Who knew it was so complicated

Do you ovulate? 
If yes, how do you know? The ovulation question has been on my brain and I'm amazed that women get pregnant at all with all the factors and timing involved.
My cycle is so regular I could actually use it as a calendar. I always thought that was an indication of ovulation. Turns out that you can have regular periods even though you don't ovulate at all. 
So how do I know I'm ovulating? 
Well according to board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist Dr. Michael Zinger, you can't always rely on the basal body temperature method. Dr. Zinger advises that the best indication of ovulation is a blood test one week after suspected ovulation (three weeks into cycle) to check for the presence of significant levels of progesterone. Of course this method is only to determine that I am ovulating and not as a predictor of when ovulation is occurring. 
So, I guess the next step is to visit the Ob/gyn and have myself evaluated and have some blood work done to determine if I'm actually ovulating.
I'll be back with an update as soon as that is done.

I know you have an opinion

btw...I made this button and I'm so excited!

If you’ve read this blog then you have an opinion. How could you not?  So to get honest feedback I am going to turn on the anonymous comments so that you can feel free to let me know what you think of my plans.

Like I said before, I am interested in what you have to say.  I don’t live in a bubble and realize that I have to face some difficult questions as I explore my options to motherhood.  I’d like your help! So please comment.

Babies, Babies, Everyone is having Babies...

It’s not always easy to want something that others seem to get so easily. I look around me and see babies and pregnant women everywhere. I get on facebook and read about all my friends that are expecting and while I am joyfully happy for them, I am sad and jealous at the same time. I wonder why that can’t just be me. I see friends who are single mothers and are expecting an “un-planned” baby again and I can’t help but think how unfair it is that people all over the world get pregnant unexpectedly every day and I can’t make that happen for myself. It’s not fair. Life isn’t fair and I need to get over it and stop feeling sorry for myself because that is exactly what I’m doing.

Feeling the way that I am (was) this morning I took to the internet again to see what I could dig up about IUI (Artificial Insemination) and stumbled across a clinic in Denmark that is everything that I have been looking for.

The Stork Clinic (what a great name) specializes in IUI for lesbian couples and single women wanting to be parents. Bingo!! Finally I have found a clinic that understands what I’m looking for. I spent some time looking of the procedures and costs and I’m so excited to get started. 

The first step is to schedule a consultation via Skype.  I’m hoping to be able to do that this coming week.

Cross your fingers for me…I can’t wait to visit the Stork.

The Plan!

So how exactly am I going to cause Riot?! My plan is not as simple as I thought it would be.  As I live in Switzerland I am restricted by some pretty archaic laws. The option of adoption is not open to me.  By law only married couples can adopt. I also can’t use a sperm donor here in Switzerland unless I am married as well.  If I need fertility treatment (which I’m really hoping I do not) I am also not able to receive that without being married.  I am so incredibly frustrated by these laws.  What I don’t want to do is simply go out and have a roll in the hay and have some strangers child. But by law, that is the only option left to me.

So what do I do?  Well, I look elsewhere. Most of the EU countries have very few sperm donations because of new laws that have eliminated anonymous donation.  By law a child who turns 18 has the right to know who his biological father is.  As you can imagine that has drastically reduced the amount of men willing to donate.  This is of course, another roadblock.  With this in mind I’ve started looking in London.  I have found a bank that has a reasonable amount of donors to choose from and is very highly respected and reputable. The problem, of course there is a problem, is that they only work with the London Fertility Clinic and therefore won’t let you inseminate yourself. So where does that leave me?  Well, it means I need to take a trip to London for an appointment with the clinic to see what the procedure is from there.  In the meantime I am focusing on loosing 45 lbs before I get pregnant. I don’t want to have additional factors for a high-risk pregnancy. There is nothing I can do about my age (37) but I can do everything I can to make my body as healthy as possible for Riot.

Having said that…I will continue to workout with Judit, my crazy trainer and start making arrangement for my trip to London.

I’m excited to share my journey with you. Wish me luck!!

Huh?

I am so happy to be sharing my first post on my new blog.  I couldn’t be happier to share my new adventure with all of you.  You might be wondering why I’ve named the blog “Causing Riot”. Well let me just start by saying that I am not up in arms ready to insight any riots in the sense that you might be thinking.  Nor is this a political blog.  I’m simply on a journey to “cause” Riot!  Ok,,,I need to explain further.  I have wanted to be a mother since the age of 5. When adults would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up my answer was always the same. I wanted to be a wife and a mother.  In high school my friends all pretty much agreed that I would be the first one married, and having kids. I proudly exclaimed that I was going to have at least 6. Well life sometimes has completely different plans for us and for me those did not include marriage or children.  I can’t do a thing about the marriage part…but I can certainly try to become a mother.  And that is exactly what I plan to do. 

Riot is the name that I chose for my child (boy or girl) several years ago.  Hence…Causing Riot!

I hope you’ll keep an open-mind. Especially those of you who believe so strongly that God as a plan and that we just need to remain faithful.  I don’t share those beliefs.  I believe that we have to make our own dreams come true and I have worked very hard to become the person that I am today.  I know without any doubt that I am going to be an amazing mother. 

I value your feedback and want this to be an open discussion.  Feel free to leave honest feedback.  Tell me what you think especially if you don’t agree.  I think part of our human experience is to try to understand each other better.  We can’t do that unless we tell the truth.  I just ask that if you comment you don’t insult each other or me.  I want us to respect ourselves and our brothers and sisters. 

Okay…that’s it for today.  I now have three blogs I’m working on and I still need to post on the other two. 

I’ll be back tomorrow to tell you all about the plan!