This week, Ally tries an Endometrial Receptivity Analysis test, and she finds that she doesn't like it very much. Ally details her experience with the ERA procedure, and we talk a bit about next steps and how we're feeling about our upcoming frozen embryo transfer. 

This week we try getting my left ovary to spit out an egg so that we can proceed with our ERA! And it honestly feels like it's taking forever.

We talk about our PGS (or I guess it's technically called PGT-A) results, what it was like getting our those results, almost missing our consult appointment, Ally's saline sonogram, and what the heck an Endometrial Receptivity Analysis is! We also were lightly drinking throughout this episode, so we're not all too sure how this episode really turned out. Enjoy!

This week, we try to deal with our IVF results. We skipped last week's episode as Ally was healing from her retrieval, but don't worry! We rehash all of the details of the egg retrieval process today. Then we talk about the results from this cycle, and what they might mean for our family. It's been a rough week, but we thank you guys for sticking with us. 

This week we really try IVF. We're really in the thick of it now, with multiple daily injections and Ally's egg retrieval approaching rapidly. We talk everything from medication side effects (which we realized after editing that Ally forgot to mention the ungodly amount of cervical mucus as one of the side effects... ew.), to a broad IVF overview, to buying yarn for a baby blanket. There has definitely been a lot going on, and our general consensus was that this week has not been easy!

This week, we try injecting Ally with drugs in our kitchen! 

We talk about all of the appointments and logistics leading up to the start of shots, with a little bit (ok maybe a lot) of anxiety sprinkled on top. We discover that the shots actually aren't so bad, and it turns out that the emotional aspect has been quite a bit harder (so far)! We spent quite a bit of time this week discussing the fact that we're struggling to get excited about all of this, and we share some of those feelings with you here. We hope this episode provides a little bit of insight to some of the mixed emotions that we felt as we finally started IVF.

This week, we try talking about mental health! May is Mental Health Awareness Month and it was really important to us that we take some time to discuss just how infertility and life in general can have an impact on mental health. We discuss everything from our personal run ins with mental health issues to some resources and tips to maintain good mental health. 

As promised, all of the resources mentioned in the episode are listed below:

- If you or someone you know is ever experiencing a mental health emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital or emergency room.

- National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1(800)273-TALK or 1(800)273-8255

- Crisis Text Line: Text "HELLO" to 741741

- Therapy: If you are interested in trying therapy, talk to your primary care provider to get a referral to a mental health specialist. Or, sign up for telehealth using websites such as BetterHelp. Use this link for 1 free week of therapy with BetterHelp:  https://www.betterhelp.com/rpc/6fc3ec962d45966901

-Support Groups: If you are interested in attending a support group related to infertility, check out your local Resolve organization at https://resolve.org/support/find-a-support-group/. If you are struggling with depression and anxiety, adaa.org/supportgroups may be a useful resource. mentalhealth.gov also has some resources to help you find a support group.

This week, we try starting IVF! We talk about our IVF update, and open up the debate of whether or not we should be using the Zymot Chip as part of our treatment. Then, we talk about what we expect my treatment protocol will look like, and why the heck we're subjecting ourselves to this crazy process that is IVF. 

Fertility Medication Discount resources mentioned in the episode:

This week, we try solving the debate of whether or not fertility treatments should have been considered essential during the COVD-19 global pandemic. (Spoiler alert, we don't succeed in solving anything). We also talk about some of the things that we've been up to while being isolated. Then, we get to respond to some listener emails! We really had a lot of fun with this episode just chatting with each other, now that we're all caught up to present times. Hope you guys enjoy as well!

This week we try talking about the grief that we experienced through infertility. We were so glad that we were able to get some help on this topic by chatting with our good friend Taylor Overton, LMFT. We talked about everything from navigating through our grief + how to support others through grief, to messy closets and finding bugs in your shower. I hope you guys enjoy listening in to our convo as much as we enjoyed having it! 

Another long episode! This week, we talk about trying IUI for a second time. In this episode, we cover a few questions and comments before detailing out our second round of IUI. We talk everything from abstinence and Shane's pp size to chemical pregnancy. This was definitely another rollercoaster of emotions!