…or Begins. Depending on how you look at it. After almost a year of blogging all the news your womb can use, this will be my final week here at Fertility Notes and at b5media.

Sniff.

But don’t you be sad! You can still find me at my private blog (you can email me for details) and at www.nationalparksonline.net, our newly revamped blog chronicling Michael’s and my two-year road trip to all of the National Park sites across the United States and keeping you up to date on national park news. If you’re interested, I am working on some pretty neat things over at www.par.net for folks looking for autism or intellectual disabilities services here in Pennsylvania.

And here’s even better news: for those of you following my personal fertility journey, we received two very nice hCG (aka “pregnancy hormone“) numbers this week. While I’m wary of celebrating just yet, things are looking pretty good. We have an ultrasound (!) scheduled for later this month.

Since this will likely be my last post, I wanted to leave you with some of my favorite all time posts and helpful hints. Here is what I learned writing Fertility Notes:

• Even though some people can be mean and irrational, if you are struggling with or living with infertility, you never need to feel alone.

• Telling your partner he is “seriously F-ing with your fertility feng shui” tidies up the bedroom far faster than nagging.

• Acupuncture (and my acupuncturist) is awesome.

• Sometimes struggling with fertility gives us compassion and brings us closer to people in unlikely ways.

• You can still enjoy a fabulous foot massage from your husband while pregnant.

• This may have been the hardest post I’ve ever written.

• There is not nearly enough information available in schools regarding infertility.

• Estrogen is not all bad. In fact, sometimes it’s kinda nice.

• The end result is more important to me than how I get there.

• Cultivating my Qi is important. And it can be fun.

• It is possible for joy and sorrow to occupy the same space.

• You ladies love learning about herbal tampons.

• The Barren Bitches Book Brigade may be one of the best online meeting of minds I have ever participated in. A monthly opportunity to read, reflect, respond and most importantly gather the thoughts of beautiful, intelligent women. You should join the next one!

• Raising a child is relatively inexpensive, once you get to that point.

• I will never stop caring about Choice and the environment, getting angry about misinformation, or boycotting products that do not respect women (that means you, Tampax) And I hope to goddess that my children are rabble rousers too.

• My top ten random reasons for wanting to have a baby are still 100% accurate.

I invite you to comment here or email me at polchic@hotmail.com to tell me what you have learned. Don’t be a stranger!

Post from: Blisstree

Here’s Where the Story Ends

Since I wrote to my Congressmen about the Act, I received the following update from CureSearch.org:

The bill, first introduced in the Senate by Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Norm Coleman (R-MN), passed by unanimous consent, echoing a similar 416-0 vote June 12th in the U.S. House of Representatives. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) requested, and received, this unanimous consent on the Senate floor.

What does this mean? It means the bill passed both the House and Senate unanimously and is now on its way to President Bush to sign into law. If he does, $30 million will be authorized annually over five years,

providing funding for collaborative pediatric cancer clinical trials research, to create a population-based national childhood cancer database, and to further improve public awareness and communication regarding available treatment and research for children with cancer and their families.

Hells yes. That is what I am talking about. In the grand scheme of things $30M is not really a huge chunk of money, especially compared to other expenditures in the federal budget. But my goodness, this is a nice place to start.

I am thrilled by this news. I hope you are too. If you did reach out to your Senator or Representative, please take a moment to thank them for their bipartisan efforts on behalf of children with cancer and childhood cancer survivors.

Post from: Blisstree

More Updates – The Conquer Childhood Cancer Act

“be straight about the facts so that a new generation of young men and women can be aware of their basic ability to conceive (or not)…”

Word.

But what about you? What about us? Where have you received your “education” on fertility issues? It wasn’t school. Now that “school’s out,” many of us have been forced to school ourselves on our bodies, our selves. How did you do (how are you doing) it?

For me, it was blogs. A year or so ago, there weren’t a fraction of fertility/infertility blogs out there as there are now, but they still popped up on the top of my google searches – and for that, I am so thankful. Better than any Fact Sheet or FAQ on infertility (what I was really looking for), far better than any expose of the business of donor eggs (not what I was looking to read), blogs helped me understand the processes, procedures and most importantly, what I might be in for if I decided to pursue the idea of trying to have a baby.

Now, of course, no blog can take the place of a medical professional and your own RE, but blogs are what I looked to before I even made an appointment with my RE. Gosh darn it, personal experience counts for a lot.

After I became a little further entrenched in the fertility thing, I supplemented my blog reading with books – some good, some ehhn. To learn more about how my body does (and why it might not) work.

So that’s me. Tell me, dear readers, where do you go for your sex and fertility education?

Post from: Blisstree

b5media Theme Day – School’s Out! What are You Doing to Continue Your Sex/Fertility Education?

The what you say? That’s not a word. Did she make that sh*t up? I didn’t, but Mel at Stirrup Queens and Sperm Palace Jesters did.

What’s it all about? It’s National Comment Leaving Month (the national refers to wherever you are reading) from May 25th to June 25th. A full month of intense comment leaving. Go here for the full list of bloggers and readers who are participating. Stop by any blogs of your choosing and try to leave at leave five comments each day. Why? Because we made a promise to nurture ourselves this month, remember? Plus it’s fun. There are over 100 blogs (most of them fertility-related) for you to discover here. What a treasure!

Ready, set, go!

Post from: Blisstree

NaCoLeavMo Begins Today!

1.) Elaine at Genetics and Health reports about a new study which connects specific genetic mutations with premature ovarian failure, a cause of infertility. Check out her post entitled, Infertility, Heart Disease, Osteoporosis and Genetic Mutations.  I’ll try to add more information here as it comes available.

2.) Liberty at HealthBolt warns that using Viagra and trying to help your lady conceive won’t necessarily go hand in hand. In HealthBolt’s Sexbolt Saturday post Liberty explains,

According to a test-tube study by British researchers, a typical dose of an ED drug doubles the risk of premature damage to sperm, compared to sperm which was not treated.

and lastly but not leastly,

3.) For those Fertility Notes readers who now have bumps in the oven, there is a new pregnancy resource here at Health & Wellness – our very own Marijke (who writes the fabulous Help My Hurt), has unveiled our newest blog, Womb Within. just in time to celebrate Pregnancy Awareness Month.  Womb Within shares pregnancy stories and compiles news and information that expecting moms will want to know.

Post from: Blisstree

Fertility News Around the Health & Wellness Channel

1. Breaking News: Teens Can Get Pregnant After Having Sex – Thank you, Miss Jamie Lynn Spears for making this one of my most viewed posts. But there’s more to the post than that. You should read it to find out what.
2. Does It Bother You to See Other People’s Babies? I said no, not so much. Most of you said no, but that you hadn’t really thought about it. Lots of comments of the male kind here. Nice!
3. A Valentine for My Mom – Probably my most personal post here at Fertility Notes. One that I am glad I am finally grown up enough to write.
4. Hey Look! Infertiles are Blogging! – Where I rant and rave a little about the misperception of (in)fertility blogs in the media and are rewarded with comments from not one but two of my favorite bloggers.
5. Ten Random Reasons for Wanting to Have a Baby – This was one of my first posts, one of my favorite, and apparently, one of yours. More than half a year later, this one always ends up in the top ten on my stats page.

So, as Tony Kornheiser would say, “That’s the list!” Did I miss your favorite? Let me know!

Image: Newscom

Post from: Blisstree

The Fabbest Five Posts from Fertility Notes (so far)

May 15 is Bloggers Unite for Human Rights Day. I hate feeling left out, so Fertility Notes has joined the charge!

In my mind, reproductive rights and women’s right to affordable and accessible health care are human rights issues. I think the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights agrees with me. Article 16 in it says:

(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.

(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.

(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

I love this language because it is inclusive. Notice that it says men and women, but doesn’t prescribe that marriage=man+woman. Not like the horrific law that Pennsylvania is trying to push through (argh, I digress. That’s another post).

Founding a family relies on reproductive health, (a topic that I cover in my Bloggers for Choice post back in January). And when people ask for assistance with fertility, I think we are really asking for the same level of care that we expect for any other part of our bodies that aren’t functioning as they should. It is never questioned when someone asks for a broken bone to be mended, or when treatment for a disease is undertaken. Yet, fertility treatments are still seem by some as a boutique request, something that’s nice, but not necessary. Something that is created by lifestyle choices, not medical necessity.

Are there things we can do to improve our fertility by altering lifestyle choices? Sometimes, yes. Just as we can minimize our risk for cancers. Lifestyle and healthy choices always play a part in wellness. But they are not always enough.

Legislation like the Family Building Act, which would mandate insurance coverage for some fertility treatments, are trying to protect and preserve the “natural and fundamental group unit of society” – the family. And I believe being part of and trying to raise a family is a fundamental human right.

So there you have it, my two cents and then some.

What are yours?

Post from: Blisstree

Fertility Notes Joins Bloggers Unite for Human Rights

In celebration of the event, I want to remind my readers that in addition to their online resources and forums, the National Infertility Association RESOLVE actually offers two different types of “real life” support groups – one led by mental health professionals and a more informal peer-support group often known as “coffee and conversation.”

RESOLVE understands that,

Making the decision to join a RESOLVE group can be difficult for some people. It may be the first time you have ever been in a group and you may wonder if you will become overly emotional in the group and too vulnerable to others. Remember that most people feel insecure about joining a group! But, keep in mind that a group, whether it be professionally led or peer led, will help you feel less isolated, empower you with knowledge and validate your emotional response to the life crisis of infertility. Also, a recent study found that attendees of RESOLVE support groups had higher pregnancy rates.

If you’re looking for some one-on-one advice, you can find a mental health professional who understands the psychological and emotional aspects of reproductive health through American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)’s Mental Health Professional Group. Why go see a mental health professional? ASRM’s 2-page FAQ sheet talks about the why and what a MH professional might be able to help you do.

But if you’re still feeling a little shy, I invite you to find support as you work through your fertility issues online. Or, perhaps you just need to know that you are not the only person trying to navigate what should be a simple path towards parenthood: Cyclesista is a great place for that.

When we first started to explore assisted reproductive options, what was important to me was to know that we weren’t just spinning our wheels and that there were people out there who were now proud parents with a little help from some friends (and good reproductive endocrinologists). And I can’t thank Melissa enough for leading me to them. No matter which stage you are in on your journey, you can bet you will find someone to connect with on Stirrup Queen’s Completely Anal List of Blogs that Proves That She Missed Her Calling as a Personal Organizer.

So, what are you waiting for? Get Connected!

Post from: Blisstree

Get Connected for Mental Health Month

We were caught up in the celebration of Big Brown when we heard, like everyone watching, that Eight Belles, the horse that placed second, was down on the track. Instantly, our emotions were subdued. I felt guilty for being so pleased for one horse, when one seemed so seriously injured. Even if I didn’t find out until after the fact. How could we have not seen it?

Further reports confirmed Eight Belles was indeed injured. Two broken ankles. She was immediately euthanized. Holy sh*t. Shots of equestrian ambulances encircling Eight Belles were now interspersed with those of Rick Dutrow, Big Brown’s trainer jumping with glee, barely containing himself and his happiness.

Isn’t it crazy how so many emotions can occupy and be caused by one single point in time?

I think a lot of women who are trying to conceive are familiar with this polar tug. There always seems to be a friend or a family member who is pregnant, right when you should have been. There is always a child who is just about the same age of your child if only….

And you are joyful for your friend, your family member, and happy for their wonderful news. Because it is just that. An event that is worthy of celebration and love.

And at the same time, it is easy to become subdued if you start to think about the hopes and dreams you had vested into a child that you are not yet holding, or held for a bit but not long enough. There always seems to be someone celebrating while you are still trying to pick up the pieces and manage your loss.

So many emotions; One point in time.

Post from: Blisstree

The Kentucky Derby – Contrasting Joy and Loss

Believe it or not, the opportunity presented itself again. This time, I took it.

And it was so much easier than I thought it would be.

This time, we were driving back from another overnight trip for work, (one in which I had surreptitiously slipped into the bathroom of our shared room to shoot my lupron that morning). We were talking about kids and our general annoyance with them (yes, it’s true, just because I want a child doesn’t mean I am a big fan of yours) and she asked,

“Do you think you and M are ever going to have kids?” and it felt like a very different question than the “why don’t you have kids?” that I was faced with months ago at work. This felt like a question that I could answer.

“Well, um, actually, we are trying. And we’ve been trying for over a year now….” And then it went from there. Me explaining my mysterious “sick” days, giving a quick IVF 101, talking about the meds and injections and other factors involved in all of this. She had no idea, and she was such a thoughtful listener that I kicked myself for thinking this would be a hard conversation to have. She asked,

“So, are you, like, all hormonal all the time?”

Well, h*ll. If you couldn’t tell, I’m not going to tell you. That’s one thing that I’ll try to keep to myself.

Post from: Blisstree

Education: Talking About Infertility