We are very excited to introduce a new deal site that is 100% focused on helping people save money on their family building journey – the first of its kind.

Subscribe today and you will begin to receive e-mails on a weekly basis with significant discounts, coupons and free offers on a variety of fertility products and services.    Simply click here and get started today, and be sure to share with others you know who are trying to conceive or thinking about adoption.

Hopefully we have made it abundantly clear that we truly care about making a difference for you. Those who are on their path to parenthood, we wake up every day with this single thought in our head. A fertility deal site makes great sense to us as it will help you save money while bringing you innovative ideas and information regarding fertility. Don’t worry! We will still be running full steam ahead on creating awesome mind-body programs for fertility and beyond.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

And if you are a vendor, company, service provider, or other interested in working with us on this endeavor, please reach out to Susan directly at sue@circlebloom.com.

Last week, I decided to do some internal spring cleaning. New Years resolutions aren’t for me, but when spring comes around, I totally want to remake over almost everything in my life.

I shared with you last week my intentions for improving my health and well-being. If you are like me, this kind of fundamental change is hard. Changing things in my life, like:

1. Exercising every single day;
2. Eating “clean” – more green, healthful foods.
3. Waking up an hour earlier to get a great, healthy jump to the day.

We all know how important healthy habits – like eating healthy and exercise – are for our bodies and fertility, and what’s great about it is that it is something in our lives that is completely under our control! As I have been telling myself lately – especially as the business really starts to demand more of my time and energy (a good thing) – there is no excuse for bad habits. Done.

So, what have I found out the past two weeks about developing new habits? Most importantly, get as concrete as possible, and tell ourselves over and over again what we want to accomplish, that anything is possible. And it’s very rewarding as well.

Not to say that I don’t have a lot of progress still to make. I still find waking up exactly at 6a.m. is difficult, although I am waking up between 30 – 45 minutes earlier than I used to. Hitting the snooze button is so damn easy!

I have to say, exercising every morning has been very rewarding. I have an elliptical machine in our basement, and every morning, I put on my exercise clothes, throw on my music and go to town for 20 minutes. I then do a bunch of squats, push-ups and sit-ups (rotating as I feel like it). I then stretch, and fit in a 5 minute meditation. The most important thing I have been doing, however, is logging my exercise. I am finding this to be such a great way to track my progress, to see – in a very concrete way – my accomplishment in working out. And shedding some extra winter pounds feels fabulous!

I am happy to share with you this exercise log (this link will automatically download a PDF for you). Just print it out and immediately after you do your exercise for the day, log it. I am convinced this will make all the difference as it has for me already.

I used to think of exercise as an optional thing. I would feel great while doing it, but then it was always a decision…always something I could postpone for something else. My brain has changed in this regard. I don’t feel as if it is optional any longer, and so therefore, I just do it. It’s becoming like brushing my teeth, or taking a shower. We don’t think of these daily chores as optional, right? This is how I now think about exercise. My body demands it, and my brain feels refreshed and ready for the day afterward.

What habits are you thinking about establishing in your life?

Introducing the ultimate soundtrack for relaxation! Click to play. Brought to you by Circle+Bloom and Pandora Internet Radio.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

We’ve kept these babies under wrap for some time… and we’re thrilled to finally let it out for the world to enjoy!

Working with the one and only Pamela Madsen (more on her and her new book here) we are thrilled to announce the latest addition to our growing mind-body family. We floated the idea of bringing fun back into baby-making-sex to our customer base to see if they would be interested in such a program, and there were shouts of yes, yes, yes. Goes to show you there is an incredible need, and demand to feel pleasure again out there!  And as things always seem to fall into place, about this time we began to get to know Pam…and the rest is history.  We have teamed up to address the need for finding pleasure head-on. We couldn’t have done it without Pam.

We decided to create two programs:

SHAMELESS SELF, LOVE AND SEXUALITY

For every women looking to awaken from a sexual perspective. The program contains 4 sessions that takes you on a journey inside your body to explore the true essence of your femininity. Pam helps you get your mind out of the way, and begin to explore the transformational power of pleasure to feel freedom, confidence and love for yourself…just as you are. Do you ever approach the idea of love-making with dread, anxiousness or just plain indifference? This program is designed to improve feelings of self-acceptance, learn about how your body is programmed for sex, and why pleasure is not only healthful for you but can transform your life. The first of it’s kind, this mind-body program is a unique combination of music and words that leads you through a journey of self-acceptance, helping you learn your sexual feminine nature and become accepting of your body as beautiful, elegant and uniquely you.

Click here to learn more about this program.

SHAMELESS BABY-MAKING

This program was specially designed for the TTC woman. A four session audio series helping you to engage your body again in the act of love-making. Reconnecting with the pleasure side of you will help not only your relationship, but ultimately your fertility as feeling pleasure is such a wonderful way to reduce the harmful effects of stress. Feeling sexy is good for you and good for your body it can transform your life. How often do you approach the act of baby-making sex like a fire drill Sargent? How much fun was that? Has this created problems in your relationship? Unfortunately, stress does play a major factor in fertility, and the downward spiral of despair of trying to conceive undermines our efforts dramatically. The good news is that baby-making sex, and having fun with your partner again, can actually help to reverse all of this negativity. Pamela will show you that pleasure is good and healing.

Click here to learn about this program.

Let us know what you think!

There are many things about Circle + Bloom that Joanne and I love, but all the people we are meeting, and the encouragement and support that these people have given us is right there on the top.  One of these individuals is Stacie Longwell Hill.  Our relationship with Stacie began when she took the time to send us an e-mail to tell us how much she enjoyed our newsletter, it was filled with words of encouragement and validation of what we are doing.  We love hearing that from anyone, but because of Stacie’s background, working  13+ years at The Fertility Center in Grand Rapids MI, as an embryologist, experienced in all aspects of human embryo work including ICSI, IVF, and cryopreservation of embryos, her words gave us a lot of fuel to burn the midnight oil!

Since that e-mail we have learned more about each other and the services that we provide to the fertility community.  She is currently the  Customer Service Manager at Conceivex; with customer education and communication being the primary focus of her job, and we think what she is doing is great stuff.  We thought it would be nice to have you hear directly from her about Conceivex and how they might be able to help you.

Introducing Stacie Longwell Hill from Conceivex

Having been an embryologist at a busy fertility clinic for 13 years, working with The Conception Kit has been a huge change.   While I loved the action of a high tech laboratory, it has been very exciting for me to work for a medical device company that produces a low tech option for couples.  Now I get to help couples before they move on to IVF.  The Conception Kit is an FDA cleared at home insemination tool based on cervical cap technology.  The cap is the key, as we like to say, and is the basis for this elegantly simple treatment option.

The kit contains ovulation predictors, semen collectors, personal lubricant, pregnancy tests, and caps – enough for three cycles.  The comprehensive directions help women to track their cycles, finding when the most fertile time of the month will occur.  The couple can then use the sperm friendly condom during intercourse and pour the contents into the cervical cap.  The cap is placed up inside the vagina, on the cervix.  This will help in two ways:  it will protect the semen from the acidic environment of the vagina that normally kills much of the sperm quickly, and it will hold the semen at the cervical opening, allowing the sperm to migrate freely through the cervical mucus up into the reproductive tract – and on to where the egg will be found.  The cervical cap is worn for 4-6 hours, then removed.  Two weeks later, the pregnancy test enclosed can be used for cycle results.

And what are women saying?  We get a lot of positive feedback from our customers.  Having an option for treatment at home is a bonus for couples looking for something private and simple.  Women appreciate the opportunity to take back control over their fertility.  The kit includes comprehensive instructions with information on cycle tracking, for women who need a little guidance on cycle basics.  This is very popular with women who want to understand their bodies and have a more peaceful conception experience.   And the men?  They are happy to not have to spend a lot of money, or give a semen specimen at the clinic.  Sex at home beats the collection room any day.

Who should use the Conception Kit?  It is great for low sperm count, low motility, and tilted cervix.  Also it is helpful for unexplained infertility, couples trying to time a pregnancy around military service or teaching schedules, or those who are eager to improve their odds of conceiving before they reach the time requirements of an infertility diagnosis.  In order to use the kit, a woman should be ovulating regularly and have at least one working fallopian tube.  The kit does not help with endometriosis, untreated PCOS, or any condition that may prevent a woman from producing healthy eggs.   While the kit may not be right for everyone, it is a nice effective option to have available for couples.

For more information:
www.conceptionkit.com

Special Holiday 2010 Package Offers

Natural Cycle 6CD Set Program

IVF / IUI 4CD Set

We are setting our sights on you, PCOS!  We are in our labs right now mixing up a deadly concoction of brain-body therapy to rid you forever!

When we sent out our questionnaire a few months ago as to what next product you would like us to develop, PCOS was high up on the list. We’ve heard you and are working very hard to help you help yourself heal from PCOS.

By way of quick background, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormone dysfunction. It effects approximately 1 in 10 women, and is most often never diagnosed unless there is a specific problem pertaining to trying to get pregnant. We don’t know the cause, nor do we have a pharmaceutical cure. PCOS symptoms vary to a large degree, but include not so fun things such as menstruation irregularity and anovulation, insulin-resistance and being overweight, male-pattern excess hair growth or loss (depending on location), depression and a few other wonderful traits.

Essentially, PCOS is a hormone inbalance. From my tons of research, I’ve uncovered the fact that we really don’t know which is the first “domino” to fall, but our cycles are completely out of whack. In a normal cycle, we have a hormonal feedback loop that starts with the Hypothalamus sending GnRH to the Pituitary which sends out LH and FSH in increasing amounts to the ovaries which in turn send estrogen back to the pituitary in increasing amounts to reduce the LH and FSH (and surge LH around ovulation)…and then progesterone enters the picture. Everything works in order to effect the menstrual cycle. With PCOS, there is either not enough estrogen (or too much andogens/testorone in relative figures), not enough LH or FSH (or too much of either of them) or not enough or too much progesterone. The cycle breaks down and can’t recover itself.

I was diagnosed with PCOS as a late teen – probably because I had a great OBGYN and a few symptoms such as irregular cycles. I had trouble with conception not so much with our first, but most definitely with our second child.

All this research has been bouncing around like a tennis balls in my head.  I am now convinced that we need to get our cycles back on track. Simple as that. If at some point the cycle broke down at one point AND our natural state is balance, then we can find the right feedback loop again. Our brain-body communication can do this, I’m convinced of it.  How?  A daily guided visualization to get the body back on track.

I think anyone with PCOS trying to get pregnant can benefit from our daily Natural Cycle program to help the hormones find balance, and then we are set out to create supplemental programs to be listened to every other day – one for insulin and weight loss, one for male-patterned issues, one for depression.  Anovulation and cycle irregularity will fix itself by virtue of the Natural Cycle program which focuses on hormonal changes and balance as you proceed through the cycle.

We sent out a tweet about 5 days ago asking for beta testers, and was overwhelmed with the response. As a fellow “cyster,” I know the frustration and contradictory information and the fact that there is no cure at this point. We are set to change that. Stay tuned.

I have had an amazing couple of weeks, a beginning of a life style change that I know will help me live my life to the fullest. I joined Joanne at Circle + Bloom because I wanted to make more of a difference in the world. That might seem odd, but something stirred within me as I thought about helping women struggling with infertility, an incredibly painful health issue, with an approach that might not only help with fertility but could also positively change how they approach their health and well-being. About a month ago, Joanne and I started to think about our next program and this desire to make a larger impact was front and center. How great would it be if our next program could offer additional help to women TTC, but also anyone in the world…..and our Energy for Empowerment program was born.

In order to inspire you to take the first steps to take control of your health and well-being I decided it would be fun to share a few highlights from my experience of using the new program. I also hope you will have a few laughs at my expense.

• It will not surprise anyone who knows me that my initial reaction was 20 minutes per a session was way too long. I was nervous that I would get bored listening to each session, and that my “to-do” list would never get done if I took 20 minutes out of my day. But on the first day, I plopped myself down on the couch and started to listen and was very surprised when I heard Joanne’s voice say, “This concludes session A”.   I was downright pissed…what do you mean concludes, I am not ready to conclude, keep going!

• The first day I started to use the program my teenage son barged into the room looking for clean clothes. You would have thought he caught me having sex based on his initial reaction of seeing his mother looking all relaxed lying on a couch with an i-pod and headphones. He eventually recovered and said, “Mom you are so weird, get a life.”

• Completely exhausted one afternoon, all I could think about was taking a nap. I realized I should give C+B a chance, if I was going to tell people to buy the program to help with energy then I should use it when I needed energy. To be honest I was also thinking I could still sneak in a nap after I listened. After I finished listening to TWO sessions I told my husband “I feel light, refreshed, and my unmade bed will be ready for me tonight at 11:30 after I watch the last episode of Lost.” BTW I loved the ending of Lost.

• In one of the sessions Joanne asks you to think about any emotions that might be zapping your energy and finding a way to let them go. I immediately had a vision of juggling and all these balls were falling towards me from every direction – each of those balls represented a different responsibility; buying a house, selling a house, mother to a 4 and 15 year old, wife, disciplining my kids so they are not spoiled brats, giving everything I have to my kids so they feel my love…… Joanne then said to let go and I visualized catching each ball and throwing them into a lake. I am not sure why a lake, but that is where they went, and that is where they stayed. It was very liberating.

• Over the course of the last two weeks I found my mind wondered less while I listened and the visualization exercises became easier. One of my most bizarre visualizations was when my mind went to my “youthful, bar hoping days” when I felt like I could dance all night. I started to visualize my circulation system having a great time on the dance floor. I changed the image of “slobbering drunk dancer” – which I have to admit was me back in those days – to “sophisticated sexy dancer” – which I will never be, but hey that is the beauty of this mind-body thing, you can create what ever you want!

One night my husband and I listened to the sleep session together right before bed, it was a fun thing to do together, and the note he left me as he slipped out the door at 6:00 AM says it all.

Over the last couple of weeks I have seen positive changes. I have been able to get through the day with just one ice coffee, not my typical two. Yoga class seems to be easier, I am able to stay in the mediations a bit better and hold the poses slightly longer than normal. I have slept through the night much more often and that knot right below my shoulder blade – gone!

I know I am biased, but I absolutely love this program, it is the beginning of a life style change for me, incorporating the powerful mind-body connection daily. It makes me feel refreshed, energized and puts a smile on my face as I do the visualization exercises.

I hope you will give the program a try, make sure to try the different sessions, listen to them at different times of the day, and in different relaxed positions and you will begin to find what works best for you. Enjoy, and please share your experiences with us!

And we just released the program! Click here to get started…

Tired all the time? Check. Overworked and overstressed? Check. Can’t get a good night’s sleep? Check.

Don’t we all suffer from low energy levels? Does low energy impact your levels of fertility or other health related issues in your life? I have always struggled with energy levels – even since when I was a teenager. Sue and I brainstormed a few months ago and asked ourselves what health-related issue do a lot of women struggle with that we could address?  And when we stumbled across the energy for empowerment idea, our light-bulbs went off.

We initially set out to create a new free Mp3 program – something that all women could use (not just those who are in the trying to conceive stage) and when I started to do research around all of the ways the body uses, stores and supply energy, we determined that there is too much to cover and to do the program justice, it would need to be its own series of programs.

Each session covers a main topic, and they include: Metabolism, Endocrine Health, Circulation and Sleep. The total length of the program will be about 80 – 90 minutes and follows our same structure as our other programs: (i) progressive relaxation and deep breathing; (ii) physical visualizations to help correct and balance the body; and an (iii) emotional exercise designed to help you reach your goals of personal excellence in your life and in your body.

My sister Sue, who has not been as involved in our product development, has been one of our beta users and will be writing a post about her experience using the program and how it has been changing her life. Very exciting and we are in the final stages of launching the program! Check back in a few days…