Quick question for those of you who practice NFP...
I'm on my 6th month of charting now after coming off the Pill (also 6 months off the Pill), and I'm noticing that I have a consistently short luteal phase. For anyone not familiar with the terminology, that's just the time from ovulation to menses, and it's a point of concern if one is trying to conceive because if it's too short, a conception might not have sufficient time to implant prior to menses. I count from the first day of temperature rise until the day before my period starts. Everything I read says that it should be 12-16 days, and that anything less than 10 is considered a potential fertility problem.
Mine have been 10 days long every month. I don't like this. Not that I'm trying to conceive (clearly), but I AM trying to get everything on-track in advance so that we're in the best possible position to conceive when the time comes. According to my book on nutrition and fertility, a short luteal phase is usually due to low progesterone, which can often be alleviated by bumping up one's vitamin B6 intake. I recently decided to start a new vitamin regimen (started about 2 weeks ago) to try to fix the problem, which includes a good prenatal vitamin (I checked the contents against the recommendations in my book - you'd be surprised how high the recommendations are compared to what the average prenatal vitamin contains!), extra vitamin D (because I was deficient at my last dr's appointment), extra B6 and an omega 3-6-9 capsule. Obviously that may take a few months to make any difference, so I'll just have to wait and see for a while.
So on to the questions... Have any of you dealt with a short luteal phase, and if so, what did you do to help lengthen it? Have any of you conceived despite having what might be considered a "short" luteal phase? That would make me feel better ;]
Thanks, Ladies!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Crunchy Granola, Anyone?
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I finally caught the "all natural" bug. It's MckMama's fault, really. She did a post about products she uses to clean her home, and it got me thinking...
First let me say this: I don't like the negative connotation placed on the word "chemical". THE ENTIRE WORLD IS CHEMISTRY, PEOPLE. We are nothing but organized conglomerations of "chemicals". That's just reality. Now, that said, I also realize that when most people say "chemicals", they are referring to something at least mildly toxic or hazardous. I just have a peeve about people saying they don't want to use "chemicals" or have "chemicals" in their food or whatever... everything is "chemicals" so let's just come to terms with that and move on. Good? Good.
...now, back to my train of thought. How often do we, even as adults (not to mention our children... which I, sadly, do not have... but that's neither here nor there!) put our hands in our mouths? Not fist-in-mouth obviously, but we all bite off the occasional hangnail, lick batter off our fingers while baking... you know what I'm talking about. And how often does our food touch our counter tops, or better yet, our plates and silverware? And while we try to clean all these things (including our hands) regularly, exactly what are we removing with our cleaners? Well, the better question is "what are we leaving behind?" We're removing stuck-on food from plates and kitty paw-prints from the counter tops (DON'T JUDGE ME. YOU try to keep cats off of the counter tops and let me know how it works out for ya!), but in many cases we're replacing those "messes" with harsh chemical residues.
I haven't even done any research into which cleaning chemicals are hazardous, or exactly what the nay-sayers claim the "hazards" are. I just know that I wouldn't swallow any of the cleaners I use, so maybe I should reconsider what I use on surfaces that I eat off of, or on my hands, etc. And when I think about having children around, I get even more concerned about residues ending up in tiny mouths, and then circulating through tiny systems that can't handle as much toxicity as my adult body can handle, and it makes me want to be even MORE careful.
Of course there's always the "my mom cleaned everything with straight bleach when I was growing up, and look at me! I turned out just fine!" argument. Which is, of course, a load of crap. You'll never know whether you "turned out just fine" or not. You'll never know whether your cognitive development could've gone a little better than it did, or if your childhood asthma had something to do with a harsh chemical you were repeatedly exposed to, or if you're going to develop cancer some day as a result of some laundry detergent you used. YOU'LL NEVER KNOW. So let's stop deluding ourselves into thinking that everything we've been exposed to in our lives must've been safe because we're not dead, and that if our moms used something then it must be safe. This entire argument is also (clearly) a peeve of mine.
The bottom line is, why NOT try to use safer, milder cleaners in our homes? Why NOT try to cut down on the fumes we inhale? Why NOT try to keep from ingesting harsh chemicals that aren't meant to be ingested?
Some might argue cost, and I can't quote exact price comparisons, but I was not at all blown away by the prices I paid at Target the other day when I decided to replace all of our hand soaps, dish soaps/detergents, and surface cleaners with "natural" alternatives that don't contain any unnecessary harshness. At Target, the Seventh Generation and Method cleaners both ran about the same price, so I allowed the Method marketing to lure me in (with their pretty colors and uniquely-shaped containers) and went with Method. There's also Green Works, but their stuff was all spread out all over the place - the Method stuff was just easier to peruse because it was all right there. I did get Green Works liquid dish soap, which smells lovely and works great so far. I also got Method kitchen cleaner and bathroom cleaner (both with disinfectant), disinfectant wipes, dishwasher tablets and hand soaps. Haven't tried the dishwasher tablets yet, but everything else works FABULOUSLY so far. The dishwasher tablets will be the true test... nobody wants to deal with dishes that are still dirty after running the dishwasher. When I told Ben I was switching to natural cleaners he got all "Well I do all the cleaning around here, so if they don't work well enough we're switching back!" Psh. As if I don't clean. (He really does do most of the cleaning, I won't lie...). I suppose he just doesn't buy the whole "dangerous chemicals" thing. Probably citing that argument about mom using them, in his own mind. I can't wait til he meets out first child and suddenly cares what residues are on the surfaces in our home. In fact, I can't wait for a whole LIST of "I told you so"'s that I'm storing up for that fine day... ;]
ANYWAY, tangent aside, I'm also considering switching laundry detergents. MckMama uses Goat's Milk Soaps in her home, and they sell a 5-lb tub of their laundry soap for $34. Sorta steep, right? Not to mention the shipping on a 5-lb tub of powdered detergent (YIKES!). Before shipping, it comes out to 26 cents per load if you only have to use 1 tbsp, but I think that for our washer (as in, not a high-efficiency washer) we'd have to use 2 tbsp, which doubles the price per load and makes it more expensive than Tide by quite a bit. Although I can't say I've ever counted how many loads I actually get out of one bottle of Tide. I bet it's far fewer than the number of loads that the bottle claims (which is how I calculated that Tide is costing me 21 cents per load). Maybe I'll start counting with my next new bottle. Anyway, I understand that Tide is supposed to be one of the worst detergents for irritants and perfumes and crap, but it clearly doesn't seem to irritate our skin, so I'm not TOO concerned about laundry detergents at this juncture. I'll be much more concerned once we have baby skin to worry about, but unfortunately there's no baby skin in my immediate future!
I'm also buying organic on the fruits and vegetables that are reported to absorb the most pesticides. According to WebMD, these include peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, strawberries, pears, nectarines, grapes, spinach, lettuce, potatoes and carrots. Of course, I don't know about your grocery store, but mine doesn't have an organic version of most of these things - at least not that I've noticed. Apples and carrots, maybe. So what's a girl to do, especially once the farmer's markets are done for the season? And it's not like all farmer's market stuff is organic, but at least it's local. And then, of course, there are the antibiotics and hormones in milk and meats. To be honest, meats and milk are expensive enough. I don't know that I'll be committing to going organic on those any time soon. There's just so much to think about, and I only have so much moolah to play with here. Soaps and cleaners are easier because I don't buy them all that often, but trying to go organic on more and more food items is a very expensive prospect!
Anyone have any suggestions for what to focus on as far as organic foods go, where to find these organic produce items, or which natural cleaners/soaps/detergents give you the best bang for your buck? Leave a comment!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Oh, right, I got a new job!
BY THE WAY... just realized I haven't written a post about my new job! Wouldn't want you all to think I'm just planning on sitting around the apartment for a year. Of course, that would be totally excusable if I had a child to care for... but uhhh... aaah, let's not go down that path today.
So, this new job. I'll be back at the Johns Hopkins Medical Campus in East Baltimore for the year, still working within the JH Cystic Fibrosis Research Development Center, but working for a different lab this time. I'll also be taking on a lot more responsibility than ever before... which is both exciting and terrifying! I'll be one of two "techs" in the lab - the people who not only carry out bench research, but also know where everything is, how all the equipment works, how to troubleshoot and fix the equipment, how to order stuff, etc (basically, they're the people I've always relied on to keep ME straight in the lab).
In addition to my lab responsibilities, I'll also be taking over the Research Coordinator position for a gigantic CF clinical research study called the CF Twin & Sibling Study. The study has gathered blood samples, clinical data, environmental data, family pedigrees, etc from almost 900 families all over the world who have twins or siblings with CF. The goal of the study is to better understand which genetic and environmental factors influence the course and progression of the disease to better predict outcomes and tailor treatments for specific patients. There are over 100 centers recruiting throughout Israel, Australia, Great Britain, and all over the US. That's a lot of data (and a huge database) to keep track of. The woman who is the current coordinator has been with the lab since the beginning of the study and has spent the past 8 years recruiting patients, maintaining contacts and managing data. And now she's handing it all over to me. OH my. There's still a little more recruiting to be done, so I'll be maintaining contact with the active recruitment centers, receiving and cataloging new data, extracting DNA from blood samples, doing some DNA sequencing and analysis, and possibly making some site visits to the active recruitment centers in the future. I'll also be responsible for maintaining the main database, as well as maintaining contact with the recruitment centers and contributing research labs with periodic reports on our progress.
Like I said, I'm a LITTLE terrified about taking on all this responsibility, but I'm also excited to finally have a "big girl" job ;] In my previous research positions, while I've enjoyed the projects I've been given, I haven't truly been challenged. There were times where I had to do some creative troubleshooting and really use my background knowledge to sort out problems with experiments, but I've always felt like I had way too much down-time. While down-time is nice sometimes, too much of it can be de-motivating, and I think that's what has happened to me over the years with research - I just haven't been motivated. I still may find that lab research is not for me in the long run, but I have high hopes that working in a more challenging position with more responsibility and PLENTY to keep me busy will be a much more enjoyable experience. And having the opportunity to continue contributing to CF research is a tremendous blessing - I'm SO thrilled to have found a position like this.
I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I found out about this position through my friend Liz. She had just graduated from high school this year, and this summer in Dr. Guggino's lab was her first research lab experience. She worked with me all summer and we really had a great time together. Her father, Dr. Garry Cutting, is also a researcher at Hopkins - it's his lab that I'll be working in. This position happened to come up at the same time that I was looking for a job, and he was looking for someone with exactly my qualifications - a strong research background and a medical background, a bachelor's degree but not fresh out of college, and someone who would eventually be moving on to something else. And it happens to be a perfect position from my perspective as well - it's uses my strong research background, keeps me exposed to the clinical side of things, and also gives me the opportunity to explore a side of research (clinical research) that I've never participated in before. I figure while I'm trying to decide what I want to do with my life, I might as well be trying something new! Anyway, talk about something falling straight out of heaven and into your lap... the perfect job, at the perfect time, and working with Liz this summer (before I ever knew I'd be leaving medical school) set me up to find out about the job and have an "in" to interview for it before it was ever posted!
God is good all the time, and all the time GOD IS GOOD!
So, this new job. I'll be back at the Johns Hopkins Medical Campus in East Baltimore for the year, still working within the JH Cystic Fibrosis Research Development Center, but working for a different lab this time. I'll also be taking on a lot more responsibility than ever before... which is both exciting and terrifying! I'll be one of two "techs" in the lab - the people who not only carry out bench research, but also know where everything is, how all the equipment works, how to troubleshoot and fix the equipment, how to order stuff, etc (basically, they're the people I've always relied on to keep ME straight in the lab).
In addition to my lab responsibilities, I'll also be taking over the Research Coordinator position for a gigantic CF clinical research study called the CF Twin & Sibling Study. The study has gathered blood samples, clinical data, environmental data, family pedigrees, etc from almost 900 families all over the world who have twins or siblings with CF. The goal of the study is to better understand which genetic and environmental factors influence the course and progression of the disease to better predict outcomes and tailor treatments for specific patients. There are over 100 centers recruiting throughout Israel, Australia, Great Britain, and all over the US. That's a lot of data (and a huge database) to keep track of. The woman who is the current coordinator has been with the lab since the beginning of the study and has spent the past 8 years recruiting patients, maintaining contacts and managing data. And now she's handing it all over to me. OH my. There's still a little more recruiting to be done, so I'll be maintaining contact with the active recruitment centers, receiving and cataloging new data, extracting DNA from blood samples, doing some DNA sequencing and analysis, and possibly making some site visits to the active recruitment centers in the future. I'll also be responsible for maintaining the main database, as well as maintaining contact with the recruitment centers and contributing research labs with periodic reports on our progress.
Like I said, I'm a LITTLE terrified about taking on all this responsibility, but I'm also excited to finally have a "big girl" job ;] In my previous research positions, while I've enjoyed the projects I've been given, I haven't truly been challenged. There were times where I had to do some creative troubleshooting and really use my background knowledge to sort out problems with experiments, but I've always felt like I had way too much down-time. While down-time is nice sometimes, too much of it can be de-motivating, and I think that's what has happened to me over the years with research - I just haven't been motivated. I still may find that lab research is not for me in the long run, but I have high hopes that working in a more challenging position with more responsibility and PLENTY to keep me busy will be a much more enjoyable experience. And having the opportunity to continue contributing to CF research is a tremendous blessing - I'm SO thrilled to have found a position like this.
I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I found out about this position through my friend Liz. She had just graduated from high school this year, and this summer in Dr. Guggino's lab was her first research lab experience. She worked with me all summer and we really had a great time together. Her father, Dr. Garry Cutting, is also a researcher at Hopkins - it's his lab that I'll be working in. This position happened to come up at the same time that I was looking for a job, and he was looking for someone with exactly my qualifications - a strong research background and a medical background, a bachelor's degree but not fresh out of college, and someone who would eventually be moving on to something else. And it happens to be a perfect position from my perspective as well - it's uses my strong research background, keeps me exposed to the clinical side of things, and also gives me the opportunity to explore a side of research (clinical research) that I've never participated in before. I figure while I'm trying to decide what I want to do with my life, I might as well be trying something new! Anyway, talk about something falling straight out of heaven and into your lap... the perfect job, at the perfect time, and working with Liz this summer (before I ever knew I'd be leaving medical school) set me up to find out about the job and have an "in" to interview for it before it was ever posted!
God is good all the time, and all the time GOD IS GOOD!
Bring on the Bling
Hi Friends!
I'm writing to share some fun stuff with you all :]
My fabulous mama...
...recently decided to start her own business selling Cookie Lee Jewelry. Lots of super cute stuff, all very affordable. And when I say affordable, I mean actually affordable. I don't know if you're familiar with other direct sales jewelry gigs (Lia Sophia, for example)... but their stuff can be VERY pricey. Cookie Lee jewelry tends to run on average $15-$40 a piece - perfect for Christmas gifts at this time of year, jewelry for bridesmaids, birthday gifts for friends, sisters, etc... all good stuff.
To give you a taste, here are some of my favorites...
Crystal Bubbles Cocktail Ring, $22
Jet Petals Necklace, $24
Vintage Allure Earrings, $24
Scrolled Stretch Ring, $20
Dancing Crystals Necklace, $34
Crystal Bezel Mix Bracelet - Sapphire, $34
Jet Shimmer Earrings, $18
Dramatic Jewels Bib Necklace, $32
Scattered Spice Oval Earrings, $32
Glam Rebel Bracelet, $29
Island Palm Earrings, $22
Of course I could go on, but I think that's good enough for now! So there it is - good quality stuff that won't fall apart, priced to afford, AND super-cute. Can't go wrong, my friends.
Start your Christmas shopping early, pick up a few new pieces to wear to that fall wedding you were invited to, or just get yourself a little something! There's nothing wrong with that.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
I will survive.
Well, I think I've recovered from Tuesday's tantrum. One day at a time... one day at a time. I know I'm not alone in the baby fever department. It just feels that way sometimes, since the dude I spend most of my time with doesn't have a CLUE what it's really like! He tries to be understanding, but I know that he doesn't quite believe me when I try to explain just how bad it is. Oh well. We all have our crosses, right?
I'm trying to channel all that nervous energy into other things, in the meantime. Ben reminded me that if I don't want to let this literally drive me insane, I need to at least make an effort to distract myself. First things first, I want (slash NEED) to get back into running more seriously. I recently had to drop out of a 5K that I was registered for, but I need to register for another one and get to work. I was having tendonitis problems, but now that that's rested and (hopefully) healed AND I got new running shoes yesterday, I have no more excuses. I also need a JOB. Sitting around here for the past 3 weeks with nothing but my own thoughts has NOT been healthy for my state of mind. The job situation should be worked out within the next few days, so hopefully this won't go on much longer. It's been nice, doing whatever the heck I want, but I'm getting bored and a little stir crazy!
I'm also working on getting a little more serious about my photography. Step one is holding me up a little (step one = get decent camera), but I'm hoping that with my birthday and the holidays coming up I'll be able to finagle the camera I want as a gift or buy it for myself with gift money :] Then it's just a matter of finding ways and/or opportunities to learn and practice. I really would like to establish photography as more of a structured hobby, because I don't exactly have any "real" hobbies in my life at the moment. Somehow that just doesn't seem quite right. Anyway, I have some ideas. I think for starters I may start trying to read up a little and educate myself more formally on the technical aspects. I think perhaps I'll head over to B&N later. No better time than the present, right?!
I'm trying to channel all that nervous energy into other things, in the meantime. Ben reminded me that if I don't want to let this literally drive me insane, I need to at least make an effort to distract myself. First things first, I want (slash NEED) to get back into running more seriously. I recently had to drop out of a 5K that I was registered for, but I need to register for another one and get to work. I was having tendonitis problems, but now that that's rested and (hopefully) healed AND I got new running shoes yesterday, I have no more excuses. I also need a JOB. Sitting around here for the past 3 weeks with nothing but my own thoughts has NOT been healthy for my state of mind. The job situation should be worked out within the next few days, so hopefully this won't go on much longer. It's been nice, doing whatever the heck I want, but I'm getting bored and a little stir crazy!
I'm also working on getting a little more serious about my photography. Step one is holding me up a little (step one = get decent camera), but I'm hoping that with my birthday and the holidays coming up I'll be able to finagle the camera I want as a gift or buy it for myself with gift money :] Then it's just a matter of finding ways and/or opportunities to learn and practice. I really would like to establish photography as more of a structured hobby, because I don't exactly have any "real" hobbies in my life at the moment. Somehow that just doesn't seem quite right. Anyway, I have some ideas. I think for starters I may start trying to read up a little and educate myself more formally on the technical aspects. I think perhaps I'll head over to B&N later. No better time than the present, right?!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Happy Anniversary, Crazy.
Well, I couldn't possibly pinpoint the exact date even if I had to, but I believe it's been just about one year since I came down with "the fever". Baby Fever, that is. I've always wanted kids, but I had no idea what it really meant to want kids until "it" hit me. Whoa. I was NOT prepared. I wish it was a real "fever" - a biological illness with clear blood work markers that I could use to prove to my husband just how serious it is. Physical evidence would be helpful. All the evidence I've got is locked away inside my head, which just makes me look like a crazy person. I suppose there might be some hormonal evidence lurking in my bloodstream, but I'm pretty sure that having blood drawn to check my estrogen level as proof of some life-threatening baby fever infection would REALLY make me look like a crazy person. Oye. What's a girl to do?
There's one obvious solution, of course. But I "can't" do that right now. Or so I'm told. For a long time it's sorta been the running joke... "Awww, Jenna wants kids so bad she's losing her mind... too bad she can't right now..." But that statement is beginning to feel less like a joke and more like a challenge these days. "Oh yeah? I can't have kids right now? WATCH ME." Ben said that to me yesterday, in fact. "You know it's not a good time right now. You know we can't." Actually, yes we can. It's very simple. In fact, there's still time THIS MONTH! We could do it NOW! All we have to do is... well... "do it" ;] Sure, it might not work out the very first time. So we keep going 'til it works. That's what people do!
I know, I sound like a crazy person right?! With all that's going on in my life, it's not the greatest time. With all that's left to be done, it's not the greatest time. Then again, as so many wise mothers before me have said, "there's never a convenient time to have kids." You're never "ready" and the timing is never "perfect". But what lays ahead in the immediate future always seems too overwhelming when you add a child to the mix, so you keep telling yourself "once that's done..."
Maybe I am nuts. And if I'm not quite certifiable just yet, I will be if this keeps up much longer. That's for sure. There's only so much a girl can take! I try to laugh it off, continuing to wait patiently for "my time". But that's getting harder and harder by the minute. It's freaking painful. It's completely impossible to explain, so I won't even bother. Just trust me, it's frickin' awful. Sometimes I wonder exactly who it is that's deciding what "my time" is. Usually it just feels like it's my life circumstances that are in control... who died and made them king of the universe?! I wish it was a real person, so I could... perhaps... STRANGLE that person. Grrrrr. Yeah, I'm nuts. Definitely nuts.
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