My Journey to Pregnancy

I was 19 and just started dating Tylor, we had a pregnancy scare, where we were certain we were pregnant. It was scary, I wanted to be a midwife but was absolutely terrified of being pregnant at 19. We found out that we weren't pregnant and we surprised at how sad we felt, and so began our path towards parenthood.

Shortly after that experience, I went off the birth control pill and we started trying to conceive. It was an exciting time for us, and it was also filled with sadness every month we found out we weren't pregnant. It took my body a long time find its natural groove, I had been on the pill since I was 15 and my body wasn't sure how to manage the hormones on its own. It was hard, and I was very moody but Tylor was very supportive and doesn't want me to ever put anything like that into my system again.

After the first couple months of trying with no luck, I decided to learn how to track my cycles. I was surprised at how much I didn't know about my body. I think tracking your cycles should be something taught in Sexual Education in school, because having to look it up the internet is sad. I learned though, how i can take my temperature first thing in the morning before getting out of bed, using a Basal Thermometer to figure out when I was ovulating. I also learned how different types of vaginal secretions mean when you are your most fertile. Our bodies are quite amazing.

I was certain that once I had started this we would get pregnant right away, WRONG! My body was still very out of whack due to the birth control pill. It turns out my luteal phase (the time from ovulation to menstruation)wasn't long enough to support a fertilized ovum. It needed to be about 10 days or more and I was sitting at 9 or 10. When this happens it means that your progesterone levels aren't high enough. Thankfully I started working at Community Natural Foods in the section with all the vitamins and herbs and natural remedies and was able to look up what I could do to help my body. I decided that making a tea of Damiana and Chaste Berry (Vitex) was my best bet. It helped me so much, that month I became pregnant.

It was such an exciting thing to learn about my body and was able to help it return to it's own version of normal and not the normal that science has deemed appropriate for me. For women and girls who are on birth control, when you come off remember it can take a long time find your natural rhythm but don't lose hope and you can find ways to help it.

Much love,
Marissa