Hello warrior a blog about infertility and miscarriage
 

by Arden Cartrette

 
 
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About

Hello Warrior, I’m Arden and I’m from small-town North Carolina where I live with my husband, Kerry, and our four dogs! Although I know that you have probably found my page because you are going through some sort of fertility struggle yourself, thank you for reading about our journey and the other Warriors that share here, too!

Learn More About Me
 
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
— Winston Churchill
Today on Hello Warrior, I wrote a blog post called “Infertility is…” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Here is a little bit from the blog post, visit the link in bio to read it all, I can’t fit it all in this caption.✨ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Infertility is being afraid to go to the bathroom because you are desperately hoping that Aunt Flo doesn’t arrive. 💔 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Infertility is thinking of every excuse you can to avoid family functions because the question of “when are you going to have children” makes you break down. 🤦‍♀️ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Infertility is wondering if you should have drank that extra cup of coffee because you could be pregnant. ☕️ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Infertility is Googling “symptoms of early pregnancy” month after month, just to get some validation that you aren’t crazy. 🤪 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Infertility is lonely and isolating because everyone around you seemed to get pregnant so easily. 🤰 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Infertility is learning to expect a negative pregnancy test because it might just save you from the disappointment. 👎 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Infertility is asking for money during the holidays so you can afford your fertility treatments. 💰 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
How sweet are these two fur babies? Kerry snapped this picture while we were napping yesterday during our snow day and I love it for so many reasons. Of course there is a part of my mind that pictures a moment like this with our future child. For those of you with dogs or cats, do you ever feel like they prepare you for parenthood? Trust me, I know they don’t compare but I honestly think my dogs have made me more maternal over the years! Is that even possible? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Patches and Beasley honestly don’t get along very often. I’ve never seen them sleep beside each other like this - it just shows how much they love me 💕 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I can’t wait to experience that unconditional love for a child. Who knows, maybe this time next year I’ll be posting a similar photo with a baby (our baby) in my arms. One can only hope 👊✨
FULL DISCLOSURE: This is a caffeinated coffee. Today Kerry came to me and told me that he hates to see me give up something for our fertility. He says that he’s watched me do this time and time again and each time I feel a little resentful. He isn’t wrong but it’s something I’ve worked hard on. He told me that he would like to see me reward myself and instead of cutting out my favorite coffee - just have one cup a week as a reward for my hard work. After some contemplation, I agreed. I do deserve a reward. Out of the last 9 days I’ve had zero caffeine. Out of the last 9 days I only drank decaf 3 times. I earned this one caffeine drink and I’m going to enjoy it. Don’t let infertility win y’all 👊 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I’m just trying to be transparent. I thought that to quit caffeine I should cut it out all together but Kerry brought it to my attention that I should have some sort of reward for the hard work that I do to prepare my body every cycle or pregnancy. And with our medicated cycle coming up, I’ve been a leeetle crazy about things. So I’m going to drink this Pike Place roast with extra almond milk (my favorite coffee ever) and enjoy it until next week, if I decide to reward myself again. 💪 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Also, if you look you can see a Smithfield’s sign in the background. I took this as a sign from God that I should beg Kerry to let us get it for dinner. 😂
This journey can be tough and it's full of questions. One question that you can actually get an answer to is if you've ovulated! Unlike OPKs that predict ovulation, Proov test strips allow you to confirm ovulation through tracking progesterone. For a chance to win a free Proov test kit, give them a follow @proovtest.  Winner will be announced on Monday 11/19.  Good luck, Warriors! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Open to US residents only! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you would like more information on Proov or to read about my experience using the product - head over the link in my bio! I show how to read them, what I learned from the strips and my HONEST product review! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * * * #fertilityawareness #fertilityjourney #fertilitytracking #fertility #pcos #pcospregnancy #pcoswarrior #pcosfighter #infertilitysupport #infertilitysucks #infertilityawareness #infertility #ovulation #ovulationtest #ttcjourney #ttcsupport #ttccommunity #ttcsisters #ttc #womenshealth #tryingtoconceive #opk #proov #proovtest #knowyourcycle #progesteronetest #beaproover
I would say “snow day” but in North Carolina it’s either slush or ice. Today, it’s slush. So slush day with this one 💕☃️
It’s a snow day here in North Carolina ☃️ and we are snowed in! I am a home body so I don’t mind being at home especially when we have power because then I can get some work done and focus on Hello Warrior! This pup is Sugar, my three-legged pit mix but thinks she’s a dachshund like her sisters. She is never this cuddly and she has had her head on my for hours - part of me looks too far into this sign and thinks “I’M PREGNANT” but we all know it’s too soon for me to know that and it’s far too soon for her to know that. ✨ But a girl can dream. ✨ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you live in an area that gets snow - what’s your favorite thing to do on snow days? Chances are we will still be here tomorrow.☃️
Can we take a minute to talk about self-esteem? Because sometimes it feels like I have 🅩🅔🅡🅞. Is anyone with me? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ When I was pregnant (geez, I really hate saying that) my skin started to go downhill. The trick is, I didn’t care because I was pregnant. Then when we miscarried my body went through ALLLLLLL types of changes and my skin got worse. For the last three or four months, I’ve had to fight really hard to love the person I see every morning in the mirror. My weight has changed, my skin has changed, my cycle has changed, my spirit has changed. It’s hard to go through so much change and come out on top but I am working really hard to end 2018 on a positive note. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I challenge you to think of at least ONE thing that you LOVE about yourself today! Now, if you are comfortable, comment below and share it with me! 🥰 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ For me, I’m really liking my curls today! I have a love/hate relationship with them but today it’s all 🅛🅞🅥🅔 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Now, it’s your turn 💕👊
Ya’ll, I’m going on five days without any caffeine and I feel like death. The withdrawals are REAL. ☕️ I’m falling asleep at my desk, hiding from any light, and feeling like I’m dying a slow death but once I get through this hump - that’s one step closer to a healthier me (and a healthier me with high quality eggs) 🥚 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Back in June 2017 when we first decided to start trying I actually stopped drinking coffee BUT I wasn’t an avid coffee drinker until I started working at my current job. We have a Starbucks across the street. I’ve always been a coffee lover but never had it daily. After our miscarriage, I started drinking a large coffee every morning and then would sometimes get another one in the afternoon. Drinking a lot of coffee (that contained A LOT of caffeine) was my way of showing my body who was actually winning. I was so angry at my body that I filled it with junk food, caffeine, and everything terrible. Now I’m paying the price. I’m roughly 10 pounds heavier and severely addicted to caffeine. 🤦‍♀️ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Now, I’m five days without caffeine. I have all of the terrible headaches, mood swings, irritability but I am PUSHING through this. I’ve started drinking a cup of decaf in the morning and that seems to help trick my mind for a little while but after lunchtime I go downhill. Any tips or tricks? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ As you all know, I’m reading “It Starts With The Egg” by @rebeccafett.author and I’ve learned so much about what I should and shouldn’t be putting in my body. Caffeine is one of those things. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ HAPPY FRIDAY, WARRIORS 💪