Fertility Support Catch-All (including "alternative ways to acquire offspring")

Actually, I would suggest jumping right ahead in the Parenting Catch All. And if you look a few pages back, KatherinLHC asked a similar question a few months ago so you should find our responses. But yeah, don't hesitate and jump right in!

ETA: Starts about here. The topic was "what was the one baby item who couldn't go without?"

Butterflies. Our followup appointment is this afternoon. My unprofessional sense is that we are healing well. Both of us hit moments from time to time when the reality sinks in, but in general I think we're in good spirits. We've started a puppy-hunt and gotten some good kennel play-time with a few fuzzballs, but managed to escape without bringing one home yet. We're on the list for a litter that is due any day now at a local breeder, so we're holding out until that resolves before making a decision.

All to distract us from what might be coming this afternoon. Worst case we won't find out anything specific yet and either run more tests or take another stab at it.

FWIW, I think a puppy might be helpful. My kittens (now cats) have been integral in helping my wife and I deal with some of this crap.

Rezzy - I'm very sorry to hear the news and am thinking about you both.

I don't want to connect this to Rezzy's information so please understand that this is just an open suggestion to anyone prompted by the fact we'll be attending an event this weekend for the organization through which we adopted our daughter.

So in the spirit of alternative ways let me encourage anyone who drops by this thread to consider adoption as well. It has its own challenges and rewards and I know it isn't the right choice for everyone but I hope some of you will explore this route too. There's a lot of fantastic kids already in this world who might be waiting to find you.

There's an adoption thread on the site too (http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/1...) and I'm sure those of us who've been through the experience would be happy to try and answer questions you may have.

Our first IVF cycle has concluded today, an embryo was implanted. In two weeks we'll know if our Halloween embryo has settled down.

IF it's successful (30% chance apparently) and IF it's a boy we'll name him Kasper the Halloween ghost

dejanzie wrote:

Our first IVF cycle has concluded today, an embryo was implanted. In two weeks we'll know if our Halloween embryo has settled down.

IF it's successful (30% chance apparently) and IF it's a boy we'll name him Kasper the Halloween ghost ;-)

I will be sending you good luck vibes from our successful IVF in early 2012.

Good luck, and I am sure that we will see pictures of Kasper (or Kaspa) 9 months from now.

Best of luck!

Fingers crossed, Dejanzie!!! You two are way overdue for some good luck. Sending you some baby dust!

Thanks for the kind words, everyone. GWJ is my favorite hugbox

My wife had her blood drawn this morning, now waiting anxiously for the results. Very, very anxiously.

edit: SUCCESS!!! We're literally shaking with excitement, I'm having difficulties believing the good news and holding back my tears.

Spoiler:

Also: I'm terrified. That never ends, I heard?

Oh my gosh!!!!!!! That's such awesome news!!!! A BFP!!! I'm very, very happy for you two, Dejanzie!!!!

Spoiler:

Nope, nope it doesn't.

I had to google BFP, first result was Belgian Federation of Psychologists

But yeah, big fat positive

dejanzie, this made my day! Congratulations to you and the missus!

Fantastic news! Congratulations!!

Yeh!!!!! Congrats.

Super exciting, dejanzie. That's fantastic news.

Congratulations!!!!

I know it isn't about anything in this thread, and I am not quite sure why, but I really feel terrible after reading the Childfree thread.

UpToIsomorphism wrote:

I know it isn't about anything in this thread, and I am not quite sure why, but I really feel terrible after reading the Childfree thread.

It's a touchy subject for people, because they have a similar problem as those of us who are trying but unable to conceive, and that's "people talking out of their backsides without knowing what they're talking about." It has different symptoms for us - for my wife and I, it was a painful subject:

"So, (wink, wink), when are you having kids?"

"Well, we've been trying for three years to the tune of $90K in fertility treatments, so thanks for bringing up a very painful subject without considering that it might be a sore spot for us. Now, hang your head in shame and move away."

In the case of people who choose to live childfree, it's not painful to be asked - it's when (some, not all) parents get incredibly condescending when they find out that you don't want kids. The Oatmeal summed it up nicely from the childfree point of view, if you're into his sense of humour. As a result, it's a sore spot, and that makes it ripe for hurt feelings on all sides. I've got some things that I had considered saying, but frankly, I'd rather not take the risk of misspeaking, so I'll just lurk in there instead.

Yeah, you're right Feegle. And I don't disagree with anyones decision to want or not want children. I think for me it is just that longing of wanting kids, and in lieu of that to be in my situation and not want kids.

Think you've pretty much hit the nail on the head right there, Feegle. I'm 100% in agreement with you.

Big hugs, UpToIsomorphism. It depresses me to hear about how people are often so eager to judge others for their decisions, and/or jump to conclusions without any reflection or empathy. I just don't get it.

Woo, dejanzie!

We have found out that I shoot rubber bullets (technical: no acrosomes), potentially for genetic reasons (though I'm one of 5 siblings myself), so IVF starts nowish. Should be doing the hard science in February.

I'm mostly pretty OK with this. All 5 of my generation were born via cesarean section, so I consider science to be a pretty normal part of how humans make babies. I'm disappointed in my body, but I'm also long-since given up on fetishistic notions of "natural purity" or whatever. Homo sapiens don't become homo sapiens without tools and tech.

Bring on the science baby!

Good luck with the process wordsmythe.

I found the science side of IVF really interesting while my wife and I were going through it, particularly if you do a bit of reading on the history of it, and how far they have come in such a short time.

Sorry to hear that, Wordsmythe. All the best of luck with the process, and don't hesitate to come back here if you feel the need to. Hold on to each other, that's pretty much the only advice I can give you.

Good luck! I hope your cyborg babies are every bit as philosophically delicious as you are.

Good luck WordSmythe, I can tell you after two IVFs and a failed frozen transfer that it is a hard road to go.

Frozen transfer next week. After 3 IVF cycles we got lucky that our first frozen transfer resulted in our son. Hopefully we'll be lucky again. First time it was stressful since it felt like we'd never have a kid. This time my main worry is our medical insurance is changing next year and so far we have zero info about IVF coverage. We have been happy with our current coverage.