Last Friday was Ava’s birthday. My baby girl turned one! I can’t believe it’s been a year! On her birthday to keep a long story short my phone died (and never came back to life).
I tried on two different Mac computers to revive it through iTunes with no luck. So it’s been a week without a phone for me. The Lord took social distancing to a whole nother level!
Social distancing is becoming a new way of life during these very troubling times.It’s very weird right now to say the least. And really hard for some people quite frankly.
In our household we’re leaning HEAVILY on faith. With my husband off work we HAVE TO lean on God (even more). Really, we all need the Lord to get us through this time and so when my phone died I was hurt at first.
And of course hormonal because I am currently 25 weeks pregnant. I was just hormonal, crying, frustrated and just upset because I couldn’t get my phone to work and now a week later I have a whole new outlook on life.
SOCIAL Distancing
Not only life but life without social media. Life without having your phone stuck to your hand. It allowed me to be more present.
More present in my household, in my marriage and as a mother.
During this time social distancing has allowed me to really just look at things differently. So I went back to a scripture today about stretching because a lot of us are out here stretching because of this virus!
Maybe our kids are at home or our husbands aren’t working or we’re not working. We’re stretching we’re having to stretch finances or food to make ends meet. In the church pastors are trying to figure out ways to be virtual and have an online ministry.
So we’re stretching. But a lot of us are stretching towards the wrong thing.
Luke 6:10 says:
First he looked around at them all and then said to the man stretch out your hand. So the man stretched out his hand and his hand was completely restored
The man had a crippled hand so he stretched out his hand to Jesus and was instantly healed and made his whole.
Stretched Out
Like I said we’re stretching but we’re stretching towards the wrong things. Finances in shambles? Have you stretched towards the Lord in prayer to ask him to provide for you?
When I think of stretching I think of growth. Sometimes our growth as Christians comes from stretching. Our growth comes from hearing the call of God (whatever he has called you to do in this time) and being obedient!
Luke 11: 28 says:
Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.
Meaning you’re blessed if you’re reading the word of God you hear the word of God and actually following it. I had the realization with my phone that the Lord was stretching me but he was stretching me towards Him. Stretching towards Jesus in this time where I don’t have access to the world.
But I didn’t need access to the world. I needed to keep my access open to Him…
Just like muscles need to be stretched in order to grow and before you exercise you stretch beforehand and afterwards for flexibility for strength. That’s how we have to be as Christians. We have to be able to stretch, be flexible for God and his plans for us, and strengthen our relationship with God so that we can grow.
Yeah you might be stretching your finances or in your personal life. You might be stretching right now but the Lord is trying to stretch you for good.
Pregnant women don’t start off with big bellies, right? They are stretched over time and as the baby grows, that’s how we develop in the womb of God. Taking in nutrients from the Lord through the word of God in order to grow in our faith.
Increasing Faith
Practical Tips to Increase Faith During Hard Times:
Limit Local/World News and Social Media
Put your phone in a different room during devotional time
Create a space specifically designed for time with the Lord (war room, prayer closet, etc.)
Open your actual bible, highlight, take notes
Pray for those affected
Include yourself in your prayers (for me this can be hard)
If you struggle with prayer, set a timer (5 mins to start), if you go past the timer great! Increase your time as you get comfortable.
Listen to worship music when feeling overwhelmed
Remember to stop and listen for God’s voice during/after devotional time
Sleep training a baby is like training for a marathon without adequate rest. You’re tired, your body can’t cope, and you get absolutely nowhere without a little endurance.
I’m not saying these tips will work over night but with a schedule and a little consistency (and a lot of endurance) you can do it mama!
Sleep Training vs. Co-Sleeping
The age old debate. Is co-sleeping okay?
My answer: DO YOU MAMA.
I remember one night I had an absolute breakdown! I just started crying out of nowhere in the middle of the night (probably between 2-4am). I screamed “I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO!”
Scare my husband of course, but it seemed like baby Ava was just crying nonstop. I was also in a nonstop motion of breastfeed, change diaper, swaddle, repeat.
That’s when I knew something had to change. FOR MY MENTAL HEALTH.
So I started looking into ways to help my baby sleep longer at night, and in turn allow me to get rest as well! So here are some sleep training tips that helped me and I truly PRAY they help you too!
Top Tips for Sleep Training
Time Method
This method has a name I’m sure because I found it on another mommy blog but it’s when you make the baby comfortable (fed, swaddled, changed etc) and leave the baby in the crib. Remember to say goodnight!
Then, most likely after sometime, the baby will begin to cry.
I mean why are you on this blog if your baby is not waking up and crying through the night right?
They wake up, cry, after a minute of crying (oh yea you might want a timer for this method) you go back to the baby, touch them and reassure them that everything is okay. DO NOT PICK UP THE BABY.
I repeat: DO NOT PICK UP THE BABY.
Picking up the baby defeats the purpose of the method. So after you’ve reassured the baby, leave. If the baby begins to cry again (or never stopped) 5 minutes later you repeat reassurance. Use 5 minute intervals to repeat the process(5,10,15) But I wouldn’t recommend going over 15 minutes and up to a total of 1 hour. We don’t want the baby to feel abandoned.
Co-Sleeping in Nursery
The next method is not how it sounds like. You are NOT getting inside the crib lol. This method is simply using the above time method in conjunction with mama being in the room. It’s another way to let a baby know although they are in their own bed you will still be there if they need anything.
Once again, no abandoned feelings for the baby.
This method can be difficult to do for long periods. I only lasted 3 days before we went back to my comfy bed and attempted to get some rest before trying again.
I can’t recommend this method enough! Similar to a swaddle, the sleep suit helps suppress the startle reflex for babies. This is the sleep suit we used and it was AMAZING. It has the material of a blanket and looks like a mini snow suit.
It worked wonders for my baby until she discovered the wonders of her thumb. Yep, I have a thumb sucker.
The suit didn’t allow her to have free access to her thumb BUT her thumb became a way for her to self soothe which worked out for us!
With this routine my baby now sleeps 8 to sometimes 12 hours at night. Which allows mama to get tons of rest (kinda, since baby #2 in the womb doesn’t allow much of that).
Daddy still gets tons of rest I guess. Lol
But the 3 B’s are a must have in any routine. Use it with the sleep suit or with the time method, just use it! A warm bath, warm bottle, and comfy crib. I mean wouldn’t you want the same? I warm bath with a hot cup of tea and comfy sheets? That would put me right to sleep!
Then again, anything would put me right to sleep right now…
Smells Like Mama
This tip was given to me by one of my YouTube subscribers. Thanks mama!
It’s simply taking a piece of clothing (maybe the shirt you wore that day) or one of your pillowcases and laying it inside the bassinet. A shirt or pillowcase works best because you can actually use that instead of a bassinet sheet. It doesn’t work well in a crib (too big).
Sound Machines
If it’s not broke, don’t fix it right?
We have used a sound machine since Ava came home and I’m sorta kinda afraid to stop using it, just in case it’s the one thing that keeps her sleep. Seems silly but like I said. It ain’t broke.
Here’s the sound machine we use, and we also used a fan (in the Summer months) which seemed to do the same thing!
I’ll probably add a few more tips here in a couple of months when we add baby #2 to the mix. I’m sure 2 under 2 will be difficult in the sleep department but we plan on using some of the same methods to sleep train (probably a little later in development) with baby #2.
Have you tried any of these tips mama? Comment below how your sleep journey is going. I would love to pray for you!
In need of a little TTC encouragement for the two week wait today? It’s okay, we all need a little pick me up from time to time. And guess what? The Bible is a great source for encouragement! There are stories of victory, strength and healing. And LOADS of encouraging words. Don’t believe me? Well, check out these encouraging scriptures for yourself.
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Why dies it always seem like the two week wait is like two decades long? I know it’s not just me. I truly believe the two week wait is just preparing us for the 9 month long haul we have in front of us for pregnancy.
Because, guess what? That 2 weeks turns into a 40 week wait. A beautifully long and testing 40 week wait. So let’s get into a some TTC encouragement for you journey ahead!
A Little TTC Encouragement
Like I said before, I believe that God gives the best encouragement through his Word. The Word of God is so powerful and it helps calm me in my times of need. It helps encourage when feeling discouraged. The word sends warmth when feeling cold and alone. Trust in the Lord sis, with all your heart during this time. Lean not unto your own understanding.
Because guess what?! If we tried to understand EVERYTHING about TTC it would make us go crazy. That’s why we need a little TTC encouragement to keep going.
First we have to give our worries over. Release all burdens to the Lord for he cares for you. Rest and be assured that you are not in this alone!
Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. -Jesus (Matthew 11:28)
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. – God (Isaiah 41:20)
Baby Dust Box
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)
Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13)
Comment below some scriptures that keep you encouraged!
Work from home jobs especially for moms are becoming the norm in today’s society. Not only because of social isolation which is now affecting us during our current pandemic status. But also because it gives us a sense of freedom and creativity as we navigate our individual lives.
I personally love working from home and I’m not sure who wouldn’t. Unless, of course, working outside of the home in your current career is bringing you so much joy, more power to you.
But as an introvert this work from home life is definitely for me.
This post has affiliate links that will generate a SMALL commission for us if you were to purchase something through them. Please see our disclosure.
Over the past few years I have tested out a few work-from-home gigs and now that I’m a mother I’m beginning to establish myself as a content creator here in the blogging community.
I’ve compiled a list of 10 work from home jobs that anyone can do with a little dedication and a lot of passion. I tried (and made money with) that I’m going to list and actually have built 7 streams of income strictly with my work from home jobs.
And with the current times of a global pandemic I think more than ever that it’s time for me to share my experience with you so stay tuned for 10 work from home jobs you can do with a full-time job.
Work From Home Jobs
YouTuber
First up is YouTube! You can definitely build a profitable business on YouTube from home while working a full-time job. As with any of the jobs I’m listing, it will require some consistency as well as knowing who you want to serve.
You can start a YouTube channel today with just your Gmail account and be well on your way to making an income. I started my YouTube channel in July 2017 and was able to start monetizing a year later.
Blogger
Blogging for income is definitely not new but it has become more popular as social media becomes more prevalent. Sometimes we don’t even know we’re on a blog when we’re searching for different recipes or for new mom tips.
You’re currently on my blog and I am a blogger who makes an income from writing about topics I’m passionate about.
Start your blog today for under $5 with Bluehost. I used Bluehost to build my first website and it is very user friendly!
Online Tutor
Become an online tutor! This is a definitely an amazing opportunity to take advantage of during this time (pandemic) where many schools have gone virtual. You can also teach english online to other countries with VIPkid (bachelor’s degree required).
Rate + Pay: average of $22/hour
Become a Health Coach
I’m a part-time health coach through Team Beachbody and it’s truly been a blessing both physically (I lost 30 lbs postpartum and gained abs… ABS y’all!) and financially. Last year, I brought in over $2,000 in extra income (working less than 5 hours a week). I know some coaches who bring in $2,000 a week!
Sign up here to become a part of our coaching team.
Affiliate Marketer
Affiliate marketing is the easy way to make income if done right. Do you often get asked “Hey I like your so and so, where’d you get it from?” Then you can probably become an affiliate marketer!
Affiliate marketers refer customers/clients/friends to certain companies and receive a percentage of the purchase if a customer buys from the company. Here are some affiliate companies I use: Amazon Shareasale
Amazon Seller
Becoming an Amazon seller is different from Amazon Affiliates. You can sign up to become an Amazon seller through Amazon FBA (fullfilment by Amazon). I’ve used Amazon FBA before and it was a fairly easy process. I used it to sell items around my house I was no longer using and made a few hundred dollars.
You can make it a business by reselling popular items, books, etc through Amazon FBA. There are many YouTube video tutorials on how to get started with this.
Etsy Shop Owner
Are you artsy or crafty? You could probably create a business on Etsy then! Selling on Etsy is actually pretty cheap too (like cents per listing).
Online Course Creator
Here’s another online business that I’ve personally created for myself. Online course creation is both fun and easy to do! If you have a passion for something (ANYTHING)and would love to teach it to other people than course creation might be right for you!
You can create your own course through companies like Teachable or Thinkific.
Sell Ebooks
Similar to Ecourses, Ebooks are a great way to create income for yourself. Again, find your passion, write out content and create an ebook! Sell on your blog or even on Amazon.
Take Surveys
If you’re constantly on your phone, why not take a couple of surveys while you’re at it. I like to take surveys for income while watching TV or netflixing and chilling with my hubby. It’s actually a pretty easy way to bring in a bit of income. I personally use Swagbucks and they pay through Paypal or gift cards. (I just cashed out for a Target gift card, Yaasss Tarjay here I come)
For my fellow nurses:
Nurse Reviewer
I currently work full-time at home as a Nurse Reviewer for a health insurance company. As an LPN ($18-22/hr) I actually started at an RN rate ($25-30/hr). I review hospital clinical and assist in discharge planning for acute care hospitals and post acute facilities. Some health insurance companies that often have remote nursing jobs include Blue Cross Blue Shield, Wellcare, and Aetna.
I hope this post helps you make a decision on if working from home could be possible for you! It has definitely been a blessing for my family and continues to bless us during a time where online businesses are thriving!
Comment below which of the above you’re going to try. I pray you have success!
There’s plenty of false information circulating the internet regarding how viruses affect our population. We often hear about the elderly or those who have specific immunocompromised conditions but rarely is fertility or pregnancy and viruses mentioned. I wanted to make sure, YOU, as my dedicated readers are informed and have access to correct information, as it pertains to pregnancy and viruses.
This post has affiliate links that will generate a SMALL commission for us if you were to purchase something through them. Please see our disclosure.
Pregnancy and Viruses
Fortunately, as a work from home mom and born to be introvert, I’ve had the pleasure of being at home during this current 2020 pandemic.
But, when I do go out, whether it is to church (in which we go to 3 times a week), or to everyone’s fav: Tarjay. I always seem to “catch” something.
Let me backup here. I’m currently 24 weeks pregnant as I am writing this post. 24 weeks pregnant with baby #2 who has been a WHOLE different type of ballgame.
I RARELY got pregnant with my first born, but then again, I wasn’t pregnant then during a global pandemic…
Anywho, I’m currently pregnant and my immune system, although pretty awesome beforehand (thanks to my years of working in the healthcare industry) is now complete POOP.
I mean, I went to bible study a month ago completely healthy and the next day was DOWN for the count.
I’m pretty sure you can see where I’m getting at. During fertility and also during pregnancy it’s important that we stay as healthy as possible! Let’s be real, there’s a baby (or potential baby) growing in there! We have to make sure it’s getting the appropriate nutrients and lots of prayer, right?
While we’re on the subject of prayer. I encourage you during this time to not let fear consume you. I know it’s hard enough during TTC and during pregnancy to think about the “what ifs”
But scripture reminds us that God did not give us the spirit of fear. But of POWER, LOVE, and a SOUND MIND (2 Timothy 1:7).
When fear starts to sink in, here’s an exercise you can do that’s helped me IMMENSELY.
Write down the fear.
Describe how you have POWER over that fear.
How can I LOVE in order to combat fear?
Write affirmations to confirm the SOUND MIND God has given you in reference to that fear.
Example: Fear: I’m afraid if I become sick it will harm my unborn child. Power: I have the power to eat healthy foods and pray scripture over my womb. Love: I can show love by talking with my husband about my concerns and not keeping them to myself. Sound Mind: I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I will not be consumed by fear.
Don’t let fear paralyze you sis, instead, speak the word of God over it and watch God do the rest.
Now that we’ve been spiritually fed, I compiled some credible resources for you to consider watching and reading concerning our physical health. It includes a YouTube video made by an OBGYN concerning pregnancy and viruses as well as the CDC and WHO websites.
We should always make sure if we’re going to listen to any of the media, that it comes from a credible resource. And of course the most credible resource who knows the plan He has for ALL of us is God!
Who Should We Listen To?
As a nurse I have referenced the following two organizations many times in my studies. I often review their articles as well to stay up-to-date on current events, medical discoveries and more. During a time where anything and everything is placed on social media, it’s vital to remain vigilant in who you consider as a credible resource.
As a believer, I reference this book everyday. Yep, you guessed it. The BIBLE. Here are some scriptures to keep in mind as we go through this troubling season.
Also, here’s the YouTube video I mentioned earlier. Although she admits to not knowing EVERYTHING to know about pregnancy and viruses (because of the quickly evolving viruses out there), she does make some great points and tips to consider.
I hope this was helpful, comment below if you are in any way being affected by sickness or the current coronavirus (out of work, lack of daycare, currently sick or self-quarantined). I’d love to pray for you!
Implantation occurs after ovulation near the middle of your two week wait. 6-10 days after ovulation is the estimated time of initial implantation of an embryo. In order to increase chances of implantation there are a few things you can do. During implantation some women will experience implantation spotting or the occasional implantation cramp.
Me, on the other hand, during my two week I received a word from the Lord. Today I want to discuss that with you. I recorded my entire TTC Journey on YouTube so here’s a transcription from my TTC Journey video in 2018.
I also want to give you some tips to increase your chances of implantation during your two week wait! So keep on reading.
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In my prayer time, I wasn’t even thinking about implantation (6DPO for me). But the Lord brought it to my heart and mind that I was in the proper window for a seed to plant. A window for a fertilized egg to embed itself.
So I looked up the definition of implantation.
Implantation: attachment of a fertilized egg to the lining of the uterus to grow and develop.
So I thought to myself in my prayer time… I’m in this window, this opportunity for a baby to implant itself in my uterine lining.
Get up ALL in that uterus!
I began to think about how this relates not only to my TTC Journey but also to my faith journey.
Symptom Spotting
First of all, as an update for TTC, I haven’t really had any symptoms and I would say that is odd. Throughout my whole TTC journey (a year now) I would always have symptoms every month, yet no month has yielded a pregnancy.
So it’s weird that there are no symptoms this month. But then again, I’ve been trying to focus more on reading the bible. More on being in tune with God instead of being in tuned with my body and symptom spotting.
So I’m halfway through the two week wait and I’m not seeing many symptoms besides increased cervical mucus. But that’s about it. But then again, I haven’t been paying too much attention to it.
So I’m just in this wait, and if you’re in your two week wait, stay encouraged, we’ll get through this!
3 Stages to Implantation
So back to implantation, there are 3 steps/stages to implantation. The first step was defined above.
Attach to the uterine lining so that it can grow and develop
The egg penetrates the uterine wall so that it is secure
The embryo is embedded deep as it grows it is wrapped better
First it attaches, it’s just on the surface level. Then, it implants itself. It embeds itself. I just imagine it grabbin on, it’s not just laying there on the surface so it’s secure. At stage 3 the egg is not only attached but it’s deep. It’s deep in there, surrounded and wrapped so that you can have a healthy pregnancy.
I began to think about that and a parable that Jesus told in the bible:
4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” (Luke 8:4-8)
When I think about implantation I think about planting. You don’t just throw the seed on top of the ground without digging a hole first. You put it inside the hole, cover it up so that it can be secure, grow and develop.
When you plant a seed, it’s more to it than just throwing some seeds on top of some dirt.
Faith and TTC Work Together
Always try to look at your TTC journey and how it relates to your faith in order to not get distracted. Don’t get distracted by symptom spotting, by negative tests or the two week wait.
God is planting something else inside of you. He tries to plant stuff inside of us. Purpose, Faith, Gifts…
If you look at us as the dirt and God just throws seed on top of us. He throws the word of God at us but we’re not receptive to that? That word is not going to implant itself. That word is not going to grow inside of us.
We have to be steadily digging out and getting rid of the dirt that we don’t need. Getting rid of the things that we don’t need in our lives in order to get closer to God. So He can put in that hole, that we created for Him, a seed and He can cover it up with new dirt. Fresh dirt that will help us grow, secure us and wrap us in His love.
Back to the parable:
That seed that fell on the footpath and was eaten by the birds signifies those who hear God’s word but are so easily distracted by the enemy that it immediately gets taken away.
We hear the word. We come to church on Sunday and hear the word. But then comes Sunday and the enemy is yet attacking us and we don’t stop and state the Word of God to the enemy. Fight back with scripture. Let the enemy know that we have the word inside of us.
The word withers away until next Sunday when we go back to church.
The seed that fell in shallow soil signifies those people who have a surface level relationship with God. This seed is not deeply rooted and therefore doesn’t last long.
If you’re not continually sowing into a relationship. That relationship starts to fade away. Scripture has to be planted inside of us everyday. It needs to get deep in our heart.
When we need the scripture in a test or trial, we forget that it’s there to help us. We immediately think “woe is me, why is this happening”. We have to remember we can go to scripture and get encouragement.
Next, the seed that fell among the thorns represents those who so easily and quickly become distracted by the worries of this world or material things that they can not produce fruit in their spiritual lives.
The thorns are the distractions. They can choke you up. The material things, worries, two week wait and negative pregnancy tests are distractions that can easily take over your life.
Lastly, the seed that fell into fertile soil is the type of seed we should aim to plant in ourselves. They sprout, they grow and they produce plentiful crops. These seeds accept God’s word, live it and produce a harvest (whatever that may be in the will of God) 100 times as much as they plant!
Remember, in stage 3 we said that the egg is embedded deep, as it grows it is wrapped better. When we’re planting in fertile ground, when we’re embedded deep in God, have the word in our heart, and live his word.
That’s when He will give us a harvest.
He will give us exceedingly abundantly more than we can ask or think. According to the POWER that works in us.
So if you’re TTC right now, in your two week wait, I pray that God will sow a seed inside of you. I pray that if implantation, in the realm of TTC, is in the will of God for you then I pray that you’re seed will attach, grow, develop, embed deep and be secure in your womb!
Increase Chances of Implantation
Now onto some tips to increase chances for implantation this cycle! You may be familiar with some of these methods. I’m not a doctor but I have tried most, if not all (#pregnancybrain), of the following and truly believe they assisted in implantation during the two week wait of my BFPs (positive pregnancy tests)!
Eat Pineapple Core
Pineapples are sooo beneficial for your luteal phase also known as your two week wait, the time after ovulation pending a hopeful pregnancy.
The core of a pineapple is full of a vital nutrient called bromelain which is very helpful in assisting your corpus luteum (potentially your placenta) for implantation during the two week wait.
It helps reduce inflammation in the body to provide an optimal environment for baby to thrive!
Before the TWW, I personally bought a WHOLE pineapple, cut the core out, and cut it up into 6 chunks.
I ate the core (by itself) but if you can’t bear the toughness of it, a smoothie works fine as well. I ate 1 chunk a day starting 1 DPO until 6 DPO!
Keep Your Feet Warm
If you are a subscriber of my YouTube channel, you know that I LOVE my fuzzy socks. Not only because it’s SUPER cold in the winters of Indiana but because they are warm, comfortable and make me think of TTC!
I conceived Ava in the middle of the Summer and YES I still wore my fuzzy socks indoors to keep my feet warm.
Some say that your feet are your temperature regulators. Have you ever been in bed snuggled in the cover but then become hot? You put out that one bare foot and suddenly everything is okay?
Yep, that’s how fuzzy socks work for TTC. Feet warm = body and uterus warm. Perfect environment for your little egg to snuggle close. Why do you think conception occurs so often in the winter?
Eat Healthy Comfort Foods
Speaking of staying warm. Soup and other warm comfort foods help create that warm atmosphere in your body as well.
But make sure you’re sticking to a fertility healthy diet. Healthy carbs and lower sugar. Crockpot chili is a great dinner choice for the two week wait.
Eat Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds assist in boosting fertility by helping your body to regulate progesterone. Progesterone is one of the most important hormones your body needs in the luteal phase (two week wait).
Eat a handful a day or throw them in a smoothie!
Pray Daily
The two week wait doesn’t have to be stressful. Cast your cares on the Lord because he cares for you! He here’s to help you through. Poor out your heart, your desires, fears, and worries to him because you don’t have to carry anything alone.
Like I said before, if you are currently TTC and/or in your two week wait. I pray a seed to be planted in your womb. I pray that these tips will help you conceive the baby that you’ve been waiting for!
Comment below where you’re at in your TTC journey. I’d love to pray with and for you during this time!
The fertility diet that changed my life was a 360 to my TTC journey. It was the month I got pregnant with my now 1 year old baby girl. I tracked my fertility diet in MyFitnessPal the month I conceived her in order to keep track and share my recipes, foods and journey with you.
This post has affiliate links that will generate a SMALL commission for us if you were to purchase something through them. Please see our disclosure.
This post is a transcription from my How to be Fruitful video on YouTube. It was filmed a couple months after giving birth to my first born (after 2 previous miscarriages).
Before getting pregnant I changed my mindset and I changed my health habits. I created a course to assist women in their journey to pregnancy as well.
Download the Fertility Nutriiton E-Book
The course is all about the fertility diet that changed my life, includes my Fertility Nutrition ebook and it’s what helped me get pregnant (TWICE). I’m here to help you do the same sis. Here’s the transcription:
Fertility Diet | Be Fruitful + Multiply
In my prayer time this morning and during the past couple of weeks I really have been focusing on the word fruitful.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)
So when we think about the Lord and what he is to us think about this scripture. He is the vine and God is the gardener.
So when you have a vine at the end of that vine is a branch. We are the branches and we stem from Jesus. At the end of that branch is fruit and God is the one who prunes us.
He helps us continue to bear fruit or guides us in getting rid of rotten fruit.
We can’t bear fruit if we’re attached to dead things.
For example, my husband and I moved into a new house about 2 years ago and everytime I move into a new place my grandmother gifts me with a plant. Each time she has done this I have killed the plant.
Until now.
Alive, Not Dead
It’s still alive but it did have a dead branch recently and I could already see that the branches around it were dying off as well. So this just this one branch was killing the other branches.
So I pruned it like God prunes us in our lives. He tries to take away the dead things in our lives and sometimes we continue to hold on to those dead things.
Maybe continuing to hold on to the people who aren’t benefiting our lives.
Or material things that we need to let go in order for our lives to prosper.
Dead branches are not going to do anything for your life.
It’s not going to do anything for the plant that I have. It’s going to continue to spread.
How to be Fruitful
So in order to bear fruit we have to abide in Jesus. Scripture says that if we abide in Him, He will abide in us. So how can you be more fruitful?
Having a Prayer Life
Listening to sermons
Reading the Bible Daily
We have to cut off dead things. When you have a branch that’s dead it’s not going to bear any fruit.Think about an apple tree. At the end of apple branch should be an apple, right?
If that tree is not foundationally rooted and there are dead branches, apples will not grow.
When we continue to bear fruit in our lives, it multiplies. A tree is meant to give you multiple fruit and therefore there should be multiple people you should be feeding into.
We should be praying for others and rooting ourselves in spiritual foundation.
Because a branch floating in mid-air is just a stick.
I was talking with one of my clients about nutrition and how eating fertility rich foods benefits in increasing fertility. So we talked about 8 to 10 foods that could be really beneficial for her cycle.
We discussed in detail the BEST and EASIEST food to incorporate into her diet and that food is actually a fruit and it is an avocado!
Avocado is a very nutritious fruit that has vitamin E and folic acid which is amazing for your future babies! Avocados are also considered a healthy fat. It’s a monounsaturated fat which helps support your hormone balance.
It increases your HDL, which is your happy cholesterol and decreases your LDL or your lousy cholesterol.
So it helps balance cholesterol levels, YAY!
We Can Learn a Lesson from the Avocado Tree!
Also what I really love about Avocados is they do not self pollinate. Most trees are able to self pollinate, grow and reproduce by themselves.
Avocado trees need another avocado tree close by to help it bear fruit. How amazing is that?!
It needs help just like we need help in order to reproduce. We work together as a TTC community to give advice so that we can bear fruit in our lives and of course our hubbies serve as the other tree to help us reproduce and grow babies!
Like I said before, they are a good source of vitamin E which can assist in sperm motility!
So, tacos, guacamole, avocado toast. Eat it all!
Fertility Smoothie Recipe
This is the recipe I used (taken from myfitnesspal food diary) during my BFP month.
Breakfast
Calorieskcal
Carbsg
Fatg
Proteing
Silk – Almond Milk, Unsweetened Vanilla, 1.5 cup (240ml)
I want to provide you with some tips on how you can balance hormones naturally while trying to get pregnant. Some of you might be a little upset about these tips because it’s going to require a little bit of work, okay? But if you struggle with irregular cycles, hormone balance after birth control (that was me), short luteal phases, miscarriages, PCOS, and/or endometriosis here’s some tips that you can use to balance your hormones naturally!
This post has affiliate links that will generate a SMALL commission for us if you were to purchase something through them. Please see our disclosure.
Balance Hormones Naturally
I personally have dealt with balancing my hormones after birth control, after multiple miscarriages as well as irregular cycles (short luteal phases).
I do have some symptoms of PCOS but I’m not declaring that over my life, okay?!
I don’t have a clear diagnosis of really lengthy cycles but I do sometimes have to pluck a few if you know what I mean.
Anywho, I just want to come to you with my experiences and what I have tried and succeeded at with balancing my hormones. So here we go!
If you’re not a fan of reading, watch this instead 🙂
Nutrition
Alright, the first tip is nutrition. What you feed your body directly correlates how your hormones are going to react to those things that you’re putting in your body!
Different foods will assist you in your fertility journey as well as in your journey to hormone balance.
If I eat an ounce of dairy I am breaking out! I also see more weight gain or bloating!
Nutrition is key for balancing hormones naturally, sis!
I’m talking about nutrition, eating healthy, eating the foods that are right for YOU
So here are a few nutritional tips that I can give you as far as naturally balancing your hormones.
Avoid Unhealthy Fats and Decrease Sugar
Avoid trans fat and saturated fats. Make sure to avoid fats that are just not doing you any good, okay? The kind of fats that will attach to your body and stay there.
Eat healthy fats such as avocados which are great for fertility! Other healthy fats such as nuts and seeds are great as well.
Also, it’s time to take a sugar hiatus. I know. NOT FUN. But sugar converts to fat sis and also can cause inflammation in your body (we’ll talk about that in a bit). Put that donut down!
Increase Veggie Proteins
Also, increase those protein veggies. Increase beans and leafy greens because let’s be honest there are a lot of vegetables out there with protein we don’t really have to search far!
Prenatal or Multivitamin
Next, take a daily multivitamin or prenatal vitamin and if your TTC make sure it has folic acid in it. Folic acid helps in preparing your body to be able to take care of the baby in their first developmental stages of your womb.
Intermittent Fasting
This is something that truly helped me to get pregnant. I used intermittent fasting to help heal my digestive system. Your digestive system directly correlates with your hormones because if you’re holding onto waste, that doesn’t help cleanse our system.
I was holding on to waste and I was constantly bloated and constipated. UGH
Anywho, Intermittent fasting is when you take a chunk of time where you are intentionally resting and not eating. Then, you have a chunk of time where you’re intentionally eating.
I’ll give you an example.
The routine I used to balance hormones naturally was a 14-10 schedule.
14 hours of sleep and rest then 10 hours of eating.
If you’re just starting out with intermittent fasting my suggestion is to start out with a 8 and 16 hour schedule.
Meaning you’re resting for 8 hours and then 16 hours of intentional eating. Once you’ve mastered that then you would increase your rest hours. Remember, resting means sleep and properly giving your digestive system a break.
I don’t recommend going over 14 hours of rest because we also want to make sure that hormones are regulated. If you are not eating at consistent intervals then that can also cause hormone imbalance.
The anti-inflammatory diet is where you eat less inflammatory foods (foods that cause inflammation) right you’re eating less things that will cause inflammation in your body because Some of the foods that cause inflammation in our body can also cause chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Even conditions such as endometriosis and PCOS can be exacerbated by inflammatory foods.
You can learn more about the anti-inflammatory diet and how you can implement it into your fertility journey through my Fertility Nutrition Guide which includes:
The TOP Fertility Foods
Anti-Inflammatory Food List
Fertility Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Options
Next up is exercise. Yes I said it sis. Exercise is immensely important to assist in balancing your hormones naturally. But there are a few guidelines.
If you are overweight, you can cause your body to hold onto extra estrogen but alternatively if you are underweight, too much exercise can sometimes cause you not to ovulate at all.
Really, we’d like to have an ideal body weight so that estrogen levels are sufficient. With a consistent workout routine and nutritional changes it is possible!
When I say exercise I’m talking about moving your body intentionally for 30 minutes. No, walking at work is not an exercise. I want you to move your body for at least 20 to 30 minutes per day, intentionally!
Go for a 30 minute walk outside or at the gym. Lift weights or complete body weight exercises for 30 minutes. Take a class at your local community center.
When I talked about intermittent fasting earlier we talked about bowel rest. Now we’re talking about having a solid sleep routine of 6 to 8 hours at night to allow for your hormones to balance naturally.
I know it can be difficult, right? Because we can’t turn off our minds. We can’t turn off our phones but I do have some tips like I said in my decreasing stress and increasing fertility video to help with that!
I know you were expecting something really extravagant but your OVERALL health is just important. Nutrition, exercise, rest and your overall health will help you in balancing your hormones.
Comment below if you have tried or will try some of these tips and how it worked for you!
For some women, pregnancy comes at the snap of a finger. BUT for some of us, we have to put in some work! I want to make that work a little easier for you by providing fertility boosting tips and must have fertility products that assisted me in my trying to conceive journey.
I pray that these products will bless you in the ways that they have blessed me (TWICE) and surely hope that you will conceive soon sis!
This post has affiliate links that will generate a SMALL commission for us if you were to purchase something through them. Please see our disclosure.
My Fertility Journey
If you’ve been following our blog and Youtube journey you know a little bit about my journey.
For those who aren’t familiar I’ll give you a little snippet.
In 2016 I started birth control (3 months before my wedding because we were celibate until then) because at that time, my husband and I wanted to “enjoy” each other before starting a family. We didn’t know the struggle that came with TTC.
February 2017, we were hit with baby fever. OMGee, babies are just the cutest humans EVER.
So we stopped birth control and we’re expecting to be pregnant in March…
LOL
Fast forward a year, we finally got pregnant, but miscarried. TWICE. One was a chemical and the other a blighted ovum.
Finally we conceived are precious rainbow baby Ava July 2018 and are now pregnant again (hello 2 under 2) with our second child who is due July 2020.
God has truly blessed us through this journey and has shown me some natural (and inexpensive) products to use to get pregnant so I wanted to share them with you!
Must Have Fertility Products
Fertility Tracking App
This is a MUST HAVE. Especially if you aren’t quite familiar with your cycle (or think you are).
I honestly thought I knew my cycle and knew my body before TTC… WRONG.
I learned so much through the various apps I used on my phone. Some of my favorites are:
Fertility Friend
Ovia
Glow (my ultimate fav)
Fertility apps will not only help you recognize your most fertile window to have sex (or baby dance in TTC terms) but it will also track the length of your cycle, give you tips throughout, and help you learn more about your body!
Prenatal Vitamins
It’s important to initiate a prenatal vitamin when you are trying to conceive. Here’s the prenatal vitamin I use.
Folic acid is the most important vitamin for trying to conceive or early pregnancy. Folic acid helps your future baby develop properly and protects it against serious birth defects.
Prenatal’s are also important to make sure that you’re receiving the appropriate nutrients to fuel your body and have a healthy cycle. Vitamin deficiencies can sometimes hinder your body’s hormonal process and therefore hinder your ability to conceive.
Also when you’re currently on a prenatal vitamin it’s much easier to continue (and not forget) the vitamin during pregnancy and already have those nutrients available for your baby.
A definite must have fertility product!
Ovulation Tests
I honestly have no idea what I would have done without OPKs (ovulation predictor kits). This is a definite must-have if you have irregular cycles.
Ovulation tests are designed to detect the luteinizing hormone which increases during ovulation. This is known as the LH surge.
Along with your cervical mucus, ovulation test can show you signs leading up to ovulation day. With this current pregnancy I actually use ovulation test to determine the length of my LH surge which happened to be around 12 hours.
This can be helpful because after the surge is when the egg is released so knowing what my LH surge ended was important in timing for conception.
Ovulation tests are also a must have fertility product you need before TTC because if you’re a newbie to this community you might not even know what ovulation means.
Or what it means for you.
I suggest if you’re a newbie at this to start opk’s one day after the last day of your menstrual period. Take the test once daily in the afternoon or late morning until you receive your surge in a negative test after that.
This will help you determine your ovulation day as well as your most fertile window of days for conception.
I’m probably exaggerating a little bit (a lotta bit) but I love pineapple especially for TTC!
Pineapples are sooo beneficial for your luteal phase also known as your two week wait (time after ovulation pending a hopeful pregnancy).
The core of a pineapple is full of a vital nutrient called bromelain which is very helpful in assisting your corpus luteum (in your uterus) for implantation during the two week wait.
It helps reduce inflammation in the body to provide an optimal environment for baby to thrive!
I like to cut of the core of the pineapple into 6 chunks and eat them the first 6 days after ovulation!
Either in a smoothie or by itself!
Pregnancy Tests
And not those tests that cost $15 a pop.
Sis, if you’re anything like me, you make POAS (pee on a stick) an occupation.
Taxing, sometimes. But I can’t really explain, there’s nothing like a progression test video o keep you hopeful!
Pregnancy test as a fertility product it’s kind of a DUH.
I want to put it on the list so you’re not wasting hundreds of dollars a month trying to buy pregnancy test.
Or they have such things called Baby Dust Boxes! How amazing!
Grab a Baby Dust Box today and receive 50% off next your box!
Faith + Support
All of the previous tips dealt with the physical aspect of TTC.
Well, incorporating your spiritual faith as well as preparing mentally for the journey ahead has helped me as well. I use a devotional bible to study the Word of God.
Making sure you are spiritually and mentally ready for this journey of TTC will not only help you get through the journey…
BUT will also help in building your faith! My faith has increased tremendously during my TTC journey and now through motherhood!
I’ve also built a community full of fun loving Christian women who are looking to increase their faith and find peace in their journey to conceive!
We are meeting MONTHLY in 2020 (virtually) and discussing trying to conceive, struggles with our faith, and just life PERIOD (no pun intended).
We do GIVEAWAYS and provide bonus material for how to optimize your cycle to get pregnant. It’s truly an amazing community!
What do you mean I’m not “really pregnant” as I asked my doctor what a blighted ovum was. They said I should experience an early miscarriage and start bleeding soon because there was no fetal pole, no fetus on the ultrasound. I was DEVASTATED and felt so alone…
This post has affiliate links that will generate a SMALL commission for us if you were to purchase something through them. Please see our disclosure.
My Blighted Ovum Miscarriage Story
Almost two years to the date I experienced my second pregnancy and didn’t know I need bible verses for miscarriage to get me through the next few months. My first pregnancy ended in a chemical loss the month beforehand.
That was a very traumatic month for me as I learned that I was newly pregnant for the first time.
I also received a call from my mother who told me that my 16 year old cousin had committed suicide.
So my grief was twofold. Grieving the loss of a family member and then also grieving the loss of a potential pregnancy (and not wanting to share the news)
They decided (and I say “they” as in my doctor and OB at the time) it would be best if we wait for a couple of weeks and have another ultrasound.
My HCG was constantly rising and so I thought there’s got to be a baby in there.
A couple of weeks later I was diagnosed with a blighted ovum. A pregnancy with no fetus.
I was… hesitant to accept the news and the diagnosis. Some could say I was in denial.
But through it all my trust was in the Lord. I trusted God to get me through and I trusted His will for my life. Trusted that because He put in my heart the desire to become a mother that it would come to pass.
I didn’t know if it was going to be that same year or the next or 10 years from then but prayed and shared my TTC journey on YouTube.
It Lasted So Long
Sharing was a coping mechanism for me especially during this miscarriage because technically without a fetus I’ve been miscarrying since the beginning of the pregnancy.
We chose not to proceed with a D&C procedure or the pill and let nature and God take its course. Then I started to miscarry and bleed shortly before what would have been the second trimester.
I bled for 45 days.
Shortly after, I ended up taking a pill to help the process a couple of weeks prior to the miscarriage ending because it was taking so long.
But I don’t want to alarm you! I know there are plenty of women who experienced WAY shorter miscarriages. But everybody’s experience is definitely different.
Blighted Ovum Explained
A blighted ovum is also known as an anembryonic pregnancy. (an- meaning without and embryonic meaning embryo). So it’s a pregnancy without a fetus.
In my case, and most cases, pregnancy symptoms will occur with a positive pregnancy test including in the urine as well as the blood.
At one point, my HCG (pregnancy hormone detected on pregnancy tests) reached 40,0000 (lowest positive pregnancy tests show around 6-25hcg). The fertilized egg implanted but did not grow into a fetus, causing the increase in pregnancy hormones and symptoms.
I was SURE and had complete FAITH that I was pregnant!
Spiritually in my mind and physically through my body!
As I discussed before, that pregnancy was diagnosed with a blighted ovum and ended in miscarriage.
What Causes a Blighted Ovum?
According to a blighted ovum study conducted in 2019 and linked here, blighted ovums are mainly caused by genetics. Chromosomal abnormalities account for most studied miscarriages.
Spiritually, my belief is that God allows certain situations to occur to build our faith as well as build His kingdom.
Faith as it pertains to your trying to conceive journey is immensely important.
I mean sis… The definition of faith is hope for things not seen, right? (Heb 11:1) That is LITERALLY what TTC is about.
Hoping for a baby that does not yet exist..
What to do AFTER a Blighted Ovum Miscarriage?
So you’re probably wondering I’ve experienced the blighted ovum now what
What should I do next?
After I experienced my blighted ovum I had to continue to receive blood tests to check the amount of pregnancy hormones in my system. Once we received a blood test of 10 HCG we stopped testing.
Then more waiting, of course a pillar of trying to conceive, started.
How Long Should I Wait?
The blighted ovum I experienced was immediately after a chemical pregnancy so I decided to wait a whole cycle (so 1 complete cycle) before trying to conceive again.
This means waiting for the next menstrual cycle in order to make sure that all tissue from the previous miscarriage was cleansed and that the uterus is prepared to conceive again.
In my experience, this was important because every time you go through a new cycle you create a new uterine lining to allow for proper implantation.
If that new lining does not have time to regenerate or heal, it can make implantation, getting pregnant, and staying pregnant difficult.
But ultimately the wait is up to you.
Whether you wait a month or you wait a year, emotional healing and mental health comes first.
It’s okay to wait longer if you’re not emotionally ready for a new pregnancy or for the trials of trying to conceive.
For me, waiting a month was enough because during my very long miscarriage I was able to heal more emotionally than if my miscarriage were just a week.
And that next month I did conceive my rainbow baby and we are so grateful for her. At the time of this blog post she is currently 11 months.
Rainbow Baby
Here is a list of things I did in the month that I conceived my rainbow baby.
