Resolution

I was very reluctant to stop taking my Progesterone In Oil (or PIO) shots and move on to the Crinone 8% vaginal progesterone gel. When I begged my doctor to let me stay on the shots (crazy I know) he told me that I would love the gel - that it would be so much easier, a lot less painful, and would work just the same. Crinone 8% is most commonly used by women undergoing fertility treatments to provide progesterone to change the lining of the uterus to aid in implantation and then to sustain a pregnancy. I did not begin to take Crinone until after I was done with the PIO shots and continued to take it through 12… [more]

In a previous post I talked about our annual girls' trip and my friend who is struggling to conceive. Her particular situation hits so close to home because she has endured the same questions from the same friends, is dealing with eerily similar issues such as fibroids and polyps, and like me, seems to be truly content with the decision to pursue adoption. One thing that she did say that made a lot of sense to me, but that I had never thought about is that she really, really regrets not attempting IVF right when it was recommended as essentially her only option by her RE. Her initial consultation with her doctor took place over a year ago. She was finally… [more]

When you are struggling to conceive one of the things you long for the most is just to be normal. Nothing could make my jealousy peak more than when someone would tell of the fun and unique way they told their partner they were expecting. The innocence of a newly pregnant woman at only 8 weeks already planning her nursery and thinking about names would make me green with envy. The couple who talked about planning to have Johnny or Sally in the summer to coincide with vacation from teaching would literally make me want to scream. All of those reactions are very "normal" when you get pregnant easily, but when you stare at negative pregnancy tests month after… [more]

I have never been particularly fond of Tom Cruise, although I do like some of his movies. I have always liked Nicole Kidman. So, of course I was on "her side" when they split, but that is neither here nor there.

As many of you likely know, Tom and Nicole adopted a couple of kids together. While I do not believe they ever made a big deal about it publicly, speculation has always been that they were infertile together. However, Tom got Katie Holmes pregnant, and now Nicole is pregnant by her husband, Keith Urban. According to the article in Women's Day, Nicole conceived after months of fertility treatments.

I find it interesting when a couple is unable to conceive a baby together but both… [more]

When I was going through fertility treatments, my doctor gave me pamphlet about how infertility is resolved. The pamphlet said that when I ended treatment, it would be in one of three ways:

1. I would conceive a child.
2. I would choose to live a childfree life.
3. I would adopt or foster a child.

For me, number 2 was never an option, but for many infertile couples, it is. I have met several older couples who are wonderful with children and who would have made great parents. I often learn that the couple was never able to conceive and, therefore, have lived a childfree life.

Some of these people find other ways to meet their need to parent. They might work in a school… [more]

While you are facing infertility challenges and desperately trying to conceive a baby, adoption might not be an option you are considering. In fact, you might feel downright hostile toward the idea of raising a "stranger's baby." However, you might not always feel this way. It is okay to have a change of heart later.

Some people are always open to the idea of adopting. I was one of those people. I wanted to adopt a child ever since I saw the movie Pete's Dragon when I was a little kid. I loved the idea of a homeless kid finding a forever family. However, other people, like my husband, never even considered adoption. He was very uncomfortable with the idea of "raising a stranger's child." Now… [more]

I know many women who have struggled with their fertility. Most, if not all, have had people try to comfort them by saying, "You can always just adopt." Most infertile women do not find these words comforting and certainly not in the early stages of exploring fertility treatments.

I am an adoptive mother. I have been through the adoption process, and let me tell you - there is no "just" to the process. When people say, "You can always just adopt," they make it sound like, if you cannot have a hamburger, then a hot dog will do, too. Choosing to adopt is not that simple.

Adoption is Not For Everyone

First you have to get past the hurdle of whether adoption is right for your family. Adoption… [more]

The other day, I was scanning the radio and came across a Christian music station. The disc jockey was interviewing the women from the musical group Point of Grace. I do not know much about the group. I have Christmas CD by Jim Brickman in which he collaborates with this group. I think their voices are amazing, so I decided to listen to some of the interview.

One of the women in the group shared a story about a painful experience in her life. The emotional wound was now healed, but she wanted to remember the experience as a way of encouraging others. Out of this experience came the song "Heal the Wound," which is on their new CD. (You… [more]

For those of you who are winding down your fertility procedures, you might wonder how you will feel down the road if you never conceive a child. Some of you might be considering growing your family through adoption or fostering a child. Others might be deciding either to lead a childfree life or to more fully embrace the children you already have in your life without trying for more. Once you have ended fertility treatments, how will you feel in the long run?

I started trying to conceive in 1996, and I became a mother through adoption in 2001. I never succeeded in conceiving, even though I went through several years of fertility treatments, and I have not used birth control in… [more]

When I had exhausted our fertility procedures and was waiting to adopt, a friend of mine was starting her own fertility journey. I had already reached a place of making peace with never getting pregnant, but my friend was just starting to face that she might never know what it feels like to become pregnant. She learned about a program called the Snowflake program and asked me what I thought about it.

The Snowflake program is one of several services available that enables a couple to adopt an embryo. The adoptive mother has the embryo implanted into her uterus, and she goes through a full pregnancy, giving birth to a child whose DNA comes from another couple. My friend took a… [more]