Welcome to my blog.
We are an Australian couple, currently living in Taiwan as English teachers. On top of trying to learn Chinese and trying not to die everyday on the crazy Taiwanese roads, we are also trying to conceive our first child through using Chinese medicine. Join us on our journey through herbs and acupuncture, and every day Taiwanese life.

Friday 8 June 2012


So yesterday (CD28 12 or 14DPO) I mentioned to Mr Man that I was either 1 day or 3 days late (depending on which FF O date you believe) and decided we would test.
I looked at the test and saw a shadow and was like, "no, it can't be".
I brought it downstairs to Mr Man and just said "tell me i'm seeing things" He could see it too and when it got darker I freaked out and ran back upstairs to do another test. Same thing. Freaked out again and ran to the shops to buy another one. Yep, 2 lines each on 3 tests from 3 different makers..
Unfortunately as we are living in Taiwan I cant get a FR but still! A line is a line and wow! Add another test to the list this morning and we have quite a collection (and another 4 freshly bought tests in my bag! lol)

Obsessed much?

But after 2+ years, I just never even dared to allow myself to even consider that I could be. I honestly believed that HPT's were evil things that only ever had 1 line on them. I thought even if I did eventually get pregnant that I would one of those freaks that never ever gets a positive HPT.

But, well, there you go, pigs really do fly sometimes afterall!

So we are still more shocked than excited. I don't feel any different except my (0.0.)'s are huge and sooo sore, and my tummy feels bloated, or swollen maybe? And I'm still getting the occasional cramp like an O cramp down low on my left hand side.

I'll go to the doctors next Thursday and see what the procedure is over here.

Anyway, things we did different this cycle are:

GLUTEN - I totally cut gluten out of my diet for 2 months. I'm not sure if this helped or not, but for the last couple of days I have started eating soy again (as I was sooo convinced AF was coming) and was up at 3am with weird tummy cramps.. So no more soy for me.

EPO - This was our first cycle using EPO. As all of the other tests had come back clear I wondered if my CM wasn't healthy and gave it a try.

IRON supplements - I have been feeling lethargic for a while so put myself on dissolvable iron tablets (like berocca) and had one a day since CD1.

REIKI and positive reinforcement - As is typical, I get paid to do Reiki on others but never "have the time" to do it on myself. Since around O though I have been putting my hands on my belly in bed at night and saying "My body knows how to conceive and nurture a child". I don't know if it helped with conception, but it sure has helped me now. I feel so confident and trusting in the pregnancy and I truly believe this is the reason why.

BIABP