Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!
-Dr. Seuss
When you are experiencing infertility you assume that you are just missing something and if you could just figure out what it is, you can fix it. We have tried all kinds of things in attempt to create our family....some sensible, some completely nuts. But in hindsight they were all worth it. Everything we tried gave us hope...and hope kept us going.
We tried ovulation tests. They are expensive and for me entirely useless. Maybe I wasn't smart enough to time them correctly. If that's the case, maybe I wasn't smart enough to time the whole thing anyway? If you think that ovulation tests could be your next "answer" check out http://www.early-pregnancy-tests.com/. They sell them in bulk and for cheap. Hopefully you don't need them in bulk, but in my experience.... While you are there, get yourself a pack of 100 pregnancy tests. It could be fun and you will need them eventually.
We tried sex every day for a month. You know...in case we weren't timing it right. I know there are people out there who are thinking this would be fun, but unfortunately purposeful sex lacks the spur of the moment excitement...and you still have to do it even if you have the flu. Should you try it? That's completely up to you.
We tried the temperature charts. If you are charting, check out http://www.fertilityfriend.com/. Another great way to take the fun out of sex and the funny thing about this one is it only tells you when you have already ovulated. Nothing like too little too late.
Acupuncture. I really enjoyed acupuncture. How many people have an excuse to lay absolutely still for at least 1/2 hour every week? I am a science kind of person, so I'm not sure what it is about acupuncture that helps with conception. But there are studies that say that acupuncture can improve the success rate of IVF. Acupuncture is a lot cheaper than repeated IVF so why not give it a shot? Whether it is balancing the chi or just the fact that you are relaxing, acupuncture has made a believer out of me. In Saskatoon, check out the Traditional Chinese Medicine Centre. Watch out for the herbs though...they taste pretty bad.
While we are on the topic of relaxation, you can always check out massage therapy. Who isn't a fan of getting a massage? I think massage therapy is good for general well being...but for all of you out there who think an infertile woman "just needs to relax and it will just happen", can you please explain to me why women get pregnant in war torn countries or Ethiopia??
And then there is Pre-seed...google it, I'm not getting into it. Standing on your head post-intercourse. Carrying a rock in your left pocket and keeping another on the left hand side of your bed. Using healing waters from the Virgin Mary. Wishing upon stars. Relaxing. Going on a vacation to San Francisco...and Hawaii. You name it, we tried it.
I recently went on a girl's shopping weekend. After a few too many, we began discussing whether or not everyone wears underwear to bed. Girls...you can understand how this conversation came up. Guys...stop trying to understand girls. Get over it. Anyway, we came to the conclusion that everyone who had trouble conceiving wears underwear to bed. Everyone who did not have trouble did not wear underwear to bed. Honestly, our test pool was way too small to be statistically significant...but if you are willing to try everything else you can think of and this applies to you, what's one more experiment?
The important things to note are that if you are trying a million things that make absolutely no sense to you but you are trying them out of desperation...don't be embarrassed by it. If they are giving you hope....be hopeful. And...if trying something makes you uncomfortable, don't try it. Your time will come when it is supposed to.
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.”
-Dr. Seuss
Isis is the goddess of motherhood, magic, and fertility. She is also the goddess of children from whom all beginnings arose. Isis is the goddess of my personal struggles in life. I want to portray moments or snap shots of my life in a humorous manner in hopes that sharing my experiences may decrease the pain of others in similar circumstances. The journey has many twists and turns but I hope all will find their successful end.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Jack Spratt
Jack was created on my husband's 30th birthday. This was no rendezvous in the park.
The previous fall we had decided that we wanted Lily to have a sibling. We had put our names down on the adoption list for Saskatchewan and had spoken to our contacts in Nunavut and it didn't look like adoption was going to happen again for us any time soon. We returned to the fertility clinic looking for suggestions and answers. We needed to know what they thought after our previous failure. We thought that they would tell us that our chances were lower because of a previous failed attempt, but the opposite was true. They thought they could take our issues from the first cycle and use them to make a better cycle this time. We paid our registration fee and were told that they would contact us in April. They called in January to see if we would be ready to start our birth control so we could cycle in March. I knew this would make for a December baby and I never wanted a December baby....it wasn't nice to get all their presents in one month and I was worried about them being the youngest in the class. But, if I had learned anything, it was not to be picky...so I got really excited instead.
A second IVF cycle is so different from the first. The first time you are positive it will work. You are terrified of the needles and interested in every part of the protocol. The second time you are not fooled by the first timers' excitement, the needles are boring, and you try not to think about what is happening at all. We used a different drug to stimulate the egg production and this time we got more and they were ready in half the time. (As an aside, we had a 30th birthday party early because we knew that we would be busy at Scott's actual birthday. I had been drinking...totally different from cycle #1...and the alcohol thinned my blood so much that when I had to do my shots that night, it wouldn't stop bleeding. We hadn't told anyone about this cycle so I was searching our bathroom for band aids for my belly....Yup...I went upstairs to shoot up at my husband's 30th birthday.) On retrieval day we got eight eggs, six were fertilized, two implanted, and two frozen. The first cycle we moved our bed into the living room so I could be entertained while on complete bed rest. The second cycle I tried to be on bed rest but I had a toddler and so my bed rest was a bit less restful. The first cycle I stayed on bed rest for three days. During the second cycle we went for a walk because it was the first spring day and Lily wanted to splash in puddles. I tried not to get too excited but when the day passed where I knew our cycle had failed the first time, I couldn't help it. I ran to the bathroom every hour to check if I had my period. I tested to watch the drugs leave my system. I promised Scott I wouldn't test for a positive test and that we would wait to hear the results from the clinic....but I broke my promise. When I got that first positive I could not believe it. I had dreamed of that moment for so long and I had no idea what to do. I tested throughout the whole pregnancy and was sad to see the positive tests go away after Jack was born. The day of the ultrasound we found out that both the embryos had implanted but one of them no longer had a heartbeat....but there was a beautiful fantastic strong heartbeat on the screen. I just wanted to stare at if forever. I rented a doppler monitor so I could hear that beautiful sound whenever I wanted.
We had done it!! And I now have two incredible kids!!
The previous fall we had decided that we wanted Lily to have a sibling. We had put our names down on the adoption list for Saskatchewan and had spoken to our contacts in Nunavut and it didn't look like adoption was going to happen again for us any time soon. We returned to the fertility clinic looking for suggestions and answers. We needed to know what they thought after our previous failure. We thought that they would tell us that our chances were lower because of a previous failed attempt, but the opposite was true. They thought they could take our issues from the first cycle and use them to make a better cycle this time. We paid our registration fee and were told that they would contact us in April. They called in January to see if we would be ready to start our birth control so we could cycle in March. I knew this would make for a December baby and I never wanted a December baby....it wasn't nice to get all their presents in one month and I was worried about them being the youngest in the class. But, if I had learned anything, it was not to be picky...so I got really excited instead.
A second IVF cycle is so different from the first. The first time you are positive it will work. You are terrified of the needles and interested in every part of the protocol. The second time you are not fooled by the first timers' excitement, the needles are boring, and you try not to think about what is happening at all. We used a different drug to stimulate the egg production and this time we got more and they were ready in half the time. (As an aside, we had a 30th birthday party early because we knew that we would be busy at Scott's actual birthday. I had been drinking...totally different from cycle #1...and the alcohol thinned my blood so much that when I had to do my shots that night, it wouldn't stop bleeding. We hadn't told anyone about this cycle so I was searching our bathroom for band aids for my belly....Yup...I went upstairs to shoot up at my husband's 30th birthday.) On retrieval day we got eight eggs, six were fertilized, two implanted, and two frozen. The first cycle we moved our bed into the living room so I could be entertained while on complete bed rest. The second cycle I tried to be on bed rest but I had a toddler and so my bed rest was a bit less restful. The first cycle I stayed on bed rest for three days. During the second cycle we went for a walk because it was the first spring day and Lily wanted to splash in puddles. I tried not to get too excited but when the day passed where I knew our cycle had failed the first time, I couldn't help it. I ran to the bathroom every hour to check if I had my period. I tested to watch the drugs leave my system. I promised Scott I wouldn't test for a positive test and that we would wait to hear the results from the clinic....but I broke my promise. When I got that first positive I could not believe it. I had dreamed of that moment for so long and I had no idea what to do. I tested throughout the whole pregnancy and was sad to see the positive tests go away after Jack was born. The day of the ultrasound we found out that both the embryos had implanted but one of them no longer had a heartbeat....but there was a beautiful fantastic strong heartbeat on the screen. I just wanted to stare at if forever. I rented a doppler monitor so I could hear that beautiful sound whenever I wanted.
We had done it!! And I now have two incredible kids!!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Supermom-ism
This can be about Superdad-ism too. Please replace all the "moms" with "dads" throughout:
Before Jack was born, I gave being a mom to Lily my absolute all. Because I worked full time, every moment I had with her was important. We did activities on the days I wasn't at work, we filled our weekends with things she loved, we ate every meal at the table, I cooked healthy foods and snacks, and I played with her all the time. When Jack was born both Lily and I believed that life could carry on as before. I tried to do all things I had done before, but it was impossible. How can you be giving your absolute all and then add twice as much. Because I couldn't reach my expectations, I felt like a failure. It took some very great moms that I know to explain that a granola bar in front of the TV was still breakfast and that if Lily fell asleep in the car at lunch time, it was okay to eat lunch later in the afternoon. It was okay to let other people see my disastrous house...come on admit it, you all clean up right before someone comes over. Would it be so bad if others saw your house like they see their own? I didn't want to go out because we weren't all perfectly showered, bathed and dressed. I didn't want others to see my baby cry...PS. Babies cry sometimes. I didn't invite people here because they would see that I couldn't keep it all together....my house, my two year old, my newborn, and myself. It was too much. It was crazy. I was crazy.
Supermom-ism caused me to feel inadequate. Supermom-ism made me depressed. Supermom-ism made me a failure in my own eyes. I have now learned that I am a great mom. The things that make me great include having fantastic birthday parties, swimming with both my kids by myself (even when they were three months and two years), singing and dancing daily, owning every Disney movie, travelling with small kids, doing crafts, and sharing parenting responsibilities equally with my husband. Things that make other moms great but that aren't me include having a clean house, baking goodies, staying out late, going for daily walks, etc. While I would love to do all those things too, I only do them when I feel like it. The pressure to perform is gone. There is no such thing as a perfect mom. I have stopped trying to do it all and instead enjoy being the mom that I am.
And I believe that in itself makes me a better mom.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Your assignment
Okay. Here's your assignment. Go to the nearest Sears (order desk or store) and pick up a copy of the Sears Wish Book. I don't care if you are young or old...if you have kids or not, looking through that book brings back the excitement of Christmas. I remember looking through that book when I was a kid. There were so many toys....how could you even pick? This year I sat Lily down with a marker and the Wish Book and let her circle everything she wanted for Christmas. I thought she would circle everything, but she was very serious about it and therefore very selective. She did ask for a different color so she could circle stuff for Jack, but I told her this was just for her. I think she liked that idea. This is the first year she has actually asked for something for Christmas. It's that Wish Book. I even looked through the gifts at the front to figure out my own Christmas list.
Joy. Wish. Inspire.
Joy. Wish. Inspire.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Evacuation notice
My last day of work was a Friday. I decided to go off work two weeks early so I could have some one on one time with Lily before the baby was born. We had a regular weekend. I had a doctor's appointment Monday so Lily went to daycare. Tuesday we ran errands in the city. We went to the hospital to have lunch with Scott. Of course Lily wouldn't walk so I had to carry her the whole time. After lunch we went home to have a nap. I couldn't sleep because I was having "back spasms" from carrying Lily all day. (In hindsight, these were irregular contractions!!)
That night Scott joked that sex brings on labour...it's none of your business whether or not this is true. At 3:00 am I woke up. I had heard that being this pregnant can make you urinary incontinent. I couldn't believe that I had just peed the bed. Gross. I got up, finished peeing in the bathroom, changed my clothes and the bed and crawled back in. I was just falling asleep when I peed again. How was that even possible? Gross. I got up and went back to the bathroom, but I didn't even have to pee. I changed (AGAIN!!) and laid a towel on the bed. I'm just about asleep when I peed a third time. What the hell? I stood up to go back to the bathroom and WHOOSH!! It wasn't pee at all. My water broke!! I start laughing hysterically at my own confusion. I walked to the bathroom and stood there trying to figure out what to do. There is a constant trickle down my leg and no one told me what to do about it on the way to the hospital. I get things under control, finish packing my bag, and call our friends to let them know we are dropping Lily off there. And ouch...a contraction. In exactly the same spot that my back spasms were yesterday. Time to wake up Lily and get to the city. We get my bags....and I mean bags, into the car. (You don't really need your housecoat, scrabble, make up, blow dryer, etc. but I didn't know that yet!) We are ready to go. We start the car and all the lights on the dash start blinking. Why now? We turn off the car and start it again. Blink, blink, ugh! Months later we learn that it is something to do with a faulty command start, but why did it have to start that night??
We drop Lily off at our friends house. It is 3:30 am and Lily knows we are excited about something so she is no longer tired. Thank you Shannon for staying up with her and still choosing to be our friend! This is one of many reasons that you are Jack's godmother. My contractions are now more regular. Scott stops at 7-11 for a snack....men! We get checked in and they need to swab me because they don't think my water broke....WHAT?? Did I really pee myself three times? Nope...breakage confirmed. I am assigned a bed and told to call them when my contractions are five minutes apart. An hour later, we start timing them. Five minutes....call the nurse. Get checked. Not yet. They offer me morphine, but I don't want the baby to have any. At 6:30 am, we call my mom to come to Saskatoon and pick up Lily. She is excited... I'm losing my excitement to tiredness. Noon...still contracting but not dilated. Ugh! They really encourage the morphine. I am going to need sleep to keep going. I accept. I was told that the morphine would not stop the contractions. Labour would progress while I slept. Woke up 3-4 hours later...contraction free. Mom comes to visit. You can see the pity in her eyes as she had a long labour with me, but tries to act optimistic. Mom goes to pick up Lily and we go for a walk around the hospital avoiding the fertility clinic area...I know how it felt to see those damn labouring women while I was their patient. Oh how I wanted to be them with their faces scrunched up in pain. Contractions return. YAY! Pain is actually minimal but I want to be checked again so I lie a little and say that it really hurts. They check me again. We are going to labour and delivery.
Nice place! Rocking chair. Ipod dock. Phone. Too bad your time there isn't more enjoyable. Oxytocin started. My first nurses weren't the best. They suggested waiting until I couldn't stand the pain anymore before asking for an epidural. In hindsight, this was a mistake. Oxytocin cranked up. Double contractions....one strong one followed by one less strong with little time in between. More oxytocin. Suddenly really strong contractions but every contraction makes the baby's heart rate drop. Everyone realizes that the cord is around the baby's neck and so we try to find a better position to make the heartbeat more regular. Nothing really works and I can no longer stand the pain. Epidural, please. Anesthesiologist in with another patient. Fantastic husband and fantastic Sandi (my new nurse) help me not to lose my mind. Epidural in (why is it not immediate?) and finally relief. They don't want to check me too much because it has now been 20 hours since my water broke and they don't want to introduce any bacteria. I have a sudden urge to push and they say that there is no way that I am dilated yet. I explain that I am going to push whether they check me or not. They give in...and I was right. Except where they are supposed to feel a head, they feel a hand. Yes, my baby is waving hello to everyone. They get the OB/GYN who stays for the rest of the delivery. I have heard that they are not usually there for the whole thing so this worries me some. It is now almost midnight and I really want to have this baby before midnight. It is Scott's brother's birthday tomorrow and no one should have to share their birthday. They say go ahead and push and I give it my all. My husband and nurse are both incredibly helpful. I keep pushing. It is past midnight. I didn't make it. Suddenly I can hear the heart rate drop. There is a flurry of activity. They grab the vacuum. (During prenatal classes I said that I did not want to use the vacuum or forceps. I told Scott if they wanted to, he should talk them out of it.) Scott looks at me sadly. At this point I realize that we are in some trouble. One more push and the baby is actually ripped from me by the vacuum. Super weird. And IT'S A BOY!!
Seriously? I had been calling him she for nine months.
That night Scott joked that sex brings on labour...it's none of your business whether or not this is true. At 3:00 am I woke up. I had heard that being this pregnant can make you urinary incontinent. I couldn't believe that I had just peed the bed. Gross. I got up, finished peeing in the bathroom, changed my clothes and the bed and crawled back in. I was just falling asleep when I peed again. How was that even possible? Gross. I got up and went back to the bathroom, but I didn't even have to pee. I changed (AGAIN!!) and laid a towel on the bed. I'm just about asleep when I peed a third time. What the hell? I stood up to go back to the bathroom and WHOOSH!! It wasn't pee at all. My water broke!! I start laughing hysterically at my own confusion. I walked to the bathroom and stood there trying to figure out what to do. There is a constant trickle down my leg and no one told me what to do about it on the way to the hospital. I get things under control, finish packing my bag, and call our friends to let them know we are dropping Lily off there. And ouch...a contraction. In exactly the same spot that my back spasms were yesterday. Time to wake up Lily and get to the city. We get my bags....and I mean bags, into the car. (You don't really need your housecoat, scrabble, make up, blow dryer, etc. but I didn't know that yet!) We are ready to go. We start the car and all the lights on the dash start blinking. Why now? We turn off the car and start it again. Blink, blink, ugh! Months later we learn that it is something to do with a faulty command start, but why did it have to start that night??
We drop Lily off at our friends house. It is 3:30 am and Lily knows we are excited about something so she is no longer tired. Thank you Shannon for staying up with her and still choosing to be our friend! This is one of many reasons that you are Jack's godmother. My contractions are now more regular. Scott stops at 7-11 for a snack....men! We get checked in and they need to swab me because they don't think my water broke....WHAT?? Did I really pee myself three times? Nope...breakage confirmed. I am assigned a bed and told to call them when my contractions are five minutes apart. An hour later, we start timing them. Five minutes....call the nurse. Get checked. Not yet. They offer me morphine, but I don't want the baby to have any. At 6:30 am, we call my mom to come to Saskatoon and pick up Lily. She is excited... I'm losing my excitement to tiredness. Noon...still contracting but not dilated. Ugh! They really encourage the morphine. I am going to need sleep to keep going. I accept. I was told that the morphine would not stop the contractions. Labour would progress while I slept. Woke up 3-4 hours later...contraction free. Mom comes to visit. You can see the pity in her eyes as she had a long labour with me, but tries to act optimistic. Mom goes to pick up Lily and we go for a walk around the hospital avoiding the fertility clinic area...I know how it felt to see those damn labouring women while I was their patient. Oh how I wanted to be them with their faces scrunched up in pain. Contractions return. YAY! Pain is actually minimal but I want to be checked again so I lie a little and say that it really hurts. They check me again. We are going to labour and delivery.
Nice place! Rocking chair. Ipod dock. Phone. Too bad your time there isn't more enjoyable. Oxytocin started. My first nurses weren't the best. They suggested waiting until I couldn't stand the pain anymore before asking for an epidural. In hindsight, this was a mistake. Oxytocin cranked up. Double contractions....one strong one followed by one less strong with little time in between. More oxytocin. Suddenly really strong contractions but every contraction makes the baby's heart rate drop. Everyone realizes that the cord is around the baby's neck and so we try to find a better position to make the heartbeat more regular. Nothing really works and I can no longer stand the pain. Epidural, please. Anesthesiologist in with another patient. Fantastic husband and fantastic Sandi (my new nurse) help me not to lose my mind. Epidural in (why is it not immediate?) and finally relief. They don't want to check me too much because it has now been 20 hours since my water broke and they don't want to introduce any bacteria. I have a sudden urge to push and they say that there is no way that I am dilated yet. I explain that I am going to push whether they check me or not. They give in...and I was right. Except where they are supposed to feel a head, they feel a hand. Yes, my baby is waving hello to everyone. They get the OB/GYN who stays for the rest of the delivery. I have heard that they are not usually there for the whole thing so this worries me some. It is now almost midnight and I really want to have this baby before midnight. It is Scott's brother's birthday tomorrow and no one should have to share their birthday. They say go ahead and push and I give it my all. My husband and nurse are both incredibly helpful. I keep pushing. It is past midnight. I didn't make it. Suddenly I can hear the heart rate drop. There is a flurry of activity. They grab the vacuum. (During prenatal classes I said that I did not want to use the vacuum or forceps. I told Scott if they wanted to, he should talk them out of it.) Scott looks at me sadly. At this point I realize that we are in some trouble. One more push and the baby is actually ripped from me by the vacuum. Super weird. And IT'S A BOY!!
Seriously? I had been calling him she for nine months.
Friday, October 15, 2010
The one and only....pregnancy
Scott and I were discussing my pregnancy today. It is funny how you forget the tough stuff and only remember it being blissfully happy. Scott does not forget. He labels the trimesters as scary, nice, and grumpy. It's not that we're complaining....we have a beautiful baby boy. It was totally worth it.
My pregnancy began on Scott's 30th birthday. Most men would have some sort of celebration on that day. Instead Scott got to hold my hand while our eggs were removed, masturbate in an old hospital bathroom, and wheel his semi-conscious wife back to our car. I did take him out for lunch, but I don't know how good of company I was. Days later I had to ask him where we went. We hoped that we would be able to look back at that day as a present to him....and we do, because one of the embryos created on his 30th birthday became our son Jack.
Being that we had thought about eventually getting pregnant for seven years, we were excited to tell our families. We made a shirt that said "Big Sister December 2009" and went to Scott's parents house with Lily wearing it. The reactions to that shirt were priceless. Scott's parents initially thought it was a hand me down from someone else, but the date tipped them off to the pregnancy. My mom stood in stunned silence trying to process the information. My brother ignored the shirt even though we knew he had seen it. I think he was too scared to try to guess what it meant. And his girlfriend asked when we were "getting a baby." The obvious question as that's what we did before.
Five days before my initial ultrasound I started bleeding. I was sure I was losing the baby but because we were on holidays in another city, my fertility clinic couldn't really help us. The morning of the ultrasound was so scary. When they pointed out that little heartbeat, my own heart skipped a beat. How could you already be in love with something so small. They pointed out another gestational sack that no longer had a heartbeat. I was sad for a moment for that baby, but knew that there was a chance there would be no heartbeat at all and so I celebrated the fact that there was. We began to show people the picture of the ultrasound. We couldn't keep it a secret any longer.
At ten weeks I woke up to a rush of blood. I ran to the bathroom and was shocked to see how much blood I had lost. I called the OB/GYN at the hospital and she suggested that I wait until morning and then call the clinic. I did NOT sleep. In the morning we had another ultrasound. We saw and heard the heartbeat again. (Scott pointed out that the sound wasn't actually the heartbeat but the machine creating a sound from the ultrasound. Sometimes having a diagnostic person in your family isn't too fun. ) I had bleeding off and on for three weeks and ended up having to go on bed rest for two weeks. Super scary the whole time. Many sleepless nights and ultrasounds later, the bleeding stopped.
The second trimester was wonderful. It was nice to be big enough that people could tell you were pregnant but not so big that you were uncomfortable. I felt beautiful. It was incredible. We went on vacation to Vancouver Island. We hiked, we swam, we relaxed. It was blissful.
I don't think I was grumpy in the third trimester. Perhaps my co-workers would disagree. Scott certainly would. I was due December 15th but I was sure that "she" would be born on November 30th. I was sure it was a girl all along. So much for mother's intuition. November 30th came and went. I now thought I would be late. My mom was really overdue with me and I thought I was in for the long haul. When my water broke on December 2nd, I had no idea what was happening to me. I thought I had peed the bed, but was amazed when I kept peeing the bed over and over. And whoever is telling you that there is no whoosh when the water breaks...well, they're not telling you the whole truth.
During my whole infertility journey, I thought the positive pregnancy test would mean success. But the fear and the stress never went away until I held my baby in my arms. I thought I would relax after the first trimester, but I didn't. They say that a baby is viable after 30 weeks, but that didn't do it either. Labour was long and stressful. It had it's moments of fear. I had to actually hold him to know that we had made it.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Miraculous Science
Assisted Reproductive Technology is always a controversial topic. There are the people who believe that it should (or should not) be paid for by the government. There is the religious aspect. The Catholic church is certainly not a big fan. Much to my mother's dismay, we joked that Jack might burst into flames during baptism. This was not the case. I once participated in a chat room where two women were arguing about whether their pregnancies were miracles or acts of science. I just kept thinking to myself, "Does it matter? Won't your baby be just as fantastic either way?" There is also the concern about multiples, premature infants, and birth defects. Trust me. I've heard it all.
I wish everyone had the opportunity to check out the walls of photos in my fertility specialist's office. The walls are covered. I think they might have to use the ceilings next. These are families who weren't able to be families without it. It's tough to argue all those other points when you see Jack smile or wave for the first time. It's tough to think it could possibly be wrong when you stare at his peaceful face when he is sleeping. I was lucky to have the support of family and friends but I know lots of people who had to keep it a secret because their family thinks it is wrong.
I know so many people affected by infertility and I have been fortunate to be able to share in so much joy at the birth of their babies. I also have friends who are currently trying and I can't wait to hear about their successes. I have a friend who has twins, a boy and a girl, and is currently awaiting her ultrasound to see how many babies there are from her current IVF success. I have another friend with a two year old girl and newborn baby boys from superovulation. I have a friend with a two year old girl from IVF and a surprise one year old boy. There is the three year old boy awaiting his brother or sister all from IVF. There are the three year old twins from IUI and the four year old twins from IVF. These are all close friends who wouldn't have their families without assistance. I know of so many other acquaintances who have been helped as well. The issues just don't compare to the love I have seen.
I'm not going to argue why the issues are right or wrong. I'm just too busy being a mother to my answers anyway.
I wish everyone had the opportunity to check out the walls of photos in my fertility specialist's office. The walls are covered. I think they might have to use the ceilings next. These are families who weren't able to be families without it. It's tough to argue all those other points when you see Jack smile or wave for the first time. It's tough to think it could possibly be wrong when you stare at his peaceful face when he is sleeping. I was lucky to have the support of family and friends but I know lots of people who had to keep it a secret because their family thinks it is wrong.
I know so many people affected by infertility and I have been fortunate to be able to share in so much joy at the birth of their babies. I also have friends who are currently trying and I can't wait to hear about their successes. I have a friend who has twins, a boy and a girl, and is currently awaiting her ultrasound to see how many babies there are from her current IVF success. I have another friend with a two year old girl and newborn baby boys from superovulation. I have a friend with a two year old girl from IVF and a surprise one year old boy. There is the three year old boy awaiting his brother or sister all from IVF. There are the three year old twins from IUI and the four year old twins from IVF. These are all close friends who wouldn't have their families without assistance. I know of so many other acquaintances who have been helped as well. The issues just don't compare to the love I have seen.
I'm not going to argue why the issues are right or wrong. I'm just too busy being a mother to my answers anyway.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)