For those who don't know me (and most of you probably don't), I'm a former participant in this forum. My intro/story:
I am dw to my dw (aka "Bashful" on Mothering). We currently have two beautiful, amazing children who are living and living with us: our ds, 2.5 years old, and our dfd, 1.5 years old. dw and I have been foster parents for a number of years. We have parented kids from 0-15 years old, both in therapeutic care and in regular ol' foster care. Our ds we adopted at 13 months after having him since he was 1.5 days old. We may be adopting dfd in the next few months (fingers crossed...it is what is best). She has been with us since she was six months old.
Here is our ttc story...
*Began planning to ttc a number of years ago. I charted and felt quite confident. I had been pregnant before so we did not expect any trouble. dw did not have much interest in experiencing pregnancy herself.
*Started ttc "at home," no interventions with a known donor maybe five, six, or seven years ago (I can't remember now...it's all run together)?? Due to complications in known donor arrangement, we were able to try only on and off. I did not get pregnant, at least not any pregnancy that lasted through a positive pregnancy test. Eventually, known donor relationship was not working out, and we all moved on.
*Took a break from ttc while we waited to discover our next known donor. Also focused on fostering.
*Eventually found a willing guy (he was somebody we already knew, but we had not known he was willing), started negotiating with him about an agreement. Spent many, many, many months in discussion with him, as his wife is a lawyer and wanted things a particular way. This arrangement fell through fairly last minute, after probably almost a year between finding him, talking things over before deciding to try to build an agreement, building an agreement, etc. (We're still friends with this couple by the way.)
*At that time, we began using banked sperm. Concerned that frozen sperm would significantly decrease our chances, and concerned about the monthly cost of the sperm and trying to reduce the number of months we'd have to inseminate, we decided to give it only a short time before seeing a fertility doc. Tried "at home" for two or three months and then went in. It turned out I was not having particularly "strong" ovulation. I also began to think, based on my cervical mucous consistency, that my vaginal fluids were not particularly sperm-friendly. We monitored a month or two, did IUIs, and then started clomid with IUIs.
*A month or so later, I got in a bad car accident. As a part of my treatment, I began seeing an accupuncturist who also started treating my infertility. Still, after well over six months (was it a year?) on clomid, things weren't looking very good.
*Got my tubes checked. They were clear. Did more hormone blood work. My "infertility" seemed to defy explanation.
*I started injectible meds. Meanwhile, we also applied to transfer from a foster program to foster-adopt. Adoption had always been a part of our family plan anyway, and we began to think, why are we waiting on that? We felt we would concurrently ttc and wait for an adoptive placement. We'd stop efforts on either end if one or the other happened (if we got pregnant, we'd put a hold on our adoption file at DCFS, if we got a likely-adoptive placement, we'd put a hold on ttc). ds was placed with us just a few months after our homestudy came in. We stopped ttc.
*A few months after we finalized our adoption of ds, dfd came into our lives. We could not be prouder, more in-love parents! We are so lucky.
Now that dfd's adoption is becoming more likely, we're thinking ahead to the future a bit. We aren't in a hurry to have more kids (before we had kids 11 months apart from one another, we'd always planned on a 2-3 year spacing). But we also want to have four children eventually. Our family isn't complete yet. We are moving to a new state, so we'll need a new foster and adoptive homestudy. In our experience, this is a lengthy process. We also know now that I am not one to get pregnant very quickly. So no matter how we are going to continue having children, we don't want to wait until the exact right time to have another child before we get started trying.
We have been figuring that in another half year or a year, we'll begin the lengthy process of foster-adopt licensing again (and likely we will even if we ttc again...as we did before in a concurrent process).
But I just discovered something totally, totally unexpected:
As I mentioned, we just moved. Well, my new health insurance at my new job covers a good portion of infertility treatment, save for IVF!!! I do want to have a pregnancy before I am too old to feel comfortable trying again. Suddenly, without so many financial worries about doing so, I am feeling ready for another shot at this! Before, we had spent thousands and thousands of dollars on my treatment. We don't have that money to spend now. But now, though we will still most certainly spend SOMETHING, it will be far reduced. This idea really gets me excited.
So I think I am going to start working to get myself back into a position where I can start trying. I plan to:
1. Work on losing some weight again that I had lost just prior to ds' arrival and then regained just after dfd's arrival. I'd like to lose about 40 pounds to increase my chances of getting pregnant.
2. Work on having a healthy diet again. I eat out a lot while I am working now, and a lot of it is super overly processed. I think if I work on this, my whole family will also eat better as well, which is another bonus.
3. Perhaps consider seeing an acupuncturist again, and maybe a chiropractor (I am experiencing more back problems from my accident again and could use the care anyway).
4. Work on stress reduction. Get back into my prayer routine. Maybe start getting a massage every now and then again.
5. Work on my diabetes control. I have Type I (this is the autoimmune kind).
6. Start charting again (ugh...I remember the days when I actually had fun with my charts...now that I've done them on and off for a number of years, they are such a chore).
7. After I make a little progress on the above, begin working on finding a new fertility doc in my new state who I'd like to work with.
It would be nice to start trying this summer! I know I am in for another SERIOUS emotional roller coaster (oh lordy do I remember the days of my previous treatments), but if there is any training for that, foster-adopt is the best training there is (NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART). I feel stronger and more prepared then ever. Not sure how I'll feel in the middle of ttc, but I think this is a good way to begin.
Just want to say hello. Anyone know of a good infertility doc in central MA?
~S
I am dw to my dw (aka "Bashful" on Mothering). We currently have two beautiful, amazing children who are living and living with us: our ds, 2.5 years old, and our dfd, 1.5 years old. dw and I have been foster parents for a number of years. We have parented kids from 0-15 years old, both in therapeutic care and in regular ol' foster care. Our ds we adopted at 13 months after having him since he was 1.5 days old. We may be adopting dfd in the next few months (fingers crossed...it is what is best). She has been with us since she was six months old.
Here is our ttc story...
*Began planning to ttc a number of years ago. I charted and felt quite confident. I had been pregnant before so we did not expect any trouble. dw did not have much interest in experiencing pregnancy herself.
*Started ttc "at home," no interventions with a known donor maybe five, six, or seven years ago (I can't remember now...it's all run together)?? Due to complications in known donor arrangement, we were able to try only on and off. I did not get pregnant, at least not any pregnancy that lasted through a positive pregnancy test. Eventually, known donor relationship was not working out, and we all moved on.
*Took a break from ttc while we waited to discover our next known donor. Also focused on fostering.
*Eventually found a willing guy (he was somebody we already knew, but we had not known he was willing), started negotiating with him about an agreement. Spent many, many, many months in discussion with him, as his wife is a lawyer and wanted things a particular way. This arrangement fell through fairly last minute, after probably almost a year between finding him, talking things over before deciding to try to build an agreement, building an agreement, etc. (We're still friends with this couple by the way.)
*At that time, we began using banked sperm. Concerned that frozen sperm would significantly decrease our chances, and concerned about the monthly cost of the sperm and trying to reduce the number of months we'd have to inseminate, we decided to give it only a short time before seeing a fertility doc. Tried "at home" for two or three months and then went in. It turned out I was not having particularly "strong" ovulation. I also began to think, based on my cervical mucous consistency, that my vaginal fluids were not particularly sperm-friendly. We monitored a month or two, did IUIs, and then started clomid with IUIs.
*A month or so later, I got in a bad car accident. As a part of my treatment, I began seeing an accupuncturist who also started treating my infertility. Still, after well over six months (was it a year?) on clomid, things weren't looking very good.
*Got my tubes checked. They were clear. Did more hormone blood work. My "infertility" seemed to defy explanation.
*I started injectible meds. Meanwhile, we also applied to transfer from a foster program to foster-adopt. Adoption had always been a part of our family plan anyway, and we began to think, why are we waiting on that? We felt we would concurrently ttc and wait for an adoptive placement. We'd stop efforts on either end if one or the other happened (if we got pregnant, we'd put a hold on our adoption file at DCFS, if we got a likely-adoptive placement, we'd put a hold on ttc). ds was placed with us just a few months after our homestudy came in. We stopped ttc.
*A few months after we finalized our adoption of ds, dfd came into our lives. We could not be prouder, more in-love parents! We are so lucky.
Now that dfd's adoption is becoming more likely, we're thinking ahead to the future a bit. We aren't in a hurry to have more kids (before we had kids 11 months apart from one another, we'd always planned on a 2-3 year spacing). But we also want to have four children eventually. Our family isn't complete yet. We are moving to a new state, so we'll need a new foster and adoptive homestudy. In our experience, this is a lengthy process. We also know now that I am not one to get pregnant very quickly. So no matter how we are going to continue having children, we don't want to wait until the exact right time to have another child before we get started trying.
We have been figuring that in another half year or a year, we'll begin the lengthy process of foster-adopt licensing again (and likely we will even if we ttc again...as we did before in a concurrent process).
But I just discovered something totally, totally unexpected:
As I mentioned, we just moved. Well, my new health insurance at my new job covers a good portion of infertility treatment, save for IVF!!! I do want to have a pregnancy before I am too old to feel comfortable trying again. Suddenly, without so many financial worries about doing so, I am feeling ready for another shot at this! Before, we had spent thousands and thousands of dollars on my treatment. We don't have that money to spend now. But now, though we will still most certainly spend SOMETHING, it will be far reduced. This idea really gets me excited.
So I think I am going to start working to get myself back into a position where I can start trying. I plan to:
1. Work on losing some weight again that I had lost just prior to ds' arrival and then regained just after dfd's arrival. I'd like to lose about 40 pounds to increase my chances of getting pregnant.
2. Work on having a healthy diet again. I eat out a lot while I am working now, and a lot of it is super overly processed. I think if I work on this, my whole family will also eat better as well, which is another bonus.
3. Perhaps consider seeing an acupuncturist again, and maybe a chiropractor (I am experiencing more back problems from my accident again and could use the care anyway).
4. Work on stress reduction. Get back into my prayer routine. Maybe start getting a massage every now and then again.
5. Work on my diabetes control. I have Type I (this is the autoimmune kind).
6. Start charting again (ugh...I remember the days when I actually had fun with my charts...now that I've done them on and off for a number of years, they are such a chore).
7. After I make a little progress on the above, begin working on finding a new fertility doc in my new state who I'd like to work with.
It would be nice to start trying this summer! I know I am in for another SERIOUS emotional roller coaster (oh lordy do I remember the days of my previous treatments), but if there is any training for that, foster-adopt is the best training there is (NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART). I feel stronger and more prepared then ever. Not sure how I'll feel in the middle of ttc, but I think this is a good way to begin.
Just want to say hello. Anyone know of a good infertility doc in central MA?
~S
Hello friend. 
