I’m infertile but not defective: how our journey to parenthood is changing
I’m one of those women struggling with infertility issues. One: my age. I’m no spring chicken. Two: endometriosis — I was treated for that two years ago after suffering for over a year with crazy painful periods, and after my husband and I had been trying for more than six months. Three, high FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) levels — it’s taking more hormones to kick-start my ovaries and get them working.
How and why I voluntarily became a single mother at 22
When I was little, my rendition of “house” always included pretending I was a single mother struggling to make ends meet. I’m not sure if my eight-year-old self could foresee the future, or if I was just making do with the fact that I didn’t ever have a boy to play my “husband.” I dabbled in dating as a teenager. By “dabble” I mean my relationships never lasted more than three months and most were more like a few days. I just never had much interest in men (or women, for that matter), sexually speaking.
My experience using Fertility Awareness Method to conceive a child
For the past eight years I have been battling severe endometriosis. Three surgeries, two rounds of medical menopause, and four doctors later: I am pregnant. But getting here wasn’t easy. Because of my endometriosis it was automatically assumed that I would have a difficult time getting pregnant and therefore my doctor wanted to put me on Clomid. Given that I had just gotten over another round of menopause-inducing hormones, I wasn’t about to add more synthetic hormones to the mix. So I refused the prescription and decided to try to conceive for at least six months before taking a serious fertility drug.
What can I say to people who tell me I’ll get pregnant if I “just relax?”
“Oh, just CHILL OUT and you’ll be pregnant in no time!” Right? Right? Wrong.
Endometriosis didn’t crush my baby-making hopes
I think the first time I experienced “the pain” was around 15. After describing these very scary occurrences to my gynecologist, she ordered an ultrasound where they found multiple grape sized cysts and endometriosis on and around my ovaries.
Dealing with super painful post-partum sex, aka vulvar vestibulodynia
After three frustrating years, many visits to fertility clinics that ultimately resulted in nothing, we found ourselves pregnant in the late Spring of 2009. Aside from the regular baby chaos, everything has gone extremely well. Except for one thing: sex. I can’t have it.