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]

You know you have struggled with infertility for way too long when you have inappropriate thoughts during a devastating natural disaster. I live in an area that was recently hard hit by Mother Nature and people throughout our city are trying to pick up the pieces after losing everything. It has been two weeks and each day I find more and more people and places that have been affected. I learn of friends who no longer have a place to live, a neighbor who had to report a body washed into her yard, and widespread lack of insurance making it virtually impossible for so many to rebuild their lives. In the face of all of… [more]

If my husband had let me I would have been one of those people who were home pregnancy test "addicts" after my IVF embryo transfer. Unfortunately, our doctor and nurse advised against testing at all and he was in the room to hear it (otherwise, he wouldn't have known the difference). For me, it was the not knowing what was going on that almost drove me insane. So, it was helpful to learn what was going on each day after the transfer, and knowing the timeline somewhat kept the complete crazies at bay (well, almost). I, of course, did sneak in a home pregnancy test or two but by the time I did it I knew… [more]

Tonight there is supposed to be a full moon. I grew up hearing tales of the effect of full moons on labor and birthrates (my mom was a Labor & Delivery nurse), and have always thought it interesting to hear about baby booms on evenings of a bright and full moon. There are also all sorts of myths and folklore out there about full moons and werewolves, crime sprees, accidents, suicides - you name it and the occurence of something or the increase in occurence has probably been blamed on a full moon at one time or another. So, I read with interest today a blurb that I got over email that proclaimed that the… [more]

A friend of mine just started taking birth control pills in preparation for her first IVF cycle. She mentioned that she thought she was done with the "crazy pills," as we call them (otherwise known as Clomid) and was surprised to be having such a negative reaction to the relatively benign "pill." I recollected that in my brief time on "the pill" prior to trying to conceive that it really did do a number on my emotional well-being. She has never used birth control and did not expect that something that the majority of women we know used would induce mood swings, anxiety, and weepiness. After telling her that I thought the reaction she… [more]

The Southeast Chapter of RESOLVE is having it's first annual Family Building Conference on May 1st in Atlanta, Georgia (CLICK HERE for more information). Beyond being a spectacular idea - getting people together with experts to discuss issues surroung infertility - it is also very well named! The conference intends to "address the medical, emotional, social, financial and legal issues associated with infertility and adoption." There are also some awesome give-aways, including a chance at a free IVF cycle and a free donor egg cycle, but I digress (as I am apt to do when someone says the word free). What struck me the most about the informational email I received about the conference… [more]

Women, especially those trying to conceive, have been told time and time again that weight could be a factor in ability (or inability) to get pregnant. Many clinics will not treat women over a certain weight. Diet and exercise are often touted as the "answer," when the female partner is struggling with infertility. And, some studies have shown that women with PCOS who do not also struggle with weight, have better success with fertility treatments. Let me digress here for a moment to say that anytime someone qualifies their having PCOS by saying; but I am thin or that they have "lean" PCOS it drives me batty - PCOS is NOT just another way to say… [more]

I am so excited that one of my best friends has finally made the decision to move forward with an IVF cycle. She has been in a "wait and see" holding pattern for a long time with her ob/gyn telling her that it would just "take time" and that she was "still young". She visited a Reproductive Endocrinologist about a year ago who said that her best chance to conceive would be through IVF, but since her regular doctor practically dismissed the possiblity of fertility issues she thought the RE was over-exaggerating. Now, more than five years later and approaching the age of 35, she feels like time is running out and she wants to give IVF… [more]