It’s been awhile since I posted some personal updates, so I wanted to do so today!
New Look for the Blog
You may have noticed the blog looks a bit different recently. A few days after Christmas, I had some technical difficulties with the blog that caused me to lose the design. At first, I freaked out because it looked like I was going to lose hours of work. But then, I decided I liked the way it looked without al the colors and backgrounds. So, I decided to keep it as it currently is. There are a few things I will tweak here or there when I have the time, but I think you’ll agree that the new look is cleaner and makes it easier focus on the content of the post.
Our daughter
Out of respect for those of you who are still in the infertility trenches, I don’t often post about our successful IVF in 2015 and our daughter, CJ. I know that reading about other’s pregnancies and babies can bring complicated and mixed feelings, so I completely understand if you’d rather skip this part.
CJ just turned one year old and is healthy and happy. She started walking one day before her first birthday and loves to chase our cat around. We celebrated with a small family party. We don’t post many pictures of her online, but if you’d like to see our 2016 family portrait, you can head over to my personal blog and read my recent update there.
Plans for IVF in 2017
Those of you who have been reading for awhile may remember that we have several frozen embryos from the cycle that brought us CJ. Our plan has always been to use those to try for baby #2. Right now, we are tentatively planning on doing a FET somewhere near the end of 2017.
The biggest decision we have to make regarding the FET is where to do it. We absolutely love our doctor and the clinic that gave us CJ. They treated us with such kindness and professionalism and they are located ten minutes from our house. However, I am very interested in exploring the possibility of doing a natural FET, and my current doctor does not do them.
I know that there are many studies that say IVF doesn’t contribute to higher rates of cancer in the woman. I generally trust those studies. I don’t necessarily believe that IVF is harmful, but I also don’t see how all the hormones can be healthy or helpful. I know there is controversy about the success rates of natural FETs, but I still want to at least explore the idea.
Back in September, I had the privilege of touring the IVF labs at Stanford Fertility and Reproductive Health Services when I attended the Fertility IQ Basecamp. I was so impressed with their facility and my interested was piqued when I heard they perform natural FETs there. It would be a bit of a drive for us, but I think it might be worth it if the doctors determine I’m a good candidate for a natural FET.
Nothing is set in stone yet. I still need to talk to both my current RE and the people at Stanford. Of course, I’ll keep you updated as we make a decision this year!
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