Inspired by the Impossible...

NOTE: Every labor and delivery has a story. Every mom has their own story because no story or experience is the same. Therefore, many women may have fear about labor and delivery (at least this was the observation I made during our birthing class and have heard from many first time moms). This is my story, and I share this to offer any additional insight, tips, and from a realist perspective. In fact, you can generate a birth plan but I went into it without holding onto any of my preferences and let go of any expectations. Being flexible allows you to follow your body’s response and prevents us from disappointment. 

As written during my 9-month pregnancy journey… NOTE: I’m not a health or fitness coach, nor am I a certified expert; therefore, it’s always important to check with your doctor before starting anything new or continuing your routine exercise. As mentioned below, each woman’s body is unique and we all carry our own set of risks based upon any underlying conditions we may have or develop over time.

As we approached the 3 rd  trimester, I could feel myself getting a little slower especially on my runs. I was still able to run up to 5 miles the first part of the 3 rd  trimester then had to bring it down to 3-4 miles at a time. Exercise has been a large part of surviving a big change in my life and has kept me mentally in shape as well (more on that in a later post). In fact, the first part of the 3 rd  trimester, we spent in Jackson, WY on a family vacation with my husband’s family. A place none of us had ever been and didn’t really know what to expect. We certainly crammed in a lot and only scratched the surface of God’s impeccable landscape!  The 2 nd  day we were there, my husband and I were motivated to run and hike an 8-mile trail to a waterfall. We ran 4.5 miles of it and we both felt GREAT (aside from dehydration). I did forget the water bottles we packed so after making it to the beautiful waterfall, we began to feel a little dehydrated for the 2+ mile hike back. W

At my 6-week appointment, I was waiting way too long allowing my mind to race. Once I finally got back to hear the results of the ultrasound, I was relieved to hear all was good. I was asked several times throughout the visit about how I felt mainly because of the weight drop which is not too alarming according to the Doctor. I wasn’t sick, I wasn’t nauseated, I was feeling great and exercising like normal and even eating well. At least until 8 weeks rolled around. I remember the doc saying I could take a prescription for nausea thinking, “oh, it’s not bad enough for that.” I called within days after she offered the magic pill and took it for some relief so I could eat. Suddenly, I wasn’t eating well at all and couldn’t get back into the small frequent meal cycle. Nothing made the nausea worse or better, but the pill may have given me enough relief to eat some. The good news in the beginning of the first trimester was that with IVF babies, women are monitored closely for the first tri

Pink Sand Beach, Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas Baby Dill's first of many trips in the womb (post embryo transfer).  Shortly after the big reveal by phone, we went on our first “relaxing” vacation to the Bahamas. One of the only 2 islands in the Caribbean region free from Zika. My husband never takes off work voluntarily or without me asking, but he had a slow week and he wanted to schedule a week vacation someplace close but yet like paradise. Although, we’d love to go back to Hawaii, the long flight just doesn’t make it worth going for one week. We planned this trip knowing we’d find out about the big news (whether pregnant or not) days before our departure. And we were okay with that. So, we planned our trip and discovered days before departure that we were pregnant! So that brought only a few changes to our trip: no Bahama Mamas (mocktails would replace cocktails), no high-risk adventures, and, we would need to carry needles! Traveling with needles It wasn’t the trav

Journal entry written on February 27, 2019:  Today was fairly calm to say the least. I think I’ve been so distracted lately with my business website, networking, working in clinic, working with the schools, volunteering, and organizing meetings that I hardly even had time to sit and think “what if this embryo decides to stick it out?!” Today, I nearly missed the appointment time for bloodwork that would determine if the embryo decided to get cozy and make my uterus its home (aka, pregnant). Then, I met with a friend for 4 hours which kept my mind occupied. On my way home I called my husband to see if he was up for a little lunch break together. While on that drive to his office, the nurse called me and I ignored it. I didn’t want to be driving and hear this by myself. My husband is my rock, my best friend, my best partner. He needed to hear it too. Once I arrived at his office parking lot, I jumped into his car. My heart was still calm during the call back to the nurse. My husband s

  Taking each leg of the journey one day at a time and thanking God for one another and His strength to carry us through each day.   If you’re just now starting to read this blog, refer to the beginning of our journey:  It all started with infertility  or start with  Part I of the IVF got this series . Again, this is a sensitive topic for most and some do not feel comfortable sharing. Therefore, I hope some of the information brings a little comfort and peace to those facing uncertainty or fears or simply provide a little understanding to those that would like to learn more about the IVF process. This is a journey we choose to rely on faith and take one day at a time for we know we have no control over our future. Every person, every story is a testimony. We are all living miracles. Links are provided for additional information on resources and as always, talk to your doctor about any of your concerns or recommendations you hear about. -----------------------------------