…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 …read more

If you are in my neighborhood next week, there are a few free educational events and support groups sponsored by RESOLVE, the National Infertility Association. Follow this link to register for one or more of these activities taking place along the New Jersey/Pennsylvania border and in Eastern Pennsylvania.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
      PA-New Hope: Attachment Strengthening Activities for You & Your New Baby or Child 10:00 AM
      Tele-Seminar: Making the Decision to Adopt 9:00 PM

Thursday, July 24, 2008
      PA – York: General Infertility Peer Support Group 7:00 PM

Sunday, July 27, 2008
      PA-Scranton/Wilkes-Barre: General Infertility Peer Support Group 6:30 PM

For more information on support, events …read more

Chapter six of Fully Fertile: A 12-Week Plan for Optimal Fertility is entitled, Identifying and Eliminating Your Stressors, and in it, a section is dedicated to your job and the stresses it brings to your life:
So many women who are trying to conceive wonder if quitting their jobs would reduce their stress, and, therefore, enhance their chances of getting pregnant…Here’s the problem. So much of what we do for a living shapes our ego identity…
This got me to thinking…
Am I defined by my job? Is what I do from 9-5 Monday through Friday (and then some) what I choose …read more

I know that I keep tempting you with a full book review of Fully Fertile: A 12-Week Plan for Optimal Fertility, but the more I read, the more I think it makes sense to share some of the “a ha!” moments it provides to me, as they are happening. Look for several of these this week.
If you haven’t noticed, I am loving this book. Just loving it. It is at my bedside. I read at least a few pages every day. It soothes me. It makes me feel just a little more in control of my destiny by allowing me …read more

Qi (you know, chi, pronounced “chee”) could be just as important to your baby-making ability as the more physical parts of the equation. Kind of like prana, Qi can be translated to mean “life energy” and according to my new favorite book, Qi:
flows within us and around us, giving all things life, animation, warmth and form. Similar to electricity, Qi is invisible but its effects can be seen. When the Qi is flowing in harmony, the body is able to take care of itself. However, the flow of Qi can become obstructed or unbalanced.
And balancing and freeing up that Qi …read more

All of the commenters on this post agreed that yes, definitely, more information on fertility issues and infertility should be shared as part of one’s education. Perhaps in sex ed; perhaps in psychology. I even put in a vote for it as a topic to be covered in “Christian Marriage” or “Social Justice” for those condemned (er, I mean, attending) Catholic School. But there is definite consensus around the fact that we should, as Pamela Jeanne said,
“be straight about the facts so that a new generation of young men and women can be aware of their basic ability to conceive …read more

You remember the Sticks and Stones series, right? That’s when me and my pal Angelique from Breaking the Mirror put together some of the comments we hate to hear and asked you to comment on them, which many of you did. Thanks!
For those of you who were left speechless, or at least at a loss for a snappy comeback, go visit  DC at Lupus Pie. She’s compiled her own set of (least) favorite phrases and shared her best responses with you all in her post, “Ten Things Never to Say to Someone Dealing with Infertility.” I read them and for …read more

Confession: I’m having a harder time with “Celebrity Week” here at Fertility Notes than I thought I would.
Of course, I can rehash the who used IVF and who didn’t and point to some current folks that everyone has their eye one (and the week’s not over, I might). But that info seems tired. Old. Not really helpful.
Unlike this article in the New York Times today.
Which is relevant. Fresh and well-written. Which are some things that can never be taken for granted in an article that discusses infertility or living childfree.
This article happens to star my blogging friend Pamela Jeanne whom …read more

Who doesn’t peruse the People Magazine while waiting in line at the grocery checkout? Who doesn’t pick up an Us Magazine or its ilk when waiting to be called at the dentist? Even if you don’t subscribe, you still sneak some peeks at what so and so is doing or who you know who is wearing, right? I do.
Next week here at the Health & Wellness channel, we’re going to make it a little easier to focus in our your favorite TV star, movie actor, singer. We’re trying something out called “Celebrity Week” and each blog will have at least …read more

I’m late! I’m late! For my Barren B*tches Book Tour Date!
But better late than never, right?
For those of you who aren’t familiar, each month, bloggers can sign up to read and review a book, usually related to infertility and/or pregnancy loss. Everyone is welcome to join. You just need to have a blog (not necessarily related to fertility, infertility and/or pregnancy loss). Bloggers/readers submit questions. Each participant selects a few to answer. Sometimes, when we get lucky (like this month), the authors themselves join the discussion.
This month’s read was Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, a book which …read more