I am 17DPO today, which means AF should arrive today or tomorrow. Sheesh, my Luteal Phase is so LONG! (The one advantage to this is that I actually long for AF to get here just so I can start a new cycle. )
I wanted to review and record my thoughts/experiences with the Fertility Cleanse Kit I did this cycle, as prescribed by Hethir Rodriguez (Holistic Medical Practioner and Herbalist) from http://natural-fertility-info.com/. The herbs and the Fertility Kit itself is actually produced by Crystal Star of Healthy Healing (pictured above), and I assume it is just distributed on their behalf. Here is the kit if you want to see it directly: http://www.healthyhealing.com/catalog/ProductFamily.aspx?id=131&srcID=2&srcTarget=Department. You will notice that the directions provided by Crystal Star are different from Hethir's instructions on how to use the kit. I think it would be fine to do the cleanse either way, but I liked doing the whole cleanse in one cycle as prescribed by Hethir, so I followed her directions.
First of all, the cleanse did not change my Ovulation date. I O'd right on time for me, which is CD12, and it has not changed the length of my Luteal Phase time either (which is usually 16/17 days, so about as long as it gets). The herbs were not difficult to take or to remember since I did them every morning with breakfast and in the evening with dinner. I drank the last cup of tea each night in my comfy chair, which has become a nice ritual. The teas tasted okay too...they're not the tastiest, but not bad either. Then again, I am a tea drinker. You will need to get used to preparing the loose tea with a tea ball of your own (if you don't normally).
I did try my best to eat better by adding more fresh fruits and vegetables and cut out soy (I am a vegetarian and so normally eat a lot of soy products). However, I'm not convinced that soy causes me any problems as I have always felt healthier/better in general since becoming a veggie and using soy instead of ingesting meat and dairy. I also did some exfoliating this cycle but didn't have/make time for the massages she suggests except once, which woud have been nice to add.
What I did notice was different this cycle, is that my hormonally related symptoms seemed much less, and much better in general. I usually have really awful PMS and even raging symptoms during the 2ww, but in this cycle everything felt toned down and was simply not that noticeable. My breasts hurt less, I had less bloating, and I felt less cranky. I have been recording my symptoms for over a year now and in this cycle I had less symptoms than in any other cycle preceeding it. It has certainly been more comfortable for me and it leads me to hope/believe that perhaps the herbs have done a good job of cleansing and basically regulating my wacky hormones somewhat. I have also been a little more "regular" and I believe I had more Cervical Fluid throughout my entire cycle, which could be a function of the cleansing or just hormonally related.
I would ultimately recommend the Fertility Cleanse Kit because it has had a positive impact on me physically and because it helped me to feel that I was doing something good for myself (self-care) and to feel as though I have prepared my body more fully for a future pregnancy. I did not have severe conditions to deal with however, as my cycles are very regular, so I can't comment on it from that perspective. But for some mild hormonal issues, I feel like this has benefited me.
I am really ready to move on to Cycle #20 and am hoping THIS will be our cycle!
