Sigh.

I think I can squeeze in one more trip or two to the beach. I have to. I still have summer reading to do. I still haven’t finished the The Mind-Body Fertility Connection: The True Pathway to Conception by James Schwartz. Did I mention that I have some extra copies to share? Want one?

Let me tell you what I know: James Schwartz is a Board certified Hypnotherapist and founder and director of the Rocky Mountain Hypnotherapy Center in Lakewood, Colorado. He’s got a fertility program called, “Hypnosis to Promote Fertility” which focuses on “healing the mental and emotional barriers that can often prevent conception.” That practice is the basis of the book that I have for you.

If that sounds like something you’d like to know more about, email me at polchic@hotmail.com and ‘ll tell you more….

Post from: Blisstree

Freebie Friday – Win a Copy of the Mind-Body Fertility Connection by James Schwartz

I always think that I’m going to enjoy the mandatory “don’t do anything” for the 24-hours immediately after transfer. But after the first few magazines, boredom can easily set in. Here’s how I whiled away my “don’t do anything” time this time around:

1.) Read about half of this great book I picked up at a used book sale this spring.

2.) Had a “discussion” over whether or not lying on my side or stomach was allowed, or if bedrest really meant “flat on my back.” (update: on the side = ok. on the stomach = notsomuch, at least not for the first 24 hours)

3.) Enjoyed some subversive cross stitch. Really enjoyed the subversive cross stitch. I may need to get more.

4.) Tried to mentally weigh every item in my apartment. Did you know that when they say, “don’t lift anything over 10 lbs.,” that equates to roughly a gallon of milk??? My laptop and cord = just slightly under 9 lbs. My beloved dakine hemp bag with all of my stuff in it? 10 lbs. Argh.

5.) Saw that Michael’s heart rate accelerates and his palms get sweaty anytime he is asked to cook. It’s not that he won’t. He’s just terrified of “messing up” as he puts it. Luckily in-laws and my mom were around this week to lend some hands.

6.) Started some Christmas gifts early (but who haven’t I given a scarf to yet? Anybody need a scarf?)

7.) Had another “discussion” over whether or not pulling open the door to our elevator counts towards the 10 lb. limit. (update: nurse says, no. not really. Take that hubby.)

8.) Found out that progesterone suppositories don’t count when they say, “nothing in the vagina for a week.” Nope. No such luck. They’re a gift that keep on giving.

9.) Fell in love with our new bed all over again.

10.) Realized that I really can unplug from my computer and not think about work for a 24 hour period and everything will still be OK.

Post from: Blisstree

She’s Crafty! (or, How I Spent My 24 Hrs. Mandatory Bedrest)

Tiny, tiny waiting room.  Hubby and I are there, still sweating from the bumper to bumper traffic and dash from the parking garage to make it here on time. Slightly frazzled, but excited.

Next to us, another couple, not nearly as excited. From her body language and a nurse’s comment (”I wish we weren’t seeing you today…”) which nearly loosened the tears she had been holding at bay, I had to guess she was here for a D&E or other process to end a pregnancy that never quite got where it needed to be.

Seeing her so sad quieted my heart. Seeing her husband, with his LAPTOP open and on his lap made me insane.

Their names were finally called. Once they left earshot I hissed at Michael: “Can you believe him? His wife is sitting there in agony and he’s on his frigging laptop? What the F is he doing? Answering emails? Playing solitaire? Have you ever seen someone so insensitive? If you did that, I would KILL you…” And on and on I went until finally M said,

“Dude. Relax. He was showing her their cat at home. They must have a video cam hooked up to the computer and they were spying on their cat. Didn’t  you see? It was the one and only time she smiled?”

Oh. Um. No. I didn’t.

“Well then super sleuth, do you think you could chill out and think positive thoughts? Because we should be next.”

And into our frozen embryo transfer (FET) we went.

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Here’s another lesson learned: Friday Freebie means frees stuff for Fertility Notes readers! 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.

Post from: Blisstree

Lesson Learned: Things Aren’t Always What They Seem

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

Sorry for the lapse in posting. I’ve been feeling a little woozy (and sleepy and bloated and crampy) since my doctor decided to ramp up my estrogen intake. My lining measured a measly 6 mm on Monday – not quite what it needs to be for an optimum FET (frozen embryo transfer). A thickness of 8 mm or more is preferred by most Reproductive Endocrinologists.

I won’t lie. I was disappointed, angry (at my body), sad. My nurse tried to cheer me up by pointing to the ultrasound and showing me how “beautiful” my uterus looks. So that’s been my consolation prize this week. Michael is getting a huge kick out of exclaiming, “oh my goodness, I’ve never seen such a beautiful uterus!” at random moments.

So, me and the girls will be traveling to the clinic again tomorrow morning for another ultrasound, which will hopefully reveal a beautiful and deliciously juicy ute.

In the meantime, I have some catching up to do, don’t I? Check back often as I try to cram(p) a week’s worth of fertile news into the next few days.

image source.

Post from: Blisstree

But You Have a Beautiful Uterus…

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?

Another thing that gives me just a moment of hesitation on my path towards parenthood is the belief that once your belly is full, you brain becomes absolute mush and you are unable to function like the adult human being that you are. The concept that once you are pregnant you are somehow not capable of packing a frigging bag for yourself. Because, when you’re pregnant, you can’t hold more than one thought in your little pea brain, right?

I understand that pregnant women are a lucrative demographic (as are those of us just trying to become pregnant), but I am amazed at the number of products and services that are offered which hinge upon the “you are pregnant so you need to a.) pamper yourself, b.) let us think for you or, c.) let us take care of you (because you are too engorged to function for yourself)” idea.

Am I overreacting? Reading too much into this? You’d tell me, right?

Post from: Blisstree

Being Pregnant = Being Incapable of Packing a Bag???

Image details: Profile of twin babies served by picapp.com

My clinic here in the States feels very strongly about using no more than two embryos in any IVF attempt. I have heard of others that will use upwards of five. Sometimes more. I know women who have transferred 3 embryos at once and spent the next two weeks on pins and needles. Will one of these grow? Will they all grow??? For me, the prospect of triplets would fill the dreaded two week wait with even more anxiety. Yet, I am fine with the thought of twins, so two feels like a good number for me. I’m not sure how I would feel if my clinic told me that the transfer of one embryo at a time was all that was allowed, especially knowing the cost of future cycles.

The issue of costs was raised by Dr Mark Hamilton, chair of the British Fertility Society:

The National Institute of Clinical and Health Excellence recommends women under the age of 40 receive three cycles of IVF on the NHS.

But he said only 5% of health authorities in England offered three cycles with most only offering one cycle – a situation which left women feeling pressured to have more than one embryo implanted to maximise their chances of success.

“It is absolutely imperative that funding issues around IVF are addressed.

“If patients did not have to worry about finding the money for their own treatment this would certainly be much easier to implement,” he said.

Funding issues aside, there has already been strong opposition voiced to this plan by some patients and doctors.

What do you think? Does this feel like a responsible policy, or one that leaves women with fewer choices and fewer chances of becoming pregnant?

Post from: Blisstree

One Egg or Two? Oh Sorry, You Only Get One

Not a big fan of tofu so that’s no big deal, but in this non-milk drinking household, my organic vanilla soy milk is my morning delight. The yum in my cereal. The smooth in my smoothies. Could I live without it? Sure. But I’d rather not.

What’s she on about?

Well, this is actually something I’ve been thinking about for a while – soy and my fertility. And your fertility. Our fertility. Is ingesting too much soy somehow causing a problem?

I recall reading a blog post way back when where the author pretty much poo poo’ed newbies to the IVF game (which I was at the time) saying things like, of course you’re not going to get pregnant if you keep smoking and drinking and eating soy….

I had no idea soy was in the axis of evil. Comparable to puffing on a big Cuban cigar or downing shots of tequila before your PIO shot or taking your basal temperature. Did you?

An article in today’s Pararmus Post says relax, it’s not:

Does soy reduce fertility?

Not so far as we know, say most nutritionists, physicians and researchers. They point to Asian populations where there are no such fertility problems. Still, a recent Harvard study found that men who eat approximately half a serving of soy did experience a reduced sperm count. But many studies have found no conclusive evidence that soy causes fertility problems in humans although there have been some issues in animal studies. Soy does have phytoestrogen, a plant form of the female hormone estrogen, but the American Academy of Pediatrics says it is not worried about the hormonal effects on children.

Of course, not everyone agrees that soy’s effects are harmless.

In the soy kills sperm (and does other nasty things) camp:

• Randall Neustaedter OMD
• BellaOnline
• Mothering.com

In the soy is joy camp:

• Soy Quick (makers of soy milk makers). their article is entitled, “Your Fertility Friend – Soy” awwww….
• WebMD

In the hmmm….I’m really not sure camp

• YourTotalHealth (a part of iVillage)
• and, um, me

What about you? Where are you camping tonight? Are you going to limit your soy intake while you are trying to conceive?

Post from: Blisstree

So, Do I Need to Ditch the Soy?

Replace “famous woman” with “Naomi Campbell” and all of a sudden, the tongues are wagging, the rags are raggin’. This seems to be the biggest celebrity/fertility news today. According to numerous. online. sources. Naomi has undergone some surgery to “improve her odds of being a mum.” No additional details are offered. So, of course, less than kind folks have used the silence to satirically speculate:

though theories on the actual procedure range from a simple cut to remove an ovarian cyst through to a heart implant. Not a transplant, just an implant, removing the swinging brick in her chest cavity that has served her so well for the last few years.

Now, now! That’s not so nice.

Some ladies who have been trying to conceive for some time might scoff at Naomi’s simple request: “Now I can have a child I would like one” – knowing that sometimes it really isn’t that simple. But I think that most of us adhere to the basic rule of “if I wouldn’t say it to you in person, I won’t say it in my blog.” So you won’t find any more not-nice-about-Naomi here.

But apparently British tabloids do not adhere to that same rule.

What are your thoughts, dear readers, is this news?

Image: Newscom

Post from: Blisstree

Breaking News: A Famous Woman Wants to Have a Baby