Baby Gear & Stroller News

TWO-WEEK WAIT

My partner and I have only been told that we weren’t pregnant once.So, I can only talk about about that particular time.  See we’ve actually been through 4 cycles but only used our donor sperm on the 4^th cycle.   But because we’ve only used our sample once doesn’t minimize the feelings we have of being a failure.  Well not us actually being failures, but of the actual “process” failing.

The first three cycles were with Clomid, which did absolutely nothing in helping her follicles to grow to the proper size for insemination.  The fourth cycle was with Femara, which actually grew the follicles and thickened the lining, so we were able to use our sample on this particular cycle.

I can’t imagine what a couple is feeling, who has gone through 8 or 9 cycles and has not gotten pregnant once.  But that could very well be us as we are in this for the long haul and really want to have a baby.

The two-week wait or 2WW is about the most agonizing thing I’ve gone through.  This is the waiting period between insemination and the day you actually have your pregnancy test.  You begin with high hopes.  The day the insemination took place I was smiling and so happy because I thought “Here we go on starting the process to have our baby”. At the end of the 2WW, I was even more stressed and agonizing over every little sign.

I found myself asking, “Is she nauseous?”  Does that mean she’s pregnant?  “She’s sleeping a lot.”  Does that mean she’s pregnant? No, not really because she does that anyway.  “She’s eating a lot.”  Does that mean she’s pregnant?  No, not really because she does that a lot anyway too. You look for signs of hope in small things.

Then, the spotting begins.I’ve learned that spotting can mean absolutely nothing.There is something called “Implantation Bleeding”.  It’s when a woman actually spots around the 10-12^th day after insemination.  The egg has actually implanted itself into the uterus.  The spotting is usually bright red or brownish in color.  In all actuality it resembles what happens to most women a day or two before their actual period begins.   So again, I found myself asking, “Is this just Implantation Bleeding?”  Or is it actually her period starting in which case that would mean she is not pregnant and we have to start this process over again.

The day you have your pregnancy test, you usually go into the doctor’s office that morning and they tell you they’ll call you between 2-4pm with the results.  That was one of the longest days of my life.  I tried to find something to occupy my mind like going to the gym and working it out, but I still found myself thinking about the freaking test every minute of every hour.

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And then the call finally comes.  Negative!  It’s disheartening.  It’s a big let down.  After you get over the initial shock that you and your partner are not having a baby yet, then you come to grips with the fact that you must go through this process again.  “Is it worth it?” And the answer, to me and my partner is a resounding, YES!

And to all of you out there who are going through process, I finally feel your pain.  I am empathetic.  And I say to you, hang in there.  And think about the fact that when your son or daughter becomes a teenager, you can show them the bill and say to them, “This is how much we wanted you.” “Now go to your room”.

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Female Reproduction

Reproductive System

The female reproductive system is essential for human reproduction. The uterus and the ovaries are the two main parts of the female reproductive system. The uterus is used to accommodate a developing fetus, produce vaginal and uterine secretions, and pass male’s sperm to the fallopian tubes.  The ovaries are a gland that produces eggs. The mass majority of eggs within ovaries gradually die, until they are depleted during menopause. A female, at birth, has 1 million eggs. Starting at puberty, eggs mature, and one breaks through the ovarian wall about every 28 days in the process known as ovulation. The eggs continue to degenerate during pregnancy, with the use of birth control pills, and in the presence or absence of menstrual cycles.

Fallopian tubes have small hair-like projections called cilia on the lining. These l cilia are necessary to the movement of an egg through the tube, and into the uterus. The egg may not progress along and stay in the tube, if the cilia are damaged by infection.

An infection can cause a partial or complete blockage of the fallopian tubes which will physically prevent an egg from moving to the uterus.

Any process such as infection, scar tissue, tumors, endometriosis, damages the Fallopian tube or narrows its diameter and increases the chance of an etopic pregnancy which is a pregnancy that develops in the tubes or another abnormal location outside the.

Cervical mucus increases, and becomes thinner with a more stretchy consistency in order to facilitate the transport of sperm into the uterus. The uterine structure must be anatomically suitable for the successful implantation of an embryo. Abnormalities of the uterus include a wall in the center of the uterine body called a Septum, a one- sided or banana shaped uterus called Unicornate, or Bicornate which is two banana shaped uteri side by side; may end at one or have two cervices and vaginas.

Terms

Vagina- Muscular, membranous tube that connects external genitalia with cervix and uterus; also called birth canal. The vagina provides passageway for sperm, menstrual flow and fetus during childbirth

Cervix- Neck of uterus that extends down into the vagina; it dilates during labor

Uterus- Hollow muscular organ at upper end of vagina; also called womb; sheds endometrium lining during menstruation and holds fetus during pregnancy

Fallopian Tubes- Connect ovaries to uterus; transports the ovum to the uterus

Ovary- Almond sized and shaped gland that produces eggs

Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)- Secreted by the anterior pituitary to help follicles mature

Luteinizing Hormone (LH) - Secreted by the anterior pituitary hormone that regulates menstrual cycle and completes maturation of follicles

Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRh) - Secreted by hypothalamus; stimulates the release of FSH and LH from pituitary gland

Estrogen- Produced by ovaries; helps female genital tract suitable for fertilization, implantation and embryonic nutrition

Progesterone- Secreted by Corpus Luteum; prepares endometrium lining for fertilization

Corpus Luteum- Endocrine organ structure on the ovary surface; maintains the uterine endometrium

Endometrium- Mucous membrane lining the uterus; changes in thickness structure with menstrual cycle

Fertilization- Act or process of initiating biological reproduction

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References:

Como, D. (2006). Mosby’s Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, & Health Professions (7^th ed.). St. Louis, MO. Mosby Elsevier

Hogan, M. A. (2008).  Comprehensive Review For NCLEX-RN. Saddle River, NJ. Prentice Hall

Nihira, M. (2009). Your Guide to the Female Reproductive System. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/guide/female-reproductive-system-overview

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Infertility has become a common issue among a lot of women. In most cases, symptoms are often noticeable while there are others who are ignorant of the health problem unless they become aware of it. Infertility varies and has several types with different signs and symptoms among women, and it can also affect her partner.

If a woman fails to get pregnant several times it is advised to make an appointment with a doctor right away. A more acceptable case would be having unprotected intercourse for up to two years averaging to two or three times a week. In this scenario it is advised to see an OBGYN to seek possible solutions for their fertility problem. After being diagnosed with infertility the couple is then sent to a specialist for medical treatment options.

An irregular menstrual cycle is by far the most common sign of infertility. However, an irregular menstrual cycle does not directly point to infertility as it can also be a sign of various health problems. Being too thin or obese in relation to the woman’s overall health status is also considered as a sign of infertility. Being too thin can also lead to lack of the needed nutrients which can make the problem even worse. A woman’s reproductive system can be directly affected by hormonal problems in the case of obesity. Unhealthy lifestyle practices like alcohol and substance abuse also cause infertility. These factors are able to make any health problem even worse and can directly affect the woman’s ability to conceive. Basically, the overall capability of the body to work normally is greatly affected with the woman’s abuse of drugs and other substances. These women are the ones who are most likely to experience the infertility problems.

Aside from women, infertility can also affect men. It can in fact have some physical symptoms in men. Having undescended testicles is the most common sign of infertility for men. In some cases, outside factors also play a vital role in developing infertility among men. If a man wears tight jeans or tight underwear it could cause him the inability to produce adequate sperm. A worse factor involves the scrotum or gonad’s exposure to heat causing infertility.

Couples in general tend to share the same signs of health problems. The abuse of certain substances as well as health factors can affect both the man and woman’s reproductive capabilities. The before mentioned factors can directly affect a man’s ability to produce the sufficient amount of sperm needed for reproduction and it can also make it impossible for a woman to have a child.

The first step is to absolutely make sure that infertility truly is the couple problem and the best way to take care of this issue is to take all the necessary steps during intercourse while the woman is ovulating. This can be simply accomplished by finding out the body temperature through by using an ovulation kit. Not having intercourse at the right time can be a direct cause for infertility.

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FINDING A FERTILITY SPECIALIST

If you’ve checked out on of the Sperm Banks we have listed on our site, you will see that buying the actual Sperm is an investment within itself.  Using this process is not for the cheap or frugal, if you get my drift.

So in order to increase our chances of having a successful insemination, we decided to consult a Fertility Specialist.  Now I’m not recommending any particular one, as we live in Florida.  But please consult your insurance company and see which specialist would be right for you and your situation.We wanted to choose a Fertlity Specialist that was open-minded.  Not sure how many had worked with Gay couples, so we wanted to make sure we were getting someone who didn’t already have some sort of bias or prejudice against Gay People in general.  This was very important to us as a couple.  So when making calls to the various Fertility Specialist on our insurance’s list of approved doctors, one of the first questions we asked was, “Is this clinic or doctor open to treating gay couples”. And to our surprise, all of them said, “Yes”.

The next thing we considered was how detailed and professional their website was in giving information on the types of medications they use, success rates and most importantly cost.  So when we got all that information, we made a decision to go with Florida Institute of Reproductive Medicine or F.I.R.M.We made an appointment to talk to a physician.

We explained to our physician that we came to the Fertility clinic to increase our chances of having a successful insemination.  We wanted to avoid the hassle of trying to take the bodily temperature to see if my partner was ovulating.  We wanted to avoid having to count the days from the start of her period, to the days we “think” she may be ovulating.

Our doctor assured us that we had made the right decision.Our doctor used Ultrasound to not only tell us how many follicles were maturing but to also help us know when ovulation was taking place.  And by placing my partner on various medications, my partner would produce more than one egg, to increase our chance of having a successful insemination.  Now with this method you do run the risk of producing twins, but that was a risk we were willing to take.  Twins were ok with us.  Hey, you get it over with in one fail swoop.  No need to get pregnant again, huh?

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Suffice to say, we were happy with what we were hearing and we made an appointment to start taking Clomid 50 mg on her first cycle and return to the doctor on day 12 after her period started.   Now granted you could just as easily use this procedure, using the one egg and woman produces every month.  But as I stated earlier, we wanted to up our chances of having a successful insemination.

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TYPES OF PROCEDURES

For the purpose of this article, I’m going to focus on two types of procedures, IUI or Intrauterine Insemination and IVI or Intravaginal Insemination.These procedures are types of artificial insemination.

Again, because we are a lesbian couple and we were trying to increase the success of fertilization we chose to use the IUI procedure.

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What is IUI?

Intrauterine Insemination or IUI is when the sperm sample is injected, by a doctor, directly above the vagina and the cervix, directly into the uterine cavity using a sterile, flexible catheter.  This means those little sperm don’t have that far to swim in order to get to an egg and fertilize it.  The success rate among each procedure varies, but when combined with Fertility Medications like Clomid or Femera, the success rates increase dramatically.

With this procedure it’s important that you have a good motile sperm sample.  You should have between 12-18 million of those little critters alive and kicking.  So it’s important when your picking your sperm sample from a Fertility clinic, you pick a sample from a donor who has had “successful” pregnancies.

The IUI procedures and safe and has very low discomfort.  It’s much like having your yearly pelvic exam if done correctly.The entire procedure ony takes a few minutes.  After the procedure is complete, the doctor will ask that you stay in a laying down position for an additional 10 minutes, but after that you can resume normal activities.  Because of the placement of the sperm, above the vagina and the cervix and directly into the uterine cavity, leakage is not an issue.

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A less expensive procedure is IVI.  What is IVI?

Intravaginal Insemination of IVI is when the sperm sample is placed into the vaginal cavity using a sterile catheter as well.This procedure, which can be performed at home is also known as the “Turkey Baster” method.  One of the disadvantages of this procedure is that you are making the sperm swim a lot farther than they would have to if you chose to use IUI instead.  Knowing that sperm only live 24-48 hours after insemination, you wouldn’t want them using half their life span just trying to swim to the egg and fertilize.  I’d imagine they’d be pretty tired and less likely to have success.  The advantage of this procedure is cost.

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If you are expecting a baby, then you have probably read up on the best way to care for yourself and for the developing fetus inside of you. Hopefully, you have been to the doctor and they have given you a list of foods that you should eat and some you should avoid, plus behaviors that can be either harmful or beneficial to the fetus as it grows. There are a lot of exercises that are recommended when pregnant, but some are better than others.

One thing that most women do not think about doing is attempting to ride a bicycle while they are in this state. If you approaching the end of the road, such as in the last trimester, then it might not be a practical choice because your stomach will simply not rest comfortably. However, if you are still in the beginning stages, then there is no reason not to try it.

It is a great idea before you hit the trails to make sure that you are wearing the right outfit that will provide support to your growing belly, such as Pearl Izumi shorts. The beauty of these shorts is that they allow you room to breathe, but support your tummy at the same time, so they keep you as comfortable as possible and are not too hot and sweaty either.

Little details like these might seem insignificant, but it can really make your workout much more enjoyable, which will keep you exercising for a longer period of time. The same goes for picking a machine that suits you best because when you are happy in your clothes and on your bike, you will have no reason to stop early.

The best brand of bicycles for women in this state is Diamondback bikes for their wide selection of cushioned seats that will support your hard-working body. These types of seats are an excellent choice for a woman who is expecting because she needs something extra to make her comfortable and supported.

The reason that this is a good choice of exercise is because biking has a very relaxing quality to it that is good for an expectant mother. This can often be a stressful time in a woman’s life and getting outside and enjoying nature is a great way to de-stress. The other positive quality of this workout is that the emphasis is on your legs, which need to be made stronger in order to support your new weight. This will build up their muscle and allow the blood to circulate more easily, which is necessary because a lot of pregnant women complain of poor circulation.

If this choice does not appeal to you, then there are a lot of other ways you can get exercise while you are expecting. The important thing is to make sure that you are doing something, both for your sake and the sake of your developing baby.

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Having a baby is one of the best things that can happen to a woman. The only disadvantage is the extra weight. The good news is that with some effort you can get your figure back. Follow a few easy steps and you will look even better than before you got pregnant.

First of all you need to get enough motivation. This can be really difficult to achieve if you have no personal trainer. In case you can’t afford it, you should try to find a role model. For example try hanging a photo with somebody you admire on your wall. This will help you stay strong whenever you are tempted to eat a cookie.

Just like you protect your notebook with a notebook skin, you need to protect your body with a healthy diet. One of the best diets you can use is the one based on fruits. Makes sure you always have fruits in the house. This is a great and healthy snack.

When you just have a baby you are very busy. It is important not to let this stop you from exercising. Sport is a must when you are trying to lose the extra body fat. A good thing is to use your bike when you go searching for some baby cribs. You can also walk or run. This way you will do more things in the same time. You burn calories and do your shopping.

Everybody knows that drinking water is healthy. It is interesting to know though that by increasing the daily quantity of water you can lose weight faster. Your body will be well hydrated and you will feel less hungry during the day.

When you go shopping for groceries make sure you avoid buying any bad foods. Keep in mind that if you have junk food or cookies in the house the temptation will be very big. Buy just fruits and healthy aliments. This is a little tip you will find very useful.

Looking good is very important for a new mother. This will give you the self confidence you need. Remember that your baby needs a happy and confident mother. This is the main reason to take better care of your body. You can achieve this if you do your best.

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Moms-to-be are usually spoiled with presents for themselves in addition to their babies but new dads are often forgotten. A daddy diaper tool belt is that fun gift to give a dad-to-be, and it will make him feel included as part of the celebration of the new baby while even giving him and everybody else some laughs. 

Buy a tool belt with an apron which has pockets or pouches. Or sew a brief apron with pockets and pouches. Make sure to select a manly material plus color scheme so that he will need to wear plus use it. Four to 5 pouches or pockets is just right. Use puffy paint or alternative fabric paint to scribble the words “Daddy Diaper Tool Belts” onto the front of the apron. Gather all your supplies. You will need a few diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream, tongs, gloves, a face mask, hand sanitizer, pacifier and lotion. Place the tongs, gloves, and face mask in one section of the tool belt. These are the things that will not actually be used but are included as a joke on how changing diapers may be a unclean, smelly task. You are able to also add hang tags to each of these items with a short explanation of the way to use them. 

Place the remainder of the items in the remaining pockets. Open a word processing program plus type up a set of directions on how to change a diaper with each one of the items you have included. This can be written either in a terribly instructional or a humorous manner. Print, fold and place the directions in 1 of the pockets. A brand new baby brings joy to any family, and gifts are a good way to show your support plus excitement for the new addition. Mom expects to perform much of the work, but family and friend can find a fun way to get Daddy ready for diaper duty with several exceptional gifts. Enlist the help of a few friends to give the new daddy gifts that will prepare him for this new adventure.

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Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), also known by the name Stein-Leventhal syndrome, is a hormonal deficiency that causes women to have a variety of symptoms.This is an endocrine disorder that affects more or less 5% of women. It happens to all races and nationalities, and PCOS syndrome is the most leading cause of infertility and widespread hormonal disorder for women in childbearing age.

Symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome are obesity, anovulation that often leads to irregular menstruation, acne and also excessive amounts of androgenic hormones. The symptoms and severity of the syndrome vary from woman to woman. The causes are unknown but insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity are all causes are unknown, insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity are all strongly associated with PCOS syndrome.

Other symptoms are weight gain, skin discoloration, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, unusual hair growth and distribution and even dandruff. A lot of these symptoms may not be found in women with PCOS but they will always have irregular menstruation or don’t experience it at all.These women don’t ovulate regularly meaning they don’t produce egg cells every month and that leads to monthly menstruation irregularities.

Although there’s no established fact of PCOS, women who suffer from it either have a mother or sister who has PCOS but still it’s not considered hereditary.Often you can find small cysts in the ovaries of those women who have PCOS, a reason for the name polycystic ovarian syndrome.You can find comparable number of cysts in women who don’t have PCOS. Thus, these cysts themselves would not be the cause of this predicament.Usually the blood sugar control system in women breaks down for those women suffering from PCOS; hence most researchers believe that these are caused by PCOS development. Women with PCOS have ovaries known to produce excessive amounts of male hormone called androgen.Too much male hormonal production may be the result of having irregular insulin production.

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I am pregnant. Yes I wanted to tell you that. It is my 12th week on the pregnancy timeline. Boy and hasn’t it been tough? I wanted to tell you how it has been for me and what types of things that you can expect going forward.

So yes I am pregnant. The news is great but it does take its toll on your body. It was the 4th week when I found out that I was pregnant. As soon as I missed my period slightly I did the tests. The first test came out rather faint but I had a very good idea that I was pregnant.

I went to the doctors quite early on. At this stage they can’t really do anything. As you have already taken the test then they don’t do it at the doctors. They say it will only show the same results. I wasn’t sure of the point on the pregnancy timeline that you should go to the doctors. As soon as you know that you are pregnant then I would advise that you go to the doctors. They will then set you up with an appointment to see the midwife.

My midwife is lovely. She came to my house for my appointment. She was here for nearly an hour and we went through everything. She marks all the key points on the pregnancy timeline and what to expect. She tells you when the scans will be and what actions you have to take. You find out exactly what to expect.

Although she told me what to expect I didn’t really appreciate it at the time. I can assure you that I do now! I will go through some of the things that I am feeling (in no particular order)… tiredness, I am constantly tired. I really struggle to get up in the mornings these days.

The other symptoms that I am feeling include sickness (not just the morning), backaches, headaches and ‘teariness’. It has been hard work but the further you get down the pregnancy timeline the easy that it becomes.

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