I thought I was past the bleeding that had occurred before my 12 week OB appointment, but when it occurred again, I got worried. I had read that some women do bleed some during pregnancy, but after experiencing a miscarriage, I didn’t want to just assume I was alright. I questioned everything every time it happened. Was this just a part of this pregnancy?! Was this something to be worried about? Could the bleeding lead to a miscarriage again or an early labor?? Thoughts raced in my head. I took it easy & my bleeding would lessen again. But when it continued to happen for weeks off and on, I wanted to know why & what was causing it. I reached out to my doctor, explaining the situation and sent pictures of what I was experiencing. My doctor & nurses replied saying it could be normal, but we could begin progesterone supplementation if needed. The doula I had used with Peyton had made mention of progesterone levels and that low progesterone levels could be part of my problem. At this point, i really had no idea what progesterone was, what it helped with, or even how to know how much progesterone I had. So I began researching.
Did you know progesterone is often referred to as the happy hormone and the pregnancy hormone?! It is extremely important in women but especially if you are trying to get pregnant or stay pregnant?! Progesterone is essentially what helps a woman get pregnant and helps her remain pregnant. There are lot of things that can mess with your progesterone levels, making it harder to conceive or carry a baby to fill term. One of those things is stress. How many of us women are stressed?! Id say many of us women probably find ourselves stressed on a daily basis which can lead to a whole host of physical concerns.
I talked with my doctor before making the move to Ohio and was given progesterone supplements to take each night. And As I researched, I found some other ways of increasing my progesterone naturally, along with working on stress management strategies and lowering my cortisol levels.
I began adding in more healthy fats & foods like peanuts, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, & avocados, and food rich in magnesium to help my progesterone levels rise. These don’t necessarily produce progesterone but they can help to stimulate the body’s production of progesterone. I also made it a habit to eat something before having my normal cup of coffee in the morning! Im not always 100% at this, but the days I am more consistent with this I felt better overall.
Having coffee immediately upon waking can spike the blood sugar and can affect your cortisol levels, the hormone most associated with stress. I was trying to keep my stress levels lower & Knowing that my cortisol levels many times are higher in the am & how caffeine could make it higher, I decided to eat something small and to drink an adrenal cocktail ( mocktail) before drinking coffee.
Adrenal cocktails have become all the rage & I for one am glad more women are beginning to think about the things they are putting in their bodies & looking for more natural means of helping their bodies function better! And here’s something cool… Researchers believe that the ovaries take in ascorbic acid right before ovulation, which then facilitates a strong ovulation. In a 2003 study, women who took Vitamin C had a significant increase in progesterone levels and a higher pregnancy rate than those who did not.
My adrenal cocktail is super easy but I thought I’d share it below! I feel like it has been helping me balance my hormones a little better each day and lower my cortisol levels ( stress levels) to help my progesterone levels continue to rise.
* I am not a doctor but I am just sharing what has helped me on this journey in hopes that I can help another mama or woman battling infertility. Maybe trying some of these things above can help you as well! I would definitely talk with your doctor & look into your progesterone levels if you have had trouble getting pregnant or staying pregnant.
Be on the lookout for more info on progesterone & natural ways to increase it!
Adrenal cocktail recipe 👇🏻
My adrenal cocktail is simple: equal parts orange juice( real juice, not concentrate) and coconut water ( check labels that it doesn’t have added sugar), a pinch of Himalayan pink salt & 1/4 tsp of cream of tarter. Give it a try! Tag me @erinruscel on insta if you do! ❤️🥰
Love y’all! Thanks for following along! 🙂
