What with Georgia's 1st birthday looming, a few friends who are expecting young babies, becoming an aunty for the first time {to a little niece who lives overseas in the UK} as well as the well-meaning question of 'When will you be going for #2?' that we've been getting already, it's not hard to see why.
But why IVF?
If you're new to these parts, or visited post-Georgia, you might not know our backstory; me with PCOS, anovulatory cycles, clomid-resistant; hubby with several male factor issues. For us, our odds were to gamble with IUI or IVF/ICSI. Due to finances, we decided to go ahead with IVF - and thankfully we did, as I never did respond well, even with injectable medications. First round got 5 eggs, with only 1 transferable. Second round got 3 eggs, one of those being Georgia {and 2 frozen embryos in storage}.
So amazing to imagine this gorgeous girl as a blastocyst, isn't it?
Everyone seems to have a story about their best friend's sister's cousin who used IVF for their first baby but then fell naturally the next time. Or their aunty's next-door-neighbour who was told she couldn't have kids but then boom, surprise baby! I know, I know, those stories are lovely - but they just aren't practical, and they certainly don't seem to be the case for us.
It would be nice to be able to plan for when we have another baby. It would be nice if that decision didn't revolve around the timing & finances involved in planning another IVF cycle - albeit a frozen embryo transfer first, if we're lucky & they thaw well. But alas, we're not one of those people who get so lucky - I'm 10.5 months post-partum, no period in sight, back to anovulatory cycles by all of my tracking & charting - so things don't look like they're happening anytime soon.
10 months old & showing off those pearly whites!
So why IVF? That girl right there is why. Without it, I'm confident that we'd still be child-less right now. I'm a huge supporter in science, and so thankful we are able to plan ahead for it financially. Infertility is something I wouldn't wish on anyone; I just wish that it was more readily available for those who need it.
No word on when we'll get started again, but I'll be sure to keep you posted. :)
I don't know why, but it seems so crazy to me that in all of that medical, scientific, petri dish egg retrieval stuff, there was Georgia, being made. And now look at her! Wow.
ReplyDeleteReally loved this post. Family planning stuff is so complex for so many people for so many different reasons, but we all seem to have it in our heads that it's supposed to be so easy and natural. Wishing you as smooth a ride ahead as you can possibly get.
She is such a beauty! I've also had IVF on the mind a lot lately. We don't have any frozen eggs, so we'd have to go through the whole cycle again, and it is CRAZY how much cheaper it is to do it in Europe. I'm also without a period yet, at 15 months pp :/ Sigh. I don't know. I don't feel totally ready for another kid yet, but I also don't feel like I should wait much longer if we want another with my stupid old lady eggs. It's just so unfair that this is something we even have to agonize over.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this, dearie. Georgia is just such a joy and I desperately hope you and J get another bundle of love.
ReplyDeletexox
What a cutie!
ReplyDeleteI've got IVF on my mind too. I've now had 10 periods since Paxlet was born (starting around 7 months when he started eating more solids) and nothing. Not that I ever expected to be one of "those" people who unexpectedly get pregnant after trying for so many years, but it sure would be nice. We have one frostie and I have no hope in it (sad, isn't?).
While a new round (or more) of IVF would be cheaper for us here in Finland, I'm just not sure hubby would be willing to go through with it. So, we might be staying a family of three, which I am insanely thankful for, but still think about and long for being a family of four.
Good luck in any path you take!
She is just so cute! Seeing as to how I'm clomid resistant as well and haven't yet started the injectables, I've been thinking about IVF too in case IUI doesn't work. I really wish it wasn't a choice of finances or rather it could "just happen" for us.
ReplyDeleteAlas, thank you for sharing. As always, little Georgia gives me a whole lot of hope.
Thank you for sharing. I've never done IVF but have a number of friends who have. I found this article was written beautifully and honestly. I wish you the very best of luck in your family planning. Your daughter Georgia is a cutie.
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