Kids running around everywhere, your sister/cousin/niece/etc. cooing at her newborn, prying family members unwittingly asking you when you will finally have children, sympathetic and pitying looks from those who know what you have been through - the list of negatives is virtually endless when it comes to infertility and celebrating special occasions with family and friends. Usually, the people in our lives don't mean to be malicious. Often, they are oblivious to the plight of others or ignorant to what we might have to endure or they just plain don't know what to say. This was the case for me. We went through our IVF cycle over the Christmas holidays. I started lupron shots for… [more]

One of the oddest things to me about starting an IVF cycle is the orders to take birth control pills. It is very strange to be taking a step to get pregnant by taking a medication typically used as contraception. I'm sure my pharmacist was thoroughly confused if she was noticing what medications I was taking. Shortly after I was prescribed clomid that I refilled for many months, I then filled a prescription for birth control pills. It ended up being a pretty big ordeal, too, because I worked for a Catholic organization at the time and my insurance did not cover birth control of any type. I didn't realize that applied when… [more]

When you first start an IVF cycle it is pretty easy to get confused about what the doctors, other patients, and support sites and groups are saying. Lots of abbreviations, slang, and shorthand abound when it comes to IVF. I thought I would provide a "cheat sheet" of sorts of some of the terms you are likely to hear and what they mean. I won't go in depth with definitions but if there is anything on this list that you have questions about or about which you need clarification please talk to your nurse or doctor. I think it is really easy for them to forget that we don't deal with this stuff everyday… [more]

Once you take that first step and make an appointment with a fertility specialist you are suddenly thrust into a world of strange lingo and abbreviations. One of the most commonly used is "RE" or your Reproductive Endocrinologist. Most women begin the process of seeking fertility assistance by talking to their regular obstetrician/gynecologist. If the basics that your ob/gyn can offer; including teaching you to recognize when you are most fertile, conducting preliminary fertility testing, and administering some fertility medications such as clomid are not enough, then it is probably appropriate to try to find a specialist. Physicians who specialize in treating reproductive disorders are called Reproductive Endocrinologists (RE). They have had additional training and… [more]

I still remember the excitement of learning my first beta number, finding out if it doubled like it was supposed to, and the very first ultrasound (emergency in my case) like it was yesterday. I also remember that I was constantly posting on a message board within a group of women who all did IVF at the same time as me. We would eagerly countdown the days until the different milestones together - from when we started medications, to egg retrieval, embryo transfer, and the aformentioned testing. I was so very happy when I got what I thought was a healthy first beta number, but also heartbroken for others who were having to report negative… [more]

Just another one of the very frustrating things about fertility treatments and the advice and cautions of physicians, is the differing opinions of doctors about what is and is not safe during treatments. When it was recommended to me to use a heating pad to help with the pain of the progesterone in oil injections I was confused. Along with the warning that super hot baths, hot tubs, saunas, and anything else similar that could raise body temperature should be avoided also came caution against heating pads. In response to a follow-up inquiry my nurse said that she thought it was perfectly fine to use the heating pad on my bottom where the shots were given but… [more]

Within the debate of how many embryos to transfer in an IVF procedure, or when to cancel an IUI cycle based on the number of follicles, is the often unasked question of just how likely it is that twins, triplets, or more will result. The general answer is that there really isn't a good answer. Comforting - no, but physicians just cannot say definitively that if two "high quality" embryos are transferred that you will have two, one, or no babies. There have been many, many women who have transferred three and failed to conceive, or four and had one or yes, some that transferred three or four and were pregnant with three or four. There… [more]

I am not generally envious or jealous of my friends - except, of course, when I was in the throes of fertility treatments and many of them were becoming happy little families and had no fertility woes. Ok, maybe I am a little green, but at least I kept that particular envy a secret. With another friend, I am very vocal about just how much I "hate" her ability to gain no weight, to be so very skinny, and so dedicated to staying fit. You see, she has the absolute perfect little figure. She is a runner who has done numerous marathons and can be seen rounding the track in all sorts of… [more]

I just started a diet which explains why my mind seems to constantly be on food. Foods that I can eat, foods that I can't, foods that will have ill effects and those that won't, are all that I think about. Many women with celiac disease have to learn to live with this relationship with food. They must stay away from gluten which can be found in most wheat products, rye, oats, barley, and many others. Generally speaking celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disorder that causes an allergic reaction. Those with the disease commonly experience cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhea when they eat foods with gluten. Women also often experience irregular… [more]

At first glance the IVF success statistics don't look that great. The numbers vary depending on where you get your information, but in general only one in three women will deliver a baby after one IVF cycle. Advanced Reproductive Care, Inc. breaks it down like this. 40 out of 100 women will have a baby after one IVF cycle, meaning 60 will not. After a second cycle approximately 24 of those 60 will have a baby. That leaves 36 of the original 100 who do not have a baby, but after a third cycle 14 of them will. These are completely approximate and based on the average IVF patient who is 33 years… [more]