Resolve to Know More

4/21/2014

We interrupt your regularly scheduled Maternity Monday for this very important public service announcement: April 20th - April 26th is National Infertility Awareness Week. I may have triumphed over the odds, but I am still plagued with the disease that is Infertility, and it still effects me every day. It is my intent to post multiple times this week (if not daily) regarding infertility in attempts to raise awareness. If anyone is uncomfortable by these posts, you are likely the exact person that I am trying to reach.

"Coincidentally", at the end of this week on April 27th - I marry the man who has carried me through this disease, putting an "end" to struggling alone and a new beginning to our triumphant future. I say "coincidentally" because nothing is a coincidence. Rather, I would call this particular piece of providence "Poetic Justice" (thank you Universe).

For those of you who don't know me, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Missy
(pause) Hi Missy
and I am infertile. I have spent the last 3 years between doctors and midwives trying to find out the reason behind my irregular cycles. Without much help from them, I decided to take matters into my own hands and temped (the tracking of basal body temperature) for a year. Between temping, my own research, and going through my previous blood labs with a fine tooth comb, I was able to diagnose myself with Pre-Mature Ovarian Failure, which was confirmed by my RE (Reproductive Endocrinologist a.k.a. Infertility Specialist) in October 2013. I am actually currently 19 weeks pregnant with TWINS - a 'spontaneous' conception as the RE referred to it since it was a cancelled cycle that we conceived on. My chance of conceiving on my own was in the realm of 1 in 1 million and my chance of having twins without medical assistance was 1 in 3 trillion.

There is a misconception that the woes of Infertility simply disappear once pregnancy is achieved and I can tell you first hand that is not the case. Being a pregnant infertile, I am still trying to find my 'place' in society and work the the emotions I was hoping would be gone (and new ones that have surfaced) once I finally became pregnant.

For those of you who already follow this blog, you are likely going to process some repeated information. Please bear with me in my attempts to raise awareness and please feel free to share these posts. I thank you for your time my friends, as well as your open minds and open hearts.

Resolve to Know More about the disease of Infertility
&
When to see a Fertility Specialist

So, what is Infertility?  According to Resolve.org (AWESOME website and THE go-to source for information), Infertility is defined as a disease or condition of the reproductive system often diagnosed after a couple has had one year of unprotected, well-timed intercourse, or if the woman has suffered from multiple miscarriages and the woman is under 35 years of age. If the woman is over 35 years old, it is diagnosed after 6 months of unprotected, well-timed intercourse.
Who does Infertility affect?  Infertility affects 1 in 8 couples. Yes, 1 in 8. Look around you next time you are in a crowded room and do the math. I'm sure that is more than you expected. Those people may very well be hiding a lot of pain and heartache beneath their smiles. Infertility is a medical problem. Approximately 30% of infertility is due to a female factor and 30% is due to a male factor. In the balance of the cases, infertility results from problems in both partners or the cause of the infertility cannot be explained. (via resolve.org) There are several risk factors such as: Weight, Age, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), Tubal Disease, Endometriosis, Hereditary, Smoking and Alcohol just to name a few.
Are there any signs or Symptoms?  Often there are no signs or symptoms associated with an infertility problem. Listening to your body and getting regular checkups will help to detect a problem. Early detection and treatment of a problem are often critical in achieving successful pregnancy outcomes later (via Resolve.org). This is something that I feel very strongly about. If I had not been an advocate of my own health and been persistent in listening to my own body, I very well may never have received an answer and by the time I tried to have children it may have been to late. Many, many times I heard that "cycles vary greatly from woman to woman, so you are still in the realm of normal'. But I knew that for *me*, what my body was doing was NOT normal. Normal is completely relative. "What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly" - Charles Aadams. LISTEN to your body. Listen and TRUST that you know you better than anyone.
Do you need to see a specialist?  According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, you should seek the care of a specialist if you are unable to achieve pregnancy after 12 months of unprotected intercourse and the woman is under the age of 35 (However, this time frame changes to 6 months if the woman is over the age of 35). You should also seek the care of a specialist if you have had more than one miscarriage.
If you answer "YES" to any of these statements - you should talk to your healthcare professional NOW - regardless of how long you've been trying to conceive.

Do you have painful periods?
Do you have irregular periods?
Are you unable to pinpoint when you ovulate?
Do you or your partner have a history of STDs?
Do you have an unhealthy Body Mass Index (BMI) (underweight or overweight)?
Have had more than one miscarriage?

RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association urges you (and your partner if applicable) to take charge of your fertility. Asking questions, educating yourself or your partner, and being your own advocate are the fastest ways to building your family. (via resolve.org)

There really is no way to capture the depth of impact of Infertility in a single blog post. This disease has changed my life exponentially. However, I hope this post has answered a few basic questions, and I hope to help spread even more awareness not only this week, but throughout the rest of my journey.

I highly encourage you to also check out these links for even more information: