Parenting After LT TTC ~ January - April 2008

[sushee]

Jo I agree

when pg you don't feel like you can complain about all the aches and pains, and then when you have baby, you can feel like you can't complain about the sleepless nights, the leaky boobs, how you had the worst day coz baby did nothing but cry. I love Charlie immeasurably, but I know when all he wants to do is climb all over me while I'm trying to watch TV, I'm going to get peeved! And nobody better tell me how grateful I should be to have him at that moment, or they're going to get a TV remote in their eye! Lol!

Parenting IS hard and we should be able to complain if we want to! But yeah it does sometimes feel like we can't...

[Willow]

Parenting IS hard and we should be able to complain if we want to! But yeah it does sometimes feel like we can't...

Sushee - can't tell you how much I struggle with this on a daily basis.

I'm parenting after a loss, secondary infertility and IVF. I have been floored by how differently this feels to the first time I had a baby. I try not to let it feel different, but it just is.

I look forward to chatting with you all and to catching up with old friends.

I have to say, makes me warm and fuzzy to see some familiar names here and to know we've come out the other side...a little bruised and battered maybe but we got the reward we'd dreamed of!

[Allie]

Hi everyone,

Can I join in? I'd love to be part of this group.

I have a 8-month-old daughter after about three and a half years of TTC. Incredibly, ours was a natural conception, somehow achieved in the cycle immediately after a (failed) fresh IVF transfer.

I have wondered if LT TTC affects our parenting style. Certainly I think every single day how lucky we are to have our gorgeous DD. Mind you, we do have challenging moments! And our lives are still kinda upside-down!!

I probably won't be on here much as DD is not much of a day-sleeper (right now I'm thinking of all the chores I should be doing)... But I will pop in when I can.

[monnie]

Yeah...I definitely think LTTTC does impact on your parenting...

I think it's also tricky going from being long term partners to brand new parents. We've been together for 5 years before Felix arrived...and we were late newlyweds! It's strange not going out for dinner every week or going to concerts or just doing things on the spur of the moment...not that I want to go back to pre-Felix, but it is so different now...I guess it just takes time to adjust.

It's so lovely meeting all these new LTTC-ers...and Jason...you're more than welcome! Congratulations on your little girl!

[Rach75]

can I join in

it took 5 long years and 5 pg for me to finally bring my baby home he is now the most delightful 17 mth (on mon) child

he is the joy in our life the missing peive to make us complete

looking forward to getting to know you all

[Allie]

Hmm, I can relate to those who were used to the long-term DINK lifestyle (allthough I never really thought about it like that before). Absolutely everything is different now and all our money/time/energy is spent in different (and sometimes boring) areas (e.g. nappy research)!

[summerluven]

Ooooh...and can I join in too? This looks good.

I can totally relate to everyone saying how much life has changed (DH and I were just chuckling about it over our dinner of last nights left overs ) and also to feeling like you can't complain during pregnancy or once you become a parent, for fear that someone will say "but you wanted this so bad" or something along those lines. I swear...if they ever!! I have kinda been waiting for it from my mum from time to time, but I actually think in the end she felt out TTC and AC journey almost as much as we did, despite her early denial.

A little of our story (not as horrible as some). We did the deed (and considered a lot of strange ideas!) with no results for 12 months after which time I went off to the gp to ask some questions. Was expecting her to send me off to a specialist because I had a bit of a wonky cycle and some strange stuff going on, and came home dreading telling DH that he had to go and get his fella's tested. But off he soldiered, joking all the time that he would blow the scientists away with the quality and talent of his swimmers. Devastatingly for both of us, but obviously more so him, the results came back shocking!! So off we went to IVFA, and had to go through a battery of tests, including a horrible experience with a hystiospalgiogram (spelling??). We ended up bombing out on four scores - MF issues, suspected endo, PCO and a blocked tube.

Thankfully, my god-send of a FS decided that it was best to leave the slicing of my abdomen till after he had achieved a pregnancy, considering how many things we had working against us. So we did our first cycle with high spirits after being sick of trying to do it the old-fashioned way, and I ended up in hosp with OHSS for a week. Horrible. That cycle resulted in a big fat PERIOD!

Second cycle, first FET, and we got what we had been longing for. And now he is with us, a 10 month old bouncing ball of fun, energy and laughter.

Ummmm, I should shut up now. I didn't realise I had so much to say, I guess it all came flooding back when I was reading your posts.

Looking forward to getting to know you all, and to have somewhere to come where people are going to understand where I am at and where I have been.

Cheers, and thanks to BB for this special part of forum world.