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…

We have been working hard to finalize and release our IVF / IUI Mind-Body Program. It most certainly has become a labor of love. We were so lucky to get a great group of women currently going through an IVF round to beta-test the program. So, far two of three women who have completed their IVF cycle are pregnant.

What’s more promising is that the feedback we have received clearly demonstrated that these women really felt and trusted their bodies to accomplish what the visualizations were telling them to do.

Because IVF failure is mostly attributable to low-quality eggs, our prime focus in the CD 3 – 12 programs is to help visualize the nomination of the best quality eggs. We even see the ovaries kind of rotating and moving inside – like the gentle cycle on a washing machine – to brighten, excite and bring forth the eggs that are truly ready.

Does this work? Our beta-users think so. They trust their bodies, and their minds to help them in this delicate process. And our success rates are proving it as well.

And what is just as exciting? That they all have told us that they felt in control of themselves and their bodies through a very stressful process. They enjoyed their time with the meditations and felt a great sense of empowerment through a process that is simply difficult to go through.

Please click here if you would like to be notified when we release it.

We are proud to be working with one of the leading fertility clinics in the U.S. – Valley Hospital Fertility Center, associated with New York University Fertility Center – to create a special mind body program specifically geared toward an IVF and IUI cycle.

Dr. Dehan Chen, graduated from Harvard University and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, has lent his expertise in helping us understand the tests, drugs, timing and the procedures involved in the IVF and IUI cycles.

The program will contain special programs that will address the “precycle,” cycle-days through the trigger shot, two special programs covering the aspiration (for the IVF procedure specifically) and subsequent transfer, and then five different programs to help you through the two-week-wait. We are working with a handful of women going through the IVF process “real-time” while listening to the programs “hot-off-the-press.” One of our beta-users has had this to say so far:

….I listen to the meditations everyday! I loved them, and am really hoping they bring me the relaxation and stress relief my body needs…It is nice to feel that there is something I can do to contribute to each day, as so much of this is so out of my control. It is empowering to know I am making a choice that can help me. Thank you again for this wonderful opportunity ”

If not evident, we are very excited about this program, especially because we have had tremendous success with women using our Mind+Body program during an IVF cycle.

Click here to be notified when it is released!

Another great idea by a fellow TTCer: The IVF Companion. Stephanie Fry, who has gone through multiple ART treatments, created the IVF Companion as a personal coping mechanism and decided to publish it so others can experience its benefits.

Her hope is that it will be a positive tool that will help to reduce stress and empower women to advocate for themselves while preparing for and going through In Vitro and other ART treatments.

Having a review copy, I quickly saw the numerous benefits of the book. The IVF Companion is great way to keep track of not only your treatments, finances and cycle dates but of your feelings, thoughts and overall state-of-mind.

Feel in greater control over this very stressful process and as a result, reduce stress and improve your probably of success.

Big day here at Circle + Bloom. We are very excited to announce that our Mind+Body program is now offered on Amazon! Listed under the health categories, our program can be purchased on the 6 CD set directly through Amazon. At this time, we will be fulfilling all orders from our Montclair NJ offices to maintain high control over the shipping and distribution, but that may change as we continue to grow.

We now also offer gift packaging options, including gift wrap and a personal note, through Amazon as well.

Please let us know if you have any feedback on the way the program is described, or enter feedback directly on Amazon if you wish!

It has been about four months since we initially launched our Mind + Body Fertility Program to the market. Honestly, I couldn’t be happier with the feedback and support we have received from our customers. The response has been overwhelming positive, and hearing how the program is helping women during their fertility journey has certainly made the hard work that went into creating the program worth it! Not only that, but you have been providing us ideas for new programs. You talk and we listen. Here are some responses we’ve received:

Please keep all of your thoughts, ideas, feedback, requests and opinions coming about our Company and products. They are essential as we follow our journey to live out Circle + Bloom’s purpose, “to help create families, in a caring and enjoyable way, by giving greater control over fertility, health and well-being.”

And here are specific ideas and feedback that we have taken to fine tune our offerings, including the introduction of new programs:

We are happy to announce the next phase of our journey based on everything you have shared with us. We are introducing a new bundle package, called “The Complete Fertility Package,” to address all of the “wish requests” we received and are now offering the 30 session  Mind + Body Fertility Program at a lower price in both downloadable and  six CD-set options as described in the rest of the post:

The new “Complete Fertility Package” includes the following:

Introducing! Our new 4 session Post Conception Mind+Body program to continue your relaxation and visualization exercises after you become pregnant.

A package deal worth $175, offered immediately for $125.

New CD Option and Pricing for the Mind+Body Fertility Program
If you prefer to buy just the Circle + Bloom Mind + Body Fertility Program we will now offer it at a lower price and two different delivery options.

• Audio download version for $59
• Six-CD set for $69 (plus shipping and handling)

Click here to go directly to our new buy now page.

All existing customers of Circle + Bloom should receive a special email from us regarding the additional programs. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your specific questions.

Our programs are now fully backed by our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, even our downloadable products. We hope you find these additional offerings helpful, and keep the feedback and requests coming, we are committed to helping you with your fertility journey in the most positive and enjoyable way possible.

Since I wasn’t blogging during the creation of our existing 28-day program, I thought I would spend a little time  documenting how the production process of creating, editing, scripting, recording and then finalizing the auditory programs to create the best possible quality, enjoyment and outcome for our customers.

This program has been a special request by the majority of our previous customers who are now pregnant.  They have a strong desire to continue with a daily relaxation and visualization program to help them continue the enjoyable experience with a baby in their womb.

The first step is getting our hands on everything and anything we can on the physiological changes going on in the body – in this case as it pertains to pregnancy.  We also think that since there are so many enormous changes that happen between the first, second and third trimester, that it is important to do three separate programs as part of our “pregnancy series.” We look at changes in the endocrine system from a hormone perspective, the changes happening in the womb, and of course the changes happening with the embryo growing and developing into a fetus.

This is the step that excites me the most, because as we uncover the layers of what our body is doing, the better we will be able to script a program that optimizes our guided visualization experience.  At this point, we develop an overall script outline as shown below.  We will then discuss our technical conclusions and relative importance and weight of the “themes”  with the various members of our Advisory Board.