My Fertility Plan Blog: Your Conception Action Plan

Join the 1st Annual International Infertility Haiku Competition

Infertility sucks.  In terms of mental health, research shows it ranks up there with a cancer diagnosis.  Identifying and expressing our emotions is just one of the ways we can cope.    To encourage reflection, celebrate strength and tenacity, and maybe even laugh, My Fertility Plan announces the launch of the 1^st Annual International Infertility Haiku Contest.

Why haiku?  Anyone can do it.  A haiku is a three line poem, made up of only 17 syllables.  The first line has 5 syllables.  The second line has 7 syllables

The third line has 5 syllables.  That’s it. 

Your haiku must relate in some way to your family-building journey and it must follow the haiku-syllable rules. There are 2 categories – Serious and Silly.  Just make sure you label which category your poem falls in (even if you think it’s obvious).  If your entry relates to medication, it will also be considered for the medication-related haiku award.

It is free to enter – and you can enter as many times as you want.  Each haiku must be in a separate e-mail.  Please include your name and email as well.  The contest is open to international entrants, but the entry must include an English translation.

 Awards and Sponsors

Grand Prize $100

Theresa Erickson, esq
http://www.ericksonlaw.net

Special Award Medication – Related Haiku            

Village Pharmacy:  $50 gift certificate

(http:www.villagefertilitypharmacy.com and/or www.villagefertilityproducts.com.) 

Special Award Adoption-Related Haiku

Colleen Marea Quinn, esq  $25
(http://www.cantorarkema.com/adoption-surrogacy.asp)

Light-Hearted

Conceiving Concepts              (http://www.conceivingconcepts.com)        $50

Parents Via Egg Donation      (http://www.parentsviaeggdonation.org/)    $25

Infertility Answers                  (http://www.infertilityanswers.org)            $15

 1 Runner-up will receive his or her choice of autographed books:  the forthcoming, “Budgeting for Infertility:  Bringing Home Baby without Breaking the Bank” or “Having Your Baby Through Egg Donation.”

 

Serious

Clear Passage Therapies (http://www.clearpassage.com/)            $50

Robert Terenzio, esq.   (http://reproductive-alternatives.com/)   $25

Pamela Madsen             (http://www.thefertilityadvocate.com/)   $15

 

1 Runner-up will receive his or her choice of autographed books:  the forthcoming, “Budgeting for Infertility:  Bringing Home Baby without Breaking the Bank” or “Having Your Baby Through Egg Donation.”

                                                              

Judges:

Tracy Morris, How to Make a Family (http://howtomakeafamily.typepad.com/)

Julie, blogger at http://www.alittlepregnant.com

Vic Belonogoff, Conceiving Concepts (http://www.conceivingconcepts.com)

Sharon LaMothe, Infertility Answers (http://www.infertilityanswers.org/)

Belinda Wurn, PT Clear Passage (http://www.clearpassage.com/)

Pamela Madsen, (http://www.thefertilityadvocate.com/wpblog/)

Evelina Weidman Sterling, PhD (www.myfertilityplan.com)

 Entries will be accepted beginning Monday, October 28 through Monday, November 24^th at noon, ET. 

To enter:  Go to http://www.myfertilityplan.com and click on the Contact page (tab on the far right). 

Once you see the contact page, enter your haiku and do not forget your e-mail address!

All entries become property of My Fertility Plan.

You heard right...The 1st International Infertility Haiku Contest (cash prizes)

I promise more news later.... put on your thinking caps and try to remember back in the day when you had to write haiku in junior high English class. 

You remember Haiku- three lines - five syllables, seven syllables and five syllables.  Two categories - serious and silly. It can relate in any way to your fertility journey.

Did I mention cash?  There are 4 sponsored awards in each category ($50, $25, $15 and a runner-up prize) as well as a $50 Village Pharmacy gift card for the top medication-related haiku. Free to enter and you can enter as many times as you want.

Look for more news next week - My Fertility Plan will be accepting entries beginning 10/27-11/24/08.

To be sure you don't miss any news:  go to www.myfertilityplan.com and sign up for the newsletter. 

be well, Angie

Finally, something that doesn't cause infertility...

It looked as though every time men turned around (or at least sat down) something caused their little swimmers to go haywire.  Too little sun, too much cellphone use.  Heated car seats, laptops and darn near anything warm that got anywhere near his nether regions.

The good news....wasp stings aren't a problem.

Wasp stings don't cause infertility

 A possible connection between male infertility and allergy to wasp stings has been the subject of a recent study by Swiss scientists. The findings are reassuring, however. Men who have an allergic reaction to wasp stings should be at no higher risk of becoming infertile than those who do not, said a statement issued on Sunday by Bern University Hospital.  The question arose because there is a protein in sperm whose structure is very similar to one found in wasp venom.

So, avoid your laptop, cell phone, briefs, hot tubs, bike seats and go outside, soak up the sun and don't worry about the wasps.  I know you're relieved.

Catch some rays: free way to improve morphology

Evelina and I are all about finding ways to improve your chances of conception on the cheap.

(The IVF coupons still wig us out a little, though)

If you've got blocked tubes or no swimmers at all, all the lifestyle changes in the world aren't gonna help.  But for some folks, lifestyle changes may make the diff.

So when we find info that has at least some research behind it - you'll be the first to know.  After us, I mean.  And the research folks.  You know what I mean.

Ta-dah...

Couples struggling to conceive should consider getting out more, research suggests.

A study found almost a third of men experiencing fertility problems have low levels of vitamin D, the 'sunshine vitamin'.Just spending ten minutes outside in their shirt sleeves would be enough of a boost, according to Anne Clark, the medical director of an Australian fertility centre.

Previous studies have shown vitamin D, produced from natural light and found in oily fish and eggs, is important for a healthy pregnancy.But the latest findings show a deficiency may also affect sperm.

'The results show lifestyle changes can be beneficial,' Dr Clark told the Fertility Society of Australia, in Brisbane. The vitamin D deficiency could have been caused by worries about skin cancer and by men trying to avoid too much exposure to sunshine, Dr Clark said.

She suggested that office workers could absorb enough vitamin D by simply having their morning tea break outside in the sunshine with their sleeves rolled up.

Other basic lifestyle changes such as giving up smoking, losing weight, and reducing caffeine and alcohol intake, would also help. 

In her group, 105 men agreed to the changes, and to take multivitamins and antioxidants for two to three months.Afterwards, tests revealed 'an improvement in the shape of the sperm, which can enhance conception,' said Dr Clark.

In fact, 31 of the men went on to achieve a pregnancy. 

'The results clearly show that lifestyle changes and dietary supplements can be beneficial for the conception of a healthy on-going pregnancy,' her report said.

sunshine+male partner=better sperm.

My fav?  Sunshine's totally free.

be well, friends

Evelina's intro

Thank you so much for visiting My Fertility Plan.  We can’t tell you how thrilled we are that you are here!

 

Believe it or not, we have been working on My Fertility Plan for nearly a decade.  Way back in 1999 when Angie and I started to write our first book, Living with PCOS, we noticed a major gap in the availability of quality information when it comes to infertility.   As the years went by, we were surprised to see that this gap didn’t seem to be going away. 

 

At first, we started out trying to work “within the system.”  We contacted all the major players in the infertility world and let them know our thoughts about trying to provide effective education to people experiencing infertility so patients could make informed decisions.  Even though all the major infertility organizations out there stress the importance of patient education, none employ a professional health educator to ensure the right information is being presented in the best possible manner for infertility patients. 

 

Yes…these infertility organizations have plenty of fundraisers, communications people, and marketing professionals on staff, but surprisingly no one trained in health education.  And while their input is important, patients and doctors are not professional educators either.  There is much more to education than just fact sheets, websites, online chats, and health fairs.  Health education is a multi-disciplinary approach that encourages healthy decision making by promoting changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors as well as creating environments that support these changes. 

 

As far as we are concerned, the infertility community still has a lot to learn about infertility education.  We don’t think that fact sheet on progesterone supplementation which is funded by one of the largest progesterone supplementation manufacturers is fair and balanced.   Likewise, the pamphlet on egg donation written by a group of people who make their living by promoting egg donation cannot really present egg donation in a way that fully explores the complex issues related to egg donation so families can come to a conscious decision that will best work for their families.  

 

We’ve received some criticism so far that this type of information is already available by other organizations and that we shouldn’t charge families for our services.  Honestly, we struggled with these issues for a while as well.  We wish this type of fair and balanced, well-researched, and un-biased information was available to everyone…for free.  But, the truth is--it is not.  What is available is very basic information about infertility funded by the infertility industry and written by untrained patients and physicians who are encouraged to recruit as many patients as possible into their practices. 

 

We believe that infertility patients are smart and there is no one right way to build a family.  What works for one family, might not be the right thing for another for many reasons.  Most importantly, we do not want to be under the control of the infertility industry—the pharmaceutical companies, the clinics, and other businesses that make a living at selling stuff to families dealing with infertility.  Don’t get us wrong, there is a lot of good stuff out there.  But, there are some things that are not that helpful and honestly, can be a big waste of time, energy, and money.  And given the way things are set up right now, it’s hard to tell the difference. 

 

As a result, we set out to create a whole new model for infertility education.  We decided to go straight to you…the health care consumer…for a more “consumer report” approach.  You are hiring us for a specific service…to provide you with the right information, resources, and referrals to help you make the best decisions (physically, emotionally, and financially) given your own unique situation, needs, and concerns.  We will fill in the gaps that have frustrated so many patients before (including us!).  We will use our vast experience and expertise in the infertility field to provide a personalized action plan that will give you the information you need, when you need it, and in the manner which fits best with your individual needs so you can be successful throughout your family building journey. 

 

And here we are to introduce My Fertility Plan….

 

We welcome you!

 

Evelina

Welcome to our blog!

Hi.

I'm not very good at these.

I never know exactly what to say that will capture everything I think you should know. 

I hate awkward silences, so I guess I'll just start. 

I'm Angie Best-Boss, President of My Fertility Plan and this is my blog. 

I can be tender-hearted, occasionally snarky (but only to those who really deserve it - like fertiles who say stupid things) and always truthful.  This is where to look for the newest research, news you need and lots of information about all things related to fertility, infertility and occasionally  - I have lots to share.  I still have plenty to learn. 

I've been a freelance women's health writer for ten years.  Since I started my own journey through infertility back in 1999, I've found a ton of incredibly savvy and supportive TTCs and professionals, as well as lots of other folk who've made a handsome living off of infertile folk.

When my first book Living with PCOS (with co-author Evelina Sterling) was published, I became passionate about providing information and resources to people on the journey.  Frustration with an unfair system led Evelina and I to pair up again, this time on Budgeting for Infertility:  Bringing Home Baby without Breaking the Bank, which will be released early 2009 by Simon and Schuster. 

Look out next year, too, for two other books I've written - The Everything Guide to Digestive Health, as well as Your One and Only, a chick-lit romance.  Evelina and I get to team up again for Before Your Time: Living with Premature Menopause, which  has just been accepted by Simon and Schuster, and I'll announce a release date as soon as I have it. Meanwhile, catch me on this blog, on Facebook, or at www.conceivingconcepts.com. 

Don't forget to sign up for the free weekly newsletter at myfertilityplan.com.

Evelina Weidman Sterling will pop in from time to time, but mostly, it's me.

More importantly, add to the discussion – say hi, introduce yourself, and let's start a conversation!

Be well,

Angie