Well it has been a good while since I last touched on this topic..
I have actually debated about sharing this side of our life
(it being such a personal decision we are making)
so PLEASE.. I have gone 6 almost 7 years without anyone
leaving me hateful comments and internet shaming
-- I know I am REALLY lucky sharing our life with such Sweet and Thoughtful
blog friends/followers... so please if you have differences in opinions on this topic..
please remember there is an actual human being behind your screen.
One who reads the comments & feels emotions to things people write.
If you are new to this topic I would start here
-- it will recap you on everything!
It has taken me and Tyson a good couple of years
to sort out our feelings on this topic.
to sort out our feelings on this topic.
It's a topic I have thought so much about!
We have prayed a lot on whether or not we should try for another.
And even teetered with the idea of being done with two.
We both felt like we would regret not having another child..
It always boiled down to that simple sentence.
Will we regret not having another?
Things have definitely become easier..
Zoey is more independent & that for me has been a life saver..
I was actually starting to think ok this is nice, life with two kids finally feels so good.
We could just travel, live life, I'll have more patience not adding on extra stresses,
and things will be considerably easy from here on out...
and things will be considerably easy from here on out...
I was starting to get use to the fact that maybe 2 little girls was what we were meant to have.
I always try to pry Tyson's thoughts out of him..
but he hasn't quite felt any one way on this topic.
but he hasn't quite felt any one way on this topic.
So probably a month ago'ish.. I started leaning more towards being done with two.
Then one day in conversation with Tyson
we somehow came to the conclusion that there was one more..
we knew we would regret not trying for another.
we somehow came to the conclusion that there was one more..
we knew we would regret not trying for another.
Sooo after a lot of praying the last couple of years
and not quite knowing which route we should go..
We finally felt ready to move towards IVF PGD.
IVF does not in anyway seem ideal,
but I could not live with myself knowing i gave my child a disease
with a life full of medical problems & an average lifespan of 30.
and not quite knowing which route we should go..
We finally felt ready to move towards IVF PGD.
IVF does not in anyway seem ideal,
but I could not live with myself knowing i gave my child a disease
with a life full of medical problems & an average lifespan of 30.
We don't feel
like our family is quite done growing so we have landed where we are..
We had our first IVF consultation shortly after Zoey was born...
two canceled (on my behalf) IVF consultation appointments last summer,
and another IVF consultation this morning,
where we discussed some more of the process, did initial blood work & ultrasound for me,
and discussed a tiny bit of the financial portion today
We left with a game plan of things we need to start doing to move forward.
where we discussed some more of the process, did initial blood work & ultrasound for me,
and discussed a tiny bit of the financial portion today
We left with a game plan of things we need to start doing to move forward.
IVF PGD has a different sort of game plan since it is dealing with DNA testing..
so it will take about 3-4 months minimum just for the DNA process to get sorted through.
Then you add on the actual IVF process (however long that will take)
then 9 months of pregnancy...
if/when we get to that point..
then we will hopefully have a sweet new babe in our home!
Then you add on the actual IVF process (however long that will take)
then 9 months of pregnancy...
if/when we get to that point..
then we will hopefully have a sweet new babe in our home!
so this is where where we are... this is our road we will be traveling!
Lots of unknowns, lots of emotions I'm sure, and lots of help from the medical world.
I have thought about all the pain & emotions I will be going through
and be putting on my family with all of this & it worries me..
(when moms not in a good mood... ya know it kinda rubs off on the rest of the clan)
but then I am always brought back to--
I would gladly take all those shots, medicine, needles, pregnancy morning sickness, bills..
all that not so fun stuff to prevent my child from going through life with cystic fibrosis.
What is PGD?
When a couple has a genetic defect in their family history, they may
seek PGD in order to increase the chance of having a healthy baby. After
eggs are recovered from the ovary as part of the IVF process, they are
fertilized to form embryos. A biopsy is then performed to remove 5-7
cells from the embryos. The gene that carries the disease is analyzed
for the presence of the disease-causing mutation. Those embryos that
show normal biopsy results can then be selected for transfer into the
uterus during a subsequent frozen embryo transfer cycle.
Through state-of-the-art PGD techniques, our physicians and staff are
able to screen for a wide variety of diseases. Cystic fibrosis, sickle
cell anemia, Huntington’s disease, and other genetic conditions can have
a significant impact on a child’s quality of life. When a genetic
disease is part of a family’s history, PGD offers new hope.
Here are some videos that helped me walk through understanding the process better.
While I've never done IVF w PGD I have done a couple of IVF cycles and am in the DFW area if you ever need to chat! I'm also apart of some great secret and private groups on fb, one devoted to IVF w PGD in case you're interested!
ReplyDeleteEmilymorrisonrhoades@gmail.com
thank you so much!!
DeleteThis is so exciting! Thank you for being brave enough to share! My husband and I did IVF after 4 years of infertility and had a beautiful baby boy... we went on to get pregnant naturally/miraculously with another baby boy affectionately nicknamed "BoGo" �� It is truly amazing what opportunities and medical advancements are available. Praying for a precious, healthy baby for your family!
ReplyDeletei love that name!! <3
DeleteI'm so excited for you and Tyson! I pray all goes well for you guys!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ashley!! :)
DeleteI haven't commented since you posted about your secondary infertility struggles. We are in the same boat in so many ways :) We've been told that IVF is the only way we could have a second child and that IVF PGD is the only responsible way due to a genetic mutation that has a high likelihood of being passed onto our children. (Our only child unfortunately has the mutation, too.) We've struggled and keep landing on the "we are done" side. You are taking a big and scary step. Prayers for you! You are more courageous that I have been.
ReplyDeleteThank you Britney for sharing your story with me!! Truly appreciate it! <3 hugs!!
DeleteSo glad you shared with us! Prayers and happy thoughts for you and your family! Very hopeful for your beautiful family!
ReplyDeleteScience is so amazing and I love reading about things like this because I just know nothing about IVF and like you said about CF, you don't really know about something until it affects you. Best of luck to you guys and thanks for sharing your journey with all of us!
ReplyDeleteI've wondered where you were at with this decision since you last posted about it. I'll be praying for you guys. What a big step to finally decide to take! I'm sure that didn't come easy. Blog world is here for you :)
ReplyDeleteI follow you on IG and have read your blog on and off for the past 3 ish years and am now all caught up on your journey. I couldn't imagine having these kinds of thoughts. I will be praying that you and your family are blessed with a healthy child soon! I was born with spina bifida occulta and carry the gene. Although, my two children are fine, this kind of process has never occurred to nor has it come up at my dr visits. It does give me a lot of anxiety and I have to take a large amount of folic acid before i get pregnant. Thank you for sharing your journey and educating those who don't know much about it! Sending prayers!
ReplyDeletexo. Britt
southernmamaguide.com