We are getting ready for the first big appointment in the IVF process! Egg retrieval! Our egg retrieval is planned for Friday, September 20th! A little recap… I have now been doing hormone injections for 10 days. I began with only Follistim injections in the evenings between 6-8 pm, but after the first 3 days, I also began Menapur injections. For those who are reading this and have had repeated IVF procedures, forgive my exclamation, as I’m sure this is old news to you, but 2 needles in my belly every night is not fun! Then on Sunday, I also began Ganirelix injections in the morning to prevent me from ovulating too soon. So that’s 3 injections per day! This is not enjoyable, but so far things are going smoothly. Well almost. The doctor had me a little worried last week because early in the process after the first few days of injections, there were only 6 follicles showing growth. The other 4 follicles that we saw at my baseline ultrasound were not growing at all. Dr. J said he wanted at least 9 or 10 follicles in order to have enough embryos to send for genetic testing. He said it’s…Continue reading Update: IVF and PGD (Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis)
Inspiring Story: Healing Through Sharing
Photos of Birth Without Fear Today one of my closest friends sent me this Facebook page (link below) and said, “You are not alone. Love you Jo. May this be your rainbow baby.” It truly does help to know you’re not alone! This mom’s story is so incredibly heartbreaking, but also very inspiring. She had the strength to go on after losing so much! Check out her Facebook post below. I recommend reading her story to the end. It’s very sad, but it has silver lining that really reminded me to keep hoping. I am currently in full swing of hormone injections for IVF and about to do my egg retrieval on Friday. I can’t think of a better time to read this story and be reminded that dreams do come true. I have also included a link to her Youtube video. Make sure to have a box of kleenx handy! Facebook post: Photos of Birth Without Fear Youtube video:A Mother and Father’s Journey Through Heartache to Hope
IVF and PGD (Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis)
The Journey to Having a Family Continues After the loss of our son, Holdon, my biggest concern moving forward with trying to become pregnant again was being at high risk for a reoccurrence of preeclampsia. This is still a huge risk that lurks in the back of my mind, but after my 3 miscarriages since then, this fear has been overshadowed by other fears… fear of having another miscarriage, fear of not being able to have another baby, fear of moving forward with expensive fertility treatments that don’t have a guarantee, and could result in further heartache and disappointment. However, after giving it a lot of thought, we have decided to proceed with IVF and PGD (Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis). After 3 ½ years, four pregnancies, one baby in heaven and 3 miscarriages later, our journey with trying to have a baby has taken this surprising turn. It’s surprising because I always thought of IVF as a solution for infertility, and it didn’t initially occur to me that this was a solution for us because we get pregnant quickly and easily. However, the word infertility comes with different definitions and for us it means recurrent pregnancy loss. Why do IVF for…Continue reading IVF and PGD (Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis)
Preeclampsia Foundation News
Screening Tests for Preeclampsia Preeclampsia Foundation News – August 16, 2013 If there were a way to learn your risk of developing preeclampsia in the first trimester of your pregnancy, would you want to know? What if that test result wasn’t 100% accurate? We asked almost 1,000 women – some who had had preeclampsia and some who had not – these and other questions to better understand patient preferences around the need for screening (or prediction) tests. Eighty-eight percent of women with a history of preeclampsia agreed that an early test was important, even if it was imperfect. Even those without a history of preeclampsia – 74% – still agreed it would be important. Click here to view more: Screening Tests for Preeclampsia (www.preeclampsia.org) © Preeclampsia Foundation 2013 | www.preeclampsia.org
A Mourning Mom
Tonight, I found a very kind message from a another mom who has had to endure more than any parent should ever have to endure. I was deeply saddened but also inspired by the stories on her blog and wanted to share her link on my blog. amourningmom.com I also found this beautiful quote on her blog. It really says it all. “Do not judge the bereaved mother. She comes in many forms. She is breathing, but she is dying. She may look young, but inside she has become ancient. She smiles, but her heart sobs. She walks, she talks, she cooks, she cleans, she works, she IS, but she IS NOT, all at once. She is here, but part of her is elsewhere for eternity.” –Author Unknown
Inspiring Stories: Healing Through Sharing
Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Loss Blog Directory Below is a link for a directory of stories and resources about miscarriage, stillbirth and infant loss. It is is created and maintained by those who have experienced the loss of a baby in miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant death. Their goal is to maintain a current listing of Babyloss Blogs, recommend related resources, and to post the latest Babyloss information. Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Loss Blog Directory (babylossdirectory.blogspot.com) Other Inspiring Blog Recommendations For This Week Miscarriage: Finding My Way Home (miscarriageonetwomany.blogspot.com) “This blog is for the countless silent sufferers who have lost babies through miscarriage. Here, you can read, share, find other related resources and together we can find our way back home. Please share this site with others who may need a place like this.” Hope In Miscarriage (hopeinmiscarriage.blogspot.com) “I just moderated and answered a few comments on this blog and for some reason went back and read the first few posts when I shared our own story. Yes, I got tears in my eyes. Yes, it makes heaven so precious. But, the grief is no longer overwhelming or even really painful. I remember, I long to see our little ones,…Continue reading Inspiring Stories: Healing Through Sharing
Preeclampsia Foundation Introduces Illustrated Education Tool
On May 7th, 2013, the Preeclampsia Foundation introduced a new education tool to inform expectant mothers about the life-threatening disorder of pregnancy. This is a must read for anyone who is trying to become pregnant or currently pregnant. Preeclampsia Foundation Introduces Education Tool to Inform Expectant Mothers about Life-Threatening Disorder of Pregnancy Illustrated preeclampsia symptoms tear pad now available, already adopted by California healthcare initiative Melbourne, Fla. — May 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — The Preeclampsia Foundation today released the Illustrated Preeclampsia Symptoms Tear Pad, a patient education tool that was developed in collaboration with health services researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Ill. The tool effectively informs pregnant women, even those with potentially poor literacy, about preeclampsia. Because preeclampsia is a disorder that can have grave consequences for a mother and her unborn baby, the goal is for the tool to offer information in a way that allows women to assimilate and retain knowledge related to preeclampsia, leading them to promptly seek medical attention should they have symptoms related to preeclampsia… To read more… Click Here or Click Here to see Multimedia Version © Preeclampsia Foundation 2013 | www.preeclampsia.org
Inspiring Stories: Healing Through Sharing
Below are some links to stories and resources I found inspiring and hopeful. I hope reading these stories about miscarriage will help you find some hope too. I will be posting links about pregnancy, miscarriage/recurrent loss and preeclampsia regularly so please return frequently for other stories and resources like these. BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA: We Need To Talk About Miscarriage (worldmomsblog.com) “We need to tell people when we suffer a loss. We owe them that, and we owe ourselves that, because for all we know, they need someone to talk to, too. Don’t assume that they don’t know what you’re going through, because chances are, they do.” Finding Hope after Miscarriage (well.blogs.nytimes.com) “Two months after I had surgery to remove my fourth pregnancy, I fell pregnant again. Just like the last time, nausea hit hard by week 5, and by week 7, we saw a tiny heartbeat. “Is it too much to ask for that heart to keep beating another 80 years?” I asked my husband, and we laughed and laughed, because we knew exactly how much that was to ask. But a little over seven months later, I was holding our son.” Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (www.nobiggie.net) “As hard as this trial has been,…Continue reading Inspiring Stories: Healing Through Sharing
Creating an Awareness About Preeclampsia and HELLP Syndrome
With the anniversary of Holdon’s death last weekend, I have been thinking a lot about my first pregnancy and the events leading up to my emergency c-section at 28 weeks. I was told I had a variant of Preeclampsia, called HELLP Syndrome and that I needed to deliver immediately or I could die. I had very little warning that I had this serious pregnancy complication. My only early symptom was upper abdominal pain, which I mistook for heartburn for weeks before finding out at a doctor’s appointment that I was seriously ill and had to deliver right away. Holdon was born, 3 months early and due to severe growth restriction as a result of a problem with the placenta, he was only the size of a 24-week-old baby, measuring only 1 lb 8 oz at birth. Holdon fought incredibly hard for 3 ½ months in the NICU but in the end it was too much for him. The official report from the doctor on his death certificate, said the cause was Cardiorespiratory Arrest, Multiple Systems Failure, Sepsis, and all a result of Prematurity. My doctor also believed the problem with the placenta is likely the cause of my Preeclampsia. We…Continue reading Creating an Awareness About Preeclampsia and HELLP Syndrome
Remembering Holdon
Three years ago today, our beautiful angel Holdon passed away. Every year on this day, I go through the two scrapbooks I made for him. This year, in memory of him, I am sharing some of my favorite pages from his books. I am also including a link to the short story my husband wrote shortly after our son passed away. My husband’s story tells it all. It’s the story of our first pregnancy, the story of all the emotional ups and downs of having a baby in the NICU, and the story of our brave little angel, Holdon. We love you Holdon! Holdon’s Story – Written by Arun Regunathan