Many, many thanks to reader Amy Kreydin for setting me straight. Here is her advice on getting a foot massage while expecting:

As a board certified reflexologist and a DONA trained birth doula I can tell you having a foot rub from your husband isn’t going to bring on labor. He would have to work deeply to the point of causing him discomfort and would need to hold points for greater than a minute each. A good old-fashioned foot rub is just the thing I encourage my expecting clients to receive from their loved ones.

To clarify which points you may not want to put much pressure on (since acupressure and reflexology are two completely different systems), the reflex point for the uterus is located on the inside of the foot near the “ankle” bone. So, if you were standing up it would be about half way between your heel on the floor and the bone a few inches up from it. Pressure here should be gentle and nurturing.

For more information on reflexology during pregnancy read this article with studies by a UK OB/GYN: http://reflexology.suite101.com/article.cfm/reflexology_and_your_pregnanc

So, I was happily, happily proven wrong. Thank you!!

Post from: Blisstree

An Update on Foot Massage – I was WRONG!

“Honey, gosh. I mean, I’m sure my feet are stinky but you don’t have to be a jerk about it.”

“No no! Isn’t there some sort of acupressure “point of death” around there? I thought you read about it someplace.”

Crap. Did I?

Sigh. I suppose I did.

Families.com says:

Acupressure, also referred to as reflexology, has the ability to trigger uterine contractions if done in specific points of the body, and should only be performed to induce labor after a woman is overdue to deliver. Avoid reflexology points until you are past your due date.

But if you wanted to induce labor, the article suggests these:

The first point to try is located four finger widths above the ankle of each foot. Rub the area between your fingers. Next, try the arch of the foot. Another point is between the big and second toes. This point is about one finger-width below the space between your big toe and your second toe.

Since we don’t, it looks like my foot rubs will be reduced to but a memory.

NOTE: The Institute for Integrative Healthcare Studies also notes which acupressure points are contraindicated during pregnancy.

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Find a reason to say farewell to your foot rubs for a while – You have until July 31st to enter to win a $40 Fertility Scope from  Miracle Light Labs. Click here for details on how to enter.

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What?!? No More Foot Massages?

FertilityLifeLines.com is offering a FREE 48-page booklet entitled, In the Know: What No One Tells You About Fertility

The 48-page girlfriend-to-girlfriend booklet was created to address this gap in the current resources available to couples seeking information about infertility. The booklet covers the broad range of issues that couples face when struggling with infertility, including a description of infertility in males and females, how to cope with the emotional stresses of infertility, an overview of the treatments that are available and resources that can provide couples with information to navigate the costs of treatment.

Want one? Just register at the Fertility Life Lines website. Don’t worry. You can opt out of receiving newsletters or more info if you only want the booklet. (That’s what I did.)

From their website: Fertility LifeLines™ is a free, confidential, educational resource that provides customized information and support to people with fertility health concerns. A single phone call can put you in touch with customer service representatives, benefits specialists, and fertility nurses. Fertility LifeLines™ is provided by EMD Serono, the leader in fertility health.

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But don’t forget about that other Friday Freebie! You have until July 31st to enter to win a $40 Fertility Scope from  Miracle Light Labs.

Post from: Blisstree

Freebie Friday Bonus! Free “In the Know” Booklet from FertilityLifeLines

But I’m a glass-half-full kind of girl. Let’s talk about some of the peaks on this roller coaster ride.

I’ve already mentioned the glow that my skin takes on in the estrogen-filled days leading up to a FET (frozen embryo transfer).  I found another body bonus this evening.

Girl, my titties are looking fine. I mean, FINE.  With a capital F.
And I plan to dress them up and take them out on the town to-night. And sip club sodas.

For those of you following my FET, me and these bad girls will be taking the train to the RE on Monday to see how my endometrium is measuring. If it meets the thickness benchmark (for my clinic, that’s a score of “8″ – not sure which “scale” that would be on…) then the transfer will occur Friday.

Friday!

Post from: Blisstree

At Least One Good Thing About Hormones

A new article at WebMD.com reports:

A study of more than 12,000 couples undergoing fertility treatments has found that pregnancy rates drop and miscarriages increase when the father is older than 40…The results are believed to be the first to show that simply being an older dad has a strong effect on reproductive outcomes.

These findings were presented on Monday at the 24th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Barcelona, Spain.

How a father’s age influences fertility has been a matter of debate. Until now, there’s been no clinical proof that simply being an older dad directly affects a couple’s ability to conceive and achieve a healthy pregnancy.

But I can think of several older men who have fathered healthy kids with their partners, just as I can think of women nearing and (gasp) even passing that 35-year mark, which is supposed to signal “advanced maternal age” and warrant all kinds of extra precautions,  who have become proud parents.

What do you think of this new finding? Is it reassuring to know that men’s age factors more into the equation, or does this feel like one more thing to worry about?

Post from: Blisstree

Do Wanna Be Dads Have a Biological Clock Too?

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 as the most important part of my identity?

For me, that answer is no.

I like what I do. I care about the work that I do. But if someone were to ask me, “who are you?” I probably wouldn’t refer to the job that pays me until much further down the list.

At the same time, I had a hard time with posting during Celebrity Week because I didn’t want to define hard-working women by their fertility and methods of conception above their careers and considerable accomplishments.

So then, what defines me?
A few months ago, I made the conscious decision to stop using the term “infertile,” because I don’t think it’s productive or helpful to define myself as something I don’t want to be.

The other evening, on the eve of our anniversary of ten years together, my partner and I sat on our little balcony, popped open a bottle of champagne (FET cycle hasn’t started yet) and started listing our favorite moments, times, events, things from the last ten years. Everything from life-changing experiences (trekking to Macchu Picchu) to mundane moments that have simply stuck in our collective memory (shared jokes, strange friends).

We were there until the sun went down.

Ladies, this little celebration was so affirming, so energizing, so necessary.  Not only did it remind me that I am not defined by my lack of ovaries, it gave me example after example after example of how wonderful my life has been, and is, in so many ways.

And that there is more to life than the next cycle, the next shot, the next two week wait. Those things are a part of me, but they aren’t all of me.

Beyond fertility, what defines you?

Post from: Blisstree

What Defines You? Is It Your (In)Fertility?

Ok. So that’s the end of my Fertility Blend stash. The box is empty; the corner in my office is bare.

Or is it?

Hang on. I think I see some more goodies over there. Freebie Fridays at Fertility Notes is going to take a brief break for the upcoming holiday weekend. But will be back with a vengeance after the fireworks.

Congratulations, Kylene! Please email me an address where you would like your prize to be sent.

Post from: Blisstree

Freebie Friday – And the Last Batch of Fertility Blend Goes To…

But wait! You know I have more, right? Those of you who have already commented are already entered into the next drawing for another 3-month supply of Fertility Blend for Women dietary supplements.

Add a comment (or two) to this post by midnight Thursday, June 26th for a chance to win. There will be only one more winner of this great prize. Please be sure to include your email address (not published) so I have a way to reach you if you win.

Good luck!

Post from: Blisstree

Freebie Friday – More Fertility Blend Supplements to Share!

Congrats to you, sweetie! (And Mary, I promise I will get my lazy, sweaty butt to the post office today to mail yours out to you as well).

But wait! You know I have more, right? Those of you who have already commented are already entered into the next drawing for   Add a comment (or two) to this post by midnight Thursday, June 26th for a chance to win. Please be sure to include your email address (not published) so I have a way to reach you if you win.

Good luck!

Post from: Blisstree

Freebie Friday – Who Won the Latest Batch of Fertility Blend Vitamins?

You know what that means. It’s time to announce a winner. I mean, you’re all winners in my book, but this particular Friday one of you is getting a packet of goodness mailed to you. Specifically, a 3-month supply of Fertility Blend dietary supplements.

Drum roll please…

MARY, you are our lucky winner! Please contact me at polchic@hotmail.com and let me know where you would like your prize to be shipped.

Congratulations, Mary!

And for the rest of you ladies, the Fertility Blend edition of Freebie Friday goes on. I will have another 3-month supply to send out next Friday, June 13. If you have already commented on this post, you are already eligible for next week’s drawing. But, of course, if you’d like to leave some more comments, that would up your odds since I’m drawing numbers out of a hat.

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Freebie Friday – And the First Fertility Blend Winner is….