These are my little sisters and me: Becky, Katie and Jessie. We grew up playing House, Dress-Up, Barbies, riding our bikes, and having dance contests (I was always the judge, and coincidentally, I always won). For as long as I can remember we wanted to grow up and have babies. Well, we grew up and… Read More When Things Don’t Go As Planned – My Sister’s Struggle With Infertility
Life is hard, ya’ll. It is struggle and pain. Slips, falls, and disappointments grabbing at your ankles just as you thought you had risen above. I’ve been there. I’ve been in that dark place and visit still from time to time. I have battle scars to remind me of where I have been. But now? In… Read More Survivor's Guilt
“Gena, do you have something to tellllll meeeeee?” my grandmother asks through the phone, drawing out the end of the sentence as if to tease me. Of course, I know where she’s going with this question. “Nanny, I’m pregnant!” I say. “How come you didn’t tell me!” she asks, slightly teasing, but slightly confused. I… Read More Telling my grandmother I’m pregnant, again for the first time
Next week, October 7-13, 2013, is International Babywearing Week! There are so many things I enjoy about wearing my babies and toddlers: the ease and convenience, the closeness, the ability kiss and sniff their little heads as many times as I please, seeing them enjoy it just as much as I do, the effectiveness (when my middle… Read More In Honor of International Babywearing Week
My Momfession? I’m PREGNANT! I know, I know, this is not the photo of the amazing embryo I talked about just the other week. I’ve been holding out on you, like I warned you I would, until we were ready to make the announcement. But here’s our squirmy baby at 15 weeks, pausing just long… Read More The best things come to those who wait!
A daily glimpse into the first weeks of our IVF cycle: Day 1: Monday Well, today is the big day! This morning, I went in for my baseline blood work and ultrasound, and tonight I had my first injection of FSH (follicle stimulating hormone, the hormone that will help me develop more than one… Read More My IVF cycle diary: Week one
I think anyone who goes through an IVF cycle deserves an honorary medical degree. Am I right? I’ve become a pro at administering (and receiving) shots—in my thigh, in my belly, in my rear. I can use terms like “protocol,” “10 cc syringe” and “sharps container” and actually know what I’m talking about. With the… Read More The doctor is in?
Probably one of the hardest and most frustrating realizations about the whole IVF process is knowing that you can’t make a baby on your own. That one intimate act between two people can’t create a third. I mean, in most amorous situations, you’re not inviting a team of doctors and nurses into your bedroom. Unless… Read More It takes two…or twenty
As we prepare for our first IVF cycle, I’ll take all the help I can get. I’ve been eating better, regularly taking my prenatal vitamins, getting plenty of sleep, and snuggling extra babies. Snuggling extra babies? How will that help? I have this theory that, the more time I spend around little kids and babies,… Read More Baby vibes
Last week, I wrote about my moment of panic over possibly publicly over-sharing the details of our infertility. The amount of support from you all through your comments was amazing, and I thank you –I know I should not regret my decision to talk publicly about infertility and IVF. Still, putting myself out there like… Read More I am the One In Eight.
CT Working Moms 