When asked about the worst medication that I had to take when undergoing IVF, my surprising answer is - birth control pills. Of course, I didn’t love the shots, or hot flashes caused by other medicines, but the hormonal surges, caused by “the pill,” were by far the hardest to endure. I took birth control pills prior to trying to conceive (obviously before I knew that was unnecessary) and never found one without overwhelming side-effects. The pill made me moody and anxious, sad or irritable, gave me headaches, and just generally did not contribute to a good quality of life. The difference when I was taking them and when I wasn’t was so pronounced that it… [more]

A good friend of mine got word today that her IVF cycle has to be delayed even more because of a cyst. She went in for her baseline ultrasound after taking birth control pills and they found a pretty large cyst. They instructed her to keep taking birth control pills for a month longer and to go to the office today to see if the cyst had shrunk or disappeared, as they anticipated. Unfortunately, it was still there and she has to have it surgically removed before she can move forward with her IVF cycle. She told me that she was so distraught and upset when she heard the news that she forgot to ask questions… [more]

A lot of the decisions I have made in my life can easily be judged by those around me, and admittedly the opinion formed may not always be positive. Thankfully, though, I am confident that the decisions I have made are the right ones for me. My family didn't think I should have moved onto IVF so soon, or at all in some cases. Many people openly judge me for working full-time rather than staying at-home with my long-awaited children. I am a proponent of child-rearing methods like "Cry-It-Out" and letting them dip their green beans in ketchup if that will coerce them to eat vegetables. Many other moms think things like this border on… [more]

From the time we are in the fourth grade we are told about the monthly cycle that as women we get to know and love. We are told that every 30 days, give or take, we will start our period and become bloated cranky she-beasts. I remember my teacher explaining to me that for the first year, maybe two that the cycles tend to be irregular but eventually work themselves out. When my cycles occurred every 60-75 days I thought my body was just adjusting. Several years later I just assumed that my cycles were normal and that my body was happy how it was. When I went to the store to buy an ovulation kit I was shocked to see that I… [more]

It seems to me like I meet more people who are experiencing infertility all the time. This may be that I'm drawn to these men and women because I feel a connection with them or maybe it is something else. A lot of people feel that some couples are experiencing infertility at a higher rate because they are waiting until they are older to start having a family. But I've come across one person who has a different opinion on the matter. This person feels that more people are experiencing infertility because there are simply less spirits ready to come to Earth. This person believes that a finite amount of souls were made before/during the creation of the Earth. Then one by one… [more]

I have a friend who is in her late thirties and is just now engaged. She is extremely happy that after many years of looking she has found her "other half". She was excited about everything she was going to finally be able to do, including starting a family. She went in to her doctor for her yearly exam and came out of the clinic on the verge of depressed. Doctor Killjoy (Not his real name, but it seems to fit.) decided that while he was examining my friend's sensitive area that he would inform her of the struggle she will face while trying to conceive. Then to add insult to injury, he told her that if she does become pregnant she… [more]

I love modern medical technology. It always amazes me the things that doctors and specialists can do for people. When a friend of mine told me that she was having a hysterosalpingogram (or commonly referred to as a HSG) this upcoming week I became excited for her. As embarrassing as this test can be (But aren't most of the tests we have done embarrassing to some degree?) it can be very informative. I had this procedure done to look for any abnormalities in my fallopian tubes that could have been blocking the eggs from entering the uterus. The HSG can also detect any abnormalities in the uterus like damage or blockages, fibroids, polyps, scar tissue, and endometriosis. For someone like me… [more]

You start out hopeful and excited about starting a family. You can't wait until it is your turn to start buying cute bibs, flower dresses, and diapers by the hundreds. Then the joy begins to be delayed. This is when you start to worry, become sad, or even angry. I rationalized with myself that the sad and frantic feelings would only be temporary and that in a few months time they'd be over. I only felt that way because I was convinced that I'd be pregnant in less than six months. It seemed like I would go through stages of emotions during my infertility treatments. I'd be happy and hopeful that THIS was going to be THE month that I was going… [more]

Before everyone starts thinking I'm a crazy endorphin loving hellion let you say this- my dog's name is Trouble. She is a four year old bulldog who snores like a busted chainsaw and I absolutely adore her. Women (or at least the crowd I hang around) have a natural, wonderful ability to nurture and love. We start as children with our dolls, grow up to be bossy, loving teens and eventually arrive at the day when we want to become a mother. There is something that just seems to click in the brain that says today is the day that you need to start trying to conceive and be a mother. As a child I would play with my dolls and tell my… [more]

We should never assume or expect things in life. I know this, I remind myself of this, but yet I still do it. For some reason I assumed that if I put an effort forth to having a child than I would get one. All I needed to do was show that I was ready and really wanted one and then it would happen. It's naive, but it's what got me through the day. So when the day came that I found out I was pregnant I became overwhelmed with joy. I wanted to tell everyone and have them share the joy with me. I started thinking of baby names, ideas for a nursery, and looking online at maternity clothes. I had… [more]