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Chapter Three - In Case of Emergency, the Toilets Are Here, Here and Here
When Everything Started to Unravel
October 2018. I was fighting fit, buzzing with health, and ready to start trying for a baby. I'd optimised everything: fertility supplements, acupuncture, organic food, toxin-free products. My bowels were "regular as clockwork." Life was good.
I was far too happy, far too soon.
Then "mild" proctitis decided it was done being mild. My period vanished. And I had an incident in a public toilet at 7:30am that I still don't laugh about seven years later.
In this episode:
🎯 How I became the ultimate project manager of my own fertility
📚 Discovering "It Begins with the Egg" and why egg health trumps quantity
💊 The supplement regime: Fertility Smart, Fertiligreens, Maca, Ashwagandha
🎉 Living it up before baby-making: Amsterdam, Sicily, Croatia, Venice
🚽 The running incident that changed everything (yes, knickers in the bin)
🏥 When IBD medications don't work, they either do nothing or land you in hospital
📅 The day my menstrual cycle went into "cardiac arrest"
🥔 Going to an allergy, nutrition and bioscreening clinic and discovering I'm allergic to POTATOES (while living with a Sicilian!)
⏰ Learning that three months is the magic number for everything
The cruel irony? Just as I got my body baby-ready, everything fell apart.
This chapter covers:
The reality of optimising for fertility at 40
Why egg health matters more than egg quantity
What happens when "mild" IBD stops being mild
The public toilet incident that haunts me
Living with food allergies while trying to eat at restaurants
The birth of Chatty Sicilian (the pop-up restaurant dream)
That first pivotal decision in the US that could have changed everything
📖 READ THE FULL CHAPTER: https://3amthoughts.me/2025/11/07/chapter-3-in-case-of-emergency-the-toilets-are-here-here-and-here/
🎙️ LISTEN ON PODCAST: https://bit.ly/3amThoughtspodcast
⏮️ PREVIOUS CHAPTER: Big Fun, Decisions and a Slap from Reality https://youtu.be/WvAojXbK-Pg
⏭️ NEXT CHAPTER: USA, Menopause and Fight or Flight https://youtu.be/eFvCLtYvbR8
🏠 START FROM THE BEGINNING: Introduction https://youtu.be/EGSgsScIcus
🔔 SUBSCRIBE for weekly chapters chronicling my journey from toilet panic to 3AM peace.
💬 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Have you ever felt like you were doing "everything right" right before everything went wrong?
What supplements or protocols have you tried for fertility?
Have you experienced the nightmare of food intolerances while traveling or eating out?
Do you have your own "three months" rule for health changes?
Has anyone dismissed your symptoms as "mild" when they clearly weren't?
Share your stories in the comments - this is a judgment-free, supportive space.
⚠️ CONTENT NOTE: This episode discusses bowel accidents, food allergies, fertility optimisation, and the moment when mild symptoms become serious. Real talk about the things nobody wants to discuss but everyone going through this needs to hear.
WHAT'S COMING NEXT:
Chapter 4: The US trip and the menopause assumption
When doctors dismiss you because you're "over 40"
The medical cascade that leads to A&E
"What do you want us to do, Miss Tate?"
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
✨ Egg health matters more than egg quantity
✨ Three months is the magic timeline for supplements and diet changes
✨ If you feel urgency while running - WALK, don't run
✨ Always carry toilet paper when you have IBD
✨ "Mild" medical conditions can escalate quickly
✨ Food intolerances make life incredibly challenging
✨ Your body doesn't care about your perfect plans
ABOUT THIS SERIES:
From toilet panic to 3AM peace - this is my unfiltered journey through five years of IBD, fertility struggles, premature ovarian failure, and becoming a mother through donor eggs. No filters. No AI polish. Just the messy, real, hopeful truth.
Your voice deserves to be heard. Always.
📧 CONTACT: [email protected]
📱 CONNECT: Insta - @my_3_amthoughts
DISCLAIMER: This content shares my personal health and fertility journey and is not medical advice. The supplements and protocols mentioned worked for me but may not be suitable for everyone. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about your own health concerns.
View all episodes
By Annique TateWhen Everything Started to Unravel
October 2018. I was fighting fit, buzzing with health, and ready to start trying for a baby. I'd optimised everything: fertility supplements, acupuncture, organic food, toxin-free products. My bowels were "regular as clockwork." Life was good.
I was far too happy, far too soon.
Then "mild" proctitis decided it was done being mild. My period vanished. And I had an incident in a public toilet at 7:30am that I still don't laugh about seven years later.
In this episode:
🎯 How I became the ultimate project manager of my own fertility
📚 Discovering "It Begins with the Egg" and why egg health trumps quantity
💊 The supplement regime: Fertility Smart, Fertiligreens, Maca, Ashwagandha
🎉 Living it up before baby-making: Amsterdam, Sicily, Croatia, Venice
🚽 The running incident that changed everything (yes, knickers in the bin)
🏥 When IBD medications don't work, they either do nothing or land you in hospital
📅 The day my menstrual cycle went into "cardiac arrest"
🥔 Going to an allergy, nutrition and bioscreening clinic and discovering I'm allergic to POTATOES (while living with a Sicilian!)
⏰ Learning that three months is the magic number for everything
The cruel irony? Just as I got my body baby-ready, everything fell apart.
This chapter covers:
The reality of optimising for fertility at 40
Why egg health matters more than egg quantity
What happens when "mild" IBD stops being mild
The public toilet incident that haunts me
Living with food allergies while trying to eat at restaurants
The birth of Chatty Sicilian (the pop-up restaurant dream)
That first pivotal decision in the US that could have changed everything
📖 READ THE FULL CHAPTER: https://3amthoughts.me/2025/11/07/chapter-3-in-case-of-emergency-the-toilets-are-here-here-and-here/
🎙️ LISTEN ON PODCAST: https://bit.ly/3amThoughtspodcast
⏮️ PREVIOUS CHAPTER: Big Fun, Decisions and a Slap from Reality https://youtu.be/WvAojXbK-Pg
⏭️ NEXT CHAPTER: USA, Menopause and Fight or Flight https://youtu.be/eFvCLtYvbR8
🏠 START FROM THE BEGINNING: Introduction https://youtu.be/EGSgsScIcus
🔔 SUBSCRIBE for weekly chapters chronicling my journey from toilet panic to 3AM peace.
💬 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Have you ever felt like you were doing "everything right" right before everything went wrong?
What supplements or protocols have you tried for fertility?
Have you experienced the nightmare of food intolerances while traveling or eating out?
Do you have your own "three months" rule for health changes?
Has anyone dismissed your symptoms as "mild" when they clearly weren't?
Share your stories in the comments - this is a judgment-free, supportive space.
⚠️ CONTENT NOTE: This episode discusses bowel accidents, food allergies, fertility optimisation, and the moment when mild symptoms become serious. Real talk about the things nobody wants to discuss but everyone going through this needs to hear.
WHAT'S COMING NEXT:
Chapter 4: The US trip and the menopause assumption
When doctors dismiss you because you're "over 40"
The medical cascade that leads to A&E
"What do you want us to do, Miss Tate?"
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
✨ Egg health matters more than egg quantity
✨ Three months is the magic timeline for supplements and diet changes
✨ If you feel urgency while running - WALK, don't run
✨ Always carry toilet paper when you have IBD
✨ "Mild" medical conditions can escalate quickly
✨ Food intolerances make life incredibly challenging
✨ Your body doesn't care about your perfect plans
ABOUT THIS SERIES:
From toilet panic to 3AM peace - this is my unfiltered journey through five years of IBD, fertility struggles, premature ovarian failure, and becoming a mother through donor eggs. No filters. No AI polish. Just the messy, real, hopeful truth.
Your voice deserves to be heard. Always.
📧 CONTACT: [email protected]
📱 CONNECT: Insta - @my_3_amthoughts
DISCLAIMER: This content shares my personal health and fertility journey and is not medical advice. The supplements and protocols mentioned worked for me but may not be suitable for everyone. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about your own health concerns.