Have You Had Your Vitamin D Today?

More and more research is coming out to state that Vitamin D can be a major player in infertility. In a study conducted by Yale University an astonishing 93 percent of women suffering from Infertility are Vitamin D deficient. Most women have no clue about Vitamin D and the role it plays in women's health. Vitamin D and Calcium are two of the most important supplements in our lives. Two supplements that we are frequently lacking.

There are a lot of studies being done to research Vitamin D deficiency and PCOS. I found out right before our IVF began that I was Vitamin D deficient. I began supplementing my daily diet with Vitamin D. The problem with Vitamin D is that obtaining it is nearly impossible. There are very few foods that contain Vitamin D. Sunlight is our main source, but we rarely get enough. Even those that go into the sun tend to use sunscreen which means little to no Vitamin D is getting through. Research suggests to get at least 15 minutes of sun exposure 3 times a week to satisfy your body's need for it.

There are so many benefits to having the correct levels of Vitamin D. Are you overweight? Vitamin D might help your weight loss. Do you have hypertension? Vitamin D might lower your blood pressure. Are you chronically tired? Low levels of Vitamin D might be a culprit. Are you Insulin Resistant? Getting your Vitamin D levels up might help this condition. Low levels of Vitamin D can lead to Osteoporosis. It can also help breast health and assist with preventing cancer.

If you think that you might be Vitamin D deficient, talk to your doctor. There is a specific blood test that would need to be run in order to determine if you are indeed deficient. I truly believe in all of my research that Vitamin D is really a "super supplement", but it can be toxic if to much is taken. Depending on if you just have low levels of Vitamin D OR if you have a Clinical deficiency the amount of Vitamin D needed will vary. Typical levels are suggested at 1000IU daily. Women with severe Clinical deficiencies have been given upwards of 50,000IU on a weekly/biweekly or monthly basis.

If you are lacking menstrual cycles or are anovulatory, Vitamin D is shown to regulate these issues in most women within 3 months of supplementation; it has also been shown to assist women in achieving pregnancy after cycles have been regulated. Oh! Have I mentioned that men with male factor issues are also shown to have low levels of Vitamin D? The correlation between low Vitamin D levels and infertility is amazing. Do some research of your own. Make up your own mind. Talk to your doctor. What do you have to lose? Nothing in my opinion, you just might better your health... You just might assist your own pregnancy journey.

It's a sign... in my eyes...

I finally got a return phone call from my General Physician's office about my Vitamin D results. It turns out my levels are pretty low and I will need to be on a daily supplement (my prenatal vitamin alone isn't enough). The nurse wanted to make it VERY clear to me that I MUST take this every day. She told me that calcium and Vitamin D are two of the most important supplements that a woman can take.

Rick and I have been reading up plenty about Vitamin D and are very surprised at everything that Vitamin D can control. I was surprised when that list included obesity and hypertension. I'm hoping that maybe I will take off some more weight and my BP will stabilize once I am on a daily regime of this.

I was also very surprised by the fact that it can cause birth defects in pregnant women that have a deficiency. I've been wondering for SO LONG why we haven't been getting pregnant. I know it may seem silly to say that my GP might have saved our baby(ies) lives. I've been asking for signs. I would like to think that my sign came a week and a half ago when my GP called and said that he finally received my records from my old doctor. We were both surprised that I knew nothing of this issue, even though my previous GP ran a Vitamin D test which showed the low levels. I feel like it was a sign, especially before our IVF. I feel so much better knowing that I will have one more defense helping my body become the perfect home for our baby(ies).