IVF, Octomom, and Irresponsible Medicine
You may have heard that Dr. Michael Kamrava transfered 12 embryos into Nadia Suleman (octomom) and was kicked out of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine as a result. This number is really beyond shocking. For my age, 35, I would have had to beg my doctors to transfer 3 embryos and signed a waiver. Even in women over 40 four embryos is a lot. Nadia was 32 when she had the IVF and she had no infertility diagnosis. Meaning she is in fact fertile which increases her chances of successful pregnancy substantially. Since our infertility is male factor I too am considered...
Read MoreBreastfeeding Through Fertility Treatments (IVF and FET)
Update! I know many people find this post from a forum or google search on breastfeeding through fertility treatments! Welcome and good luck on this difficult decision. I get lots of questions about how my story turned out. I *did* breastfeed through my FET and I did not tell the doctors. I was prepared to completely lie but no one even asked (probably because they didn’t think an 18 month old was still nursing). They thawed 2 5-day embryos and grew them to blastocyst. They both survived for transfer day and 7 1/2 months later I gave birth to my beautiful twin sons,...
Read More10 Things NOT To Say To the Parent of an A.R.T. Child
A.R.T. Assisted Reproductive Technology. I’m a Mom of an IVF/ICSI baby but there are many other types of A.R.T. parents: ZIFT, GIFT, Microsort, IUI, DI, DE, DI/DE, etc. Like what NOT to say to an Infertile friend, here is what NOT to say to parents of A.R.T. Children. 1. Oh, so is she like other babies? Well, besides the fact that she turns into an ogre under the full moon? First, is there an appropriate way to ask this of anyone? Second, when all other factors are equal, IVF babies are no more at risk than any other baby. 2. She’s a Test Tube Baby? Seriously? If...
Read MoreTwo Years Ago Today…I became a Mom of 17
May 23, 2008 I got the report that 17 of my 29 eggs (which had been harvested and fertilized the previous day) had been successfully fertilized via inter-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). This is what I wrote that day: OMG, I’m a mom. My DH is a dad. We have 17, fertilized, unique, individual embryos (zygotes) in petri dishes 40 minutes away. This feeling is so much more overwhelming than I could of imagined. First I am thrilled that DH’s boys could do it. They might not be swimmers but darned if they can’t knock up an egg! woohoo! Next I feel this amazing warm rush of love that I...
Read MoreMisconceptions about IVF
Someone asked me yesterday “did you get to pick the hair and eye color?” It is like they think IVF is a lifestyle choice. Who started this crap about “designer babies?” It is so far from the truth it is amazing. This seems to be what the average person thinks about assisted reproductive technologies. Or you hear “did you do that to have twins?” What??? That’s like asking a cancer patient if they “did that to be bald.” How do we change public opinion that IVF is treatment for a disease (or diseases) and it is grueling not t
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