The Baby on the Bus
Monday, July 07, 2008
I’m all for people finding creative, interesting ways to get the word out about infertility and help along their own pursuit to start a family. Obviously. 
That’s why I loved finding this story of a British woman who advertised for an egg donor so that she and her husband could get pregnant. They tried for 14 years to conceive, and went through a few rounds of IVF (including ICSI which is the procedure Shelton and I will use). All without success- due to a blocked fallopian tube, her age and her body stopped producing eggs.
With a desire to still carry a baby of her own - she invested 2,000GBP (~ $4000) to advertise in 50 buses in London. It took three weeks for an anonymous donor to come forward. She delivered her healthy, beautiful little girl on June 3 (my sister’s birthday!).
Good for them and Congratulations!!
Happy 2nd Birthday Baby Or Bust’
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
WHOA! Baby Or Bust turns TWO today!!
That is so insane and seems impossible. I’ve enjoyed every minute of working on this site.
Thank you to Jeremy who got this baby off the ground, without whom this site wouldn’t exist.
Thank you to our dear family and friends who’ve offered their endless support.
Thank you to the thousands and thousands of visitors who’ve stopped by.
Thank you to EVERY one of you who made a donation. The generosity of perfect strangers from around the world still dumbfounds me. We’ve been able to raise $6088.78 and every penny of that is more than I ever anticipated. It is SO appreciated.
Thank you to each person who has bookmarked this site and visits often.
Thank you to the people who’ve sent an email to share their story, or ask for an opinion or advice. We hope we’ve been able to help.
As a second birthday present to each of you and the site, I had planned on updating a number of items that have been a little neglected. I haven’t gotten to it, but hope to do so very, very soon.
We hope you’ll stick around for two or twenty more years as we continue to share our journey.
Stem Cells in the Majority
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
I stumbled on this article tonight from Newsweek explaining a recent survey conducted at Duke and John Hopkins University that found 60% of infertility patients would give their embryos to stem cell research before they’d adopt them. They say that this stat mirrors the support of the American public for stem cell research. Makes you wonder why Bush, representing the people, just signed another stem cell veto!!
Shelton and I have discussed this. It’s one of the MANY topics infertile couples get to discuss that most couples never have to, unless they want to. What do you do with extra embryos??? Our first choice is to freeze for a second attempt should we have enough. Our second choice is to donate to stem cell research. I just think there is far too much good to come out of supporting that research to not offer my hand in some way.
I know 40% of the people reading this post are probably outraged. It wouldn’t be the first time me or this site have pissed off someone. I guess I can see the compassion in putting those embryos up for adoption, but something doesn’t settle with me to give someone else my baby when I’m perfectly capable of having and raising them myself. I also can’t stomach the thought of just destroying them.
If you’re new to infertility, or just haven’t had the conversation yet- it’s a must. You have to talk about the final destination of any unused embryos, because it can really be one of the most important decisions you make in this journey. And this recent survey, proves you won’t be alone no matter which path you choose.
Teen Pregnancy Pact
Friday, June 20, 2008
I don’t think the “what the hell” spinning of my head has quite stopped yet. I found a news story this morning that said a group of 17 girls, none over age 16, in a Massachusetts high school made a pact to get pregnant. The girls wanted to be pregnant together and raise their babies together. This is so concerning on so many levels. I can’t imagine the impact this will have on their lives, their children’s lives and for those around them. I of course do not know them or their families, nor do I know anything outside of what the Yahoo news shared. So far be it from me to make illinformed assumptions and point fingers and call out everything that’s wrong about this. My first hope is for the safety and health of both the mothers and babies. You can’t help but wonder what kind of environment bred thinking that deems this appropriate. Media, family, school, etc. all play equally guilty roles. My second hope is that this story is told and it is shared to prevent another ludicrous pact like this being made.
This is one of those instances where I stand by my support of sex education. I was unbelievably fortunate to have parents who were very open and honest about educating me about sex, its consequences and my choices. I know that not all children and teens have this luxury. This is an example of where talking to your kids and presenting multi-dimensional perspectives can really help them make the best choices possible.
Is your state covered for infertility?
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Did you know there are 15 states in this grand union progressive-thinking enough to require some form of insurance coverage for infertility/IVF treatments? Well there are. According to RESOLVE, a tremendous support resource for infertility, these states are:
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Hawaii
Illinois
Louisiana
Maryland
Massachusetts
Maryland
Montana
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Rhode Island
Texas
West Virgina
Each state varies in the specificity of its coverage, and RESOLVE shares all of that here.
As for the other 35 states- what’s the deal? Get with it already! The legislatures for these straggling 35 states should be painfully embarrassed and disappointed in themselves. Not a single one of you can prevent a rational argument for why this isn’t covered. Infertility is a disease- most generally it’s a birth defect or genetic. This isn’t like health insurance covering lung cancer for smokers or health care during/after an abortion- or any number of other “elective” medical procedures.
Beat down the door of your HR department, too. Many companies provide financial support for adoption, but do your research, and find out if that support can be used toward your infertility treatment. RESOLVE recognizes Columbia Laboratories, Avon and Black & Decker as companies with outstanding practices for supporting its employees facing infertility and adoption.
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