Circle+Bloom Review & Free Giveaway (Including an IPod Shuffle!)

Ok Bleeps... let's all join hands and come together in the circle.  Focus on your inner eye, and communicate with Mother Earth.  Use Dragon's Breath... in one nostril and out the other.  Are you feeling at One with your being?  No?  Here, smoke the incense, and chant "Spermie Wormie, Spermie Wormie" while skipping in a circles around a bowl full of chicken gizzards. 

Still not working?  Have you tried doing three back flips while chugging a Maca smoothie, then dive into Downward Warthog.  When the moon is full, make love on top of a 11 Pumpkin pies.  Then wrap your abdomen in cloth soaked in snake oil.

Still not pregnant??  Well, I'm at a loss.

Look, there's a lot of "new age" business out there to help increase your fertility.  Devoid of any kind of science, these folks focus on us Infertiles who will prey upon us Infertiles who will literally try anything new if it even vaguely promises to improve our odds of conceiving.  Anyone who buys this stuff is just grasping at straws, obviously.

And I may or may not have a box full of that crap. 

Can you blame me?  I'm not saying I'm not doing all the traditional stuff as well... Clomid, ultrasounds, fertility doctor, etc.  But if keeping a fertility stone underneath my pillow improves my standing with Fate or Mother Nature or The Stork or whoever decides which people get kids and which ones don't, then I'm doing it.  I'm not even going to be embarrassed about it.  Well, maybe about the pumpkin pie one but only because it left such a bizarre stain on the carpet. 

Unfortunately, a lot of this voodoo, new age stuff gives the more scientifically-sound alternative medicine a bad name.  Acupuncture may have at one time elicited an eye roll from you, but now you're hooking up with Dr. Needles on the regular.  How does it work exactly?  Science doesn't exactly know, but it does note that it works.  Does acupuncture actually create change within our body?  Or is it psychosomatic, and our body makes changes because we expect it to. 

Either way, what does it matter?  If it works, it works. 

I've done a lot of stuff the past few years, both in traditional and alternative medicine, to improve my fertility.  In addition to acupuncture, I've done fertility yoga, fertility exercise, fertility diets, Chinese herbs, hid fertility medallions around my bedroom (they were gifts, I swear), and any number of other things.  Most had some science to back it up.  Some were nothing more than going on faith.  But EVERYTHING I've done has focused on changes to my body.  Nothing addressed changes within my mind. 

Then, a few months back I became acquainted with a program called Circle+Bloom.  Joanne, co-founder of Circle+Bloom, is on Twitter, and I liked her right away.  Mostly because she didn't try to sell me something.  She was just nice, and helpful.  She asked questions, and solicited feedback.  And I'll be honest, I'm a simple creature.  I really liked their website design.  It's full of soft pretty colors and cute little chicks.  So that's how they first caught my attention.

Then, the lovely Jennifer at Baby Making Machine announced she with pregnant on the first month of using Circle+Bloom's program (click the link to read about her experience).  Well that caught my attention.  Jennifer discussed how using the program helped her mind/body connection.  I had a "DUH" moment... why hadn't I thought about trying to improve that brain thingy too? 

I was sold.  Then, right about that time, Joanne asked me if I'd like to give the Circle+Bloom program a try.  Ummm.... hmmmm.... let me think about that... YES! 

I waited until my next cycle started, and the dove right in.  Circle+Bloom is a guided mediation program.  I know what you're thinking, please reference the voodoo listed at the top right?  Why don't I just get out my crystals?  Change my name to Moonbeam?  Trust me, I'm not the type. 

I elected to do the program right before I went to bed at night, unless I was getting acupuncture that day and then I listened to it while the needles did their work.  Each day there is a session that's about 15 or so minutes long, and it was exactly what it sounds like--guided mediation.  Targeted for where you are in your cycle.  Whether you're cleaning house during Aunt Flo, waiting for the Big O, or hoping for implantation... there's an app for that.

I'm not gonna lie, I laughed at some points.  I think it's Joanne who does the mediation's themselves, and I honestly don't know how she doesn't bust out laughing when she's instructing you to imagine you're a chicken sitting on your eggs.  She also does some reverse psychology during the "Ovulation Special" track, and I felt a little awkward thinking about a time when I DIDN'T want to get pregnant (was there ever such a time?) in a room full of other people during acupuncture (hopefully there weren't any Sookie Stackhouses around to see what I was thinking about). 

Occasional cheesy guidance aside, I dug the whole thing.  First thing I noticed was I was sleeping better.  Since my D&C last fall, I've really struggled with insomnia.  I mean, REALLY struggled with it (please see post on infomercials).  The meditation mellowed me out before bed, and I was able to fall asleep faster and not wake up in the middle of the night.  For that alone the program was worth it's weight in gold to me.

Here's the other thing that happened:

Yeah, it surprised the hell out of me too.  To a PCOS gal, it's a special day when we ovulate.  It's a legendary day when we ovulate AND you can confirm it on an OPK (ovulation predictor kit).  For whatever reason, our particular plumbing problems make it hard to detect ovulation on an OPK.  The only thing I had done differently that month was this program.  At the end of the month, I felt like I had focused my energy on fertility in a positive and constructive manner rather than in a worrisome, fretful way.  Like I had Superman laser vision, and it burned right into my ovaries!  Bend to my will, Ovaries! Bend, damn you! 

Nothing magical happened at the end of the month, I didn't get preggo.  The holidays happened, Aunt Flo came to visit ON Christmas morning (how thoughtful of her, Merry Christmas to me).  And new cycle began. 

And in my infinite flakiness, I forgot to start my Circle+Bloom program again.  Aside from that, did EVERYTHING the same... fertility drugs (Femara), acupuncture, etc.  Only this month I did NOT ovulate.  Stupid ovaries.  And now I have to take progesterone to force Aunt Flo to visit.  (Sigh)

So, that's my bottom line.  Last month I ovulated when I used Circle+Bloom, and this month I didn't use it and I didn't ovulate.  A scientific study?  Not so much.  But for me, it's enough to keep me on the program from here on out.  But there is plenty of science out there that talks about the importance of stress reduction and the mind/body connection.  What do you mean, which studies?  What do I look like, your science teacher?  But you can check them out on Circle+Bloom's site (nerd). 

Long story short, my opinion is this:  Yes, it's a little cheesy sometimes.  Yes, I felt a little touchy-feely doing guided meditation.  But I sleep better, I ovulated, and I felt all warm and fuzzy inside.  I can't scientifically prove it, but I'm pretty sure it made my little Grinch heart grow ten times in size.  I love it.  I'm a true believer. 

Of course, they could have put subliminal messages in the program to make me say I love it.  But that's for you to decide.  It would certainly explain why I cluck like a chicken every time Simon Cowell appears on TV. 

And here's the best news of all...  You can win your very own Circle+Bloom program!  And it comes pre-loaded on an IPOD SHUFFLE!!!  (You can choose a pink or green one)

I know, it's frickin' awesome.  Circle+Bloom's fertility program, and an iPod Shuffle, for free!

The value of the Circle+Bloom program is $59, and the value of the Shuffle is $60.  Total prize package value is $119!

Here's the rules:
-Be a follower of the Busted Plumbing blog (mandatory)
-Leave a comment below with something you learned by visiting Circle+Bloom's site (It's full of great info, and pretty colors, so this should be easy) (mandatory)

For extra entries (please leave separate comments for each entry):
-Become my Facebook Fan
-Become a Circle+Bloom Facebook fan
-Tweet "I just entered @BustedKate's giveaway for @circlebloom's fertility relaxation program on an iPod! http://bit.ly/ci4ZH0"
-Follow @CircleBloom on Twitter
-Add my button to your blog!
-Post about this giveaway on your blog (3 extra entries, please leave 3 comments)

-Download Circle+Bloom's Free Trial (3 extra entries, please leave 3 comments)

Also, by entering this contest you are also consenting to me giving your email address to Circle+Bloom. 

The Contest will end on midnight on Monday, February 15th (President's Day), and I will announce the winner the next day. 

Disclosure:  The Circle+Bloom program was provided to me free of cost to try out.  I received no financial remuneration, and my opinion was not influenced in any way by money or any other compensation.  Like anyone could influence my opinion anyways.

Thanks for entering, and good luck!!