I thought I'd pop in and say hi and let you all know that I survived another Mother's Day. You know what's weird? It barely hurt this year! I did have a wonderful friend write me a little message sometime that morning just telling me how much she's thinking of me and understands how hard that day must be. I thought that was really nice because this lady is a mother of 2 and pregnant w/ number 3. I doubt she had a whole lot of time in her day to send that message off and it meant so much!
I think I've just become so much more comfortable in my kidless skin. It's a wonderful thing when you can embrace it! I think for some, it takes a lot longer than others. And for other people, it may never happen - in which case I think it's fair to say you need to be a mother one way or another! Life is certainly strange and it sort of baffles me that I have more moments when I'm grateful for not having a child than I have moments when I'm envious of others with babies. When did THAT happen?! You know? I swear I used to go almost every day thinking about babies and being pissed off when I saw a cute photo on Facebook or heard even my closest friends talking about their kids. Now I can separate in my mind that that's THEIR life and this is MY life and they don't have to be the same. One is not better than the other.
I hope my blog can at least offer others hope that no matter what your situation turns into, you can find peace one way or the other. Some will decide to adopt. Some will go with IVF. Some will naturally conceive. All of these things will be the biggest blessings in your life. But the greatest gift is when you can fully accept your life and where you are in your journey.
My biggest advice: Don't let age freak you out. Time is a bitch.... it's what made me a crazy mad person for a good year. I literally convinced myself I could hear it ticking away and with that went all of my hopes and dreams in life. WRONG! So wrong.... embrace your journey. So what if everyone else has their 3rd kid by the time you might be having your first. Your journey is YOURS and just be thankful for every day that you're here and you're healthy - with a loving husband and family to support you. I know- it's easy for me to say.... It definitely takes time to get there. But you will, I promise.
xoxo!
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Thursday, May 1, 2014
The Battle of the Why Me's
For those of you out there with diminished ovarian reserve, do you ever wonder WHY the eff does it have to be me.... and at this AGE?!
I'm having one of those moments and I'm sure I've had about 400,000 of them throughout this process. I mean, I was 28 when I started this process. Not exactly OLD by any means. And while the months passed, I've had to read numerous gossip articles about 40-something year old women in Hollywood conceiving their first child. WHAT THE HELL! How is that even fair that someone of that age doesn't have to worry about a thing and a freaking healthy 28 year old cannot conceive? I know... they might be using fertility treatments. But honestly, I know so many women who are 2, 4, 10 years older than me and have conceived naturally. Oh, and it only took them 2 months!!!
So this is just me giving a big EFF YOU to the universe for making this my reality.
Thank you for listening.
I'm having one of those moments and I'm sure I've had about 400,000 of them throughout this process. I mean, I was 28 when I started this process. Not exactly OLD by any means. And while the months passed, I've had to read numerous gossip articles about 40-something year old women in Hollywood conceiving their first child. WHAT THE HELL! How is that even fair that someone of that age doesn't have to worry about a thing and a freaking healthy 28 year old cannot conceive? I know... they might be using fertility treatments. But honestly, I know so many women who are 2, 4, 10 years older than me and have conceived naturally. Oh, and it only took them 2 months!!!
So this is just me giving a big EFF YOU to the universe for making this my reality.
Thank you for listening.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Holy Crap! Breast Pain & Caffeine
I'm about to share more than I should in some ways, but that's just what this blog is.
I went to the bathroom and found I had gotten my period. I was shocked and surprised and had to quick think about what day of the month it was and if it really was that time. The 22nd. Yup, that was right. I figured time had just passed without me really noticing any symptoms. That's when I remembered one of my biggest signs my period was coming --- SORE BOOBS. It happens every single month from ovulation until I get my period and guess what? It didn't happen this month.
The only thing that I have changed in the last month or two is having absolutely zero caffeine. I used to get vanilla lattes every tuesday and thursday as a treat after working out (ha!) .... but recently I've changed my order to be DECAF. I never have soda. I switched my teas at home to decaf only.
I have to be honest, we're on year 3 of trying and up until this point, I never thought caffeine could effect the body like they say during baby making. I only had it twice a week and there's no way that could effect me, right? Wrong.
I immediately googled and found a few online articles that say caffeine increases cortisol levels. Cortisol is actually the stress hormone found in the body so just imagine how bad that can be for you when you're trying to conceive. The increased level can interact with other PMS hormones and cause sore boobs!
This discovery makes me happy because:
A) it shows that caffeine (even in a small amount) can effect your body
B) I no longer have to have sore boobies (it was sooo painful!)
I hope this helps others out there who are questioning whether it's really that important to give up the caffeinated beverages or not.
I went to the bathroom and found I had gotten my period. I was shocked and surprised and had to quick think about what day of the month it was and if it really was that time. The 22nd. Yup, that was right. I figured time had just passed without me really noticing any symptoms. That's when I remembered one of my biggest signs my period was coming --- SORE BOOBS. It happens every single month from ovulation until I get my period and guess what? It didn't happen this month.
The only thing that I have changed in the last month or two is having absolutely zero caffeine. I used to get vanilla lattes every tuesday and thursday as a treat after working out (ha!) .... but recently I've changed my order to be DECAF. I never have soda. I switched my teas at home to decaf only.
I have to be honest, we're on year 3 of trying and up until this point, I never thought caffeine could effect the body like they say during baby making. I only had it twice a week and there's no way that could effect me, right? Wrong.
I immediately googled and found a few online articles that say caffeine increases cortisol levels. Cortisol is actually the stress hormone found in the body so just imagine how bad that can be for you when you're trying to conceive. The increased level can interact with other PMS hormones and cause sore boobs!
This discovery makes me happy because:
A) it shows that caffeine (even in a small amount) can effect your body
B) I no longer have to have sore boobies (it was sooo painful!)
I hope this helps others out there who are questioning whether it's really that important to give up the caffeinated beverages or not.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Irony
Last night I went to Target and picked up some awesome Essie nail glaze (it's supposed to seal your nails so the polish lasts a lot longer). As I was painting my nails, I remembered something about my childhood. When I was in middle school or early high school, I remember hearing a news story where they were bringing up the risk of nail polish causing infertility in women. I have no idea how true this is/was because I never really looked further into it, but I distinctly remember being frightened at that age. I instantly had flashbacks to all of the times I painted my nails and I thought to myself, "I'm doomed!".
After this happened, I honestly didn't wear nail polish for a LONG TIME. I probably held out until I was in my mid 20s and by that point I hadn't heard anything further about it, so I decided it was "safe" to do again.
How's that for irony. My 12 year old self was worried about infertility and now here I stand. Which makes me wonder.... WAS IT THE NAIL POLISH?!? hahaha.... just kidding, I'm sure it isn't.
Needless to say - I'm currently of the attitude of SCREW IT, I'm painting my nails if and when I want to!
Life is strange sometimes. I wonder if there was a part of me that knew I'd have this problem one day. It honestly wasn't the first time I'd had the fear of not being able to have children. I truly believe I knew deep down but would tell myself that I was crazy.
Food for thought.
After this happened, I honestly didn't wear nail polish for a LONG TIME. I probably held out until I was in my mid 20s and by that point I hadn't heard anything further about it, so I decided it was "safe" to do again.
How's that for irony. My 12 year old self was worried about infertility and now here I stand. Which makes me wonder.... WAS IT THE NAIL POLISH?!? hahaha.... just kidding, I'm sure it isn't.
Needless to say - I'm currently of the attitude of SCREW IT, I'm painting my nails if and when I want to!
Life is strange sometimes. I wonder if there was a part of me that knew I'd have this problem one day. It honestly wasn't the first time I'd had the fear of not being able to have children. I truly believe I knew deep down but would tell myself that I was crazy.
Food for thought.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Awesome Snail Mail
Came home today to find this awesome gem in our mailbox. Thanks for rubbing it in, insurance company.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Anyone else have a case of the Back-and-Forths?
When I say that this journey is a rollercoaster, I MEAN IT!
Up and down and back and forth, that's what my life is made up of when it comes to babies and having children.
If I had the chance to have sex the normal way and conceive fairly easily, I would have a child.
But since that isn't an option, it really begs you to answer the question of "do I really want kids?". "Should I really be doing this?". "How do I want to go about this?". Those questions scare the living begeezers out of me and honestly, the answers change on an almost daily basis.
I went through a good month-long phase where I wanted a baby and I wanted one really badly. I was convinced I would adopt and I'd live in a wonderful world of bliss forever and ever. Now, today, I feel the opposite. I feel like, maybe I don't really NEED a child to make my life meaningful and happy. So what is the answer for me? I HAVE NO IDEA!
Since my last post, I've contacted an adoption agency in the area and got a handful of information from them. Information on the types of adoptions and the costs of those adoptions and a few generalized FAQs. The lady also informed me of informational meetings that they do once a month, if I was interested in attending. I suddenly got cold feet. I'm not ready!! I told her that we'd let her know if/when we are ready and we'll register for one of those meetings at that point.
Seriously people, this is the hardest decision of my life. I know that people who have kids will say there are plenty of days when they wish they didn't. And I also know that people who didn't have kids will say there are days when they really regret it. So that doesn't help.
I found a few discussions on Reddit where people have asked certain age ranges without kids if they ever regret their decision to not have them. It's a bit eye opening. Many people with kids still end up dying alone in a nursing home. Many people without kids were still able to make a very meaningful and fulfilling life for themselves - doing charity work and things that inspired them. I love that! I mean, we really do only have one life to live, why not live it up? Go on vacations whenever you want... become more knowledgeable in the areas you're interested in... sleep....sleep... and sleep (whenever you feel like it). :-P
It's worth a read... (I still haven't made it through all of these, but wanted to share them with you).
I guess what I've learned from all of this is that I won't ever stop struggling with whatever decision we make. AND if we do decide to adopt, that child will be loved beyond any kind of love that can ever be given. We'll have really thought this through and researched and we'll know we're making the best decision for us.
In the meantime tho.... you will continue to think I'm nutty since I don't know if I want kids & I keep going back & forth about it.
Can I just go back to being 5 please? ahhh, to live in a state where you have NO idea the kinds of decisions that adults are making on a daily basis.
Up and down and back and forth, that's what my life is made up of when it comes to babies and having children.
If I had the chance to have sex the normal way and conceive fairly easily, I would have a child.
But since that isn't an option, it really begs you to answer the question of "do I really want kids?". "Should I really be doing this?". "How do I want to go about this?". Those questions scare the living begeezers out of me and honestly, the answers change on an almost daily basis.
I went through a good month-long phase where I wanted a baby and I wanted one really badly. I was convinced I would adopt and I'd live in a wonderful world of bliss forever and ever. Now, today, I feel the opposite. I feel like, maybe I don't really NEED a child to make my life meaningful and happy. So what is the answer for me? I HAVE NO IDEA!
Since my last post, I've contacted an adoption agency in the area and got a handful of information from them. Information on the types of adoptions and the costs of those adoptions and a few generalized FAQs. The lady also informed me of informational meetings that they do once a month, if I was interested in attending. I suddenly got cold feet. I'm not ready!! I told her that we'd let her know if/when we are ready and we'll register for one of those meetings at that point.
Seriously people, this is the hardest decision of my life. I know that people who have kids will say there are plenty of days when they wish they didn't. And I also know that people who didn't have kids will say there are days when they really regret it. So that doesn't help.
I found a few discussions on Reddit where people have asked certain age ranges without kids if they ever regret their decision to not have them. It's a bit eye opening. Many people with kids still end up dying alone in a nursing home. Many people without kids were still able to make a very meaningful and fulfilling life for themselves - doing charity work and things that inspired them. I love that! I mean, we really do only have one life to live, why not live it up? Go on vacations whenever you want... become more knowledgeable in the areas you're interested in... sleep....sleep... and sleep (whenever you feel like it). :-P
It's worth a read... (I still haven't made it through all of these, but wanted to share them with you).
In the meantime tho.... you will continue to think I'm nutty since I don't know if I want kids & I keep going back & forth about it.
Can I just go back to being 5 please? ahhh, to live in a state where you have NO idea the kinds of decisions that adults are making on a daily basis.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
I Feel Like I'm Pregnant
But more in the giving-birth-in-12-months kind of way. Since my last post, I talked to my husband. I told him that I have really been rethinking the idea of IVF. When we first started all of this, we both said no-way-jose to IVF. The main reasons for that were the money, the invasiveness & the fact that it isn't a guarantee.
I found this website: www.barbadosivf.com and got pretty excited. It's wayyyy cheaper than the cost of IVF in our area PLUS you'd get to sit on a beach for the entire 2 weeks - heck yeah! So honestly, it changed my mind. I feel like I could save 6 or 7K this year and we could do this next year sometime. BUUUUT, my husband isn't as willing and eager as I am. Unfortunately when I suggested this idea, he responded with the fact that he'd still rather adopt over doing IVF. I'll be honest, my first reaction to this was a tiny bit of disappointment. The longer I've had to think about it, the more I feel he's right.
So as of right now, I can say that we'll be adopting some point in the next year or two. AHHH. Now, there's still a lot of researching and information that needs to be gathered. I'm hoping we can make appointments with a few agencies in the area and get more information. I'd also still like to get information on IVF and then sit down and compare the two once we know more about them. All I know is that the idea of having a baby - whether biological or not - excites the crap out of me. I have so much love to give.
So for once in a long time, I am looking forward to the future. We'll take this year to get our stuff in gear and finances figured out. And then, hopefully we can welcome home a new baby somehow someway.
WEEEEEEE!!! :)
I found this website: www.barbadosivf.com and got pretty excited. It's wayyyy cheaper than the cost of IVF in our area PLUS you'd get to sit on a beach for the entire 2 weeks - heck yeah! So honestly, it changed my mind. I feel like I could save 6 or 7K this year and we could do this next year sometime. BUUUUT, my husband isn't as willing and eager as I am. Unfortunately when I suggested this idea, he responded with the fact that he'd still rather adopt over doing IVF. I'll be honest, my first reaction to this was a tiny bit of disappointment. The longer I've had to think about it, the more I feel he's right.
So as of right now, I can say that we'll be adopting some point in the next year or two. AHHH. Now, there's still a lot of researching and information that needs to be gathered. I'm hoping we can make appointments with a few agencies in the area and get more information. I'd also still like to get information on IVF and then sit down and compare the two once we know more about them. All I know is that the idea of having a baby - whether biological or not - excites the crap out of me. I have so much love to give.
So for once in a long time, I am looking forward to the future. We'll take this year to get our stuff in gear and finances figured out. And then, hopefully we can welcome home a new baby somehow someway.
WEEEEEEE!!! :)
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Thoughts...about IVF
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. I blame it on all of the infertility blogs I follow. 80% of the people are all doing their IVF treatments right now and I have to say... it leaves me feeling jealous. I'm honestly finding myself thinking more and more about IVF. It scares me. It scares me because I have no idea how we'd ever afford it. The financial obligation is just too overwhelming to me. We're literally saving everything we can this year so we can pay off our student loans at the end of the year. We are so excited to be "debt free" (still have house and car) for once in our lives and the idea of adding another loan for IVF really depresses me. I think I need more information really. How does it work? Is a loan our only option?
Bottom line is that I watch other parents with their children and their children have bits and pieces of each parents' personalities. I love that. I want a little version of my hubby running around. Or a little girl who is like me. I want to grow and build a family with my husband. I want to partake in those conversations about what giving birth is like.
I'm going to make it my goal to research and do all I can to figure out ways to afford IVF. I'm going to save as much of my side business money as I can. If I could save $10K from that this year, that would be a huge chunk to put towards it. Is it possible? I suppose... but it will be EXTREMELY difficult and I'll have to work really hard. Is it wise to put all of our other dreams and goals on hold for this? We want to move out of our house.... but can we do that and this and think about paying for daycare potentially? Will we be able to afford that?
Seeing all of the other people go through it makes me feel like we can do it too. I suppose it has given me a little hope and opened my eyes to the idea of it. It doesn't hurt that every single person has gotten pregnant on the first attempt.
Am I crazy? Or is this a good goal? If you have any advice on how to raise money for something like this, please share your thoughts.
Bottom line is that I watch other parents with their children and their children have bits and pieces of each parents' personalities. I love that. I want a little version of my hubby running around. Or a little girl who is like me. I want to grow and build a family with my husband. I want to partake in those conversations about what giving birth is like.
I'm going to make it my goal to research and do all I can to figure out ways to afford IVF. I'm going to save as much of my side business money as I can. If I could save $10K from that this year, that would be a huge chunk to put towards it. Is it possible? I suppose... but it will be EXTREMELY difficult and I'll have to work really hard. Is it wise to put all of our other dreams and goals on hold for this? We want to move out of our house.... but can we do that and this and think about paying for daycare potentially? Will we be able to afford that?
Seeing all of the other people go through it makes me feel like we can do it too. I suppose it has given me a little hope and opened my eyes to the idea of it. It doesn't hurt that every single person has gotten pregnant on the first attempt.
Am I crazy? Or is this a good goal? If you have any advice on how to raise money for something like this, please share your thoughts.
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