Wade and I have been together for nearly eight years. We’ve traveled and shared so many memories – music festivals, concerts, road trips, running through Spain, hiking the Grand Canyon, tying the knot in Penticton, three weeks traveling around New Zealand on our honeymoon, training together and competing in marathons, fondos, and ultramarathons, starting our own business, supporting each other through schooling, and adopting our sweet Millie pup from Mexico one year ago. People always tell you to do everything you want to do, and go on all the trips before you decide to have kids. I’d say we did a pretty good job of checking off most of the big boxes!
We had been wanting and trying to get pregnant well over a year ago, back in 2020. It seemed like everyone around us was getting pregnant – yes, in addition to adopting dogs during Covid, people were also busy making babies! To be honest, I thought it was one of those things that happened on the first or second try. After all, we’re both healthy, young, and fit. Couldn’t be that difficult, right? Sperm meets eggs, you make a baby, and the rest is history. Okay, not that simple!
Fast forward a year and a half later, and still not pregnant. I was starting to wonder if there was something wrong with me, or with Wade, for that matter; all this time I just assumed I could get pregnant whenever I pleased, like the flick of a switch. Both of us eat a healthy, well balanced diet of mostly whole foods, we both sleep well and prioritize stress management, exercise daily (strength training, running, hiking etc), buy organic, and take high quality supplements. I should mention that I had been taking a prenatal vitamin for over a year at this point as well (in addition to Vitamin D, Iron, and Magnesium for sleep/muscle recovery).
We reached out to a fertility clinic, and started doing some testing early October 2021. A couple of months prior, I also started going to see an acupuncturist – Dr. Che – after hearing about some positive pregnancy success stories. Dr. Che was very confident that as a result of our work together, I’d be pregnant in a few months. I wasn’t so sure, but he assured me “you’ll be bringing me a bottle of wine to thank me in a few months time!” I’ve always been a strong believer in functional and holistic medicine approaches, and even more so since becoming a Holistic Nutritionist and seeing the power of healing through food and lifestyle changes.
I kept going to my weekly acupuncture appointments for about two months. He gave me some Chinese herbs to take daily, and told me not to overdo it in the exercise/stress department. Easier said than done when you’re a go-go-go business owner who loves to workout!
On Sunday, November 7th, I decided to take a pregnancy test. My period was 3 or 4 days late at that point, and my boobs felt bigger. I had a feeling I was pregnant, so I didn’t hesitate to wait any longer before taking a test. I also didn’t let myself get too excited and get my hopes up. I was in the mall (Park Royal for those of you who live in Vancouver) at the time, and had an hour to kill before Wade picked me up. So I purchased a pregnancy test from Shoppers, and went into the washroom at the Bay, nerves racing, heart pounding out of my chest. I peed on the stick, and waited for what felt like the longest 3 minutes of my life. And then it emerged, the little + sign I had been anticipating for over a year! I was shaking at this point, it was so surreal, and so exciting. Unfortunately wandering around the Bay by yourself, after just finding out you are pregnant is one might say, anticlimactic.
Wade pulled up out front to pick me up. Before I hopped in the car, I motioned for him to roll the window down. “Hey babe! I got you something. Hold out your hand, and close your eyes…no peeking!” I placed the freshly peed on pregnancy stick in his hand, and he opened his eyes. It took him a few seconds to realize what it was, and then he freaked out, jumped out of the car and gave me a huge hug and kiss. It’s one of the special moments you just never forget.