Remember who your nurse is

Here we go again. Start #2 at CCRM. This time I am on a full 21 days of BCPs. And per CCRM rules (at least the nurse I had last time around), once you start the pills, no more caffeine or alcohol. That includes chocolate. So aside from a square or sip here and there I am being good. And when I called my nurse to complain about the headaches (side effect of pills), I expected a “I’m sorry, just deal with it.” Instead, she first recommended Tylenol but if that didn’t work, some (not too much) caffeine might be helpful. I ignored that my acupuncture had already taken care of the headache, skipped the Tylenol and enjoyed a few squares of Scharfenberger. When I questioned that my old nurse told me absolutely no chocolate or wine (which she also condoned in moderation), she laughed and said “Remember who your nurse is!” So I think we are starting off on a much better note this time around.

In addition to the usual prep, I have also started a daily yoga for infertility practice. After an unsuccessful search in San Francisco, I accidently stumbled on Kat Atkinson in Berkeley who actually leads workshops on yoga for infertility. She came over for a private session and gave me a great 25 minute restorative practice that supports fertility. As for supplements, I added DHEA and COQ10 to the daily herbs, Vitamin D, Folic Acid, prenatals, and calcium I was already taking. It would be easy to follow if it weren’t that my herbs have to be taken on an empty tummy and at least 2 hours before/after any vitamins.  Keeps my day very regimented but that I am doing something.

If this weren’t enough, DH and I also decided that we were going to start the adoption process. Today was our first meeting with a social worker for our homestudy. We thought it was going to be easy until she asked what races we were open to and how open we were to alcohol, drug or nicotine use. Basically, if we want a Caucasian baby from a birth mother that has not imbibed, we might be waiting a few years. It was something we hadnt talked about and while we consider ourselves pretty open-minded (we live in the Bay Area after all), really thinking about the implications of raising a mixed-race child. When asked if we would be okay if we got pregnant and an adoption went through – ie we get 2 babies – how we’d feel, our answer was an unequivocal “we’d be thrilled!”

Our plates are full and we are moving full steam ahead to our happy ending. Whether that little squirt grows inside me or some knocked-up marijuana smoking teenager, I’ll take her/him. And thankfully the chocolate is approved along the way.