We've been trying to get pregnant again since last December. I had gotten my period back about 2 months after having Joey, and since Jonathan and I knew that we wanted our children pretty close in age, we decided that we wouldn't prevent me from getting pregnant (I've never been on birth control and I never will go on it). I was expecting to get pregnant within 6 months like last time, but after 6 months went by, it was getting depressing to keep getting negative tests.
I have a friend who has adrenal fatigue. We've had a lot of discussions about adrenal fatigue, estrogen dominance, and just about anything related to the stress hormones.
I'm 99% sure I have estrogen dominance/low progesterone (they're the same thing). The stress of living with my mom has put me into a constant "fight or flight" response (high cortisol). When people who are healthy (and not stressed out like I am) are stressed out, cortisol levels go up, and then it goes back down after the stressful time is over. For me, I am in a constant-stress place. My cortisol levels do not go back down.
Here is a chart to help better understand how cortisol and progesterone are connected.
^^This is a link to even more information on adrenal fatigue.
My problem is that I am under constant stress (high cortisol). To make cortisol, you need progesterone. I need a lot of cortisol because I am under a lot of stress. There is not enough progesterone to "go around" for the rest of my body (like my reproductive hormones and my kidneys). I've had a few UTIs this last year. I also consider myself infertile right now, since it's been one year since we've started trying (one year for under 35 years old, 6 months for 35+).
When we got married, we decided that we wanted to have children whenever God wanted us to (no preventing). We lived with my mother for about 4 months or so. The month we moved to Rexburg is the month I got pregnant. I don't think there is any coincidence with that. I believe that I had some high-cortisol-related-low-progesterone at that time.
I worry that I've been under so much stress that I'll have to get some help from a Reproductive Endocrinologist (an RE which are doctors who specialize in infertility). I hope that it will just "work itself out" in the next few months, after we move.
I think everyone should learn "this stuff"; learning about what hormones (and lack of hormones, or too much of one hormone) can do to your body, and how we can keep ourselves healthy. I've been researching "this stuff" for a few months now, and I'm learning something new and interesting every day! I'm becoming more in tune with my body. The more you know, the better your life can be!
No comments:
Post a Comment