Acupuncture

[judecorp]

So I'm a little mystified about this whole acupuncture process. On one hand, I totally get it. I never bought into the Western Medical Model and I don't really believe that health is merely a management of symptoms. I get the idea of having a healthy body system and good energy and all of that hippie stuff. I'm there. And I even am willing to concede that even though I try to make good food choices and good life choices, even though I've made great strides to become a healthier person, I still have a long way to go. And I'm willing to concede that this "long way" to go also impacts my fertility. Sure, I get it.

But then there's this opposing information I get on a daily basis from work. I mean, hello, I work with people who are fertile. They get pregnant. A lot. They are chock full of little kids! And I work with the poor, who live on processed food and fast food, who don't always care about things like balanced meals and vitamins. They certainly have stress, and they certainly don't have big bucks to shell out for alternative therapies. Some of them are addicted to drugs and have been throughout their pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and post-pregnancy. One of them died last year from complications of several chronic health problems, several of which required hardcore pain meds. During pregnancy. They drink, they smoke, they load up on "juice" (colored sugar water), they breathe bad air and they don't meditate.

AND SOME OF THEM HAVE GOTTEN PREGNANT WITH THEIR TUBES TIED.

So THAT is a mystery to me. Why is MY lifestyle detrimental to fertility but my clients' aren't? Maybe I should live on McDonald's and Coke, cigarettes and booze. Instead, I'm paying mucho dinero to have some dude stick me full of needles and tell me that I am never ever allowed to eat ice cream ever again. How is THAT fair??!?!

Comments

[thatpatti.livejournal.com]

it's not fair. but i think you're looking at it the wrong way.

i doubt it's so much that your lifestyle is detrimental to your fertility as it is that the healthy choices you make can potentially *improve* it. because obviously, poor lifestyle choices have no effect on those people who make babies as easily as farts!

this whole fertility struggle is (IMO) one of life's biggest mysteries. it is in no way fair and is one of the very few things in life over which we have almost no control. if you try to understand it, you're going to drive yourself (even more!) nuts.

[thatpatti.livejournal.com]

p.s. jeney got pregnant with ONE ovary AND her tube tied. TWICE. she wins.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

I know! That's so crazy!

I want what she is drinking. :)

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Well see, that's what I thought, too - that healthier choices would IMPROVE my chances and add on to the benefits I have already seen. But this acupuncturist is really singing a different tune and basically telling me that my body is not able to get pregnant because it is so out of balance... so it's more like she IS saying that my current lifestyle (even though I thought I was doing pretty good) is detrimental to my fertility.

But what do I know? I'm the one that's hideously out of balance. :)

[indigodove.livejournal.com]

I understand. Sometimes, if a friend is pregnant and freaking out because she had some caffeine or whatever, I'll tell them about my pregnant teen clients who did /nothing/ they were "supposed to" and still had beautiful, healthy babies.

It sucks. I know it does.

I also think the occasional ice cream treat will not blow your chances to have a child. Honest. :-)

Hang in there!

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Seriously... tonight my newly-pregnant coworker was fretting about whether or not it was safe to eat a little bag of chips, and I was like, "Dude, our families take REAL DRUGS." Then she ate the chips.

p.s. I love ice cream.

[communista.livejournal.com]

Oh sweetheart... I know how you feel. I'm not even TTC yet and I have these thoughts on a semi-regular basis. Keep up the good fight, it'll be worth it.

I love you both very much!

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

I hope you're right. And I hope we can pull it off.

[32flavorsnthen.livejournal.com]

It isn't fair, but doing all that stuff does seem to help some people. My friend Shannan (who is now VERY pregnant) was trying for a while. She went in for tests and she wasn't even ovulating. Being a natural kind of girl she opted out of the hormone/fertility treatments that they said she would definately need to get pregnant. Instead she COMPLETELY changed her diet. She eliminated Gluten and all processed Sugars. her theory was that even if she couldn't get pregnant and ended up adopting, it might make her a healthier person and mom anyway. Within about 6 months she got pregnant. I don't know how it all works and it definately isn't fair that it has to be such a struggle for some people, but maybe it will help. I am sending good thoughts into the universe for you.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Cutting out sugar could have definitely been helpful, especially if she was having an insulin problem that was impacting her fertility. There are definitely natural remedies that are helpful and can help people be successful, totally. And then there are some people that really need the "non-natural" methods for extra help. *shrug* It's a crap shoot.

[sassywoman.livejournal.com]

I hear you!!!! I have worked with similar clients in the school system and it's a mystery to me too. It's just not fair. When I think about the quality of life, I wouldn't trade for a day in their shoes.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Totally.

[violane.livejournal.com]

This post is like my mantra. I even read the whole thing aloud to my husband! I try not to get down about the unfairness, but sometimes it really starts to seem ridiculous.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Well now you can stop worrying, because you got your BFP!!

[violane.livejournal.com]

It's still unfair for those of us that have to work so hard for it, though! I had to go through 15 months of surgeries, procedures, tests, meds that made me nauseated, etc., etc. to get that BFP. Of course, it will all be worth it for all of us if we get a baby out of the deal, but ... I'll always wish none of us had had to go through it.

*sends you lots of good luck*

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Thanks! And you're right, it IS unfair. Bleh.

[odd-dog.livejournal.com]

Why is MY lifestyle detrimental to fertility but my clients' aren't? Maybe I should live on McDonald's and Coke, cigarettes and booze.

Um... I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess it's because they have regular access to live sperm.

[violane.livejournal.com]

So do many of us who can't seem to get pregnant. :) Unfortunately, it's not that simple.

[vorpalbla.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking if you smoke some crack and sell your ass in South Boston for a few months, pregnancy will be guaranteed.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Sign me up!!

[luloubelle.livejournal.com]

I would die without ice cream! What's the point of life, man?

I feel your pain. I truly do. I don't think eating ice cream is going to change any outcome, however. You don't know what's going to happen, but you'll deal with whatever comes in the best way you know how. That's all we can do. You keep trying, regardless, and you will be the best parents some day to kids who won't know how to appreciate the magnitude of how lucky they are to have you. :)

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

I hope you're right. I would really like to be a parent someday. Preferably soon!

[steamraise.livejournal.com]

I have PCOS, and I'm completely infertile. I just always figured that it was nature's way of weeding me out of the gene pool. In general, my genetics are not sterling, and I don't certainly don't want to pass on PCOS. I figured that if I ever desired to be a mother, I could always adopt.
Anyway, this is just my unpopular opinion. You should hear the boos and hisses I get at family reunions when this topic comes up.

from another pcos person...

[rachelmichellek.livejournal.com]

IMO, being part of that gene pool isn't all that. i mean, i may never give birth but i know that i have way more useful, powerful, and meaningful things to "pass on" to another generation than my chromosomes.

i'm hoping to adopt.

Re: from another pcos person...

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

We've talked about this before. And not everyone who wants to experience pregnancy does so out of some egomaniacal desire to perpetuate one's genes. *shrug* It's more about exploring motherhood from minute one.

Re: from another pcos person...

[(Anonymous)]

I was replying to steamraise, though, who I haven't had that conversation with.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

I don't have any bizarre compulsion to pass on my genes (although I do come from pretty decent stock!) but I do have the desire to try to experience pregnancy and birth. I'm not opposed to adoption and in fact we plan to pursue adoption as well (and always have, my deciding to try to get pregnant was kind of an after thought), so I think it's totally viable and not unpopular.

I don't believe that infertility is the universe's way of keeping bad genes out of the gene pool, because TRUST ME, some of these people do not have great genes.

p.s. I love your icon!

[(Anonymous)]

Ugh! I totally get your frustration. Here we are doing everything right, without success, and my cousins go knock up women they aren't even married too and can't support emotionally or financially. Bah!

The universe just sucks sometimes.

[rachelmichellek.livejournal.com]

I've heard lowering your stress level can help a lot. so, STOP BEING STRESSED. IMMEDIATELY.

I've also read that feng shui can help, in a book my sister owns, about feng shui. (BTW, and appropos of nothing, it is a mystery to me why/how my sister, who owns so much junk and crap and garbage that it's stacked to the ceiling with lots of dusty debris in between, owns several expensive books on feng shui.)

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Yes! I will STOP STRESSING RIGHT NOW. :) Believe me, if it were that easy, I would SO be on it! Please tell my life to stop sucking and I will stop worrying about it. I'm sure you can relate.

That's funny about your sister and feng shui. Maybe she has well balanced piles of crap??!? :)

[(Anonymous)]

no, they're actually the crappiest crappy piles of crap ever. i'm gonna swipe her little feng shui book and copy the pregnancy stuff for you.

Dear Judies Life: PLEASE STOP SUCKING. Thank you and have a nice day.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

:)