Lets talk about periods.

   So today is my first day of Femara. It's a medicine used in breast cancer treatment, that has also been found to induce ovulation. I expected angels to sing, I was so excited to take it! Little bit nervous, mostly excited. 

   There are 2 main medicines Dr's recommend for this phase of TTC.  Clomid is the tried & true one while Femara is the new kid on the scene.  Clomid has nastier side effects like hot flashes, mood swings, headaches & cramping. It goes through the centers in the brain to induce ovulation by decreasing the sensors ect. Femara goes straight to the ovaries to suppress estrogen which will (hopefully) induce ovulation. So, less side effects hopefully. (of course, every person has different experiences.)

  I'm taking it on cycle days 5-9. Really, its amazing how well this schedule/cycle worked out. On my 1st Dr. appt. with my new Dr. I was on cycle day 2. Which allowed for blood tests, and to jump right into the femara treatments. I have gone 83 days in between cycles. This last one was 54 days. So to start my cycle the day before is kind of a miracle. (Maybe God is actually on my side with this after all?) They could have induced a period...but really, who wants to do that?

Speaking of periods, I just want to address this little gem I discovered a few months ago at my local Whole Foods. 

The Diva Cup. 

It's a menstrual cup, and it goes in your vagina. 

I had a lot of concerns when I bought it. I mean, it did cost me about $40. Thats a lot of money for something that you use maybe 12 times a year.  Especially if it sucks. It's not like you can re-sell it.  What if it hurts? What if it leaks?

Best. periods.ever. 

Lets go over the basics. It's a soft silicone cup, about the length of my thumb. It collects the menstrual blood instead of absorbing it. You can leave it in for up to 15 hours (or more depending on your flow, but I wouldn't recommend it for an everyday thing.) Theres 2 sizes: sz 1. is if you're less than 30 w/ no kids, sz. 2 is if you're over 30 or have had kids.

 You have to insert it and take it out- that means touching your vagina. You might get blood on your hands (oh no!) since you know, you're on your period. 

Maybe I have a high gross out factor. I mean, I stick my hands in open abdominal cavities a lot. I clean up a lot of vaginas up after delivery. I insert catheters, and  give bed baths and help with bed pans & bedside commodes. Granted, I'm wearing gloves for all of these, but I get blood & other bodily fluids on me on a regular basis, mine is the least likely to gross me out. 

My reasoning for needing to switch over from tampons was where we moved to. A townhome with older plumbing. Did you know that you're not actually supposed to flush tampons? Apparently they absorb fluid and block pipes. Huh. Who would've guessed?

So I tried it. Apparently there are youtube videos dedicated to different folds you can use to insert. I used the push down fold in the instructions. And it worked, no problem. 

They're so much more comfortable than tampons! I repeat: SO.MUCH.MORE.COMFORTABLE.

Think about it, a tampon is a giant wad of cotton that absorbs blood. It gets bigger, and pushes against the walls of the vagina. You can feel it. And then it starts leaking. If it doesn't absorb blood, it absorbs the natural secretions from your vaginal wall, making it particularly painful to remove.  The Cup is soft silicone, it's malleable. It forms to the walls of the vagina, even when full (as opposed to pushing against.)

Have you ever taken a sublingual tablet? It's one of those pills you stick under your tounge. The skin in your vagina is the same skin in your mouth (think about that in depth at some point.) You absorb nutrients, and chemicals easily through that skin. Have you ever looked to see whats in tampons? It's not just cotton. The biggest red light is dioxin.  Research directly links dioxin with endometriosis, infertility and cancer.

Read this article for more info http://www.thekeeper.com/tampons.html

Plus, it's cheaper in the long run, and better for the environment.

I don't believe in a "happy period" like some feminine hygiene brands would like. They suck. They hurt, I feel fat, I cry a lot, I make other people cry. They're not good things. (Especially when you're SURE that this is the month for a BFP.) This makes it suck a little bit less though.