Friday, December 26, 2008

never had a blog before

so this is all new to me. we'll see how it goes.

i've created this blog as a spot to put everything about anna and my adventure in making a baby. i think it will be helpful to me and potentially to other women trying to created a family in a non-traditional manner.

here's what we've done so far:
i've talked to my nurse practioner about various testing and preparation for conception. she was encouraging, albeit not extremely helpful. i don't think it was because she didn't want to. i think it was more she wasn't entirely sure how to proceed. and i'm feeling just as clueless.

i have a book called "lesbian guide to conception, pregnancy, and birth". great book given to us by good friends. it can be a little overwhelming. i'm trying to pare it down. i feel like i need a specific checklist of "to do's".

i am taking my temperature every morning when i wake up (suggested in the book and lots of other places). i have a basal thermometer, but i don't think it's necessary. i think you can just use a regular digital read therm. with a memory. it's suggest to to a temp. reading for three months in order to figure out your ovulation cycle. i'm not sure if it matters what time you do the reading. i don't exactly wake up at the same time every morning :)

i'm keeping a journal with my temp. and details about my day and body. you are able to tell when your ovulating by being aware of physical changes. like any changes down under (i'm not even sure how much i can talk about this on a blog ???). also sleep patterns, sex/desires, food, dreams- all interesting stuff. it's amazing what your body is telling you, we just need to tune in.

to do next:
talk to our friends that had twin boys a couple years ago (lesbian couple) for local connections and advice.

find a midwife. i'd like to do a natural birth, possibly at home. i'm getting a little nervous about the home birth part. we'll see about that.

find a bank.

keep saving our money!

phew, well here's to a new year with new experiences!

5 comments:

  1. Thanks for posting! Keep us updated!

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  2. Thanks for sharing!

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  3. Hi, I just want you to know there are a lot of us who did it by using that book :) It's a great book, very helpful. There's a queer board on the mothering.com discussion board and a lot of our questions were answered there too.
    Good luck to you both and all the best! If you read my blog and wonder why I sound hetero, my partner uses male pronouns.

    I have some tips: if you do the insemination yourself, don't use a speculum...the plastic ones they hand out at planned parenthood have "lips" on the end and will collect the sperm. We did it easily with just gloves and a needle-less syringe. We used a friend donor (I know, the book says that's not best, but we really trust him) and we got pregnant on the first round. It works! :)

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  4. Also, I never ever tracked my temps. I tried a few years ago just for fun and found it stressful. I bought a $30 tool called an Ovulens and you just spit on it every morning, then look through the microscope on it, and you can tell which part of your cycle you are at. www.ovulens.com.
    That, and charting the cervical fluid, was all we needed. Good luck!!

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