Treatment

With 10-25% of all clinically established pregnancies ending in miscarriage, it’s a wonder that anyone would purposefully put themselves at risk of going through such a heartache. When a couple has to employ the services of a reproductive endocrinologist and pay for artificial reproductive technologies (ARTs) in order to even attempt a pregnancy, it’s all the more amazing that people take the chance. On average, IVF carries with it a 35-40% success rate for women under age 35, just over 30% for women between 35 and 37, just over 20% for women between 38-40, and only about 13% and 4% respectively for women aged 41-42 and those over 42. So between the likelihood of a success (defined here as a live birth of the awaited child) and… [more]

In our attempts at parenthood, I have done my share of research.  I managed to overcome my needle-phobia so that I could benefit from acupuncture.  The meaning of this became especially clear when I was receiving after-transfer treatment last year.  Even though by then I had been going to acupuncture for some time, that day, it was different.  That day, I carried human life within me.  That day, I was a mother!  And as I lay there taking deep breaths and trying to think of my happy place while the acupuncturist inserted the various needles, I remember mentally telling my kids, “this is for you.” This cycle is the first time I am on estrogen.  I was thrilled that my doctor agreed to an injection-free protocol.  Instead, I wear four skin… [more]

As my husband and I begin “the cycle”, I’m left with conflicting emotions.  On the one hand, of course I am excited about it finally being time to try again!  If all goes well, we will be traveling to pick up two of our adopted embryos in two and a half weeks.  On the first day of spring, I will be pregnant.... unless proven otherwise!  What’s not to get excited about, right? The problem is that this is not our first attempt.  We had the benefit of naïveté during our first round of frozen embryo transfer.  Up until that point, we were confident that the only thing standing in our way of parenthood was lack of sperm.  We thought we were that much ahead of the game when we had not… [more]

Our first two frozen embryo transfers* took place in natural, (mostly) unmedicated cycles.  We are dealing with strictly male factor infertility.  All of my tests have come back normal. Therefore, we saw no reason to introduce excess hormones into my body when I could ovulate and establish a thick enough uterine lining on my own.  With that in mind, I looked at various natural and alternative remedies that we could incorporate into our cycles to maximize chances of success. One of these alternatives has been acupuncture.  We were lucky enough to have some 20 acupuncture sessions covered by our health insurance annually, as long as they are not billed specifically for infertility.  The purpose of my visits this time around has been to regulate my periods. After our last FET, I noticed… [more]

The latest statistics released on birth and pregnancy in the United States show that out of all the couples who fall in the range of an appropriate child-producing age, almost 9% of them are infertile.  The promise and possibilities that an in vitro pregnancy can offer a couple or an individual who is incapable of having children via coital means can spark joy and life where there was once disappointment and shame.  However, this scientific innovation does not come without its many proponents and critics.  It is quite common for different political parties, organizations and groups to have a firm stance on topics such as these, understanding all of the facets of an IVF conception and process can lead you to making the soundest choice and decision on where this… [more]

Writing about the creation of life is about beginning again. There is so much information available today for most people who are trying to conceive. Websites, blogs, advertisements, all leading to potential answers and antidotes which will certainly help you become pregnant. After having gone through so many infertility treatments, experiments on my body, mind and soul, it would inevitable lead to the "Begin Again". And, every time, the begin again was so excruciating and so painful, and yet there was the promise of next time. This is where the mind is so powerful over being influenced by those involved in this multi-million dollar industry. Your goal is to be a parent and you will go through things so incredible to have a… [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]

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]

I have come to the realization that I like to find holistic treatments to infertility. After looking back at the majority of my posts it seems to be the trend, so don't be surprised at the message of this one! My sister-in-law and I have a lot in common-- we married James brothers, we are obsessed with changing our hair (cut, color, bring it on!), we laugh at the weirdest things, and we both have infertility issues. My sister-in-law deals with PCOS and has struggled throughout her life with womanly issues. She often jokes with me about the fact that she's had as many periods in her lifetime as a normal woman has in a year. One day last fall we were… [more]

The other day at the library I decided to go beyond the aisles of Dora and Little Critter and actually find something for me. As I walked around I saw a set of blue eyes staring at me from the cover of a book. It was the eyes of Michael J. Fox, a face I had seen my whole childhood, on the cover of his new book Always Looking Up. It is pretty common knowledge where Michael J. Fox stands on stem cell research and as I read his words I realized I really didn't have an opinion on the matter. I obviously have an opinion on infertility treatments, which includes invetro fertilization, but I hadn't researched enough about what happens to… [more]