Baby? Bring it on!!
If you're reading this you're either a really good friend or family, or you might be someone who Googled something in regards to infertility and are seeking out information for your own journey. Whatever brings you here, I am greatful that you are interested in this chapter of my life. Let me also say that I have decided to blog about this as I believe it will end up being quite theraputic! I can already tell that this road, while I'm hopeful it will go smoothly, will most likely have a few bumps. I've been reading up on PCOS, something I already know I have that could cause problems, and that alone is pretty complex.
But I'm ready - we're ready actually - to be parents and are pretty excited about the thought of addding a baby to our family. After seven years of being married and working through finishing school, getting good jobs and now in a house that is big enough and in a good neighborhood to raise children, we really feel like things are falling into place. We even went so far as to take our long-awaited honeymoon/vacation to a tropical hidaway (Turks & Cacois was our destination), so now we're 100% good to go! I'm not even sure when the feeling came over us exactly. We've been working towards being at this place in our life for so long now that it definitely wasn't a huge shocker or anything, but it certainly was like "oh my gosh, I think we're actually ready for this"... that probably started happening this past winter. It also hasn't helped that our friends have all been having babies lately! Seeing them go through those changes definitely inspires you for sure! It's crazy how we all started being "ready" right about the same time. It would be pretty neat if it worked out that they could all grow up together. You never really know if we'll be living in St. Charles for all the rest of our life, but it could happen.
Anyway, I also wanted to include a little recap of my medical history, as I think it's pretty relavant to fully understanding our story. So, here go all the boring medical details...
My History... Our Known Issues...
Had an ovary and fallopian tube (same side at least) removed when I was 12. Have never ever had regular periods without the help of birth control, which I started when I was around 18, the pill actually, and never did like it. Changed my sex drive for the worse and was rough on the tummy. Stopped taking it for a year, approx. two years ago, and when I went in for my yearly, she noticed multiple cysts on my ovary thru a transvaginal ultrasound. I also had bloodwork done and was told by my doc at that time, that it didn't solidly reveal PCOS, but because of the cysts she wanted me to go back on birth control (this time I went on the Nuva Ring, which I really ended up liking more than the pills).
Fast forward to a year later, during my preconception appt, I learned that I DID in fact have PCOS last year, and still have it now, but was missinformed last year which is quite irritating! I continued birth control until April this year and immediately started TTC in May. Got lots of books and started charting my BBT (basel body temperature) & OPK (ovulation predictor kit) results on FertilityFriend.com immediately and am very thankful I did. My temp charts can be found here: http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/207f6e.
Looking back, I wish I would have pressed harder for more info with regards to dealing with the PCOS, or sought out a second opinion, and tried to start natural methods to balance my hormones, rather than going back on birth control - but hind sight is 20/20.
In a nutshell, that's our story and what we know we're dealing with so far. We're really just trying to see if I am ovulating on my own and/or if I will have a period on my own, which is why BBT & OPKs are so important. Right now I hope we can just relax and not get stressed - we don't know for certain that we'll have problems, but we want to be proactive. Right now we're hoping to wait awhile before telling our parents or friends, simply because we want it to be a surprise! I think it would be so cool to see the expression on their faces after seven long years of waiting!
But I'm ready - we're ready actually - to be parents and are pretty excited about the thought of addding a baby to our family. After seven years of being married and working through finishing school, getting good jobs and now in a house that is big enough and in a good neighborhood to raise children, we really feel like things are falling into place. We even went so far as to take our long-awaited honeymoon/vacation to a tropical hidaway (Turks & Cacois was our destination), so now we're 100% good to go! I'm not even sure when the feeling came over us exactly. We've been working towards being at this place in our life for so long now that it definitely wasn't a huge shocker or anything, but it certainly was like "oh my gosh, I think we're actually ready for this"... that probably started happening this past winter. It also hasn't helped that our friends have all been having babies lately! Seeing them go through those changes definitely inspires you for sure! It's crazy how we all started being "ready" right about the same time. It would be pretty neat if it worked out that they could all grow up together. You never really know if we'll be living in St. Charles for all the rest of our life, but it could happen.
Anyway, I also wanted to include a little recap of my medical history, as I think it's pretty relavant to fully understanding our story. So, here go all the boring medical details...
My History... Our Known Issues...
Had an ovary and fallopian tube (same side at least) removed when I was 12. Have never ever had regular periods without the help of birth control, which I started when I was around 18, the pill actually, and never did like it. Changed my sex drive for the worse and was rough on the tummy. Stopped taking it for a year, approx. two years ago, and when I went in for my yearly, she noticed multiple cysts on my ovary thru a transvaginal ultrasound. I also had bloodwork done and was told by my doc at that time, that it didn't solidly reveal PCOS, but because of the cysts she wanted me to go back on birth control (this time I went on the Nuva Ring, which I really ended up liking more than the pills).
Fast forward to a year later, during my preconception appt, I learned that I DID in fact have PCOS last year, and still have it now, but was missinformed last year which is quite irritating! I continued birth control until April this year and immediately started TTC in May. Got lots of books and started charting my BBT (basel body temperature) & OPK (ovulation predictor kit) results on FertilityFriend.com immediately and am very thankful I did. My temp charts can be found here: http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/207f6e.
Looking back, I wish I would have pressed harder for more info with regards to dealing with the PCOS, or sought out a second opinion, and tried to start natural methods to balance my hormones, rather than going back on birth control - but hind sight is 20/20.
In a nutshell, that's our story and what we know we're dealing with so far. We're really just trying to see if I am ovulating on my own and/or if I will have a period on my own, which is why BBT & OPKs are so important. Right now I hope we can just relax and not get stressed - we don't know for certain that we'll have problems, but we want to be proactive. Right now we're hoping to wait awhile before telling our parents or friends, simply because we want it to be a surprise! I think it would be so cool to see the expression on their faces after seven long years of waiting!
