Canadian Infertility Awareness Week

I am part of a group on facebook called Fertility Matters Canada.  It is a page that is constantly raising awareness of infertility.  There articles and posts are inspiring and enlightening for those trying or who have family and friends trying to conceive.

This week is Canadian Infertility Awareness Week (CIAW) .   I will be posting the link to this blog again in hopes of helping someone through their own journey.

For those new to my blog, welcome.    Please look through the history and read my journey to the family I currently have.  I don't post as often and my most recent posts may be hard to read as they are about my current pregnancy.    I originally started this blog as a way to keep family and friends up to date about our journey. I was finding I was telling the same story over and over or people felt unsure to ask or not.  So...I was able to give myself a bit of a break and allow others to stay in the loop.    It became very therapeutic for me....to put into words how I was feeling emotionally and physically.  It is quite the roller coaster ride.

Initially I kept the blog to those I invited.....but as things progressed I opened it to the public.  I started talking more with others, seeing how many are struggling and see how sharing feelings helps the process, helps normalize how we feel.  Since I have had many comments about how reading my blog has helped get through some hard times. 

So, in the spirits of CIAW and making infertility not so taboo...please pass this on to anyone you think could benefit. Not everyone is ready or wants to talk....but many find comfort in knowing they are "not crazy" or alone in their feelings.  I have been fortunate to make it through this journey...but the emotions and feelings I understand and empathize.

#fertilitymatters

33 weeks and counting

The weeks keep passing by and we are getting closer and closer to meeting our new little Argoso, "frozen" as Dennis so lovingly calls him/her.:)  Since my last post I have see our OB Dr Rob twice.  Surprisingly, positive results from the ultrasounds and his opinion related to the measurements.   Both ultrasounds have shown that the os ("opening") is not covered at all. The placenta membrane and tissue are just close.  He's really calling it a "low lying placenta".   The second ultrasound showed it had moved ....marginally but moved.  The way the measurements are read is the distance from the OS.  I believe we are looking for 2cm away (as a safe distance).   My latest showed.  1.6 cm to the placenta membrane....but 2.6 to the actual tissue.  Which is great! At this point he feels confident in letting me try vaginally. Yay!  OF course a Csection may be needed if complications....but that's always been the case with trying a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After a Csection).
Here is a diagram to kind of show what the terms all mean:



So...I go back next week to see Dr Rob again and see what the ultrasound shows.  In the meantime I continue to see my midwife as well, which is great! I love that I get the best of both worlds. 

While there I did ask Dr Rob about restrictions. I was nervous that with work and lifting I could cause harm or exacerbate things.   I had been founding work quite challenging and my back had been flaring a lot.  His suggestion was to take it easy and limit lifting.  With my job, that's vague and hard to do. I had him fill out the form Occ health requires for limited work.  He had suggested 1/2 days with limiting squatting and lifting...<5kg.   When really thinking about this....that's my job!:)  A limb is that weight.  Occ health put together a suggested schedule but my coordinator was great about agreeing that  it couldn't be accommodated.  I was torn about leaving, feeling guilty leaving my colleagues short staffed....mentally I wasn't quite there yet.....but I knew my body needed it.  I had a day and a half to wrap up my patients, get paper work done and clean out my desk!

I am in week 3 of being off. I knew with in a few days it was the right thing.  Despite the previa..I think my body just isn't holding up like it did with Callen.   I nap daily, if not twice and I do feel much better over all.  I have a long list of to do's that Dennis reminds me don't need to be done immediately or at all....but need to putter....I just rest.    Costco.....that's a work out for me!  LOL

When I feel weird about being home I remember what a friend said:

" Only you can do this job of growing that baby...nobody else"

This is true....so I will enjoy my time and get rest now....yes I know that will change!:)
Other than the placenta and me slowing down.....baby is great.....happy as a clam in there!  Kicking lots!  Until next time.....