Confession: I have cried nearly every day since the presidential debate last week. Why? Because I feel so overcome with frustration and powerlessness when it comes to reproductive rights and procreative liberties. Politics is never a good choice for my mental health. Perhaps I should choose not to read the news stories. Perhaps I should silent certain accounts on social media. Perhaps I should; but I don’t. I don’t because I don’t want to be […]
I am a serial re-watcher and re-reader. When I find a story that moves me, I enjoy revisiting it. I like knowing what will happen to the characters and I like being able to anticipate my emotional response. Like choosing music that enhances a mood, or selecting familiar scents, narratives often help me access my inner emotions. Last night I watched the movie Boys on the Side. I don’t think I’ve seen it since high […]
I have a handful of news podcasts that I listen to on a regular basis and several of them have talked about the Kate Cox case in Texas regarding abortions for lethal fetal anomalies. I’m glad that case got national news coverage. It should. The debate surrounding “late term abortions” is not about people who carry a pregnancy for two terms and then all the sudden decide they don’t want the baby, it’s about couples […]
I recently listened to “The Retrievals,” a Serial podcast that tells the story of a situation at Yale’s fertility clinic where hundreds of women underwent egg retrievals with limited to no pain medication because a nurse was diverting fentanyl. I have quite a bit to say in response to the podcast, but thought I’d better start by picking up the thread of my own story and talking about our egg retrieval. Our doctor in Seattle […]
I had considered writing about abortion laws and their potential impact on infertility and miscarriage management long before last night’s news about the draft Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, but I’ve been afraid to open myself up to potential anger and criticisms. I don’t want to debate when life begins or the merits of pro-life vs. pro-choice, that’s not what this blog is about. However, those debates and resultant legislation have real and […]
I’m sorry I haven’t posted for a while. I’m sorry because I have so much I still want to say (so much I still need to work through), but I haven’t made the time to write. Or maybe I’ve avoided it. As many of you were aware, my husband and I had been going through the gestational surrogacy process. I am now pleased to report that we are the proud parents of an 8-month-old baby […]
My maternal grandfather, my Papa, died yesterday. He was 100 years old, so it was not entirely surprising, but it is still a loss. The loss of our family patriarch, the loss of one of my life-long role models, the end of an era for me and my cousins. I find myself in a very philosophical place today, pondering life’s big questions and the very nature of grief. But let me start with him. […]
There is a movement in pregnancy loss community about “redefining motherhood” and challenging the standard ideas about when someone becomes a mother. Does motherhood start at birth? What if your child is stillborn or passes shortly after birth? Are those women still mothers? Is motherhood defined by the act of raising your child, or birthing them, or conceiving them? If it’s the later, how long does someone need to be pregnant before they are considered […]
Hey friends! I’m interrupting my personal ramblings to talk to you about some Pro Family Legislation. Yup, it’s that time again for RESOLVE’s Federal Advocacy Day. This Thursday, June 17th, more than 500 volunteers from across the country – all 50 states – will meet with Congress to discuss the following legislative issues: Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act: Provides infertility treatment coverage to those who receive their healthcare through government health plans like […]
Last week I had the opportunity to speak at a Fertility Rally group support meeting. Fertility Rally is a wonderful support group/ membership community for anyone who struggles with infertility or chooses to build their family in a non-traditional way. After sharing my story and talking about Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Association one of the attendees asked me how I knew it was time for me to move on from trying to conceive. I answered honestly […]
Adventures of a Misbehaving Uterus 