A Personal Fertility Journey
We are very excited to share with you the personal blogging journeys of women who are trying to conceive. These women are dedicating their time and energy to share their ups and downs, medical details and very personal reflections on their lives in an effort to spread TTC awareness and to get the dialogue moving in a positive way!
Please welcome Sophia, a blogger who responded to one of our Tweets extremely quickly and has been so excited about blogging with us.
Sophia’s Background
Sophia is a psychologist in the process of having a baby on her own. She is single and will be using a sperm donor and the IVF process to conceive her little bean. Follow her also on her personal blog called A Baby For Sophia.
In Sophia’s Words
I’m a choice mom to two wonderful teenagers, who are also my niece and nephew. While toddlers they were presented with a situation that no child should have to endure. Given that they were so young and helpless, I knew that even though I was new to my career and unmarried, I had to step in to give them the love they deserved. That was ten years ago and of course my little family is still together and thriving.
Like many women I have always known I wanted to be a mother and although the role of ‘mother’ to my niece and nephew has been fulfilling, fun, and yes at times difficult; I wouldn’t hesitate to do it all again with another child. I have the desire and I’m completely ready, however one main component is missing – my partner!
Recently, I was in a long term relationship and knew this was the man I would soon marry and have a family with. Little known to me, this man decided to conceal his inappropriate behaviors (e.g., cheating) and naturally when it was discovered we immediately parted ways. I’ve decided that given my age (biological clock – tick, tick, tick), waiting is no longer an option. Hence, I will be pursuing motherhood with donor sperm and the IVF process. I will return to my dating life once my baby is of an age I’ve deemed appropriate to invite a new person into our family. For right now, I am going to enjoy this unique experience.
I’m quite excited and fascinated by the entire process. I had no idea all that was involved with assisted reproduction technology. Choosing the donor (open), jumping the hurdles required for IVF (test after test- ouch), discussing my decision with the children, biweekly acupuncture, and frequent visits to the reproductive endocrinologist. My IVF officially begins tomorrow and I am a mixture of excited and frightened. The “what if’s” crawl into my mind causing me to focus on the negatives at times (e.g., suppose the IVF fails). As a psychologist, I am aware of the powerful impact of stress upon the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. I remind myself that it is imperative to self soothe and calm such thoughts so as to not disrupt my body’s balance. I’ve found interventions, such as acupuncture, meditation/ visualization, positive self talk, and relaxation products such as Circle and Bloom, helpful.
Given that I am considered of advanced maternal age (ugh), I’ve decided to take control in whatever areas I can to help improve my chances. For me, that meant a regimen of physician approved supplements, TCM herbs, and daily relaxation. I have followed this routine consistently for the past three months, so I will soon learn by the quality of my eggs, if it was helpful or not. Cross my fingers. I’m really looking forward to welcoming this new little member to our family and I’m hoping that he or she arrives soon!
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