fertility Archives - Mothering in the Middle

Late Bloomers

by Jenilyn Gilbert

Seems I live in the most fertile house in history. Everything about this house is fertile and that’s partly why this house was so appealing to buy. Eight children and two parents lived here before we bought it last summer. Later I learned that the mother was expecting her ninth baby.

The neighbors joke, “Don’t drink the water in that house!” I was drinking water by the gallons, are you kidding me? Although normally I’m pretty conscious of drinking only filtered water, I started drinking straight from the tap as well as offering it to all of my fertility clients. […]

Myths About Donor Egg and Donor Sperm

by Amy Demma

Myth: It isn’t your baby.

Busted!: I hear this worry from more prospective recipients of donor gametes (and donor embryo) than just about any other concern. I first address this matter in a legal context and discuss with clients that any donor (sperm, egg, embryo) should be expected to relinquish all rights to the gametes (or the embryos) as well as explicitly relinquish parental rights to children resulting from the donation. With sperm donation, this relinquishment is typically done through consents at the cryobank. With egg and embryo donation, it is recommended that relinquishment of donor rights be memorialized in a direct contract between the donor and the recipient.

Of equal concern, though, is whether or not the parent who lacks in a shared genetic connection with the child will feel a parental connection, while this should be explored with a mental health professional experienced in collaborative reproduction …the best response I have to offer is the following quote from a parent of a donor conceived child: “The child who came into my life is the most beautiful, spirited child…he is the child I was meant to have and he fills me with love every minute of the day.” […]

Facts and Myths About Infertility (from RESOLVE – the National Infertility Association)

Myth: Infertility is a women’s problem.

Fact: This is untrue. It surprises most people to learn that infertility is a female problem in 35% of the cases, a male problem in 35% of the cases, a combined problem of the couple in 20% of cases, and unexplained in 10% of cases. It is essential that both the man and the woman be evaluated during an infertility work-up.

Myth: Everyone seems to get pregnant at the drop of a hat.

Fact: More than five million people of childbearing age in the United States experience infertility. When you seek support, you will find that you are not alone. Join RESOLVE, a support group, or talk with others who are struggling to build a family, so that you won’t feel isolated. […]

Is Infertility Awareness Week for Me, Too? (Infertility Awareness Week – 4/21 – 4/27/2013)

by Jenilyn Gilbert LCSW

The 28 year old woman who is told ‘adoption is your only option’; the mother who wants to add another child to her family but feels guilty that others don’t have their first child yet; the 42-year-old woman who questions whether the diagnosis of infertility even applies to her, are all women who belong to this club of wanting to be mothers, but within this reluctant membership, there are subcultures, divided by age and diagnosis. In an already isolating experience, is it healthy to divide ourselves further? […]

Gluten and Fertility

by Cindy Bailey

I have already written about wheat (which contains gluten) and why it needs to come out of your fertility diet in a previous blog. To recap: wheat is, first of all, hard to digest. “It’s like Velcro on your gut,” a chiropractic doctor at a naturopathic clinic told me recently. In addition, if you’re sensitive to it—and a large percentage of people are, many without knowing it—wheat can cause all kinds of problems and affect thyroid function. All of this is not good for fertility. […]

Boost Fertility with Good Nutrition!

by Cindy Bailey

Dear Reader: This is a reprint of Cindy’s original blog post for us. A followup will be posted later this month. Cindy is truly a pioneer and dedicated to providing information for those trying to conceive, at any age.

Diet makes a difference in your fertility! I know from experience. At 40, after trying to conceive for over a year, I visited a popular reproductive endocrinologist who said I had a 2% chance of conceiving on my own. Devastated, I decided to do what I could to be in that 2%. I would not give up! […]