12 May, 2021
(And no, this isn't the boat one paddles through on a fine day in a lake.. we'll see shortly what it means..)
- Rashi Trivedi
"Our plan of using public transportation was scrapped, and instead, we sprung for a cab. The streets of this beautiful city where we had been casually strolling, taking in the scene just moments ago became a source of stress: how long was it going to take to get there?
Refresh my GPS app, recheck our ETA(Expected time of arrival), internally root “come on, come on, come on” (because that helps), start to strategize: “Okay, when we pull up, you pay, I’ll grab the bags, do you have your passport handy?" We have to run.” Somehow, we made the flight."
Going on a vacation, making a dash for the last moment train or reaching the airport at the 11th hour, all of it seems like a tale to be told once you finally make it to your desired destination. And obviously there's the option to catch the next one if u miss this.
An obvious next option.. sometimes life isn't so generous to give us that next option. This is an excerpt from the lives of Lauren Citro and her husband Andrew ,and how they missed a very special and exclusive boat.. of motherhood.
For years I pushed myself to get pregnant, desperately trying to keep on a timeline similar to my friends. I imagined we would all hit motherhood milestones together. As the years passed, I continued to do IVF, and my friends' babies turned into toddlers, turned into big siblings, turned into kindergarteners. And that’s when I realized, I missed the boat. I watched the dreams of my timelines for motherhood sail away over the horizon. No matter how hard I tried, I could never catch up.
As I stood, huffing and puffing on the proverbial dock in my mind, we decided to take a break from IVF, a break from the treatments, the trying, the non-stop pushing to get the destination of parenthood “on time.”
And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I could finally catch my breath. I felt like I did in Milan- that I had been given the gift of time. That I could stop rushing and start living. Spend time discovering life, not in transit to the next destination, but just the here and now.
While Lauren caught her breath, understood her situation and with the greatest support was able to pull through this heart wrenching situation, many in the world still suffer physically, mentally and emotionally from the effects of sterility
- Rashi Trivedi
"Our plan of using public transportation was scrapped, and instead, we sprung for a cab. The streets of this beautiful city where we had been casually strolling, taking in the scene just moments ago became a source of stress: how long was it going to take to get there?
Refresh my GPS app, recheck our ETA(Expected time of arrival), internally root “come on, come on, come on” (because that helps), start to strategize: “Okay, when we pull up, you pay, I’ll grab the bags, do you have your passport handy?" We have to run.” Somehow, we made the flight."
Going on a vacation, making a dash for the last moment train or reaching the airport at the 11th hour, all of it seems like a tale to be told once you finally make it to your desired destination. And obviously there's the option to catch the next one if u miss this.
An obvious next option.. sometimes life isn't so generous to give us that next option. This is an excerpt from the lives of Lauren Citro and her husband Andrew ,and how they missed a very special and exclusive boat.. of motherhood.
For years I pushed myself to get pregnant, desperately trying to keep on a timeline similar to my friends. I imagined we would all hit motherhood milestones together. As the years passed, I continued to do IVF, and my friends' babies turned into toddlers, turned into big siblings, turned into kindergarteners. And that’s when I realized, I missed the boat. I watched the dreams of my timelines for motherhood sail away over the horizon. No matter how hard I tried, I could never catch up.
As I stood, huffing and puffing on the proverbial dock in my mind, we decided to take a break from IVF, a break from the treatments, the trying, the non-stop pushing to get the destination of parenthood “on time.”
And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I could finally catch my breath. I felt like I did in Milan- that I had been given the gift of time. That I could stop rushing and start living. Spend time discovering life, not in transit to the next destination, but just the here and now.
While Lauren caught her breath, understood her situation and with the greatest support was able to pull through this heart wrenching situation, many in the world still suffer physically, mentally and emotionally from the effects of sterility
Sterility?
A person is said to be sterile ,if they are physically unable to ever have a child without medical intervention. Sterility could be a result of some procedures such as Vasectomy, Tubal ligation.Rates Worldwide
- Of 60-80 million people suffering from infertility every year worldwide ,probably between 15-20 million are in India alone.
- According to data released by WHO-2004, 1 in 4 couples in developing countries are affected by infertility.
Cause of Sterility in Women
- PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome) causes irregular menstruation or missing a couple of them which leads to the most popular cause of infertility.
- Structural abnormalities in the uterus.
- Premature menopause and ovarian failure, that happens before the age of 40.
Cause of Sterility in Male
- Genetic causes, where the Vas deferens linking the testicle and prostate is not formed.
- Obesity and Stress - Patients with high levels of stress are exposed to reproductive issues.
- Testicular failure to produce sperm ,for eg due to medical treatments that impair sperm producing cells (Chemotherapy)
Medical Procedures for Infertility
- IVF - In Vitro fertilization
Involves harvesting of sperm and egg cells from each partner and combining the gametes for conception in a laboratory dish. Once the embryo develops ,it will be transferred into the woman's uterus for implantation. - IUI- Intrauterine Insemination
Sperm is collected from male partner,washed to remove seminal fluid and then inserted directly into the uterine cavity to increase chances of conception. - GIFT- Gamete intrafallopian transfer
This process harvests egg and sperm from intended parents. Instead of fertilizing the egg in a laboratory dish (IVF), this method mixes sperm and egg, and then implants them into a fallopian tube for fertilization.
Other Options
- Surrogacy
- Adoption
- Living child free