⁸

Has a Role in Insulin Secretion

The active form of vitamin D plays a role in insulin secretion under conditions of increased insulin demand.⁹ Limited data in humans suggests that insufficient vitamin D levels may have an adverse effect on insulin secretion and glucose tolerance in type 2 diabetes.^10-12 More studies are needed on the role of vitamin D and diabetes.

Blood Pressure Regulation

Adequate vitamin D levels may be important for decreasing the risk of high blood pressure.^13-15 Again, more studies on vitamin D and hypertension are necessary.

Vitamin D and Diseases

According to the National Institutes of Health, vitamin D may play a role in the following diseases.

---

---

Vitamin D and Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is most often associated with inadequate calcium intake. However, a deficiency of vitamin D also contributes to osteoporosis by reducing calcium absorption.³³ While rickets and osteomalacia are extreme examples of vitamin D deficiency, osteopororsis is an example of a long-term effect of vitamin D insufficiency.³⁴ Adequate storage levels of vitamin D help keep bones strong and may help prevent osteoporosis in older adults, in those who have difficulty walking and exercising, in post-menopausal women, and in individuals on chronic steroid therapy.³⁵
Vitamin D deficiency, which is often seen in post-menopausal women and older Americans, has been associated with greater incidence of hip fractures.^39-41 In a review of women with osteoporosis hospitalized for hip fractures, 50 percent were found to have signs of vitamin D deficiency.³⁵ Daily supplementation with 20 800 IU of vitamin D may reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures in elderly populations with low blood levels of vitamin D.⁴² The Decalyos II study examined the effect of combined calcium and vitamin D supplementation in a group of elderly women who were able to walk indoors with a cane or walker. The women were studied for two years, and results suggested that such supplementation could reduce the risk of hip fractures in this population.⁴³

Vitamin D and Cancer

Laboratory, animal, and some preliminary human studies suggests that vitamin D may be protective against some cancers. Several studies suggest that a higher dietary intake of calcium and vitamin D correlates with lower incidence of cancer.^44-51 In fact, for over 60 years researchers have observed that greater sun exposure reduces cancer deaths.³³ The inverse relationship between higher vitamin D levels in blood and lower cancer risk in humans is best documented for colon and colorectal cancers.^44-50 Vitamin D emerged as a protective factor in a study of over 3,000 adults who underwent a colonoscopy to look for polyps or lesions in the colon. There was a significantly lower risk of advanced cancerous lesions among those with the highest vitamin D intake.⁵²
Additional clinical trials need to be conducted to determine whether vitamin D deficiency increases cancer risk, or if an increased intake of vitamin D is protective against some cancers. Until such trials are conducted, it is premature to conclude you should take vitamin D supplements for cancer prevention.
Read more about the latest studies involving calcium and vitamin D reducing the risk of cancer

Vitamin D and Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease is associated with an increased risk of hip fractures because many Alzheimer's patients are homebound, frequently sunlight deprived, and older.⁵⁶ With aging, less vitamin D is converted to its active form. One study of women with Alzheimer's disease found that decreased bone mineral density was associated with a low intake of vitamin D and inadequate sunlight exposure.⁵⁷ More investigation on vitamin D and Alzheimers Disease is necessary.

Other Diseases Vitamin D Deficiency May Affect

Autoimmune Diseases - Diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis, are each examples of autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases occur when the body launches an immune response to its own tissue, rather than a foreign pathogen. Treatment with vitamin D has beneficial effects in animal models of all of the above mentioned diseases. Studies have found that the prevalence of diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis increases as latitude increases, suggesting that lower exposure to sun light and associated decreases in vitamin D synthesis may play a role in the development of these diseases.
The results of several studies also suggest that adequate vitamin D intake may decrease the risk of autoimmune diseases. Evidence from animal models and human studies suggests that maintaining sufficient vitamin D levels may help decrease the risk of several autoimmune diseases, but more studies are needed to draw any solid conclusions.

Vitamin D and Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

The results of epidemiological and clinical studies suggest an inverse relationship between serum vitamin D levels and blood pressure. Data from epidemiological studies suggest that conditions that decrease vitamin D synthesis in the skin, such as having dark skin and living in temperate latitudes, are associated with increased prevalence of hypertension.⁷¹ In randomized controlled trials of vitamin D supplementation, a combination of 1,600 IU/day of vitamin D and 800 mg/day of calcium for eight weeks significantly decreased systolic blood pressure in elderly women by 9% compared to calcium alone,⁷³ but supplementation with 400 IU/day or a single dose of 100,000 IU of vitamin D did not significantly lower blood pressure in elderly men and women over the next two months.^{74, 75} At present, data from controlled clinical trials are too limited to determine whether vitamin D supplementation will be effective in lowering blood pressure or preventing hypertension.

Vitamin D Toxicity

It is very rare to have a vitamin D overdose. Vitamin D toxicity induces abnormally high serum calcium levels (hypercalcemia), which could result in bone loss, kidney stones, and calcification of organs like the heart and kidneys if untreated over a long period of time. When the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine established the tolerable upper intake level (UL) for vitamin D, published studies that adequately documented the lowest intake levels of vitamin D that induced hypercalcemia were very limited. Because the consequences of hypercalcemia are severe, the Food and Nutrition Board established a very conservative UL of 2,000 IU/day (50 mcg/day) for children and adults.²⁸ (see table below)
Research published since 1997 suggests that the UL for adults is overly conservative and that vitamin D toxicity is very unlikely in healthy people at intake levels lower than 10,000 IU/day.^{36, 76, 77} Vitamin D toxicity has not been observed to result from sun exposure.
Certain medical conditions can increase the risk of hypercalcemia in response to vitamin D, including primary hyperparathyroidism, sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, and lymphoma.³⁶ People with these conditions may develop hypercalcemia in response to any increase in vitamin D nutrition and should consult a qualified health care provider regarding any increase in vitamin D intake.

Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for Vitamin D

Infants 0-12 months- 1000 IU
Children 1-18 years- 2000 IU
Adults 19 years and older- 2000 IU

Vitamin D Drug Interactions

The following medications increase the metabolism of vitamin D and may decrease serum D levels:

Phenytoin (Dilantin), fosphenytoin (Cerebyx), phenobarbital (Luminal), carbamazepine (Tegretol), and rifampin (Rimactane).

The following medications should not be taken at the same time as vitamin D because they can decrease the intestinal absorption of vitamin D:

Cholestyramine (Questran), colestipol (Colestid), orlistat (Xenical), mineral oil, and the fat substitute Olestra. The oral anti-fungal medication, ketoconazole, inhibits the 25(OH)D3-1-hydroxylase enzyme and has been found to reduce serum levels of 1,25(OH)D in healthy men . The induction of hypercalcemia by toxic levels of vitamin D may precipitate cardiac arrhythmia in patients on digitalis (Digoxin).^{78, 79}

Vitamin D3 Supplements

It is not always practical to get your vitamin D from sunshine, and quite difficult to get adequate amounts from your diet so for many people, a vitamin D supplement is a practical way to ensure adequate levels of this important protector are always available in your bloodstream.
Since a large body of science shows vitamin D works closely with calcium and magnesium, it is best to take your vitamin D in combination with calcium and magnesium to maintain a proper balance. Recent literature also shows most calcium supplements have too little vitamin D to be effective. And some of them use synthetic vitamin D2. A much better form is natural vitamin D3 which stays in your system longer and with more effect.

One More Day To Go

When your struggling to TTC, countdowns become a very crucial part of your existence. The countdown to O, the countdown during the TWW when you can POAS next, then comes the countdown to when AF is gonna show. Throw in supplements into the mix, then it becomes the countdown to when you can stop a supplement and move on with your cycle or the next supplement. This is where I am now. I've been doing Dr John Lee's shutdown in which you take NPC (natural progesterone cream) twice a day for 21 days, (CD's 5-26) then stop and let AF come. During this time, the goal is to suppress O so that the hormones can get a break to "reset" and level back out to where they need to be. I only have one more to day to go before I will stop the NPC and let the countdown begin for waiting for AF's arrival.

Dr Appointment-Follow Up

Had my follow up appointment yesterday and it went very well!! I cannot say enough how much I love this doctor and am so sad that my next appointment, in 3 months, will be my last with her. It's gonna be a long one, so get comfy. :D

We're keeping my Metformin dosage where it is at since my body is still having a hard time getting adjusted to it. (ie., gastric upset) She asked me if I had taken the P.O.P BCP's that she gave me last time, which I had not. I wanted to do one cycle with just the Met to see what it would do to my cycle. Since I didn't O, I brought on AF with NPC (which she is VERY supportive of doing) and did NPC throughout this cycle. I wasn't keen on putting synthetic hormones on my body, which again she was very supportive of. She did explain to me that just the progesterone will not help me in my situation.

We discussed how women with PCOS have too little amounts of estrogen. The estrogen levels slowly increase at the beginning of the cycle, until they reach a peak. During that peak, is when an egg is released. It made soooooooo much sense for my situation, despite the fact that I have always read that women with PCOS have estrogen dominance, aka too much estrogen. I told her that I seem to be stuck at the stage where a follie grows (I can feel it taking place) but it never releases, hence all my fake out O's. She agreed even more once I told her that, that my estrogen levels are too low, and suggested that I go on a estrogen/progesterone combo pill. I am reluctant just b/c I am TTC. She took one look at my charts and confirmed the low estrogen, with all the waves of my body trying to O, but never being successful.

Then, we got to talking about Vit D and bone health. Estrogen also plays a role in good bone health. Top that off with low calcium and low Vit D levels (which she said that most ALL people who live in the NW are, so much so, they quit testing for it, and just tell everybody to take 2,000IU/day of Vit D/day, which I've been doing for the last 2 weeks) that it is a recipe for osteoporosis. My mom was diagnosed with osteoporosis at the age of 35 after she twisted her ankle and shattered it into tiny little pieces!! So, she wants me to get in the estrogen BCPs if nothing else for my bone health.

I was more receptive to taking the BCP's, b/c of what she said about my bone health and how well she explained the PCOS/O connection. It made so much sense. I was on the Nuvaring for 2 cycles prior to getting PG with Em. So, something (most likely the estrogen) helped reset my body, and now that I know what I know about too little of estrogen, it makes sense!!

So, gonna finish out this cycle with the NPC, only have 2 more days of taking it, and will stop to let AF come. Then I will start the BCP's while continuing the Metformin, Vit D and now starting on a calcium supplement. I go back for a follow up in 3 months, which will be my last appointment with her, since she is retiring. I'm still on the new patient waiting list at the place she referred me to. I will continue my care there, once I can get an appointment.

Again, she told me that I need to teach others all my knowledge of FAM/NFP and charting. She mentioned the local Christian church teaches NFP, and I should look into doing that. Then after finding out that I'm not religious, she figured it might not work with the church. SO she suggested instead to hold a conference type meeting, charging 35-$40 per person and teaching a FAM/NFP course. That made my wheels start turning!! (and my DH's after I told him) That would definitely be something I would LOVE to do!!