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perspective

Happy Memorial Day!

 *I meant to post this yesterday…it’s a recap from last year (with a pic from last year as well). I took a little break for the holiday yesterday and would like to collectively give my love out this week to you all! Know that you’re thought of and not alone.

 I hope you’re were out enjoying your day and doing something stress-free and relaxing. Memorial Day is a day to remember those that fought for their lives so that we can be a free country. And, I wanted to give you a rare glimpse into my own life today. I fought so hard for my family so that I can be free from infertility.  Your war with infertility can be won in one way or another. Don’t give up hope. Happy Memorial Day!

My husband Rob, myself and our beautiful IVF miracles: Logan, Ella & Mia 2010

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Short Break…

Sorry everyone…my sister’s father-in-law died on Saturday. Since our parents have passed on, our in-laws are like surrogate families to us. Needlesstosay, I’ve been running around doing my aunt, sister and sister-in-law duties to try and ease the devastation and lend my support (through food, child-care, cleaning, mulit-media creativity, etc.). So, I will be absent from posting today and through the next couple of days. Her father-in-law was such a kind-hearted spirit who left this world so suddenly but his legacy will live on through his sons and grandchildren. Please take a moment and appreciate all you have around you…life really is too short.

Now that you’re here though, feel free to look around at my older posts and please check out my giveaway if you haven’t already! Thanks! ;-)

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Lovin’ Resolve, Keiko, and Katie!

Blog Love time! Today, I wanted to congratulate some women who really stepped up when it came to the whole PETA campaign which they coincided with NIAW (which I’m sure you’ve heard about!). It was an unbelievable, despicable advertising tactic! What was worse was some of the responses they actually gave back! But…I digress….

First up, I’m lovin’ RESOLVE who publicly condemned PETA for having this campaign (which is a PDF file you can download). It was even news worthy and was written about in the Toronto Sun!

Next, I’m lovin’ Keiko from Hannah Wept, Sarah Laughed. She not only wrote her own letter in response to the campaign, but a response to the response she got and started a petition (that is now over). Way to be proactive! Also, she had everyone who wrote a letter link up on this post…so go check them all out!

I’m also lovin’ Katie who blogs at from IF to when. She wrote a letter to PETA which I couldn’t have written better myself! And then she wrote more responses back after PETA’s ‘form’ letters. It really is an outrage to see the responses but kudos to Katie for taking the time to educate!

I’m happy to report that PETA has removed all language that pertained to NIAW linking it to this campaign! YES! VICTORY!! Thanks to everyone who had a voice and spoke up! It really does say a whole lot about this community!

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A Graduate Study! Please participate!

So I was recently contacted by a graduate student named Rachel who is doing a study on how individuals cope with fertility and stress. She asked me to post an intro and a link on my blog so I was happy to oblige. Please help her out and click on the link below. It will only take a few moments! Thanks so much! ;-)

Hello – I am a Clinical Psychology graduate student at Pacific University in Portland, OR. One of the opportunities we have in this program is to conduct a study in an area of interest.  I have created a brief online questionnaire with the goal of better understanding the psychological and emotional effects that fertility problems have on individuals. In collecting this information, it is my
sincere hope that it will help health professionals learn how best to provide supportive services.  If you are interested in participating in this study, please follow the link.  The questionnaire should take less than 10 minutes and is completely confidential.  Your contribution to this research will be invaluable.  Thank you very much!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2KRSHKC

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Lovin’ cainml, Fertility Chick, and Niki

It’s Blog Love time (a little late)!

First up is cainml from Raising Cain (someday). She’s having a difficult time right now because her younger brother recently announced a pregnancy. But in other news, she is waiting on some results and after DNA tests, has agreed to do IVF one more time until moving on to donor sperm or something else. Go send her some love!

Fertility ChickNext up is Heather from Fertility Chick (who I featured here but since it’s been more than a year, I thought I’d could revisit her again! ;-) ). She posted an Irish blessing recently! How sweet! And, in not so recent news, her poor pup had surgery and she and Irish boy had a car accident but everyone is fine thank goodness! She is also in the impatient stage of her adoption process and wants to know how you all handle the waiting? (*I have a post about that!) Go send some love and Cheeze-its her way!

And last but not least is Niki from My Accidentally on Purpose. She is having an attitude change as she gets over her fertility treatment being cancelled and getting 3 birth announcements in one weekend! I love how she is trying to stay positive! And as she awaits on some test results, she has a plan for this month to get the ball rolling. Stop by and send some love!

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Revealing the Heartbreak

 Alisyn_Camerota_522_thumb_180x246 So, today I want to bring back a Fertility News Friday post. I saw this linked on Andrea’s blog Life, Love & the Pursuit of Our Fairytale and I wanted to repost it here. It’s a video about TV anchor Alisyn Camerota from Fox & Friends who is sharing her infertility story on the Today show. She tried in vain for years to have a child. She tells Ann Curry that the experience made her determined to help other women struggling with the issue which makes me admire her even more. Click on this video! It’s worth watching!

TV Anchor Reveals Heartbreak of Infertility

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Is Infertility an Illness?

  Bad-Luck-Clover-So the World Health Organization has recognized infertility as a disease but the rest of the world is still having gripes about it being an illness or just bad luck. When we have medical issues like PCOS, endometriosis, a list of gene factors that can interfere with carrying a pregnancy to term and sperm count, motility and morphology issues…it would seem logical to me that these things are not  just bad luck. What do you think about this issue?

  I’m linking to a video from The Wright Stuff in England. They debated about whether infertility is an illness or just bad luck. (Currently the NHS covers some treatments  which I think is outstanding! I wish we had that national coverage here in America!) And while this host is rather “cheeky” in his argument, (asking an infertile couple if she’d rather let the money go to her treatment than a cancer patient down the hall), I thought it was interesting to say the least. Also, Sarah from Fertile Mindset  called in to comment. Go to the link below and then comment on what you think!

Infertility: An Ilness or just Bad Luck?

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V day, surgery, and a giveaway!

 

0511-0901-1216-3013_Happy_Valentines_Day_Message_clipart_imageSo, today is Valentine’s Day and I will be taking a break from Blog Love Monday! Celebrate with the one(s) you love! I hope you’re day brings you a smile and the love you feel today envelopes you like a warm blanket! ;-)

  Today has another significance for me though…today, I will be having surgery. You see it all started when I began to get extremely heavy periods after having my twins. It turns out my lining was really thick and my hormones out of whack. So, they gave me a D & C (which I didn’t even know you could have if you weren’t miscarrying) and put me on the pill. This has solved the 1 week torture I experienced each month but put my body into a tail-spin of other hormonal issues like extreme moodiness, weight gain, headaches, etc. (Not to mention the sheer irony that I really didn’t need the pill as a real birth control method!) So, my doctor suggested an ablation which basically “burns” the lining so there aren’t anymore bleeding issues. Since this can cause deformations IF the very rare occurrence of a pregnancy should happen to happen, I need the tubal ligation to make things nice and neat. So, in other words, even though this is something I’ve decided mentally, it’s now a medical necessity and there’s no turning back.

   I wrote a post about this before…about how my family is now complete. And I suppose (as I mentioned in that post) that if it weren’t for my infertility, perhaps I would have tried for another child. But, I am so grateful for my 3 children. They are more than I ever thought I would have, love, experience. *And I’m already experiencing how much crazier and more expensive a family of 5 can be! For example, there is no way we can scoot another adult or child friend or family member in our car on any given occasion because our 3 car seats are firmly placed across the back seat and the idea of opening the third row and seriously depleting our much needed trunk/storage space when you’re traveling with and shopping for 3 kids is a near impossibility! And planning a vacation? Well that comes with a whole other list of issues. I’ve recently discovered that we’ve stepped out of the “norm” of a family of 4 and now need things like “family suites” or 2 rooms with a joining door which become much more expensive on cruises and in resorts.  When you add the daily craziness that comes with a pre-schooler and toddler twins (that I LOVE but can be quite overwhelming at times) you could say that I’m completely ready to move forward with this, even though I sort of feel like a piece of my womanhood (that never could have functioned completely naturally on it’s own anyway) is now being taken away. But, it’s time. And…it’s O.K. (*I don’t mean to offend anyone here with or without children, just being real with some of the challenges I now face as a mom.)

 Oh and here’sLifeCharmFrosted a little sneak peek at my upcoming giveaway! Here’s a pendant that my hubby surprised me with for Valentine’s Day! It’s from Love’s Journey and is called Life’s Journey pendant. Isn’t it beautiful? It embodies the infertility symbol that the owner Patrice is trying to spread. She has her own infertility success story and also creates a Fertility Hope pendant. Patrice has so graciously decided to giveaway one of these pendants to one lucky reader! Look for details coming soon!

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Too Crowded?

  IF booksSo I recently got an e-mailed response from an agent that said my idea was interesting but they’ve recently discovered that it’s “too crowded to pursue at this time.” So I e-mailed her back asking if it was just memoirs in general or infertility memoirs. She replied back that she meant books dealing with infertility. And, I have to say that I’m shocked! Too crowded? Infertility books? Really? I mean I know there have been a few new books published on the scene and I’m guessing this agent (being on the inside track) knows better than me but it just doesn’t seem possible. Don’t get me wrong, I think it would be absolutely wonderful if the market was indeed “crowded.” But I just don’t think we are there yet…

What do you all think?

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A Heavenly Sight!

086 - Copy   So, when my mother died in July of 2006, I inherited her gardenia bush that I have always loved as a kid. (It’s older than me!) When we moved her into our house, she went into a state of shock and lost a lot of leaves. But that Christmas, she grew a few buds and flowered, and I knew it was my mother sending me good wishes for the holidays (which were always her favorite). Gardenias have a very fragrant scent that has always made me smile because it reminds me of my mom and our home and growing up.

Then, the following year, we moved again and once again, my poor gardenia went into shock. I think she was grieving, just as I was, over losing her mother.

    Over the next two years, little parts of her died and she never grew any buds and she didn’t flower. She was going through her own infertility, needing just a little TLC. She looked wilted and depressed and I had to cut off huge branches that just dried up. I tried to give her sunlight and water which is what I thought she needed, but nothing seemed to bring her back to life. And in my life, my own infertility was growing more intense and I also felt like a little part of me died inside. And even though I had my daughter, I was wilted and depressed over months of trying unsuccessfully and a recent chemical pregnancy from yet another IVF cycle.

   088That summer we put her outside in a sunny spot and when we brought her back inside that fall, she had lots of new growth! But I experienced another negative FET and as I withered, she grew stronger and thrived inside for the first time since she was in our house. As I prepared for another upcoming FET that Christmas, she miraculously started to grow buds. And by the time I found out I was pregnant with my twins, two beautifully fragrant flowers were in bloom! And then a few more followed.

   Since then, she has grown even more and now has tons of new shoots! We put her in a brand new spot inside (in our front bay window). And this past holiday, now that my family is complete, she started growing lots and lots of buds!  She now has about 25 buds and has been blooming for the past couple weeks! That is the most she’s ever had! Her infertility is indeed behind her just as mine is today!

   I think what I’m trying to say is that sometimes it can seem like we are experiencing the lowest of the lows, feeling like we could just die inside from loneliness, depression, and heartache. But then, with just a little TLC, a little light and warmth, in our own time, we can all be uplifted. Your infertility will be behind you some day, in one way or another. Have faith and never give up!

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