IVF take 2... aaaaand ACTION!

I know it’s been awhile, but we’re finally ready to start our second round of IVF! We’re very excited to be moving forward with our journey toward parenthood. The last few months have been a rollercoaster of emotions as we prepared for IVF 2.0 financially. Several people we know have announced pregnancies since our failed cycle (including THREE that we found out about the day we found out our egg did not fertilize), and I’m not going to lie, it was hard. Of course we are happy for our friends, but we want that happiness for ourselves as well and it’s frustrating that it will never be easy for us, as evidenced by Ryan’s latest sperm analysis… still no swimmers.

Now that we have a game plan, I’m feeling much more positive and optimistic. It feels good to be actively working toward our goal! My baseline ultrasound appointment is going to be August 2, and if all looks well, I will be starting injections on August 6!  They have changed one of the stimulation medications and upped the other. Instead of Bravelle, I will be taking Gonal-f, and I will be taking a higher dose of the Menopur. On doctor’s orders I am currently taking baby aspirin once a day and the supplement DHEA 3 times a day to help improve the quality of my eggs.  August is a good month for us; if all goes well we will be taking our pregnancy test a few days after our 4^th wedding anniversary!

That’s all I’ve got for now, but I would like to take a moment to talk about infertility etiquette. I like to think most people have common sense enough not to say/do some of the things I talk about below, but you would be VERY surprised, especially when sometimes it’s people who have been through infertility themselves!

One situation that happened to me personally was when I was getting my hair done last weekend. The stylist’s assistant was being super chatty and asked me if I had kids. I told her no, and then she asked me if I was married. “Yes… 4 years” I replied. Then she asked me “so, you don’t want kids?” UGH, nosy much? I looked straight at her and told her that my husband had cancer 2 years ago and that “kind of” put a hold on us having kids. Awkward silence ensued. People can be so rude!

I also do not appreciate when people bring their kids to the fertility clinic. I feel that it’s very insensitive toward the women going through treatment, especially for ladies such as myself who do not have any children. The families I see are not there just to show off either; they are there seeking treatment as well, so you would think they would know better! As for the ladies who show up with their kid just to show-off that I may not see (I’m sure they get those every now and then), my clinic has a picnic once a year for successful patients to bring their bundles of joy. Until then, sending pictures is more appropriate.

Here are some more etiquette tips if you know someone (else) who is going though infertility and are not quite sure what is appropriate, or if you just want some insight into what kinds of emotions people dealing with infertility struggle with.

http://www.resolve.org/support-and-services/for-family--friends/infertility-etiquette.html

I am so ready to get this going!
Love,

Amanda