[reyna68]

Good luck to all of you trying the TCM way. I really believe that it improves your health, which can only help with IF. I've been seeing an accupuncturist off and on for years, but it wasn't until this past January, after my 2nd failed IVF that I got really serious about doing everything she asked me to do. Namely, no cold foods, lots of organic fruits and vegetables (especially leafy greens and cruciferous veggies like broccoli), no more coffee, very little alcohol, and reducing stress through yoga and more sleep. So I started doing that in January and in April I found out I was pregnant!

I did miscarry, but I'm emboldened by the fact that I got pregnant at all, given the odds that our RE gave us, even if my DH didn't have MF issues. So as my friend who is a Dr. said to me, "If it happened once, it can certainly happen again." I'm living by those words right now.

Ann -- I haven't taken baby aspirin. I've heard that it may help women with recurrent miscarriages because it is a blood thinner and so can help prevent blood clots, especially around the placenta. So, since this (at least so far) doesn't seem to be a problem with me, I don't take it.

cocosmoma -- I'm doing the no cold food diet. My accupuncturist insists on it, but she has an 80/20 rule. She says, 80% of the time follow the diet/lifestyle/exercise rules and 20% of the time do whatever you want. It's been working really well for me because it feels like I can still treat myself sometimes (mmmm...ice cream!). But for ideas -- here's some stuff that I do:

Breakfast: Most days I eat oatmeal with blueberries and/or rasperries. On week-ends I often eat some kind of egg thing. My favorites is eggs scrambled with diced kale, onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes with cumin and chili pepper wrapped up in corn tortillas.

Lunch: Usually reheated leftovers from dinner. If not, I'll go to the local tacqueria for black bean tacos. Or I'll do a half-hot meal and get soup and salad.

Dinner: This one's easy since I usually eat something hot anyway. One of my current favorites is hormone free roasted pork tenderloin and roasted vegetables. You can throw it all in one pot together and cook it all at the same time. Mix up a rub with star anise, cayenne, coriander, ginger, and cinnamon, and rub that on the pork first, flash fry it on high heat to brown the outside, and then pop it all in the oven. Those spices are warming spices, so that helps too. Some of the best vegetables for warming you up are winter root veggies like sweet potato, carrots, and parsnips. I often throw in some green apple or tomato as well for tartness.

I just got AF yesterday, so I busted out my fertility monitor and basal thermometer. Here we go again...

for all of us!

sharon