My Thoughts on Hitting the Mother Load of Sharp Pointy Objects

October 18, 2009

By Melissa Moog, Itsabelly Founder & CEO Mama

I'm not going to sugar coat anything about the injections I had to go through during IVF. I HATED them. Not to mention the meds injected into you cost several thousands of dollars! Sorry to any of you who are about to go through the shots but if you want to know what to expect I'll be sharing my personal insights here. I was basically poked with a needle almost 60 times for two weeks excluding acupuncture needles. Yes, I subjected myself to more needles in acupuncture too. I figured I might as well become a well used pin cushion and face sharp pointy objects with vigor!

I think the worst part of IVF for me was surrendering your body to the Needle Gods and the unforgiving hormones primarily because you have NO control over what is happening to your body once you commit to the treatment. Ok, maybe you have a little of control but really that's not how you feel in reality when you know you've spent several thousand of dollars for the meds that need to be injected and there's no way around it! You have to go in with your mind open and your eyes closed (closing my eyes during my injections eased my pain)! Having a supportive partner is also VERY important and if he or she can't give you the shots then find a good buddy or relative that can! I think that this process for Randy & I has brought us closer (& I'm serious!) - who would have thought I would be so grateful to my hubby for sticking it to me! :) My reason for suggesting this is that it's hard enough that you have to give your body up to the needles let alone having to do it yourself. And you know for some reason I think giving a shot to yourself would be much more painful than having someone else do it.

I'm now in the last phase of IVF where I'm only getting one shot, Progesterone a night for the next month or so. We implanted last Friday. This shot basically helps the uterine environment be in the best possible state for the embryos to survive in. It's better than the 2 shots I was getting in the AM and the 2 in the PM but I warn you it's a bigger needle. Luckily it's given in your buttock so you don't have to see it but you definitely feel it. Icing it helps numb it for sure! The funny thing is your partner has to massage the area where your shot was given so you get a nice butt massage every night (no joke)! It's nice the IVF treatment can add some comical moments to the process, isn't it!? :)

So my advice on preparing yourself for the mother load of injections is:

• First, ACCEPT that you have to go through the treatment completely both mentally & emotionally otherwise it will be a battle. You have to give in, don't fight it if a baby is what you truly want!
• Try to find someone to do them for you, preferably your partner.
• Ice the area beforehand and ice it afterwards.
• Apply some pressure with a cotton ball after the shot is done to relieve any bleeding. Bleeding is minor so don't be afraid!
• Think positive thoughts please. I had a small fertility statue I bought and would look at photos of my daughter. PSYCH yourself out, it helps!
• Relax afterwards and treat yourself to something nice like a cup of your fave tea & a movie or do something fun like a girl's night out - anything to get your mind off IVF!
• Last but not least, be amazed at what medical technology can do for people who want to conceive a child but can't. Giving birth is a miracle, babies are miracles (if you have a child feel blessed and cherish every moment)!

The Beginning of a New Journey into Pregnancy - My IVF Experience

September 30, 2009

By Melissa Moog, Founder/CEO of Itsabelly Baby Planners

As any woman knows pregnancy is a miracle - it is a gift from the heavens above - it is a mere blessing that we can produce life. Three years ago I gave birth to our beautiful daughter Isabella and I'll never forget the amazing transformation my body went through to grow a baby. Today, Isabella is the inspiration and joy in my life - she is also the reason Itsabelly exists. You can tell from my company's website and the work I do that pregnancy and babies are where my passions thrive. So, I only see it fitting to be able to share my story with you. I debated for a very long time about sharing my personal experiences with you regarding our journey into pregnancy because I wasn't sure if I wanted to go public with such an important decision in our life. In the end, I decided that it would be in my best interest to write about it hoping I could help other women (& significant others) who are going through a similar experience. If I can help just one person out there who is feeling the same emotion or just needs support I would feel writing about my journey has been worth it! In addition, for me writing is therapeutic and I have been known to keep a journal or two so putting words down comes easy.

Without writing a long novel, I wanted to share how Randy (my husband) and I came to the decision of going through In Vitro Fertilization. Last year in August, 2008 Randy was diagnosed with non hodgkin lymphoma - it was the most devastating situation either of us had to go through. Our hearts were filled with sadness and our eyes were filled with tears the day we found out. We were also trying to get pregnant at the time but now appreciate that it wasn't meant to be. For a week (it seemed like a year), we did not know how serious his cancer was as we waited for test results - it was pure torture having to wait, neither of us got much sleep that week. Now for the good news...fast forward to the present, Randy's cancer has now been in remission since December 2008 and he is in chemo maintenance treatment every quarter. So, we are extremely excited to be in a happy place. With Randy's cancer we had to choose an alternative method of getting pregnant since natural means were out due to chemo treatments affecting fertility. As if we didn't have enough to worry our pretty little heads about, right?

So, here we are after having many fertility consults including going through a failed Artificial Insemination in January. We have now figured out how we would pay for treatment which by the way costs about $15,000 (jaw dropping motion happens here) but fortunately Randy has excellent insurance which covers a large %. Hip, hip hooray! I'll be writing a post on just the cost of IVF alone. We feel extremely lucky to be able to barely afford it! On a side note, these past few weeks have wreaked havoc on my body as I had to take the pill for two weeks to regulate my ovaries - I haven't taken the pill in YEARS so the hormones were having a raging party, not fun!

Now on to bigger and better things especially sharp pointy objects! Tomorrow we begin our first injection of Lupron which will start us on the process of creating as many eggs as possible. My wonderful husband will do the honors of giving me my injections. Thank goodness! I will receive one injection in the early AM and another 12 hours later. Over the weekend I add two other shots for a total of four a day for a few weeks. Shots aren't my thing and I would guess it's not on the top of anyone's list to have to go through 2-4 sharp needles a day but this is our life. I must accept it. So, the first major step of my journey continues tomorrow. I welcome any comments, questions and especially positive vibes from all of our readers. Thank you for letting me share my personal experiences with you - you don't know it yet but you will help me through one of the most challenging times in my life and for that I'm truly grateful!

Stay tuned for more as I begin to journal my way through this IVF journey!

Announcing Our New Seal of Approval Launching at ABC Kids Expo! We're looking for the Best in Show.

September 5, 2009

Itsabelly's New Seal of Approval

Stay tuned for details on how your product can receive our seal...

Itsabelly Welcomes Our Atlanta Baby Planner!

May 2, 2009

By Nicole Mabry, Itsabelly Atlanta

Atlanta is home to the hospital that delivers the most babies in the United States each year. Now Atlanta is also a new home for Itsabelly Baby Planners!

When I first heard of baby planning – businesses that help expectant families with all the preparations that come along with a new arrival, my first thought was “Why isn’t anyone doing that?” My second thought was, “Why am I not doing that?” Thus, Itsabelly in Atlanta was born.

I’m Nicole Mabry, a new mom and baby planner serving the Atlanta area. When I was expecting my first child, I found myself wading through volumes and volumes of information to make the best selections of products and services for my son. I wanted to be sure I was making the safest, healthiest and most green choices for him. Sorting through that volume of information can be overwhelming for many families, but since research is my passion, I soaked it all up and soon was passing along my findings to other expectant families. Essentially, I was baby planning for friends and family, I just didn’t know it yet!

My educational and employment background is in communications and marketing, but my passion has always been planning, organizing and helping other people succeed. So far, my most important job title has been “Mommy.” I think of baby planning as being a professional “expectant mommy”. I take planning for every new arrival as much to heart as I took my own as all of our babies are precious. I truly love learning more each and every day about supporting new families in their pregnancies, with their new babies and beyond!

If you or a loved one in the Atlanta area are expecting a baby, give Itsabelly a call! We’d love to assist you with all of your baby planning needs and help you get ready for and go green with baby!

To inquire about Nicole’s services please email her at nicole@itsa-belly.com. You can also reach her by phone at 678-920-2337.