One Step At A Time

Listen to this song... it's very uplifting... 

One Step At A Time By Jordin Sparks

Lyrics of One Step At A Time 

Hurry up and wait so close but so far away
Everything that you've always dreamed of
Close enough for you to taste but you just can't touch

You wanna show the world but no one knows your name yet
Wonder when and where and how you're gonna make it
You know you can if you get the chance
In your face and the door keeps slamming

Now you're feeling more and more frustrated
And you're getting all kind of impatient, waiting
We live and we learn to take

One step at a time there's no need to rush
It's like learning to fly or falling in love
It's gonna happen and it's supposed to happen
That we find the reasons why, one step at a time

You believe and you doubt
You're confused and got it all figured out
Everything that you always wished for
Could be yours, should be yours, would be yours if they only knew

You wanna show the world but no one knows your name yet
Wonder when and where and how you're gonna make it
You know you can if you get the chance
In your face and the door keeps slamming

Now you're feeling more and more frustrated
And you're getting all kind of impatient, waiting
We live and we learn to take

One step at a time there's no need to rush
It's like learning to fly or falling in love
It's gonna happen and it's supposed to happen
That we find the reasons why, one step at a time


When you can't wait any longer
But there's no end in sight
It's the faith that makes you stronger
The only way we get there is one step at a time

Take one step at a time there's no need to rush
It's like learning to fly or falling in love
It's gonna happen and it's supposed to happen
That we find the reasons why, one step at a time

One step at a time there's no need to rush
It's like learning to fly or falling in love
It's gonna happen and it's supposed to happen
That we find the reasons why, one step at a time


Take your infertility journey one step at a time... Happy listening!

USANA Apple Test with Prenatal Vitamins

Test the Quality of Your Prenatal Vitamins

Watch this!

Supporting Fertility with USANA

I have heard of USANA vitamins and minerals before, but since I was already taking another set of vitamins (Healthy Options Concentrated Omega 3, Ester C and Prenatal Once Daily), I didn’t give much attention to it.  Not until recently, when I was looking for a new vitamin to try did I research more on USANA.

USANA is the brand of fertility supplements recommended by both The Fertile Soul (Randine Lewis, author of The Infertility Cure, the Ancient Chinese Wellness Program for Getting Pregnant and Having Healthy Babies) and Fertile Heart (Julia Indichova, author of Inconceivable and The Fertile Female) sites.

Some OBs here in the Philippines have also started recommending USANA to their patients who are trying to conceive as well as to those who are pregnant already.  According to them, they have seen many pregnancies achieved with the help of USANA supplements. 

USANA uses high quality ingredients.  It is more potent and is easily absorbed by our body.  The fertility supplement formulations increase overall health and energy and allow the internal pharmacist to attend to the delicate task of balancing the reproductive system rather than focusing on specific hormone levels. 

So to increase my fertility and enhance my overall reproductive health, I have started taking the following:

Essentials – a potent combination of two products packaged as one: Mega Antioxidant and Chelated Mineral.  These two products work synergistically, protecting the cells from oxidative damage and providing a broad spectrum of essential nutrients.  A high quality multi-vitamin and multi-mineral, which supports overall pre-natal health (pre-natal vitamin replacement).

BiOmega—produced from cold-water, deep-sea fish oil, this formula delivers a balanced daily dose of two key Omega-3 fatty acids in 2 capsules a day. Each capsule also contains 2mg of mixed natural tocopherols, which minimize oxidation of the Omega-3 fatty acids. The added lemon flavoring saves you from fishy aftertaste. 

Proflavanol –acts as a potent anti-inflammatory agent, providing a combination of high potency grape seed extract, magnesium and zinc. This formula also helps retain capillary strength, healthy circulation and protects plasma LDL from oxidation.  It is a useful formula for women and men with impaired immune function.  This is also a must for anyone who has been over treated with antibiotics. A wonderful formula for fertility related issues linked with endometriosis; also helpful with implantation support, as poor implantation is sometimes linked to uterine inflammation. Proflavanol is an excellent fertility supplement to be used in conjunction with IVF treatments, most specifically after embryo transfer.

As for my husband, he's taking Essentials and BiOmega.    

Men aren’t off the hook... Sperm cells take 90 days to develop. During sperm production, high levels of antioxidants (found in seminal fluid) protect and support developing sperm. In the absence of antioxidants, oxidative stress can damage developing sperm.  Environmental toxins, stress, heat, and lifestyle choices affect the development of sperm cells also.

One way to combat the effect of oxidative damage is to eat foods that are high in antioxidants and to choose a high quality nutritional supplement.  According to third party research, USANA nutritionals have been found to have the highest absorbable and utilizable form of proflavanols, antioxidants and superantioxidants available in the market. These nutrients support healthy sperm production.

I was hesitant to try this at first because of its multi-level marketing approach to sales.  But with the good feedback and testimonials, I might as well give it a try.  

Hope it works for us...  

To learn more about USANA, you can visit www.usana.com.


NOTE:


I've added Active Calcium to complement with Essentials.  It contains calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D.  Calcium is key to producing and activating enzymes and hormones that regulate digestion, energy and fat metabolism.  Vitamin D functions both as a hormone and a vitamin, influencing the utilization of phosphorus, another mineral important for strong bones.  Vitamin D deficiency is implicated in a host of immune and nervous system disorders.  

I've changed my Proflavanol to Proflavanol C100 as Proflavanol will be phased out already here in the Philippines. Proflavanol C100 is a powerful combination of grape seed extract and Poly C, USANA's highly absorbable form of Vitamin C.  

 

Belated Happy National Infertility Survival Day!

This Sunday, May 13, 2012 is Mother’s Day – a day for mothers. 

Last Sunday, May 6, 2012, a week before Mother’s Day is National Infertility Survival Day?!  A day for those coping with infertility.  Hahaha!  This is the first time I heard about it and it is really indeed a great idea – a holiday we can call our own.

National Infertility Survival Day is a relatively new holiday, founded in 2004 by Beverly Berna, author of Infertility Sucks! Keeping it All Together When Sperm and Egg Stubbornly Remain Apart (Xlibris Corporation, 2002) to celebrate all the hard work and effort that infertile couples put towards trying to have a child.  The day’s main emphasis is on self-care and celebration for what we do have.  It’s also a day for friends and family to help lift the spirits of a loved one coping with infertility.  

Just like Mother’s Day, when all the hard work that goes into motherhood is celebrated, on National Infertility Survival Day, we celebrate and honor couples who are desperately trying to become parents.

Isn’t it nice?!  I love the idea!

“Celebrate who you are and what you do have,” as Barna urges those struggling with infertility.

The holiday is a chance to turn around and bring something positive to what is normally a difficult condition.  Often, we focus our energies and thoughts on what we don’t get, or have not received, despite all our efforts.  On this day, we honor and celebrate all we have done to try to have a child.  Instead of focusing on our losses, we focus on our strengths.

This holiday isn’t only for women and couples coping with infertility now, but also a day for those who have gone forward in their lives.  This day also aims “to encourage those who are not currently dealing with infertility to embrace the knowledge – even wisdom – they gained in that struggle, and to find ways to support those who are still coping with the ordeal on a day-to-day, month-to-month basis, and who don’t know how it will turn out for them.”

Some women may feel silly celebrating when they feel they have nothing to celebrate.  Our society puts so much emphasis on celebrating after we’ve accomplished a goal.  It’s not uncommon for women coping with infertility to feel like failures.  But you are not a failure.

With infertility, your accomplishment is the effort you’ve already put towards becoming a parent. You’re celebrating your strength and your efforts. You may not be able to hold these types of accomplishments in your hand, but they are just as real and deserve to be celebrated.

If you decide to celebrate, you may want to have a romantic dinner for two or take a long, long bubble bath. Or perhaps go for a massage or get together with friends either at home or out of town.  This is a day just for you, and you should celebrate the day however you like it.

Officially, the day is celebrated the weekend before Mother’s Day.  The timing is intentional, so that it can blunt the sadness and frustration that many women feel as Mother's Day approaches.  But feel free to declare your own survival day anytime you need a boost.  Be good to yourself.

Care to share your dream infertility survival day?  Feel free to share your plans in the comment below.

You can view the entire article here.

To get the latest news and views on National Infertility Survival Day and other stuff from the holiday’s founder, Beverly Barna, visit www.infertilitysucks-thebook.com.


Belated Happy National Infertility Survival Day!  (Better late than never... :) )

Surviving Mother's Day

This photo was taken from this site.

This Sunday, May 13, 2012 is Mother’s Day, a day that celebrates motherhood.  But for those struggling with infertility, Mother’s Day can be a double whammy -- another anniversary of a year gone without a baby and a holiday that specifically excludes you.  (Ouch!)

Mother’s Day is a reminder of what we don’t have yet and it is painful.  There were years when I personally did not enjoy this day as it was too sad for me to be around so many mothers when I couldn’t be one myself.  It hurts to know that in as much as we want to get pregnant; we have not yet conceived and are still waiting for our baby to arrive. 

But just like always, we will survive this and we can get through this…   

Though hurting deep inside because of our own infertile status, let us not forget to celebrate this special day and remember our own moms and all those who have been like a mother to us.  Be thankful to have your mom, your aunts and maybe even your grandmothers to love and be grateful for.  Take the time to celebrate this special occasion with them.   

Hmm… come to think of it, we might also call ourselves “Mothers” – for all the motherly acts we have bestowed to our cousins, nephews, nieces and all those whose lives we have touched one way or the other.  So celebrate yourself also for all those you are “motherly” to.  You definitely mean a lot to them.  Acknowledge that and smile. :)

You are a mother too.  You just haven’t met your baby yet.  Hopefully some day in the not so distant future, your baby will find you through whatever means are necessary and you’ll get to celebrate it too, in its real sense.  Perhaps next year, you will finally celebrate Mother’s Day with a baby (or two)… who knows?!?!  Keep the faith.

Happy Mother’s Day!  Enjoy the weekend!

Wake Up, Wake Up

This photo was taken from this site.

It has been a long time since I’ve posted anything here in my blog… sorry about that.  Just had to pause and give myself a break from all the infertility tests and treatments I’ve gone through and took the time to relax and be good to myself.  It feels great to do that once in a while… to keep your mind away from the infertility thing and simply enjoy life.  You should do that! J

 

For these past few months, I did not undergo any infertility tests or treatments… none at all.  Though I hope I could tell you that I am already pregnant, but sad to say, I am not.  If only I have been pregnant already, I would most probably be almost due to give birth… hahaha! That was how long, I’ve been away... 

Though away from blogging, I have been actively answering emails from this site and am very happy to have gained quite a number of virtual friends who I have been exchanging emails or phone calls ever since.  It really does help to know that we are not alone in our plight and that somehow we can relate with one another through our experiences and thereby draw strength, encouragement, advice and empathy from each other.

This also reminded me again that my biological clock is ticking.  That I need to wake up and start to do something, before it is too late.  

To quote from Mark Twain: “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover.”

To make up for the lost posting time, I’ll share with you what I’ve been busy doing for the last few months in my succeeding posts.  

Stay tuned!