Featured Slider

Ultrasound at 33weeks

 


05.25.2022 I saw my little man today together with my mom. Look at that chubby cheeks, pouty lips and cute nose. He is weighing 4lbs 4oz and moving around mommy’s tummy just fine. 

We can’t wait to meet you but for now stay in mommy’s tummy and grow healthier & healthier by the day. 

💙





Happy Easter 2022 - HE IS RISEN


 I hope you all had a wonderful Easter celebration and reminded of 

God's unconditional love for us.























SHAMAYIM - Heaven







 

Part Two: Infertility Journey (Diet and Herbal Natural Fertility)

My regular Ob-gyn can't do anything anymore. I am okay with it. At least, now I know that even if I am having period, I am not releasing egg because I am not ovulating.  She advised me to go ahead see a reproductive specialist. She kept her promise and did exhausted all the tests she can to somehow know what is really happening to me. Oh! I forgot to mention that she ordered to have my hubby's boys checked out too. Hubby's boys are all swimming just fine. I am super thankful for this doctor who really cares and listened. 

Mid 2013 I decided to do the Cohen Diet. There are just great claims that a lot of women who are struggling with infertility are getting pregnant and their hormonal imbalance is fixed because of this healthy eating. It is a six month diet program. The target weight that I need to achieve is 116lbs. I didn't achieve my target weight but from 135lbs to 120lbs. It was just a bonus for me to loose weight but doing the diet makes me feel great and I got my period every month. My cycle became regular. I am the happiest even though I didn't get pregnant with Cohen Diet but knowing just eating the right diet can heal your body is just amazing. So, Cohen Diet -done. 

2014 I decided to go natural way. I found this website called natural fertility https://natural-fertility-info.com/. I paid for consultation to help me navigate how to start with their herbal treatment and or what is the best to take for my specific case. They suggested  was Maca powder, Fertility Green (this is what I love the most), CoQ10, DIM Complete and their extracts (like oils you add to your drink or salad?). I only tried it once, I can't take the smell and taste of the extract. I never re-order them. 

All the vitamins, I made it part of my diet and I even loved doing my smoothie because of their Fertility Green powder. 

I did all these for about one - two years but still no pregnancy. My period is  on and off again. I feel so defeated at times but I need to just have faith that God is in control and all HIS promises are true.

I went to my primary physician and it was in a different location and I saw that on the opposite side of my primary physician's office is an Ob-gyn. I decided to do a google search about this doctor and decided to give it a another try. I booked an appointment and saw her and talked to her. It was a mistake. She was very rough on me. She told me why I am not still seeing a reproductive specialist considering my age. And basically, told me it's a dead end for the two of us. Yup!

In all honesty, I was really hoping and praying that I don't have to go to a reproductive specialist because I know for sure, that insurance usually doesn't cover expenses for infertility. That's one reason I keep on trying different Ob-gyn. 

Also I did Cohen diet and natural fertility treatment because I am a big believer that proper diet can fix and heal your body. I didn't regret doing it all because I know it helped me somehow. Even though it didn't give me the result I really wanted but it made me come to a decision that it is time...

After five different Ob-gyn, fall of 2016 we decided to see reproductive specialist. 

Part One: Infertility Journey (Ob-gyn Hopping & Fact Findings)

 

I was so happy that my hubby was onboard. So, I searched for OB-GYN in the area that specializes in PCOS. I found one and decided to book an appointment with her. Our first meeting was pleasant and she told me what we can do to help me. I was given a medication to induce my menses and after that I need to take clomid. The Ob-gyn started me with a low dosage of clomid first and as for the medication for menses, it worked like a charm. I'll get my period on the date they told me that I'll expect to have a period but with clomid I am not sure what it is doing. They are just guiding me when is the best time to baby dance with hubby and also they told me to buy some ovulation testing kit so I would know exactly when is my peak time. 

During this time, I only bought pee stick ovulation kit but I really don't know how to read it, as it is my first time to use it but I know for sure it is frustrating. 😅 I did two rounds of treatment with her. For the second round the doctor changed clomid to higher dosage but still no pregnancy.  My hubby told me it's okay if I want to hold off for now with all the meds I am taking and take a rest from the treatment. I did exactly that. 

2012 we moved to a different state and bought a house. I gotten so busy with our new home and exploring our new city-Pittsburgh. I didn't forget about it, I am always praying that it will just happen naturally for us to get pregnant. I just try not to stress about it but sometimes it's so hard to fight it. I was at the stage of my life that time where all my friends are getting pregnant. Yup! 😭 

Good news though, my period gotten more regular. I will get it one month then sometimes I won't see it again after two months. The funny thing about it, is I am sort of expecting that I am expecting lol. I always have a pregnancy test from the cheapest kind to expensive pregnancy test. It always test negative no matter how cheap it is or how expensive it is! It was heartbreaking.

I didn't take anything to regulate my period. I guess it's just the perks of being married. It is still not every month but it's better than only having it 1-2times a year. That's a great news for me. It's a start. 

Towards end of 2013, I decided to look for Ob-gyn around the area just so I'll get to know the doctors that I would like and also I am due for routine annual check-up. I went to the first doctor I met and decided to tell her that I am having issue - I am not getting pregnant. I told her we are not preventing it either. She decided to give me medications again like the usual - one for regulating my period then clomid. I don't remember anymore if I even did the treatment with her. I was just so disappointed that it wasn't explained to what is really wrong with me. I moved on to a different Ob-gyn. 

This younger Ob-gyn is more attentive. I told her that I wanted to know first what is happening to me before I start with any medications. So, if I need to do drastic change in my lifestyle I will do it. She explained to me that she will help to the best capacity she can but beyond that I need to see a "specialist". I was thinking... Ah now I get it. They are just limited to what tests they can order or do. 

She ordered bloodwork for me and also we did Hysterosalpingography or HSG. I was happy with her. All my bloodwork came back good and my HSG test was good too- no blockage in my uterus and fallopian tube. We started with the treatment... of course, medication to induce menses and then after clomid. One thing was different she would always check my progesterone after I am done taking my clomid. My progesterone is too low even after my clomid intake. I asked my doctor what does it mean... she said that progesterone confirms if you ovulated. 

So, 

I AM NOT OVULATING...


https://www.xoxohannahmichael.com/2022/01/part-two-infertility-journey-diet-and.html

Intro: Infertility Journey

A little background about me -specifically my reproductive health. I started having irregular period in my twenties. I guess you know, life happens. Reality sets in... college is almost over and I need to look for stable job plus the thought of... will I ever meet the one for me. LOL! Those might be factors that changed my period cycle. #stress

I decided to seek for medical advice as I'll get my period only 1-2 times a year and sometimes to none. The doctor put me on a birth control to regulate my cycle. It helped, but I don't want to be dependent on it just to regulate my cycle so I stopped. The doctor also mentioned that I have Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and advised me, if I want to have a baby make sure that I'll act on it fast because I will have a hard time later on. I was twenty three when I was having this conversation with my doctor. I know in my heart, I want to have a family but I was super young and I still want to accomplish somethings or do things. My heart was shattered and somehow my hope too but I decided to hold on to my faith and believe that HE IS IN CONTROL no matter what the doctor said. 

I had the best single life with my wonderful friends and family, was even able to worked outside my native country. I was able to travel with my own money and get to travel with my mom or dad and sometimes the whole family. I never stress or worry about my irregular cycle. I tried to eat healthy and always pray about it. 

Year 2010, I met my husband. I was twenty seven then and we tied the knot year 2011. I was twenty eight and he was thirty four. It was actually the exact age (twenty eight) I prayed for to get married ten years ago when I attended this camp called "true love waits", I was eighteen or nineteen then. How amazing God is!

Me and my hubby even before we got married, talked about having family and we are okay having a bunch of babies. I even asked him how many kids he would like to have, he said a basketball team. Yay! 

We never prevented to get pregnant but at the same time we are not trying either. We just want to enjoy early stage of our married life. If it happens, it happens. That's what we both agreed on. I was okay with it and one year has passed I started to get a bit worried. I shared to my hubby my worry and he said that I can go to see a doctor. Hubby wasn't worried about it but he understands my worry.

The next blogs are series of doctors I've met, treatments I did and other things that I did to help myself  and improve my health. 

I do hope that this blog will find comfort to some and hope to all women out there who is struggling and battling infertility.


ANNOUCEMENT FOR 2021`


We are finally PREGNANT!

 After ten years battling with infertility. 😭

 I tested on November 5, 2021 and  got very faint line on my test. I messaged my infertility specialist with the exact photo as shown but the nurse said it's so hard to tell on the photo.

But I know I am pregnant because for the ten years I am doing pregnancy test 

I never get faint line at all. 


So yes! WE ARE PREGNANT!


All bloodwork confirmed my human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)!!!